A Christmas Fortnight???  A Word from THE WORD!!! #297

Continuing the reposts for Christmas due to my injured finger.

Bible Ballistics: BBs #118 A Christmas Fortnight-More Angelic Messengers!!!

We looked earlier at the angelic birth announcements preceding the birth of John and Jesus.  God made these prophecy-fulfilling declarations through angelic messengers.  We ought to appreciate the wondrous revelations without letting our focus be wrongly aligned on God’s servants rather than God Himself.  Scripture clearly tells us the role of angels.

Hebrews 1:13-14,

“But to which of the angels said he at any time,

Sit on my right hand,

until I make thine enemies thy footstool?

14 Are they not all ministering spirits,

sent forth to minister for them

who shall be heirs of salvation?”

Ministering spirits—for God, to us.  Not to be worshipped.

2 Peter 2:11,

“Whereas angels,

which are greater in power and might,

bring not railing accusation against them

before the Lord.”

While angels are greater in power and might than we are, they are not presumptuous to accuse, but rather to defer to God.  So, neither should we be presumptuous toward God or these unseen powers.

Jude 1:9,

“Yet Michael the archangel,

when contending with the devil

he disputed about the body of Moses,

durst not bring against him a railing accusation,

but said, The Lord rebuke thee.”

We can learn from Michael, the great archangel—to trust God to rebuke the unseen angelic powers.  We aren’t to presume on God or overstep our authority either before God, the world or those “…… principalities, … powers,                                         … rulers of the darkness of this world, …spiritual wickedness in high places.”  (Eph 6:10b)

Now back to our Christmas Fortnight—God sent angelic messengers to announce not only Jesus’ coming birth, but also the very birth itself; and God chose the lowliest of the low to share this announcement with—to shepherds.  Those often looked down upon by others.  Even in our American history, there has been the stigma of ‘shepherds’ being unwanted in ‘cattle’ country.  Turf wars even came out of this animosity.  Yet GOD chose ‘shepherds’ to be the recipients of HIS GREAT GOOD NEWS.

Luke 2: 8-17,

 “And there were in the same country shepherds

abiding in the field,

keeping watch over their flock by night.

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.

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.

11 For unto you is born this day

in the city of David

a Saviour,

which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you;

Ye shall find the babe

wrapped in swaddling clothes,

lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude

of the heavenly host praising God,

and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 …. as the angels were gone away from them

into heaven,

the shepherds said one to another,

Let us now go even unto Bethlehem,

and see this thing which is come to pass,

which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste,

and found Mary, and Joseph,

and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they had seen it,

they made known abroad the saying

which was told them concerning this child.”

So how about YOU?  Have you received and believed the “Good News” of the Savior born for you?  The Savior born to DIE for YOU?  Also notice that the shepherds not only heard the message, but they believed it, acted upon it, and received the truth they heard and saw.  But they didn’t stop there!!!  They then spread the word about this ‘child’.  How about us?  Are we spreading the truth—if not let’s get busy?

The news is still GOOD!!!

This child born to die for our sin—still saves, TODAY!!!

Amen and Amen!!!