Tag Archives: Jesus

Daily Bible Reading “Jesus was Born in Bethlehem” (Matthew 2:1-23)

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Jesus was Born in Bethlehem

Matthew 2 tells about the birth of Jesus. He was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king. Bethlehem means “house of bread.” In John 6:35 Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” Bethlehem was a village about six miles south of Jerusalem.

There were wise men who came to Jerusalem saying they saw a star in the east, and asking, “Where is He that is born King of the Jews?” When Herod heard this, he was upset and so was the whole city of Jerusalem. Herod wasn’t a religious man, neither was he Jewish. He was a Palestinian politician who preferred everything Greek. Herod had never heard of the prophecy from Micah 5:2, which clearly points to the Messiah coming from Bethlehem.

Herod sent the wise men to Bethlehem to search for the child and when they found Him they worshiped Him. Then the wise men were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, so they went another way. Herod sent men to kill all the children in Bethlehem who were from birth to two years old.

Joseph was warned in a dream that he should take Jesus and Mary to Egypt to keep Herod from finding Jesus and killing Him. This looks like they were running away, but it had been prophesied when the LORD said in Hosea 11:1 which Matthew quoted, “Out of Egypt have I called my Son.” They stayed in Egypt until Herod died only a year or two later.

Then Joseph had a dream telling him to take them to Israel. But when he heard Herod’s son, Archelaus was reigning in Judea he was afraid, so he went to Nazareth. This fulfilled another prophesy which said Jesus would be called a Nazarene. If you will notice that all these things look like they are not meant to be, but were previously prophesied.

This reminds me of one of my favorite Scriptures, Romans 8:28, which says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” We see that every move which was made had been previously orchestrated by God.

 

Daily Bible Reading:

Matthew 2:1-23

1 Now 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,
2 Saying, 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.
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And 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.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And 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.
9 When 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.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11 And 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.
12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life.
21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

 

Things to think about:

  • How did Joseph feel knowing Jesus was being sought by Herod to be killed?
  • Have you ever noticed in your own life things that seem to be problems end up being for your good?
  • Think about what it must have been like to be the parents of the children who were killed by Herod.
  • What prophesies were fulfilled in this Scripture?

 

Prayer of the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your Son, Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem. Thank You that You protected Him from Herod. Help us to remember what the Scriptures have to say about the birth of Jesus. Thank you for this Scripture which helps us to see that there are no accidents and that all things work together for Your will. We love You, LORD. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

 

Daily Bible Verse:

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, …

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behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, – Matthew 2:1

This is an excerpt from The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ in honor of the celebration of Jesus’ birth for Christmas.

 

Christian Music Video: “Sweet Little Jesus Boy” – Casting Crowns

PS. Thank you for coming to DeborahHBateman.com to study the Bible with us. Please come back again tomorrow and invite your friends and family to join us for Bible Study.

 

Featured Book:

Matthew

The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ
by Deborah H. Bateman

About the book:

The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ is a Daily Bible Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman, which takes you through the life of Jesus Christ. The book of Matthew is the first book in the New Testament of the Bible. It begins with the genealogy of Jesus Christ and His birth.

The Book of Matthew also goes into Jesus’ ministry on earth, including the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ parables, and Jesus’ final days, including His death, burial, and resurrection. The book concludes with the great commission.

The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ includes fifty-seven daily devotionals which contain a brief commentary, the Daily Bible Reading Scripture, a few questions to think about, and a prayer of the day. It is a great book for individual daily devotions or a group Bible study.

Go to: http://amazon.com/dp/B00C1JGJMQ
Get your copy now!

 

Subscribe to Deborah H. Bateman author site to receive

Daily Bible Reading Lessons in your inbox.

 

Have a blessed day,

Deborah

Recipe for Life

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Daily Bible Reading “Mary Did You Know” (Matthew 1:18-25)

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Mary Did You Know

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from Matthew 1:18-25. Have you ever considered the real meaning of Christmas? It is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. While we do all kinds of things during the holiday season to celebrate, such as buying gifts, decorating our houses, decorating trees, going to parties, and having family celebrations, our focus should be on the real reason for the season.

In the previous study we looked at the genealogy of Jesus Christ. In this lesson, we go back to the beginning, when it was first discovered that Jesus Christ was going to be born into this world through a miracle of God.

Matthew starts telling about the birth of Jesus in Matthew 1:18. Mary was a virgin, chosen by God, to be the mother of Jesus. It was a miraculous birth, because Mary was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Think about how Mary must have felt when she found out she was expecting a child, but had never had a physical relationship with a man. Mary was engaged to Joseph, who was a just man. At first, he thought he should put her away privately and not make a public example of her.

But the angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream and confirmed that Mary had conceived of the Holy Ghost. He told Joseph that Mary was going to have a son and they should call him JESUS. Can you imagine how Joseph must have felt when he woke from that dream?

The angel also told Joseph that Jesus would save His people from their sins. This was the purpose of Jesus’ birth; from the beginning God brought Jesus into the human race to be the Savior of the world. He used Mary as an instrument to allow Jesus to be born as a human, so He could live in this world and ultimately so He could be the sacrifice for our sins.

Daily Bible Reading:

Matthew 1:18-25

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

 

Things to think about:

  • Can you imagine how Mary felt when she found out she was expecting a baby?
  • Can you imagine how Joseph felt when he found out his fiancée Mary was going to have a baby even though they didn’t have a physical relationship?
  • Think about the miracle God performed when He caused Mary to be expectant of the Holy Ghost.
  • Do you celebrate Christmas as the birth of Jesus Christ?


Prayer of the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for this account from Matthew about the virgin birth of Your Son, Jesus. Thank You for sending Him to the earth to be our Savior. When we celebrate the Christmas season, help us to keep our focus on the true reason for the season. We love You, LORD. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

 

Daily Bible Verse:

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and

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they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

– Matthew 1:23


This is an excerpt from The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ by Deborah H. Bateman

 

Christian Music: Mary Did You Know ~ Reba McEntire


PS. Thank you for coming to DeborahHBateman.com to study the Bible with us. Come back again tomorrow. We will share an excerpt from The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ in honor of the celebration of Jesus’ birth for Christmas. 

 

Featured Book:

Matthew

The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ
by Deborah H. Bateman

About the book:

The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ is a Daily Bible Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman, which takes you through the life of Jesus Christ. The book of Matthew is the first book in the New Testament of the Bible. It begins with the genealogy of Jesus Christ and His birth.

The Book of Matthew also goes into Jesus’ ministry on earth, including the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ parables, and Jesus’ final days, including His death, burial, and resurrection. The book concludes with the great commission.

The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ includes fifty-seven daily devotionals which contain a brief commentary, the Daily Bible Reading Scripture, a few questions to think about, and a prayer of the day. It is a great book for individual daily devotions or a group Bible study.

Go to: Amazon

Get your copy now!

 

Click Here to Subscribe to Deborah H. Bateman author site to receive

Daily Bible Reading Lessons in your inbox.

 

Have a blessed day,

Deborah

Recipe for Life

Daily Bible Reading “Genealogy of Jesus Christ” (Matthew 1:1-17)

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Genealogy of Jesus Christ

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from Matthew 1:1-17. This is a study of the book of Matthew and his account of the life of Jesus Christ. In today’s Bible Study, we’ll look at the Scripture from Matthew 1:1-17. In this Scripture, we’ll find the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Often times we skip these Scriptures when we see them in the Bible, but it is important that we know the genealogy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

As you read through these Scriptures look at some of the names you recognize from other parts of the Bible. Most of us remember Abraham, who was a faithful follower of God in the Old Testament. This promise was made to Abraham in Genesis 12:3: “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”How about Isaac, Jacob, and Judas? Then we get into some names that may not be as familiar to us.

Notice in this scripture that Boaz, Ruth, and their son, Obed, are mentioned. We also see King David who was the son of Jesse, Obed’s son. We see Solomon mentioned. Then we go back into some names that are not as popular and we may not even recognize some of them, until we come to Jacob, whose son was Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. This was Jesus’ legal blood line through Joseph, not His blood line through His mother, Mary.

Take note of the fact that there were four women mentioned in this genealogy. Most of the time you won’t  see women mentioned when genealogy is listed. However, when you look at the backgrounds of these women, you will find the grace of God evident through their lives.

In Matthew 1:17, we are told, “So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.” Do you wonder what the significance of three sets of fourteen generations was?

 

Daily Bible Reading:

Matthew 1:1-17

1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;

3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;

4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;

5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;

6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her [that had been the wife] of Urias;

7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;

8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;

9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;

10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;

11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:

12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;

13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;

14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;

15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;

16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

 

Things to think about:

  • What names listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ do you recognize?
  • What names do you not recognize?
  • Why are some names more familiar to us than others?
  • Take a couple of the names you don’t recognize and look them up to see who they are and what their story was.

 

Prayer of the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You for this Scripture in the Bible that gives us the genealogy of Your Son, Jesus Christ. We thank You for allowing Him to come into this world to be the Savior of the world, so we might be forgiven from our sins. Help us to honor Him with our lives. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

 

Daily Bible Verse:

And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. – Matthew 1:16

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This is an excerpt from The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ by Deborah H. Bateman

 

Christian Music Video: Life of Christ slideshow
(This video doesn’t allow embedding, but I thought it was worth sharing. So, please click on the link to view it. Thanks)

PS. Thank you for coming to DeborahHBateman.com to study the Bible with us. Please come back again tomorrow and invite your friends and family to join us for Bible Study. We will continue to share excerpts for the from The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ in honor of the celebration of Jesus’ birth for Christmas.

 

Featured Book:

Matthew

The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ
by Deborah H. Bateman

About the book:

The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ is a Daily Bible Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman, which takes you through the life of Jesus Christ. The book of Matthew is the first book in the New Testament of the Bible. It begins with the genealogy of Jesus Christ and His birth.

The Book of Matthew also goes into Jesus’ ministry on earth, including the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ parables, and Jesus’ final days, including His death, burial, and resurrection. The book concludes with the great commission.

The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ includes fifty-seven daily devotionals which contain a brief commentary, the Daily Bible Reading Scripture, a few questions to think about, and a prayer of the day. It is a great book for individual daily devotions or a group Bible study.

Go to: http://bookShow.me/B00C1JGJMQ
Get your copy now!

 

Click Here to Subscribe to Deborah H. Bateman author site to receive Daily Bible Reading Lessons in your inbox.

 

Have a blessed day,

Deborah

Recipe for Life

Like Deborah H. Bateman on Facebook

Daily Bible Reading “Christmas Traditions” (Matthew 2:1-11)

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Christmas Traditions

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from Matthew 2:1-11. I find it interesting to see what other people do as some of their family Christmas traditions. What are some of your Christmas Traditions? In this post, I am going to share some of my family’s Christmas traditions and a family favorite recipe that we fix every year during the Christmas holidays.

Christmas is a time when we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Probably at the top of the list as one of our favorite family Christmas traditions over the years has been being involved in our church’s Christmas drama that was called, “This Man Called Jesus,” and was performed for twenty-five years at the church.

My husband, children, grandchildren all played parts in the drama throughout the years. There are many people in our community and throughout the world who attended the drama and some came back every year to see it as part of their family traditions. The drama is no longer done at our church, but has become a community project that my family is still involved in. It is now called “Jesus Is His Name.”

At home, we decorate our tree and home in a festive manner as I am sure a lot of you do as well. It is always a fun family time of putting up the tree and getting the house ready for the Christmas holidays.

This year we started a new Christmas tradition of giving the children and grandchildren an ornament that they could keep and hang on their tree in the future as something to remember us by. I also wrote them a Christmas letter introducing the new tradition and reminding them to always celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.

When our children were growing up we always opened presents on Christmas morning, but now that they are grown and have children of their own, we open our presents on Christmas Eve. That way they are able to celebrate Christmas with their children on Christmas morning. We also have a nice Christmas dinner as part of our Christmas celebration. Over the past several years we have gone to our daughter’s house to have breakfast with her and watch her children open their presents. Then, we may drop by and visit other relatives and friends in the area.

We also have a big family party usually after Christmas with all of my extended family. Our house was the meeting place after my parents went to be with the Lord. Now that we have outgrown our house we started meeting at a community center. My brother, sisters, and their children and grandchildren all gather together for a meal and fellowship. Everybody brings finger foods, appetizers, or a covered dish and we all enjoy another day of celebrating together. Each family group represented at the party has their picture taken in front of the Christmas tree. We usually have about thirty or thirty-five people for this day of celebration. Of course that number continues to grow as the family grows.

We have special treats that we cook only during the holiday season. Over the years I have taught my daughters and now my grandchildren how to cook. One of our favorite things to make every year is Peanut Butter Balls. I only fix these during the holidays, so it gives my family something to look forward to. One of my granddaughters asked me if we could make them in the summer, and I told her she would have to wait until Christmas. I will share that recipe with you at the end of this post.

The wise men gave gifts at the birth of Jesus. Maybe this is where we developed the tradition of exchanging gifts.

 

Daily Bible Reading:

Matthew 2:1-11

1 Now 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,
2 Saying, 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.
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And 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.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And 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.
9 When 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.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11 And 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.

 

Things to think about:

  • What are your family traditions?
  • Which of your family traditions do you feel honor Jesus’ birth?
  • Are there any of your family traditions that does not honor the birth of Jesus?
  • How can we make our family traditions more about celebrating the birth of Jesus and less commercialized?

 

Prayer of the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for this Scripture where the wise men’s visit at the birth of Jesus is recorded. Help us as we go through the holiday season to always remember the true meaning of Christmas. Help us to center our celebrations around the birth of Christ. Help us to honor You in all that we do. Thank You for giving the precious gift of Your Son, Jesus, to be born into this world in order to save us from our sins. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

 

Christian Music Video:

PS. Thank you for coming to DeborahHBateman.com to study the Bible with us. Come back again tomorrow. We will continue to study God’s Word together.

Featured Book:

Matthew

The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ
by Deborah H. Bateman

About the book:

The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ is a Daily Bible Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman, which takes you through the life of Jesus Christ. The book of Matthew is the first book in the New Testament of the Bible. It begins with the genealogy of Jesus Christ and His birth.

The Book of Matthew also goes into Jesus’ ministry on earth, including the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ parables, and Jesus’ final days, including His death, burial, and resurrection. The book concludes with the great commission.

The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ includes fifty-seven daily devotionals which contain a brief commentary, the Daily Bible Reading Scripture, a few questions to think about, and a prayer of the day. It is a great book for individual daily devotions or a group Bible study.

Go to: Amazon
Get your copy now!

 

Click Here to Subscribe to Deborah H. Bateman author site to receive

Daily Bible Reading Lessons in your inbox.

 

This is a recipe my family usually makes every year for Christmas. However, I haven’t gotten around to it yet this year. I usually make three or four recipes, so we can have plenty for all our Christmas gatherings.

peanut-butter-balls-3

Peanut Butter Balls

1 lb. confectioners sugar

2 sticks margarine or butter, melted

1 cup crushed graham crackers (I run mine through the salad shooter w/ the grate blade)

1 cup peanut butter-you can use crunchy or creamy whichever you prefer, I prefer crunchy, but the grandchildren prefer creamy.

1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter, stir in peanut butter until melted, add sugar, vanilla, and graham crackers crumbs.  The mixture will be very thick.  Form into balls.  Melt 6 oz. chocolate chips with 1/4 bar paraffin wax over low heat in double boiler.  Use a toothpick or spoon to dip balls into chocolate.  Put on wax paper until set.

 

* Each recipe will make about 100 bite-size Peanut Butter Balls.

I like to mix the chocolate chips, using some semi-sweet and some milk chocolate.

You can do only milk chocolate, or only semi-sweet, or half of each, or I prefer 3 semi-sweet to 1 milk chocolate.

If you would like to see some of our other family favorite recipes please stop by my blog called Recipe for Life at: http://www.deborah-bateman.blogspot.com

 

May God bless you and your family throughout the holiday season and through the next year.

 

Happy holidays,

Deborah

Daily Bible Reading “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” Matthew 2:11

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Christmas Jesus Reason for SeasonJesus is the Reason for the Season

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from Matthew 2:11. It’s that time of year again, the time when we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I don’t know about you, but as for me, by this time of the holiday season I have about worn myself out. How did we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of it all?

We spend weeks or even months getting ready for the big day. We decorate our houses with Christmas trees, nativity scenes, wreaths, garlands, angels, and other Christmas decorations.

We go all over town looking for the perfect gifts for our loved ones. Then, we wrap all the gifts and place them under the tree and wait for the day when we get to open all the gifts we have purchased and prepared for our loved ones.

We spend hours planning, shopping, and cooking our family’s favorite Christmas goodies and meals.

We do all this and wear ourselves out to the point of exhaustion.

During the holiday season, do we really take the time that we should to reflect on the real reason for the Christmas season?

It is Jesus’ birth we are celebrating. How do you suppose He would like us to celebrate His birthday?

Do you think He would enjoy us spending time with Him?

I know on my birthday I enjoy my friends and family spending time with me acknowledging the celebration of my birthday, don’t you?

In Matthew 2:11 we learn that the wise men traveled to see baby Jesus. When they found Jesus, we are told that they bowed down and worshiped Him. They brought gifts to Him of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The celebration wasn’t about the wise men, or Joseph and Mary. It was focused solely on Jesus.

What are some ways that we can worship Jesus during the Christmas holiday season? We might attend church worship services, Christian Christmas programs, listen to Christian Christmas songs, or read the Christmas story from the Bible and reflect on the glory, majesty, and precious gift of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

How do you plan to worship Jesus during the Christmas holiday season?

 

Daily Bible Reading:

Matthew 2:11

11 And 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.

 

Things to think about:

  • In what ways do you worship Jesus during the Christmas holidays?
  • What are some ways that we can teach our children and grandchildren the true meaning of Christmas?
  • How can we focus more on Him and not as much on the other things that we have made Christmas about?
  • What are some ways we can share the love of Jesus with others during the Christmas season?

 

Prayer of the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your son, Jesus Christ. Thank You for sending Him to this world to be born of a virgin and to die on the cross for our sins. Help us during this Christmas season to focus more on celebrating His birth and less on all the other traditions that we have during this holiday season. Forgive us of the ways that we have made this time of year more about us and what we want and less about Him. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

 

Christmas Music Video:

PS. Thank you for coming to DeborahHBateman.com to study the Bible with us. Come back again tomorrow. Please invite your friends and family to join us for Bible Study.

 

Featured Book:

Matthew

The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ
By Deborah H. Bateman

About the book:

The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ is a Daily Bible Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman, which takes you through the life of Jesus Christ. The book of Matthew is the first book in the New Testament of the Bible. It begins with the genealogy of Jesus Christ and His birth.

The Book of Matthew also goes into Jesus’ ministry on earth, including the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ parables, and Jesus’ final days, including His death, burial, and resurrection. The book concludes with the great commission.

The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ includes fifty-seven daily devotionals which contain a brief commentary, the Daily Bible Reading Scripture, a few questions to think about, and a prayer of the day. It is a great book for individual daily devotions or a group Bible study.

Go to: Amazon
Get your copy now!

 

Click Here to Subscribe to Deborah H. Bateman author site to receive

Daily Bible Reading Lessons in your inbox.

 

Have a blessed day,

Deborah

Recipe for Life

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