Christmas

People have asked Patti and me how we celebrate the Christmas Season (the birth of Jesus Christ) and why. In the following article, I hope to share with you the "Reason for the Season" and why we, "The Marengo Home Fellowship" celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Luke 2:1-19

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.

So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.

So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this [will be] the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us."

And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen [Him], they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard [it] marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things and pondered [them] in her heart.

I would like to talk more about verse 11. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

If you haven't listened to the song "Mary did you Know", I would like to ask you to now as I will be referring to some of the verses in it.
"Mary did you know that your son would save our sons and daughters?

"For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

A Savior. What is Jesus actually saving us from? Why do we need a Savior? Why did God step out of heaven into history? Why, why, why?

Psa 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, [And] all the nations that forget God.

Psa 55:15 Let death seize them; Let them go down alive into hell, For wickedness [is] in their dwellings [and] among them.

Mat 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Hell...... "the unquenchable fire" and "where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched."

Mat 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

God, "after He hath killed, hath power to cast into hell," is assigned as a reason why He should be feared with the fear that keeps from evil doing, Luk 12:5; the parallel passage to this in Mat 10:28 declares, not the casting in, but the doom which follows, namely, the destruction (not the loss of being, but of well-being) of "both soul and body."

Before I talk about the need of the Savior and the reason Jesus was born, I would like to share more about Him through the song, "Mary Did You Know?"

"Did you know that your son will one day walk on water?"

Mat 14:21-30 Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children. Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind [was] boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"

"Mary did you know that your baby boy, would give sight to a blind man?"

Jhn 9:1-11 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; [the] night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing. Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?" Some said, "This is he." Others [said], "He is like him." He said, "I am [he]." Therefore they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?" He answered and said, "A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed, and I received sight."


"Mary did you know that your baby boy, would calm a storm with his hand?"

Mat 8:23-27 "Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to [Him] and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"

"When you kiss your little baby, you kiss the face of GOD."

Jhn 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 were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

Jhn 1:10-14 "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became 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 above verses tell us who Jesus Christ is. " The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." Not who he was, but who he is. GOD.

While Jesus was on earth, during His ministry he taught us why we are separated from God, which is sin and what we must do to be saved. Saved from Hell, which is the punishment for sin.

Jhn 3:17,18 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

If we believe we are not condemned: but if we don't, we are condemned already."

We need a Savior.

If you died today, which 150,000+ people will, will God consider you to be a "good" person? Good enough to get into Heaven? Try this quick, self-scoring test... it's free to take and you'll get these questions answered for good. Go to http://marengohomefellowship.blogspot.com/ and you will find the 8 question test.

Patti and I are sharing this with you because we love you and want to have a friendship with you in Jesus Christ, our Savior which was born.........

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.


Are you celebrating Christmas because Jesus Christ is your Savior?

The Reason, for the Season.

"but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. This [is] a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. For to this [end] we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is [the] Savior of all men, especially of those who believe." 1Ti 4:8-10 NKJV

Jesus died for all men, but.......especially for those who believe.... We must, must repent and turn from our sins to have Jesus be our Savior.

Do you celebrate the birth of Christ because He is your Savior?

What is on my mind today? For those who do not know whether or not they would go to heaven if they died today, that they would consider this. Take a simple test.

Take the quick 8-question test found on the right side of the page. Why? Because we love you!

Christmas

Pilate therefore said to Him,

"Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say [rightly] that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

Jhn 18:37