30 Day Jesus Challenge - Day 25 God's Gift of Christmas

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel.

Micah 5:2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

These are just two of the Messianic prophecies fulfilled by Jesus.  Prophecy is the absolute undeniable proof that Scriptures are real, inspired, and trust worthy.  Alas, there in lies the rub.  Prophecy forces the issue of Biblical inerrancy (read here for more) and if the Bible is true then Jesus is true.

He is the Gift.  He is the reason for Christmas.

Messiah is the Gift of Christmas

Pray - Lord, on this day of celebration, I pray that the real and true meaning of Christmas find its place in my heart.

Finding God's Provision

This Christmas, I have learned, perhaps, the most valuable lesson of the year.  "What lesson?" You ask.  I have learned to recognize God's Provision.  We can do this by stopping, observing, and looking at what is in front of us instead of dwelling on what is not.  He meets our needs everyday but we miss it in the moment, only in hindsight do we see.  

My family determined this year, we were not going to make Christmas a consumption fest.  We were not going to run ourselves ragged or go broke buying gifts.  We kept that promise and the blessings of the Season were amazing.  By looking to the things He already had given us, we bagged all of our presents with last year's bags and tissue paper.  By praying for his provision, we had a bottle of wine when we needed to bring something to a friend's party, we had the ingredients for cookies and cake so we could bring some food.  When our son brought a friend home for dinner, unexpectedly, we cut the chicken breasts in half and shared the food we had on the table.  The next morning when there was four eggs and three slices of bacon, I made 5 omelets and toast and everyone went away full and satisfied.  As I am looking for wood chips, compost, and mulch for my new Back to Eden Garden, neighbors bag their leafs up and leave them on the side of the road, tree services deliver wood chips, and the neighbors who keep chickens say I can have as much manure as I want.  I've desired a compost bin for a while and I now have free pallets to use to make one.  Since the birth of my Sister's first baby in 2007, I have purchased special ornaments for each child.  This year, the $80 ornament was just not in the budget, I was sad about this and rationalized that I would buy it next year and he would never know the difference.  I got a promotional email and for a limited time the ornament was 50% off!  It was still the most expensive present I bought this year but I was so proud of it.  I was so thankful to the Lord that I was not embarrassed over my lack of funds and I was so blessed to be able to keep the tradition.  Looking back over this year, these are just a scant few examples, but I think you get the gist. 

In all of the above small situations, I could have looked at what I did not have, I could have bought what I wanted on credit, I could have tried to provide for myself but I would have failed.  Instead, I made a choice to appreciate what I did have and the experience was so much richer.  I felt blessed, I felt as if I was a good steward, and the excitement of Christmas has returned to my heart.

So dear friends, I implore you to make a paradigm shift in your thought life and learn to appreciate what God has given you.  It will take some creativity, it will take a humbleness, and it will give you back more than you can ever imagine.

Migdal Eder, "The Tower of the Flock"

Abigail and Dolley readers some years ago I read the story of the shepherds, the significance of Bethlehem, and the wonderful plan of God.  Every Christmas I am reminded of the story and wish that more folks knew and understood the significance of Bethlehem.

You see, Bethlehem was where the lambs of the temple were kept and raised.  These were the perfect lambs of God.  The shepherds who tended them were trained in the laws and the rules of the law.  They were special, set apart, and holy unto God.

Midgal Eder - over the fields of Bethlehem

It was no accident that there was no room at the inn, for the true Lamb of God would not be born in a house but in a pure, clean, and holy lambing barn.  The final sacrifice for our Sin, the Holy Lamb of God, born for us in that special place.

The depth of the story, the significance of the place, the foreshadowing of the event in Genesis is full of wonder and majesty.  We do indeed worship a Holy and Blessed Lord.  If you'd like to read more, check out these links:

Why Bethlehem? and Christmas Past Messages from Abigail and Dolley

Merry Christmas, Friends.

What's So Special About Bethlehem

Abigail and Dolley readers - Merry Christmas!  I love biblical prophecy, of all the proofs that God offers us, the proofs of fulfilled prophecy are some of my favorite.  Today we celebrate Jesus' birth.  Most know that he was born in Bethlehem, but what makes that significant?  What was special about this place.  Let's look at some of the prophecy together.

The Book of Micah was likely written between 735 and 700 B.C. and predicted that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem in Judea.  Mic 5:2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting."
The New Testament proclaims that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and the Old Testament tells us where in Bethlehem he was born.  A place called Migdal Eder, which means Tower of the Flock. 

Mic 4: 8 "And thou, O tower of the flock, the hill of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, yea, the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem."

Migdal Eder, the Tower of the Flock, was where the special passover lambs were raised.  These were not ordinary lambs, these were consecrated and set aside specifically for sacrifice.

Thus, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29) was born in the lambing barn of the special passover lambs.  The shepherds which are keeping watch by their fields at night were the shepherds of Migdal Eder.

I could write for days and years on the subject - for the greatness of God is eternal and His mysteries are infinite.  May you be richly blessed this Christmas and may the peace and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be upon you.