A complete edition was edited in 1904 for the Cambridge University Press as Richard Crashaw: Steps To The Temple, Delights of the Muses and Other Poems by A. R. Waller. December 26, 2015 From beginning to end, God's dealings with our race are cause for amazement. We cannot understand it but it is true, and we should marvel at it. Publisher: OpenBible.info. 10. But that is not what the Bible is talking about when it talks about salvation. Why not join every year with the shepherds on that first Christmas, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen (Luke 2:20)? There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. Now when you acknowledge a person's true worth or express a proper opinion of him, you may be said to be glorifying him. After this type of amazement has run its course nobody gives the cause of it a second thought. I love this word "glorify." But the significance of it would have passed her by. It is the kind of amazement we associate with special effects in a movie or with an Olympic gold medal winner. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost. Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. The other kind of amazement is a holy wonder in response to those acts of God which are beyond human comprehension. Music: Beecher, John Zundel, Christian Heart Songs, 1870. Blog, A Amen. In other words, peace will come when men are truly men of good will. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. The noun form of the word is doxa, which we have in our words "orthodox," "heterodox," and "paradox." They aren't all thinking of God or Jesus as they stand spellbound at the presents and tree on Christmas morning. The world won't let us miss the holiday. This is the first message that I would leave with you. There is one kind of amazement which is merely a tickling of the fancy. I am convinced that this thought was uppermost in Luke's mind as he set about to write this opening section of his gospel. Also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toilthis is God's gift to man. Malachi, who lived in the fifth century before Christ, was the last of the prophets. And yet this is what we often do with Jesus. Hopefully Christmas this year has been more than presents and parties for you, and youve taken time to focus on Jesus. The words of the angel to Joseph confirmed Joseph's authority and responsibility in the naming of Mary's child. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Who was He really? In Luke 2:8-20, it says: "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. In all that he does, he prospers. He explained the full force of the original language which literally means "Glory to God in the highest and peace among men of peace." How do you celebrate Christmas? But there is a second way also. Had God forgotten His people? "Peace, Perfect Peace" Words: Edward H. Bickersteth, Jr., 1875. Well, they had been out in the fields of Bethlehem in the middle of the night, watching over their sheep as they had for many hundreds of nights previously and as their fathers undoubtedly had before them. The second concerns the salvation of men. But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found . Thus says the Lord: "Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, for the customs of the peoples are vanity.A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. That has been the cry of God's people from the beginning "How long, O Lord, how long?" Visit the Bible online to search for words if you dont know the specific passage yourre looking for. He then assured the professor that the reason why the Christmas message was an apparent farce to him was not God's fault. There are two kinds of amazement. But at the same time, the one who will come to Jesus Christ will know a great peace even in a world that denies it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. H This is the message of the angels. He loves you so much that He gave His life for your salvation. Then take time each day to draw strength from His Word, the Bible, and to pray, and to have fellowship with other believers. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! Each year when I read the Christmas story, I am impressed with the role that the angels play in it. At best she might have guessed that the child that was born to her might possibly be the Messiah. In the book of Philippians, Paul speaks of this peace when he says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. When I return to these wonderful chapters of Matthew and Luke in order to prepare my Christmas messages, I always seem to find a detail that I had overlooked before and which therefore speaks to me in a new way. The Bible says that when Jesus was born, a multitude of angels appeared suddenly and erupted in joyful praise to God, saying: "Glory in the heights above to God, and upon earth peace among men of goodwill." ( Luke 2:13, 14) However, it is noteworthy that nowhere in the Bible is there even a suggestion that Jesus' birthday should be celebrated. Easter Easter is another holiday that is celebrated by Christians. God told us everything needed for life and godliness ( II Peter 1:2-4 ). If God did that, He would soon make a muddle of our Christian lives because "We do not know what we ought to pray for" (Romans 8:26), and we pray with wrong motives. It is not this way with joy. In other words, James is saying that war begins with men's emotions. Psalms 118:24 - This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. How can this be? - Sort By Book Order. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. But if the second type of peace is not something automatic that is, if you have to find it how do you find it? This is what theologians call, "Hypostatic union." It explains how God, the Son of God, took human nature but He remained God at the same time. It was dying because it had no adequate cause for which to live. Be patient! And David said to him, To whom do you belong? There is peace with God. What, for instance, is the difference between that wholeness experienced by a member of the church in the course of a counseling session with his minister and the wholeness gained by an atheist as the result of his session with a reputable but non-Christian psychiatrist? And he called out with a mighty voice, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! I am not referring to activity, of course. But of all these things, the incarnation of the Son of God is the most amazing. What had happened to these men? But the circumstances were not good. Frank E. Gaebelein writes about this passage in The Practical Epistle of James, "A few years ago, former Chancellor Hutchins of the University of Chicago said war begins in the minds of men. You can remember these events. Here are five great appearances of angels. For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. What is more, in these verses, God promises to give us all victories for peace if we ask Him. 7. Nevertheless, this is the day that most people, Christians and non-Christians alike, observe as His birthday, and if we are to mark it at all, this seems to be the only realistic time to do it. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. Verse 17 suggests that we are to tell others what we have seen and heard; but we can hardly do that effectively until we have first been amazed at Christ's birth, pondered its meaning, and glorified and praised God for it. However, God does promise to give us what we need (Philippians 4:19), and He promises to keep our minds in His peace, if we will pray to Him. (Great Neck, NY: Doniger & Raughley, 1955). Can you do that? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? The Truth! Why? Of course they did! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! What are we to say to such theories? On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath.. "O Come, All Ye Faithful" Words: John F. Wade, circa 1743. Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants. Once more they cried out, Hallelujah! Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. ( Egypt Today .) In the Christian religion, Jesus Christ is believed to be the son of God. Joy is a wonderful thing; it is an appropriate part of Christmas. BGEA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Be amazed at the event itself. If man could save himself, then there would have been no need for Jesus Christ to be born. It was a sad world in their time. Second, there is the strong possibility that the persons may not be in harmony but that they will want to make a pact between themselves in order to settle their differences. Like the message to Mary, this message also has four parts: Also, like the message to Mary, it has an important emphasis which, in this case, is the proclamation of joy. God did not forget! O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; Come and behold Him When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Can we doubt that the shepherds had something worth telling? Music: Pax Tecum, George T. Caldbeck and Charles J. Vincent, 1876. Because of the gospel, Christians understand that the peace of God is only for those who acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Yet, Solomon was inspired to write, "A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth" . The third message is of the outcome, which is joy for man and glory for God. Christmas is a very important holiday for Christians because it celebrates the birth of their savior. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. Of course, you can and you should! N Of course He should. God is faithful. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. The Bible does mention two individuals celebrating birthdays: the Egyptian Pharaoh in Joseph's time ( Genesis 40:20) and King Herod in Jesus' time ( Matthew 14:6; Mark 6:21 ). Some even contain good emphases. As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Nor would Joseph have known. In these verses the angel first greets Mary, then gives this message: "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. Moreover, if you will permit me to apply it in this way, it seems to me that apart from the truths which the angels revealed to Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds two thousand years ago concerning the birth of Christ apart from really understanding what they said and meant undoubtedly, this Christmas, the real meaning of the birth of Christ will pass us by also. But the problem is that what God means by the phrase is not what men generally mean when they use it. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. For we quickly come upon the Lord Jesus Christ's great invitation recorded in Matthew 11:28-30: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. And the promise of the angel "for He will save His people from their sins" are the greatest words of the entire Christmas story. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! This is the perfect combination a knowledge of the Good News and men who need to hear it. Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. 6. This central event in history divided the calendar into BC (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini - "In the Year of Our Lord"). Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Jehoshua, meaning "Jehovah is salvation." I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. Ponder on its meaning. So they have changed the line to read "Let us find that promised rest.". Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor. Anybody who knows good news is authorized to tell it, particularly when it is news that will be the means of salvation of others. Therefore encourage one another with these words. Let's consider four reasons why Christmas doesn't meet the criteria of being "Christian.". Though you have not seen him, you love him. In the first place, we are told that the shepherds, after they had come to Bethlehem and had seen the infant Jesus, "spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child." In other words, the shepherds became witnesses of the event. You can tell if you do by attempting to rehearse God's attributes. U Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Music: Antioch, arranged by Lowell Mason, 1836. Solicitation Disclosure Statement Imitate the shepherds in spreading the word concerning what you know about the Christ child. On December 25th people the world over will celebrate the birth of Lord Jesus Christ. He answered, "That old threadbare message of peace on earth, good will to men." He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In other words, the only ultimate essential for proclaiming the gospel is a knowledge of it. F Unless our way of talking about salvation makes distinctions here, our interpretations inevitably fall short of the biblical conceptions. (Revelation 22:17). It is a temporary fascination with something unusual. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. But how? Things seem to go as they have been going from the beginning, and you want something better. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. They must learn to love Him and to serve Him more and more. 11. What is the solution? May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans! So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. Happiness is related to circumstances. Our children's gift to us is their example of amazement which will lead us to recapture our own sense of amazement at the incarnation. "Has God forgotten me?" Finally, in chapter 1, verse 7, Paul indicates that the only solution to the problem lies in receiving peace from God: "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ." Colossians 2:16 Verse Concepts Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day Psalm 95:2 Verse Concepts This is what the shepherds did. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Tillich, Paul. So, according to Tillich, who popularized this approach in his three-volume Systematic Theology and in his lectures, salvation can therefore be applied "to every act of healing: to the healing of sickness, or demonic possession, and of servitude to sin and to the ultimate power of death" 6 It means "reuniting that which is estranged, giving a center to what is split, overcoming the split between God and man, man and his world, man and himself. Bible verses related to Celebrating Birthdays from the King James Version (KJV) by Relevance. Finally, there is the appearance of first one angel, than a multitude of angels to the shepherds as they were in the fields around Bethlehem. Keiper then took his Bible from his briefcase and turned to Luke 2:14, to the verse that is our text, and then read with his professor, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (KJV). There are five appearances of an angel, or angels, in the Christmas story, and another appearance of an angel to Joseph later to tell him to return to Israel from Egypt. Scripturally speaking, a Christian's celebrating a birthday is a non-issue. Why not join every year with the shepherds on that first Christmas, "glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen" (Luke 2:20)? We learn of His mercy. First, you need to learn about Jesus. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. Jesus answered him, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to him, How can a man be born when he is old?

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