CHRISTMAS ARTICLES: 12.25.15 - Compelling Historical Evidence for the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ

Compelling Historical Evidence for the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ - Eddie Hyatt - http://www.charismamag.com/spirit/prophecy/25076-compelling-historical-evidence-for-the-virgin-birth-of-jesus-christ

 

Here are some historical evidences for the virgin birth of Jesus Christ:

 

â—¦    A physician and world-class historian documented it

â—¦    Modern archaeology affirms it

â—¦    An agnostic professor of mythology is convinced

â—¦    Old Testament prophets predicted it centuries in advance

â—¦    The earliest Christians believed it universally

 

1. Documented by a physician & world-class historian.

 

The virgin birth of Jesus Christ was documented by a physician and world-class historian who interviewed eyewitnesses, probably including Mary herself, for his account of this world-changing event. Luke gives the most detailed account of the Nativity and mentions Mary 12 times, more than any other biblical writer. In addition to the birth of Christ, he also gives special, detailed attention to the birth of John the Baptist and many see his gynecological interests to be a result of his training as a physician.

 

At the beginning of his Gospel, Luke indicates that he has made a thorough investigation of the things about which he is writing, which included his utilization of eyewitness accounts. He spent extended periods of time with Paul in Jerusalem and Judea and would have had the opportunity to interview those who were closest to the event, including Mary herself.

 

There is no reliable information on how long Mary lived, but some traditions say she lived as much as 24 years or longer after the resurrection. The detail Luke presents does indicate that he has derived his information from a primary source, either Mary herself or someone to whom Mary had relayed the intimate details of the event.

 

The well-known Greek scholar, Kenneth S. Wuest, noted Luke's attention to detail. In his book Word Studies in the Greek New Testament, he said, "If Mary was still alive, he, a doctor of medicine, investigated the story of the virgin birth by hearing it from Mary's own lips."

 

The accuracy of Luke as a historian was confirmed by the famous historian, A.N. Sherwin-White, who carefully examined his references in Luke/Acts to 32 countries, 54 cities, and nine islands, finding not a single mistake. Sir William Ramsay, who spent years in Asia Minor following and examining Luke's account of Paul's travels, wrote in The Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament, "You may press the words of Luke in a degree beyond any other historian's and they stand the keenest scrutiny and the hardest treatment."

 

Challenging the claims of critics that the story of the virgin birth was based on a hoax, the noted Greek scholar, Professor John A. Scott, reminded the naysayers of Luke's reputation as a historian and that he had based his account on primary sources. Wuest says Scott then declared, "You could not fool Doctor Luke."

 

2. Affirmed by modern archaeology.

 

Luke's status as a world-class historian, accurate in even the smallest details, has been brought to light by modern archaeology. For example, Sir William Ramsay, considered one of the greatest archaeologists of all time, originally thought he would scientifically discredit Luke's accounts by visiting and examining the places mentioned in his Gospel and Acts.

 

Ramsay was a student of the skeptical, German higher criticism of the 19th century and was taught that the New Testament was an unreliable religious treatise written in the mid-second century by individuals far removed from the events described. But after years of retracing Luke's account of Paul's travels and doing archaeological digs along the way, Ramsay completely reversed his view of the Bible and first-century history.

 

Ramsay became convinced that Acts was written in the first century by the traditional author, and he acquired a very high regard for Luke as a historian. He wrote, "Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy, he is possessed of the true historic sense; in short, this author should be placed along with the greatest of historians."

 

In 1896, Ramsay began publishing his discoveries in a book entitled St. Paul the Traveler and the Roman Citizen. The book caused a furor of dismay among the skeptics of the world, for its affirmation of the biblical record was totally unexpected. Over the next 20 years, he published other volumes showing how he discovered Luke to be accurate in the tiniest details of his account. The evidence was so overwhelming that many atheists gave up their atheism and embraced Christianity.

 

William F. Albright, archaeologist and late professor of Semitic languages at John Hopkins University, is considered by many to be the greatest of archaeologists. Like Ramsay, he began as an agnostic, skeptical of the Bible as a reliable book of history. But, like Ramsay, his views were also completely changed by doing the hard work of an archaeologist in the field.

 

Albright discovered that not only was Luke reliable, but that the entire Bible was a reliable source of history. According to The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict, Albright wrote, "Discovery after discovery has established the accuracy of innumerable details, and brought increased recognition to the Bible as a source of history."

 

At one time, it was thought that Luke had completely missed the boat concerning the events he portrayed surrounding the birth of Christ (Luke 2:1-5). Critics argued that there was no census and that everyone did not have to return to their ancestral home. They also pointed out that Josephus had dated the governorship of Quirinius of Syria, whom Luke mentions, as beginning in A.D. 6, too late for the birth of Christ.

 

In every case, however, archaeological discoveries proved the critics to be wrong. In the case of Quirinius, it was found that he had actually served two separate terms as governor, the first beginning around 7 B.C., which fits perfectly with the time of Christ's birth. F. F. Bruce, one of the most respected of New Testament scholars, noted that where Luke has been suspected of inaccuracy by modern critics, archaeology has again and again proved Luke to be right and the critics wrong.

 

The evidence begs the question that if Luke was this careful to get his facts right about names, places, events and dates, can we not be confident that he was just as careful to get his facts right concerning the more important things about which he reported, such as the virgin birth of Jesus Christ?

 

3. An agnostic professor of mythology is convinced.

 

C. S. Lewis was the agnostic professor of Renaissance literature at Oxford University, a prolific author and a recognized expert of mythological texts. He too had bought into the idea that the Bible was not a book of reliable history and that the New Testament was filled with all sorts of mythical stories, created by individuals far removed from the events described.

 

But through the influence of his childhood and friends who challenged his atheism, Lewis began to read the Bible. He was astounded at what he encountered in the Gospels, for it was obviously a different genre from the ancient mythologies with which he was so familiar. His surprised response was, "This is not myth!" Lewis went on to become a dedicated follower of Christ and perhaps the most significant Christian apologist of the 20th century.

 

At the time, higher criticism was being popularized in German seminaries. Certain theologians, such as Rudolph Bultman, were claiming that the New Testament accounts of the virgin birth of Jesus, His miracles and His resurrection were myths created by His followers.

 

Lewis challenged these theologians, saying, "I would like to know how many myths these people have read!" He went on to explain that he had been a long-time professor and critic of mythological literature and knew how a myth sounded and felt. "And the gospel story," he said, "is not myth!"

 

4. Predicted centuries in advance by OT prophets.

 

Genesis 3:15 said, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel."

 

These words were spoken by God to the serpent after the fall of our first parents. The "seed of the woman" in this passage is an allusion to a future descendant of Eve who will defeat the serpent and reverse the curse brought on by his deception.

 

The Bible normally speaks of the seed of men, but in this case it is the "seed of the woman." This is a prophecy that clearly anticipates the future virgin birth of Christ-a birth in which the seed of a man is not involved. The beloved Methodist theologian, Adam Clarke, wrote in The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments with a Commentary and Critical Notes, "The seed of the woman is to come by the woman, and her alone without the concurrence of man."

 

According to this prophecy, the "seed of the woman" will receive a temporary wound from Satan-"you will bruise His heel"-but the "seed of woman" shall inflict on Satan a final and mortal wound-"He will bruise your head." This Messianic promise was fulfilled through the virgin birth of Jesus and through His death and resurrection.

 

Isaiah 7:14 said, "Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."

 

The Hebrew word translated "virgin" in this passage is almah and refers to a young woman of marriageable age, but would usually include the idea of virginity, since that was expected of a young Jewish woman being married for the first time.

 

That "virgin" is an accurate English translation is confirmed by the Septuagint, which uses the Greek word parthinos to translate almah. Parthinos specifically means a young woman who has never had sex with a man. Parthinos is the word used by both Matthew and Luke in their description of Mary, affirming that she was a young woman who had never had sex with a man when Jesus was born.

 

Further evidence that this Son born of a virgin is a Messianic prophecy referring to Jesus is indicated by Isaiah's statement that he shall be called Immanuel, which means "God with us." This is a clear statement concerning the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ, and reminds us of the words of Gabriel to Mary that the Son she will bear "will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest" (Luke 1:32).

 

5. Believed universally by the earliest Christians.

 

That the virgin birth was universally believed by the earliest Christians is verified by "The Apostle's Creed," an early confession of faith that dates from the second century and was used throughout the church. By including the virgin birth in their creedal statement, these early believers made clear that they considered it an essential doctrine of the Faith. The Creed reads in part:

 

"I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth;

 

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord:

 

Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary" (emphasis added).

 

This belief in the virgin birth was confirmed by the Nicene Creed of A.D. 325 and has continued to be the belief of Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant Christians.

 

Note the words of the 18th century hymn, "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," written by Charles Wesley, an Oxford graduate and Anglican minister, and with his brother John, the leader of the great Methodist revival. Because of the references to the virgin birth, this hymn became a popular carol sung at Christmas:

 

"Christ by highest heav'n adored/Christ the everlasting Lord!/Late in time behold Him come/Offspring of a Virgin's womb!/Veiled in flesh the Godhead see/Hail the incarnate Deity!/Pleased as man with man to dwell/Jesus, our Emanuel/Hark the herald angels sing/Glory to the newborn king!"

 

Conclusion

 

With such overwhelming evidence for the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, it raises the question as to why there remains so much skepticism about this event and other miracles recorded in the New Testament. This question was answered in The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Yale archaeologist and professor Millard Burrows, who said, "The excessive skepticism of many liberal theologians stems not from a careful evaluation of the available data, but from an enormous predisposition against the supernatural."

 

In other words, the barrier to faith is not an intellectual one, but a heart that is committed to unbelief. Believing in Christ does not require a so-called "blind leap of faith." Any honest seeker who will lay aside their biased presuppositions and consider the historical evidence will also experience the affirming witness of the Holy Spirit in their heart and will know that Jesus was truly born of a virgin. And if that part of the story is true, then we can have confidence that the rest of the story is true as well.

 

 

 

Celebrating Christ's Coming - Terry James - http://www.raptureready.com/rap16.html

 

Christmas 2015, to me, seems strangely removed from Christmases of the past. By that I mean the culture has changed in America to the point that Jesus is now truly marginalized. He has been, it seems to me, moved by opposition forces to the periphery for the first time in the nation's history of celebrating His birth. The ambience of the season feels different this time.

 

News reports tell almost daily of public schools that have changed the name of the season's celebration to something other than Christmas. Calling it Christmas is forbidden within a growing number of corporate entities and organizations. We must now refer to the season as Happy Holidays rather than as Christmas. People are more and more offended by anything associated with the name of Jesus Christ, or so it seems according to the politically correct--the minority that has been allowed to rule American society over the past number of years.

 

Christians watched and protested mildly while witnessing Christmas go from a celebration of Christ's birth to becoming more and more commercialized. The desensitizing messages of the entertainment industry and of the advertising world paved the way to acceptance of the fear of offending spiritual infection we suffer today. Christianity, thus Christmas, represents a narrow-minded, bigoted, homophobic restrictiveness that the post-Christian, "liberated" American need not endure.

 

Celebration of Christ's birth was until very recent times an inseparable part of America's rich heritage. But, as the American home began to come apart at the seams, the Christmas celebration so much a part of family life suffered a schizophrenia of sorts.

 

The first coming of Christ as a babe to Bethlehem is now seen by fewer and fewer numbers of U.S. population as something to look back on with reason to celebrate. With the advent of this presidential administration, which began with the new president declaring that we are no longer a Christian nation, the unraveling of America's moral fabric --already underway--began in earnest. The reweaving of that fabric has been taking place ever since.

 

Everything Christian is frowned upon, and morality has been redefined. Tolerance is the mantra of the day. Things the Word of God says are wrong, those in control of the reins of governance declare to be good. The shedding of the blood of the innocent is legally stipulated to be a good thing for the sake of giving women the right to choose. God's definition of marriage is considered narrow-minded and evil because it restricts the right to "love" as one chooses. Man with man and woman with woman in the sexual union, and in marriage, is lauded and applauded by the neo-pagan culture as proof that we are becoming an enlightened people.

 

While God's Son and Christianity are pushed out of society and culture, a false religion, whose worshippers behead and commit other atrocities upon those who won't bow the knee to their false deity, is given governmental protection at every turn by this president.

 

Those who continue to make strides to diminish the influence of true Christianity on the culture have celebrated a number of victories through Supreme Court decisions the past seven years. Despite these apparent losses believers in Jesus Christ have suffered in the culture war, the Christian is not defeated. A future celebration is scheduled even more wonderful than is celebration of Christ's birth two thousand years ago.

 

The infant who came to earth, sent as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world, escaped the infanticide of that day. Herod, Israel's chief murderer of babies, couldn't defeat that tiny baby and His mission to provide the only way to redemption. Neither will the abortionists and anti-God forces of today defeat the baby of Bethlehem who is now fully in authority over all of creation and is about to bring God's kingdom to planet earth.

 

We who name the Name of Jesus--who are redeemed by the crucified and resurrected Christ--will one day --perhaps very soon--be called into His presence (Revelation 4:1). He will take us to the Father's house, where He has prepared mansions in which we will dwell forever (John 14:1-3). That will indeed be a time of eternal celebration!

 

A Divine Birth Announcement - Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org

 

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. . . . 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." -Luke 2:8, 10

 

If you are a parent, then you can remember the first people you called after you became one. You gave them the weight and length of the baby and the actual time when he or she was born. You shared the news with those who were closest to you.

 

When God announced the birth of His Son, whom did He tell first? It seems likely that he would have started with Caesar Augustus. He could have sent the angel Gabriel to appear in Caesar's court and announce, "Check this out, buddy. You are not God! The Savior of the world has arrived!"

 

Or He might have had Gabriel appear to the religious leaders and say, "Wake up! The Messiah has been born! The One you talk about, the One you pray for-He is here!"

 

But that didn't happen. Instead, God first announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds. We tend to romanticize the shepherds along with everyone else in the Christmas story, but we don't understand who they were. In this culture, shepherds lived at the bottom of the social ladder. Shepherds were so despised that their testimonies were not even allowed in a court of law. Shepherds did the work that no one else wanted to do. They worked hard, but they were perceived as unclean because they could not observe the ceremonial hand washings. They were the outcasts, the nobodies.

 

The only people less-regarded than shepherds were those who were suffering from leprosy. Yet God decided to announce His news to some shepherds in the fields as they kept watch over their flocks at night. This was the modus operandi of Jesus, from birth to death. He always appealed to the outcast, to the common, to the ordinary. And that should give hope to ordinary people like us.

 

 A Miracle - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com

 

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.  The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."-Isaiah 9:6-7. This prophecy was written by Isaiah some 755 years before the birth of our savior Jesus Christ.  You know, the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ fulfilled over 300 prophecies.

 

In Lee Strobel's book, "The Case for Christ," he points out that the probability of just eight prophecies being fulfilled is one chance in one hundred million billion. Strobel then quotes mathematician Peter Stoner who calculated that the probability of fulfilling 48 prophecies was one chance in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion!  Think about the probability of fulfilling 332 prophecies.  But Jesus did just that.  One pastor I knew illustrated the point by saying that you could fill the entire state of Texas six foot deep in silver dollars and ask a blind man to find one special marked dollar and he would have about the same chances in finding it as a person fulfilling just 48 of these prophecies.

 

The prophecy of Isaiah, however, says that "The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."  How fantastic, the miracle of miracles performed by the ZEAL of the God.  I do not know the chances of a worldwide flood, but we have seen floods before and they are something we can comprehend.  I do not know the chances of changing water into wine, but we have seen that wine is a liquid made up of water and juice, so it is something we can understand.  I do not know the chances of a virgin birth, but we see children being born everyday, so perhaps that is possible.  But the Lord of Hosts wanted the world to know that His Son's birth, life, death and resurrection was THE miracle, fulfilling over 300 prophecies given over a span of thousands of years.

 

I wonder how many people who celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ even know Him.  And while we spend time with family, exchange gifts, eat good food, feel the warmth and love around us, where ever we are at, let us take a moment and remember the miracle of Jesus Christ, that He was born into this world as performed by the ZEAL of the Lord of Hosts.  That "zeal" was for us, that we might have a way to spend eternity with God.  Jesus said in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  No other religion has a God who loves us so.  Share Christ with someone today.

 

 Christ the Lord - Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org

 

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. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." -Luke 2:10-11

 

The angel began that wonderful announcement to the shepherds with, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy. . . ." Maybe you are suffering today. You might find yourself wondering, Where is the joy?<?i> But what is the joy about? Is it about an opportunity to go shopping? Is the message of Christmas "Let it snow?" No, it is, "Let us worship."

 

The angels' visit to the shepherds became the first Christmas celebration. It's as though heaven and earth were celebrating it together, as though a portal to glory had been opened up. These shepherds saw the supernatural world, the heavenly world. On that first Christmas, there was a big celebration in heaven and on earth over the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

We have a Savior: "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11). That is the most important thing. We have a Savior who came to save us from the power and penalty of sin. Whatever you are going through in life, remember this: you have a Savior. He has put your sins as far away from you as the east is from the west.

 

Christ means "anointed one." Another word for that is Messiah. Jesus was the fulfillment of God's promise to send His Son as the Messiah. This is a simple reminder that God keeps His promises. God said that He would send a Messiah, and the Messiah came.

 

Lord means that we have a sovereign God who is in control of our lives.

 

So set aside the things you have become preoccupied with and remember that you have a Savior. You have a Lord. You have a Christ. And you have His promises.

 

The Church of Jesus Christ: Honored at the Highest Level - Joseph Chambers - http://www.pawcreek.org/open-bible-dialog/honored-at-the-highest-level

 

By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. - Hebrews 11:9-10

 

There is no question but that the Biblical Church is a delight to the heart of God.

 

Equal to His love for Israel is His love for the future Bride of Jesus Christ. The twenty-four elders in Revelation four and five represent these twenty-four excellent and honored saints at His soon coming. Also these same twenty-four chosen numbers are seen in the City of New Jerusalem. The twelve patriarchs are names of the twelve gates and the twelve apostles are the names of the twelve foundations. These twenty-four in number is actually a multitude as seen in the fifth chapter. The number twenty-four is used to bring the First Testament saints and the New Testament saints together as a whole.

 

Our Father shows His excitement for the future honors He will bestow on His chosen people. We see Israel and all the tribes of Jews honored in many ways in the future Kingdom. We also see His chosen church with a beautiful future fully worthy of our absolute dedication to Him alone. Every day I get more excited about our future. This world is nothing but a passing fancy of flesh and pleasures. They are hardly worthy of our attention.

 

The eternal bride of Jesus Christ will receive the highest reward available to His saints. There will be no cul-de-sacs or dead end streets in New Jerusalem. Every gold paved street will be a Hallelujah Boulevard. The mansions will be far superior than this world can imagine. Every bit of God's New Heaven and New Earth will be grand and full of bliss, but nothing will compare to the magnificent city called "New Jerusalem."

 

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. - John 14:1-3

 

This city will be Home to the exclusive Bride of Jesus Christ. One of the Seven Angels out of the Heavenly Temple said the following: "And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal..." (Revelation 21: 9-11) The description of the city is too exact to be understood in any fashion other than literal. Please let me paint a picture of this city that will descend out of heaven after the White Throne Judgment.

 

The city is a foursquare city. The width is exactly the same on all four sides and the height is equal. Twelve thousand furlongs is fifteen hundred miles. To imagine a city that is fifteen hundred miles square and fifteen hundred miles high that is surrounded by jasper walls is breathtaking. The highest mountain in the world is less than six miles high (Mount Everest - 29,035 feet) and the highest in America is less than four miles high (Mount McKinley - 20,320 feet). We are speaking of a city so massive that our minds can only imagine its grandeur. The city of New Jerusalem is 7,920,000 feet high compared to Mount Everest at 29,035 feet. This comparison makes Mount Everest appear to be nothing but a molehill. The total wealth of this entire earth does not hold a light to the wealth of this new city.

 

The gold that has been mined and minted during human history is minute compared to the gold in this city. It would not be enough to pave the streets of one level of this city and this will be a city of twelve foundations or levels. Each level will be one hundred and twenty-five miles high or 657,700 feet, over twenty-two times higher than Mount Everest. The height of the walls on each level is 144 cubits or approximately 226 feet. These walls are not provided to keep the glorified saints in or out. Nothing is more beautiful than the present massive stone walls of present day Jerusalem. These stone walls have a golden hue appearance as they are beautifully lit at night or in the sunshine.

 

But, the walls of New Jerusalem will be primarily wrought of jasper stone. Jasper is a dark green semi-translucent to opaque form of semi-precious chalcedony. Its beauty is rare. It is readily acceptable to a fine polish and has the physical properties of those of quartz. No one would think of building city walls out of jasper in our present world. The expense would be totally prohibitive to the richest person but certainly not to our Father. The entire walled structure of this city, all twelve levels, will be jasper and pure gold. It appears that the outside formation of these walls is jasper, with the interior of the walls being pure gold. The foundations at each level are one hundred and forty-four cubits, which is approximately 226 feet high. These foundations are then garnished with twelve manners of precious stones.

 

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.  Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. - Revelation 21:1-3

 

The first foundation is garnished with jasper on jasper. We can certainly expect that the garnishing jasper will be of a different shade as the jasper wall, which comprises the wall's structure. There are different colors of jasper depending on the location where it is mined. The second level will be garnished with sapphire stones. The color of a pure sapphire is sky blue; using it to garnish the jasper will be extraordinary. The third level will be chalcedony, which can be any color of the rainbow from pale blue to yellow, brown, or gray. The fourth level will be garnished with emeralds. The finest emeralds are more valuable than diamonds; they are magnificent gems of the most beautiful green color.

 

The stone used to garnish the fifth foundation is sardonyx or onyx. This stone varies in color; it may be translucent or opaque and is often striped. The sixth stone used for garnishment is Sardis, possibly the red variety that is highly polishable and extremely beautiful. The seventh level is garnished with chrysolite, which is a form of topaz of Tarshish. The garnishment of the eighth level is beryl, which is actually colorless, but reflects a great variety of colors depending on foreign substances it contains. It is indeed a precious stone. The ninth garnishing stone on the ninth level of this city is topaz, which is called by some, the "gem of the setting sun." Sometimes, it is said to be the color of gold or peach. The tenth level is chrysoprasus, which is called the apple and is a light green variety of agate. It is a very rare stone. The eleventh foundation of this magnificent city is jacinth. The jacinth is a red variety of zircon, which is found in square prisms of different shades.

 

The last of the twelve levels is garnished with amethyst. This is a royal purple and a fitting crown for the city. Imagine the crown of this city of transparent purple quartz that is decorating the jasper translucent walls with the gold within reflecting throughout the foursquare city. Beautify all of this with gates of pearl, each gate one pearl carved into form to be twelve matching gates into the city. Each gate will be fifteen hundred miles high. Glowing through each gate will be streets of pure gold. It is hard to imagine the beauty of a solid pearl gate set on the walls of this city. This city reflects the creative masterpiece of a Groom full of love for His eternal Bride. This city is almost too much to grasp but it will be easily understood when we awake in a glorified state. The Bible says that Heaven is God's Throne and the earth is His footstool. With this sense of the greatness of "New Jerusalem" we can better understand this golden city.

 

Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another,

And the Lord listened and heard them;

So a book of remembrance was written before Him

For those who fear the Lord

And who meditate on His name.

"They shall be Mine," says the Lord of hosts,

"On the day that I make them My jewels.

And I will spare them

As a man spares his own son who serves him."

Then you shall again discern

Between the righteous and the wicked,

Between one who serves God

And one who does not serve Him.

- Malachi 3:16-18

 

This is the Bride's home for eternity. The multitude of saved people that seek no perfection of living or total surrender to His perfect will, will certainly enjoy the city to visit and the glory of worshiping the Father and His Son. They will love the Golden City and bask in the Son light of Gods glory but live across the Father's great new heaven and earth. "And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it." (Revelation 21:24-26) It's up to every saved person to give their total life to serve Him only and to be part of the Bride. It's the highest honor and reward in our Heavenly future.

 

 

 

Apocalypse at Christmas Time - Russell D. Moore - http://www.christianpost.com/news/apocalypse-at-christmas-time-152782/

 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. The stirrings of holiday cheer are all around us, from the Bing Crosby music loop at the Home Depot to the inflatable glowing Santas that every neighborhood seems to have.

 

But my Bible reading right now is anything but festive. I'm in Revelation, reading about Jesus the Warrior-King, returning to his creation to destroy his enemies with the sword.

 

Shouldn't I take a break from the Apocalypse to highlight the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay? Isn't there something kind of, well, unseasonable about teaching, at this time of year, about a Christ who bears a sword and a cosmic entourage, who prepares his people a messianic banquet and then prepares for the birds a banquet of the flesh and blood of his enemies (Rev 19:17-19)? It is hard to imagine Tiny Tim exclaiming "God bless us every one" after hearing about southern-fried Gog and Magog.

 

But my discomfort only reveals to me how much my Christmas imagery is more shaped by Currier and Ives than by apostles and prophets.

 

The infant Jesus is not as conspicuous in American pop culture as he once was. Claymation Burl Ives is a little more palatable to contemporary religious pluralism. But the baby Jesus still exists in the American Christian subculture as a kind of non-threatening mascot for everything warm and sentimental about the holiday season.

 

The only problem with this is that the Bible doesn't present the baby Jesus as warm or sentimental at all. As a matter of fact, the sentimental Jesus of the Christmas season often chills our evangelistic fervor because we forget that the Bethlehem event is the exact opposite of blessing the good feelings of contemporary American culture.

 

The virgin birth prophesied in Isaiah is a sign, the prophet tells us, of God defeating his enemies and restoring his kingship (Isa 7:10-25). The young Galilean couple travel to Bethlehem, it must be remembered, because from that city of David will come a Conqueror who will drive back the Assyrians and shepherd the people of Israel (Micah 5:1-6). That's why the angel tells Mary not just that she will bear a holy Child but that he will sit on the throne of his father David (Luke 1:32-33), a throne it must be remembered that came through the severed head and bloody foreskins of not a few Philistines. This is also why Herod didn't greet the oracles of the Magi with a hearty "season's greetings," but with a bloody threat to root out this threat to his kingship (Matt 2). And all of this is rooted in an ancient promise that the son of the woman would crush the head of the serpent of Eden (Gen 3:15).

 

Remember: Jesus was not born into a gauzy, snowy "winter wonderland" of sweetly-singing angels and cute reindeer nuzzling one another at the side of his manger. He was born into a warzone.

 

Jesus was chased out of his manger and into Egypt by one of Planned Parenthood's ancestors, King Herod, who also sacrificed Bethlehem's infant children for the sake of power.

 

We must remember the infancy of Jesus. We must cherish in our hearts that he took on flesh and blood for us, that he bore our humanity in all of its fullness, even in the dependencies of a baby in a feeding box. But we must never allow this baby to be defined as non-threatening. Indeed, the shadow of Bethlehem threatens the frenzied buying of our consumeristic Christmas season. We must remember that ultimately we will not coo over him in a cradle beneath us, but give an account to him as our sovereign Judge and give glory to him as our sovereign King. We must remember that our love for family and friends and Christmas includes our responsibility to plead with them to be found in Christ before the great and terrible day of the Lord.

 

I suppose that's why I won't take a break from Revelation this season. The young virgin Mary, after all, set the tone for our Christmas thoughts when she reflected on the angel's announcement of the birth of Jesus. She sang of God's mercy to his people, of his faithfulness to his covenant promises. And then she sang also of the fact that in this fetal Incarnate One within her God "has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away" (Luke 1:51-53 ESV).

 

Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards Men? - David Pepe - http://www.theignorantfishermen.com/2011/12/peace-on-earth-good-will-towards-men.html

 

One of the most favorite sayings and happy thoughts that are spoken frequently by people during the Christmas or "holiday" season is the phrase "Peace on Earth good will to men". There are bumper stickers, signs, shirts, holiday cards, trinkets etc. that seek to capitalize and get out this optimistic and positive message. Even liberal secularists who reject biblical Christianity love to quote this phrase and claim it as their own. Sadly, this phrase is TOTALLY taken out of the biblical context and is perceived from a subjective godless utopian world perspective (conservative and liberal).

 

The origin of this quote is taken from the biblical account in Luke of the countless MILLIONS of angelic beings who were sent forth by Almighty God to proclaim the Savior's birth (Luke 2:.8-15, Heb.1:14). These countless innumerable angelic beings manifested themselves with the heavenly heralds of wondrous and astonishing exaltations of great joy to the oblivious shepherds who were in the fields of Bethlehem GUARDING their sheep by NIGHT (Luke 2:8-14). It was in the birth of THIS child (Jesus Messiah (Isa. 9:6-7) that Almighty God would bring forth the propitiation for redemption for ALL of fallen humanity and the final death nail and demise of Lucifer and his fallen angelic monsters (Gen. 3:15, John 16:7-11, 1 John 1:2:2, Rev. 5, 20:10). The righteous angelic hosts of heaven comprehended what was taking place and were ecstatic about what their Creator was doing. It absolutely stupefied these angelic beings as the Son of God - the pinnacle of glory - stepped out of ETERNITY and put on flesh and blood to redeem Adam's fallen race. Is it any wonder that and shouted with exceedingly great joy (John 1:1-3, 14, Phil. 2:5-11, Heb. 10:1-18)!

 

Almighty God the Creator of all (Col. 1:16,-17, Heb. 1:2-3, Rev. 4:11) was interceding on behalf of Adam's fallen and rebellious race and showing forth His ETERNAL love, mercy and grace in good will towards His enemies (Rom. 5:6, Eph. 2:1-10, Col. 1:20-22). The objective angelic understanding of Adam's fallen race far exceeds our own as humans (Heb.1:14). They exist and dwell in FULL REALITY and heavenly LIGHT. They know all to well the horrific devastation that awaits unrepentant unregenerate transgressing mankind in the Lake of Fire FOREVER (Matt. 13:42, 50, 25:41, John 3:16-17, Rev. 20:11-15, 21:8). Is it any wonder that the angelic hosts of heaven rejoice with EXCEEDINGLY GREAT joy when just one son of Adam repents and comes to the Messiah of Israel, the Savior of the world as their personal Savior (Isa. 53, Luke 2:13-14, John 3:16-17). This is what is meant by the statement "peace on earth good will towards men". This child - who is Almighty God the Son - PUT ON flesh and blood to shed His RIGHTEOUS blood for the transgressions of the entire world (Adam to the end of time).

 

It was to be His sacrificial death and resurrection from the dead that would restore fellowship between man with their Creator and establish an EVERLASTING peace between the two parties (Job 9:33, John 1:14, Rom. 10:4, Phil. 2:5-11, Heb. 1:2-3, 10: 1-18). My beloved, this child IS our PEACE (Isa. 9:6, Eph. 2:14-17, Col. 1:20, 1 John 2:2)! When we seek to say "peace on earth, good will towards men" and LEAVE OUT the Son of God who is the ONLY Savior and method FOR establishing TRUE PEACE, we deceive ourselves and join in Satan's godless rebellion against ALL that is the ETERNAL God and His ETERNAL sovereignty (2 Cor. 4:3-4). There can NEVER be true peace for those who REJECT and leave Almighty God the Son out of the equation (Psalm 112:10, Isa. 32:17, 48:18, 22, Rev. 20:11-15). Notice how the world leaves off and will NEVER state the first part of the quote, "GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST"? They can't and will NEVER acknowledge that, for if they did they would have to repent and be saved (John 3:19-21, Rom. 1:18-32, 2 Thess 2:10)!

 

There is absolutely no way that TRUE PEACE and PERFECT HARMONY can EVER be brought about WITHOUT the ETERNAL established RIGHTEOUSNESS of ALMIGHTY GOD (Isa. 32:17, 48:18,22). Almighty God's whole ETERNITY and physical universe was established based on the ETERNAL RIGHTEOUS PERSON of the TRIUNE GOD! How deceived are we as humans and totally delusional to think that we as Adam's fallen race could establish a PERFECT world and enter into ETERNITY without the required RIGHTEOUSNESS that Almighty God demands (1 Cor. 6:8-11, Gal. 5:19-21, Rev. 21:8, 22:14-15).We are a smashed and broken egg with absolutely no way our repairing ourselves. 6000 years of human history testifies to the fact that we are a violent and lawless race with death as our future and destiny (Rom. 3:23) and on our way to total destruction. If it had not been for Almighty God's outside intervention holding back the full accumulation of violence of mankind we would have been extinct a long time ago  (Matt. 24:21-22, 2 Thess. 2:6-8). Isn't it amazing that as American's listen to our leaders in Washington D.C., the media (conservative and liberal), Hollywood and the music culture and industry preach utopian ideals unto them that the majority of the world sincerely believe that lie from hell, which is if we just keep working at "peace" (give peace a chance) that we will one day finally achieve it?

 

My friend, let's wake up and get real! There is NO WAY that a smashed egg can EVER again be put perfectly back together and there is NO WAY that this broken world can EVER fix itself. This vain utopian pursuit is the ultimate delusional chasing of the devil's cattle. At the end of this vain delusional chase the world will tragically finally find out the REALITIES of time and ETERNITY that they have REJECTED their whole lives (Luke 16:22-31, Heb. 9:27, Rev. 20:11-15). It will be in that Day that these will be fully AWAKENED from their self-induced godless hypnotic delusion and will FULLY understand that their lawless self-willed existence here in time has led them straight into the slaughter house of the ETERNAL Divine Judgment and wrath of Almighty God (Rom. 1:18-32, 2 Thess. 2; 8-12, Rev.20:11-15).

 

My dear friend this is not Almighty God's desire for you, to die in your transgressions. He sent His Son 2000 years ago born of a virgin so you might LIVE FOREVER with Him and to enjoy Him in RIGHTEOUS PERFECTION and BLISS FOREVERMORE (1 Cor. 2:9, Rev 21-22:1-5). This was Almighty God's grand desire at the beginning of creation for mankind not what man has horrifically reaped upon himself. We as a world do not know divine PEACE let alone the temporal peace that fallen man can barely manufacture (Isa. 32:17, 48:18, 22, 53, John 1:10-11, Rom. 3, Rev.6-16).

 

 This season may we truly - with all our being - want to know, possess and exercise the wondrous peace of Almighty God which He has brought to us by the shed blood of His dear Son (Eph. 2:14). As we walk in time may we seek to enjoy our redemptive benefits which have been given to us by our God and Savior (Eph. 1:3, 2:1-19, Phil. 4:17, Col. 3:1-4) and the heavenly peace of heart that comes with the fact and reality that our sins and trespasses are removed FOREVER (Psalm 103:12, Rom. 7:24-25, 10:4, Gal 1:4). That my friends is what "peace on earth is all about! Rejoice GREATLY (Phil. 4:4)! A Savior was born and is soon coming again in great glory to establish His 1000 year reign of PEACE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS (Isa. 2:1-4, 9:6-7, 11:1-9, 32:1 Jer. 23:5, 33:15-16, Dan. 2:44-45, 7:7:13-14, Micah 4:1-4)!!!

 

 The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

 

 

 

With Bethlehem before her, Mary also had Armageddon on her mind. So should we.

 

 

The Christmas story began with a tree - Greg Laurie - http://www.wnd.com/2015/12/the-christmas-story-began-with-a-tree/

 

Pastor Greg Laurie stresses coequal, coeternal, coexistent nature of the Son

 

I have given up on live Christmas trees. I went with an artificial tree about five years ago, and it's a lot easier. I pull that baby out, plug it in, and we're good to go. Then, after Christmas, it goes back into the box. Artificial trees are looking a lot better than they used to.

 

The first Christmas story begins with a tree, but not our kind of Christmas tree. It was called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This tree was located in the Garden of Eden, where the Lord had placed Adam and Eve in a literal paradise, with radiant beauty at every turn, exotic wildlife and the perfect climate. Best of all, there was no sin or guilt or shame.

 

God himself would show up there every day to take a walk with his friend Adam. In fact, the Bible tells us the Lord would come to Eden in the cool of the day, which almost sounds as though God took on some kind of human form to walk and talk with Adam.

 

God gave Adam and Eve only one restriction in Eden: Stay away from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Don't go there.

 

So where do we find Adam and Eve next? At the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

 

That is so typical. That is just like us, isn't it? It's like saying to a child, "Do not go in that room."

 

Where do you find that child next? In the very room you said was off-limits. That is just our nature.

 

Of course, you know the rest of the story about Adam and Eve and how they listened to the serpent and ate the forbidden fruit. After that happened, they lost their sweet fellowship with God. And then the Lord came to the garden, calling out to Adam, "Where are you?" (Genesis 3:9 NIV)

 

Did God ask this question because he was oblivious to where Adam was? No. God knew exactly where Adam was and what he had done, and God wanted Adam to confess it.

 

That is what parents try to get their kids to do when they get into trouble. When my boys were growing up, I had a little trick I used to draw out a confession. I sat them down and said, "I already know what you did. I know everything. If you tell me the truth, the punishment will be less than what it would be if you lie to me. Tell me everything."

 

Usually I would get some information I didn't know about. But after a while, they became wise to this. When I gave them that fatherly look and said, "Tell me," they would look right back at me as if to say, No way! We've fallen for this before!

 

The difference between earthly fathers and God is that God actually does know everything. He knew everything that had happened at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; he just wanted Adam to own up to it. But Adam didn't do that. Instead, he made an excuse - the first excuse we know of in human history.

 

Adam said, "The woman you put here with me - she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it" (Genesis 3:12). In other words, This is not my problem. It is not my fault. I was happy hanging out with the animals. I take a short nap. I wake up. A rib is missing. And she is here!

 

Then God gives us the Bible's first Christmas verse, addressing his words to the devil: "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel" (verse 15).

 

The battle lines were drawn. God was saying to the devil, "Game on. The Messiah is coming. And he is going to crush you."

 

The Christmas story didn't begin in the gospel of Matthew. It didn't begin in Luke. It began in the Old Testament. Jesus has always been there.

 

John 1, speaking about Jesus, says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (verses 1-5).

 

In contrast to Matthew and Luke, which give us different aspects of the Nativity, John takes us back - way back. He points to eternity past, going back further than our minds can imagine.

 

Before there was a world, before there were planets, before there was light and darkness, before there was matter, before there was anything but the Godhead, there was Jesus. Jesus Christ - coequal, coeternal, and coexistent with the God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. He was with God. He was God.

 

Jesus was Deity in diapers. God became an embryo. He did not become identical to us, but he became identified with us. In fact, he could not have identified with us more closely than he did. It was total identification with us, without any loss of his identity. He became one of us without ceasing to be himself. Jesus, who was God, became a man.

 

When we think of the first Christmas, we think of it as the birth of Jesus, and technically it was. But that is not when Jesus began. He has no beginning or end. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

 

Yes, there was a moment when God made a decision to descend from heaven to earth and be born in a manger as a helpless little infant. Isaiah 9:6 sums it up perfectly: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

 

From our perspective on Earth, a child was born. But from God's perspective in heaven, a son was given. It was when God became a man.

 

 

Our Christmas Hope - By Matt Ward - http://www.raptureready.com/soap2/ward41.html

  

 "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20).

 

 One of the most important messages given by Jesus before he ascended into heaven has brightened Christmas every year for centuries. It certainly brightens my Christmas each year. The message is that Jesus is alive and He is coming soon!

 

 As the disciples stood gazing into the clouds after the resurrected Lord had ascended from the surface of the earth, rising higher and higher into the sky, to be eventually hidden in the clouds, two angels suddenly appeared with a vitally important message:

 

 "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).

 

 There is a hope embedded in this message that one day Jesus will return for his own. A short time earlier, whilst Jesus was celebrating Passover with his disciples he revealed to them,

 

 "Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward" (John13:36).

 

 At this point the disciples must have felt crushed, after all this was the man most of them believed would usher in a new Messianic age. Here he is telling them he is departing and leaving them in their greatest hour of need. The disciples must have been distraught, feeling as if the very ground they stood upon was pulled out from underneath them.

 

 But then, as always, Jesus reassured them,

 

 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (John. 14:1-3).

 

 Jesus was departing with a specific purpose in mind and he had a definite plan to return. He wasn't intending to just leave them, but described a specific scenario through which they would once again be united to him and with him.

 

 Jesus referred to a Jewish wedding to help his disciples understand. Using this imagery Jesus attempted to convey not only the absolute certainty of his return, but the inexpressible joy that would accompany it!

 

 In Jewish weddings after paying tribute to the bride's father and establishing the marriage covenant with his father-in-law, the Jewish Bridegroom would return home to his own father for a time to prepare a dwelling place in his own father's house fit for his bride. This is where the Jewish bride and bridegroom would live, in the father's house.

 

 After completing the dwelling places for himself and his new bride (and all to his father's satisfaction), allowing his fianc� time to adjust to and prepare for her upcoming married life, the father of the groom would indicate that it was at last time for the bridegroom to return for his beautiful bride. With a shout the bridegroom would announce his arrival and along with his trusted companions and friends, would take her away to her new home. The bride would leave her old home on hearing the voice of her new husband and immediately leave with him.

 

 This is the imagery that Jesus used to convey the meaning of his absence. This imagery perfectly fits the concept of the Rapture of the Church. Jesus Christ has left to prepare a place for his bride and will once again return so that, "...where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:3).

 

 The apostle John, in his Apocalypse glimpsed this glorious future when he saw the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, "The Lamb [Christ] has come, and His wife has made herself ready ... arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright" (Revelation 19:7-8). 

 

 If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, this is your destiny. This is your hope, our Blessed Hope!

 

 From the first members of the bride of Christ, huddled together in the upper room during the final Passover celebration to each member of the church today, we have all now become a royal priesthood, through Jesus Christ.

 

 When Jesus departed he emphasized that His purpose was to go and prepare a place for his followers, his Bride, and that he would shortly return for them. The phrase ...and if I go and prepare a place for you... conditionally links His departure with His return: "I will come again" (John. 14:3).

 

 We are entering a time in history that the Bible speaks much of. Indeed, the Bible talks more about the events of this generation than any other, more even than of the time Jesus first walked the shores of Galilee two thousand years ago. 

 

 The coming months may bring difficulties. For some of us this may mean persecution; indeed each passing day seems to confirm this reality. If the Lord tarries much longer, the Body of Christ will begin to experience real persecution in the West, just as it is currently in the Middle East.

 

 But we have a living, dynamic and real hope. We have Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Lord and Savior. Never will he leave us, never will he forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

 

 Jesus is coming back soon, and it is this living hope that will give us the strength and courage to move forward in this coming New Year, even if persecution is lurking up ahead.

 

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present   time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." (Romans 8:8)

 

 "However, as it is written: "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived"- the things God has prepared for those who love him..." (1 Corinthians 2:9)

 

 Merry Christmas!

 

 

Wise Men, Kings and Prophecy - Ron & Nathele Graham - twotug@embarqmail.com

 

Many people base their idea of what the Bible says upon traditions of men. The story of the "three kings" is one of those events where Bible fact and man's tradition differ. "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem," Matthew 2:1. Nativity scenes show Baby Jesus surrounded by Joseph, Mary, shepherds with lambs, and more than likely an angel or two. There are also three kings bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Though this makes for nice Christmas plays and nativity scenes, the facts are a little off. These men weren't kings. The Greek word for king is "basileus" which means "leader of the people, prince, commander, lord of the land, king." Matthew describes these men as "mago ", defined as "the name given by the Babylonians (Chaldeans), Medes, Persians, and others, to the wise men, teachers, priests, physicians, astrologers, seers, interpreters of dreams, augers, soothsayers, sorcerers etc." They came from the East and many scholars believe that these men were members of a sect that began in Babylon with Daniel, who took prophecy seriously and never turned from his Jewish faith.

 

The wise men were looking for the one who was born to be King and their first stop was Jerusalem. That's where the search for the one "born King of the Jews" would logically begin. "Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him." Matthew 2:2. The text doesn't say that the star had led them to Jerusalem, just that they had seen His star and came to worship. "When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born." Matthew 2:3-4. When Herod was troubled quite often someone would die. He had no problem killing family members, so it's no wonder all Jerusalem was troubled. He went to those who should have known where Christ was to be born, but these men weren't very different from us today. They read Scripture, but didn't pay attention to it. Even though they lived only a short distance from Bethlehem, they made no effort to find Christ. The wise men traveled hundreds of miles to worship Him, yet the priests and scribes could not be troubled to go 5 or 6 miles to find Him. What about us? We don't have to travel hundreds of miles to find Him, nor do we have to make a short 6 mile trip. Christians have God's word within reach and we can always pray...we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Many who claim to be Christians don't seek after Christ. These in-name-only Christians may have read Scripture and have head knowledge of it, but when it comes to seeking Christ they are like the chief priests and scribes. Everything else comes ahead of truly seeking Christ and they certainly don't worship Him.

 

A prophecy in the book of Micah disclosed where the Messiah would be born. "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Micah 5:2. Oh, little town of Bethlehem! We sing the song about this City of David, but seldom search out the prophecy surrounding it. We are very much like the Jewish leaders who read Scripture but just didn't believe it was meant for their time in history. We need to study prophecy today to see what God tells us to look for in our time in history. It might cause you to be more like the wise men and diligently seek Christ.

 

Herod began plotting. "Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also." Matthew 2:7-8. What a guy. He said he wanted to worship the young child, but he lied. Herod didn't want to worship, he wanted to destroy. How about you? Do you claim to be a Christian and say you want to worship Him, but do your actions show otherwise? If you claim Christ as your Saviour, then your life should reflect His truth. If you love Him you will seek Him and your life will show Him living in you.

 

It's clear that when the wise men arrived Jesus was not a newborn baby (brephos), but a young child (paidion). "When they had heard the king, they departed; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy." Matthew 2:9-10. After their meeting with King Herod they saw the star again and were filled with joy. This time the star led them. It led them to the house where Jesus was. God wanted these wise men, who many scholars were believe were Gentiles, to find Jesus. Jesus was "born King of the Jews", but salvation through Him is for all people.

 

"And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." Matthew 2:11. There were three gifts so it is assumed there were three wise men, though God's word doesn't say how many there were. It makes for a nice song, but Scripture is silent as to how many there were. Notice, too, that they found Mary and Jesus in a house (oikia), not a manger (phatnē). We don't know how much time had passed, but this was not the very night when Jesus was born and the shepherds found Him in a manger. The wise men did worshipped Him. This young child hadn't performed any miraculous healings or raised anyone from the dead, nor had He died on the cross to purchase their redemption, yet the wise men worshipped Him. They recognized who He was and knew they had found the One they had sought after. Today we can look back on all that Christ did, but do we worship Him? Herod wanted the wise men to return and tell him where to find the young Child, but worship was far from his heart. He had murder planned. God warned the wise men in a dream not to return to Herod, and they wisely listened to Him.

 

Through prophecy, God reveals what will happen. Since God is not constrained by time He sees our future and warns us. Those who listen to Him find comfort and protection, but those who do ignore prophecy get caught off guard. God sent an angel in a dream to Joseph telling him to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt. God always provides for us, and the treasures the wise men brought probably financed the trip to Egypt. Joseph was an obedient man and acted immediately, thus Herod's plot to kill Jesus failed. Sadly though, he killed many young children and babies in his fury. "Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men." Matthew 2:16. Yes, when Herod was troubled, people died. Herod wanted to be sure he killed Jesus so he ordered the mass murder of every child 2 years old and younger. This murderous madman fulfilled prophecy.  "Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not." Matthew 2:17-18. Herod was an evil man, but he could not have accomplished his wickedness if there hadn't been men willing to follow his directions. God's word discloses that times will get perilous as we near the end of time. Hitler was a murderous madman, as are those Muslims who torture, behead, and mutilate Jews and Christians. Wake up brethren and study prophecy. "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." 2 Timothy 3:1. We are living in perilous time.

 

After Herod died, God once again sent an angel to tell Joseph that it was safe to return to Israel. The escape to Egypt and the subsequent return to Israel fulfilled prophecy. "And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son." Matthew 2:15. Writing by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Matthew's Gospel confirms that the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus which fulfilled numerous prophecies. The entire Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit and we can trust the prophecies for our time to be fulfilled just as God discloses in His word.

 

Some thirty-three years after His birth, Jesus was nailed to a cross of wood, and as Dr. Chuck Missler likes to remind us "He made the hill on which it stood". I've often wondered if I'd lived during the years of Jesus' incarnation would I have been a disciple of His or would I have been a skeptic? Would I have been one of those in the crowd screaming "Crucify Him", or would I have hid with Peter. If I had been a student of prophecy I would have understood the times in which I lived, and would have been watching for the Messiah. I didn't live then, but I am thankful that God chose to humble Himself in order to redeem His creation from sin. Prophecy reveals that He will soon return to take His rightful place on the throne of David as King of kings. His reign will be eternal. "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this." Isaiah 9:6-7. The angel confirmed this prophecy when he spoke to Mary about the Child she would give birth to. "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Luke 1:32-33. This prophecy is still waiting to be fulfilled. Christians have a place in God's plan, but the nation of Israel does too and one day the Messiah will sit on the throne of David and reign eternally. God is not through with the nation of Israel and every Christian needs to be in prayer for them.

 

Prophecy is the key to understanding what God did in the past, and to open our eyes to what He will do in the very near future. The wise men searched for Him because they saw His star and they wanted to worship Him. King Herod wanted to find Him to kill Him. Soon our Lord will return to take His rightful place on the throne of David as King of kings. If you are wise you will diligently seek Jesus Christ and worship Him.

 

God bless you all,

 

Ron & Nathele Graham

 

 

The Christmas Miracle - Jack Kinsella - www.omegaletter.com

 

Seven years ago on Christmas Eve Tracey Hermanstorfer died during childbirth in Colorado. It was tragic. But it happens. That's just how it is.

 

Death during childbirth is rare; it is estimated to claim less than a million lives globally, but it is not unheard of.

 

When the body dies, it automatically shuts down non-essential operations first as a last-ditch effort to preserve the blood supply for the critical organs, sort of like a drowning man trying to grab that last breath as he slips below the surface.

 

When a pregnant woman dies, the first non-essential to be cut off is the womb. So When Tracey died, doctors turned their attention from Tracey to the baby, which they removed by C-section. 

 

Tracey had been dead for almost five minutes by the time little Coltyn was delivered.  Sadly, the little boy was also dead. Dr. Stephanie Martin was called in when Stephanie died to do the emergency C-section. 

 

She said the baby was born limp and completely lifeless. 

 

"She was dead," Dr. Martin told reporters. "She had no heartbeat, no breathing, no blood pressure. She was as gray as her sweatsuit and there were no signs of life."

 

Her husband was in the delivery room when his wife died. "I was holding her hand when we realized she was gone," Mike Hermanstorfer said. "My entire life just rolled out."

 

Doctors and nurses began CPR in an attempt to restart her heart.  Mike Hermanstorfer recalls a doctor telling him: "We have been unable to revive her and we're going to take your son out."

 

The doctors later handed him the lifeless body of his infant son.  As Mike Hermanstorfer held his son in his hands, he felt the baby move. 

 

At precisely the same time, his mother, dead for more than 8 minutes, suddenly drew a breath and came back to life.

 

"My legs went out from under me," her husband said. "I had everything in the world taken from me and then, suddenly, everything given to me. It was the hand of God."

 

Doctors at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colorado, said there was no logical explanation for the recovery of the mother or her baby.  Mike Hermanstorfer thinks the explanation is obvious. 

 

"We are both believers," he said.  "But this right here, even to an non-believer, you explain to me how this happened."

 

It was a miracle.

 

Assessment:

 

The thing about miracles that fascinates us is trying to figure out why they occurred.  Sometimes miracles happen in order to send a message to mankind.  Sometimes they happen because God is God and He can do miracles if He wants to.

 

I doubt this would qualify as a miracle in the eyes of the Vatican -- there would have to be a saint or a prospective saint involved somewhere. This wasn't a religious miracle. 

 

This was just the plain vanilla kind of miracle -- the kind where God does something wonderful because He loves His children. 

 

Instead of seeking some deep, profound truth about the last days or whether this is a signal of some kind, I prefer to think of it as a warm hug from the Father.   Like a reassuring wink and a smile aimed at me personally as the chaos of judgment prepares to unfold.

 

"Things will get bad, but don't lose faith.  I am still on My Throne.  Here, let Me show you Who holds the keys to life and death."

 

I am sure that to Mike Hermanstorfer, this was a personal and miraculous gift from God, but this was not a private, secret event between God and the Hermanstorfers. 

 

It was an open, joyous, glorious miracle of love performed by God alone on the most joyous holiday of the Christian calendar. 

 

Doctors couldn't revive them.  Tracey was past the point of revival. 

 

When all hope was gone, the Lord breathed the breath of life into them both simultaneously and gave them -- and the rest of the world -- a Christmas miracle without any strings attached.

 

It's been a long, painful and dismal decade.  We don't know what the new decade will bring, but barring a miracle, we can be pretty sure it will be something awful.

 

It's good to be reminded miracles still happen.   The Christmas miracle was just what the Great Physician ordered. 

 

And I really, really needed that Christmas miracle.   Thank You, Abba.

(Originally Published: January 2, 2010)

 

 

Paradox of the Christ-less Christmas - by Hal Lindsey - http://www.hallindsey.com/ww-12-23-2015/

 

On the MerryChristmasBill.com website, a woman wrote an all too familiar story about the elementary school where her daughter teaches 5th graders.

 

"They are not allowed to even put up a Christmas tree.... The children or the teachers or other school personnel cannot say 'Merry Christmas' to each other or to the children, nor can they exchange any Christmas cards or Christmas gifts to each other.... My daughter informs me she and other teachers can be fired if they attempt to break this rule.  So, no Merry Christmas at school, no nativity, and no Christmas tree or gifts."

 

A principal in Brooklyn this year banned Santa Claus, the Pledge of Allegiance, and Thanksgiving.  The PTA president said, "We definitely can't say Christmas, nothing with Christmas on it, nothing with Santa.  No angels.  We can't even have a star because it can represent a religious system, like the Star of David."

 

After the ban on Santa received national publicity, the school quickly changed course.  The morning after the story broke, the Superintendent for that district went to the school.  Minutes after his arrival, two students led the children in the Pledge of Allegiance.  Santa and Thanksgiving have also been reinstated, but the district still bans religious figures and texts.

 

Most public schools have outlawed anything that strikes them as religious - unless the religion in question happens to be Islam.  This Christmas, a public school in Minnesota included the Muslim song "Eid un Sa'Eid - Zain Bhikha" in their "holiday" celebration.  The song includes the phrase "Allahu Akbar."  Putting Islam in the best light possible remains a priority in our nation's public schools.

 

But banning Christmas is not as easy as it sounds.  The word "holiday," which seems okay with the authorities, comes from the Old English word, "hāligd�g."  It means "Holy Day."

 

What makes Christmas holy?  Christ.  And that's the problem.  People can say that they like Jesus, and only hate Christians and Christianity.  But their real problem is with Him.  Jesus is the One who said only God is good, which means that we are not.  He's the One who taught that human beings are all sinners and in desperate need of a Savior.  He's the One who spoke more about hell than anyone else in the Bible.  It was Jesus who identified Himself as God's only begotten Son, and the only way of salvation.

 

They don't like any of that.  That's why Jesus said, "'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.  But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me."  [John 15:20-21 NASB]

 

That's why they want a Christ-less Christmas.

 

But it doesn't work.  It can't work.  Remove Christ, and Christmas becomes trivial.  The meaning and richness come from Him.  The enduring story of Christmas is not Santa Claus, but a birth that took place in a stable; a Child laid in a manger.

 

Three verses in the Gospel of John illustrate the real power of Christmas.

 

John 1:1 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

 

John 1:14 - "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

 

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

 

Almost everyone loves certain aspects of Christmas.  But in modern America, few understand that joy, giving, and "peace on earth" cannot be removed from "For God so loved the world."

 

It's very much like a Christmas tree.  We cut it down, put it on a stand, and decorate it.  But it's dead.  It died the moment we severed it from its roots.  Christmas is the same.  Cut it away from its roots, and it can still be decorated.  It can still be fun and briefly beautiful, but the green will soon turn brown. In a short time, the festive tree becomes a fire hazard that must be thrown away.

 

Take Christ from Christmas, and you're left with a dead tree.  Only He animates the joy, and gives life to the music.  God's Gift to the world, Jesus, gives meaning to our small gifts.

 

Even "Peace on earth, good will to men" is a statement of faith, and not yet of fact.  By definition, a statement of faith is "religious."  At this season each year, Christians celebrate "peace on earth," not because of a diplomatic solution to war, but because we believe the Prince of Peace will come again... "with healing in His wings."

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL YA'LL!

 

 

 

The True Story of Christmas: God with Us - By Sean Gooding - http://www.raptureready.com/soap2/gooding3.html

 

 Matthew 1:18-25

 

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

 

But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.'

 

So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 'Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which is translated, 'God with us.' 

 

Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus."

 

In my previous article, "God Keeps His Promises" I showed how Jesus has the legal and biblical right to sit in the throne of David. I showed how God was diligent in making sure that He kept His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob about one of their lineage being the King of Israel. 

 

This should be a source of comfort for us; God keeps His promises and goes to great lengths to protect His reputation and integrity.

 

Now we will look at this text again. We have just celebrated Thanksgiving here in Canada, and I can't think of a greater reason to be thankful than for the birth of our Savior Jesus the Christ. Often this text is associated with the Christmas story and rightly so, but it is an appropriate text for all occasions.

 

There is no thanksgiving without the birth of Jesus, there is no Easter without the birth of Jesus, there is no forgiveness without the birth of Jesus and there is no hope without the birth of Jesus. And so today we will explore the wonders of this account with goal of solidifying in your hearts the wonderful gift we have from God. 

 

 Pregnant without ever being sexually involved with a man, verse 18.

 

This is the most important fact about the birth of Jesus. Without this we are doomed and the myths that we have been sold as truth have damned us to hell forever. To understand why Jesus had to be born via a woman being impregnated by the Spirit of God we must first understand the sin nature of man. 

 

The subject of the "depravity of man" is not preached about much in a lot of churches. This is a touchy subject that defies the "I'm okay, you're okay" philosophies that have been either forced upon the Lord's churches or in many cases adopted by 'wolves in sheep's clothing" who have traded sound doctrine for a counterfeit gospel that is not the true gospel at all. 

 

Many people in church do not comprehend why the virgin birth was so important to all men.

 

Yes, Jesus had to be born without the assistance of Joseph because his bloodline had been cut off from the throne of Israel. But this was to satisfy the promise to a few men; the virgin birth was really to satisfy a promise that God had made to all men in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3:15:

 

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."

 

This promise made to all men needed to be fulfilled. What was the promise? The promise was that God would send the "Seed" of a woman to kill Lucifer and his power, death. The "Seed" of the woman talks about a virgin birth since the seed of a child is actually in the man; his sperm is the seed of life to a baby. 

 

So the "Seed" of the woman, Jesus, would crush the head of the serpent, it, the serpent, represented Lucifer. In the process of crushing the head of the serpent, the 'Seed' would get a temporary bruise on His heel. Jesus suffered death for 3 days and nights and resurrected, in the process Lucifer and his power were killed forever.

 

Sin is the reason that Jesus had to born of a virgin without the aid of a man. His nature would not be corrupted by being born in sin. What do I mean you ask? Do any of your have children? Did you have to teach them how to lie? How to steal? How to rebel? How to be sneaky? How to disobey?

 

Did you have to provide an example of how to throw a temper tantrum? The answer is no! The sin nature is in bred it is passed on from the father to the child. Moms have a sin nature as well but they get it from their dads. So anyone with a human father has a sin nature. Anyone with a sin nature will not satisfy God's requirement for being sinless and CANNOT be the Savior.

 

In today's world we have watered down what is sin and call a lot of stuff a mistake. Jesus did not have to come and die for our mistakes. When I misspell a word that is a mistake, not a sin. There is no law of God that says "Thou shalt not misspell words." However, when I lie, steal, disrespect my parents, murder or bow to idols I have committed sin. 

 

There are specific laws of God that forbid these actions. They can be found in Exodus 20:1-17 and just using these 10 basic foundations of Holy Living we can easily see that we break or have broken most if not all of these laws at one point in our lives. Thus we are sinners; we break these laws because we have a SIN nature, we are born rebellious to rules and authority. In particular we are rebellious to God. 

 

Since it is our NATURE, our very being that is corrupted by sin, we do not have to actually sin to go to hell. We have a spiritual disposition to be sinful and God cannot accept that defect in us. We need to be BORN AGAIN, so Jesus came to fix that. He could not allow that spiritual defect to infect Jesus either so Jesus was born via a woman and with the Seed of God. Thus He has the body of a human and the nature of God. He is 100 percent God and 100 percent man.

 

 Jesus, He will save His people from their sins, verse 22.

 

What's in a name? Today names do not have the same significance that they once did. Jewish people often did not name their children for a period of time to observe the child and then name them according to their character. Jacob of the Old Testament was a trickster and his name reflected that. Joseph and Joshua were "Christ types" of the Old Testament, the root word for their names come for same root as Jesus.

 

God chose not to record any of their sins. Jesus' name told everyone who He was and what He was here to do. He was here for the sole purpose of delivering us from our sins. How is one delivered from one's sins? Hebrews 9:22 tells us:

 

"And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission."

 

Simply put, the only way that God's wrath is appeased over sin is by the death of something or someone. That is what the shedding of blood means; death. In Romans 6: 23 we are told that the "wages of sin is death."

 

The just payment for our sins is death. We all understand the word "wages," We receive wages every week or two weeks based on what you have earned by working. Well in God's economy, we have earned death after all of our "work." 

 

In the Old Testament God's wrath was appeased by the regular killing, called sacrificing, of animals. Millions of animals died in man's stead.But this kind of death could only satisfy God for so long since the animals were not the sinners, they did not deserve death, we did. Eventually we had to "man up" as they say and take responsibility for our own sins. So God sent His Son Jesus as a Man to "man up" for us:

 

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

 

You and I do not have to be sacrificed for our sins as we deserve, Jesus did that for us. That is how He SAVED us from our sins. We are called to put our faith, our trust and our dependence on/in the death that Jesus died for us and in that trust God will save us from death and remove the legal charges of sins that were on our eternal record.

 

 Immanuel, God with us, verse 23.

 

This is the result of what Jesus has done for us; when we put our trust in the death of Jesus for our sins. He has broken down the barrier between man and God; the barrier of sin. NOW God can be with us. He can live in us, be our friend, communicate with us and live with us. He can reveal His plans to us and we, mere men and women, frail flesh and blood can have an intimate and eternal relationship with God. 

 

This is why we can talk about Jesus at Thanksgiving; He is our source of life and peace. He is the very center and power of all we have with God and in Him we have the power to be called the children of God. 

 

"Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not" (1 John 3:1).

 

Are you a child of God?

 

Have you put your faith, trust and dependence in the death of Jesus for your sin debt to God?

 

If not, you are wasting the greatest gift ever given by the Lord-His Son, for your sins. Be saved today, call on Jesus and He will save you.

 

 Sean Gooding Pastor Mississauga Missionary Baptist Church Mississauga, ON Canada

 

In memory of a Christmas - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com

 

There are a lot of terrible things going on right now in the world. But we are coming upon a time of the year when we as Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We can choose to be impacted by the world around us in its dimly lit arena, or we can choose to let our light so shine. I choose the latter. I want to tell you a little about the Christmas' that I had growing up on our family farm in Ohio. I was blessed to be born into a horse and cattle farm that has been in our family for some 200 years. And Christmas, especially Christmas Eve, was a wonderful time for our family. December 24 was my Dad's birthday. And my Dad was well loved by his neighbors and friends, so we had a lot going on Christmas Eve.

 

I remember one special Christmas Eve. I must have been about four years old. The night was falling and the wind and snow were whipping across the barnyard, as we often were victims of the "lake effect" from Lake Erie in the southern most tip of the snow belt. The barn was cold when we turned on the lights and started climbing into the loft and throwing bales of hay down, putting the hay in the mangers, grain in the feed boxes and water in the buckets. Then the horses and cows were gathered in the barnyard, one by one we let them through the door and they automatically went to their stalls or stanchions. The barn warmed up and the animals contently eating was a comforting sound.

 

We had dinner and went to church. I remember my brother Chuck carried me out of church that night. He was 14 years older than me and we were so very close. He was asking me whether I thought Santa had made it to the farm yet. And I was worried that it was so early on Christmas Eve that he had not--for we celebrated our family Christmas on Christmas Eve with my Dad's birthday. Then he looked up at the moon and said, "See there...its Santa's sleigh and his reindeer. Don't you see them?" He was so convincing that I looked and looked, but couldn't find them. But Chuck insisted that he had seen Santa Clause. We got home and sure enough there were wonderful presents under the tree.

 

We had a great family time that year, opening presents and enjoying one another. And afterwards, neighbors and friends started dropping by to wish my Dad happy birthday. Their kids and me were playing with my new farm set, and there was a lot of laughter and fun. Chuck was killed by a drunk driver a few years later. Dad passed in 1989. But the spirit of those two wonderful men lives on here and especially in heaven, and I am reminded of them every Christmas Eve--in the best of times or worst of times, they were the best of men. We have a Savior, Jesus Christ, who is with us in all times. And no matter the condition of the world, we can draw comfort in His promise in Matthew 28:20, "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." God Bless you and yours during this season.

 

 

What Christmas Is About - Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org

 

Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. -Isaiah 9:7

 

As we look at our world today, we realize that part of the promise of Isaiah 9:6-7 has not yet been fulfilled. The Son has been given. The Child has been born. But He has not yet taken the government upon His shoulders. We do not yet have peace with judgment and justice. But the good news is that there will come a day when Christ will return. He will establish His kingdom on this earth. And it will be the righteous rule of God himself.

 

Before Jesus could take the government upon His shoulder, He had to take the cross upon His shoulder. Before He could wear the crown of glory as King of Kings, He had to wear the shameful crown of thorns and give His life as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. The first time, a star marked His arrival. But the next time He comes, the heavens will roll back like a scroll, all of the stars will fall from the sky, and He himself will light it.

 

Christ came to this earth. God came near to you so you can come near to Him-to give your life purpose and meaning, to forgive you of your sins, and to give you the hope of heaven beyond the grave. Christmas is not about tinsel or shopping or presents. Christmas is not about the gifts under the tree. Rather, Christmas is about the gift that was given on the tree when Christ died there for our sins and gave us the gift of eternal life.

 

 

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