CHRIST IS BORN

Lets be sure to remember to keep CHRIST in Christmas. He is the reason for the season. We hear this every Christmas and some of us do attempt to un-commercialize the celebration. Last year my family read scriptures from the Bible giving the account of Christ's birth and prayed before we opened gifts. We have a video tape available for those who cannot believe this (smile).

I would like the entire family from NJ to Florida to begin Christmas morning with scripture reading and prayer before opening gifts. I had each daughter Kelly and Kia read scriptures and my husband, Newkirk prayed. This was our first Christmas tradition and we intend to continue celebrating this way.

I have included excerpts of the entire Biblical account of Christ's birth from Old Testament prophecy of His birth, to the angels visits to Joseph Mary and the 3 wise men. There is also a story of the failed plot of Herod to kill the baby Jesus, but God's plan could not be stopped. You will see from the excerpts that God sent the angel, Gabriel to warn the family of the plot of Herod and made preparations for their escape. It was also the angel, Gabriel to bring the good news to Joseph and Mary, it is amazing how they both were obedient and had absolute faith in God to do what was required of them.

Make no mistake about it, God demanded a lot from them. Joseph was to marry a woman already pregnant; Mary was to be with child even though she was not married. Oh yes, we read the story after the plans were in place. But, ladies imagine for a moment that you are Mary, an unmarried, engaged virgin. An Angel appears and tell you that you are to be pregnant before marriage at a time when it was Jewish law to publicly disgrace and stone an unmarried mother.

Men, imagine for a moment that you are Joseph, engaged to a virgin which was customary at that time. An angel appears and tell you that your virgin fiancee will be pregnant and you are to marry her anyway --- and you know she is not pregnant with your child.

How many of us would have had such faith or been as obedient as this couple - knowing the possibility of public ridicule, wounded pride and even death?

Thank God for people with this unshakeable faith, because without someone willing to do the Will of God, we would not have eternal life and would only have death to look forward to. For, the Word of God is clear that "he who has the Son has eternal life and he who does not have the Son does not have eternal life" 1 John 5:12.

God Himself declares that eternal life is in His Son. "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son and whosoever shall believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" John 3:16.

God had this plan in action long before Christ was born in the flesh. He announced His plan in that infamous Garden of Eden back in the book of Genesis 3:15 where reference is made to the "seed of the woman" which is Christ.

Joseph's Obedience

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:[Isaiah] "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us."

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Matthew 1:18-24

Note: There were no sexual relations during a Jewish engagement period, but it was a much more binding relationship than a modern engagement and could be broken only by divorce. In Deuteronomy 22:24 a betrothed [engaged] woman is called a "wife," though the preceding verse speaks of her as being "pledged to be married." Matthew uses the terms "husband" (v. 19) and "wife" (v. 24) of Joseph and Mary before they were married.

Mary's Obedience

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

Luke 1:26-38

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luke 2:4-7

PRAISING THE MESSIAH

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Luke 2:8-20

King Herod's Plot

" But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.' "

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."

So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

"A voice is heard in Ramah,

weeping and great mourning,

Rachel weeping for her children

and refusing to be comforted,

because they are no more."

After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead."

So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."

MATTHEW 2:3-23

An Old Testament Prophecy

of the Messiah

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace

there will be no end.

He will reign on David's throne

and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

with justice and righteousness

from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the LORD Almighty

will accomplish this.

Isaiah 9:6-7

Note: "Counselor" points to the Messiah as a king (see Micah 4:9) who determines upon and carries out a program of action. As Wonderful Counselor, the coming Son of David will carry out a royal program that will cause all the world to marvel. Mighty God - His divine power as a warrior is stressed. Everlasting Father. He will be an enduring, compassionate provider and protector. Prince of Peace. His rule will bring wholeness and well-being to individuals and to society

Other references to the Messiah from the Old Testament are listed below, look them up and reference them when you are feeling God has no plans for your life. God tells us in the book of Jeremiah that He has plans for our lives, plans to prosper us and not harm us, but plans that will give us a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).

Old Testament Messianic Prophecies

Should God let you in His Heaven?

"Well, I'm a good person. I don't break the law or willfully hurt others." How good is good enough? Whose standard do you measure good by?

"But I am a giving person. I contribute to charity causes and help others in need." Salvation is not about good works; it's about a relationship with God.

"Oh, I know, I prayed a prayer once when I was young." We've all talked to God before; but was it what He wanted to hear or something you needed at the time?

Eternal salvation is not what you can do, but what Jesus Christ has already done. No matter how good you may think you are, you were still born a sinner. (Romans 5:12)

The only acceptable payment for your sins was made by Jesus Christ, God's Son, who came to die for all the sins of the world - including yours. You can do nothing but prayerfully accept what Christ has already done for you. "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).

Courtesy of In Touch Ministries

WHAT BETTER TIME THAN CHRISTMAS TO MAKE THE DECISION TO INVITE CHRIST IN YOUR LIFE AND BE SAVED, PRAY THE FOLLOWING PRAYER AND ALLOW THE SPIRIT OF GOD TO WORK IN YOUR LIFE BY SUBMITTING YOURSELF TO HIM.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for dying for my sins on the cross, enduring sin's penalty - death - on my behalf. With my mind, will, and emotion, I accept Christ as my living Savior and ask Him to make His home in my heart. I receive Your forgiveness for my sin and the gift of eternal life. I am no longer separated from You by sin, but now live in personal fellowship with you forever. Amen.

Email us and tell us of your decision to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. We want to pray with you and help in any way in leading you to a new life in Christ.