Bible Text: Hebrews 10:19-25 | Speaker: Jake Presley | Series: A Life that Honors God | (No YouTube Live stream of our service, broken equipment)

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January 14th, 2024
“A Life that Honors God part 1
Living in Light of the Cross”
Hebrews 10:19-25
 

Three ways we are to live in light of the cross:

Let us _____________ _____________ to God. (Hebrews 10:19-22)

Let us ____________ forward in ____________. (Hebrews 10:23)

Let us love _________ _____________________. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Read Hebrews 10:23.

What aspect of our hope are you clinging to the most these days?

Read 1Peter 1:3.

What does it mean that we have a living hope?

How have you seen God’s faithfulness in the past, in ways which

would encourage you to grab on to his hope today?

Read Hebrews 10:24.

What kind of love and good deeds is the writer talking about?

How can your small group “consider how to spur one another on

to love and good deeds?”

The word “love” in this passage is the Greek word “agape.”

It is the characteristic New Testament term for a love that is

not self-seeking, a love whose paradigm is the cross (1 John 4:10).

How can being together with other believers motivate you to this

kind of love in a way that being alone cannot?

“Good deeds.” Most of us want to live out our faith in a way that impacts needs,

but we just don’t know how. We need the kind of thinking that happens when

together, prompted by the Spirit, we generate ideas. What ways have you seen

people live out their love in action, during the last 6 months?

What needs are you aware of, which perhaps your small group could meet?

Read Hebrews 10:25.

Why do you think that the author insists so strongly

that we not give up meeting together?

How would you describe what happens when we gather together

(in small groups and/or large), which can’t happen when we’re alone?

How can we encourage those whom we have not seen in a while to

come back?

Consider memorizing Hebrews 10:24.

What personal needs has the Holy Spirit exposed during this study?

How can we pray with you about those needs?

 
Jake Presley
 

 
==============================
 
(Home Study Guide)
For the week of January 14, 2024
(Questions and Scriptures for further study)
 
 
1. Why do you need other believers in your life?
Describe a time when being with a group of people bolstered your spirit.
Read Hebrews10:19-25, and then discuss the following.
As you read this passage, which words or phrases were puzzling to you?
On initial reading, what jumps out as being immediately relevant for you?
 

The premise of this passage is that Jesus has accomplished incredible

blessing for us, therefore, we ought to do three things to fully capitalize
on that gift. The three actions are the “let us…” phrases in the passage.
See if you can identify them before going on.
Re-read Hebrews10:19-22.
What is meant by, “the Most Holy Place,” in Hebrews10:19?
How are we to take this reference?
Similarly, what is referenced by “the curtain” in Hebrews10:20?
What does it mean to “draw near to God with a sincere heart?”
What “assurance” does faith bring?
What cleansing is being described in thelast half of the verse?
Jake Presley
    

Bible Text: Luke 10:25-28 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: book study of Luke | (No YouTube Live stream of our service, broken equipment)

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January 7th, 2024
“How to Know You Have Eternal Life”
Luke 10:25-28
    

Read Luke 10:25-28….

Of all the questions that could ever be asked and answered, none is more important than this one, because every human soul is immortal.  Every human being ever born lives forever.  Our bodies die but our souls go on eternally; you will spend eternity in one of two places, heaven or hell.

You will be forever conscious that you are in heaven or hell.  Jesus now expresses that reality to a man who comes to ask how he can be sure he will be with God in heaven.

The timeframe here is important, for Jesus has already gone through Galilee with the message of the gospel.  He is now in His final months and is going through Judea’s villages and towns, where He is proclaiming the wonderful message of forgiveness for sin and eternal life, calling people to be true disciples of His.

In less than a year, Jesus will be executed on a cross, buried, rise from the dead on the 3rd day, show Himself to many of His followers over forty days, then He will ascend back into heaven, from where He will send the Holy Spirit, and the church age will begin.

Think about those who have pledged to follow Jesus so far, we know of the twelve (of which one would betray Him), then there are the seventy who He sent out and have just returned.

We know that after His resurrection He appears in Galilee to a group of 500 believers.  And yet, when the Holy Spirit comes to those who are gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem, after His ascension, their number is only 120.  After three years of Jesus demonstrating God’s divine love and power and healing, there is but a small remnant of those who have experienced God’s redeeming power

In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

Jesus is that narrow gate, he is the only way to God, for salvation cannot be acquired through ancestry, rituals, law keeping, or good works (John 14:6), “I am the [only] way, and the [only] truth, and the [only] life [from God]; no one comes to the Father [goes to heaven] but through Me.”

In Luke 10 we find a one-on-one encounter between Jesus and a lawyer [scribe] who asks, “What do I need to do to inherit eternal life?  Jesus will explain and expose what is necessary, according to God, for a person to have eternal life.

The phrase “eternal life” is used over 40 times in the New Testament.  In fact, it appears in every gospel.  But the encounter with this man is not a parallel to any other event.  This encounter is unique, and the main point here is for people to realize that they are going to live forever, either with God, or apart from God, and if you want to be in God’s kingdom for eternity you must have eternal life.

Let’s look at what some of the Scriptures say about eternal life:

John 3:14-16, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

John 5:24, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” 39-40, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.”

John 6:28-29, “Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” 40, “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds [looks upon, observes] the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

John 17:3, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

1John 5:11, “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” 13, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” 20, “And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”

The lawyer, in Luke 10, clearly has a recognition of eternal life, if he didn’t he wouldn’t ask how to have it.  He knows there is eternal life, not in the biological sense, eternally living in the body we have now [Greek, bio], but he is asking in the spiritual and eternal sense [Greek, Zoe] to live in a state of eternal blessing.

God promises an eternal kingdom of blessing, a place of joy, peace, and love where hope is realized and fulfilled beyond any human comprehension.

The question wouldn’t have been asked if the man didn’t believe in eternal life.  He wouldn’t need to know how to inherit it, if he didn’t believe that it existed.

God our Creator has put the longing for, and reality of, eternity in our hearts.  Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven— A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance. A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing. A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace.“ 11, “He has made everything appropriate in its time. [God] has  .” 14, “I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear [revere with awe] Him.”

The subject of eternity is taught in both Old and New Testaments, in fact, Daniel writes that, after the time of the Lord’s return and judgement, man will either experience eternal rejoicing or eternal mourning, (Daniel 12:1-2), “There will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people [those with eternal life], everyone who is found written in the book [Lamb’s Book of Life], will be rescued. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life [in heaven with God], but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt [condemnation in hell].”

God established an eternal kingdom, where all those who belong to Him will live and enjoy all of its pleasures and joys, in God’s glorious presence (Revelation 21:1-8), “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He *said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars [all who reject God], their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

So who can overcome sin, death, and judgement?

1John 5:4-5, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

We have talked about the reward of eternal life, it is granted, inherited, to all those who belong to God through belief in God’s Son, Jesus Christ.  But we really haven’t answered the lawyer’s question to Jesus of how he can have eternal life.

Let’s look again at Luke 10:26…  Jesus said to him.”What is written in the law? How does it read to you?”  In other words, what is written in the law concerning what God requires for someone to inherit eternal life?

The man is a lawyer, an expert in the Law of God, and he knows that Jesus is referring to the first five books of the Old Testament, called the Pentateuch, which was written by God through Moses.  These Books are summarized in the Ten Commandments, and further summarized in the Shema [meaning “hear and obey,”from Deuteronomy 6:4-5].  This portion of Scripture was to be recited by all Jews two times every day.

The lawyer responds to Jesus in the first part of Luke 10:27, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind,” and the additional clause, “and your neighbor as yourself,” is quoted from Leviticus 19:18.

When Jesus was asked this very same question in Mark 12:28 (by a scribe), Jesus responded (Mark 12:30-31), ”’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.’”

The word used for love in the above passage is agapaō; it’s not phileō, brotherly love; it’s not eros, sensual love; it’s not storgē, family love.  Agapaō is sacrificial, willful, devoted, perfect, godly love, and is used repeatedly in (1Corinthians 13:4-8), “Love is patient, love is kind not jealous; love does not brag, is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

In other words, if you want to inherit eternal life on your own merit, all you have to do is love God perfectly, without any sin, without any failure, and you are to love others as you love yourself.  But the reality is no one can do that, no one is perfect, no one is without sin, no one can earn or merit eternal life, for it is unattainable and can only be received as a gift from God to all those who believe in God’s Son for salvation. (See Romans 3:10-12, 23-24; 6:23; 5:8; 8:1; 10:9-10, 13).

Although Jesus affirms the man’s response (Luke 10:28), “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”  It would seem from the man’s next question that he clearly is not confident that he has inherited eternal life (Luke 10:29), “But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’”

The next time we are together, on February 11, I will do a little recap on today’s lesson and then I will make a diligent effort to comprehensively answer the lawyer’s question to Jesus in Luke 10:29, “Who is my neighbor?” by providing an exegesis of the parable of the Good Samaritan given by Jesus in Luke 10:30-37. 

     The parable of the Good Samaritan is a simple, and yet, a very complex illustration of how a person’s life gives evidence that he or she has received eternal life from God.  I hope to see you on February 11.

 
Pastor Mike Hale
>’(((><

Bible Text: Luke 10:17-24 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | (No YouTube Live stream of our service, broken equipment)

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December 31st, 2023
“The Seventy Return!”
    

The last time we were in our Luke study was November 12, when we studied what happened after Jesus sent out the seventy disciples in pairs (cf. Luke 10:1), telling them in Luke 10:8 “Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you; 9 and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’”

When Jesus first began His ministry we read (Mark 1:14-15), “Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’”

Clearly the purpose for the gospel is to make people aware of their sin, and therefore, their need for forgiveness; which can only be received by those who genuinely believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

As the seventy went out, according in Luke 10, they were bringing the good news that God’s Salvation had come to them, and forgiveness and eternal life could be received by believing the One of whom the Seventy were proclaiming.

In Luke 10:3, Jesus told the seventy that they were to “be going!”  They weren’t to be waiting for people to come to them, but were to take the message of Christ, being sent “like lambs among wolves,” because the world hated Christ, it also would hate those who bring the message of salvation through Him alone.

Like lambs in a world of wolves, believers today, just like the believers in Luke 10, must trust in the Shepherd-Savior to protect and provide for them.

The seventy would face persecution, just as the Apostles would, who, as far as we know, were martyred for the sake of Christ, all except John who was thought to have died on the island of Patmos, after receiving the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

As we read earlier, Jesus told them (cf. Luke 10:8-11), to stay with those who received their message about Him, and to heal all of those who were sick, both spiritually and physically, among those who received their message; but for any house or town that would not receive them, they were to shake the dust off their feet as a “testimony against” those who rejected the message of Christ.

See Luke 10:16….  The disciples were sent out to bring God’s message of reconciliation and healing to the lost and unbelieving.  For someone to reject their message, was to reject the forgiveness and salvation of God.  The Jews had a practice, when returning to Israel from a Gentile country: they would shake the dust from their feet and sandals, so as not to bring pagan soil into Israel.  By this same gesture, the Seventy were saying that any house or village that rejected them, also rejected God’s salvation, and therefore remained condemned.

2Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

2Corinthians 5:18-21, “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Until the Lord returns, we must urgently and compassionately share the good news of salvation through Christ; for all who reject Him are condemned to an eternal hell.  Like the Seventy who were sent, we also are to be going, telling unbelievers about God’s Son, so that they might believe in Him and be saved. Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe [obey] all that I commanded you.”  Why do we do this?  John 3:36, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey [believe and receive] the Son will not see life, [for] the wrath of God [remains] on him.”

Romans 10:9-10, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

Romans 10:13-15, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord [for the forgiveness of sin] will be saved. How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without [someone telling them]? How will they [tell them] unless they are sent? Just as it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!’” 17, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

1John 5:11-13, “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God [for salvation], so that you may know that you have eternal life.”  Hear, Believe, Receive Christ!

See Luke 10:17….  The seventy returned to Jesus full of joy, because they had power over demons.  Earlier in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus sent out the Twelve (Luke 9:1-2), “And gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing.”

Demons are subject to the name of Christ, for He is Almighty God and Sovereign Authority and Judge over All.  Demons are not however subject to any human authority or power, except those who are given the authority from Christ Himself, e.g., in Acts 19, there were some exorcists at Ephesus who tried to expel a demon from a man (vv. 15-16), “‘And the evil spirit answered and said to them, ‘I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?’ And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them [the exorcists] and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”

The seventy return to Jesus, excited because they had authority over demons, and Jesus responds to them (Luke 10:18) saying, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.”  What does that mean?  I’m glad you asked!

First of all, the verb translated ”I was watching,” is speaking of a continual process, not just one event.  And when you add the imagery of Satan falling from heaven like lightning, in reference to the seventy’s having had power over demons to release prisoners from their spiritual captivity, it most likely is speaking of how Jesus was watching Satan’s kingdom being destroyed, as one person at a time was freed from the kingdom of darkness and condemnation of sin, while being brought into the kingdom of light and salvation, made effectual through Jesus Christ alone!

2Corinthians 4:3-6, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

Luke 15:7, 10,”I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”  “I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

See Luke 10:19….  What does that mean?  Good question.  How could having power over serpents and scorpions even come close to having power over demons?  Well, it couldn’t, unless serpents and scorpions are metaphors for demons.  Guess what?  They are, as the following passages will affirm.

Revelation 12:9, “And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

Revelation 20:2, “And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.”

In Revelation 9:1-11 we are told that demons like locusts are released from the abyss to come upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They are to hurt only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. And men will seek death; they will long to die, but death will not be found. The locusts had faces like the faces of men, hair like the hair of women, and their teeth like the teeth of lions. The sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle.

They have tails like scorpions, and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. The king over the demon locusts, is the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek Apollyon [Destroyer].

We are victorious overcomers by believing in what Christ accomplished on the cross and at the empty tomb.

1John 5:5, “Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

See Luke 10:20….  Jesus reminds the seventy of the greatest reason for rejoicing, not because of anything we might accomplish, even though we are doing it to the honor and glory of God; but we rejoice because our names are recorded in the Book of Life, the contact list for all those who will spend eternity in heaven with God (Revelation 21:27), “those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

See Luke 10:21….  You have no doubt heard it said that God has so convincingly revealed Himself to us by what He has created [for there must then be a creator: painting = painter; building = builder; watch = watch maker], that a child can see and understand and believe that God exists.

Mark 10:13-15, “And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, ‘Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.’”

Jesus was saying that children have nothing to be proud of or to boast about, no wisdom or knowledge, or wealth or fame or power; they come to God humbly, admitting their need for Him; as all who come to God must do.  And this is well-pleasing to the Father, Who has turned all things over to the Son, so that He might show us and impart to us those things that prophets and kings desired to see, and to know, and to understand; all that has been revealed to us in and through Christ.

Hebrews 11 is called the Hall of Faith, where we find the names of people who pleased God: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Samson, David, Samuel, and many others of who it is said (Hebrews 11:39-40), “having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.”

Wow!  As New Testament believers, under the New Covenant, we have the privilege to know the mysteries of God’s Kingdom that were kept secret in the Old Testament and could only be revealed through the life, death, and resurrection, of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:7-10, “ In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.”

1John 1:1-10, “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”

There are two groups of people in this world: Forgiven Sinners and Unforgiven Sinners.

Romans 3:10-12, “as it is written, ‘There is none righteous, not even one; ‘there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.’”  Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 8:1, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Again, there are only two groups of people in this world: Forgiven Sinners, and Unforgiven Sinners.  Jesus turns no one away (Romans 10:13), “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  Which one are you?

 
Pastor Mike Hale
>’(((><

Bible Text: various | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | (No Live stream of our service, broken equipment)

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| Links from Our Website:
 

 
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December 24th, 2023
“Sovereign Event: The Birth of God’s Son!”
    

Read Luke 1:5-25…  Zechariah is in the Holy of Holies when Gabriel tells him that his wife Elizabeth is going to give birth to a son, and he is to name him John [which means, God is gracious]; this son of theirs will fulfill the prophecy of Malachi 4:5-6 (cf. Matthew 11:10-14).

Luke 1:26-38…  Gabriel tells Mary she is going to have God’s Son, and also that her aunt Elizabeth (who had been barren) is now six months pregnant.

Luke 1:39-45…  Mary goes to Elizabeth, the Holy Spirit confirms, both her and Elizabeth’s pregnancy, just as Gabriel had said, Mary (v. 56) stayed three months.

The Jewish priestly cycles at the Temple and the seven major Feasts and Festivals (Passover, First fruits, Harvest, Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Tabernacles, Hanukkah), when applied to the NT Scriptures concerning the conception and birth of both, Jesus, and John His cousin, reveal some very amazing things.

According to the Jewish calendar, Mary’s visit would have been late in the 9th month of Kislev (Nov/Dec); not surprisingly, the Jewish festival of Hanukkah [Festival of Lights] begins on the 25th day of Kislev, which just happens to be very close to December 25, Christmas, when we celebrate the birth of Jesus: the Light of the World (John 8:12), “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (1John 1:5), “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”

     Read Luke 1:57-66…  John means, God is gracious — John would have the awesome privilege and responsibility to announce the beginning of the ministry of God’s Son, the Messiah.

John 1:29, “The next day [John] saw Jesus coming to him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” 31-34, “‘I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.’ John testified saying, ‘I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

John was six months older than Jesus, and since John’s birth was near or during Passover (Nisan= Mar/April), Jesus would have then been born in the month of Tishri (Sept/Oct) about the time of the Feast of Tabernacles.

Although our celebration of Christmas doesn’t line up with the actual birth of Jesus, it very likely lines up with the time of Christ’s conception in the womb of Mary.

Read Luke 2:1-7…  Joseph took Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem, to register in the town of both their ancestors , according to the census being taken.

According to Matthew’s genealogy (1:1-16) its purpose (v. 1) is to give, “The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David.”  It follows the bloodline (v. 6), through David’s son Solomon, to Joseph (Jesus’ legal father) (v. 16), “Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.”

Luke’s genealogy (Luke 3:23-38) is (v. 23), the record of Jesus, “When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed [lit. as it was being thought] , the son of Joseph, the son of Eli [Mary’s father].”  Luke is following the line of Mary (Jesus’ blood mother), through David’s son Nathan (v. 31); and since there was no specific Greek word for “son-in-law,” Joseph was called the “son of Eli” by marriage to Mary (Eli’s daughter).

Tracing a genealogy through the mother’s side is unusual, but so was the virgin birth; but it is important that both Mary and Joseph were in the ancestry line of David, so that Jesus meets the requirement of being both a legal and bloodline  descendant of David, and therefore eligible to be the Messiah. While Joseph and Mary were there, it came time for the baby to be born, and since they could find no place to stay, Mary gave birth to her firstborn, a son, and placed Him in a manger; perhaps in the stable behind the inn, or maybe underneath the first floor of a house, where animals were kept.

Read Luke 2:8-20…  An angel of the Lord appeared and announced to some shepherds the birth of God’s Son.  They said (v. 12), the baby would be wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

A large number of angels appeared praising God, the shepherds then went to Bethlehem to see all God had done, and there they found Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus who was lying in a manger, just as they were told.

Shepherds were at the bottom of the Jewish social order, because they couldn’t participate in the religious rituals and ceremonies; and yet, out of all the people in and around Jerusalem, God chose a small band of shepherds to be the ones to witness the birth of His Son (John 10:11), “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”  1Peter 5:4 says He is “the Chief Shepherd,” to Whom all other shepherds in the church will give an account.

After looking upon the baby Jesus, Luke 2:18 says the shepherds went out into the streets, sharing the good news that the Savior had indeed been born.

Luke 2:19 says, “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart,” “all these things” meaning: the angel’s announcement about Mary’s Holy conception, Joseph’s response to this news, Elizabeth’s marvelous greeting, and the special names “Jesus” and “Immanuel,” to be given to her baby boy!

The shepherds (v. 20) “returned (to their flocks), glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”

Jesus came to earth the first time, in the flesh of a helpless baby boy; the next time, He will come as the Warrior King, Sovereign Lord, and Righteous Judge over All (cf. Revelation 19:11-16).

At Jesus’ first coming there was no decent room available for Him to be born in; upon His return to the Father in heaven, He began preparing a place for all those who love Him, where we will live forever with Him in a new universe.

John 14:1-3, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also,” (Revelation 21:1-5a), “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’”

Only a few shepherds witnessed the first coming of Jesus; but when He returns to earth again, everyone in the world will see Him (Revelation 1:7), “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.”  

The first time Jesus came, a single star marked His arrival (cf. Matthew 2:1-2, 7-10).  Ultimately, the whole universe will be lit by His glory (Revelation 22:5), “And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever. (cf. Revelation 19:5-8; 21:22-25; 22:16).

The first time Jesus came, some wisemen (Magi) from the East (probably Persia) brought Him very special gifts to worship Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh (cf. Matthew 2:11b).  The next time Jesus comes, He will bring rewards for every believer (cf. Revelation 22:12-13).

The ultimate preparation for the next time Jesus comes, is to believe in and respond to what He said, did, fulfilled, and promised the first time He came.

Hebrews 1:1-4, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they,” (Philippians 2:8-11), “Being found in appearance as a man, He [Jesus] humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father,” (Acts 2:21), “And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved,” (Acts 4:12), “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

More books and song lyrics have been written about, and more paintings have been done of, Jesus than any other person in history.  The world’s calendar dating system (B.C., A.D.), two major holidays (Christmas, Easter), the first day of every week (Sunday), and the praise and worship of billions of followers, declares that this Jesus is indeed very, very, special.

Hebrews 9:26-28, “He [Jesus Christ, God’s Son] has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.”

1John 5:11-13, “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

Jesus is the reason for the season of Christmas.  He is (John 14:6) the only way to God, the only embodiment of truth from God, and the only life with God; no one will be justified before the Father, and no one will go to heaven, apart from believing in Him, for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

This same Jesus was the baby who was born to a virgin in Bethlehem, in Judea; He was laid in a manger where shepherds came and witnessed Him.  A year or so later, when Jesus was a toddler, some wisemen [Magi] came and worshipped Him as King.  He is both Lord and Savior: crucified, resurrected, and coming again to gather all those who belong to Him, to be with Him forever!

This is the One to whom we give tribute at Christmastime, for He is the Reason for the Season and the only hope now and forever, and for that reason we gladly

and joyously proclaim to all,

 
Merry Christmas!
 
Pastor Mike
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December 17h, 2023
“A Biblical Record of Those Who Honored the Christ Child”
    
See Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38; 2:1-7… 
 

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a young virgin, named Mary.

The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”  Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”  The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you, so that the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.”  Then the angel left her.

Because Joseph was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, for He will save his people from their sins.”

When Joseph was awakened, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

Joseph and Mary went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, in order to register according to the census being taken.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and Mary gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Mary & Joseph Trusted God: All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet Isaiah 7:14, some 700 years before Christ’s birth, “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” -which means, “God with us.”

Joseph kept Mary a virgin until she gave birth to a son, to whom Joseph gave the name, Jesus –which means, “God’s salvation.”       Christmas is in celebration of God sending His own Son to us in the flesh of a baby.  He is the Savior who has been born in the town of David; He is Christ the Lord.

 
The Shepherds Praised Him: (Luke 2:8-20)
 

See Luke 2:8-18 records that “there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. Suddenly a great company of heavenly host appeared to the shepherds, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace toward men on whom God’s sovereign pleasure rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

After looking upon the baby Jesus, the shepherds went out from the manger into the streets, sharing the good news that the Savior had indeed been born.

Luke 2:19 records, “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”  No doubt, Mary thought back to the angel’s announcement about her Holy conception, to how Joseph had responded to this news, and to the special names “Jesus” and “Immanuel,” to be given to her baby boy!

The shepherds according to verse 20, “returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”

How about you?  Are you praising God for this magnificent Gift: Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Who came to earth in the flesh of a baby; in His early 30’s He was put to death on a cross, because He claimed to be God; on the third day after His death, eye witnesses said He rose from the grave (just like He had said He would).

 
The Magi Worshiped Him: (Matthew 2:1-11)
 

See Matthew 2:1-11, “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.   When he had called together all the chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. In Bethlehem in Judea, they replied, ‘for this is what the prophet has written: But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.’  After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.”

These Magi (learned men who studied the heavens) came from the Far East, in order to find, honor, and worship the newborn King.  

     The Magi arrived sometime after the birth, for Joseph and Mary are at a house, no longer at the manger, they were waiting on instructions from God on where and when to travel.  Notice that Jesus is not called a baby here, but the word is child, for He is a toddler by this time.

The Magi present Jesus with very significant gifts:

Gold, one of the most precious metals, it speaks of Christ’s royalty and prominence as King of Kings.

Frankincense, an expensive incense made from tree resin, used on special occasions (sacrificial offerings), as a symbol of the people’s desire to please God; it may also speak of His Deity, and His obedient submission to the Father.

Myrrh, a valuable aromatic gum resin, was sold as a spice or medicine, and was commonly used in the preparation of bodies for burial; it, no doubt, is a foreshadowing of Christ’s own suffering and death.

The Magi brought gifts honoring the King of Kings –Jesus Christ, who came to provide forgiveness for sins and eternal life to all who would trust Him.

He went to the cross and died, in order to make final payment for all our sins; He rose from the grave on the third day, just like He said He would, in order to prove that He is Almighty God, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and Savior of all who trust in Him.  He alone is worthy of Worship!

 
The Reason for the Season is  JESUS! 
 

Christmas is a compound word made up of the words “Christ” [which means, the anointed One], and “Mass” [which means, a festival for religious observance].  Christmas commemorates a celebration in honor and worship of Jesus Christ, the Anointed One from God, who has already come.

The statistical probability that any one man could fulfill just 8 of the prophecies made about the birth, life, death & resurrection of Jesus, would be written as one in one quintillion (1 in 10 to the 17th power or one with eighteen zeros: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000).

If you covered the state of Texas with silver dollars to a depth of two feet (marking one of the dollars in a special way), and you allowed someone to randomly pick out any one dollar and hold it up — the chances that the person would pick out the silver dollar that had been marked, would be 1 in 10 to the 17th power.

But you know, Jesus didn’t just fulfill 8 prophecies, He fulfilled over 300 prophecies; in fact, every prophecy made concerning the coming of God’s One and Only Son, the Savior of the world, and all that He would accomplish while He was on earth….Jesus Christ fulfilled every one of them!

How can anyone believe that what the Bible records about Jesus Christ is just a myth or a well constructed hoax?  What the Bible teaches about the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the absolute and sovereign truth.

Jesus Christ is God’s One and Only Plan, Provision, and Promise by which we might receive forgiveness for sins and eternal life.

 
Let us take time this Christmas to do the following:
 

Trust in and Reflect on who Jesus is, as did Mary when she Treasured up everything in her heart that had been said and done (the angel’s announcement about her Holy conception; Joseph’s response to this news; the special names given to the baby – “Jesus” [God’s salvation], and “Immanuel” [God with us])!

Spread the word like the shepherds, who once they had seen Jesus, couldn’t help but share the good news with everyone, Praising God for the Savior’s birth.

Honor Him, as did the Magi, when they brought their gifts in order to Worship the Child-King, God’s One & Only Son, the Lord and Savior of Mankind.

God came to earth and put on the flesh of a baby boy named Jesus; He went to the cross, so that everyone who believes in Him will receive forgiveness for sins and eternal life; then He rose from the grave to demonstrate eternal life.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.

Only through Jesus Christ can we [you] experience God’s LOVE, God’s PEACE, God’s PRESENCE, and the true JOY of Christmas.

2Corinthians 9:15, “Thanks be to God for His Indescribable Gift!

Again, let’s practice saying and meaning the greeting we should be proclaiming to everyone we meet, and those we talk with on the phone, or those we write a message to via text message and/or email: Merry Christmas!

 
Pastor Mike Hale
>’(((><

Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Advent | Above is the
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December 10th, 2023
“A Biblical Account of Those Who Missed Christmas”
 

Jesus Christ is the Reason for Christmas; and yet, most of the world’s 7,900,000,000 people will not celebrate the birth of God’s Son this year, just as the majority of people didn’t celebrate His birth, when He was born, in Bethlehem, over 2,000 years ago.   Most of the world’s people today reject or neglect God’s greatest gift of love to us, His own Son.

The shepherds, on the night of Christ’s birth, were given a marvelous message (Luke 2:11), “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.” (14), “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to [all people] on whom His favor rests.”

The first time Jesus came, He arrived in the flesh of a baby, born to a virgin, and only a few shepherds came to witness the Savior’s birth.  After seeing the baby, we are told (Luke 2:17-18), the shepherds went about telling everyone they met what had happened and what they had seen, just as God’s angel had told them.

Have you taken time yet to share the good news of Jesus Christ?  Perhaps you have been stressed out because of personal or family problems, health issues, worries about the economy, the war in Israel, or maybe you’ve just been too busy enjoying the season to tell someone the true meaning of Christmas [Christ, Holy One; Mass, a religious observance], i.e., Christmas is in honor of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Lord and Savior.

The majority of people in the world will miss Christmas this year, next year, and the years that follow.  How can that be?  How can anyone miss Christmas, given the history, the amount of publicity, and the commercial promotions that this holiday receives every year?

For those of us who know and love the Lord Jesus Christ, Christmas is a time to focus on His birth; but even Christians can get caught up in all the activity associated with Christmastime, forgetting to worship the Savior who has come.

How many of us really consider the sobering truth that Jesus, God’s Son, was born for the purpose of dying for the sins of the world.  That is God’s greatest gift to us, forgiveness for sins and eternal life through Christ the Lord.

Was Jesus really born in December?  Probably not, in fact most biblical scholars do not consider December 25th as the date of Christ’s birth, and there is absolutely no biblical support for that date.  So why do we celebrate Christ’s birth on December 25?

Truth be told, it was decided upon by the Catholic Bishops in Rome (4th century A.D).  At that time, a majority of the earth’s inhabitants were sun worshipers who praised the sun god for seasons and crops; they held feasts during the winter solstice (a time when the days are shortest); they built large bonfires to implore the sun god to lengthen the days, and as they grew longer, the worshippers rejoiced and celebrated.

For the Romans, the month of December marked the Festival of Saturnalia.  John MacArthur writes in his book (GOD WITH US:The Miracle of Christmas, pg. 50), “Our focus On December 25 came from the Roman holiday called Saturnalia.  This was a pagan observance of the birthday of the unconquered sun.  Saturnalia began December 19 each year, which, in the northern hemisphere, is when the days start getting longer, [the celebration] continued with seven days of wild revelry.  Many of our Christmas customs have their origin in Saturnalia, which was marked by feasting, parades, special music, gift giving, lighted candles, and green trees.  As Christianity spread through the Roman Empire, the pagan holiday was given Christian connotations.  In 336 A.D., Emperor Constantine declared Christ’s birthday an official Roman Holiday.  Some church leaders, such as Chrysostom, rebuked Christians fore adopting a pagan holiday, but December 25 has endured as the date we celebrate Christ’s birth.”

Many historians believe that the first Christmas tree was instituted by Boniface, an English missionary to Germany in the 8th century, who supposedly sought to replace the practice of sacrifices being made to the god Odin’s sacred oak, with a fir tree that was decorated in honor of Christ.  There are also credible accounts claiming that Martin Luther was the first to introduce a Christmas tree lighted with candles.

The name “Santa Claus” is a contraction of St. Nicholas, an actual Christian bishop in Asia Minor during the 4th century, who was known for his extraordinary generosity, and was later associated with the giving of presents at the end of the year.  It is said that St. Nicholas was adopted in the Netherlands as the patron saint of children, and on St. Nicholas eve, the children would put out their wooded shoes filled with hay for the saint’s white horse, only to find them filled with small toys and candy the next morning.

With all these historical renditions (whether true or not) of what goes on during Christmastime, is it any wonder that so many people are confused and miss Christmas?  The biblical story of the birth of Christ is overshadowed by a multitude of traditions and celebrations today; but the reality is, most of the people who were there when Christ was born in Bethlehem, missed it.  The Scriptures record several reasons why the people in and around Jerusalem 2000 years ago missed Christmas, as well as why most of those living today don’t celebrate Christ’s birth.

 
Self-importance…
 

See Matthew 2:1-3, 7-8…  Here we meet Herod, the so-called king of the Jews (by his own proclamation); he was fearful of the One born in Bethlehem, who was the true King of the Jews.  The Greek word translated “troubled” (Matthew 2:3) means, “to be agitated” or “stirred up,” “panicked”. Herod was afraid of baby Jesus.

Herod was known to be cruel and merciless; the thought of losing his position of power and prominence to some newborn child, was unthinkable!  Herod was known to have had anyone put to death who rose in popularity among the people under his reign, even his own wife, sons, and other relatives; but his most barbaric act (cf. Matthew 2:16) was the slaughter of “all the male children who were in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas, from two years old and under.”  By doing this, he hoped to kill Jesus, who was the major threat to his throne; the One who the magi said had been born King of the Jews.

Herod missed Christmas because he was a psychopathic megalomaniac: unwilling to give up his self acclaimed authority and control, like many people today who want what they want when they want it, and anyone who tries to prevent them from getting or keeping it becomes an enemy and a threat.  They won’t come to Christ because they think He will force them to give up or change the way they live.

Today’s psychologists, internet social platform gurus, false religious teachers, and media magnets are telling people to do their own thing, be the master of their own fate, and determine their own destiny.  The world is full of self professed kings who won’t recognize, let alone kneel before, Christ, so they miss Christmas just like Herod did.

 
Indifference…
 

See Matthew 2:4-6…  Once Herod learned from the magi that a child would be born King of the Jews, he gathered the religious experts [chief priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Teachers of the Law] who knew the Messiah was to be born in “Bethlehem,” as per the prophecy of Micah 5:2.

At the time of Christ’s birth, the Jewish nation had been waiting centuries for their Messiah [Redeemer, Rescuer, Deliverer] to come, they are still waiting and looking for Him to come, for these religious leaders were unwilling to travel to Bethlehem, just a few miles from Jerusalem, to find out if the Messiah had indeed been born, just like Micah had said.

These self-righteous overseers of religious law and practice missed Christmas because they just didn’t care, their hearts full of pride had no room for the Son of God.

From the moment Jesus stepped out to begin His ministry, these religious leaders hated and despised Him, and wanted to kill Him.  Jesus exposed their arrogant indifference to Him (Matthew 9:12-13), “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

See Luke 18:10-14…. Many people today miss Christmas because they don’t have any interest in the Savior; they don’t understand the depth of their own depravity and their need to be saved; and so they reject the Bible’s truth that we are all sinners, the punishment for sin is eternal hell, and the only hope is to repent and believe in Jesus Christ alone for salvation and eternal life (cf. Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 8:1;10:13; John 14:6).

 
Religious Activity…       
 

Luke 2:20 tells us that after seeing the baby Jesus, “The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.” Out of all the people in and around Jerusalem, God singled out a few shepherds to receive the news and be witnesses of the birth of Christ.  Shepherds in Israel were considered lower class citizens because, they couldn’t maintain all the ceremonial washings and religious activities mandated in orthodox Judaism

The majority of the people in and around Jerusalem missed Christmas because they were very religious, busy with rituals and ceremonies, so they missed Christ’s birth.  Religion apart from God will damn more people to hell than anything else, because religion gives a person a counterfeit sense of spiritual security, of being justified or made acceptable to a holy God.

People are deceived by cults and world religions that talk about God, reference the Bible, and may even teach about someone named Jesus; but He is not the historical biblical Jesus, Messiah, Christ, God’s Son, Creator, Sustainer, Lord, Savior, and Judge over all, who was crucified, resurrected, and is coming back.

Most of the world’s religious people are lost, separated from life with God because they don’t acknowledge Christ, like the people of Jerusalem (1st century A.D.) who missed the Messiah’s birth, while they were performing religious acts of piety that couldn’t save them.

 
Idolatry…
 

Most of the Greco-Roman [Gentile] world missed Christmas because of their idolatrous worship of false gods.  It is no surprise that today most people also miss Christmas because they worship a variety of idols, but mostly worship themselves.

See Acts 17:22-29…  About 20 years after Jesus ascended into heaven, Paul is in Athens standing before the Areopagus (the council or judiciary that judged the beliefs and behaviors of men), similar to the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem.

Paul tells them (cf. Acts 17:23) that he is going to introduce them to the god who was at that time unknown to them, “The God who made the world and everything in it.”  The God who doesn’t live in temples or need manmade things, for He is the Creator of all things; and in fact, He made from one man [Adam] every nation, determining when, where, and how long they should live. God did this so mankind would seek Him, know Him, and become His children.

See Acts 17:30-31…  Paul declares that until Jesus came, God overlooked the ignorance and idolatry of all who did not know God, but now God has commanded that everyone repent and believe in Christ, who died and rose from the dead, showing Himself to all who would believe in Him for salvation (cf. Romans 10:9-10).

The world today is still full of people who worship their own manmade gods, not statues made of gold, silver, wood, or clay, but idols still the same: money, cars, boats, houses, land, power, prominence, good looks, good health, etc., all these are equal to the idol worship of the first century A.D., leading people to miss Christmas.

 
Over-Familiarity…
 

Luke 2:39-40 says, “When they [Mary, Jesus, and Joseph] had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth. And the Child continued to grow and became strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.”

Even the people of Jesus’ home town missed Christmas.

When Jesus returned to Nazareth, He was unnoticed, like any other Jewish child; and even though Jesus spent thirty years of His life in Nazareth, the residents failed to recognize Him as the Savior (Luke 4:16-22), “And [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written (Isaiah 61:1-2), ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.’ And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’ And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”

Luke 4:28-30, “And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, He went His way.”

The people of Nazareth missed the Christ of Christmas, because they knew Jesus as Joseph’s son, not as their Messiah.  Sadly, most of us know people who were raised in a Christian home and yet they don’t believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Over-familiarity can blind people to the truth, i.e., when you’ve heard something so many times, without believing it or confirming it in your own mind and heart, such over-familiarity can often breed indifference and/or contempt.

As we have studied today, there are many reasons why people miss Christmas, as I have mentioned: self-importance, indifference, religious activity, idolatry, and over-familiarity.  But behind all those so-called reasons remains the real problem: unbelief.  How sad it is that most people continue to reject God’s Son, Jesus Christ, for Salvation.

Luke 2:10-11, The angel said to [the shepherds] “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Acts 2:21, “And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved,”

Acts 4:12, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Matthew 1:23, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” 21, “You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life,”

(John 1:11-12), “He came to His own [the Jews], and [they] did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God,”

(John 10:28), “I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish.”

Jesus is the Reason for the Season.  Don’t miss Christmas like most of the people in the world, for there is simply no excuse for rejecting God’s Son.  And therefore, I urge you to believe in and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, right here, right now, so that you will never miss another Christmas, but instead you will be able to say proclaim from your heart, “Merry Christmas,” now and forever!

 
Pastor Mike Hale
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December 3rd, 2023
“A Child Born to Die”

Jesus came to pay the penalty (for all sin, for all time, for all people), by His death on the cross; and three days later, He came out of the grave alive, demonstrating eternal life for all who believe in Him.

John 1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

Luke 4:22, “

Micah 5:2, “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah [Hebrew = fruitful]… from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.”

Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”

Isaiah 9:6, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

     See Isaiah 53:4-7, 11-12…

Read Hebrews 1:1-3… 

Jesus’ birth happened just as God had announced through the prophets,(Galatians 4:4-5), “when the time had fully come (i.e., at just the right time), God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”

Politically –

Culturally –

Spiritually –

Luke 2:52, “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”

Luke 3:22, God declared from heaven, “You are My Son, whom I love, with You I am well pleased.”

Colossians 1:16, “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.”

Revelation 5:5, “one of the elders said to me, ‘Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.’” 6-7, “Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne…  He came and took the scroll from the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.” 9, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”

Colossians 1:20, “to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.”

    See John 1:1-2… “Word” [Logos] means Jesus is God’s revelation of Himself to the world; He is the final testimony from God to mankind about God’s salvation

See John 1:4…. Jesus Christ is the Creator who is eternally existent.  That is, in a way, the awesome nature of God’s name “I AM,” (Exodus 3:14).

Revelation 1:8, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’” 17-18, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.”

John 8:12, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

1John 1:5-9, “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

See Hebrews 1:3b… Christ is (Colossians 1:15), “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation,” 17, “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together,” 2:9, “in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.”

See Hebrews 1:3c…  Jesus created all things by His own Word.

Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

See Hebrews 1:3d… Jesus Christ fulfilled His sovereign work (Hebrews 9:12), “through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption,” (Hebrews 10:12), “having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, [He] sat down at the right hand of God.”

Jesus was put to death on a cross, buried, and on the third day He came out of the tomb alive, and He began showing Himself to His followers over a 40 day period; after which, He ascended back into heaven.

Christmas is about God’s Greatest Gift: the Lamb of God, who was born for the purpose of laying down His own life, as full payment for our sins.

Revelation 1:8, “’I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’”

Revelation 1:17-18, ”I am the first and the last, the living One; I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”

1John 5:11-13, “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

2Corinthians 9:15, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

The word “Christmas” is formed from two words: Christ and mass.

Christ is the Messiah; and mass means a religious observance.

Christmas is a celebration in honor and praise and worship of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Lord and Savior: crucified, resurrected, and coming again, to take all those who believe Him to live with Him in heaven, forever!

And that is why we can and should say, Merry Christmas!

 
Pastor Mike Hale
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November 26th, 2023
“Why We Should Be Thankful: Part Two”

See John 14:1-3…   Jesus, on the eve of His own execution, speaks words of comfort to the eleven, in the upper room, so that they should not be troubled by the incomprehensible reality that He is going to be taken from them and put to death.

See John 14:4-6…  Jesus expected the disciples to know that He would be returning to the Father in heaven, as He had already told them in John 7:33, yet they had not understood it.  Thomas states the obvious lack of understanding among the disciples, they do not know where He is going or the way to get there.

Jesus’ response in verse 6 is the sixth “I AM” statement made by Jesus in John’s gospel, and it is undoubtedly one of the most quoted sayings of Christ, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Jesus is the only Way to God, the only Truth of God, and the only Life with God.

      Day by day we draw closer to the time when Christ will return for His people, in the air; after which, dramatic events will occur: the rise of the Antichrist to world power will precede seven years of Tribulation (cf. Daniel 9, Matthew 24, Revelation 8, 9, 16).

The earth will experience a time of great suffering (chaos, confusion, war, famine, disease, death and destruction) like the world has never seen before and will never see again.

But before the tribulation period begins, Christ will leave the Fathers’ side and descend to the clouds above the earth, at a predetermined time, unknown to man.

See 1Thessalonians 4:13-18…  Paul speaks of the hope that all believers have in Christ; we are not to grieve like unbelievers who have no hope, for we will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and be with Him forever, wearing heavenly bodies that won’t suffer decay or death!

The believers in Thessolonica were young in the faith, and they were confused about the timing of the removal of Christians from the earth.  Paul reassures them that no believer will miss this event, whether they have already died or are still alive at Christ’s coming in the air, we will all be changed.

This event, the Lord’s coming to get His people, is often called “the rapture of the church.”  The word “rapture” [from the Latin “raptus”] meaning “to seize” “to catch away” or “to snatch up,” [from the Greek harpázō (har-pad’-zo ), suddenly and decisively].  Paul doesn’t tell us much about the rapture in 1Thessalonians 4, so let’s go to another text where Paul gives us more information about this event.

See 1Corinthians 15:50-58…  Paul tells us that some of the Lord’s people will not have to go through the experience of death, but that they will be “changed,” “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”

Moment = from the word translated here, we get the word atom, it refers to “something that is indivisible,” i.e., “in the smallest amount of time imaginable” our mortal bodies will become immortal.

Twinkling = the word translated here means,

“a very rapid movement,” because the eye can move faster than any other visible part of the body, i.e., the change from our earthly to our eternal bodies will be instantaneous.

When Jesus comes for us, it will be instantaneous; it won’t be a process, but will happen so fast it will be over before we even know it started!  It makes no difference whether our bodies are dead in the grave or alive on the earth; all of God’s people will be raptured, in their bodies, taken away suddenly and changed forever!

     The earth will be emptied of all Christians (prior to the 7-Year Tribulation), after which the first 3.5 years will have a pseudo-peace between the Jews and the Arabs, and the last 3.5 years will be The Great Tribulation, the Day of the LORD.

See Matthew 24:1-8…  Jesus is answering a question from His disciples about the signs of the end of the age.  Notice in verse 8, “all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs” [sudden sharp pains]: wars and rumors of wars, nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.

See Matthew 24:9-14…  Christians are the most persecuted and harassed religious group in the world today.  The major conflict in the news today is what is going on in Israel-Gaza.  We should all be opposed to the killing of thousands of civilians and non-combatants on both sides, but more appalling is the fact that half of the casualties are children.

There are 16 million Jews in the world today, and 464 million Arabs whose religion and culture promotes the animation of the Jewish people.

Matthew 24:4-12 speaks of the days we are in now

(2Timothy 3:1-5), “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.” 12-13, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

See Matthew 24:15-23…  The abomination that causes desolation occurs during the middle of the 7 year Tribulation (cf. Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11); the Antichrist will seek to kill all of Israel, and all those who hold to “the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ” (cf. Revelation 1:2; 20:4).

Both the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation make it clear that the time of Tribulation is 7 years, and the time of the Great Tribulation (cf. Matthew 24:21), will be a period of 3.5 half years that will close with the Son of Man appearing (cf. Matthew 24:29-30).

We should not be setting dates for the Lord’s return for us, we should be living for Him as we wait for our imminent departure when the Lord will take us home.

     We are saved through Christ, so while we are on this planet, we should be telling others about Him.  We are purposed and provisioned (cf. 2Corinthians 5:14-21) as ambassadors for Christ, urging, pleading with, unbelievers to be reconciled to God through Christ [reconciliation x2, reconciled x2, reconciling x1].

God has given us eternal life through Christ Jesus and we will have unlimited joy and celebration throughout all of eternity to make up for the short time of suffering and struggle that we experience in these mortal bodies, on this earth.

See Matthew 24:42-44…  Christ’s return should not surprise you like a thief breaking into your home.  Think about that!  If you are awakened at night to the sound of what you think is a thief breaking into your home, it might cause you to be fearful; however, if you are awakened at night to the sound of what you think is a loved one returning home from a long trip, you will most likely become happy.

As we await the time when we will be raptured to meet Christ in the air — we should be busy doing God’s business, living obedient lives and sharing the good news of salvation with all who will listen.  Once we are taken to heaven, it will be too late for us to witness to those who are left behind.  So, while we still have the opportunity, we must spread the truth of the Gospel of Christ through our words and our life to every one who will listen.

1Peter 2:11-12, “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

2Peter 3:17-18, “ You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

See 2Peter 3:9-10…          God is merciful and long-suffering, He doesn’t want anyone to die in their sins, but instead for everyone to come to a knowledge of the truth (John 14:6), Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me,” (1Timothy 2:3-4), “This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men [women and children] to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

God’s timing for Christ’s return will not be delayed, it will not be late, but will be according to God’s perfect timing, when the fullness of time has come, which will also coincide with God’s patience reaching its maximum capacity.

Those of you who have the assurance of salvation ought to continually be giving thanks to God.

Anyone who has not yet repented of their sins and believed in Christ for salvation can be very thankful that there’s still time to do so.

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” 36, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, [for] the wrath of God remains on him.”

In Acts 4:12 says, “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved,” only that of Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:9-11), “God… …bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father,” (1John 5:11-13), “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

God provides forgiveness for sin and eternal life through Jesus Christ:crucified, resurrected, coming again to take all who believe in Him to be with Him forever.

What should you do with that marvelous message?

2Corinthians 5:20-21, “We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

How should you be living because of that marvelous message?

1Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

 
Pastor Mike Hale
>’(((><

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November 19th, 2023
“Why We Should Be Thankful: Part One”

The Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Year season is often associated with times of celebration and family get togethers and expressions of gratitude toward God for His many blessings.

God’s gifts come in a variety of forms, at various times, often providing or supplementing what we need, and sometimes, with totally unexpected blessings– day by day, year after year.

James 1:17, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. 18, In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.”

1Peter 2:9, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

God doesn’t save us because we are wise, strong, rich, handsome, or influential people; He chooses us in our weaknesses, so that we will testify to the world how the holy God of Creation is reconciling lost sinners to Himself.

1Corinthians 1:18, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 26-31, “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

2Corinthians 5:17-21, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

2Peter 1:2-3, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”

God desires for us to personally know Him now and forever!

John 1:1-3, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” 14, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” 18, “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.”

As Christians we have everything we need to personally know and to grow in a relationship with God, now and forever, in Christ.  We do this by understanding, obeying, and proclaiming God’s Word through our lives.

God expresses His uncompromising love toward those who believe in and follow Him, granting us the privilege of being His witnesses on the earth, while allowing us to come to Him in heaven, anytime, in prayer, so (Hebrews 10:22a), “let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith,” (Colossians 4:2), “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.”

Paul expands on the importance of prayer (Philippians 4:6-7), “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Have you ever gone to God in prayer, and you begin thanking Him for all the wonderful things He has created for you to see, touch, taste, smell, hear, and experience, e.g., sunsets, sunrises, birds, fish, animals, insects, flowers, trees, clouds, breezes, rivers, lakes, beaches, and oceans; but most important, the awesome hope we have of eternity in heaven with God.

Today, we will consider two of God’s blessings: Our relationship with God through Salvation.  Our relationship with the family and friends God has given us..

Salvation…  Before coming to Christ we are spiritually dead, guilty of sin, condemned to hell, basically hopeless; but God, in His mercy and kindness, provides forgiveness for sin through Jesus Christ (cf Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 8:1; 10:9-10, 13).

God wants everyone to be saved, for no one to go to hell (1Timothy 2:3-4), “This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth,” (2Peter 3:9), “The Lord…  is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

No wonder Paul declares (2Corinthians 9:15), ”Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

God’s has provided everything we need to know Him, to live for Him now, and to trust Him to bring us into heaven to be with Him for eternity: He has revealed Himself to us in and through Jesus Christ, who is (John 14:6), “the only way” [to God: through Jesus’ death and resurrection]; “the only truth” [from God: Jesus is the Living Word of God, as recorded in the 66 Books of the Bible], “and the only life” [with God: made effectual through God’sSpirit living in each person who is born of God for the purpose of serving Him], “no one comes to the Father but through [Him].”

As you serve the Lord you will experience difficult times (2Timothy 3:12), “Indeed, all who desire to live godly [lives] in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

Paul who suffered greatly because of Christ said (2Corinthians 12:10), “I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong” (Philippians 4:12-13), “I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me,” 19, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

God will see us through our struggles if we hold fast, trusting Him, seeking to honor and obey God’s Word. James 1:2-4, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing,”

(2Corinthians 4:7-9), “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed,” 16, “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.”

It is often during times of struggle that we will experience God’s presence like never before, enabling  us to serve God sacrificially, while also empowering us to be more compassionate toward others.

2Corinthians 1:3-4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

      Family & Friends…  We often receive comfort and encouragement from the family and friends God gives us, and although we might not express our thankfulness to God for them, they are definitely gifts from God.

My best friend, Nancy, is also my wife; and God has blessed us with four children, six grandchildren, one daughter-in-law, and one son-in-law.  And God is so gracious to have given both, Nancy and myself, Christian parents who have been a blessing to our children and grandchildren; although now, all four of our parents, one of our children and two or our grandchildren are with the Lord in heaven..

God also blesses us with many brothers and sisters in Christ, who encourage and exhort us to live by faith, as children of God and citizens of God’s kingdom.

We all have family, friends, and acquaintances, but true Christian family and friends are sent from God to share our journey on this earth (Proverbs 18:24), “A man of too many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

The Bible says true friends tell us the truth, not necessarily what we want to hear, even if it temporarily hurts us (Proverbs 27:6), “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.”

God is so good to provide family and friends during our life on earth, some with whom we will share eternity in heaven; but the best friend God provides, is His own Son, Jesus Christ, who, although He is the KING of Kings and LORD of Lords, the Creator and Judge over all, He calls us His friends (cf John 15:15), “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.”

During this season of Thanks-Giving, please consider the many blessings God has given you, and take time to thank God for each one of them, especially for the Gift of Salvation, and for Gift of Family and Friends.

Salvation is by Grace, through Faith in Jesus Christ who took our punishment for sin, so that we might receive forgiveness and eternal life from God.

Family & Friends are used by God to comfort and challenge us while we live on this earth.

      Thankful people we should be!

1Corinthians 10:31, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God,” (Colossians 3:17), “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Our God is an awesome God, He reigns from heaven above, with wisdom, power and love, our God is an awesome God!

And it is for that very reason that you should (1Thessalonians 5:16-18), “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

 
Pastor Mike Hale