LEARNING DAILY

 

Joshua 1:7-9, “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do all according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in (my emphasis) it day and night, that you may observe to do all according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” The Lord speaking to Joshua

 

Did you notice the word in was emphasized in the verses above?  Did you wonder why? It was more for me because I have quoted the verse by saying the Book of the Law was to be meditated on; yesterday was the first time I have noticed the word was in and not on. Why the big deal? For me, the meaning of the entire verse changed. You and I have to be in the Word of God, reading, studying, and meditating about what it says. That is the only way we can know what it says and be obedient to it. It is to be opened and read everyday not just thought about. Are you understanding what I am getting at?

 

God told Joshua to be successful he needed to meditate on the His words constantly and continually. Meditating meant to read quietly, even talk to yourself as you think about what you are reading.  Too often we read to just get a “duty” done for the day. God wants us to take our time reading and let His Word(s) sink in to our minds and hearts. Being obedient to what He desires and commands begin with a “relentless quest to know and take to heart God’s Word” (DJSB).

 

Success for you and me, as Believers, is different from what the world defines success. For Joshua success meant being obedient to God in order to take the Promised Land.  For us it means walking on the narrow way that takes us to eternal life in God’s kingdom. It is following the directions God gives us. That takes us to believe He knows what is best for each of us – even when we might not understand the directions He has given. My son-in-law uses the app called WAZE to get to destinations. It gives the best route, takes him around problems ahead, tells him when there is a stalled vehicle ahead, and even warns there is a patrolman ahead. He has to trust the app when he does not understand the changes in routes.  That’s what God does for us when we walk on the narrow way. We have to trust Him even when we do not understand. That trust comes from being in the Word, meditating on it day and night so we get to know who He is and learn how much He loves us.

 

 My challenge to you for 2022 is to be in God’s Word and to meditate on it day and night to see how it changes your life. This will be the last Learning Daily for 2021. I look forward to seeing what God has in mind for each of us in 2022!

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Joshua 1:7-9, “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do all according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in (my emphasis) it day and night, that you may observe to do all according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” The Lord speaking to Joshua.

 

I write each day to encourage and teach all who read this blog. But I write to encourage myself as well. I want to hear God speak audibly to me in conversation; He seems to do so through His written Word.  This morning my prayer was to guide me to words of encouragement and I ended up in the above words to Joshua.

 

Moses had led God’s people out of Egypt, authored the first five books of our Bible, known as the Law, and had gotten the people to the Promised Land. It was now up to Joshua to lead the people and take possession of the land God had given them. The Lord knew the challenges that were before the people; He told Joshua to be “strong and very courageous”, meaning to be firm and not be persuaded to turn from the direction He was leading. Joshua was going to face challenges from his own people and those who possessed the land. The Lord told Joshua that to be successful he needed to be in God’s Word.  That meant to read, study, meditate on it continually.  It was to be his guide, his strength, and his encouragement.  He was to be obedient to it. The Word of God was to be their authority as opposed to all human ideas or religions (LSSB). Obedience means to know and take to heart the words of God each day.

 

I thought 2020 was a difficult year and then came 2021. I have seen radical changes happening to the way we live our lives; those in political power continue to try to pass legislation that would continue that change.  I have seen how quickly people give-in to a way of life we are told has to be lived in order to live.  It has been obvious how quickly something like covid-19 and all it various forms can alter our life styles and how government can control us. Look how human ideas have disrupted our way of life. It is not difficult to see that people have gotten far away from Biblical principles that have guided our country for so long. What happens when God’s Word is not read, studied, meditated on? Look around. Read or watch the news. I fear too many people in and out of leadership have turned to the “left and right of God’s Word” and His written words have departed from our mouths and hearts. God’s Word must still be our guide!

 

What will 2022 bring?  

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Psalm 29:10-11, The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood, and the Lord sits as King forever. The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.

 

Psalm 46:10, Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

 

I got a call from my sister not too long ago telling me not to call her for the next few hours because she, my brother (in-law), and the dog were headed to the basement. Strong winds were forecasted. This was the time when so many tornadoes had caused so much damage in the south. Later I got a text saying that all was well but not without concern; 80+mph winds had been recorded at their airport.

 

Whatever one might believe is the cause of the increase and severity in weather changes, we can see things are beginning to deteriorate. As my family found out, you and I are powerless to do anything about it; we have absolutely no control. I look at what is happening in the world and in our country, I see everything Jesus said would happen before His return is happening. You and I have absolutely no control over any of this. The psalmist would have us take a deep breath, be still and look to our Father in heaven. In the midst of all the chaos around us the Psalmist tells us to be still! What? Really?

 

The Hebrew for “be still” can be translated to mean “let go”. In other words, quit holding on to the things that keep us from praising God and giving Him the proper place in our life (LSSB). I wonder if our life would be different if we would just let go of our fears and know God is present with us, His people, through the storms of life. The Psalmist said in the verse above that “the Lord sits as King forever” and “He will be exalted among the nations”. It is a reminder to me that God is still on His throne knowing all that is happening in the world; He is in control, nothing happens without His knowledge and His permission. All happens so you and I will praise and glorify Him through all things. 

 

Things are beginning to deteriorate! The signs of His return – deception, war and rumors of war, famine and pestilence – are happening all around us. It is good that we remember these words of the Psalmist that God is King forever. Because of that He gives strength to His people – you and me – to live Biblical principles, doing all we can to let our lives shine for His glory.  I have read the end of the Book and know how the story ends.  Do not be overwhelmed by what is happening around the world; for those who stay on the narrow way, He is coming for you! That gives me much encouragement and strength to face each new day.

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bib le to be referred to from now on as JSESB

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Psalm 105:1-4, Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His Name; make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing Psalms to Him; Talk of His wonderous works! Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face for evermore!

 

The song on the radio the other day was about not wanting Christmas to end.  Let’s just leave the wrapping paper on the floor and do it all again tomorrow. Christmas begins in the stores just after the back-to-school push is over.  That puts the season beginning in about September.  After that we are all reminded continually that presents need to be bought or a certain present might be gone. Sometime in November the tree goes up, houses are decorated inside and out and the much-anticipated delivery of presents by a jolly old fat guy riding in a sleigh driven by reindeer who fly begins. I always wondered how he got down the chimney and through the fireplace until I saw the Santa Claus movie showing how he got slimmer as he went through the chimney and the fireplace magically enlarges so he can deliver the presents.

 

I am all for Christmas not ending. I enjoy the Christmas music and the anticipation of family being together. Now that everyone is older, it is more difficult because - well, there are other things to do and other places to be. I agree with the song and believe Christmas should be celebrated every day of the year. I love having my family together, listening to the talk, the laughter, sharing the memories, and the anticipation that goes with the season.

 

However, there is a deeper need to keep Christmas in our hearts every day. It is the gift to each of us of the Savior born that day; God’s gift to a lost people who have no way to save themselves. Being a good person is not enough; heaven is not filled with good people – it is filled with saved people (Dr. Ed Newton). I wonder if we should open the precious gift of salvation each day by taking the time to be thankful God loved us enough to send His Son to take our place on a cross for the sins we have committed? We remember and give thanks to Him who gave His life that we might be able to walk on a narrow way that leads to His eternal kingdom. We find our joy in this and share with others by how we live our lives (as one set free from the sins we have committed) and the joy of knowing our eternal home is with Him. Read the portion of Psalm 105 above again. Actually, you should take the time to read the entire Psalm.

 

I would like Christmas to be every day, living with anticipation of the one who is coming. No, it isn’t Santa Claus we anticipate. You and I need to live each day in the anticipation of a trumpet sounding for the church to meet the Lord in the air.  Ephesians calls it a church without spot or wrinkle which is only possible through the cross. Yes, I rejoice in the salvation I have because of the obedience of the Son who came to earth in the form of a baby to take my place on a cross.  I look forward to that trumpet sound that I might join Him for eternity.  If He decides to take me to His kingdom before the trumpet sounds, that’s okay.  What a happy day that will be!

 

I am going to do what I can to have Christmas every day in my heart! I need to!

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Isaiah 9:6, For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful. Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 

The birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, would be prophetically spoken of by the prophets.  Isaiah would speak of five names that would describe Him as Messiah. Wonderful describes Him as a supernatural wonder, showing His character by His deeds and miracles.  He never did anything through human works. Counsellor describes Him as having perfect wisdom and words that brought eternal life. Mighty God tells us the Messiah was the fullness of God in human form. Everlasting Father not only reveals the Heavenly Father to us but shows how He Himself would act toward those who follow Him; He would be a father who protects and loves and supplies their needs. Prince of Peace describes the peace that would come with obedience to God’s plan when delivered from sin and death. This was taken from the notes in the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.

 

My prayer for each of you for this Christmas season is a greater hunger and a greater thirst for the righteousness of this Messiah.  I pray you have a very Merry Christmas in 2021.  No one knows what 2022 will bring but we do know who holds it in the palm of His hand. Trust in Him. Seek Him diligently and you will not be disappointed.

 

In yesterday’s blog, I mistakenly mentioned 2021 might be the year the Lord returns for His church. I wanted to say 2022.  I just wanted to clarify that.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Galatians 4:4-5, But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, hat we might receive the adoption as sons.”

 

The times and the conditions were ready for God to send His Son into the world to become the Savior for all who would believe. The Romans had built better roads for travel and kept them safe to travel on (Pax Romana or Roman Peace). The Greek language was spoken throughout the world to make communication easier. Perhaps, most importantly there was a hunger and desire for the Messiah to come. Yes, the people thought He would come as a warrior-king who would defeat the Romans instead of a baby born in a stable. But they were looking and waiting with expectation. That was over 2,000 years ago.

 

Today, the times and conditions are once again ripe for God to send His Son into the world. Will 2021 be the year the Lord comes for His Church? The answer is only known in heaven. However, the signs of the times are certainly showing that He could return for His Church at any time. All the signs He told His disciples about in Matthew 24 have been happening for a long time; today we are seeing an increase in intensity. Those who follow Him have been told to be ready, looking for His return; from what I have read this too is happening. As Believers, we are responsible for living our lives as though Jesus could come for us today.

 

 What a wonderful time of year we are in. As we are reminded of the Child that was born to a woman, born to redeem each of us, let us remember to live on the narrow way that leads to eternal life with Him in His kingdom. We do so because of the promise to live eternally there with Him. Because heaven is our desire, we are always ready and looking for Him to return for us. While we wait and watch, we worship Him. Dr. Ed Newton reminds us to stay ready so we don’t have to get ready! I really like that. So, as we gather this Christmas with friends and family to celebrate the birth of God’s Son remember His promise to return.  Just as the fullness of time had come then, we are seeing the fullness of time - ready for His Second coming.  Look for it and be ready!

 

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

On December 24,2019, I wrote this.

 

One of my favorite carols:

 

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
‘Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.

 

Dr. David Jeremiah states in his Study Bible, “As we contemplate all these things, we realize the miracle that occurred in Bethlehem needs to occur in our hearts as well.  There must be a nativity in every human heart – the Perfect coming to live in the imperfect – for we cannot give birth to Him, or His goodness, on our own efforts.  We need Him to enter our lives miraculously, still and quiet, as He did on that Bethlehem morning.”

 

On December 22, 2021, I would like to add Luke 2:11 to the writing above, “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” At His birth, Jesus was called “Savior” because He had come to save and deliver all who believe upon Him from sin, Satan’s control, the ungodly world, and the condemnation for our wrongdoings.  Notice that Jesus was called “Christ the Lord”. This refers to His anointing as the Messiah of God and the Lord who rules over His people. It is important to know that no one can have Jesus as their Savior without submitting to His Lordship! (LSSB) That is why I mention the importance of walking on the narrow way so often. The first step is accepting Jesus as your Savior. But remember He wants all of you; that means He wants you to walk according to His ways not ours.

 

Yes, the night of His birth was a Holy night because God, the Father, gave the greatest gift possible to a world full of sin and unrighteousness. He continues to give His gift of salvation to all who come to Him and ask. It was a night Divine!

 

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Matthew 2:11, And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshipped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

 

The wise men or magi, presents an interesting story. I have read or heard messages that say there were three of them or more or we are not sure how many there were. I have seen they traveled by camels or perhaps they rode horses. Sunday, I heard they walked from Babylon carrying a chest that contained the gifts they gave to the Child. I am not sure if any of this really matters.  The significance is Jesus, the Child, the Messiah was worthy of honor by all humanity, Gentiles as well as Jews would be included in God’s redemptive plan.

 

They had been taught the prophecies of the Messiah in Babylon – remember the prophet Daniel had lived and taught there many years before.  They new of the prophecy of a star rising; when it did, they went in search of the king of the Jews who had been prophesied would come. I find it interesting that when these learned men found the young Child they fell to their knees, perhaps with their faces in the dirt, paying their respect to this King as they would in the presence of their earthly kings. The respect they paid to Him became more like worship.

 

They offered to Him presents of gold signifying Kingly power, frankincense signifying the incense of Divinity, and myrrh signifying death and embalmment. Giving gifts to the king was an eastern tradition as one entered into his presence. It was also God’s provision to Mary and Joseph who He would send to Egypt because Herod’s decree to kill all the male children two years old and younger.

 

It is nice to read about and enjoyable to watch the church programs where the children present the Christmas story (Does anyone do this anymore?). But the reality is when one finds the Lord and accepts Him as their Savior what is their response to be? Perhaps it will be when we come into His presence in His kingdom that the real reaction to His salvation will come. What will that be? It has to be similar to the magi who fell down and worshipped the One who gave Himself to be crucified in our place. There is no need to imagine what we will do when we come into His presence; it has to be thanksgiving and worship due to who He is and what He has done for us. It might be a pretty good idea to practice that worship today and every day before we get there!

 

What about the gifts? I agree with Dr. Ed Newton, lead pastor at Community Bible Church, when he stated the gift the Lord wants us to offer to Him is ourselves. The love of God is enduring; He loves us as we are. He loved us while we were yet sinners. Our gift to Him is found in Matthew 16:24, “Then Jesus said to His disciples (That is you and me, by the way!), if any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way (deny self), take up your cross, and follow Me.”  I often say it this way – accept Jesus Christ as the door to get on the narrow way to heaven and then walk on it!  Do everything you can to be obedient to the Word of God. Present yourself as a living sacrifice every day. What greater gift can we give than that?

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

1 Corinthians 13:13, There are three things that will endure – faith, hope and love – and the greatest of these is love. (NLT)

 

Of faith, hope and love, love is the greatest.  Volumes can be written defining what love is and the Greek meanings for love and how the word is used.  For example, love meant one thing to me when I was a dating teenager.  That definition seemed to change after several years of being married.  It really changed after I gave my life to the Savior.

 

 The Bible gives us many verses that help give meaning to this word. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). “Let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8). “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:18-19). In Jeremiah God spoke through the prophet to tell us, “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” (Jeremiah 31:3). He was talking about His people Israel; but I believe this can be applied to all He calls to worship Him! We are told in Romans 5:8 that, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  And one more. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).

 

Love is not just an attribute of God; it is who He is. He is the source of love, a perfect love. The word has done everything it can to distort God’s love to mean what He never intended it to mean – that happened when sin entered the world. Understand that when one becomes a Believer, he will love because he is born out of God’s love. As Believers, you and I can not only love one another but we can love the unlovable and those who try to destroy us. Isn’t that the response you and I are to reflect to others when we are saved by God’s love?

 

God’s love is an unconditional love.  He loves us not for what we do since we cannot earn love.  It is different from what we experience with each other because His love is not based on feelings. His love comes because He is love not because we try to please Him.

 

This is a wonderful time of the year; we sing about it! We must remember that God’s greatest gift to us, reflecting His love, for each of us, was His Son.  Jesus Christ was born that He would demonstrate the love of the Father.  John 15:9-10 encourages us to abide in His love and by keeping His commandments we will abide in His love.  What greater gift can you and I give to another than to love them as God loves us. We have received God’s free gift of love and that should empower us love others.

 

God’s love is the greatest of all!

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

1 Corinthians 13:13, There are three things that will endure – faith, hope and love – and the greatest of these is love. (NLT)

 

Hope; what is it? When the worldly person expresses hope he or she is wishing or wanting something to happen without expecting it to do so. When Christian expresses hope he or she is expressing a strong and confident expectation that it will occur; there is certainty involved!

 

Romans 8:24-25 gives insight to this, “Now that we are saved, we eagerly look forward to this freedom. For if you already have something, you don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently” (NLT). This refers to the salvation we have through Jesus Christ; we have seen many blessings through our salvation but there are greater blessings to come. As we walk on the narrow way, we do so with great expectations, a confident hope, of heaven. We walk on the narrow way with patience and confidence that what we have been told in God’s Word is true.

 

Romans 5:5, Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given us” (NKJV). I do not want to take this verse out of context; read the verses before and after it.  You and I experience the love of God in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, especially during troubling times (LSSB). When we experience times of difficulty or tribulations, the Holy Spirit reminds us “to rejoice in the hope of the glory of God” (v. 2). In other words, you and I can rejoice in the things that happen in our lives such as covid or any other variant, things said about us, or any suffering, because they are used for our good in Jesus Christ. Throughout the Holy Spirit continues to flood our hearts with God’s love for us.  He also continues to assure us of our hope for the future.

 

The magi went in search of the “king of the Jews” in hope of seeing Him, to bring gifts to Him, and to worship Him. Their arrival in Jerusalem was not based on any wish but on the certainty that this king had been born. They came from Babylon. They were Gentiles who had taken the Jews captive. One of those Jews was the prophet, Daniel; it was through Daniel’s teaching about a coming king that caused the Magi to go to Jerusalem. I assume the magi had done the calculations about what Daniel had taught and with God’s inspiration (His hope in them!) they set out following a star in search of this king. They teach us an important lesson. God gave them the hope of seeing the “King of the Jews” and Jesus was the fulfilment of that hope. This was not some wish they had; it was a confident expectation.

 

Paul said hope would endure. Hope is the basis for our faith and Christ-like love results from the hope we have. The hope we have produces joy and peace within us and enables us to face the situation and circumstances of each day. As we celebrate the first advent, the birth of the Messiah, the hope of eternal life, my hope only increases in the second advent when the King of kings and Lord of lords returns as the conquering King and sets up His kingdom on earth!

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

1 Corinthians 13:13, There are three things that will endure – faith, hope and love – and the greatest of these is love. (NLT)

 

We have already defined faith by examining Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” It is the means by which Believers come to God and trust Him for the salvation Jesus Christ offers. Faith is how we believe in a virgin birth, angels appearing to shepherds to announce the birth of the Messiah so long sought, and magi traveled by following a star. Hebrews 11:6 tells us to please God we must walk in faith and He will reward us when we do. This faith being talked about comes from nothing any of us can do; it simply cannot be earned – it is the gift of God according to Ephesians 2:8-9.

 

Faith is at the center of the Christian life. After we accept Christ as our Savior (by faith), we continue to follow His teachings as we walk on the narrow way by faith. Galatians 2:19 tells us, “I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave His life for me.” Romans 1:17b encourages by telling us, “The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:17 calls the one who follows the gospel of Christ righteous and lives “from faith to faith” meaning we must continually mature in Christ.  This results in a rich and full spiritual life. Living by faith means we place our confidence fully in Jesus Christ – in who He is and what He has done.

 

For me, as a Christian, my faith begins with knowing the Scriptures are inspired by God, written by men inspired by the Holy Spirit. There are many examples of faith in the Christmas story as mentioned. Mentally acknowledging this is not enough; knowledge does not mean that we trust what the Bible tells us. Just agreeing with what is written about these events and acknowledging the events of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection does not mean we are saved. Knowing facts about something is not enough to cause us to act; claiming that something is does not mean it is. I believe this is what James 2:14-26 is telling us.  True faith, saving faith in Jesus Christ will cause us to make new and different choices that causes a person to begin to do good works.  These good works show Believers love others, obey the Father, and others see them as different from the world.

 

Bob Sawvelle wrote the following in an article, “A faith that endures is a faith that sees the finish line, the completion of the promise. It is a faith that hopes amid the uncertainty and sees as reality the finish line. Enduring faith runs with patience through the challenges of life.” Go back and read Hebrews 11, the chapter about those in the Hall of Fame of Faith.  It is encouraging and builds my faith.  I believe 2021 has been a challenge!  What does 2022 have in store for us? I believe our faith may be challenged. Be encouraged to walk on the narrow way to eternal life through by keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

 

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

John 1:1-4, 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 were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

 

I really enjoy these verses as John begins his gospel. I need to read these words at Christmas; they are important to the Christmas story that Matthew and Luke write about.  John’s writings remind me that we need to celebrate Jesus at this time. There is a lot of celebrating that happens at this time. But, if it does not center around Jesus, the celebrating can be done at any time of the year.

 

John writes that Jesus is the Word of God and in doing so Jesus is the personal Word of God. God speaks through His Son. The LSSB states, “Scripture declares that Jesus Christ is the manifold wisdom of God and the perfect revelation of the nature and person of God.”  John states that Jesus was “with God” before the creation of the world. He had the same nature and heart as God, making Him divine. The Word never had a beginning and enjoyed intimate fellowship with the Father; He always was.

 

“All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” It was through the Word that the Father created the world. At the right time (see Galatians 4:4) the Word was made flesh (John 1:14); He took on the human nature but without sin.  That He left heaven to come into the world He created through the human birth process is basic to the Christmas story. The JSSB notes state, “nothing, not even one single thing, was made independently of His cooperation or volition”.

 

I write this today because it is important to remember and understand this was not written about some mystical figure that is in heaven somewhere.  It was written about a man who “walked with the Word while He was on earth who lived and breathe like we do” (Thoughts from John Stedman).  I hope that as you gather with family to celebrate the Word being born in the flesh that you remember “He is the reason for the season”.  The presents, the prepared meal, the fellowship is wonderful; I have found that when it is all done the only lasting gift is the gift the Father gave us when He sent the Word to us. Take the time to remember and to be thankful for the birth of the One called, “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”.  This is the Word, the One John said, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” It is because He gives life – eternal life – to whosoever believes in Him that we do all we can to walk on the narrow way to His kingdom to live there forever!

Enjoy the gathering with friends and family! Just do not forget the reason for your gathering!

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Luke 1:30-31, Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.”

 

“The doctrine of the virgin birth of Christ teaches that Jesus was divinely conceived in the virgin Mary’s womb by the Holy Spirit, thus bringing together His two natures: deity and humanity” (David Jeremiah Study Bible). It is a wonderful event that fulfills the prophecies found in the Old Testament. But does the Bible say anything about the date of the Lord’s birth? If not, why do we celebrate His birth on December 25? I needed to do some research on this.

 

Obviously, Jesus was born; The verse from Luke gives us that answer. From what I found He was most likely not born on December 25. Scholars are more inclined to think that Jesus was born in September. Why September? They base their calculations from the story of Zacharias and Elizabeth conception as found in Luke 1. Zacharias was involved in the temple service which was calculated to be held in the middle of June.  The birth of John the Baptist was announced to Zacharias while he was burning incense to the Lord. Elizabeth probably conceived sometime between this time and the end of June. If this happened in this time frame, John was born in March of the next year.  John the Baptist was to be born six months before Jesus; that put the birth of Jesus in late September.

 

Another thought is Jesus was born in the spring because the shepherds were attending their flocks at night when the angels announced the birth of Jesus. The suggestion is lambs were being born (including the Lamb of God) which was in the spring. I’m just writing what I found.

 

The theory that seems to have dominated the research I did was that December 25 was borrowed from pagan celebrations. Let me summarize by saying that the Roman emperor Aurelian established a feast to celebrate the birth of the Unconquered Sun (called Sol Invictus) on December 25. According to this thought Christians at the time chose this date to celebrate Jesus’ birth in order to encourage Christianity to spread throughout the Roman Empire. The idea was if Christmas looked like a pagan holiday, more pagans would be open to both the holiday and the God involved in it. It is interesting that the church today still wants to imitate the world, thinking that it has to be like the world to get people to come to church.

 

One other interesting thought. In the fourth century, two dates were used to celebrate Christmas.  December 25 and January 6 were celebrated by two different Christian groups. From this comes the Twelve Days of Christmas (and a partridge in a pear tree!)

 

This is just a glimpse of what can be found about the thoughts about the date of our Lord’s birth. There is a lot of pagan rituals associated with the time we celebrate Christmas. For Christians today, we celebrate the birth of our Savior. It should be celebrated every day of the year with praise and thanksgiving for the gift He gave us – the gift of salvation and eternal life though His death on a cross. Coming to this earth in a humble way -whenever the day actually was - only reminds me of the promise that He will return as the conquering King of kings and Lord of lords.  Joy to the world! “Glory to God in the highest and on earth and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Matthew 2:40, 52, And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.  52, And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

 

This season is about the birth of the Messiah, the One who was born to take our place on a cross for the sins of all who would believe. We read about the manger, the shepherds, the magi and Herod’s attempt to kill the ‘King of the Jews”.  The Bible gives us an account of the family fleeing to Egypt and later returning to Nazareth. The narrative then jumps to the family going to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and on the way home discovering Jesus was not with them.  They find Him amazing the scholars in the temple. The question is why does the Bible not say anything about the years before Jesus began His public ministry?

 

I remember talking with friends about this long ago.  We did have some fun wondering if Jesus as a child needed to be told to clean His room or if He ever did anything to get a spanking.  What was He doing when His brothers were getting into trouble? We came to the conclusion that Jesus was without sin even while He was growing up, as He matured.  I wonder what His siblings thought about Him always doing the right thing?

 

We do know this.  As a true human child, Jesus experienced the process of growing physically and spiritually.  Notice in the verses above that “He increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men”. He continued to increase in wisdom because the grace of God was upon Him. I define wisdom as knowing what to do with or how to use the experience or knowledge a person has. “Jesus was perfect from birth in His human nature and developed perfectly as God desired” (LSSB).  The JSESB states, “Jesus did not have a sin nature, so [verse 40] means He was never sick, and neither did He sin.” Regarding His increase in wisdom, The JSESB continues, “there is every evidence that Jesus began studying the Bible from the time He learned to read.”

 

During His formative years we know that Jesus grew up in a large family and He learned the carpentry trade from His father. Joseph is only mentioned in the story of Jesus birth indication, he died before Jesus began His public ministry.  Jesus, as the eldest son, more than likely provided for the family as a carpenter.  During these formative years He grew and developed physically and spiritually according to the will of God. He was also fully aware that God was His Father.   When His family found Him when they returned to Jerusalem, He said in verse 49, “And He said to them, “Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business/”

 

What is the takeaway from this?  Jesus as a boy growing up is not the subject of Scripture. The focus on Jesus taking the form of a human being is to reveal the Father to humanity.  His teachings while on earth are to be our focus in order for us to get on the narrow way through His death on the cross and then to live the way He commands us as we walk on it. You and I must always be growing and maturing in our spiritual walk. The alternative is to be stagnant and not growing.  We are seeing that spiritual stagnation today – but that’s for another page in the blog.

 

But it is fun to think about what He was like as a child and a teenager, isn’t it!

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB