40 Days of Christmas E-Book

Joseph Castleberry

• Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Seitenzahl: 116

Beschreibung

Who wants Christmas just one day a year? Celebrate for forty days!   Do you find your attention consumed by the pressures of the Christmas season—capturing the perfect Christmas card photo, finding the perfect gift, serving the perfect meal, or creating the perfect experience for your family? It's all too easy to lose sight of what is important. With daily Scriptures, inspirational readings, and uplifting prayers, 40 Days of Christmas is a devotional designed to help you enjoy three of the traditional church calendar seasons. Prepare your heart during Advent, rejoice in His birth at Christmas, and reveal the light of Christ on Epiphany. Focus on the richness of God's presence during this period of fuss and feasting as you celebrate the glory of the Savior. Every good thing you associate with Christmas flows from God's Spirit, and the Spirit of Christmas can remain with you and your family all year long.

Leseprobe

Being a genuine Kringel, I believe my endorsement carries some weight on Christmas. As a pastor, I am always looking for new ways to present fresh looks at key holiday moments. 40 Days of Christmas presents one day after another of life-giving thoughts and takeaways. Pastors will want this book as a resource for messages but also for personal reflection.

—KEVIN KRINGEL, lead pastor, Life Church, Roscoe, Illinois and author of Relevant Acts

40 Days of Christmas is outstanding! I look forward to rereading it with my family during the Christmas season. Both meaningful and inspiring, this book truly captures the essence of what Christmas is all about. The eye-opening message will challenge you, and the daily prayers will encourage and strengthen your faith. This devotional will take you deeper in your personal relationship with Christ as you discover the true spirit of Christmas.

—BILLY WELCH, lead pastor, North Pole Assembly of God, North Pole, Alaska

40 Days of Christmas is a real gem! As a one-day celebration, Christmas seems to pass all too quickly. We rarely take the time to adequately reflect on its meaning. Castleberry’s book uses the forty days of Christmas to offer us a powerful alternative. Start each of these forty days reading a biblical text followed by a Christmas devotion and a prayer. Every devotion will open your heart and enlighten your mind. So many interesting insights to ponder. Believe me, you’ll treasure this book and want to share it with others!

—FRANK D. MACCHIA, D. Theol., D.D., theologian, Vanguard University of Southern California and Bangor University, Wales (UK)

40 Days of Christmas makes the familiar story of Christmas come alive for its readers. It is filled with fresh insights, new perspectives, profound theology, and helpful observations. I’ve preached about Christmas for twenty years, and I learned something new on almost every page that deepened my love for and understanding of Christmas. Staying close to the text, Castleberry offers helpful observations on everything from Christmas trees, Christmas music, Santa Claus, and the liturgical calendar, and uses it all to add depth, meaning, and a heartfelt connection to the Christmas story. 40 Days of Christmas offers reflections that are new, interesting, and right. This will change how you go through the Christmas season.

—SCOTT DUDLEY, senior pastor, Bellevue Presbyterian Church, Bellevue, Washington

This devotional takes the reader through Scripture, adding stories and thoughts that point the way to Jesus Christ. The tone of the devotional is so inviting. It’s as if you are having a conversation over a cup of coffee about the things that matter to God. Well written for the forty days of Advent, this devotional will be picked up each season of every year.

—SHIRLEY V. HOOGSTRA, president, Council for Christian Colleges & Universities

Rarely can you read something in two minutes that changes the way you see something you have been familiar with your entire life. If you give two minutes of your time for the next forty days to read this book, you will see Christmas in a different way—from the tree that is in your living room to the sentiment that is in your heart. Dr. Castleberry is a genius, and he translates his intelligence in such a way that people like me can get it. It is fun to read something that makes you a better person. Merry Christmas and happy new life!

—DEAN CURRY, pastor, Life Center, Tacoma, Washington

40 Days of Christmas is a wonderfully accessible and transforming journey through the Christmas season, an edifying and inspiring blend of theological depth coupled with the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. A wonderful gift for friends, family, and especially those who may have lost sight of the real meaning of Christmas.

—GRANT GOODEVE, actor, singer, songwriter

The pages of 40 Days of Christmas are filled with profound insights! Reading these reflections is sure to help you approach the celebration of Christ’s birth with fresh joy and faith-filled anticipation.

—JOHN LINDELL, lead pastor, James River Church, Ozark, Missouri

Dr. Joseph Castleberry has unlocked the spirit of Christmas with this timely new book. For those seeking to reflect on the true meaning of the Advent season, this book is for you.

—A. J. RICE, CEO of Publius PR, Washington, DC

40 Days of Christmas provides a refreshing and inspirational look at Christmas. After reading it, I’m motivated more than ever to live the spirit of Christmas throughout the entire year.

—CHAPLAIN (COLONEL) SCOTT MCCHRYSTAL,US Army (retired)

BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLC Savage, Minnesota, USA BroadStreetPublishing.com

40 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS:

Celebrating the Glory of Our Savior

Copyright © 2018 Joseph Castleberry

978-1-4245-5757-8 (hardcover) 978-1-4245-5758-5 (e-book)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188, USA. All rights reserved. Scripture marked KJV is taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Other Scripture quotations are those of the author.

Stock or custom editions of BroadStreet Publishing titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, ministry, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email [email protected].

Cover design by Chris Garborg at garborgdesign.com

Interior design and typesetting by Katherine Lloyd at theDESKonline.com

Printed in China 18 19 20 21 22 5 4 3 2 1

To J. Calvin Holsinger, PhD, a dear friend full of years, who went to be with the Lord during Advent on December 15, the day I began to write this book.

And to my granddaughter Miranda Hope Austin, whose vigorous advent into this world occurred on the same day in my home.

Contents

Introduction   WHY FORTY DAYS?

November 28MUSIC AT CHRISTMAS

November 29O CHRISTMAS TREE

November 30THE HOUSE OF DAVID

December 1   A CHILD IS BORN

December 2   A VIRGIN CONCEIVES

December 3   A FAMILY OF BLESSING

December 4   HIGHLY FAVORED

December 5   CHRISTMAS LEADERS

December 6   NO ROOM

December 7   PRINCE OF PEACE

December 8   GLORY AND PEACE

December 9   WORTHY WITNESSES

December 10THE FORERUNNER

December 11SO MUCH GREATER

December 12A BIGGER PICTURE

December 13CHRISTMAS FOOD

December 14CHRISTMAS MYTHS

December 15SANTA CLAUS

December 16COMMERCIALISM

December 17REJOICE!: FEAST OF LAZARUS

December 18MELANCHOLY CHRISTMAS

December 19CHRISTMAS HUMILITY

December 20SILENT NIGHT: VIGIL OF THOMAS

December 21CHRISTMAS AND DOUBT: FEAST OF THOMAS

December 22CHRISTMAS ANGELS

December 23HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

December 24SALVATION THROUGH CHILDBIRTH: FEAST OF ADAM AND EVE

December 25TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU: FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS.

December 26THE FEAST OF STEPHEN: SECOND DAY OF CHRISTMAS

December 27THE BELOVED DISCIPLE: THIRD DAY OF CHRISTMAS

December 28THE HOLY INNOCENTS: FOURTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS

December 29STAR OF BETHLEHEM: FIFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS

December 30HEIR OF ALL THINGS: SIXTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS

December 31COME, LORD!: SEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS

January 1      THE YEAR OF FAVOR: EIGHTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS

January 2      THE CONSECRATION: NINTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS

January 3      THE CONSOLATION: TENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS

January 4      O LITTLE TOWN: ELEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS

January 5      EXILE—THE PATH TO POWER: TWELFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS

January 6      SHININGLIKE A STAR: EPIPHANY

Epilogue      CHRISTMASTIME ALL YEAR THROUGH

About the Author

Notes

Introduction

WHY FORTY DAYS?

A friend recently wrote on one of my social media sites, “It’s January 2, and I’m so excited to throw out our Christmas tree!” I immediately responded, “You aren’t doing Christmas right if you quit before Epiphany!” Unfortunately, many people do not get the most out of their Christmas celebration. They let the hustle and bustle and kitsch ruin the whole thing. They start moaning when their city or town puts up the Christmas lights before Thanksgiving Day and then wonder why seasonal affective disorder has them in its clutches by December 26. I have never heard a child say, “I can’t wait until Christmas is over!” How sad it feels to hear an adult say it. What a waste!

Long ago, the founders of our culture designed Christmas in December with the desire to lift the spirits of our people during the darkest time of the year. Celebrating Christmas the right way offers a number of wonderful benefits that will improve our mental state, delight our families, strengthen our economy, and contribute to our spiritual growth and well-being. Its design motivates us to save money throughout the year. It provides a season to love our family and friends tangibly with cards and phone calls and presence and presents. It leads us to cultivate a childlike attitude with corresponding childlike joy. It gives us an excuse to set aside fasting (diets) and eat a great feast. Most importantly, it stimulates us to think about God’s love for humankind and to meditate on the beauty and glory of the birth of our Savior. It offers many other benefits as well.

One of the worst feelings in the world is getting nothing for Christmas, and getting nothing out of it feels just as bad. You need to read this book so you can get the most out of Christmas!

I like to celebrate Christmas for a full forty days. Forty days is a biblically significant time period, often associated with fasting or trial—such as the time Jesus spent fasting under temptation in the wilderness. Many people only celebrate Christmas for a day or two, and some Christians do not celebrate it at all, seeing it as a pagan convention. But wiser generations before us divided the holiday into three seasons on the church calendar to prepare for Christmas (Advent), celebrate it (Christmastime), and live it out (Epiphany).

Because the Sundays of Advent always occur on different dates, I have chosen to frame the calendar of these Christmas reflections across the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, beginning on November 28, the first possible Sunday of Advent. I have chosen to recognize a few feast days dedicated to biblical personages on the historic church calendar. On each day I have offered a Bible reading, a reflection on the text or exposition of it, and a prayer, with hopes of adding information, creativity, and spiritual depth to each day of this special period of fuss and feasting, helping you enrich your celebration of Christmas.

I feel compelled to confess that not all of these reflections are, strictly speaking, Bible studies. Sometimes the featured Bible verse provides only a starting place for the reflection that follows. I hope I have not arrived at any unbiblical musings, even if some do not conform strictly to the contextual readings of the text provided.

Most of all, I hope that these reflections will help you get the greatest possible joy from this Christmas season. I want to get you started thinking and praying more deeply about this blessed season! I pray that God will speak to you in ways that go far beyond what I have written. Merry Christmas!

November 28

MUSIC AT CHRISTMAS

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

—Luke 2:13–14

Christmas and music are inseparable. We all know that the angel chorus sang the announcement of the birth of the Messiah to Galilean shepherds, even though the biblical text does not say that they sang. Similarly, in the New International Version, Mary’s Magnificat