Merry Christmas!

 For today in Bethlehem a rescuer was born for you. He is the Lord Yahweh, the Messiah. You will recognize him by this miracle sign: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a feeding trough!” Then all at once, a vast number of glorious angels appeared, the very armies of heaven! And they all praised God, singing: “Glory to God in the highest realms of heaven! For there is peace and a good hope given to the sons of men.”

(Luke 2:11-14 TPT)

Brad Stine: "Happy Holidays?"

 

The Good News for Tuesday, 22 DEC 2020

 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:8-11 KJV

There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:8-11 MSG

God's Word for Monday, 21 DEC 2020

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luke 2:6-7 KJV

While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

Luke 2:6-7 MSG

Sunday's Word for 20 DEC 2020

 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

Luke 2:1, 4-5 KJV

About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.

Luke 2:1, 4-5 MSG

God's Word for Sunday, 12/22/19

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:8-11 KJV

There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:8-11 MSG

God's Word for Friday, 3/15/19

Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Acts 4:10,12 KJV

By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the One you killed on a cross, the One God raised from the dead, by means of his name this man stands before you healthy and whole. Jesus is ‘the stone you masons threw out, which is now the cornerstone.’ Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one.”

Acts 4:10,12 MSG

A Very Merry Christmas

Where's the Line to See Jesus?

God's Word for Thursday, 12/13/18

And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

Matthew 2:4-6 KJV

When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified—and not Herod alone, but most of Jerusalem as well. Herod lost no time. He gathered all the high priests and religion scholars in the city together and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” They told him, “Bethlehem, Judah territory. The prophet Micah wrote it plainly: It’s you, Bethlehem, in Judah’s land, no longer bringing up the rear. From you will come the leader who will shepherd-rule my people, my Israel.”

Matthew 2:4-6 MSG

What Christmas Is All About

Merry Christmas!

I am a follower of Jesus the Anointed One (the word "Christ" means anointed. It comes from the Greek Χριστός, cristos, and is a translation of the Hebrew word for Messiah, מָשִׁיחַ, meshiyach, which means anointed.) of Nazareth. It is Christ's Mass, and so it shall remain. To our Jewish brothers and sisters, I hope your Hanukkah celebration this year has been the best ever. If you choose, for whatever reason, to celebrate a different holiday, then please do so and be happy.

This is a reminder of the reason why there's a mid-winter holiday celebration.

About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David's town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.

While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."

At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises:

   Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
   Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. "Let's get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us." They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.

Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they'd been told!

So then ...

This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted...

And that's good news indeed!
 
From our home to yours, we pray you have a very merry, safe, and happy Christmas. God bless you, my friends.

God's Word for Sunday, Christmas Eve 2017

So they ran into the village and found their way to Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in a feeding trough. Upon seeing this miraculous sign, the shepherds recounted what had just happened. Everyone who heard the shepherds’ story was astonished by what they were told. But Mary treasured all these things in her heart and often pondered what they meant. The shepherds returned to their flock, ecstatic over what had happened. They praised God and glorified him for all they had heard and seen for themselves, just like the angel had said.

Luke 2:16-20 TPT

The Good News on Christmas Day

There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:

"Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him."

Luke 2:8-14, The Message Bible 

 __________________________________________________________________________

A message from the Rev. Billy Graham:
 
Once again the world celebrates Christmas in the midst of crisis. Millions are not certain they will survive to see another Christmas. In many parts of the world, Christmas carolers will stand outside their neighbors’ doors and sing “Silent Night! Holy Night!” Everyone is busily preparing for the holiday season.

Yet, in the midst of this preparation, millions have missed the real meaning of Christmas.

In the midst of the Christmas rush, Christ is often left out as we forget that it is actually His birthday we are celebrating. The precise meaning of that first Christmas is clear: God came to earth in human form.

Some 2,000 years ago, the angel revealed to the wondering and trembling shepherds the glorious news that there was born that day “in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). The angel had already announced to Joseph the character of Christ’s Saviorhood: “You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

Israel had looked for One who would deliver them from the bondage of Rome and restore the nation to an even greater glory and prosperity than was enjoyed in the days of King David. They never dreamed that this little Babe in Bethlehem’s manger was the anointed One, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Only a few devout people living in close communion with God, such as the aged Simeon, saw the spiritual significance of Christ’s birth. Looking into the face of the holy Babe, Simeon saw One who had come to be “a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of [God’s] people Israel” (Luke 2:32).

There is a story that comes to us out of the World War II years in England. A good mother tried daily to keep the memory of her young son’s father fresh in the boy’s mind. Often this mother would take the lad into the library of their home, and there they would stand and gaze at the beautiful portrait of his father. One day the young boy looked long and wistfully at his father’s picture and said to his mother, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Father could just step down out of the frame?”

For long centuries the children of God had walked in the light of the lawgiver and of the prophets, but all the while they had looked up to Heaven and longed to have God step down “out of the frame.” In Bethlehem 2,000 years ago, that is just what God did. He became bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh and “dwelt among us.” The Christmas message is this: “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19).

But because people were blind to their sins, they saw no beauty in Christ that they should desire Him. They crucified the Christ who yearned to save them from their sins and from the tragic consequences that inevitably followed their rejection of God’s anointed.

Human nature has not changed. We like the excitement and thrill of Christmas, but we reject the true meaning of Christ’s birthday.

The world’s primary need today is the Savior—salvation from sin. Failure to recognize this fact and receive God’s remedy for sin is the reason mankind has failed to prevent recurring wars and revolutions in the world. The best schemes and endeavors of people come to naught because within their hearts is lust for position, power and possessions.

Jesus Christ said, “Out of the heart … proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness” (Mark 7:21-22). Until these things are rooted out, the world in a moral and a spiritual sense will go backward rather than forward.

Many have preached about the Sermon on the Mount as though that in itself is a sufficient dynamic to bring a new world order of peace and goodwill among men. All the religions of the world say, “Do good; do good,” but they do not give us the power to do good. One of the failures of many church leaders is their refusal to believe that our deepest problem is sin. We have joined hands with the idealists of the world in trying to bring about social reform without first dealing with the root of the problem, which is sin.

Many people have failed to see that the human will is sin-bound, egotistical and in rebellion against the will of God. We think that in some particular “ism” we hold the secret to universal peace and prosperity. All religions and ideologies outside God’s special revelation in the Bible have this in common: They are disguised forms of self-redemption and Christ rejection.

Without God we cannot put the world right because we cannot put ourselves right. It is beyond us to put away the sin in our own hearts. We cannot save ourselves, let alone the whole world. Sin permeates all that we think, feel and do; like a shadow, sin pursues us wherever we go. It is part and parcel of our being; we cannot eradicate it.

The evils that curse the world are the consequences of hearts deceived by the devil and separated from God. Thousands of human schemes for social and political improvement will ultimately fail because they do not deal with a person’s basic disease. They change the circumstances, but they leave the person untouched. They alter the surroundings, but they have no power to transform the character. If mankind is to be saved in this terrible hour of history, if the world is to be transformed, then salvation must come from a source outside ourselves.

Christmas emphasizes the glorious truth that salvation is provided apart from us, that into this sin-cursed world came One whose supreme mission is to save sinners.

We cannot save ourselves because we cannot deliver ourselves from the guilt, the power and the consequences of sin. Those in rebellion against God have no terms of peace to offer that are acceptable to God. Only God Himself can make peace, and this He has done through the atoning sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. Through the merits of Christ’s life and death, we are offered full and free forgiveness.

Christmas tells us what it cost God to save the world: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). Christ is God’s great Christmas Gift to the world: “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15). Christ does for us what no other has been able to do: He removes our guilt and reconciles us to God. He raises us from the death of sin to the life of righteousness. He reconciles us to life and to our fellow man. He implants within us new hopes, new aims, new enthusiasms. He regenerates our affections, our desires and our energies, and strengthens our wills.

Beautiful, ethical precepts cannot save us, but Christ can. When Christ comes into a life, He revolutionizes it so that the person becomes a “new creation.” This, and this alone, is our hope.

This hope that was given to those shepherds on that first Christmas morning is available only to those who believe. To know the pardon, joy, peace and power that come through Christ, we must personally receive Christ by faith. Faith must be real if our hearts are to be changed. Mere intellectual assent is not enough. Where faith is genuine, its influence is powerful and revolutionary. This Christmas many people believe that Jesus is the Son of God, without any change happening in their lives. They have never repented and believed. What an astounding change would take place if the millions who profess to be Christians possessed genuine faith.

When we have genuine faith in Christ, a change takes place. We will have a new kind of relationship with our families, our employers, our employees and even our enemies.

Many people ask, “Why doesn’t this revolution happen to more people?” It is because millions of professing Christians are strangers to the genuine, saving faith that means coming to the end of ourselves, to the end of our self-reliance and self-righteousness, and then trusting absolutely in Christ for forgiveness, for moral and spiritual renewal.

The Christmas angels praised God and proclaimed peace on earth. It was by and through Jesus Christ that peace was to come to the earth. Scripture says, “He Himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14). All else is confusion, discord and disorder. Jesus Christ is life’s integrator. He is humanity’s harmonizer, the race’s reconciler, the world’s peace-giver: “For there is born to you this day … a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

Many of you long for peace in your own hearts this Christmas. You can meet God at the foot of the cross and find the peace that you have sought for so long. You ask, “What do I have to do?” Repent of your sins. By faith receive Christ as your Savior and Lord and Master. Commit your life to Him. He will come into your heart, and this Christmas you can know the Christ of Christmas.

©1991 BGEA

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

This season is Christians traditional celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus the Anointed (that's what "Christ" means), the Son of God.

There is a well-known passage which explains it simply:



The message is so simple, you'd have to be a theologian to mess it up. God loved us so much that he sent his son, part of himself, to save us. That's good news!

All we have to do is accept him.

So with that, I bid you Joyeux Noel - a joyous Christmas - and pray that God blesses and keeps you and yours safe, happy, and care-free this season.

Merry Christmas!

The True Meaning of Christmas

Merry Christmas!

I say that deliberately, and purposefully. I am a follower of Jesus the Anointed One (the Christ, in the original Greek) of Nazareth. It is Christ's Mass, and so it shall remain. To our Jewish brothers and sisters, I hope your Hanukkah celebration this year has been the best ever. If you choose, for whatever reason, to celebrate a different holiday, then please do so and be happy.

There are plenty of dire predictions of difficult times ahead; this will not be one of them. This is a reminder of the reason why there's a mid-winter holiday celebration.

About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David's town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.

While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."

At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises:

   Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
   Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. "Let's get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us." They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.

Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they'd been told!

So then ...

This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted...

And that's good news indeed!
 
From our home to yours, we pray you have a very merry, safe, and happy Christmas. God bless you, my friends.

Christmas Eve, 2014

While it may be an interesting scholastic task to determine when Yeshua of Nazareth (Jesus, the Christ = "anointed one") was really born - probably in March - but that's not really the point. 

 

What's important is that we remember that He was born, and why.

Let's remember that the season is about the profound love that God expressed toward us through the remarkable and astonishing gift of His Son to us. It's about joy, peace, and forgiveness.

It’s also about friends and family gathering together to share in the traditions that have come to define us.

I am thankful every day for the blessings and kindness God has shown us all.

My friends, I wish you a very blessed and happy time. May God bless you and your families. Whether you're alone, or with those you love, may you experience the best of all that Christmas is and can be!

And to the men and women serving in uniform, at home or abroad, may God bless you & keep you safe. You have this veteran's gratitude for your ongoing sacrifices.

Christmas is Near...

Good morning! At least, it's still morning in all of the Lower 48 (49 if you include Hawaii; Alaskans apparently don't know what to do with Hawaii, except for visiting there frequently) as I begin this.

* We have falling temps today, to match what's going on in the north-central US. At least the snow is over for now. The three or four inches that fell yesterday was pushed around so much by the wind that it's hard to tell exactly how much fell. However, after a very warm October, we're near record territory for snowfall in December.

* For those of you who asked, the new gloves seem to be working - and thank you, Richard, for the good suggestion.

* Some folks are grumbling, albeit good-naturedly, about Christmas being in mid-week. It does make it tough for those who like a long weekend. But that's okay; it's still my favorite holiday. The reminder of Jesus' birth* is a good thing: God's promise of forgiveness through His Son is the reason we celebrate.



* Yes, I know Jesus wasn't born in December. Was probably late March or early April ... but that's not the point. :)

The First King-Size Bed

Quote for Sunday, 4/14/13

"Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."

~ 1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-4 NIV