In this Christmas‑Eve devotional, M.T. Clark shares a personal testimony from a 2016 mission trip to Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana, describing a photo of pastors and a young missionary (Tommy Jr.) on a Chobe River safari. He updates listeners on Tommy Jr.’s growth, recent return to Zambia to build dormitories for a Bible college, and his decision to enter full‑time mission work, inviting financial support via a blog link. Clark then transitions to a Christmas theme, reciting a custom rendition of the song “Do You Hear What I Hear?” and interpreting its lyrics as a call to recognize the star, the voice, and the promise of peace, goodness, and light in Jesus Christ. He emphasizes the reality of God, the necessity of daily faith, and the importance of walking in the Spirit. Clark recommends 20 Christmas‑related Bible verses compiled by Concordia University, encourages reading Luke 2, and points listeners to his website (mtforchrist.org) for further resources, including a study of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship (chapter 12 on the fruit of the Spirit). The message concludes with a heartfelt Christmas prayer for believers worldwide. The overall purpose is to celebrate the birth of Christ, inspire continued discipleship, and mobilize support for missionary work.
Chapters
To see today's photo, go to mt4christ.org or follow me, M.t. Clark, on Facebook or Twitter. Good morning. Today's photo of Pastor Jerome Halstead, Pastor Tom Mallow, and his son Tommy Jr. taking in the amazing view of elephants on the shoreline of the African plains, uh, while atop a riverboat gliding down the Chobe River comes to us from yours truly as I captured this photo of what I later described as an African snow globe while on a vacation 2-week mission trip to Zambia and Zimbabwe back in February of 2016. With our mission of construction projects and preaching at various churches and schools accomplished, our team treated ourselves to 2 days of rest, one spent at Victoria Falls and another on safari at the Chobe National Park in Botswana. I'm sharing the video of my testimony that I gave at church describing this scene on the, on the blog today if you want to see what I look like then and hear what I have to say. I didn't rewatch the video, but I'm pretty sure I said something encouraging others to seek the Lord and to follow his call on our lives. A lot has changed since that trip to Africa. Tommy Jr., for instance, has grown taller than all of us. Graduated high school and just this summer returned to Zambia to do building, uh, to do construction, uh, building dormitories for a Bible college. I'm sharing a video of the work he did there on the blog today to celebrate this young man's adventurous and faithful heart. And that's not all. This amazing young man of God will be going back as he has made the decision to answer the Lord's call on his life and enter the mission mission field full-time in February. I am including a link on the blog today if the Lord moves you to support him. A lot can change in a relatively short time, and the Lord may direct us, our paths, to places we never would have expected. Before coming to Christ, I never imagined I would go to Africa or on a mission trip anywhere, but in Christ I did that and so much more. After finding a church home at Rock Solid Church in Hudson, where Pastor Halstead and Pastor Malo still faithfully serve, I never imagined I would ever leave. After finding a church community in which I could worship, serve, and grow, I never thought I would go anywhere else, and at various times imagined how the church would grow as I remained serving there. But just, but just like Tommy Malo Jr. was called to the African mission field, The Lord arranged the events in my life to bring me to lead an online discipleship course for Freedom in Christ Ministries, to blog and podcast my walk of faith, which just happened to lead me to the Christian wife I prayed for and a new church home, Starpoint Church in Clifton Park, where I will be serving today as a member of the prayer team. Well, it's Christmas Eve, so Merry Christmas! The Christmas song "Do You Hear What I Hear?" is running through my mind this morning because it's Christmas time and because I want to wish all who hear or see this message a Merry Christmas. I want to share its lyrics today, and maybe I'll sing it, maybe not. Do you hear what I hear?
Said the night wind to the little lamb, do you see what I see? Way up in the sky, little lamb, do you see what I see? A star, a star, dancing in the night, with a tail as big as a kite, with a tail as big as a kite. Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy, do you hear what I hear? Do you hear what I hear, ringing through the sky, shepherd boy? Do you hear what I hear? Do you hear what I hear? A song, a song, high above the trees, with a voice as big as the sea, with a voice as big as the sea. Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king. Do you know what I know? Do you know what I know? In your palace warm, mighty king. Do you know what I know? Do you know what I know? A child, a child shivers in the cold. Let us bring him silver and gold. Let us bring him silver and gold. Said the king to the people everywhere, listen to what I say, listen to what I say. Pray for peace, people everywhere. Listen to what I say, listen to what I say. The child, the child. Sleeping in the night, he will bring us goodness and light. He will bring us goodness and light.
This song not only highlights the events of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but it also highlights his call— the star, the voice, the invitation to know what I know. And his promise to bring peace, goodness, and light. I'm not sure if you see what I see or if you hear what I hear in this song, but let me tell you what I know: it's all true, it's all real, for like, for really real. Uh, God is real, Jesus is real, the Holy Spirit is real.
They, he, God is alive and well.
And is calling us to experience his peace, his goodness, and his light. The shepherds trusted the angels and followed their directions and found Jesus. The wise men followed a star and found Jesus. God's gift to mankind, and God's gift to you, is not lying under a Christmas tree. God's gift to you is Jesus and the new abundant life that is available to you when you, A, put your faith in Christ as Lord and Savior, and B, Follow him through his word and his call on your life every day. While we won't get anywhere without taking that first step of faith, we really need to take that second instruction seriously and enjoy the gift we have received continuously. Jesus and our life of faith isn't something we are only supposed to drag out and enjoy a few times a year or weekly at church. Our new life in Christ is the gift that keeps on giving and should be played with daily. The promises of peace, goodness, and light come from walking in the Spirit, living continuously according to God's wisdom and ways, and spending time in his presence. So rejoice that the newborn, newborn King has come and given us the gift of a new eternal life through his exemplary sinless life, death, and resurrection. And follow that star, answer that call, and seek God's will for your life so you can see what he wants you to see, hear what he wants you to hear, and to know what he wants you to know. Simply put, keep walking and talking with God, and have yourself a merry little Christmas. And enjoy the gifts of the wonderful life we have in Christ alone. God bless us, everyone. Uh, I'm taking a vacation from sharing the Bible verse of the day from the New Living Translation Bible Promise Book for Men again, but I would invite you to read the 20 Christmas Bible verses that was compiled by Concordia University's Adriana Thompson last year. By clicking on the link you will find on today's blog post. Um, yeah, it's good to know, it's good to watch Christmas movies, but it's also good to know what the word says about Christmas. So we're sharing the 20 Christmas Bible verses that was put up last year by Concordia University. There's other lists out there. So, uh, and reading the Bible, me and my wife for instance read Luke 2 last night, which is the, uh you know, the Christmas story that, uh, Linus shares in Charlie Brown's Christmas. So, you know, it's good to be in the word this time of year to remember what's important about Christmas. Um, our faith, that's what's important about Christmas. Um, as always, I invite all to go to mtforchrist.org where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk. Today we will continue sharing from Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Discipleship, also known as The Cost of Discipleship. We are continuing to share from chapter 12 of Bonhoeffer's work, The Saints, and today's disposition is on the fruit of the Spirit. So if you wanted to see what Dietrich Bonhoeffer had to say about the saints and what the fruit of the Spirit what the Fruit of the Spirit is and what it means for the body of Christ. Um, go to mtforchrist.org and you'll find that resource at the end of today's blog post. Well, it's Christmas Eve and I wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I think I'll just keep it short and sweet. Um, and let's pray. Lord God, Heavenly Father, thank you for another day in your kingdom. Thank you for all that you do for us, Lord. Thank you for the gift that keeps on giving. Jesus Christ and the life of faith that you've given us. Um, Lord, we just pray for everyone listening today, Lord, that you would come in and bless them and walk beside them and come alongside their prayer request as we enter into Christmas. Lord, uh, we pray that we keep our eyes focused on you, uh, today, and to, uh, be sure to let people know the reason for the season. And, uh, encourage people to follow you. Lord, we just, um, we pray for you to go before us as we go to church and celebrate with our families today of your coming this Silent Night tonight. We just pray for you to bless us all and to open our eyes to the things you want us to see and direct our path in the way we should go. As you always do, Lord. We thank you, we love you, and we praise you. And we pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
