“When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying,  “Lord, have mercy on my son, because he has seizures and suffers terribly; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water” (Matthew 17:14-15).

There are many calamities that happen in this age.  We think we know, but we do not.  Sometimes science answers the what, but it will never answer the why.  Jesus answers both the what and the why.  Many false teachers in this age will lead us away from the One true God, but our Lord Jesus has come to restore the relationship, remove the wickedness, and lead us to do the Father’s will on earth as it is done in heaven.

Gracious Lord, You have revealed the truth that there are wicked forces that fight against us in this age.  Some things are not going to be cured with medicine.  Lead us to live into the life You have given us by grace through faith so that we may humbly walk in the truth of Your presence and purpose.  Keep us safe from any forces or powers that would lead us astray and restrain us from humbly walking with You.

Lord Jesus, the world today often does not believe in what Your word tells us is true.  Let me neither go to the place of unbelief or fanaticism, but to the place where I trust You in all circumstances.  Guide me today, Jesus, to know that You will guide me through every trial and any tribulation that may come my way.  In Your goodness, keep me close to You, looking to the salvation You bring moment by moment.  Amen.

“Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist” (Matthew 17:13).

John came baptizing with a baptism of repentance.  Jesus perfectly repented for us.  The turning of the rebellious soul toward God is the beginning of restoration.  God is doing what needs to be done.  We often do not recognize what God is doing, but it is God who does all that need to be done, so the most important thing is to learn to trust Him.  Trust the Lord above all things.  He has told us what He is doing.  Trust His Word.

Lord, these things have been before me from the beginning.  I read them and quickly move on.  Teach me how to meditate upon and inwardly digest Your word.  Guide me to look to You, the One who has already laid out the course for Your will to be done.  Join me on the path of Your will and help me to rejoice in the salvation You have prepared for all who will believe.  Help me to learn and understand the words of truth that You have spoken.

Lord Jesus, You have saved us through the grace purchased for our redemption.  Although I may not understand, help me to trust in what I do not see, knowing that all things are in Your hands.  Guide me to be firm in conviction, bold in proclamation, and steadfast in trust of You above all things.  Help me now and always to be led by Your Holy Spirit into all righteousness.  Amen.

“And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”  And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. So also, the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands” (Matthew 17:10-12).

The revelation of truth has already happened.  We are in a battle against principalities and forces.  Those in rebellion continue to rebel.  All things are being restored by the grace Jesus purchased for us from the cross.  We have been given the new life.  We are called to walk in this new life, but the world beckons us to continue in its old ways.  The world will do what it wants, for a time, but the will of the Father shall be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Lord, help me to see that only in You is there hope.  This world runs in circles, doing the same thing repeatedly.  You have restored hope through faith and by grace.  Guide me in the hope You give me so that I learn from You how to live life.  Lift me up out of the morass of this world so that I look to You as the source from which all things have their being.  Guide me into the upward call of faith.

Lord Jesus, You have made possible my ability to walk with You.  You have restored the relationship severed by sin.  Keep me close to You and, by Your Holy Spirit, guard me from the errors of this age.  Lead me in the way of goodness, granting me the ability to be gracious with others as You have been gracious to me.  In Your mercy and grace, be the One who leads me all the steps of my life.  Amen. 

“When they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead” (Matthew 17:9).

There are things you have seen or that have been revealed to you and the Lord wants you to understand; but others are not yet ready for what the Lord has shown you.  This too is a part of trusting the Lord above your own understanding.  He will lead you, show you what He will show you, and ask you to do what He will ask you to do.  The Lord must be lord in all aspects of your life.

Lord, this world is a free-for-all where ideas are thrown around and people say what they will.  You are Lord and You have given me the words of eternal life.  Guide me into the life You will give me by Your grace.  When You ask me to remain silent, then help me to remain silent.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy so that I keep what You show me as mine but offer what You give me when You ask me to share.  Lord, You are Lord of all.  Lead me, for I do not know how to go forward on my own.

Author and finisher of my faith, I need Your guidance.  Some things I see are just what You want me to see.  Some things are what You want me to share.  Lord, by the power of the Holy Spirit, guard my lips and help me follow Your lead always.  Help me to be subservient to Your leadership and do as You direct.  Guide me now and always, in the will of the Father, to be obedient to Your word.  Amen. 

“And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.”  And raising their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone” (Matthew 17:7).

We become afraid of reality and want to live in the shadowlands of this age.  Jesus is God in the flesh, but we would rather see Jesus as only a man.  Our Lord comes to us humbly and asks us to follow Him.  When we know who He is, we become afraid.  Look to Jesus as Lord, yes, but also as your friend.  Respect who He is, but also love the friend who has come calling and walk where He leads.

You have been told who Jesus is.  You can either walk away, believing what you will, or fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God.  These are the two realities of the offering that are before us all.  Come and fall at the feet of Jesus.  He will lift you up, prepare you, and send you into the world where, by His word, he will transform you to become what He will make of you.  Get up and do not be afraid.

Lord Jesus, I do not know all that I need to know, but I know enough to turn to You.  Lead me  in the way You know I need to go.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to humbly walk with You, my Lord and God.  You have given me Your Spirit to lead from the inside and You lead me from the outside.  Through all things, help me to walk with You now and forever so that I may become what You will make of me.  Amen.

“While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!”  When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified” (Matthew 17:5-6).

Listen to Jesus.  So often, we are overwhelmed by the things that happen in our daily lives that we do not look to the One who has called us to live unto eternal life.  All of Scripture speaks of Jesus.  Scripture bears witness to what the Father has been doing from the beginning.  Be guided by the truth knowing that Truth is Jesus, the salvation of God, revealed so that we may know the One true God.

Heavenly Father, You have given us the words we need to hear.  We need to listen to Jesus as He guides us into a life that is righteous in Your sight.  Remove the obstacles that get in the way so that we may humbly follow where Jesus leads.  Teach us what it means to listen to Jesus.  Through Your Holy Spirit, guide us in a daily life that is always looking to You to become what You are making of us.

Lord Jesus, You have given me the words of eternal life.  In the new life You have given me by grace, help me to learn how to walk through the narrow gate.  Pick me up when I fall and guide me in Your goodness.  Holy Spirit, teach me how to pray so that I am constantly in prayer.  Through all that may come, guide me in Your goodness so that I may be Your witness in a world that walks in darkness.  Abide with me this and every day, My Lord and my God.  Amen.

“And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  Peter responded and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If You want, I will make three tabernacles here: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (Matthew 17:3-4).

God is not the god of the dead, but the God of the living.  Because Christ lives, you too shall live.  Abandon the old life which leads to death and walk in the life Christ gives you.  Do not be concerned with the speculations of this age but be transformed by the renewing of your mind in Christ Jesus.  Walk with Him knowing that He is leading you out of the bondage to sin and death and into a new life.

Lord, standing with You were Moses and Elijah, representing the law and the prophets.  You bring all things together according to Your word so that we may live into the abundant life You offer.  Do not let us go astray with speculation about Moses and Elijah being there, but take their lead to look to You, the author and finisher of faith.  Help all who call upon Your name to humbly walk, following You, into the life You are offering by grace through grace.

Lord Jesus, seeing You as You are, the embodiment of Scripture fulfilled, overwhelms my heart and mind so that the trivialities of this age pale in comparison.  Keep me abiding in You and help me to look to You as the source of my being.  I know You are walking with me this day.  Help me to live knowing that You are leading me each moment of this and every day that You give me.  Teach me how to be faithful.  Amen.

“Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James, and his brother John, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.  And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light” (Matthew 17:1-2).

Who is Jesus?  In this temporal world we see what we can in the physical realm, but we are physical and spiritual beings.  You are both.  Our Lord has come to awaken us to eternity.  He shows us who He is.  He is the Eternal One through whom all things were made.  He has come that we may have life and have it more abundantly.  He is calling us to become a child of the Heavenly Father.

Lord Jesus, You are King of kings and Lord of lords.  You have come so that we may have the abundant life that leads to eternal life.  Guide us in Your goodness to see You as You are.  Never let us trivialize or ignore the reality that You, through whom all things have their being, have come to share eternal life with each one of us.  Lead Your faithful ones in the light of Your presence to walk with You.

Savior of all believers, You came humbly to reveal light and life.  Walk with me so that I may walk in the light of Your presence.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy this day so that I may do those things You give me to do.  Help me to keep my eye on You always as You lead me in this day.  Tune my heart to be in constant prayer, seeking Your Holy Spirit to help me throughout this day.  Amen.

“Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom” (Matthew 16:28).

John saw the kingdom and gave a report.  Yet, do we who believe, still not see that the kingdom has broken in?  It is not just the place, but the kingdom, where our Lord and we are eternally united.  Think in terms of the relationship you have and not the place where you physically stand.  Be led by the Holy Spirit to walk in the way of true life.  Walk with the Lord and trust that He has done all that needs to be done.

Lord, I sometimes think mechanically and skeptically.  Lead me to hear Your words simply.  You have come to unite us with the Father eternally.  By grace, through faith, You do this.  Guard my heart and mind so that I do not trust myself but trust You above all things.  Let me be encouraged by the hope You give me.  Teach me to look to You alone for the guidance I need to come into Your eternal presence.

Lord Jesus, You have come so that we may have life and have it more abundantly.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to walk with You this day knowing that all things are in Your hands.  In Your grace, turn my eyes from longing for the things of this world to live into the life You give through faith.  Let me know that when I see You, I see the kingdom of heaven.  Lead me ever deeper into Your kingdom.  Amen.

Sammy: Guess what guess what guess what!

Pastor: What, Sammy? You seem really excited to tell us something.

Sammy: You are never going to believe what I saw!

Pastor: What did you see, Sammy?

Sammy: I was sleeping, okay? I was all curled up next to my maaamaaa and then all of a sudden, someone turned on the sun in the middle of the night.

Pastor: Someone turned on the sun?

Sammy: Yes! The sky was that bright! First there was darkness and little twinkly stars and then boom! A light as bright as the sun filled the sky. So of course I woke up. And you are never going to believe what happened next.

Pastor: Please tell us.

Sammy: I saw angels fill the sky. One angel named Gabriel told all of us: my maaamaaa, my cousins, and aunts and uncles, and even farmers Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and the shepherds something really special.

Pastor: What did he say?

Sammy: Gabriel said, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: ¹¹ to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,^[b] the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” I just stood there with my mouth hanging open.

Pastor: What else happened?

Sammy: Well then the angels started singing! They sounded so good. Just like our choir here at St. Paul’s.

Pastor: Well what happened next?

Sammy: Are you serious, Pastor Jim? Of course I had to go see the baby. I love babies.

Pastor: Who went to go see the baby?

Sammy: My maaamaaa, my cousins, and aunts and uncles, and even farmers Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and the shepherds, too. We all went.

Pastor: And, what did you think?

Sammy: The baby was so cute. His momma and dada wrapped him up in swaddling clothes just like the shepherds use for lambs and laid him in the manger—just like the manger I eat from. He’s a lamb just like me! But you know, Pastor Jim, I could tell that there is something really special about this baby.

Pastor: What do you mean?

Sammy: This baby is no ordinary baby. This baby shone brighter than all of the angels in the night sky. And I felt such peace when I laid down in front of the manger. And I knew in my heart that even I, a little lamb, am so loved.

Pastor: Sammy, you witnessed the greatest event in the history of man. God is with us. A savior is born to us. Boys and girls, let’s pray: Dear Jesus: Thank you for being with us. Thank you for guiding us. Thank you for coming to earth as a baby. Thank you for your love. Amen.

Sammy: I have a gift for each of the boys and girls here today. I have a little lamb for each of you to adopt into your family to remind you how much Jesus loves you. Pastor Jim, can you give everyone a lamb please?

Pastor Jim: Merry Christmas, Sammy!

Sammy: Merry Christmas, Pastor Jim! Merry Christmas boys and girls!