Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Friday, December 25, 2009
A Great Present For Jesus
Christmas is a story of giving! As we join millions of Christians around the world to celebrate this special day, we are reminded of the greatest Gift of all and that is, God’s gift of His son, Jesus to us. The Bible gives us a little glimpse of where Jesus really came from in John 1:1-2, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” So the Bible tells us that Jesus is really God Himself in the form of man. Here’s the first Christmas story from the Bible.
Luke 2 : 1- 7 - The Birth of Jesus
"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she 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."
The Bible also records 2 groups of people who came to visit Jesus to celebrate His birthday.
1. Luke 2: 8-20 - The Shepherds and the Angels
"And 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. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor 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. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
2. Matthew 2 : 1-12 - The Visit of the Magi
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 people's 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. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route."
What can we learn from the Christmas Story?
Firstly, Jesus’ birth was a supernatural one. He was born out of the ordinary. This shows us that when God does something here on earth, it is always supernatural and out of the ordinary. So we can expect God to do NEW THINGS, in NEW WAYS, with NEW VESSELS or PEOPLE that we never thought of. So expect the unexpected this Christmas.
Secondly, God will reveal His plans to people according to His will and when He does, the only response He expects is WORSHIP. The shepherds left their flock to worship Him. The Magi went through great lengths to find Him. Both brought gifts according to their means or what they could afford to give Jesus. So does Jesus expect more from us than what we can afford? No, He only wants us to give Him what we have and bring it to Him with a heart of worship.
Thirdly, even King Herod with all his earthly power and authority is no match for our God because God turned the hearts of the Magi to obey Him alone. So no matter what position a man holds or what authority he has over others, he can never stop the plan of God for us. We need to fear and obey God alone and not man. Our duty is to worship God alone and not man.
How do we express our worship and what presents do we give to Jesus this Christmas?
In fact, how are we to give our presents to Jesus?
Matthew 25 : 34 – 40
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "
The above passage from the Bible, tells us how we are to give our presents to Jesus and to whom Jesus says are His representatives to receive presents on His behalf. So this Christmas, let us all pray and ask Jesus to open our eyes and help us to see those whom He would really want us to give to. Let’s take a closer look at who Jesus said would represent Him to receive our gifts.
Can we identify some of these people in our midst this Christmas?
1. The hungry for both the physical and spiritual food.
2. The thirsty for both the physical and spiritual refreshing.
3. The stranger who has no home, family and friends.
4. The poor who need clothes to keep warm.
5. The sick and those needing care.
6. The prisoner or the lonely who needs visitation.
7. The widows and the orphans.
Let’s be wise and bring our presents to Jesus by giving to the right people whom Jesus would identify with. This Christmas, let’s make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate around us. It will be a great present for Jesus.
God Bless and Have a Very Blessed Christmas!
Luke 2 : 1- 7 - The Birth of Jesus
"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she 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."
The Bible also records 2 groups of people who came to visit Jesus to celebrate His birthday.
1. Luke 2: 8-20 - The Shepherds and the Angels
"And 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. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor 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. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
2. Matthew 2 : 1-12 - The Visit of the Magi
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 people's 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. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route."
What can we learn from the Christmas Story?
Firstly, Jesus’ birth was a supernatural one. He was born out of the ordinary. This shows us that when God does something here on earth, it is always supernatural and out of the ordinary. So we can expect God to do NEW THINGS, in NEW WAYS, with NEW VESSELS or PEOPLE that we never thought of. So expect the unexpected this Christmas.
Secondly, God will reveal His plans to people according to His will and when He does, the only response He expects is WORSHIP. The shepherds left their flock to worship Him. The Magi went through great lengths to find Him. Both brought gifts according to their means or what they could afford to give Jesus. So does Jesus expect more from us than what we can afford? No, He only wants us to give Him what we have and bring it to Him with a heart of worship.
Thirdly, even King Herod with all his earthly power and authority is no match for our God because God turned the hearts of the Magi to obey Him alone. So no matter what position a man holds or what authority he has over others, he can never stop the plan of God for us. We need to fear and obey God alone and not man. Our duty is to worship God alone and not man.
How do we express our worship and what presents do we give to Jesus this Christmas?
In fact, how are we to give our presents to Jesus?
Matthew 25 : 34 – 40
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "
The above passage from the Bible, tells us how we are to give our presents to Jesus and to whom Jesus says are His representatives to receive presents on His behalf. So this Christmas, let us all pray and ask Jesus to open our eyes and help us to see those whom He would really want us to give to. Let’s take a closer look at who Jesus said would represent Him to receive our gifts.
Can we identify some of these people in our midst this Christmas?
1. The hungry for both the physical and spiritual food.
2. The thirsty for both the physical and spiritual refreshing.
3. The stranger who has no home, family and friends.
4. The poor who need clothes to keep warm.
5. The sick and those needing care.
6. The prisoner or the lonely who needs visitation.
7. The widows and the orphans.
Let’s be wise and bring our presents to Jesus by giving to the right people whom Jesus would identify with. This Christmas, let’s make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate around us. It will be a great present for Jesus.
God Bless and Have a Very Blessed Christmas!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Blessed Christmas!
BLESSED CHRISTMAS!
Calvary Today wishes all Calvarites and friends a Blessed Christmas!
Christmas reminds us of God’s greatest gift to man in the form of Jesus. It was a fulfillment of a promise God made to Israel, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel”. (Isaiah 7:14)
They saw the fulfillment of this promise some 700 years later, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means ‘God with us’.” (Matthew 1:22)
It may seem an awful long time for God to fulfill His promise but time is relative to God. The important thing to remember is that God keeps His promises.
When we started our quest to re-establish truth, transparency, good governance and accountability in our church, it was not because we had nothing better to do. The Bible teaches us to be good stewards of everything He blesses us with and that includes finances. It is our responsibility to ensure that our church practices good stewardship. We cannot pass the buck to the pastors and deacons alone. God holds us individually equally accountable.
Since our little teh tarik group started before the AGM in March this year, God has, time and again, answered our prayers. Promises have been fulfilled. God never fails.
We are aware that many of you are getting weary after 8 months of enduring the ‘nonsense’ that we have seen or personally experienced in our struggle to see a change in our church. Let us not give up but have faith in God and believe that victory is just round the corner. The Bible says, “ Now faith is the substance of things hope for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
Let us all enjoy this Christmas by reflecting on God’s goodness and mercy to us this entire year. We have many things to rejoice and be grateful to God for. So for the next few days, we hope that all of us will set aside our differences and unite in our spirits to celebrate Christmas with Joy. We are dedicating this post for all to put in:
1. A Prayer for the new year.
2. A Christmas greeting
3. A Testimony of God’s blessings and goodness in your lives.
Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!
*********************************************************
This is a testimony written by KC Lim.
Not too long ago, while my simple housewife was driving along the Penchala Link, God showed her the rainbow which ended just in front of her car. (Read her post on 18 October) She had been seeking God about the situation in our church and He answered with that rainbow, giving her the comfort that He will deliver us out of our situation. Rainbow, as you know, is a reminder of His promises.
Last Saturday, while my family and I were flying back from Cairo, where we had been touring, another ‘miracle’ of sorts happened. About an hour or so after our plane took off from Mumbai, India after a short transit, one fellow passenger seated at the window lifted the window shade. Instantly, the beautiful colors of the rainbow flashed across the aisle right in front of my wife who was seated in the middle row. She stretched out her hands and the rainbow colors rested on the palm of her hands. See the photos below.
The phenomenon, regardless of whether it was caused by a natural rainbow across the sky then or something else, is a reminder to her (and to all of us) that indeed, victory is already in our hands. We just have to exercise faith and claim the victory He has promised.
During our trip, we were reminded that God delivered the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, out of slavery into the Promised Land and we were asking God when He is going to deliver us out of the crisis our church is in. My wife, being the more “holy’ one was prayerful throughout the trip and on the plane. And God answered with the rainbow again.
Calvary Today wishes all Calvarites and friends a Blessed Christmas!
Christmas reminds us of God’s greatest gift to man in the form of Jesus. It was a fulfillment of a promise God made to Israel, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel”. (Isaiah 7:14)
They saw the fulfillment of this promise some 700 years later, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means ‘God with us’.” (Matthew 1:22)
It may seem an awful long time for God to fulfill His promise but time is relative to God. The important thing to remember is that God keeps His promises.
When we started our quest to re-establish truth, transparency, good governance and accountability in our church, it was not because we had nothing better to do. The Bible teaches us to be good stewards of everything He blesses us with and that includes finances. It is our responsibility to ensure that our church practices good stewardship. We cannot pass the buck to the pastors and deacons alone. God holds us individually equally accountable.
Since our little teh tarik group started before the AGM in March this year, God has, time and again, answered our prayers. Promises have been fulfilled. God never fails.
We are aware that many of you are getting weary after 8 months of enduring the ‘nonsense’ that we have seen or personally experienced in our struggle to see a change in our church. Let us not give up but have faith in God and believe that victory is just round the corner. The Bible says, “ Now faith is the substance of things hope for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
Let us all enjoy this Christmas by reflecting on God’s goodness and mercy to us this entire year. We have many things to rejoice and be grateful to God for. So for the next few days, we hope that all of us will set aside our differences and unite in our spirits to celebrate Christmas with Joy. We are dedicating this post for all to put in:
1. A Prayer for the new year.
2. A Christmas greeting
3. A Testimony of God’s blessings and goodness in your lives.
Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!
*********************************************************
This is a testimony written by KC Lim.
Not too long ago, while my simple housewife was driving along the Penchala Link, God showed her the rainbow which ended just in front of her car. (Read her post on 18 October) She had been seeking God about the situation in our church and He answered with that rainbow, giving her the comfort that He will deliver us out of our situation. Rainbow, as you know, is a reminder of His promises.
Last Saturday, while my family and I were flying back from Cairo, where we had been touring, another ‘miracle’ of sorts happened. About an hour or so after our plane took off from Mumbai, India after a short transit, one fellow passenger seated at the window lifted the window shade. Instantly, the beautiful colors of the rainbow flashed across the aisle right in front of my wife who was seated in the middle row. She stretched out her hands and the rainbow colors rested on the palm of her hands. See the photos below.
The phenomenon, regardless of whether it was caused by a natural rainbow across the sky then or something else, is a reminder to her (and to all of us) that indeed, victory is already in our hands. We just have to exercise faith and claim the victory He has promised.
During our trip, we were reminded that God delivered the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, out of slavery into the Promised Land and we were asking God when He is going to deliver us out of the crisis our church is in. My wife, being the more “holy’ one was prayerful throughout the trip and on the plane. And God answered with the rainbow again.
