What is Christmas?
To many it is the day we exchange gifts for one another. But in truth it is the day that we celebrate the day that God spoke and the world heard a baby cry - the biggest thing that God ever said.
"And there were shepherds in the same country abiding in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. And an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people: for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this is the sign unto you: Ye shall find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased." Luke 2:8-14, ASV.
On this day the invisible, immortal, omnipotent creator of the universe became a human being:
"who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross." Philippians 2:6-8, ASV.
God became man.
"Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, And they shall call his name Immanuel; which is, being interpreted, God with us." Matthew 1:23, ASV.
The Eternal stepped out of eternity into time, and made himself just as much as we are worth apart from him - nothing. Yet he didn't come to live, but to die and he would 33 years later on a Roman cross.
But not all received his coming. Indeed as King Herod of Judea would inquire about the "King of Jews":
"Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the Wise-men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had exactly learned of the Wise-men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; And she would not be comforted, because they are not." Matthew 2:16-18, ASV.
Not all receive him today, for they are still about the Devil's ancient work of destroying the Christ Child. The secular organizations of this Country that seek to erase the name of Christ from Christmas.
"He came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name:" John 1:11, 12, ASV.
So on this day remember that while the world by and large celebrates lip service and indifference to the Creator who became man, those of us who have believed on His name and have received Him have much to remember and celebrate today!
Merry Christmas!
christian life Christianity Theology Religion Jesus Christ Church
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
What Thy Wounds Mean to Me
Oh my saviour, unto theeI sing sweet songs of victory,
through thy wounds I come to see,
all your love means to me.
You hung alone on Calvary's Cross,
to wipe away the loss,
How little did the world know then, just as now,
what forgiveness cost.
O' Soveriegn Lord, High and Lifted up,
far above all sin and care,
How much your love did condescend,
to lift us to thy Holy chair.
You cast away our wretchedness,
our sin, you put away.
Your judgment of our ways was guilty,
Your death spelled "Paid in Full".
Oh my saviour, unto thee
I sing sweet songs of victory.
Through thy wounds I come to see,
all your love means to me.
- T.P. McAtamney
All Rights Reserved © 1997 Taught by God Publishing
christian life Christianity Theology Religion Jesus Christ Church
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Sent by God?
What does it mean to be "Sent by God"?
In the life of Christ, we are the branches, he is the Vine. As branches we don't deterimine our own fruit - what it looks like or how it tastes.
The fruit we produces comes simply from abiding in the Vine.
"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so neither can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing." John 15:4-5
We have heard this verse hundreds of times in our Christian experience, but have be believed it? How often do we go off to do this and that "for Jesus"? Only to find ourselves in the end confused and discouraged?
To "Be sent", isn't the same as "going on our own". It isn't making up our own mind to "do our own thing", or even "work for Jesus".
The branch doesn't "work", it "abides". In fact, the branch doesn't struggle at all, it simple abides in the Vine - the VINE does the work.
Jesus while on earth gave us the perfect example of man's relationship to God. Here is the verse to which I am referring, and then a bit of a paraphrase to being the point out.
"Jesus therefore said to them again, Peace be unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you" John 20:21
Jesus said that as the Father sent Him, so He now sends us. So to find out how he sends us, we need only to know how the Father sent Him.
"As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he that eateth me, he also shall live because of me" John 6:57
The Father sent the Son to LIVE by the Father. But why?
"Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I say unto you I speak not from myself: but the Father abiding in me doeth his works." John 14:10
So that the Father could live by the Son! Now did the Father who is God and eternal need the Son who co-equal and eternal so that he could live? Of course not!
But in this arraignment we see how the Son sends us.
Thought the eternal God, Jesus came to earth and took upon himself human flesh. He became man. Then as man he allowed his body to be used by God the Father to do "His work" while on earth. Thus the Father sent the Son.
"As the Father sent me and I lived by the Father...."
So then how does he send us?
In the same way.
Now the paraphrase: "As the Father sent me.....and I live by the Father......the Father in me He does the works......So I send you.....and you shall live by me, I in you doing my works."
To be sent by the Lord is smply to be abiding in Him so that through us He can do His work.
christian life Christianity Theology Religion Jesus Christ Church
In the life of Christ, we are the branches, he is the Vine. As branches we don't deterimine our own fruit - what it looks like or how it tastes.
The fruit we produces comes simply from abiding in the Vine.
"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so neither can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing." John 15:4-5
We have heard this verse hundreds of times in our Christian experience, but have be believed it? How often do we go off to do this and that "for Jesus"? Only to find ourselves in the end confused and discouraged?
To "Be sent", isn't the same as "going on our own". It isn't making up our own mind to "do our own thing", or even "work for Jesus".
The branch doesn't "work", it "abides". In fact, the branch doesn't struggle at all, it simple abides in the Vine - the VINE does the work.
Jesus while on earth gave us the perfect example of man's relationship to God. Here is the verse to which I am referring, and then a bit of a paraphrase to being the point out.
"Jesus therefore said to them again, Peace be unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you" John 20:21
Jesus said that as the Father sent Him, so He now sends us. So to find out how he sends us, we need only to know how the Father sent Him.
"As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he that eateth me, he also shall live because of me" John 6:57
The Father sent the Son to LIVE by the Father. But why?
"Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I say unto you I speak not from myself: but the Father abiding in me doeth his works." John 14:10
So that the Father could live by the Son! Now did the Father who is God and eternal need the Son who co-equal and eternal so that he could live? Of course not!
But in this arraignment we see how the Son sends us.
Thought the eternal God, Jesus came to earth and took upon himself human flesh. He became man. Then as man he allowed his body to be used by God the Father to do "His work" while on earth. Thus the Father sent the Son.
"As the Father sent me and I lived by the Father...."
So then how does he send us?
In the same way.
Now the paraphrase: "As the Father sent me.....and I live by the Father......the Father in me He does the works......So I send you.....and you shall live by me, I in you doing my works."
To be sent by the Lord is smply to be abiding in Him so that through us He can do His work.
christian life Christianity Theology Religion Jesus Christ Church
The Truth of God's Love
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8, KJV).
God's love for us was shown while we were yet sinners. That means
before we came to faith in Christ. Many Christians struggle with the ideal
that God loves them. I mean that He really loves them personally. 'Lip
service' is fine for playing 'Church'. But many will admit when they are
honest about it that they have no real ideal about God's love for them.
Don't be ashamed if you doubt the love of God. I did too, but there is a
solution. But you won't find it as long as you play 'church'. When you
understand the love of God - really understand His love, your whole life
will begin to be transformed - maybe for the first time!
So why don't we understand His love for us? The key is again in the
verse quoted above. God¹s love extended towards us while we were
enemies. That is not the only verse. Here¹s some more;
"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent
his Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10, KJV).
"And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by
wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled" (Colossians 1:21, KJV).
³Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin
abounded, grace did much more abound" (Romans 5:20, KJV).
"For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death
of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life²
(Romans 5:10, KJV).
Now, who really loves an enemy? Who would love an enemy so much that they
would die for them?
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the
ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure
for a good man some would even dare to die" (Romans 5:6-7, KJV).
Jesus taught this kind of Love in regard to the treatment of our enemies.
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do
good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you,
and persecute you" (Matthew 5:44, KJV).
In case you haven't noticed, this is totally foreign to the way human
beings normally act toward our enemies. When we are wronged, we want revenge.
We want to get even.
Oh yes, in a moment of benevolence we can be ³forgiving² towards
another. But if the motive of the heart was known, it is really our own
way of ³getting even². ³Yes, I will forgive you (you worm!)².
But that is not the kind of treatment Jesus was speaking of. We
forgive many times just to receive a thank you. Jesus said forgive and
love your enemies even if they spit in your face, as in reality they did
in his.
God is Love
God's love is not an attribute He has. It is the very essence of His
being. "God is love". (1 John 4:8, KJV). Everything God does is love in
action. People have such a hard time with understanding the love of God
thinking, "Its too good to be true". But I would say, "Its too good not
to be true".
In addition to God's love extended towards an enemy, it is also love in
spite of the response. People curse God, yet God still continues to love
them.
"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and
open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with
me² (Revelation 3:20, KJV).
Jesus knocks at some doors which are barricaded against his entrance.
Some doors which will never open. No matter, He will continue to knock.
One of the reasons we have such a hard time understanding the love of God is
because we try to understand it, instead of receive it. God's love is
revelatory.
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have
entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them
that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the
Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man
knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even
so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have
received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God;
that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which
things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but
which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for
they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:9-14, KJV).
God¹s Love is Redemptive
Now we will notice a few more things about the love of God. We saw that
God¹s love is aimed toward an enemy. But not so the enemy could continue
to be an enemy, but so that the enemy could become a friend. God¹s love
is not so much at who we were, but who He could make us in Christ. His
love has an aim - to make us just like His Son (Rom. 8:29).
God's love cannot be understood by those who have not entered into that
love by receiving Christ as Lord. The Bible tells us, ³The natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness
unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14, KJV).
If we are honest, we will agree that before coming to faith in Christ the Gospel was so much nonsense to
us. But when we received Him as Lord the Gospel made perfect sense.
The same is true of God's love, because God¹s love (remember) is God in
action, and the Gospel is the story of God in the action of redeeming His
crowning creation - man.
God's love therefore is a gift. "For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works,
lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9, KJV).
It is the Love of God the Father manifested that prompted the Apostle
John to write, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon
us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth
us not, because it knew him not" (1 John 3:1, KJV).
You do not understand God¹s love. You receive it as a gift. God¹s gift
of His love to you. He demonstrated it by Sending His Son as a proof of
the measure of His love. Therefore all we can do is receive His precious
offering (His grace) by faith.
Spirituality Christianity
sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8, KJV).
God's love for us was shown while we were yet sinners. That means
before we came to faith in Christ. Many Christians struggle with the ideal
that God loves them. I mean that He really loves them personally. 'Lip
service' is fine for playing 'Church'. But many will admit when they are
honest about it that they have no real ideal about God's love for them.
Don't be ashamed if you doubt the love of God. I did too, but there is a
solution. But you won't find it as long as you play 'church'. When you
understand the love of God - really understand His love, your whole life
will begin to be transformed - maybe for the first time!
So why don't we understand His love for us? The key is again in the
verse quoted above. God¹s love extended towards us while we were
enemies. That is not the only verse. Here¹s some more;
"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent
his Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10, KJV).
"And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by
wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled" (Colossians 1:21, KJV).
³Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin
abounded, grace did much more abound" (Romans 5:20, KJV).
"For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death
of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life²
(Romans 5:10, KJV).
Now, who really loves an enemy? Who would love an enemy so much that they
would die for them?
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the
ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure
for a good man some would even dare to die" (Romans 5:6-7, KJV).
Jesus taught this kind of Love in regard to the treatment of our enemies.
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do
good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you,
and persecute you" (Matthew 5:44, KJV).
In case you haven't noticed, this is totally foreign to the way human
beings normally act toward our enemies. When we are wronged, we want revenge.
We want to get even.
Oh yes, in a moment of benevolence we can be ³forgiving² towards
another. But if the motive of the heart was known, it is really our own
way of ³getting even². ³Yes, I will forgive you (you worm!)².
But that is not the kind of treatment Jesus was speaking of. We
forgive many times just to receive a thank you. Jesus said forgive and
love your enemies even if they spit in your face, as in reality they did
in his.
God is Love
God's love is not an attribute He has. It is the very essence of His
being. "God is love". (1 John 4:8, KJV). Everything God does is love in
action. People have such a hard time with understanding the love of God
thinking, "Its too good to be true". But I would say, "Its too good not
to be true".
In addition to God's love extended towards an enemy, it is also love in
spite of the response. People curse God, yet God still continues to love
them.
"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and
open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with
me² (Revelation 3:20, KJV).
Jesus knocks at some doors which are barricaded against his entrance.
Some doors which will never open. No matter, He will continue to knock.
One of the reasons we have such a hard time understanding the love of God is
because we try to understand it, instead of receive it. God's love is
revelatory.
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have
entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them
that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the
Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man
knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even
so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have
received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God;
that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which
things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but
which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for
they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:9-14, KJV).
God¹s Love is Redemptive
Now we will notice a few more things about the love of God. We saw that
God¹s love is aimed toward an enemy. But not so the enemy could continue
to be an enemy, but so that the enemy could become a friend. God¹s love
is not so much at who we were, but who He could make us in Christ. His
love has an aim - to make us just like His Son (Rom. 8:29).
God's love cannot be understood by those who have not entered into that
love by receiving Christ as Lord. The Bible tells us, ³The natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness
unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14, KJV).
If we are honest, we will agree that before coming to faith in Christ the Gospel was so much nonsense to
us. But when we received Him as Lord the Gospel made perfect sense.
The same is true of God's love, because God¹s love (remember) is God in
action, and the Gospel is the story of God in the action of redeeming His
crowning creation - man.
God's love therefore is a gift. "For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works,
lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9, KJV).
It is the Love of God the Father manifested that prompted the Apostle
John to write, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon
us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth
us not, because it knew him not" (1 John 3:1, KJV).
You do not understand God¹s love. You receive it as a gift. God¹s gift
of His love to you. He demonstrated it by Sending His Son as a proof of
the measure of His love. Therefore all we can do is receive His precious
offering (His grace) by faith.
Spirituality Christianity
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)