Christmas Fortnight Day 9

Ornaments, lights, a manger and even trees—we’ve looked at all of these during this Christmas “Time”.  We are a culture of “Time”.  Clocks, watches, alarms, appointments, deadlines, punctuality!!!   All things related to time, so let’s take a ‘minute’ to talk about “Time”.  We mention Christmas ‘time’ as a special ‘time’ to reflect on the incarnation of our Messiah, our Savior, our Lord, yet is this not something that we should reflect on, celebrate and share all the ‘time’?

 Philippians 2:7-8 says of Jesus, “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” 

Jesus stepped into “Time”,

he took on Himself the ‘likeness of men’.

He ‘humbled himself’,

took on servant hood and

walked to the cross for us.

Born to die!!!  It all goes together.  We should celebrate Jesus coming every day.

God exists irrespective of ‘time’.

He created ‘time’.

It’s a tool not a dictator.

Are we so hung up on ‘times’ and seasons that we forget to use our ‘time’ celebrating and sharing the love of God each and every day. Christmas and Resurrection go together.  Jesus is LORD of all ‘Time’.

Paul tells us how.

Philippians 2:12b-16a, “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; 16 Holding forth the word of life;…”     JESUS!

So?  As someone said, ‘Just do it’…  Let’s celebrate Jesus all the “Time”—everyday, everyway ALL days!!!

Christmas Fortnight Day 8

We’ve looked at ornaments and lights and even the manger.  Let’s look today at ‘trees’.  Not Christmas trees particularly, just trees—let’s stack some “wood”.

 Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree”. 

Jesus took our curse—“For the wages of sin is death”!!  (Ro 6:23a)

 Deut 21:23b, “(for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.”

Jesus became our curse, by hanging on a tree.

Born to die on a tree, for you and for me.

 “.…He humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”  Philippians 2:8b.

 “…., There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.”  Romans 15:12.

 “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:” Isaiah 11:1.

He came to die for me.

What a gift.

Remember from day 5, that Jesus not only gives light, but that He IS light.  Similarly,

He is the ‘root of Jesse’,

also ‘a rod out of the stem of Jesse’,

and yet He is also a ‘Branch” growing out of the root.

An oxymoron of sorts, Jesus—

creator of trees—

is our tree, our curse.

Yet He gives us life when we trust in what HE did on that tree called Calvary.

He purchased my salvation there.

My ‘Christ’mas tree?

So?  Jesus calls— ‘take up your cross’ and follow ME!!!

The manger is humbling but the cross saves.

Yes worship the ‘newborn king’,

but don’t stay in the barn—

take up your cross and FOLLOW HIM.

YOUR cross???

YOUR calling???

Will YOU follow HIM?

It’s YOUR choice!!

Christmas Fortnight Day 7

 

As we continue looking at Jesus and His birth, let’s think about the ‘manger’.  A cattle trough, a feeding container for cattle or horses.  What is the import of the “manger”?

Luke speaks of the manger 3 times. Why 3 times? Let’s look.

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 2:12, “And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:16, “And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.”

First we see that Mary, “laid him in a manger”.

This precious young mother, chosen by God had nowhere to lay her newborn baby but in a trough.  Her humility and faithfulness are overwhelming to me.  Nothing is recorded of Mary complaining, whining or being dissatisfied with her lot.

Philippians 2:8 says that Jesus also chose to humble himself, “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” 

This King of kings accepted a manger for HIS bed.  What about us—what are we unwilling to accept from God?

Then we see the angels, giving the shepherds instructions to look for a babe ‘lying in a manger’.  Christ’s first ‘cradle’ wasn’t a surprise to God.  He KNOWS where You are as well.

Lastly we see that the shepherds found Him in that very ‘manger’.  They didn’t scoff at this strange tale, nor hesitate to obey.  How about you and me?  Do we respond to God in similar manner? Or do we hesitate at what may seem to us the “strange ways” of God.  Remember His ways aren’t our ways, nor are our ways His.  Thoughts to ponder in this Christmas season.  Think about ‘CHRIST’mas.

Bible Ballistics:The Everlasting Father? December 15, 2013 Vol. 3 No. 5

Continuing this month of December with the names for Jesus as listed in Isaiah 9:6, we’ll look at the 3^rd one today.

“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.” 

‘The Everlasting Father’ one of the most controversial of the titles here.  Why?  Because this one declares that Jesus is ‘The Everlasting Father’!!  The thing that causes many to doubt Him.  That He is GOD! Much like we discussed last week about ‘The Mighty God’.

Psalm 8:1 & 5, “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. ….5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.”   

God’s glory is above the heavens, and Hebrews quotes and interprets this verse in light of Jesus. Let’s see what it says.

Hebrews 2:9, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”

Jesus is higher than the angels, but to “taste death” for us he made himself lower than the angels. 

Paul explains it in Philippians 2:5-11, when he shows us that even though Jesus was equal with God, He humbled Himself to pay for our sin,

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Hebrews 1:2-4 reiterates this very thing, that God,

“Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:”

 The express image of the FATHER.

Jesus—

Son,

heir,

creator,

image(the mirror image of),

upholder,

purging our sins,

is now set down by the Father.

And John 1:1-4 tells us that, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” 

JESUS—

In the beginning,

was the WORD,

was with God,

WAS GOD (is God still),

was in the beginning With God,

was the maker of all things,

holds all in existence.

Hence, HE IS The Everlasting Father?  (Remember Genesis 1:1)

Jesus’ own words make it clear who He IS!!

John 17:11, “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.”  Jesus & Father=ONE!!

John 10:29-30, “My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and my Father are one.”  =ONE!!

God revealed Himself to Moses in Exodos 3:14,

“And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.” 

Jesus claims for Himself that very name.  He also tells us that believing IN HIM is essential to salvation, but that what we believe ABOUT Him is also essential. Notice that He says HE is ‘I AM’. 

John 8:24 & 54, “ I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins……54 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am”. 

What do you believe about Jesus?

—the babe in that manger,

the teacher on the hillsides of Judea,

the Savior on the cross? 

Do you believe that He is the Everlasting Father?  Jesus says we must!!!

Jesus was God before He came,

while he was here

and after He left,

       and will still be God when He returns

as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The Great I AM—

The Everlasting Father—

One with the Father—

Our JESUS. 

Celebrate HIM for who HE IS!!

 

Christmas Fortnight Day 6

We’ve looked at lights and ornaments, let’s look at money.  Well, not exactly ‘money’ but ‘accounting’.  Most of us think of money when we think of accounting but God may have something different to say. Christmas is very commercial, there is not doubt, but that’s not my focus.  We all have a debt to pay, regardless of what we spend at Christmas.

2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “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.”

The sinless Lamb of God came to pay my sin debt so I could be ‘accounted’ righteous before God.  As a song says, “He paid a debt he didn’t owe, I owed a debt I couldn’t pay...”   Praise God for that precious, sinless babe—He came to pay MY sin debt.

“For the WAGES of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”, Romans 6:23  (wages being payment due)

James 2:23 tells us, “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.”

Imputed means ‘to credit to an account’, God imputed righteousness to Abraham by faith in a coming Messiah and we are saved the same way.  Made righteous by faith in the sacrifice of Jesus, our Messiah as payment for ME.  We sinners can receive the ‘gift’ of salvation to PAY for our sin.

Well, that ought to give us something to celebrate at Christmas time, and all year long.  Like I tell people, ‘I love Christmas, because I love Jesus’, and if I belong to Jesus then I can—no I should—celebrate Jesus/Christmas all year long.  I have a credit to my account and I need to share it!!!

How?

Be letting that ‘light’ we talked about shine through me.

By being an ‘ornament’ of grace that spreads His love and kindness to all those in my path—

 At Wal-Mart—

At the bank—

At the grocery store—

At the Mall.

Everywhere and

all the time

being “God so loved the world that HE gave”

to all.