Day 7 – Matthew 1:18-25 & Isaiah 7:14
(by Niels)

Today we read about Joseph’s side of the story. The text written by Matthew conveys his respect and love for both Mary and God, and plays an important role in the prophecy of Isaiah.

Joseph considers divorcing Mary in order to save her dignity, however this was not God’s plan. Therefore, He sends an angel in a dream to tell Joseph to marry Mary.  Joseph accepts the angel’s command and therefore also his fate: Becoming Jesus’ (earthly) father.

It seems like Joseph didn’t see it as a possibility to take Mary as his wife, until God demanded him to. Sometimes we limit our own options in life. In times like these, it can help to turn to God. He knows his plan with our lives and may reveal options that we haven’t even considered yet.

Take some time to consider whether or not you’re letting God show you his way. His ideas might surprise you in a good way.

Day 6 – Luke 2:1-7
(by Meg)

This section begins by setting the scene for Jesus’ birth.Typically for Luke, this includes clear historical details, which explain why it was that at this particular time, a young couple from Nazareth ended up some way away in Bethlehem, where they had nowhere to stay.

Because of a Roman decree at the right time, it came about that the baby Mary was carrying was born in Bethlehem, far from their home, without even an inn to stay in. None of this was accidental; God had planned this all in advance, and had made known that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).

Take a moment and think about what it means to say that God chose to be born into the world in these circumstances (a country under the rule of another, without shelter, far from home). Consider also how it felt for Mary and Joseph to be far from home, with no one to welcome them and a small baby. Nobody made room for them to stay.

Take a moment to pray for people who are isolated in their communities, and for people who have just moved to new town and don’t know anyone. Think about your own life. Is there anyone you know who people don’t make room for? What can you do to make room for them?

Day 5. Isaiah 60:19-20
(by Jason)

So reading todays verses we see Isaiah talking about a time when we won’t need the sun or the moon to provide us light, and he is talking about heaven here. There will be light the whole time, and in verse 20 we read that all your days of sorrow will end. Thats no more pain and suffering in the world.

One of the biggest questions people ask is why is there so much suffering in the world if God loves us so much. But He still has a plan and is promising to stop that, and when He does we will suffer no more. This might be even harder to see that this year, after Paris, Beirut, and the war on terror that is flooding our news and our conversations at Youth Group. It’s easy to see that when we look outwards, Christmas might not be so much the same as it has been.

But we do look forward to the new heaven and earth when there will be no more pain and suffering. And Jesus’ return to us is the centre point of that plan. So as we remember the world expecting Jesus this Christmas, we can be expectant of an everlasting light that will actually take our sorrows away when Jesus comes again.

This is what we can expect from heaven, but what else can we expect in heaven. Spend some time thinking about what you want to see in heaven. If you have time, also look in the back of your bibles to see what else we can learn about heaven. One thing I do know is that it will be way better that we can ever imagine, beyond our wildest dreams.

Today, continue to pray for the victims of all the pain and suffering we have seen. Pray that they will also come to see that there is a bigger plan and they can also have confidence and faith in Jesus.

Day 4. Jeremiah 33:14-15
(by Jason)

In our first Old Testament passage on our journey, I want to focus on the promise that God makes, and some of details of that promise. The promise of Jesus, God says, is the good promise. God has incredible and good intentions for all of His promises.

But one of the details links to what we have been talking about this last month on our lead up to the Youth Takeover. ‘In those days, and at that time, I will make a righteous branch sprout from David’s line;’. Both Joseph and Mary were in David’s line of ancestry, (they would have been distant cousins, so it was ok that they were together) so this is clearly one of those sign posts to Jesus being the one they were waiting for.

The most important thing about this though is that the promise would be fulfilled ‘In those days and and that time’. The time and place isn’t specified, but it was going to be at a specific time and place that God would fulfil this promise, and that shows that He is in full control and has a plan. Amongst all the craziness of Mary and Joseph’s lives, Jesus was born in exactly the right time and place. And THAT is praiseworthy.

Thank God today for His plans for you and for the world, and think about the promises and prayers you are still waiting on and think how amazing it will be when they are fulfilled.

Day 3. John 1:9-12
(by Jason)

John makes a point in todays passage that makes me think a little bit deeper. The fact that the world did not recognise Jesus, despite the signs being there, the miracles. The maker of the Earth was not recognised in his own creation. If that was me, I’d be a little upset and even ask a few questions, but then I am not God, and He had other ways to deal with this.

How can it be that the people of Israel didn’t recognise Jesus when He arrived? Fear and denial: The fact this is actually happening, the moment that has been talked about for centuries was finally here in their lifetime? Or for some it might have been they had gotten so distracted with their own lives that they hadn’t stopped to see what was really going on around them and missed it completely.

The reward for this is clear, that they became Children of God. How is your Christmas season looking this year? Homework up to your eyeballs? Christmas shopping lists you want to get through and not sure how you can afford it? The challenge of cooking the Christmas dinner for so many people? Don’t get too distracted this year that you don’t have time to stop, think and ponder on what this festival called Christmas is really about. I pray that your Christmas will be the most special this year as a result of this.

Day 2: John 1:1-4
by Jason

Those of you who have read all the gospels will realise there are big differences between Matthew/Mark/Luke and John. The first 3 give the story, (Mark is very to the point, Matthew and Luke gives more detail). John gives more explanation and meaning to these narrations. He starts with ‘In the beginning…’ Any guess to the only other time that is mentioned in the Bible? (Hint: It’s at the start…).

In Istanbul, there is a museum that used to be both a church and a mosque, and in it they still have both Islamic and Christian decoration. This decoration helps us see one of special things about Christianity, that Jesus is more than just words on a page, more than just a character in a story that gives a ‘too good to be true’ message. These decorations have both arabic words that one might find in a mosque, but also pictures of Jesus. Jesus is the Word (notice it starts with a capital), and the Word became flesh.

The Word, the Bible, is lived out in Jesus’ life, and He became flesh and now is with us even today, in His Holy Spirit. All we need to do is ask to see Him, and we we will. Not in the way we see things normally, but the more we get to know Jesus, the more we see Him in our everyday life. The passage ends with talking about darkness and light, and Jesus’ life, the Word, is the Life of all mankind. And the Light wins, thats an amazing thing to thing about in the dark world we find ourselves in, and at this ‘literally’ dark time of year. Something to remember when you see all the advent lights around the city.

Ask Him today to show Himself you to. It might not be what you expect, but it will be special, and seeing Him might also mean just having that peace in your heart that He is there and in control.

Luke 1:26-38

(by Jason)

I know some of you started off with todays reading in Youth Church on Sunday, but I want to add a couple of changes, and extra challenges today. We have gone over this passage a lot in youth group with our focus on Mary, so I want to challenge you to go deeper.

How many times have your plans come in conflict with what God wants you to do? It might be something really big, like where to go to university, or it might be things really small, like whether to spend your money on something good or something pointless.

I can be good to ask God what He thinks even about the small things, because if we can trust Him and follow Him in the small things, it will be easier to trust and follow Him in the big things too. Mary was able to trust Him in this big thing because she had trusted Him in the small for most of her life. And that’s a place I believe God wants us all to be and where I really desire to be.

God is saying, ‘Do not be afraid’. It’s His plans, He’s with you. He was with Mary, and He’ll be with you. Today, give Him your plans (however big or small) in prayer, and trust Him with them.

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Psalm 51:10-11/Jeremiah 29:11

(by Jazmine)

Congratulations!!

You have finished the Christmas Bible Reading Plan. You may have missed a few days, but that is ok. The idea was that we’d all read our Bibles and focus on Jesus more than we normally do this Christmas.

New Year is a good time for a new start, a fresh look and a chance to re-organise life a bit. Todays verses talk about cleansing our hearts, and we can only do that with the help of God. We might be wanting help with certain temptations we struggle with, or habits that keep tripping us up. Take time to ask God for that help.

Then look forwards to 2015. What big things are happening this year? What decisions do you have to make? Ask God to be in those decisions and to go before you. He has the plans, but we still have free will and need to be lead. 2015 might just be the year we have been waiting for.

Luke 2:22-35

(by Jason)

This is our last narrative passage of the reading plan, and we see the faithfulness of Mary and Joseph really coming through. It really seems that all through Mary and Josephs journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem to Jerusalem then back to Nazareth, there were people waiting for the Messiah and recognised Him whenever then came across Jesus.

This is quite special, and it makes me think of all the people God has put in my life to guide me and help me on my journey, and I am very thankful for that. In England, I have met up with a few of these people and it have been uplifting to hear that they have been praying for me the whole time I have been in Sweden.

Take some time to thank for first for the people in your life who have given you good guidance, and then for the people who pray for you, even the ones you don’t know pray for you, because there are probably more than you realise.

Isaiah 54:10

(by Jason)

Enjoy todays verses. They talk about just how much God loves you and me individually. Think about how the writer Isaiah uses extremes to show you that God’s love is unfailing, and His love for us cannot be shaken.

When we think about it, only our love for God is shaken. It could be because we are feeling down some days, we might be struggling with something, or just feel great. But as I have said before. Love is choice more that it is a feeling, and the more we focus on God and His greatness, the more we can return this unfailing love.

Spend some time just thanking God for how much He loves you, and think about some of the things He has done for you in 2014. Try making a list if it is easier. But you might be surprised how much God has shown His love without us knowing at the time.