Thursday, December 25, 2025

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

 

1 Chron 11:17-18

17 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, that is at the gate!

18 And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD,

 

          It is hard to find the same kind of holiday homesickness that fills our hearts in the Bible. We are so mobile, and the family unit is so scattered that we cannot easily find a parallel in the scriptures. David probably comes closest to the longing for home that is so familiar to us.

 

          David was a home boy, and family was important to him. When Saul sought to take his life, he longed to return to Bethlehem for the annual gathering of family. This homecoming revolved around church and worship. There was an annual sacrifice, and everyone came home for this special occasion.

 

          While David was bivouacked in the field, the Philistines occupied his home city of Bethlehem. Trouble and discomfort caused him to think of home, and he longed for a drink from Bethlehem’s well which was at the gate. Some of his soldiers overheard as he talked about this and broke through the lines to retrieve a drink for their homesick leader. Home and family were important to David.

 

          “Home is where life makes up its mind. It is there, with fellow family members, we hammer out our convictions on the anvil of relationships. It is there we cultivate the valuable things in life, like attitudes, memories, beliefs, and most of all, character.” Charles R. Swindoll

 

          Each generation, just by living life day to day, produces nostalgic memories for the generation to follow. There is a strong tug at our heart to come home. The smell of turkey, sage, and pumpkin transports me home. A real wood fire in the fireplace may not be the most efficient way to heat a house, but it is a most wonderful way to warm a heart!

 

          I once was the traveler but I’m now the destination for these holiday wanderings. All I have left of home and parents are pictures etched upon my memory. Now I am, without thinking, chiseling memories upon the hearts of my daughter and granddaughters. Other family members are widely scattered and the longing for family gatherings is difficult to fulfill.

 

         We are now a blended family. After retirement, we moved in with our daughter and son-in-law. We have our own space within the same house. Coming home is as easy as walking down the hall. Both granddaughters are home. Both with a dog in tow and one with a new husband. There is no silent night here, but the early mornings are quiet and peaceful.

 

          People think it is morbid to talk of being homesick for Heaven, but it is a very real condition. It is not a death wish but a longing to be gathered with family and friends. The loving Heavenly Father beckons us home and we brave the most uncomfortable conditions in our quest to arrive. One day the redeemed will receive that first hug on the threshold of home. It will be wonderful!

 

Matt 25:34

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

 

Dear Father, satisfy those who long for home and family at this time of the year. AMEN

 

THE REAL SAINT NICHOLAS!

 

Wednesday, December 24, 2025

 

THE REAL SAINT NICHOLAS!

 

Isa 7:14

14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

 

Matt 1:23

23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

 

          "A Visit from St. Nicholas", more commonly known as "The Night Before Christmas" and "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" from its first line, is a poem first published anonymously in 1823 and later attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, who claimed authorship in 1837. Some commentators now believe the poem was written by Henry Livingston, Jr.

 

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar plums danced in their heads

 

          The real Saint Nicholas was Nikolaos of Myra, a historic 4th-century Greek Bishop of Myra, in Asia Minor (modern-day Demre, Turkey).  His legendary habit of secret gift-giving gave rise to the traditional model of Santa Claus through Sinterklaas. He was cast into prison during the persecution of Diocletian but was released after the accession of Constantine and was present at the Council of Nicaea.

 

          The Council of Nicaea was convened, among other things, to determine the true nature of the Son of God and His relationship to the father. Questions lingered regarding the virgin birth and whether Jesus was “begotten” and had no beginning or “created” and therefore did have a beginning. The amazing thing to me is that a group of men believed they could convene to determine truth! Truth stands regardless of the consensus of any council. Greek iconography indicates that he either slapped or punched Arius who did not believe in the virgin birth or the deity of Christ.

 

          It seems appropriate to me that the man who gave birth to Santa Claus would historically be involved in defending, physically and literally, the truth that Jesus was virgin born.

 

Luke 1:35

35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

 

Dear Jesus, thank you for your virgin birth, your sinless life, your sacrificial death, and your victorious resurrection! AMEN

 

THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH!

 

Tuesday, December 23, 2025

 

THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH!

 

John 1:1-4 & 14

1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

 

          The shepherds gazed upon a baby. There seemed nothing unusual about this newborn except his humble surroundings but the angels, a sky full of them, said this was God in the flesh. How could the womb contain the immensity of God? No wonder the angels sang a song of amazement. John declares him to be the Word, the logos. The word means “something said, including the thought.” Jesus was the expression of God.

 

John 14:8-9

8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

 

          The word Incarnation comes from the Latin in carne and it means "in the flesh." Paul the Apostle wrote to Timothy, saying, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." (1 Timothy 3:16).

 

          The baby grew to become a man and even his apostles caught just glimpses of his true nature. Only at the transfiguration did he show himself. The sight so completely rattled Simon Peter that he spoke foolishly because he did not know what to say.

 

Luke 9:28-33

28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.

29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:

31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

32 But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.

33 And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here : and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.

 

          The universe seemed to gravitate to the manger. Angels shouting, kings appearing, and shepherds kneeling all declared that this was not just a baby. There was something very special and mysterious about him. This baby both hid and revealed the eternal God.

 

Dear Lord, in the words of the old Christmas song, “Oh come to us, abide with us, be born in us today!” AMEN

 

CELEBRATION TIME

 

Monday, December 22, 2025

 

CELEBRATION TIME

 

Luk 2:8  And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 

Luk 2:9  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 

Luk 2:10  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 

Luk 2:11  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 

Luk 2:12  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 

Luk 2:13  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 

Luk 2:14  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 

 

                This is a time for celebration. Today is my daughter and son-in-law’s wedding anniversary. I was pastoring at the time and Christmas decorations were blended with wedding colors. It was a happy, hectic time. Tomorrow is my sister’s birthday. She is in a nursing facility and contact with her is sporadic at best, but I remember this day. Then, of course, there is Christmas.

 

                There was not much celebrating on that first Christmas. No decorations in the barn and no celebrations regarding the registration for new taxes. The underworld did not know nor recognize their most wonderful gift.

 

                Shepherds were the first to receive the news of the birth of redemption and the upper world could not contain their joy. The word “multitude” was used by Luke to explain the crowded skies over the sheep. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth … and on earth … peace.” Peace was offered and available but peace resided in a baby, so chaos reigned and still reigns until Jesus is acknowledged and received.

 

Dear Jesus, thank You for coming and bringing redemption and restoration. Let us see You, acknowledge and receive You. Let us secure peace for ourselves by receiving the Prince of Peace. AMEN

 

BETHLEHEM – TINY TOWN!

 

Sunday, December 21, 2025

 

BETHLEHEM – TINY TOWN!

 

Matt 2:6

6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people, Israel.

 

          There are actually two towns named Bethlehem in the Bible. One is Bethlehem in the land of Zebulon. It is a ruined village about 6 miles west-northwest of Nazareth and is mentioned only once in Joshua 19:15. The Bethlehem that we know about is about 5 miles south of Jerusalem.

 

          Bethlehem, or Beit-Lahm, means “house of flesh or bread.” It was the birthplace of another king named David (1 Samuel 16:4-13). There is a church still existing, built by Constantine the Great (A.D. 330), called the "Church of the Nativity," over a grotto or cave called the "holy crypt," and said to be the "stable" in which Jesus was born. This is perhaps the oldest existing Christian church in the world. (From Easton's Bible Dictionary.) Tourists today gain access through a “needle’s eye” door which forces them to bend down to enter.

 

          In the margin of my old red-backed Bible there is an explanation that the word “rule” used in Matthew 2:6 is the Greek word poimanei which actually means “to tend as a shepherd; to feed.” This is the work of the shepherd king. Well-fed was well led and it reminds us of the benefits mentioned in Psalm 23.

 

          God favors the insignificant. He loves to pit David against Goliath. He prefers Gideon and his handful of soldiers with pitchers and lamps. He loved Bethlehem and honored it as the birthplace of His own Son.

 

Mic 5:2

2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

 

O Little Town Of Bethlehem

 

Words: Phillips Brooks

Music: "St. Louis" by Lewis H. Redner

 

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by.

Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light.

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

 

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray.

Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.

We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell.

O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

 

Dear Lord, favor your small and insignificant servants today. AMEN

 

WHAT IS THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT?

 

Saturday, December 20, 2025

 

WHAT IS THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT?

 

Isa 9:6

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

 

In his book, The Second Tree from the Corner, E. B. White makes this throbbing observation: “To perceive Christmas through its wrappings becomes more difficult with every year.”  This Christmas season is as difficult as any and it is difficult to find what we commonly call the Christmas Spirit. The problem seems to be in its definition. I will list a few contributing sources of what we sometimes refer to as the Christmas spirit.

 

1. IT IS THE SPIRIT OF ANTICIPATION!

 

          Those who practice a more liturgical form of worship, if they pay attention to it, may be better equipped to understand the spirit of anticipation. The season of Advent is a season of waiting, of anticipating. It is waiting and knowing. The Advent calendar, with its little daily door to be opened, marches confidently toward a known conclusion and not to an uncertain end. It is the spirit of anticipation.

 

Luke 2:25-26

25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

 

2. IT IS THE SPIRIT OF SURPRIZE!

 

          Christmas should be full of surprises. It is when the days become long and predictable that we tumble into bed without a feeling of triumph with weariness our only reward. It is the day full of surprises that ends with a deep sigh of satisfaction.

 

Luke 2:36-38

36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;

37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

 

          Simeon was fulfilled in his waiting – but Anna was joyfully surprised! The Christmas Story – the one in the Bible and not the movie on TV – is full of surprise words like “suddenly” and “immediately.” The Christmas spirit is the spirit of surprise.

 

3. IT IS THE SPIRIT OF WONDER!

 

Luke 2:8-10

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

 

          The combination of the Greek words for “sore afraid” is actually “mega phobia.” It is the spirit of wonder and incredulity. It is Mary asking the angel “how can this thing be?” It is the speechless shepherds who are wide-eyed and doubtful of their own senses.

 

4. IT IS THE SPIRIT OF FAITH!

 

Heb 11:1

11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

 

          Substance and evidence! These fill the heart of the one full of unverified hope and unexplained joy. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit and a product of the holy written word. We need an apt benediction both for those with the Christmas spirit and for those who still seek it today.

 

Rom 15:13

13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

 

Dear Lord, fill us all with that joy and peace in believing today. Fill us with wonder. Surprise us with your presence. AMEN