Beyond the Manger
Myguess would be that most, if not all, of us have a creche or manger scene that we display in our homes. These may range… Read More »Beyond the Manger
Christmas
We Have Come to Worship Him
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him” (Matthew 2:1-2).
This account of the coming of the wise men from the East is precious to us because of the significance it has for our own Gentile roots. We are thrilled to see how the Holy Spirit led these Gentiles to come and worship our Redeemer King so early in His life. We are thrilled with how clearly this spells out the intent of God that this Gospel of God’s love and forgiveness was intended for the people of all nations, and not for the Jews alone.Read More »We Have Come to Worship Him
Celebrating the Jesus Antipoverty Program
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”
(2 Corinthians 8:9)
Fighting poverty has been at the forefront of American politics for longer than I have been alive. Every few years a new government program is established to ward off the devastating effects of poverty in our nation. This issue is customarily brought to our attention during December. Well-intentioned efforts are made during the Christmas season to gather food for the needy, winter coats for the underprivileged, and toys so that every child can have a gift under the Christmas tree. Many claim that this is what Christmas is supposed to be about. Surely the volunteers who ring bells at the red kettles across our nation would agree with this assertion. But are we ready to agree that Jesus was born to fight poverty?
Absolutely!
But not the poverty that is described as a deficiency in material goods. The poverty that caused the Son of God to be born into this world was much deeper and far more devastating in its effects than what most Americans would Read More »Celebrating the Jesus Antipoverty Program
No Small Role
Joseph, Jesus’ step-father, is mentioned only within the context of Matthew’s and Luke’s “Christmas story” accounts.
After Luke’s account of the twelve-year old Jesus in the temple (Luke ch. 2), we hear no more of Joseph in the record of Scripture.
This minimal information about Joseph from Bethlehem has not prevented any number of people from saying much more than they know about him through fictionalized accounts of the gospel in television, movies, and videos.
From the Holy Spirit’s somewhat scant portrayal of Joseph we should not conclude that he had an insignificant role in the earthly life of Jesus or in God’s plan of salvation. Joseph had no small role, but a large one with weighty responsibility.
Loving Communication Wondrously Restored
No cell phone bars! There we were on the road somewhere in Missouri, completely out of touch with everyone! It doesn’t happen very often, does… Read More »Loving Communication Wondrously Restored
The PERFECT Present
Fellow Worshippers of God’s Perfect Christmas Gift— The cover of a recent Sunday newsmagazine said, “There’s still time to find the perfect present for Christmas.”… Read More »The PERFECT Present
Christmas reminds us that…THINGS ARE NOT AS THEY SEEM
Pastor Paul Naumann • Tacoma, Washington
“Appearances can be deceiving.”
No one knows the truth of that statement more fully than does a Christian.
Most people understand the principle. They keep it in mind as a salutary warning against the false and deceptive product advertising that floods the media in our day. They use it to bolster their defenses against the subtle tricks of con men on the street and scam artists on the internet.Read More »Christmas reminds us that…THINGS ARE NOT AS THEY SEEM
Christmas at “Just the Right Time”
“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we… Read More »Christmas at “Just the Right Time”