Worship Devotional CIII
Originally posted to the Facebook group on 1/1/2022.
Worship Devotional for 1/2/22
~ Christmas / New Year's ~
Luke 2:1-20:
"In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.
And Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough — because there was no room for them at the lodging place.
In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Don't be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.'
Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!'
When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let's go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.'
They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the feeding trough. After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard, just as they had been told."
Matthew 2:1-12:
"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.'
When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born.
'In Bethlehem of Judea,' they told him, 'because this is what was written by the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah: because out of you will come a leader who will shepherd My people Israel.'
Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 'Go and search carefully for the child. When you find Him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship Him.'
After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was — the star they had seen in the east! It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed beyond measure. Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route."
Malachi 4:1-3:
"'For indeed, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and everyone who commits wickedness will become stubble. The coming day will consume them,' says the Lord of Hosts, 'not leaving them root or branches. But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall. You will trample the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day I am preparing,' says the Lord of Hosts."
Philippians 2:5-11:
"Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death — even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow — of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth — and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Psalm 98:
"Sing a new song to the Lord, for He has performed wonders; His right hand and holy arm have won Him victory. The Lord has made His victory known; He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered His love and faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen our God's victory.
Shout to the Lord, all the earth; be jubilant, shout for joy, and sing. Sing to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and melodious song. With trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn shout triumphantly in the presence of the Lord, our King.
Let the sea and all that fills it, the world and those who live in it, resound. Let the rivers clap their hands; let the mountains shout together for joy before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world righteously and the peoples fairly."
Songs:
The First Noel
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing by Charles Wesley and Felix Mendelssohn
Silent Night by Joseph Mohr, Franz Xaver Gruber, and John Freeman Young
O Come All Ye Faithful by John Francis Wade and Frederick Oakeley
Joy To The World by Isaac Watts and George Frideric Handel
All Glory Be To Christ by Dustin Kensrue
Theme(s): Advent, Noel, Light of the World, Birth of the Messiah, King of Israel, King of the Nations, Parousia, New Year
Scripture references:
Genesis 49:10
Psalms 2, 22, 74, 80, 95-100, 110, 127, 130, 132
Isaiah 7:13-14, 9:1-7, 11:1-11, 42:1-17, 49:1-13, 50:4-11, 51:1-11, 52:7-10, 55, 60:1-6, 61-62
Micah 5:2-4
Haggai 2:6-9
Malachi 4
Matthew 1-2, 4:12-17, 6:9-13, 11:25-30
Luke 1-2
John 1:1-36, 3:13-21 & 31-36, 6:22-58, 7:37-39, 8:12, 12:34-50
Romans 5
2 Corinthians 4:1-6
Ephesians 3, 5:1-21
Philippians 2:1-16
Colossians 1:9-14, 2:2-3
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Hebrews 1-2, 10:19-25, 13
James 4:13-17
1 John 1, 5:6-13
Jude 14-25
Revelation 5, 19:11-16, 21:1-8, 22