How Christmas Comes

 

It is not the lights in the windows

Or the decorations upon the tree

Not the shopping for presents

Or the excitement of what could be

 

Christmas is so much deeper—

A feast of true peace and joy

A song that is sung  to God’s Glory

Bearing fruit that cannot be destroyed

 

If this time of year seems too busy

You get tired of the scurry and fuss

Slow down—the reason for Christmas--

 Jesus came—He is God with us!

 

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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. 

 

Isaiah 55

Luke 2

Given Much

 

 

The King laid aside His garments

To be wrapped in swaddling clothes

A babe of flesh in a manger

Yet God who will face death’s throes

 

He grew in wisdom and stature--

So full of truth and grace

But soon He would know the horror

Of men who spit in His face

 

He preached throughout the nation

Healing the sick and lame

He touched the lowly sinners

Showing He would bear their shame

 

They hailed Him as the King--

Then crowned Him with Wreath of Thorn

They mocked and cursed His Name

 As with whips His flesh was torn

 

A hammer beat the rhythm

Of nails piercing hands and feet

Words are not enough to tell

God’s wrath on sin complete

 

But He who suffered cruel death

Came up from out the grave

Exalted—sitting on the Throne

With power the lost to save

 

O sinner, do you know the Lord?

Have you felt the Master’s touch?

Trust Him for He loves you so—

For you He has given much

 

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Isaiah 53

Matthew 27-28

Philippians 2:1-11

Luke 7:41-50

 

How much have we been forgiven? All.

How much did Jesus give? All.

How much faith should we give Jesus? All.

If we have been forgiven all, how much should we love in return?  With all.

Christmas!

In the Bible, there was a prophet by the name of Habakkuk. He definitely wasn't in the Christmas spirit! He was seeing everything that was wrong in his world and wondering if God even cared. He had prayed and his prayers seemed not to be heard--but we know that they were because God answered him and shared that answer with us in the book of Habakkuk.

God showed to Habakkuk the sin of the Enemy and--if we are honest--the sins we commit: Pride, vanity, covetousness, idolatry...a sad place to be! God's wrath is inevitable when sin is present.

 Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death...

Sin is the problem. Sin separates us from God. There is an answer--Jesus!

Jesus is God with us!

God took the wages of sin and put them on Jesus. As Jesus shed His blood on the Cross, the price of sin was paid--forgiven! 

Romans 6:23  ...but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

2Corinthians 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 

Romans 5:8-9  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 

Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 

Much of the Christmas story happened at night--the whole world was lost in sin/darkness

The Resurrection happened in the morning--Jesus is the Light of the World!

If you recognize your sin problem, come to Jesus! Habakkuk found that it was not what he saw or the feelings that he had or even the prayers he prayed--it was faith in Jesus!

Do you recognize that you are a sinner?

Do you understand that sin has a punishment--separation from God for ever in a real place called Hell?

Do you believe that God sent Jesus to die on the Cross and shed his blood--pure, holy blood--to save you from your sins? Do you believe that Jesus rose from the dead and is listening to hear you call unto Him?

Calling unto Him is like crying for help when you are drowning--you are doing nothing but depending on someone else to save you.

Will you place your faith completely in Jesus? Not your church, baptism, or good works.

Habakkuk trusted God not his own understanding. Even though nothing changed in the world around him, God had changed him on the inside! God can do this for you, too!

Habakkuk 3:17-19  

Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: 

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 

The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments. 

This is the hope and joy of Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

 

Truth!

You can tell the truth without love, but you cannot love without telling the truth.

"Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;"
I Cor. 13:6

The Bible word for the highest form of love is charity. Charity is described in detail in
I Corinthians 13.

True charity starts with loving God--trusting His Way. This love for God is possible because He first loved us.

I John 4:9-10
In this was manifested the love  of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
Hearin is love, not that we love God, but that he loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sin.

In my own power I cannot truly love. I will be selfish even with my "good deeds". Love is received only when I have accepted the free forgiveness of sin through Christ's shed blood at Calvary. Faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus changes my heart.

Then, in the strength of God's grace, charity reaches out to others--under the umbrella of Truth. Jesus is the Truth, the Life, the Way.

I John 4:11
" Beloved if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another."

Love and forgiveness for others is only possible once I recognize my own need for love and forgiveness.  I claim God's promised love to me and want others to share the same joy.

The Christmas angels told of this joy to the shepherds: a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord

Luke 2:10-11
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.

Epe. 4:32
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Manger Hay

If I had a part in the Christmas story,
     I would want to be the manger hay

Not a big or splashy job like the angels or the star
Not with fancy formal gifts like wise men from afar
I wouldn't be the shepherds or the camels or the sheep
And not the town of Bethlehem, awake, but sound asleep

Just simple manger hay

Serving Baby Jesus by feeding all His lambs
Learning how to watch the movement of His hands
My only tasks--to rest beneath and lift up God's dear Son
Until the blinded world will see the work that He has done

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Matt. 1:21
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

John 3:15-18

Luke 19:10

Impossible...But God

Impossible…But God!

          It seemed impossible. . .

                  

Mary could not understand how God could use

                             her to be Jesus' mother.  According to natural law

                             it couldn't happen.  Her questions and doubts

                             were many, but her surrendered heart was all God

                             needed. "Be it unto me according to thy word…"

                   It seemed impossible…But God!

* * * * * * *

          It seemed impossible. . .

                   The sky opened with angel light. "Peace on earth" was

                             sung to Jewish shepherds whose country was

                             occupied by the Roman Empire.  Their fear was

                             evident but their belief was stronger.  Going to

                             the stable and seeing the Saviour changed these

                             defeated men into boldly joyful witnesses of the

                             Newborn Messiah.

                   It seemed impossible…But God!

                  

* * * * * * *

It seemed impossible. . .

                   A star, defying the laws of time and space, begged

                             further investigation.  Because they had made

                             the natural world their study, the Wisemen knew

                             this was a miracle. Leaving behind the old way of

                             seeing things, they followed the star to Bethlehem.

                             The Creator was found--just a child!  Devotion and

                             worship were now given to Him alone.

                   It seemed impossible…But God!

* * * * * * *

          It seemed impossible. . .

                   The baby of that manger growing into manhood: all God

                             and all man.  Jesus, bearing our griefs and carrying

                             our sorrows, came to his own, but they received

                             Him not.  Then, the Only Begotten of the Father

                             hung on a cross while angels stood with wings

                             folded in silence.

                   It seemed impossible…But God!

* * * * * * *

It seemed impossible. . .

                   Christ was dead.

                             The Promise of peace and Goodwill toward men

                             was buried in a heavily guarded tomb. For three

                             days and nights hope was gone, but then the

                             Saviour arose at dawn. "I am the resurrection, and

                             the life; he that believeth in me, though he were

                             dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and

                             believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou

                             this?"

                   It seemed impossible…But God!

* * * * * * *

          It seemed impossible. . .

                   God, the holy and just One, reached in Perfect love to me, the sinner, Not by works but by grace through faith, salvation became mine forever.

      This same invitation is offered to all:

                            

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the

                             LORD Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God

                             hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved.

                             For whosoever shall call upon the name of the

                             Lord shall be saved."

                   It may seem impossible…But God!

* * * * * * *

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Romans 5:8