Think About Christmas: 31 Reflections on the Events Surrounding the Birth of Jesus


Book Description

This is NOT your typical devotional book! This book will point your mind in new directions. You will see familiar Bible passages in entirely new ways. You might have heard the Christmas story dozens of times but I promise you that you have not thought about these things. This book will not make you feel better about yourself (or worse!). But it will get you to think more about the Lord. If the world seems to have lost its mind, what better way to reclaim your Christmas than to get your thoughts aligned. Like Moses when he paused to look at the burning bush, what would you see if you took the time to rediscover your destiny? Christmas can be a hectic time with lots of distractions. So why not carve a few minutes out of your day to focus your thoughts on the manger? Did Mary and Joseph really stay in an inn? What exactly did the magi see in the sky that prompted them to make a five-hundred-mile journey across the desert? What are the backstories for the characters we often place in our nativity displays? In this book, we will take a journey together to Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Jerusalem, pausing just long enough to recognize ourselves along the way. Instead of peace on earth, we’ll see a picture of family drama, chaos, and jealousy. The birth was messy. The child was in danger. Doubt and fear stalked the hearts and minds of those who dared to believe the Messiah had come. Two thousand years have passed, but the world is still demanding an answer to a question: Is the manger a myth or a miracle? Take a month to strip away the commercialism and distractions to build your faith as you think about the real meaning of Christmas.




Christmas Blessings: Reflections on the Birth of Jesus


Book Description

Do you struggle to fully understand the true meaning of Christmas? Are you seeking a deeper connection with God during this special season? Do you long to experience the joy and love that Christmas promises? Yes, you can find the answers and experience the true blessings of Christmas! “Christmas Blessings: Reflections on the Birth of Jesus” is a heartfelt exploration of the profound significance of Jesus’ birth. This book delves into the prophecies, the miraculous events, and the humble beginnings of our Savior, offering readers a deeper understanding of the Christmas story. Benefits of Reading This Book: Deepen Your Faith: Gain a richer understanding of the biblical events surrounding Jesus’ birth. Experience Joy and Love: Discover the true joy and love that Christmas brings. Strengthen Your Connection with God: Reflect on the spiritual significance of Christmas and grow closer to God. Inspire Your Faith Journey: Be inspired by the reflections and insights shared in this book. Why This Book is a Good Answer for you. Comprehensive Exploration: Covers key aspects of the Christmas story, from prophecies to the Nativity and beyond. Biblical Insights: Provides scriptural references and insights to deepen your understanding. Personal Reflections: Includes personal stories and reflections to connect with readers on a deeper level. Practical Application: Offers practical ways to apply the lessons learned to your own faith journey. Bullet Points: Discover the true meaning of Christmas. Deepen your faith and connection with God. Experience the joy and love of the Christmas season. Gain insights into the biblical events of Jesus’ birth. Be inspired by personal reflections and stories. Get your copy of “Christmas Blessings: Reflections on the Birth of Jesus” today and embark on a journey to experience the true blessings of Christmas. Let this book guide you to a deeper understanding of Christianity and help you become a happier, more fulfilled Christian.




Unwrapping the Names of Jesus


Book Description

How to focus on Christ during Advent Most Christians agree that Christmas is all about Jesus, yet most of us spend little time preparing our hearts to celebrate Him. Why is this? Partly because we don’t know how. In Unwrapping the Names of Jesus, Asheritah Ciuciu leads readers through the four weeks of Advent (Hope, Preparation, Joy, and Love). Each week: Begins with an interactive family devotional that equips readers to celebrate Advent together Offers five daily reflections that focus on that week's name of Jesus Includes suggestions for fun-filled family activities or service projects This devotional can be used by readers in their own personal worship times or as a tool to engage in family worship during the busy holiday season. Either way, participants will gain a greater sense of awe and wonder at who Jesus is. By focusing on the person and character of Jesus throughout the Advent season, readers will prepare their hearts so that when they admire the live nativity, sit in the candlelight service, or wake up on Christian morning, they can join the faithful who sing from the bottom of their hearts, "O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!"




The Counterfeit Christmas


Book Description

Much has been said about the birth of Jesus. Come face to face with Mary and Josephas you've never seen them before. Let's unwrap the first Christmas as Jeffery Donley takes you back in time to witness Mary and Joseph's courtship. Stand with Mary before the mighty angelic messenger, Gabriel, as he announces that she will give birth to the Messiah. Hear Mary sing ten stanzasyes, sing! Cry with Mary when Joseph cannot accept her but will privately divorce her. Shout with joy with Mary when Joseph comes to take her home. Walk with Mary and Joseph as you will feel every grueling step to Bethlehem. A cold, damp, stinking, urine/feces-filled room. A burial garment. An animal feed trough. Smell the place where Mary gave birth. Witness what Mary and Joseph used to swaddle baby Jesus. Look where they laid him. Be astonished at what Joseph became! Shiver with Mary as she holds baby Jesus in her arms and sings a lullaby to him. Hear an angelic army sing about the birth of Jesus to shepherds. Tremble in fear with Herod the Great as the Wise Men, the powerful Parthian Megistanes, gallop into Jerusalem. Wake up in the middle of the night and make a strategic trip to Egypt with Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. And rejoice when Joseph, Mary, and Jesus return to Israel. After reading The Counterfeit Christmas, you'll understand the birth of Jesus in a whole new way. After reading this book, your life will not be the same! I have enjoyed my reading and imagining with Jeffery Donley what this most magnificent event of our Lord's birth must have felt like to those who were involved in one of the most astounding events in the celestial and terrestrial world. Here is a narrative that will force moderns to pause and to reflect on the central event in history. Christmas will never remain the same for all who live the story of our Lord's birth once again in the way it is retold here. Jeffery's writing takes a story we all think is so well known it hardly bears repeating, yet Donley puts it so dramatically that it will never seem the same ever again. Interestingly enough, Dr. Donley quietly slips in some great archaeological, linguistic and historical studies that will excite even the average reader. I commend this text wholeheartedly to readers of all ages and abilities. Dr. Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. Biblical Scholar President Emeritus Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary




Prepare Him Room


Book Description

Are you tired of losing sight of the true meaning of Christmas amidst all the holiday chaos? Do you long for a deeper connection with the sacred season and a renewed sense of joy and purpose? Welcome to "Prepare Him Room: 25 Devotionals Celebrating the Birth of Jesus," a transformative devotional that will guide you on a journey of reflection and celebration this Christmas season. In these 25 daily devotions, author Ruth Hovsepian invites you to slow down, pause, and focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Through heartfelt meditations and thought-provoking insights, your heart will draw closer to the Lord, and your celebrations will revolve more closely around the message of Jesus' birth. Discover a holistic approach to Christmas that goes beyond the surface-level festivities. Allow the love, grace, and forgiveness of Jesus to shape your interactions with others. Embrace the values of compassion, forgiveness, and generosity at the Christmas story's core. Each devotion is rooted in carefully chosen Bible verses illuminating the Christmas story. Gain a deeper understanding of the historical context and events surrounding Jesus' birth, and explore how His miraculous arrival continues to impact your life today and throughout the year. As you engage with these Scriptures and reflect on their significance, you will be equipped to share the joy and hope of Jesus' birth with those around you. Your Christmas celebration will take on new meaning as you purposefully extend love, grace, and compassion to your loved ones, mirroring the heart of God. "Prepare Him Room" is not just a book; it's a transformative experience. Let the heart of God touch your heart and discover the true spirit of Christmas. Through these daily reflections, your thoughts, prayers, and actions will be guided toward the profound and life-changing message of Jesus' birth. Author Ruth Hovsepian's prayer is that you find more joy, hope, and peace this Christmas season than ever. May the celebration of Jesus' birth permeate every aspect of your life, transforming your relationships with others. May you be inspired to share the love and message of Jesus, spreading the true spirit of Christmas far and wide. Don't let this Christmas pass you by without genuinely experiencing its power and significance. Get your copy of "Prepare Him Room" now and embark on a journey that will deepen your faith, enrich your Christmas season, and draw you closer to the heart of God.




Uninvited


Book Description

Do you ever feel left out, lonely, or less than? Today, learn the secret of belonging which will help you keep rejections in perspective and be better equipped to foster healthy connections in your relationships. In Uninvited, Lysa shares her own deeply personal experiences of rejection from the perceived judgment of the perfectly toned woman one elliptical over to the incredibly painful childhood abandonment by her father. She leans in to honestly examine the roots of rejection, as well as rejection's ability to poison relationships from the inside out, including our relationship with God. With biblical depth, gut honest vulnerability, and refreshing wit, Lysa will help you: Stop feeling left out by believing that even when you are overlooked by others you are handpicked by God. Change your tendency to either fall apart or control the actions of others by embracing God-honoring ways to process your hurt. Know exactly what to pray for the next ten days to steady your soul and restore your confidence in the midst of rejection. Overcome the two core fears that feed your insecurities by understanding the secret of belonging. Uninvited reminds us we are destined for a love that can never be diminished, tarnished, shaken, or taken—a love that does not reject or uninvite.




The Advent of Christ


Book Description

"Daily reflections for Advent and Christmas based on the bestselling Dawn of the Messiah by Edward Sri, with new questions for reflection, Scripture, and prayers"--




Listen, Love, Repeat


Book Description

Our culture is self-obsessed – in our schedules, relationships, and especially online. (Can you say selfie?) But in this near-narcissism, people are less content than in decades past. Why? Because we forgot the joy that comes from putting others first. Doing so requires us to live alert, listening for “heart drops,” hints from those in our lives who need a helping hand or a generous dose of encouragement. Living alert lifts our own spirits, showing us that blessing others blesses us even more. Listen, Love, Repeat offers biblical teaching and suggests doable actions that are simple, heart-tugging, sentimental, even sneaky and hilarious. This message: • Presents scriptural examples of those who lived alert, including Jesus, who noticed those who least expected to be seen. • Explains the role of good works for followers of Christ. They aren’t our ticket to heaven but they are our marching orders on earth. • Gives creative ideas for showing love to friends and family, and suggests practical ways to reach out to the lonely, the marginalized, the outcast, and the odd duck. Additionally, it helps you comfort the grieving, showing what you can do when you don’t know what to say. • Provides inspiration for blessing the “necessary people” in your life, those often-overlooked souls who help you get life done every day, and teaches you how to hug a porcupine by genuinely loving the hard-to-love. As we scatter love, we create a safe space where we can openly share the gospel. We get to see lives changed right before our eyes. Most importantly, Listen, Love, Repeat will enable you to live a life that is full of kind deeds, not to selfishly shout, “Hey! Look at me!” but to humbly implore, “Will you look at Him?”




Martin Luther's Christmas Book


Book Description

Martin Luther's conception of the Nativity found expression in sermon, song, and art. This beautiful gift edition of a classic collection combines all three.




I Believe


Book Description

Christmas is a time for hope, for celebrations, for reflecting on the things that matter most, and for worshipping the Baby who would become the Savior. I Believe: The Meaning of Christmas and the Baby Who Started it All is a simple devotional of faith-building topics that surround the Christmas season. Covering themes like Old Testament prophecy, the nativity, celebrations from around the world, carols, and today’s Christmas traditions, I Believe has something for everyone. Great for personal use, family devotions, or as thoughtful holiday gifts.