September 06 2024

Friday September 06

“To You This Day”

Luke 2:8-14

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."

13 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, goodwill toward men!"

Yesterday we talked about the wonderful truth about the Gospel that is found verse 10, where the angel said to the poor lonely shepherds living in the fields, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” We don’t need to fear that we will be left out, or that God does not want us, or that He will reject us because of who we are or what we have done. The only message of hope where we can experience the “great joy” of having our sins forgiven is a universal message! It is for all people! Everyone, anywhere, and everywhere in the world, needs to hear this great good news! The most famous verse in the Bible, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Today, I want us to focus on verse 11, where the angel goes on to say, “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”  A Savior has been born for you! You are the “whosoever” in John 3:16. I am so thankful fifty-three years ago on February 21, 1971, that my eyes were open to the reality that this good news of a Savior was for me. I grew up hearing and somewhat believing that Jesus was a real person who lived two-thousand years ago. That He lived a sinless life, healed sick people, walked on water, feed hungry people, did miracles, and one day died on a cross and rose again. I actually prayed a prayer as a six-year-old and shortly afterwards was baptized by my dad at a little church, Pleasant Dale Baptist, in Dallas Texas. But nothing really changed in my life.

Yes, Jesus came and died for the world! But something different happened in my life on that day in February in Cincinnati Ohio! That day, for the first time, I realized and believed that Jesus died and paid the price for my sins! Jesus died for me!!!! Yes, my friend, Jesus came and died for you! It doesn’t matter who you are or what you have done. It doesn’t matter whether you are a king in a palace or you are a prisoner in a jail or prison cell. It doesn’t matter whether you are CEO of a major corporation, or you are a common laborer. It doesn’t matter what race you are! It doesn’t matter whether your sins are many or if they are few, or if they are terribly evil or seemingly harmless! It doesn’t matter if you are a murderer, if you committed adultery, if you are a drug dealer, if you stole a million dollars, or if you are a religious sinner who never stole a dine. This message is for you! “To you is born this day a Savior”!

Aren’t you thankful that Luke, through the Holy Spirit put this verse in the Bible! “To you in born this day!” Notice now, the emphasis on “this day”!  The scriptures clearly teach that in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “…Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Tomorrow could be to late. We are warned in Proverbs 27:1, “Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.” James gives us this same warning in James 4:14, “Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”

My friend, today is the day of salvation! It doesn’t matter who you are, this message of hope and forgiveness of sins is for you today. Maybe like me, you have already experienced this reality of salvation, but you have friends or relatives that need to hear this. Please forward this message to them today before it is too late.

I love what Jesus said in Matthew 18:11-13, “For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.” Jesus came for the one! Jesus came for you! Jesus is “not willing any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (1 Peter 3:9).

Please believe and open your heart to this wonderful Savior today! If I can help you with this decision in any way or if you receive the Lord today into your heart, please email me at pastormike@pmiministries.org and let me know!

God bless!