​In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan River, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
As it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
“The voice of one shouting in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make his paths straight.
Every valley will be filled,
and every mountain and hill will be brought low,
and the crooked will be made straight,
and the rough ways will be made smooth,
and all humanity will see the salvation of God.’”
So John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore produce fruit that proves your repentance, and don’t begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones! Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
So the crowds were asking him, “What then should we do?” John answered them, “The person who has two tunics must share with the person who has none, and the person who has food must do likewise.” Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He told them, “Collect no more than you are required to.” Then some soldiers also asked him, “And as for us—what should we do?” He told them, “Take money from no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your pay.”
While the people were filled with anticipation and they all wondered whether perhaps John could be the Christ, John answered them all, “I baptize you with water, but one more powerful than I am is coming—I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clean out his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his storehouse, but the chaff he will burn up with inextinguishable fire.”
And in this way, with many other exhortations, John proclaimed good news to the people. But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil deeds that he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked up John in prison.
Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. And while he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my one dear Son; in you I take great delight.”

Someone once asked Billy Graham, “If Christianity is valid, why is there so much evil in the world?” To which he replied, “With so much soap, why are there so many dirty people in the world? Christianity, like soap, must be personally applied if it is to make a difference in our lives.”

24-hours of Prayer
December 31/January 1
12 noon (12/31/24) to 12 noon (1/1/24)
King’s Orchard Church of Christ will be praying for 24-hours to ask for peace, comfort and wisdom for our city, state, country and world. Please join us in prayer by committing to pray for 30 minutes (twice if possible!) in this 24-hour period: praying for victims of violent crime/horrendous accidents; survivors & victims of fires/hurricanes/floods; for our government—for the elected officials AND for the un-elected officials—and for the country and the world. Remember that whoever is elected, God can use them or turn their actions, and the effects of the actions, to show HIS truth and righteousness and power. God never promised that our days here on earth would be easy, but He did promise to give us strength and courage whatever may happen to us.

Suggestion on how to pray for 30 minutes: A-C-T-S
Adoration—When starting your time of prayer, begin by revering the name of God. Another term for adoration is “praise”. Praise is simply vocal adoration of God; we praise God first because Jesus instructed us to (Matthew 6:9) and because it puts God in His rightful position at the very beginning of our prayers.
Confession—When approaching God, it’s important to have a time of confession. Read the following verses out loud: Psalm 139:23-24, Psalm 66:18, 1 Peter 3:12, James 5:16. Note the important link between confessed sin and answered prayer. After reading the verses, spend time confessing any sin in your own heart so that the Lord will hear your prayers.
Thanksgiving—Thanksgiving is closely related to adoration. While adoration is praising God for WHO HE IS, thanksgiving is praising God for what He has done! Thank Him for: Spiritual blessings, Material blessings, Physical blessings.
Supplication—Supplication is when we bring our needs and requests to God, asking Him to act on our behalf. Pray specifically and BOLDLY. See Matthew 21:21-23, Ephesians 6:18, James 5:16-18 and Matthew 7:7.
 

Lost Melody
​
Now that the angels all have gone away
The shepherds, too, with them
Staffs no longer rattling on paving stones;

And those old fog-eyed men
With sand in their beards,
They, too, have disappeared
Like their augur bones
Cast into the eastern horizon.
​
And now I can’t remember the song from the ruptured sky.
Only the words, though I thought I never would forget that;
​
Could teach it to the Child,
Could remember where it went up
What the pitches were
​
Every word
Every note
​
But it has disintegrated into a chant
I mumble to myself, and to
Him
Glory
Peace
Savior
​
Look! He has found His voice.
He is searching for his Hands,
One seeking the other,
Both seeking His mouth.
​
Some day He will remind me
Some day He will rejoice over
me with singing
​
Every word
Every note

By: Dr. Latayne C. Scott

​Praise the Lord!
Praise Him, you servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord.
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time on and forever.
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
The name of the Lord is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations;
His glory is above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
Who is enthroned on high,
Who looks far down to
The heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust,
He lifts the needy from the garbage heap,
To seat them with noblemen,
With the noblemen of His people.
He has the infertile woman live in the house
As a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord!

​Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all the people were on their way to register for the census, each to his own city. Now Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was betrothed to him, and was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock at night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. And so the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army of angels praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among people with whom He is pleased.”
When the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem, then, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen Him, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it were amazed about the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

​The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
because the Lord has chosen me.
He has commissioned me to encourage the poor,
to help the brokenhearted,
to decree the release of captives,
and the freeing of prisoners,
to announce the year when the Lord will show his favor,
the day when our God will seek vengeance,
to console all who mourn,
to strengthen those who mourn in Zion,
by giving them a turban, instead of ashes,
oil symbolizing joy, instead of mourning,
a garment symbolizing praise, instead of discouragement.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor.
They will rebuild the perpetual ruins
and restore the places that were desolate;
they will reestablish the ruined cities,
the places that have been desolate since ancient times.
“Foreigners will take care of your sheep;
foreigners will work in your fields and vineyards.
You will be called, ‘the Lord’s priests,
servants of our God.’
You will enjoy the wealth of nations
and boast about the riches you receive from them.
Instead of shame, you will get a double portion;
instead of humiliation, they will rejoice over the land they receive.
Yes, they will possess a double portion in their land
and experience lasting joy.
For I, the Lord, love justice
and hate robbery and sin.
I will repay them because of my faithfulness;
I will make a permanent covenant with them.
Their descendants will be known among the nations,
their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will recognize that
the Lord has blessed them.”
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
I will be overjoyed because of my God.
For he clothes me in garments of deliverance;
he puts on me a robe symbolizing vindication.
I look like a bridegroom when he wears a turban as a priest would;
I look like a bride when she puts on her jewelry.
For just as the ground produces its crops
and a garden yields its produce,
so the Sovereign Lord will cause deliverance to grow,
and give his people reason to praise him in the sight of all the nations.

Inglorious
​by Dr. Latayne C. Scott
The glitter on the creche
Seduces me from how inglorious His comings and goings were.
His feet filthy from offal paths until someone thought to wash them,
His hands unwashed, as the Pharisees noted.
No beauty to behold except in a peek on a peak.
Mostly,
His sandal soles dragging up dirt and fronds, muleback,
A towel around His waist in a shanghaied room,
A lone figure squatting next to a breakfast fire.
Loaned food, found tax, borrowed burial.
Inglorious, yes, His going:
The Savior on a stake;
Bookends His coming:
A God in a trough.

"It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
"The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.  Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him." John 13:1-5

(The following link is by Roseanna M. White, a good article about serving/service to others - 11-14-2024)
"Christ came to serve. He tells His disciples not to seek to lord over others, but to be their servant. He invites us to do the same."
Who Have You Invited? - Roseanna M. White