Good morning,

Christmas is Friday, December 25. It is time to focus on why we celebrate this event. The announcements that were made to Isaiah, Micah, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. The story of Jesus birth. The praise of the angels, shepherds, Simeon, and Anna.

From the very beginning it is a supernatural story. Only God could have arranged all the details to make it happen. But happen it did.

Today we look at the praise of the angels, shepherds, Simeon, and Anna.

Luke 2:13-14 The Heavenly Host

 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ¹⁴ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 2:15-20 The Shepherds

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.¹⁶ And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.¹⁷ And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.¹⁸ And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Luke 2:25-32 Simeon’s Praise

And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.²⁶ And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.²⁷ And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,²⁸ Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,²⁹ Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:³⁰ For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,³¹ Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;³² A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Luke 2:36-38 Anna’s Thanksgiving  

And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;³⁷ And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.³⁸ And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

God made His first revelation of Jesus to the lowliest class of people, the shepherds. The message of salvation was for all people. They went and told others of what they had seen and heard.

Simeon waited patiently for the coming of the Lord. He was promised he would not see death till he saw Jesus.  The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to him and he rejoices and praises God.

Anna, a widow for 84 years, who served God faithfully in the temple, sees Jesus and gives thanks.

What does the birth of Christ mean to you? Is a time of rejoicing, praise, and worship, or an excuse to party, buy gifts, and take a day off of work? It is an important question. If Jesus birth, life, death, and resurrection mean nothing or very little to you, you might want to consider your salvation.

Salvation is not just naming Christ, but living as He would have lived. His character, empathy, love, grace, should be qualities we should see in fellow believers. We should be students of the Bible for knowledge and for practical everyday living. The Bible is our guidebook on how to live life. The answers to all life’s questions are answered in God’s Holy Word.

May this Christmas be a time of reflection, renewal, encouragement, and understanding of the real meaning of Christmas. Your eternity is wrapped up in the babe in the manger.

Have a blessed Christmas.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Christmas is Friday, December 25. It is time to focus on why we celebrate this event. The announcements that were made to Isaiah, Micah, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. The story of Jesus birth. The praise of the angels, shepherds, Simeon, and Anna.

From the very beginning it is a supernatural story. Only God could have arranged all the details to make it happen. But happen it did.

Today the announcements come to fruition. The babe who was to be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace, Emmanuel, Jesus, would be born in a stable. Not quite what we would envision for the Messiah.

Luke 2:1-7

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.² (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)³ And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.⁴ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)⁵ To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.⁶ And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Matthew 1:18-25, 2:1

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 public 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. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea…

Jesus is born just as the announcements prophesied. Virgin born, born in Bethlehem, laid in a manger, alone. From the perspective of man, this was all logical. Mary and Joseph were poor, from a non-descript village, questionable parents, among thousands of other pilgrims coming in for the taxation. Why would anyone care about them? We will see tomorrow that many did care. They were not alone. And this baby was destined to change the world!

Jesus birth also pictured His life. The swaddling clothes picture His death. The manger pictures His ministry where He had no place to lay His head. The travel Jesus parents made was indicative of His ministry of preaching from city to city.

God had a plan. The babe in the manger is the Savior of the world and more importantly of you and I. Do you know Him? If not, today would be a perfect time to repent of your sins and by faith accept Jesus offer of salvation.

Tomorrow we will look at those who first saw Jesus and their reactions.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Christmas is Friday, December 25. It is time to focus on why we celebrate this event. The announcements that were made to Isaiah, Micah, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. The story of Jesus birth. The praise of the angels, shepherds, Simeon, and Anna.

From the very beginning it is a supernatural story. Only God could have arranged all the details to make it happen. But happen it did.

Today let us look at the announcements the Lord made to Isaiah and Micah, the Angel to Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds.

Adam and Eve disobeyed God. That first sin is passed down to all men. Jesus Christ willingly gave up His heavenly home to come to earth to pay the debt for sin that mankind could not pay.

Isaiah 7:14

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.    

Isaiah 9:6

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Micah 5:2

 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Luke 1:26-35

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,²⁷ To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.²⁸ And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.²⁹ And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.³⁰ And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God.³¹ And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.³² He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:³³ And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.³⁴ Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?³⁵ And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Matthew 1:18-25

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 public 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.

Luke 2 8-12

 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.⁹ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.¹⁰ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.¹² And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

These passages tell God’s plan. A virgin will conceive, bear a son, who will rule forever, named Jesus, to save the people from their sins. The first people God presented our Savior was to lowly shepherds.

Tomorrow, we will explore the birth of Jesus.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

God’s perfect wisdom in the management of our affairs!

(James Buchanan)

“The Lord reigns!“ Psalm 97:1

The Bible lays a solid ground for our comfort when it assures us that all things are under the government of God. He superintends the affairs of this world, both as the provident parent and as the moral governor of His creatures.

The Bible declares that God created them, and that whatever beings He deigned to create–He does not disdain to care for. It assures us that no being is so great as to be exempt from His control–and none are so little as to be beneath His regard. And, in like manner, that His eye is directed to every event which may befall any one of His creatures–with no event being either so momentous, or so insignificant–as to be beyond His management or unworthy of His notice. The sparrow which falls to the earth–is not less an object of His regard than the seraph that stands before His throne!

That all His creatures in this world, and all the events of human life, of whatever kind they may be–are under God’s regulation and control–is, of itself, fitted to banish that feeling of uncertainty and hopelessness which the aspect of events might otherwise awaken. And how important to know . . .
  that nothing happens by chance,
  that everything is ordained and appointed according to certain divine principles which are fixed and stable, and  that these principles will continue to be developed, until the grand end of God’s government shall have been attained!

But, however important this information may be, it could ill suffice to cheer the heart amidst its sorrows, or to inspire that living hope which alone can bear us up under their heavy pressure–were we not further assured that the government under which we live is conducted by . . .
  a God of infinite intelligence and wisdom;
  a being who cannot err–one who knows the end from the beginning; and
  is alike incapable of choosing an improper end, or of employing unsuitable means for its attainment.

A persuasion of God’s perfect wisdom in the management of our affairs is the more needful, in proportion as we feel our own helplessness, and are taught by disappointments and trials–that our affairs are too high and too great to be managed by ourselves. And when assured of this precious truth, we shall the more readily submit to all God’s appointments–satisfied, that although we know not the plan of His operations, yet it is known and approved of by One whose wisdom is the best guarantee of the universe.

And thus, too, will the idea of blind fate be excluded, not less than the idea of chance.

Still the heart desires something more. It is not enough that the world is neither left to the random vicissitudes of chance–nor governed by a blind and inexorable fate. It is not enough for our comfort to know that a God of infinite intelligence presides over its affairs, and that its laws are the emanations of His unerring wisdom. Great and glorious as these discoveries are, the heart longs to know the character, not less than the wisdom of that Almighty Being–and to be made acquainted, if not with His secret purposes, at least with the nature of His moral perfections and His dispositions towards ourselves. “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us!” Romans 5:8 

“Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns!“ Revelation 19:6
~  ~  ~  ~

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Tonight is the last evening of Hanukkah. I hope you have enjoyed the devotions on Hanukkah.

Eighth Candle

Revelation 21:22-27 gives us a description of our glorious eternal dwelling place in the New Jerusalem:

And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it. And in the daytime (for there shall be no night there) its gates shall never be closed; and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

So, the question begs itself, are our names written in the Lamb’s book of life? If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, see yesterday’s devotion, your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life. If not, you will be separated from God for all eternity. You choose.

I hope all of you will be able to spend your Christmas with family, friends, and loved ones. Please remember to spend a portion of the next few days reading the story of Jesus birth from Matthew 1 and 2, and Luke 2. Jesus is the reason for the season. If you have forgotten some of these principles, please read, again, this week’s devotionals.

Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Today is day 7 of Hanukkah. We will light 7 candles.

Tonight, we light the seventh Hanukkah candle. With each night, the light grows brighter. It reminds us that light dispels darkness. We live in a dark world. Open a newspaper, a news feed on the computer, or the evening news, and you will notice that the lead story is usually about death, wickedness, or some kind of sin. The light that Jesus gives allows men and women, boys and girls to live above what the world has to offer.

Seventh Candle

The prophet Isaiah speaks of the future glory of a restored Israel in Isaiah 60:1-3:

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord
has risen upon you… And nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

God is not done with Israel. If you have any doubt, please read the books of Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Revelation. Israel will be restored to Her rightful place as God’s chosen nation and people. Today’s Scripture states that nations and kings will come to the light of Israel and ultimately to the Messiah, Yeshua, the Lord Jesus Christ. What a glorious day that will be.

The message of salvation is woven through the whole Hanukkah celebration. I would be remiss in not sharing that message with you.

God created a perfect world, no sin. In Genesis 3, man chose to disobey God’s clear command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  The first sin. From that time to this God sees us as sinners. In the Old Testament, God directed a blood sacrifice for the covering of sin. We see this demonstrated in Egypt, just before the Exodus and the Priests sacrificing animals daily for the sins of the people.

God had a better plan.  “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5) How was this to be done? Jesus tells us in Mark 1:14-15, “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” What is the gospel? “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-6)

So to summarize.

1) We are lost and need a Savior. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” (Romans 3:10) “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)

2) God sent Jesus to redeem us. (See Galatians 4:4-5 above)

3) We must repent of our sins. Repent means turning in the opposite direction. Renounce all your wickedness before Jesus. (See Mark 1:14-15)

4) We must believe the gospel. That Christ died for our sins, that he was buried, and that he rose again on the third day. (See 1 Corinthians 15:1-6)

5) Last we must a make a decision to accept or reject God’s free gift of salvation. Romans 10:8-11, makes this very clear. “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

Jesus came to earth as a baby, grew to manhood, preach God’s message of salvation, and then went to the cross for US! Jesus would love for you to trust Him as Lord and Savior this Christmas. If you know Jesus as Lord and Savior, tell someone about this good news.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Today is day 6 of Hanukkah. We will light 6 candles.

Sixth Candle

After we come to know Messiah, we are to be a source of light for the world. King Messiah tells us in Matthew 5:14-16:

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be
hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

What we learned:

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Candle Five pictures the baby Jesus as the greatest light of all. Simeon testified to it. John, the apostle, writes about it. Then Candle Six makes the application to believers to be lights to the whole world. Live it, teach it, proclaim it, to all who will listen.

Our world is BLINDED by the wrong kind of lights. The holiday displays, commercial and residential, fails to portray the God of all creation, who was virgin born, sent to provide salvation to all, and who would eventually die on a cross for the sins of all mankind. They fail to pay reverence to God’s Son, second person of the trinity, and soon coming Judge.

So, we have a choice to make. How will we celebrate Christmas this year? Will we follow the true light or a fake? Is Christmas, for us, still about Jesus and his birth or is it about the bells and baubles of commercialism? Each of us must decide and then act decisively.

The lights of the Hanukkah lamp can teach us a lot.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Today is day 5 of Hanukkah. We will be lighting 5 candles.

Fifth Candle

Messiah Yeshua is the greatest light of all:

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light
shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it (John 1:4-5).

As Messiah Yeshua was in the Temple in Jerusalem watching the
illuminating lights, He declared: “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Aged Simeon was promised by the Lord that he would not die until he saw Israel’s Messiah. When he saw Yeshua as an infant in the Temple, he knew that this One was the light of Israel and the Nations. Simeon declared: “My eye have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation to the gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:30-32).

For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One
who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Messiah (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Today is day 4 of Hanukkah. We will light 4 candles and eat Latkes and jelly doughnuts.

Latkes and jelly doughnuts

On Hanukkah, it is customary to eat potato latkes and jelly doughnuts. These treats, which are fried in oil, remind us of the miracle of the jug of oil that burned for eight days.

Fourth Candle

Psalm 119:105 and Psalm 119:130 describe the light that comes from God’s Word:

Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path. The
unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the
simple.

When we read God’s word, the Bible, God gives us His light. He allows us to see things that will encourage us, convict us, and motivate us to follow Him more closely. He allows us to see things that we should be doing and things that we should not. Wisdom and understanding are found in the pages of the Bible.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Now we will look at the Dreidel and the third candle.

The Dreidel

One of the games played at Hanukkah is the Dreidel. It played a significant role during the persecution of the Jews.

“It is said that when King Antiochus would not let the Jews worship God, they prayed and studied secretly. Little wooden tops were kept on the tables with the Holy Books. When soldiers came into the houses to make sure the King’s orders were being followed, everyone pretended to be playing a game with spinning tops.

During the celebration of Hanukkah, children play with the four-sided top called a dreidle. There is a different Hebrew letter on each side. The letters stand for the words: “A great miracle happened there.” This refers to the victory of the Maccabees over the King’s army.” (Festival of Lights, The Story of Hanukkah)

Third Candle

King David reminds us that God Himself is the source of our own
individual light:

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread (Psalm 27:1)? For You light my lamp; the Lord my God illumines my darkness (Psalm 18:28).

In life, we may be told we cannot witness, read our Bibles, or speak about what we believe. It is then, we must learn to be creative. The Jews used a top. What can we use? The Scripture for today goes right along with this. I should have no fear because God is my defense. He will give us light in the midst of darkness. He will also give us creative ideas to communicate Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world.

Interesting how a Jewish holiday, that a couple of days ago you knew nothing about, can be so helpful to our walk in Jesus Christ.

Happy Hanukkah.

Tomorrow we will look at candle 4.

 Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com