Some bits about Christmas that I've learned…

 

Some bits about Christmas that I've learned…

1) Jesus wasn't born in December, but more than likely in September. Pope Julius I chose December 25 for the Feast of the Nativity, which also happened to be the date which coincided with the pagan festival known as Saturnalia.

2) The stable where he was born may have been a cave and not the typical stable that we see in nativity scenes. And more than likely, the wooden manger that we see Him depicted in, was hewn stone.

3) The wise men (magi) weren't present on the night of Jesus' birth. The Bible does not mention their names, nor if there were three of them.

4) There is much pagan influence in the Christmas that is celebrated today.

5) None of the above really matters because the fact remains that Christmas for me is about a birthday celebration, celebrating the birth of the very Son of God—God's gift to mankind!

So…

♩ ♪ ♫ ♬ For we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
Candles in the window
Carols at the spinet
And we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
We need a little Christmas now♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

Have you received the greatest Christmas present ever? His name is Jesus. He freely gave His life, suffering death on a cross for you and your sins. But He's alive. He beat the grave and rose from the dead. He lives and desires that you come to Him, that you be saved through Him. That's the Good News. It's the message of Christmas. It began in a feeding trough 2000 years ago and as the church bells ring out at Christmastime so does the Good News of Jesus Christ, God's plan of salvation and gift to mankind.

Have you accepted God's free gift of salvation? He stands knocking at the door of your heart, desiring for you to let Him in.

In this increasingly darkening world we need a little Christmas, right this very minute. We need Jesus Christ. He remains our only hope. All the signs of the current times indicate that He's coming again soon. He's coming to make things right and bring judgement upon this decaying world. And He's coming to take with Him those who know Him, those who have trusted in His name.

Please, please, please…think upon these things that I've shared here. I'm praying for you.

Dave ❤

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)

HIS BIRTH WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING…

“If Jesus had preached the same message
      that ministers preach today,
           He would never have been crucified.”
                —Leonard Ravenhill

For the most part preaching today is focused on feeling good about yourself and others. For the love of God, love for others, but a tragic disregard for the cross of Jesus Christ and its message.

JESUS DIED FOR YOUR SINS AND MINE! We are all sinners. In need of love and for loving others? Yes, but first and foremost we need to know the Source of that love, by accepting the Greatest Love, the love of God in His Son, Jesus. The love He displayed upon the Cross. The love displayed by the One who was sinless, who gave His life for us sinners.

It is impossible to separate Christ's love for us and His desire for us to love others, from the message of the Cross. In order to get to God we must go to the Cross, agreeing with God that we are sinners and accept His wonderful gift of salvation. It is only then when we discover what true, selfless, sacrificial love is all about.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” (1 John 3:16)

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)

My prayer for this Christmas season is for all to see the reason for the birth of Jesus—for His life, His death and His resurrection. He promises eternal life both now and forever to all who believe.  

❤ Merry Christmas,

~~Dave

The Lord will provide!

Good question…

“What's crazier: 

Living and dying

for a cause you really believe in,

or just running with the rat race

until you die?”

 —Lee Strobel, "The Case for Christ"

Daniel and the lions den

~ ~ ~

WHAT IF…?

WHAT IF JESUS WERE TO COME VERY SOON? He could. There is so much pointing to this reality. Would you be ready? But what if He didn't come for months or years more? Or what if He never came during your lifetime. What does it matter? Your life could end today. Death claims the lives of all us... naturally or unnaturally. The question remains. Would you be ready to meet the Lord?

Get ready. Please. How? Go to Him. He's as close as your next breath. The God of the Universe stands at the door of your heart and knocks, desiring for you to answer, to respond to Him and His wonderful forgiveness through His Son, Jesus.

You're a sinner. I'm a sinner. We're all sinners in need of a forgiving God. And God so loved the world that He gave His one and only, unique Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

If you haven't accepted Christ as your own Savior and Lord then what are you waiting for, a sign? Look around you? The signs are everywhere.

"Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Sin is a very heavy burden to carry without the forgiveness of a loving God. And if you don't know Christ then you continue to carry that burden until you give it over to Him. One needs to repent. Repenting means that you agree with God that you are a sinner and you turn to Him for forgiveness.

Don't wait until it's too late. Come to Him now. "Today is the day of salvation!"

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

One day, and perhaps one day soon, the Lord will call His Church, His Bride home…

An Urgent Message for Urgent Times...

I believe these are most urgent times. I believe the world is heading for the home stretch. The end of this age is upon us. Just take a moment and think of all that is transpiring around the globe. It should rattle you to the core. If it doesn't you should ask why.

We can ignore it and go about our business, continue to get caught up in the things of this world, or we can at least pause to consider that something is not right, that things aren't what they used to be, that there is an increasing presence of evil and disaster like never seen before in our lifetime.

I believe we are at the end and believe with all my heart that Jesus remains the Answer. He is salvation. Do you know Him? Don't say that you're a Baptist, a Methodist, an Episcopalian, a Catholic, an Orthodox or what have you. That doesn't matter in eternity. What matters is that your future destination is determined by what you do about Jesus Christ and Him only.

Do you know Him? Are you born again? Jesus, in speaking to Nicodemus said, "You must be born again... from above." Jesus came that we might have life. Life in Him and through Him. What that requires is that we must die to self and receive Him as our new life, our new birth. And in order to get there you first have to see yourself as in need of a savior.

About 33 years ago I was sitting in my living room reading the Gospel of John. Up till then I thought I was a Christian. After all, I wasn't Jewish, I thought, and I was brought up in a Christian church. But in reading the famous passage, John 3:16, it suddenly (God suddenly) hit me...

"For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten (one and only) Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

"...whoever believes in Him..."

For some reason the light went on and I became awakened to the fact that this Jesus and believing in Him is as personal as it gets. I finally realized that it's not enough to belong to a good church or be "brought up in the Christian faith." I must accept God's offer of salvation in His Son PERSONALLY.

It's not about being or becoming perfect. It's not about all the good deeds one does or doesn't do. It is all about Jesus Christ and Him crucified, dead, buried and rising from death. He is the "first fruit" of the promised resurrection for us, proving that through Him we too may have life, both now and forever.

"Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” — John 6:29

"And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." — John 17:3

So the question remains, "Do you know Him?

Don't wait any longer. Seek Him with all your heart while you can.

I'm praying for you.

— Dave

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