First and Second Christmas

Many people today and throughout history have refused to believe the divine intervention in the life of Jesus.  But no one can deny that Jesus was a real person.  That is an undisputed fact.  Even the most skeptical person must admit that at the very least, Jesus was a wise teacher whose radical teachings of peace and love transformed the world.  For this reason alone, Jesus’ birthday ought to be celebrated by the entire world. 

I believe the facts of the historical figure of Jesus, but I also believe in what He said.  I believe in His promises and in the spiritual aspect of His message.  I believe that Jesus is God made man, and that He came from Heaven to bring salvation to a lost world.  I celebrate His birthday because Jesus is the gift of life from heaven to mankind.

According to the Bible’s account, the birth of Jesus was filled with supernatural events.  Angels appeared to Elizabeth and Zechariah, to Mary and Joseph, to the shepherds in the field…  The sky opened and the shepherds were able to see and hear the hosts of heaven singing.  A star appeared in the sky and guided the Magi.  Herod the king ordered the death of the babies.  Angels warned the Magi to leave through another route, and the angel warned Mary and Joseph to take the baby to Egypt.  After some time, again an angel advised Joseph and Mary that it was safe to return to Israel.  Jesus’ birth fulfilled several ancient prophecies.

In Christmas we celebrate when Jesus the Messiah was born in Bethlehem; but I am already celebrating the Messiah’s second coming; when He will appear again in power and splendor to once and for all end the madness of this world.

Santa vs. Jesus

Often we hear of Christmas as a day for the children, because we have adopted the tradition of bringing presents to the kids on this day. Santa Claus the big jolly guy dressed in red bringing presents on Christmas eve to the children of the world, has taken the center stage of the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. I do not advocate for the elimination of Santa Claus, after all it is a very nice tradition… who as a child did not love to receive gifts from Santa? The Christian world has adopted Santa Claus as part of the Christmas celebration. As a Christian, I am OK with it as long as Santa is just that, part of the celebration and does not take the first place and becomes the celebration itself. In Christmas we rejoice for the birth of the Savior of the World. We sing with the angels Glory to God in the highest! We are thankful for God’s visitation to earth. God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son that whosoever believed in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life. We need to teach our children the true meaning of Christmas. Navidad=nacimiento / Christmas= mass for Christ. Chirstmas is the day God came to earth in His Son Jesus. It is the gift of hope, light and life to all humanity. God’s gift is free. It is given to us by His grace, just because He loved us. I give presents to my wife, children, and friends, for the relation we have.  I don’t usually give to the unknown person, but God gave Jesus to us freely, that we may be saved by believing in Him. God gave me something to believe, hope to hold on to, new meaning to my life. If I give you 100.00 and you accept it, you are 100.00 richer. When we receive the gift of Jesus, we have peace, forgiveness of sin, the Holy Spirit in us, the love of God, eternal life and we are adopted in God’s family as children of God. That is Christmas. Let Jesus be born in your heart.

Luke 2:8-20 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ¹⁴ “ Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”¹⁵ 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.” ¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷ Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. ¹⁸ And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

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

SHADRACH, MESHAC AND ABEDNEGO OR THE COST OF FOLLOWING JESUS: AN EXAMPLE OF TEST BEFORE PROMOTION

Matthew 8:18-22 ¹⁸ And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side.   ¹⁹ Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” ²⁰ And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” ²¹ Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” ²² But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” -  

Daniel Ch 3 tells the story of Shadrac, Meshac and Abednego; three young men that were in captivity at the Babylonian palace.   King Nebuchadnezzar ordered every one of his servants to bow down and worship a golden statue of a pagan god.   The three young men refused to worship anyone or anything other than God.  They were brought before the king and accused of disobeying the king’s order.   They stood in their ground and told the king, they would only worship God.   They were told that if they did not bow to the golden statue they would be burned alive in a fiery furnace.  The three young men said v 16-“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from your hand, O king.  But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set us up.”

The three young men withstood a big trial and were willing to face death before submitting to false gods.  Their faith in God was so that they would trust Him to save them and if He did not saved them they knew better than worshipping another god.  They went on to the execution chamber and the miracle occurred.  God had send His angel to deliver the three young men from the fire.  This great miracle was the proof King Nebuchadnezzar needed to recognize the great God of Israel.  But the young men did not need a miracle.  They knew who God is because they have learned who they were in God.  They were the chosen nation, from where salvation to the world would come; they knew what God had done for His people time after time though out their history.  So they put their trust in God and were delivered.  Now notice that their brave attitude was misinterpreted by the king as rebellion.  

DO NOT CONFUSE COURAGE WITH REBELLION

be of courage... - do not confuse courage with rebellion, rebellion  is a spirit that causes people to act against authority and stops people from submitting to authority against biblical commands.  Rebellion disguises himself with courage but courage is when you stand in your ground for righteousness.  Courage is willing to give your life for God.  Courage is submitting to Gods will and persevering in His word.  Courage is closely related to faithfulness and righteousness, and holiness.  There is no holiness or faithfulness or righteousness without courage.  Rebellion on the other hand is accompanied by lawlessness and disrespect.  According to the Bible, rebellion is related to witchcraft.  It comes from the same source of unfaithfulness to God.  Rebellion seeks self gratification under the premises of a false justice; a justice that is grounded on earthly motives. A false justice that sets to divide power and challenges all of what God established as authority.  Rebellion is a spirit that appears in disguise  as courage.

We need to stand on our ground and call that which is sin, sin and not pretend that sin is OK when it is not.

I started to call this message, Test Before Promotion.  In the Bible we often see this principle which states that before a great promotion comes, a great test must be passed.  There are many examples in the Bible to illustrate this principle: Abraham, Joseph, David, Joshua, Daniel, Shadrac, Meshac and Abednego.  Ultimately, Jesus demonstrated this principle.  Before Jesus ascended to Heaven He endured the cross.  He said that we must pick up our cross and follow him. 

There is much to be learned from this story: COURAGE, LOYALTY AND FAITHFULNESS, TRUST IN GOD, PERSECUTION OF GOD’S PEOPLE, HUMILITY, TESTIMONY FROM YOUR ACTIONS, GOD’S DELIVERANCE, GOD’S PRESENCE, GOD’S FAITHFULNESS, TESTS AND PROMOTION.  BUT OF ALL THAT CAN BE LEARNED HERE TO ME THE MOST VALUABLE LESSON IS THAT GOD IS FAITHFUL TO THOSE WHO REMAIN FAITHFULL TO HIM.

Deuteronomy 7:9 “Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

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BE STRONG AND CORAGEOUS- Phil 1:28-29; 1 king 2:2; 2 Ch 15:7 Isa 35:4; Hag 2:4; Zec 8:9; 1 Co 16”13; Eph 6:10; 2 Ti 2:1

Philippians 1:28-29²⁸ and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.  ²⁹ For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,

 1 Kings 2:2 “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man.

Chronicles 15:7 But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!”

Isaiah 35:4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “ Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.”

Haggai 2:4 Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the LORD; ‘and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the LORD, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ says the LORD of hosts.

Zechariah 8:9 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘ Let your hands be strong,You who have been hearing in these days These words by the mouth of the prophets,  Who spoke in the day the foundation was laid For the house of the LORD of hosts, That the temple might be built.

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 

2 Timothy 2:1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 

THE LORD IS MY REFUGE-2 Sa 22:2; Isa 46:4; Jer 1:8; Da 6:27; 2 Co 1:10; Heb 2:15

2 Samuel 22:2 And he said: “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;{Compare Psalm 18,34,56}

Isaiah 46:4⁴ Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you. 

Jeremiah 1:8 Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the LORD. 

Daniel 6:27 He delivers and rescues, And He works signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.

2 Corinthians 1:10 who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,

Hebrews 2:15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

REMAIN IN HIM- Jn 15:4-10; 1 jn 2:6; 1 Jn 2:281 Jn 3:6; 2 Jn 9

John 15:4-10⁴ Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  ⁵ “I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  ⁶ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.  ⁷ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.  ⁸ By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.  {Love and Joy Perfected}⁹ “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.  ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 

1 John 2:6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. 

1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

1 John 3:6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin.  Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. 

2 John 1:9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God.  He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.

NONE LIKE GOD-Ex 8:10;  15:11; Dt 33:26; 2 Sa 7:22; 1 Ki 8:23; 1 Ch 17:20; Ps 89:6; Isa 40:18; Mk 12:32

John 6:68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.-

Exodus 8:10 So he said, “Tomorrow.” And he said, “Let it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God. 

Exodus 15:11 “Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?

Deuteronomy 33:26 “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you,  And in His excellency on the clouds.

2 Samuel 7:22 Therefore You are great, O Lord GOD.  For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

1 Kings 8:23³ and he said: “LORD God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts. 

1 Chronicles 17:20⁰ O LORD, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

Psalm 89:6 ⁶ For who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD?Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the LORD?

Isaiah 40:18 To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him?

Mark 12:32² So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher.  You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.

PROMOTION- Gen 39:5; Ge 41:40; 1 King 11:28; Est 6:11; Dan 2:48; 3:30 5:29; 6:2

Daniel 2:48 Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.

Genesis 39:5So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in the house and in the field. Genesis 41:40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”

1 Kings 11:28 The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor; and Solomon, seeing that the young man was industrious, made him the officer over all the labor force of the house of Joseph. 

Esther 6:11 So Haman took the robe and the horse, arrayed Mordecai and led him on horseback through the city square, and proclaimed before him, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!”

Mark 10:43-44 ⁴³ Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  ⁴⁴ And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.-

Learn From The Lillies

Mat 28-30 28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

The question why you worry? Is a loaded question with much teaching. First is the obvious message about worrying, anguish, anxiety seen by our Lord as something undesirable. In other words, God tells us that anxiety is not convenient, peace is the opposite of anxiety, and we know that God is a God of peace. The peace that we are talking about at the moment is not the opposite of war. We refer to the peace that is synonym of tranquility, serenity. Anxiety and worry are accompanied by pain of the soul and despair. When we act in anxiety or despair, we do not calculate the effects of our actions, and we take very hurried decisions. Anxiety can lead to spending too much, eating fast foods, separations, divorces… and to calm down the anxiety we tend to look for things that would bring relief albeit for a short time. However, when acting in peace, we can take the time to make things easy, we enjoy the moment and do not suffer the consequences of decisions taken in haste. So when Jesus asks you why do you worry? He is letting us know that the anguish and despair are not favorable attitudes. But He is asking: Why? Why do you worry? By asking us why, Jesus is asking you to examine yourself and tell yourself what is the reason for your anxiety. It is not just the clothing that you care about. Clothing is the excuse that you use at this time to worry. The question is what is causing you to get anxious and worried. Will it be because you doubt that God is your provider? Have you not incorporated the Word of God in the 23rd Psalm that says The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want? Do you not believe God? In whom have you put your trust? Do not be anxious; learn to find peace waiting for the Lord. We tend to worry about material things, but He said, “Do not be anxious”. He does not tell us to take a Xanax, He tells us to be still and know He is God. He tells us to learn from the lilies of the field. They do not rush to do things, instead, they completely trust in God and He has provided a most excellent outfit. What He means by worrying about clothes and food, is not to worry so much about where the money is coming from or what is going to happen next, or worry so much about the daily things that interferes with our worship and our praise and our communion with Him. He has many examples in the Bible of learning to trust God for our daily provision.  A widow was ready to die, after helping God’s prophet; God provided oil and flour to sustain her and her son for the rest of their lives. Also the prophet Elijah was fed daily by the raven. In the worst environment, the desert, the Hebrews were provided with bread from heaven and water from the rock and lacked nothing for many years. What makes us thing that God is going to forget about us?He tells us to learn from His creation, the lilies of the field, a beautiful sight adorned by God’s grace. Not even the richest man could equal the heavenly clothing of the flowers. Not even Bill Gates can buy a suit like the garment God is going to clothe you with, an outfit of holiness, a white robe of sanctity that shines like the light in which He wraps himself. He will let you sit in His throne with Jesus, your feet will be protected with the shoes of readiness to deliver the gospel. Learn to trust in God and not in your own efforts. God trusts you to be faithful and obedient. Jesus said, learn from the lilies. He is telling you from the simplicity of life, learn humility. Learn from the lilies, they are fragrant offerings. The lilies are in constant praise, offering their lives as living sacrifice. He said learn from the lilies and watch them grow. If we observe the handy work of God in His creation, when we begin to truly appreciate God’s daily mercies, we stop to look for the miracle of life; we notice that God is working on the lilies. He did not just plant them there in the field. He made them grow. In our lives, we also will grow. We will age, and at each stage of life we must evolve into a more independent and productive person. If we as individuals are not growing, we are not learning and we are not letting God unfold His will upon our lives. Grow like the lilies. Learn from the lilies... And Jesus is telling us to learn and to grow. and to trust in God as we look at the lilies in the field. What can you do to make your way in to heaven? What can you give God that he needs? The answer is nothing; it is by grace that we are saved not by works so that nobody boasts about it. It is only by God’s gift that we can enter into His presence; Jesus is the gift of God. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ is the gift of God. Receive the Spirit today; it is His gift to you. Now when Jesus points out that the lilies don’t work, He is not saying that you should not work either. He is saying, how much more God will do for you His faithful servant; you are the apple of God’s eye. He has so much more for you who will live in eternity with Him. The grass will wither and die, but you faithful church, you are so loved; you are so much more than grass and flowers. You are God’s heir. He created the Garden of Eden for you. You go ahead toil and spin, but not for your own riches, toil and spin but for the kingdom of God. And when you toil and spin, that’s is, when you go to work every day for God , when you share your testimony with others, do not suffer this work as a burden, but count your suffering for joy. Toil and spin, learn from the lilies, grow like the lilies. Trust God. Work for God. God loves you so much.

Peace/Shalom a blessing

Job 22:21;Psalm 4:8; Psalm 29:11;Psalm 34:14;Isaiah 9:6-7;Proverbs 14:30; Psalm 122:6-8;Psalm 37:11;Isaiah 26:2-4; Isaiah 48:22;John 16:33; Acts 10:36;Romans 8:6;Romans 5:1;Romans 8:6;Romans 12:18; Romans 14:17;Romans 14:19;Galatians 5:21-23; Philippians 4:7; Colossians 3:15;

Jonah's Anger Jonah 3:10-4:4

When things don’t go our way, one of the most natural responses is anger. But Anger, can be a very destructive emotion if not controlled. It can destroy you and those around you. Anger blinds common sense and cause people to say and do things they later regret. However some anger can move you to act courageously against injustice. So why do we get angry?  The Bible tells us the story of a man who became so angry at God that he would rather die. Jonah, also known as the reluctant missionary, became mad at God. When God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and announce the impending destruction that was coming upon that city, Jonah avoided God’s instructions and encountered some serious vicissitudes as a result of his walking away from God. Eventually, Jonah went to Nineveh and preached repentance. God forgave the people of Nineveh and their lives were spared. Now Jonah became angry, so angry he wanted to die. He was mad at God because God changed his mind and did not do what Jonah said God would do. In other words, Jonah was mad at God because God did not do what Jonah wanted God to do. Jonah was more concerned about what he wanted and what others would think of him, that he did not care about the people he was preaching to. He was concerned about looking good before the people, he was concerned about been right, he was the prophet. Pride in Jonah’s heart caused him to create an unrealistic expectation of God. He said, I knew you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity”. Even after seeing the amazing results of his work, the entire city of Niniveh repented and God relented from the threat of punishment, Jonah still sat outside the city to see their destruction. Why did he not packed and left, and sang a song of thanksgiving for God’s mercy upon that city? Instead he was stubborn and stayed there angry hoping for the destruction of the city. But God taught him a lesson about forgiveness.

Sometimes, we get angry at others, or at God or at ourselves. This anger can be traced to our creating unrealistic expectations of others, or of God or of ourselves. When we expect others to do certain things and they don’t do them, we get angry at them. When we expect God to do something for us, and he doesn’t, we get angry at Him. Sometimes we get jealous of other peoples’ blessings and we ask God, where is my blessing? It is frustrating when we don’t get what we want, and when this happen, we turn to anger. But God asked Have you any right to be angry? The answer is no.

How do you prevent from getting angry? Examine yourself. What are you angry about? To whom are you directing your anger? Consider that maybe the source of your anger is not really the other person, but what you wanted the other person to do for you? Did you consider that when you placed this expectation to the other person, you were perhaps, too demanding? Did you consider the ability of the other person to do what you wanted? Finally, did you consider that sometimes, there can be a change of plans? Is it your pride that is getting in the way of our accepting others the way they are?

A good exercise would be to begin our day with thanksgiving. Be extra aware of God’s mercies and grace. Think about what an amazing job He has done in creation. Consider the lilies of the field. Lift up your eyes and delight in God’s handy work. Practice watching God’s amazing work in others. See what a great God is He when he blessed so and so. Be glad for what God gave you and for what God does for others.