Notice that God gave His Son-not lent-but gave.
Did you ever think of what that sacrifice meant to God? Coming
into such a hostile world.
Should God come to this earth to live in lowly birth where no
one felt His worth?
God did!
Should God leave His throne and come to live unknown and face
this task alone?
God did!
Should God serve and bless a crowd that offered less than love
and faithfulness?
God did!
Should God weep and grieve for men who won't perceive, but only
make believe?
God did!
Should God pay sin's debt for men who soon forget and live without
regret?
God did!
Should God bleed and die upon a cross held high between earth
and sky?
God did!
Should God rise from the tomb to lift away the gloom from earth
with still no room?
God did!
Should God return again to face a world of men who are still
lost in sin?
God will!
GOD WILL!
John 3:19(TLB) "The light from
heaven came into the world"
Don't get caught up in the glitter and glamour of the tinsel
and treasure.
Christmas is all about Jesus coming to bring peace and love and
hope into this world. The main thing is to keep the main thing
the main thing.
If Jesus were merely a man…………….the
cross was murder;
But if He was truly God………………..it
was an offering.
If Jesus were merely a man……………the cross
was martyrdom;
But if He was truly God………………..it
was a sacrifice.
If Jesus were merely a man……………they
took His life;
But if He was truly God………………..He
laid it down willingly.
If Jesus were merely a man……………we are
compelled to admiration;
But if He was truly God………………..we
are compelled to adoration.
If Jesus were merely a man……………we need
to stand and salute Him;
But if He was truly God………………. We
need to bow and give our lives to Him.
IS IT MERRY
CHRISTMAS OR HAPPY HOLIDAYS?
CHRISTMAS -
Etymology: Middle English Christemasse, from Old English
Cristes mæsse, literally, Christ's mass
1 : a Christian feast
on December 25 or among some Eastern Orthodox on January 7 that
commemorates the birth of Christ
and is usually observed as a legal holiday
HOLIDAY
Pronunciation: 'hä-l&-"dA, British usually 'hä-l&-dE
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English hAligdæg,
from hAlig holy + dæg day
1 : HOLY DAY
2 : a day on which one is exempt from work; specifically
: a day marked by a general suspension of work in commemoration
of an event
3 chiefly British : a period of relaxation : VACATION
-- often used in the phrase on holiday; often used in plural
Encyclopedia Britianica
From "holy day"), originally, it is a day of dedication
to religious observance; in modern times, a day of either religious
or secular commemoration.
| CASES IN POINT: |
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Fearing they would run afoul of the ACLU, county
officials in Pennsylvania pulled a Nativity display that had
adorned a public park for several weeks. Nativity display
deemed illegal by county officials in Pennyslvania. |
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First-grade teacher in Sacramento Co., Calif.,
says her principal has prohibited instructors from uttering
the word "Christmas" in class or in written
materials; |
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A school superintendent in Yonkers, N.Y., banned,
then unbanned, holiday decorations that contained religious
themes more than the generic "season's greetings"; |
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The city of Boston recently renamed its Christmas
tree in Boston Commons a "holiday tree." |
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In their 260 pages of newspaper insert promotions,
Target, Kroger, Office Max, Walgreens, Sears, Staples, Lowe's,
J.C. Penney, Dell and Best Buy failed to mention Christmas
a single time, according to research conducted by the American
Family Association. |
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The Glendale-River Hills, Wis., School District
has expressly prohibited any song close to the Christmas holiday
from having any religious "motive or theme." While
banning Christian Christmas songs, the district permits secular
holiday songs as well as songs celebrating Hanukkah. |
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For about 25 years, Auburn University in Alabama
has lit a Christmas tree in December. This year the Student
Government Association issued a press release announcing the
lighting of the "Holiday Tree" on December 1. |
| On November 29, the Fox News/Opinion
Dynamic conducted a survey asking some questions
that I thought might enhance your weekend message as you observe
the Third Sunday of Advent. For instance, those surveyed were
asked: |
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Do you consider Christmas
a religious holiday or cultural holiday? |
| Religious: 57% ... Cultural 14% ... Both:
12% |
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Do you agree there is a war
on Christmas in the United States? |
| Agree: 42% ... Disagree: 48% |
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Does it seem that the public
display of Christian/Christmas symbols is under attack more
this year than normal? |
| More: 58% ... Less: 13% ... Same: 15% |
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When greeting people you
don't know well during the coming month, are you more likely
to say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays"? |
| Merry Christmas: 61% ... Happy Holidays:
26% ... Depends: 10% |
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Are you offended
by stores that instruct employees not to say "Merry Christmas"? |
| Yes: 45% ... No: 49% |
|
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Do you agree
or disagree that the courts have gone too far in taking religion
out of public life? |
|
Agree: 77% ... Disagree: 17%
|
Helen Keller said "The only blind person at Christmastime
is he who has not Christmas in his heart"
Christmas does not happen by accident. It was carefully planned
in the throne room of eternity, and on earth detailed preparation
occurred for centuries.
The Hebrew people were unique in their worship of one God. The
Greeks fashioned the most perfect language the world had ever
known, and the Romans built the roads which connected the whole
earth. Judaism was the mold which held the Good News. The Greek
language was the vehicle to carry the Good News and the Roman
Empire was ready to spread the Good News.
So you see, Jesus came at the right time.
He came to a world of failure. The Jews were an unsatisfied people.
The glory of Greece was past, and the Roman rule was cruel and
tyrannical. It was an unhappy, suspicious, fearful, needy world.
It was a world filled with moral degradation, low ethical standards,
bitter hatred, and unrelieved despair.
Doesn't that sound familiar?
The coming of Jesus gave the world a fresh start. That's why men
have numbered their years from the date of His birth. That when
God's gift was given to this world, not lent. It has never been
withdrawn. He is still here Our emptiness invites God's abundance;
our weakness cries out for His strength, and our blindness gropes
for His light every day.
With His hands He made the world and hung the moon and stars.
He held the water and the land and then made them stand apart.
Then with His hands He filled the sea with fish and living things.
He painted leaves on all the trees and caused the birds to sing.
That's quite a little baby…………………
With His hands He made a man, who lived and breathed and stood,
and as God looked at all He'd done, He whispered, "It is
good!" But Satan came to war with God and caused the fall
of man. Redemption came in human form that first Christmas night
in Bethlehem.
That's quite a little baby in the hay.
But He didn't come just to be born. He came to live on earth,
the perfect Son of man. He showed the world the Father's love
with holy helping hands. He healed the sick and fed the poor,
while His fame spread throughout the land. His name was loved.
His work was known, because of His two hands.
That's quite a little baby born that day.
One day those in power came and took Him from His own. They led
Him to a rugged hill, where a cross would be His throne. He spoke
of them in forgiving words: "Father, forgive them; for they
know not what they do."
That's quite a little baby, don't you say?
And finally when they pierced His side, to prove how much He
still loved them all, He spread His hands out wide and died.
It was not just a baby……it was Jesus Christ the Lord
the Saviour of all mankind.
Jesus summed up the purpose of Christmas himself:
THE SON OF MAN IS COME
TO SEEK AND TO SAVE
THAT WHICH WAS LOST.
83 times Jesus refers to Himself as "The Son of Man".
If He was the Son of Abraham, that would have been racially limiting.
If He had been the Son of David, that would have been officially
limiting.
If He were the Son of Mary, that would have been a family limitation.
But He was more that just a man. He was God manifest in the flesh,
justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles,
believed on in the world and received up into glory.
The Word became flesh….
The Master became servant….
The creator became man….
The Perfect became sin so that old would become new….
Death became life….
Slave became heir….
Sorrow became joy….
So that we would be His forever.
Luke 2:1-20
