The birth of Christ

The Images of Christmas

What images come to mind when you think about Christmas? Perhaps you think of fragrant trees sparkling with lights and ornaments? Or maybe the first image is of a jolly fellow in a red suit? Other memories may include family gatherings with holiday food and singing carols together. Some may have unhappy images of difficult times of struggle or pain. Whatever image comes to mind when you think about Christmas, one image should always be present.

 

There are many artistic depictions of the nativity scene in paintings, movies, and even plastic yard art with lightbulbs inside! Even though most have some factual inaccuracies, the reminder is so important to our times. The Bible says that angels appeared to the shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem. “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). This news was brought so much joy that the night sky filled with angels saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14). 

 

The birth of Christ still brings joy to the hearts of those who believe in Him. It reminds us that God sees the ordinary and regards them highly. Mary and Joseph were ordinary people who became part of an extraordinary gift to the world.

 

The birth of Jesus reminds us that God keeps his promises, for the coming of Jesus was foretold by the prophets of long ago. Matthew 1:22 says, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).” 

 

The birth of Jesus reminds us that God knows what it’s like to be one of us, a human being. God knows what it is like to experience joy, pain, hunger, weariness, tears, and smiles. He knows what it is like to experience family and friendship. And He knows what it’s like to have enemies and false friends. 

 

The birth of Jesus reminds us that God loves us deeply. He went to great lengths to express that love, not only in the birth of Jesus but also in his life and teachings. God’s love was demonstrated in the way that Jesus experienced the pain and suffering of the cross. Following his death, Jesus was raised from the dead and is now alive. All of this was to save lost humanity from their sins, because He loves us.

 

Christian churches around the world will spend time contemplating the birth of Christ during this season. They will welcome your presence as they remember the most powerful image of Christmas … the baby in the manger who was the Savior of the world. We certainly welcome your presence at Forsythe Church of Christ in Monroe in the Christmas season and in every season.

 

John Dobbs

 

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Hayley Fitzpatrick via Good Morning America

What A Day!

 

It was a day that Ella Chadwick will never forget.  This remarkable 11-year-old is very courageous and compassionate.  Ella was born with a rare kidney disease: congenital nephritic syndrome.  She has endured countless hospitalizations, numerous rounds of dialysis, and two kidney transplant operations.  Her battles have made her sympathetic to others who struggle with their health.  “It’s what amazes me about her — with everything she’s been through that she’s still so full of life,” says her mother.  “But I think it’s because she knows what it’s like to feel awful.  She just wants to help and make people smile because she knows what it’s like to be in a hospital.”

 

Recently, Ella went with her parents to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, England.  She thought she was just going for an appointment and to deliver some cards she had made for patients in the hospital.  What she didn’t know was that she was about to receive a visit from one of her favorite celebrities who also had some news to share with her.

 

As she was sitting in a room in the hospital with her parents, in walked a star that she adores: former professional soccer player, David Beckham.   Beckham visited with Ella, helped her deliver her homemade cards to patients, and revealed to her that she was to receive the Child of Courage Award at The Daily Mirror's Pride of Britain Awards.

 

What a day for Ella!

 

There is even a greater day that awaits the faithful child of God.

 

Earlier this week I heard a preacher, Allan Eldridge, speak from his heart at the funeral of a dear friend, church leader, and brother in Christ, George Holcomb.  Allan extolled George’s great Christian character and spoke of a song that was a favorite to both of them.  The song, “What A Day That Will Be” (lyrics and music by Jim Hill), speaks to the heavenly hope that they both shared in Christ:

 

There’ll be no sorrow there,

No more burdens to bear,

No more sickness, no pain,

No more parting over there;

And forever I will be,

With the One who died for me,

What a day, glorious day that will be.

 

What a day that will be,

When my Jesus I shall see,

And I look upon His face,

The One who saved me by His grace;

When He takes me by the hand,

And leads me through the Promised Land,

What a day, glorious day that will be.

 

Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins.  “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

 

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  He will continue to cleanse from sin – and prepare for a heavenly home – those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7-9).

 

To be united with Christ in an eternal, heavenly home and to be reunited with loved ones in Christ, what a day, glorious day, that will be!

 

Won’t YOU accept Jesus’ invitation to be a part of that glorious day?

 

- David A. Sargent

 

* Information gleaned from “David Beckham surprises young fan born with rare kidney disease in heartwarming video” by Hayley Fitzpatrick via Good Morning America, November 8, 2018, www.abcnews.go.com

 

Be still and know that I am God--Psalm 46:10

My soul now resides in an 84 year old body that sometimes becomes so tired and weary, sorely needing the comfort that can only come from the God I love and serve. He is the one who can impart to me, and not to me only, but to all who love and serve him,  peace that passes all understanding (Phil. 4:6-7). To have this peace in our lives we must be willing to acknowledge him and let him direct our path (Prov. 3:5-6).

 

When we begin to feel tired and weary, when we need strength so see us through the night, we must seek the Lord's help (1 Peter 5:7; Heb. 4:16). The more we learn to depend on the Lord, the closer we will draw to him (2 Peter 3:18). When the burdens press upon us, when the cares distress, we must through the eye of faith see him and hear him through his word. Maybe, just maybe, when those tired, weary feelings begin to sweep down over our souls, we just need to pause for a moment and share with the Lord all our heartaches, our burdens, our weariness. Pray to him and trust him (1 Thess. 5:17; Matt. 7:7;  Psa. 62:8; Heb. 2:12-13; 1 Tim.4:10).

 

I love the words of the grand old song that say, "Time is filled with swift transition, Naught of earth unmoved can stand--Build your hopes on things eternal, Hold to God's unchanging hand". Our prayer to God should ever be, "Hold thou me up and I shall be safe" (Psalms 119:117). What a beautiful thought to consider, "Be still and know I am God".

 

Finally, some beautiful words from a song by Thomas A. Dorsey:

 

            There'll be peace in the valley for me some day

            There'll be peace in the valley for me

            I pray no more sorrow and sadness or trouble will be

            There'll be peace in the valley for me

 

I look forward to the time when I shall find this final peace. How about you?

 

Charles Hicks

 

Psalm 89:5

 

Behold you have made my days as handbreaths, And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; Surely every man at his best is a mere breath--Psalm 89:5

 

Thinking about this passage, I am struck with the thoughts that our lives on this earth are only for a short time, and we should live each day as if we knew that at the end of the day our sojourn on this earth would be ended. Our souls are encased in a weak human body that will each day face a perilous way as we journey on toward eternity. Every step of the way we have an adversary who will spare no effort to prevent us from one day hearing our Lord say, "Well done, enter into the joy of your master" (1 Peter 5:8; Matthew 25:21). The devil has a plan that includes you and I. He will work overtime in an effort to get us to disregard God's word. Remember Eve in the garden and Lot's wife as she left Sodom (Gen. 3; Gen. 19). Do the words, "I know God says but I believe" ring a bell with you?

 

The devil's plan includes getting us to become loyal to men rather than loyal to Christ (Matt. 15:9; Matt. 7:21-23; Gal. 1:6-10). O how he loves it when preacheritis or elderitis takes up residence in our hearts (1 Cor. 1:11-12; 1 Cor. 4:1-6).  His plan also calls for convincing us to talk a lot about what needs to be done, about our concerns for the spiritual and physical welfare of others, then do nothing (James 2; Matt. 25; Gal. 6:10; 1 Cor. 15:58). The devil is content for us to read the bible so long as we don't really study and apply it to our lives (2 Tim. 2:15; 2 Pet. 3:18). The devil is an opportunist and he will take advantage of any foothold we give him even if it is seems to be only a small one. Every area of our lives that we fail to guard diligently, he will launch an all out attack against it.

 

I love that beautiful song that says, "Slowly we are turning life's pages. How will you use God's golden moments? Will you reap glory or will you reap tears"? Given how brief our lives are, all of us should pause for a moment an really examine ourselves as to how we are using these golden moments God has given us.

 

Charles Hicks

My days are swifter than a runner

Now my days are swifter than a runner; they flee away, they see no good. They slip by like reed boats, like an eagle that swoops on its prey (Job 9:25-26.

 

Once there was a time in my life when it seemed that time moved so slowly. It seemed to take forever to go from one birthday to the next and from on Christmas to the next was an eternity. How often have we heard, even made the statement ourselves, "I just can't wait" as an event still far off was looked forward to. In those days of long ago, time often seemed to stand still but not anymore. I venture to say that most of you can identify with what I have just said.

 

Suddenly one day all this changed and now it seems as if each day goes by faster than the one before it. Now, instead of saying "I just can't wait, we are asking ourselves, "Where did the years go"?  All too quickly we find that the strength of our youth becomes the feebleness of old age.

 

We have watched our children in the early years of their growth and development and suddenly, almost without warning, we realize they are no longer our little babies, no longer those difficult but loving teenagers. All too quickly, they have grown up and we see them leave home, marry and have children of their own. This is good but still we cry out "Where has the time gone, it seems as if only yesterday.......". Our lives are short and fleeting. Days past cannot be recalled. They are gone forever and the days remaining are swiftly passing by. Truly, we are swiftly turning life's daily pages.

 

With the passing of each day we find ourselves one step closer to the day when that last page will be turned. Time for me is now passing so quickly and I am sure many of you feel the same way. With an eye of faith we look forward to the end of our sojourn on this earth (Hen. 9:27; 2 Cor. 5:1-3; Heb. 11:16). Heaven is the promise of a better day. There are no words that can adequately describe for us the majesty, beauty and glory of that city not made with hands. Our souls should be thrilled at the thought of going home to that land where joy shall never end.

 

I can think of no better way to close this week's thought than to say: "I just can't wait".

 

Charles Hicks

 

People have learned how to become the "victims."

Turning Forgiveness Around

We hear it frequently in the news these days. It has been a common defense in some high profile criminal cases. The basic argument is that people can be excused for committing even hideous crimes if they can demonstrate that something awful happened in their past. Unfortunately, this approach has proven successful in our perverted justice system. Murders, kidnappers and sexual offenders of every sort have been set free or have had their sentences reduced. As a result, we are seeing more and more criminals rush to assume "victim" status.

It is happening in the church, too. It is not uncommon for sinful brethren to attempt to "turn the tables" on those who are trying to restore them. "You didn't show the proper love toward me;" "You were unkind and didn't help me enough when I needed you;" "You were too harsh in the way you rebuked me;" etc., etc., etc. You see, they have learned how to become the "victims."

We agree that brethren can sometimes approach situations in the wrong way. All of us need to show love, forbearance, patience and kindness. Sometimes we fail in these things. Everyone can do better.

But, we are weary of sinners turning the whole matter of forgiveness around. If they have their way, the faithful ones are forced to beg them for forgiveness, while their own sins are ignored. This simply will not work!

Observe the case of Peter rebuking Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:18-24). Simon was told that "wickedness" and a bad heart had left him in the "gall of bitterness and the bond of inquity." Surely he could have complained about Peter's harsh words, or unloving manner. Undoubtedly he could have countered with accusations about how he had been mistreated by others. Instead, he humbly accepted the rebuke and requested prayer. Sinners in the church today need to learn a lesson from him.

- by Greg Gwin

 

The Church is Living in a New (old) World

    Any student of history, specifically church history, knows that the antagonism Christians in the US are experiencing at this point in time is nothing new. It is new for Americans. America was founded, to a very large degree, on the basis of religious freedom that was very friendly, even dependent on, Christianity. For the past 242 years and more, our country has been unique in the annals of world history in being pro-Christianity. We came to depend on a Bible-friendly government and culture, so much so that it was not unusual for presidents of the United States to quote Bible in various speeches.

    But, these 242 years are largely an anomaly in the annals of human history. Generally speaking, the “powers that be” have been hostile to God’s people and His people have lived as “the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now” (1 Cor. 4:13).

    Our urge is to close ourselves off from the world and become separatists. That’s what many of the Jews did during the Greek / Hellenistic period. The Hasidim believed they had to live radically different from the Jews around them who were accepting Hellenization of their culture with open arms. Then we had the Pharisees doing a similar thing in the NT times. But, as an old saying goes, we cannot be so “heavenly-minded” that we become no “earthly good.” 

    If Satan can convince us that no one wants to hear the Gospel and that we simply need to close ourselves off from the world lest we become contaminated, then Satan has won! He might not have won our souls but if he can get us to close our mouths from fear or cynicism, then he’s won the souls of all those we could potentially convert.

    When David Kinnaman of Barna Research and Gabe Lyons did research into churches that were being proactive in this current culture, they found nine factors that were consistent across the board. These nine will not surprise any serious Bible student.

    1. They prioritize outreach by serving the poor and sharing the faith.

    2. They partner with other churches and causes.

    3. They are innovative for the sake of the gospel.

    4. They focus on reaching receptive teens and young adults.

    5. They teach the Bible thoroughly.

    6. They foster a close community within the church.

    7. They work at developing new leaders.

    8. The church is led by a team that has diverse skills and gifts.

    9. The church leans heavily on prayer.

    Kinnaman and Lyons are not the “saviors” of the church. But it is enlightening to see what these conservative Protestants have found relative to a positive reaction to the culture around us. These points are worth considering, in light of biblical teaching, and suggest to me that if we simply follow the pattern for Christianity as we see it in the New Testament, we’ll be successful with our efforts to “proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). After all, the church grew and thrived in its early years in an ethical and moral culture very similar to ours.

Paul Holland

 

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