A Weekly New Testament reading plan to Allow the congregation to participate in the Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes program and Keep our youth encouraged to reach their goal.

By now, I’m sure that you’ve received numerous holiday emails.  Here is one that I would like to share with you.  It is entitled, “A Letter from Jesus”.  This fictional letter has come to me in several versions.  Here is one that I find interesting.

Dear Children

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking my name out of the season.  Maybe you’ve forgotten that I wasn’t actually born during this time of the year, and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate my birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival.  Although I do appreciate being remembered anytime.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children.  Children want to please, but they must get along with others and be obedient in the process.  Now, having said this, let me go on.

If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn’t allow a scene depicting my birth, share my story with your neighbor.  If all of my children did that, there wouldn’t be any need for such a scene on the town square.  Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the Christmas tree a holiday tree.  It was I who made all trees.  You can and may remember me anytime you see any tree.  (Decorate a grape vine if you wish.  I actually spoke of that one in the Gospel of John, chapter 15.)

If you want to give me a present, here is my wish list.  Choose from it:

1.  Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way my birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to those who are away from home.  They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of the year.  I know; they tell me all the time.

2.  Visit someone in a nursing home.  You don’t have to know them personally.  They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3.  Instead of writing your employer complaining about the wording on his holiday card, why don’t you write and tell him that you’ll be praying for him and his family this year.  Then follow up.  It will be nice hearing from you again.

4.  Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts that you can’t afford, and they don’t need; spend time with them.  Tell them the story of my life, and why I came earth.  Hold them in your arms, and remind them that I love them.

5.  Pick someone that has hurt you in the past, and forgive him or her.

6.  Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel alone and hopeless?  Since you don’t know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile.  It will make the difference.  Also, you might consider supporting the local Hot-line, they talk with people like that every day.

7.  Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with him.  Give him a warm smile and a kind word.  Even if he is not allowed to wish you a “Merry Christmas,” that doesn’t keep you from being nice.  Then stop shopping there on Sunday.  If the store didn’t make so much money on that day, they’d close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families.

8.  Here’s a good one.  If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary, especially one who takes my love and good news to those who have never heard my name.  You already know someone like that.

9.  There are individuals and whole families in your town who will not have a holiday meal.  Neither will they have any presents to give or receive.  If you don’t know them (and I suspect you don’t), buy some food and a few gifts, and give them to the Church.  They will make the delivery for you.

10.  Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in me, then behave like you know me.  Don’t do things in secret that you wouldn’t do in my presence.  Let people know by your actions that you are one of my children.

P.S.  Don’t worry, for I’ll take care of you  and the rest of your siblings.  Don’t forget that I am God, and your time on earth is short.  Love me, trust me, and obey me.

I LOVE YOU

Jesus

“If a thousand old beliefs were ruined in our march to truth we must still march on.” – Stopford A. Brooke

The birthday of Jesus Christ has been celebrated on December 25th since A.D. 336.  During the first three centuries of Christ’s Church, this holiday festival was not observed by Christians, nor was it on their calendar.  The Bible does not reveal the year, and there is considerable uncertainty about the correct day and month.

The Christmas celebration was started in the fourth century to put an end to pagan festivals.¹ Most of the Eastern churches settled for January 6th, but the Western churches chose December 25th to commemorate the birth of the Messiah.  These days were selected because they were already public holidays for pagans.  The Romans celebrated “Natalis Solis Invicti” (the birth of the Unconquered Sun), and the Iranians celebrated “Sun of Righteousness.”

Some Christians opposed the birth celebration of Jesus because birthdays were reserved for pagan gods.  Origen wrote that it would be wrong to celebrate the birth of the Christ in the same way Herod and Pharaoh had been honored.² However, not all of his contemporaries agreed.  Clement of Alexandria favored May 20th, and Hippolytus selected January 2nd as the date of Jesus’ birth.

What we do know about the birth is that it occurred during the reign of Caesar Augustus.³ His mother was a virgin who was pledged to be married to a man by the name of Joseph, son of Jacob (Matthew 1:1-25).  The birth occurred in Bethlehem of Judea, during the first census of governor Quirinius, and shepherds were told by an angel that the birth had occurred (Luke 2:1-20).  Likewise, Magi from the east were led by a star to worship the infant king (Matthew 2:1-12).

In this, the fullness of time, the incarnate son of God came to earth to redeem mankind (Galatians 4:4-7).  What day was he born?  We do not know.  Do you believe it happened?  Only you can answer that.  Christian, are you up for the task?

“Why did my Savior come to earth, and to the humble go?  Why did He choose a lowly birth?  Because He loved me so!” -J.G. Dailey

Latin = Dies Natalis (birth day)

English =  Cristes-maesse (the mass of Christ) appeared in 1038

Dutch = Kerst-misse (the mass of Christ)

French = Noel (to be born)

Italian = il Natale (been born)

German = Weihnacht (sacred night) appeared in 1000

Greek/English = Xmas (the Greek letter, Chi or X, is the abbreviation for Christ, thus Christ’s Mass)

² Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 10 (New York, 1911), 709.

³ Caesar Augustus ruled Rome from 31 B.C. until 14 A.D.  In 1627, the scholar Petavius invented the system of dating the events before Christ (B.C.).  On the Gregorian calendar, B.C. is followed by “Anno Domini”  (Latin phrase for “In the year of our Lord,” also known as A.D.).

Father, your word tells me that I should think on things that are true and honest, and just, and pure, and lovely, and of good report.  But sometimes I think on other things, things that are none of these, things of which I am ashamed.  Father can the word be more than words?  Can you provide an example?  Can you show me how?

“And the Word was made flesh.”

Father, your word tells me that I should prefer the eternal to the transient, the heavenly to the earthly.  It tells me that I should embrace your values, not the world’s.  It tells me that I should keep myself unspotted from the world.  But the world is so alluring, and too often I yield.  Father, can the word be more than words?  Can you reveal the word lived out?  Can you show me how?

“And the Word was made flesh.”

Father, your word tells me that you will never leave me nor forsake me.  It tells me that you will be with me always.  It tells me to put my faith in you.  But sometimes I put my faith in other things – in a job, in things accumulated, in medical science, in imagined abilities.  Forgive me father, for that, I know, is sin.  Father, can the word be more than words?  Can you demonstrate the word put into practice?  Can you show me how?

“And the Word was made flesh.”

Father, your word tells me to love you with all my heart, and soul, and mind.  And it tells me that I should love others as myself.  Father, I do not love like that.  I give some, but not all.  I love myself too much and others too little.  Father, can the word be more than words?  Can you show me someone who loves like that?  Can you show me how?

“And the Word was made flesh.”

Father, your word tells me that I should tell others of your love.  It tells me that I should tell them of Jesus, the perfect embodiment of that love.  But I falter.  I shrink back.  I lose courage.  I sense my powerlessness and do not claim your power.  Father, can the word be more than words?  Can you bring the word to life?  Can you show me how?

“And the Word was made flesh.”

Father, can a man embrace your word?  Can he make it part of him?  Can he love it?  Know it?  Feel it?  Think it?  Speak it?  Live it?  Father, is that something a man can do?

Father, I know that one man did.   “And the Word was made flesh.”

There is more to life than just the here and now, so don’t get attached.  We were put here to prepare for eternity.  Life on earth is just a dress rehearsal before the real production.

“I consider the suffering of the present time not worth comparing with the future glory which will be revealed to us …  We were saved with this hope.  A hope which is seen is not hope.  Who hopes for something he can see?  But, since we are hoping for something we can not yet see, we patiently wait for it.”  (Romans 8:18, 24-25)

“Not only that, we can feel good about our troubles, because we know that suffering develops endurance.  Endurance develops character.  Character develops hope.  And, hope never disappoints us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given us.  While we were still helpless and ungodly, Christ died for us at exactly the right time.” (Romans 5:3-6)

Antares is the 15th brightest star in the night’s sky.  It is more than 100 light years away.  Below is a close-up view from the Hubble Telescope deep field infrared camera.  This view is billions of light years away.

Despite their limited knowledge of astronomy, the Israelites were awed by the fact that God created the constellations.

“He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.” (Job 9:9)

“Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades?  Can you loose the cords of Orion?  Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead the Bear with its cubs?  Do you know the laws of the heavens?  Can you set up God’s dominion over the earth?” (Job 38:31-33)

Fifty three contributors worked over seven years to produce this monumental work.  In one volume, there are over 1100 pages of in-depth commentary.  All 66 books of the Bible are explored.

Some of the contributors include:  Alan Black, Phil McMillion, and Rick Oster

acupressbooks.com $69.95 + shipping

Centuries before armored personnel carriers were invented to transport troops, the testudo military formation was used by the Romans to deploy soldiers into battle.  The word testudo is Latin for tortoise.

Read more here:

http://www.forthright.net/up_for_the_task/testudo_of_faith.html

View here (You will be leaving the Park site and going to Youtube.):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMuSyEud3BE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch/v=uvDvwhMM3w&feature=related

“Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile.”  — Billy Sunday

Read more here:

http://www.forthright.net/up_for_the_task/which_way.html

This word commonly refers to non-Jewish people, but originally, it was used for political and social groupings.  It literally means “nations”, yet at times it has been translated as “people” or “heathen”.  When used in the plural, it refers to a multitude of nations, whereas used in the singular, it is reserved for God’s people/1.

This term distinguishes between Abraham’s descendents and their contemporaries/2.   While in Egypt, these offspring became an exclusive nation known as the Israelites/3.  Considered God’s chosen people, their purpose was to bring justice and light to the nations/4.

The tension between exclusivism and commission caused Israel’s attitude toward the nations to evolve over the course of history.  Since the nations did not worship God and indulged in immorality, the threat of contamination led to the adoption of a holiness code/5.   However, the groups continued to live in peace/6.

Allured by the immoral lifestyle of the heathen, Israel was disavowed by God for practicing their customs.  Between 722 and 525 B.C., the Jews were scattered among the nations for their disobedience/7. Developing an aversion for the nations, the term “Gentile” became a word of scorn during the post-exilic period/8.

With the coming of the Messiah, God repeatedly reminded the Jews of his desire to make all nations his people/9.  Beginning in “Galilee of the Gentiles” and ending with the ascension, Jesus Christ preached the kingdom of God was open to all nations/10.  However, during the early days of his ministry, his followers were commanded to stay away from the Gentiles/11.  It was not until the Jewish leaders rejected the Messiah that Jesus’ disciples were prepared to go to the Gentiles/12.

Following the resurrection, Peter was the first Jew to preach to the Gentiles/13.  He was followed by Paul and Barnabas who traveled to Asia Minor.  Their strategy was to preach in the Jewish synagogues, but once their message was rejected, they directed their ministry to the Gentiles/14.  Likewise, after hearing that the Gentiles had received the Holy Spirit, the apostolic leaders in Jerusalem cordially welcomed the Gentiles into the kingdom of God/15.

1/ 2 Samuel 7:22-26

2/ Genesis 12:1-3; 18:18; 26:1-5

3/ Exodus 1:1-14; 19:1-8; Leviticus 20:22-24; Deuteronomy 28:1-14

4/ Isaiah 42:1-6; 49:6; Zechariah 2:11; Malachi 1:11

5/ Exodus 20:1-21

6/ Numbers 35:15; Deuteronomy 24:14; Judges 3:1-6; Ruth 4:5-10; 2 Samuel 11:2-27; Ezekiel 47:21-23

7/ Deuteronomy 7:1-6; Psalm 2:1-12; 106:34-41; Isaiah 1:1-31; 2:6-9; Jeremiah 27:1-22

8/ Ezra 10:1-44; Nehemiah 10:30 (Inscription warning the Gentiles not to enter the Temple.)

Museum of Constantinople

9/ Isaiah 49:6; 56:6-7; Zechariah 2:11; Malachi 1:11; Luke 2:28-32

10/ Matthew 4:12-17; 28:19; Luke 24:45-47; Acts 1:8

11/ Matthew 10:5-7

12/  Matthew 15:21-28; John 1:10-13; 4:1-42; 12:20-36

13/ Acts 10:1-48; 11:1-18

14/ Acts 13:1-52; 22:21; 26:15-18; Romans 11:11-36; Ephesians 3:1-3

15/ Acts 15:5-35; 1Peter 2:9-12; Revelation 7:9; 22:1-5