Ministries
Resources
Bible Reading:
Matthew 2:1-12
1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
7Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
12And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
Devotional:
A baby is born. Gifts are brought. There is great joy. This is so completely within our experience that we respond to it readily.
And this is Christmas! Christmas, celebrated with love and reverence and thanksgiving to God for His gift, is a beautiful time in the Christian family.
Let us keep our Christmas. Let us not relinquish it to the world. God's love in giving us His Son makes our heart sing. We want to say 'Thank You' in a special way. We want to sing the carols which celebrate His love.
We, in turn, want to give. Out of hearts overflowing with gratitude we want to give something special to God. We want to share what we have with others, those in need, those dear to us.
True, Christmas has been prostituted by the world. Ours is the challenge to keep it simple and beautiful in our own lives and homes. Because sex has been poisoned by the world, do we throw out sex? Because God's Day has been largely taken over for business and pleasure, do we fail to keep it, too?
It is a challenge to have a truly Christian Christmas, stripped of pagan tradition and ungodly celebration. As we who are Christians strive to keep our Christmas Christian, this could be in the years ahead a striking testimony to others of our faith in the God who sent His Son to die that His people might live.
'They worshipped him,' says verse 11 concerning the wise men. And they brought Him gifts. Have you seen the car bumper sticker: 'Wise men still worship Him'? It is a sign of wisdom to worship the Saviour, wisdom which is a gift of God.
We are happy to have obtained permission to post as our current daily devotional Heirs Together of Life: Daily Bible Reading for Husbands and Wives, published by The Banner of Truth Trust. Don't be misled by the subtitle. As the book's "Preface" indicates (see below), although Heirs Together of Life is "especially prepared for couples,"the authors declare, "Since the basis for this guide is God's Word, we believe it would have value for any reader."
Charles and Norma Ellis are husband and wife and the authors not only of Heirs Together of Life (which was first published in 1980 and continues in print today), but also of Wells of Salvation (first published in 1985, and likewise still in print today). The latter contains a series of short studies covering the entire book of Isaiah, while the former contains a series of almost 200 short studies covering the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Both books by the Ellises can be ordered from the publisher, The Banner of Truth Trust. We trust that these daily Bible readings, posted daily on our site, will be helpful to you in your Christian walk before God. Whether married or not, all of us are members of families and members of the family of God.
Charles Ellis was educated at Wheaton College and Westminster Theological Seminary. Upon graduation from Westminster (where he earned not only a Th.B. but also a Th.M.), he was ordained to the ministry in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and pastored a number of OPC churches, including Immanuel OPC in West Collingswood, New Jersey; First OPC in Cincinnati, Ohio; Covenant OPC in East Orange, New Jersey; Knox OPC in Silver Spring, Maryland; and Lakeview OPC in Rockport, Maine. Less biographical information is available about his wife, but it is known that they served as parents of seven children. After retiring from the ministry, Charles Ellis went to be with the Lord in 2003, but he and his wife left us with a beautiful legacy in the two books they have given to the world, and we are proud to share the daily Bible readings from Heirs Together of Life here with you.
© 2024 The Orthodox Presbyterian Church
