Sunday, December 11, 2011



 “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  [ Luke 2:8-12]

Today...a Savior has been born to you...
An angel of the Lord came to the shepherds at night, and a bright, glorious light shone all around them. As they recoiled in terror, the angel comforted them and broke the good news. It was good tidings of great joy for all the people. That very day, in nearby Bethlehem, a Bay had been born. This Baby was a Savior, who is Christ the Lord! First, He is a Savior, which is expressed in His name, Jesus. Then He is Christ, the Anointed of God, the Messiah of Israel. Finally, He is the Lord, God manifest in the flesh.
How would the shepherds recognize Him? The angels gave them a twofold sign. First the Baby would be wrapped in swaddling clothes. The second part of the sign was that He would be lying in a manger. It is doubtful that the shepherds had ever seen a baby in such an unlikely place. This dignity was reserved for the Lord of life and glory when He came into our world. It makes our minds dizzy to think of the Creator and Sustainer of the universe entering human history not as a conquering military hero, but as a little Babe. Yet this is the truth of the Incarnation. 
Suddenly a multitude of the heavenly host appeared, praising God.  As soon as the angels departed, the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and Jesus lying in a manger. They gave a complete report of the angel’s visit, causing considerable surprise among those who had gathered in the stable.
But Mary had a deeper understanding of what was going on; she treasured all these things, and knowingly pondered them in her heart.  The shepherds returned to their flocks, overjoyed at all they had heard and seen, and overflowing in their worship of God.


Saturday, December 10, 2011

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. ” Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  [John 1: 1-2,14, 14:6]

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..."

In the beginning was the Word.  He did not have a beginning Himself, but existed from all eternity. As far as the human mind can go back, the Lord Jesus was there. He never was created.
The Word was with God.  The Word was with God. He had a separate and distinct personality. He was not just an idea, a thought, but a real Person who lived with God. The Word was God. He not only dwelt with God, but He Himself was God. The Bible teaches that there is one God and that there are three Persons in the Godhead—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All three of these Persons are God.
To become a child in a physical sense, one must be born. So, also, to become a child of God, one must have a second birth, or conversion, or being saved. 
The Word became flesh when Jesus was born as a Baby in the manger at Bethlehem. He had always existed as the Son of God with the Father in heaven, but now chose to come into the world in a human body. He dwelt among us. It was not just a short appearance, about which there might be some mistake or misunderstanding. God actually came to this earth and lived here as a Man among men.  His body was the tent in which He lived among men for thirty-three years.


Friday, December 9, 2011

"The virgin will conceive..."

 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. [Isaiah 7:14]  [Written 700 years before Jesus was born].

Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus
 Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
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 are to give him the name Jesus,because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). ”  [Matthew 1:18-23]
   
"Immanuel — God with us"
As Matthew recorded these events, he realized that a new era had dawned in the history of God’s dealings with the human race. The words of a messianic prophecy, long dormant, had now sprung to life.
Isaiah’s cryptic prophecy was now fulfilled in Mary’s Child:  “So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet.” Matthew claims divine inspiration for the words of Isaiah—the Lord had spoken by the prophet at least 700 years before Christ.
The prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 included the foretelling of a unique birth (“Behold, the virgin shall conceive”), the sex of the Child (“and bear a Son”), and the name of the Child (“and shall call His name Immanuel”).  Immanuel means God with us.
As a result of the angel’s intervention, Joseph abandoned his plan to divorce Mary. He continued to recognize their betrothal until Jesus’ birth, after which he married her.  In taking Mary as his wife, Joseph also took her Child as his adopted Son. This is how Jesus became legal heir to the throne of David. 
Thus the Messiah-King was born. The Eternal One entered time. The Omnipotent became a tiny Infant. The Lord of glory veiled that glory in a human body, and “in Him dwells all the fullness of Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:9).


 "  Christ, by highest heaven adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of the favored one.
Veiled in flesh, the Godheadd see;
hail the incarnate Diety
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel
Hark the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new born King""


Thursday, December 8, 2011

When God is working in power, Satan is on hand to counterfeit, corrupt, and contend. But where there is real spiritual power, deceit and hypocrisy will be readily exposed. Ananias and Sapphira were apparently moved by the generosity of Barnabas and others. Perhaps they desired to receive the praise of men for some similar act of kindness.

Ananias and his wife Sapphira also sold a piece of property. But they agreed to cheat and keep some of the money for themselves.
No one had asked them to sell the property. After it was sold, they were not obligated to give all. But they pretended a total dedication, while actually they held some back.

   So when Ananias took the rest of the money to the apostles, Peter said, "Why has Satan made you keep back some of the money from the sale of the property? Why have you lied to the Holy Spirit? The property was yours before you sold it, and even after you sold it, the money was still yours. What made you do such a thing? You didn't lie to people. You lied to God!"

Peter charged Ananias with lying to the Holy Spirit and not just to men. In lying to the Holy Spirit, he lied to God. As soon as Ananias heard this, he dropped dead, and everyone who heard about it was frightened. Some young men came in and wrapped up his body. Then they took it out and buried it.

Three hours later Sapphira came in, but she did not know what had happened to her husband. Peter asked her, "Tell me, did you sell the property for this amount?"

 "Yes," she answered, "that's the amount."

Then Peter said, "Why did the two of you agree to test the Lord's Spirit? The men who buried Ananias are by the door, and they will carry you out!" At once she fell at Peter's feet and died.

When the young men came back in, they found Sapphira lying there dead. So they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. The church members were afraid, and so was everyone else who heard what had happened.


"Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?"

 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?  Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”  When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.  Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.    [Acts 5:3-6]Ananias Sapphira
 Ananias fell down and died
   

"  Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful power in the blood."


Wednesday, December 7, 2011

"JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS"

My friends, I want you to remember the message that I preached and that you believed and trusted. You will be saved by this message, if you hold firmly to it. But if you don't, your faith was all for nothing. I told you the most important part of the message exactly as it was told to me. That part is:  Christ died for our sins,   as the Scriptures say.  He was buried, and three days later    he was raised to life,    as the Scriptures say.  Christ appeared to Peter,  then to the twelve. After this, he appeared  to more than five hundred other followers.
   Most of them are still alive,  but some have died. He also appeared to James, and then to all of the apostles. Finally, he appeared to me, even though I am like someone who was born at the wrong time. I am the least important of all the apostles. In fact, I caused so much trouble for God's church that I don't even deserve to be called an apostle...”  [1 Corinthians 15: 1-8]



"Jesus Christ died for our sins"
Paul reminds them of the good news which he had preached. This was not a new doctrine for the Corinthians, but it was necessary that they should be reminded of it at this critical time. It was this gospel by which the Corinthians had been saved. You will be saved by this message, if you hold firmly to it. But if you don’t, your faith was all for nothing.
To Paul, the resurrection was fundamental. Without it there was not Christianity.  Paul had delivered to the Corinthians the message which he had also received by divine revelation.
The first cardinal doctrine of that message was that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. He died for our sins. He died to pay the penalty that our sins deserved.
Dear friend, do you believe with all your heart that Christ Jesus died on the cross for your sins and rose again on the third day?  Confess your sins to Him and accept Him as your personal Savior and you will be saved. 

"Why do you seek the living among the dead?"

 Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, carrying the spices that they had prepared. When they found the stone rolled away from the entrance, they went in. But they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus, and they did not know what to think. Suddenly two men in shining white clothes stood beside them. The women were afraid and bowed to the ground. But the men said, "Why are you looking in the place of the dead for someone who is alive? Jesus isn't here! He has been raised from death....But Peter ran to the tomb. And when he stooped down and looked in, he saw only the burial clothes.   [Luke 24:1-12]

Empty Tomb

  
"  Low in the grave he lay, Jesus my Savior,
    waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!

    Up from the grave he arose;
    with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;
    he arose a victor from the dark domain,
    and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
    He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!"