A Christmas Diagnosis

The best diagnosis of Christmas was given by a doctor over 2000 years ago. The doctor’s name? Luke. His diagnosis is found in the second chapter of his Inspired record, known to us Christians as the Gospel according to saint Luke. In the eleventh verse we have the message or diagnosis. “Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” (KJV) Note the clear diagnosis from the doctor:

“UNTO YOU” — That is Personal

“THIS DAY” — That is Present

“A SAVIOR” — That is Precious

We must remember, there is all the difference in the world between Christmas and Christ! Millions make a holiday over Christmas and often a mockery over Christ. Too often, Christ is cruelly crowded out of the special day which is intended as a day to remember Him. Holiness is hidden under a pile of holly. The wreath is hung higher than the Cross and worst of all, the precious Savior all too often is supplanted by Santa Claus! This should never be the case with Christians who are to Lift High Jesus Christ!

But without Christ, there can be no true Christmas. Without Jesus there is nothing about which to sing, or anything over which to rejoice! Outward merriment, too, often becomes inward mockery to the starved soul. It is past time for all to turn back to the old prescription of Doctor Luke! Let us meditate upon his words:

“UNTO YOU” …this is a personal message about a personal Savior and there should be no evasion or denial. What have you done with the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you received Him as your Personal Savior?

“THIS DAY” …yes, this very moment as you read, God is offering you the Greatest Christmas Gift that keeps Giving for all Eternity, His Only begotten Son! 2Corinthians 9:15 “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” 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.

“A SAVIOR” …this is Christ, the Precious One who went to the Cruel Cross for us all! Because of His Grace, unmerited favor, His Atoning death on the Cross, all who receive Him become “2Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Remember Doctor Luke’s prescription? We all can receive the Free Gift from God. Have you received Him? Merry Christmas!

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Gift of Christmas!

The life of Jesus the Christ(Messiah) is one of Miracles. Hundreds of Prophecies are fulfilled with His Birth.

Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between yo u and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

This was the first Prophecy of the LORD God sending His Son to crush the head of Satan. When Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, died on the Cross and rose from the Dead, this verse was partially fulfilled. It will totally be fulfilled at Christ Return!This was promised several thousand years before He was Born!

Isaiah 7:13-1 4 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house o f David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Fulfilled totally when Jesus was born some 700 years after this prophecy.

Matthew 1:20-23 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you ar e to give him the name Jesus , because he will save h is people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” –which means, “God with us.” Luke 1:30-35 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” If the Angels Proclaimed His Glorious Birth we should as well!

Isaiah 9: 6-7 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. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He w ill reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and up holding it with justice and righteousness from tha t time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

The fulfillment of this prophecy is in Luke 2:11-35 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to m en on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Have you received the True Gift of Christmas? You do know it is rude and arrogant to have a gift given to you and you not receive it. God’s Gift is being offered to all mankind. Hear is how you can receive the Gift of Redemption, Eternal Life: Good News! Gospel means good news. Here it is; everyone is a sinner and deserves Hell, but God sent His Son Jesus to the Cross to pay our sin debt in full. Then He Rose His Son from the dead to seal the deal for Eternal Life. Here is the part that many reject; in order for the Gospel to save you from Hell the sinner must turn away from sin and trust in the work of Jesus. Have you ever heard of better news than that? What a deal! Ask Jesus to save you, He will you know? This Gift from God is free. Jesus paid our sin debt in Full! Ephesians 2:8&9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith– and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast. Romans 5:8&9 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! Receive this Gift Today!

REMEMBER:

Jesus is Better than Santa

Santa lives at the North Pole.

JESUS is everywhere.

Santa rides in a sleigh

JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.

Santa comes but once a year

JESUS is an ever- present help.

Santa fills your stockings with goodies

JESUS supplies all your needs.

Santa comes down your chimney uninvited

JESUS stands at your door and knocks.. and then enters your heart.

You have to stand in line to see Santa

JESUS is as close a s the mention of His name.

Santa lets you sit on his lap

JESUS lets you rest in His arms.

Santa doesn’t know your name, all he can say is “Hi little boy or girl, W hat’s your name?”

JESUS knew our name before we did. Not only does He know our name, He knows our address too . He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.

JESUS has a heart full of love.

JESUS offers health, help and hope.

Santa says “You better not cry”

JESUS says “Cast all your cares on me for I care for you.

Santa’s little helpers make toys

JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.

Santa may make you chuckle but

JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.

While Santa puts gifts under your tree,

JESUS became our gift and died on the tree.

It’s obvious there is really no comparison. We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about.

We need to put Christ back in Christmas. Jesus is still the reason for the season. May the Lord Bless and Watch over you and your loved ones this Christmas

And may He prosper and bless the work of your hands in the New Year.

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Biblical Birthday of Jesus

Jesus Christ was born on the 15th day of the month of Tishri, on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles, which corresponds to the September – October time-frame of our present calendar. This conclusion can be reached by Luke 1:5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. Good speculation if we follow the time line of the Priest Zacharias.

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Immanuel means “God with us”. The Son of God had come to dwell with, or tabernacle on earth with His people.

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….

The word in the Hebrew for dwelt is succah and the name of the Feast of Tabernacles in Hebrew is Sukkot, a festival of rejoicing and celebration:

Luke 2:7 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 2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

Luke 2:9 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.

Luke 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

Why was there no room at the inn? Bethlehem is only about 5 miles from Jerusalem, and all the men of Israel had come to attend the festival of Tabernacles as required by the law of Moses. Every room for miles around Jerusalem would have been already taken by pilgrims, so all that Mary and Joseph could find for shelter was a stable.

Also of note is the fact that the Feast of Tabernacles is an eight day feast (Leviticus 23:36, 39). Why eight days? It may be because an infant was dedicated to God by performing circumcision on the eighth day after birth:

Luke 2:21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

So the infant Jesus would have been circumcised on the eighth and last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, a Sabbath day. The Jews today consider this a separate festival from Tabernacles, and they call it Shemini Atzeret.

Conclusion

So, if you have followed the above reasoning, based on the scriptural evidence, a case can apparently be made that Jesus Christ was born on the 15th day of the month of Tishri, on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles, which corresponds to the September – October time-frame of our present calendar!

I am NOT condemning anyone celebrating Jesus Birthday on December 25th. I will say that WE as Christians do NOT celebrate the day but the GIFT that was Freely Given, Jesus the Suffering Son of God! Everyday is Christmas! Merry Christmas to all! Jesus was Born to die on a Cross for our Redemption!

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Meaning behind 12 days of Christmas.

The 12 Days of Christmas
In England, between 1558 and 1829, it was not legal for Catholics to practice their kind of Christianity in private or in public. Being a Catholic was treated as a bad crime. If you even owned a Catholic Bible, you could be put in prison! Catholics were stopped from worshipping because King Henry VIII fell out with the Catholic Church and started his own ‘Protestant’ Church (the Church of England). There were many people who were still Catholics and they worshipped in secret.

‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ was written in England at the beginning of this time. Some people think that it was written to help children learn about their Catholic religion. In the carol, the days are supposed to represent special symbols and have hidden meanings, because it was illegal to have anything in writing that would indicate that you were a Catholic.
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But there’s no evidence that this is true and it seems most likely just to be a folk song and the meaning were added at a later date! Also, all the symbols can be used by Protestants and other Christians! There was another song called ‘A New Dial’, written in 1625, which gave religious meanings to the 12 Days of Christmas, but not so people could practise their faith is secret. If you’d like to know more about this, please go to the 12 Days of Christmas page on snopes.com

The 12 Days of Christmas refer to the twelve day period that starts with Christmas day and ends on Epiphany (6th January). The song begins, On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me… The ‘true love’ was meant to represent God, the true love of the world. The ‘me’ in the carol is the Christian man or woman who receives these presents. The meanings given to the 12 Days are:

The ‘partridge in a pear tree’ is Jesus who died on the cross. In ancient times a partridge was often used as mythological symbol of a divine, sacred king.
The ‘two turtle doves’ are the Old and New Testaments of the Bible – another gift from God. Doves also symbolise peace.
The ‘three French hens’ are faith, hope and love – the three gifts of the Holy Spirit. (See 1 Corinthians 13). The French hens can also represent God the Father, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
The ‘four calling birds’ are the four Gospels in the New Testament of the Bible.
The ‘five golden rings’ are the first five books of the Bible also called the Pentateuch, the Books of Moses or the Torah.
The ‘six geese a-laying’ are the six days of creation.
The ‘seven swans a swimming’ are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. (See 1 Corinthians 12:8-11, Romans 12, Ephesians 4, 1 Peter 4:10-11)
The ‘eight maids a milking’ are the eight beatitudes, Jesus’ teachings on happiness. (See Matthew 5:3-10)
The ‘nine ladies dancing’ are nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. (See Galatians 5:22)
The ‘ten lords a-leaping’ are the Ten Commandments in the Bible. (See Exodus 20)
The ‘eleven pipers piping’ are the eleven faithful disciples of Jesus.
The ‘twelve drummers drumming’ were the twelve points of the Apostles’ Creed.

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Mary and Elizabeth!

Great Day! What a Wonderful Savior! I was pondering about the Christmas message and discovered a new found Truth. All the years of going to Church and Preaching has left me speechless concerning this Truth. This Truth has always been there and may not be new to you, but it is for this Preacher.  Here is the Truth; Elizabeth(John the Baptist mother) did not know Mary was carrying the Christ child. The Angel Gabriel told Mary that Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant. Elizabeth only knew that her cousin Mary was carrying the Christ child after Mary greeted her and John leaped for joy in his mothers womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. I always thought Elizabeth knew about Mary’s Miraculous Conception but she did not. Here is the Scriptures; Luke 1:35-45 The angel answered,(to Mary) “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her. At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” What a Truth to be shared! Thought I would share a Christmas thought.

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Ready for Christmas!

Great Day! Why so much distress and anxiety concerning the US economy?  I desire to address this issue. There is no doubt money is important for every day life. Money is neither good nor evil. But why so much worry and distress about money or in many cases the lack of money?  There are three things I would like to address.

1. Who supplies all our needs? Is it money that we earn? My Bible tells me that Philippians 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”  Where is God in your distress? If our Trust is in money we will fail, but if in Christ we will not distress over our needs.

2. Who do you serve?  Where are your loyalties?  To seek financial stability seems to be a noble task but what did Jesus say? Mt 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

3. Have you checked your heart lately? 1Timothy 6:3-10 If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” The bottom line is this, whom do you trust? Be Blessed. Merry Christmas!

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