THE "MORNING STAR" OF THE REFORMATION GOES HOME

   It was on a Saturday, on the thirty-first day of the month of December, according to the then used Julian calendar, in the year of our Lord 1384, that John Wycliffe went to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
   John Wycliffe is best known for his translation of the Bible directly from the Latin Vulgate into the vernacular English. 

The beginning of the Gospel of John in a copy of John Wycliffe's translation of the Bible.

SELAH

   There have been many Christian men and women who have paid a heavy price to get the Bible translated into the tongues of the common peoples of many nations.  Those of us who claim to have a love for the Holy Bible dishonor their sacrifices and memories when we neglect the Bilbe either in our lack of reading, or our disobedience to its commandments to our daily lives.

Winston Churchill "Never Give In"

We miss you, Sir Winston. We need more like you today.

AN IRON CURTAIN DESCENDED ON EUROPE

   It was birth on a Saturday, on the twenty-second day of the month of December, in the year of out Lord 1922.  It was named the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR [CCCP in Russian]), but most of the world would simple come to know it as the Soviet Union.
   At the height of its power, it had come to engulf most of Eastern Europe, some of Germany, and portions of the Middle East.  It would plunge all those under it's domain into approximately seventy years of darkness.  From it, the world would become familiar with frightening terms like "KGB" and "the Gulag."
   It's main mission was to spread revolution and its form of single party atheistic communism throughout as much of the world as possible.  It saw the world's capitalist countries as it's enemies, but it believed that it's main enemy was God Himself.  The main religion of the Soviet Union was a form of Socialistic Darwinism.

The Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow during its 1931 demolition.

SELAH

   Ideas and philosophies have consequences.  The Soviet Union was the child of Karl Marx's atheistic communism and Charles Darwin's naturalistic evolution.  As a matter of fact, it is said that Marx wanted to dedicate his first edition of "Das Capital" to Darwin until he was discouraged by his wife to do so.



AMAZING GRACE: ...AND GRACE WILL LEAD ME HOME

   It was on a Monday, on the twenty-first day of the month of December, in the year of our Lord 1807 that John Henry Newton went home to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
   His mother, Elizabeth Newton, was a Nonconformist Christian.  She died of tuberculosis in July, 1732, just two weeks shy of John's seventh birthday.  John Newton would spend most of his young adult life at sea and lost to the things of Christ.  He would eventually would become the captain of the Duke of Argyle (1750) and the African (1752-53 and 1753-54), both were English slave ships.
   In was in the midst of a storm aboard the merchant ship Greyhound, on a Sunday, on the tenth day of the month of March, in the year of our Lord 1748, that John Newton came to know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.  Newton did not renounce the slave trade in England until later in his life.
   He would later become a clergyman in the Church of England.  He would also later influence a young member of the British Parliament named William Wilberforce.  Wilberforce, as an Evangelical Christian, would become the driving force behind the abolition of the African slave trade in the British Empire.
   Newton would go on to write many Christian hymns in his life, but none of them are so familiar to the world and so loved and cherished by the church of Jesus Christ as Amazing Grace.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

DID YOU HERE THAT? THAT WAS THE SOUND OF ANOTHER NAIL IN AMERICA'S COFFIN

Romans 1:18-28

   For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

   For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
   For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
   For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
   Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
   and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

   Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 

    because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

   For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 

   and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

   And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.  (ESV)

Romans 1:18-28

   As of this afternoon, Saturday, December 18, 2010, the United States Senate (63-33) passed a bill that will allow openly homosexuals to serve in the United States Military.  Eight Republicans joined the Democrats to pass the bill. Of coarse, there are the usual suspects from Maine, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, were two of the eight Republicans.  Oh, and guess what. So was the newly re-elected Republican senator from Alaska, Lisa Murkowski.  Well, isn't that special.  Oh, and President Barry will sign when it gets to his desk.  One more thing.  Isn't funny how the Senate has no problems working the weekend and overtime to get things like this done.

   According to the portion of  the book of Romans above, events like what we witnessed today will not bring upon America not wrath of God.  No.  Events like what we saw today IS the wrath of God being poured on America.  We just heard the sound of another nail being nailed into the coffin of the United States of America.

SELAH

   There probably no hope left for America as a nation (Oh, let us remember that Jesus came and died for individuals. Not for nations as a whole), but each one of us need to make sure our lives are with God.  Each one of us needs the Gospel.

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: THERE ARE NO CONTRADICTIONS IN GOD'S WORD

Luke 2:39

   And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.

Luke 2:39

   If a casual reader of the bible were to first read the birth account of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Matthew, and then read the birth account in the Gospel of Luke, the following questions might pop in that reader's head about Luke's account:

"Where is the visit of the Magi?"

"Where is the slaughter of the innocent?"

"What about Joseph, Mary and Jesus going down to Egypt?"

   Our proposed reader might then make the conclusion that since these events are omitted from the account recorded by Dr. Luke, then that means that there are contradictions in the two recorded accounts (e.i. Matthew and Luke).  That is the conclusion that many who reject the Bible as a whole come to.  As a matter of fact, some Biblical skeptics have made a career out of claiming such things.

   Bart Ehrman, a New Testament scholar, and currently the James A Gray Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has made a very lucrative career out of claiming that the Bible is full contradictions and major errors in the early manuscripts that we still have today.  To be honest, most of the "errors" in the manuscripts that Ehrman likes to point out are mostly things like minor differences in the spelling in the different manuscripts, and many of the others have been addressed and explained many years ago by Christian Biblical scholars who were more reputable that Dr. Ehrman.

   Now to the differences in the birth accounts recorded in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.  First of all, let's understand that all four Gospel (i.e. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) were each written with different original audiences in mind.  Each Gospel emphasized on different aspects of the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.

   Each of the four Gospels are like different sides of the same diamond.  Each has a different sparkle to it, but it is part of the same diamond.

   Most importantly, all four Gospels, just like the rest of the Bible, were inspired by the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. ( c.f. 2 Timothy 3:16). The Holy Spirit does not make any contradictions or mistake.

SELAH

   Let the Scriptures defend itself.  Let Scriptures explain Scripture, and used the clearer portions of Scripture to interpret the more difficult portions of Scriptures.

   "Scriptura Scripturam" (Scripture interprets Scripture) was the believe and practice of  Luther, Calvin, and many of the sixteenth century reformers.  It has been the belief and practice of all true believers throughout the history of the church, and it should be of ours today.

    

  

HAPPY 303RD BIRTHDAY, CHARLES WESLEY

   He was born on a Sunday, on the eighteenth day of the month of December, in the  year of our Lord 1707, under the name of Charles Wesley, in Epworth, Lincolnshire, to a Samuel and Susanna Wesley.  He was one of nineteen children in his family.  He and his younger brother, John, would later become known as leaders of the English Methodist movement.
   Charles is mostly known by today's Evangelical Christian for his many hymns that he wrote.  On of those pieces is probably one of the most heard Christian hymns heard at this time of the year, "Hark! The Herald Angels Sings".

Hark! The herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethlehem!

Refrain

Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King!

Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.

Refrain

Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

Refrain

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.

Refrain

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.

Refrain

VANCE HAVNER ON PRIDE

"When the tide is low, every shrimp has it's own pond."

HAPPY 296TH BIRTHDAY TO GEORGE WHITEFIELD

   He was born on a Sunday, on the sixteenth day of the month of December, in the year of our Lord 1714, under the name of George Whitefield, at the Bell Inn, Southgate Street, in Gloucester, England.
   He would later become a minister in the Anglican Church of England.  The Lord would use him as one of His major instruments to bring about a great revival in England and in the British North American colonies that would later become known as the "First Great Awakening".  The "Great Awakening" would become what many now believe was the spiritual foundation of the American Revolution of 1776.
   He had the gift of a booming voice that could carry a good distance.  It is said that he had once "open air"
preached to a crowd of ten thousand people (this was long before any audio equipment was available to a speaker).  He was teased and mocked by his detractors because of his being cross eyed.
   The printed sermons and writings of George Whitefield are still a blessing to many professing believers in our day.

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE.....I THINK

Question. George Soros and the Emperor on "Star Wars."  Are they one in the same.  You decide.

The Emperor to Luke Skywalker in "Return of the Jedi":  "I'm afraid that by the time your friends arrive, the shields for this base star will be fully operational."

George Soros to the oil companies:  "I'm afraid that by the time the Department of Interior gives out drilling permits, all of the rigs will be out of the Gulf of Mexico and be working for me and Petrobras in Brazil."



C.S. LEWIS QUOTE OF THE DAY

"You will certainly carry out God’s purpose, but it makes a difference to you whether you serve like Judas or like John."

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: THE GOSPEL KNOWS NO ETHNIC BOUNDS

Luke 2:32

   a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.  (ESV)

Luke 2:32

   God once took a man named Abraham, and made out of him a nation unto Himself.  Abraham's grand-son, Jacob, had twelve sons, out of whom came the twelve tribes of Israel.  God made and chose Israel unto Himself in order to have a special relationship with Himself and this nation.  Israel was God's chosen people, His elect.

    God also intended Israel to be more.  Israel was to be a shining example, to the peoples around them, of how one could have a proper relationship with the one true God of the universe (c.f. Isaiah 42:6).  Israel was not chosen by God because of anything they did or any quality within themselves that God would see as being worthy of His choice.  Through the years, the people of Israel had forgotten this fact.  They became prideful, and saw people of other ethnic backgrounds as being less than themselves.

   God had always intended the Gospel to for people of all ethnic backgrounds.  God first indicated this in the protoevangelion (the first Gospel [c.f. Genesis 3:15]), He revealed this to Abraham (c.f. Genesis 12:2), and made it clearer through the prophecy of Isaiah (c.f. Isaiah 49:6).

   In the book of the Revelation, it is recorded that Christ died to save a people out of  every "ethnos" (e.i. people groups). (c.f. Rev. 5:9)

SELAH

Matthew 28:19-20

   Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

   teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Matthew 28:19-20

   As Christian, we are to share the Gospel with everyone that we come across in our daily walk no matter what their ethnic, social, or economic background is.

 

GEORGE WASHINGTON: WHEN CHARACTER COUNTS

   It was at 10pm, on a Saturday, on the fourteenth day, of the month of  December, in the year of our Lord 1799, that the man who was known as a farmer, Commander of the 1st Continental Army, President of the United States, Father of his country, and patriot went home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. George Washington was sixty-seven years-old when he died.
   He literally stood taller than most men of his time, but his greatest asset was his personal character.  When he became Commander and Chief of his fledgling country, it was by the power of his unquestionable character that he was able to keep the newly founded government together through those early days of turmoil, possible rebellion, and emerging political fractions.
   We modern Americans take the exchange of power of one head of state to another for granted.  But it was not always that way.  Before Washington became president, no other world leader in history had willingly given up their position of leadership at the height of their power and popularity. Julius Caesar did not.  Later, Napoleon did not.  Washington began what would become a somewhat unwritten agreement between U.S. Presidents that would not be broken up until and including the presidency of Hebert Hoover.
    George Washington was not a deist as most modern historians claim him to be.  A deist, as Benjamin Franklin was one, saw God as being like a watchmaker, who would make to watch, wind it up up, and then let it run on its own.  Deist did not believe that God intervened in human affairs.  So, deist did not see any use for prayer.  According to George Washington, what students would learn in American schools "above all" was "the religion of Jesus Christ."  Washington recognised that the protective hand of divine providence had intervened in his own life many times.  He was also a avid practitioner and believer in prayer.  Upon taking the oath of office for his first term as President of the United States, he added of his own "so help me God," and then bent over to kiss the Bible.

SELAH

Proverbs 13:22a

   A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children,  (ESV)

Proverbs 12:22a

SERGEANT YORK: A CHRISTIAN SOLDIER IN MORE THAN ONE SENSE

   He was born on a Tuesday, on the thirteenth day of the month, of December in the year of our 1887, in a two-room log cabin near Pall Mall, Tennessee, under the name of Alvin Cullum York.  He was one of eleven siblings.  He would spend most of his youth drinking and fighting.  On a Friday, on the first day of the month of January, in the year of our Lord 1915, in a revival meeting at the church his family had attended for years, Alvin York came to know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
    Then, in 1917, came America's entry into the conflict that we now refer back to as World War II.  At the time it was fought, and up until World War II, it was known as "The Great War." On June 5, 1917, at the age of 29, Alvin York registered for the draft as all men between 21 and 31 years of age did on that day. When he registered for the draft, he answered the question "Do you claim exemption from draft (specify grounds)?" by writing "Yes. Don't Want To Fight." When his initial claim for conscientious objector status was denied, he appealed.  He was eventually sent to serve in Company G, 328th Infantry Regiment, 82 Infantry Division at Camp Gordon, Georgia, and then later was sent to the front in Europe.
   During an attack by his battalion to secure German positions along the Decauville rail-line north of  Chatel-Chehery, on October 8, 1918, York's actions earned him the Medal of Honor He recalled:

The Germans got us, and they got us right smart. They just stopped us dead in our tracks. Their machine guns were up there on the heights overlooking us and well hidden, and we couldn’t tell for certain where the terrible heavy fire was coming from… And I'm telling you they were shooting straight. Our boys just went down like the long grass before the mowing machine at home. Our attack just faded out… And there we were, lying down, about halfway across [the valley] and those German machine guns and big shells getting us hard.
   The events surrounding his conversion and his service in the war would be later immortalized in a 1941 motion picture starring Gary Cooper.  Cooper would go on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal.

SELAH

2 Timothy 2:3-4

   Share in suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

   No soldier get entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.

2 Timothy 2:3-4

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: THE METANARRATIVE OF THE BIBLE IS THE STORY OF REDEMPTION

Luke 2:25-32

   Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
   And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
   And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law,
   he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

"Lord, now you are letting your servant

depart in peace,

according to your word;

for my eyes have seen your salvation

that you have prepared in the presence

of all people,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and for glory to your people Israel."  (ESV)

Luke 2:25-32

   From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is about a rescue, God's rescuing people from His own wrath that they would bring upon themselves because of their rebellion against Him.  As early as Genesis 3:15, we have recorded what is known by Christian theologians as the protoevangelion (the first gospel).  Throughout the Bible, there is a scarlet thread of redemption.

   Overall, the Bible is not to be read as a "how to" book on the subjects of living (e.g. how to have a good marriage, how to raise children, how to select the right profession, etc.).  The Bible does address those issues (for the Christian), but that is not the theme that God has in it for us.  God's main concern for mankind is that each one of us would be redeemed to Him by trusting in the saving work of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

SELAH

   Just as the main theme of the Bible is God's redemptive plan, the main theme of the Christian's life should be the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

A SAINT GOES HOME

Psalm 116:15

   Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. (ESV)

Psalm 116:15

   On a Friday, on the tenth day of the month of December, in the year of our Lord 2010, Christian theologian Roger Nicole went home to be with his lord, the Lord Jesus Christ.  He was ninety-five years old.  He was Roger R. Nicole on a Friday, on the tenth day of the month December, in the year of our Lord 1915, in the city of Charlottenburg (greater Berlin), Germany.

   Through his many writings, Dr. Nicole was a great defender for biblical Chistianity against many forms of doctrinal error.

SELAH

   Let us strive in our lives to one day here from our Lord:

Matthew 25:21b

   Well done, good and faithful servant.

Matthew 25:21b

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS

Luke 2:21

   And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Luke 2:21

   The doctrine of the imputed righteousness of Christ onto the believer is a crucial but, unfortunately, a little known doctrine to most modern American evangelical Christians.  It is one of the major doctrines that separates  the Roman Catholic Church from historical Protestantism and Evangelicals.  Roman teaches that Christians receive a "infused" righteousness from God.  Protestants teach that Christians receive an "imputed" righteousness from God.  What is the difference?

   Infused righteousness is a type of synergism.  "Synergism" is the working two or more parties together.  Rome teaches that God does impart grace to the believer, but the believer must work with God to maintain that grace.  To it's credit, Rome does not teach the crass type of "works righteousness" that most modern Evangelicals credit to it, but that is what makes it's teachings more dangerous to those who adhere to it.

   Imputed righteousness is a type of monergism.  "Monergism" is one working alone.  Jesus Christ did all of the work that was needed for our salvation.  Not only did He die on the cross to pay for ours sins and appease the wrath of God for all who would put their trust in Him, but he also lived a life in which he fulfilled all of the righteous demands of the Law.  As a Jew, He obeyed every bit of the "Ten Commandments" and also of the other laws that God gave to Israel on mount Sinai.  He was circumcised.  He observed all of the festivals.  He never even had one sinful thought.

   Did you know that we have to be perfect in order to get to heaven?  "How can that be?" you might ask.

This can only be made possible when we are clothe in the righteousness of another.  Martin Luther called this an "alien righteousness." 

   Some have explained to doctrine justification with the phrase "Just as if I never had sinned".  This is true about that doctrine, but it is only half of it.  The Law demands obedience. When a person puts their trust in the complete works (His passive and His active obedience to God the Father), not only are their sins payed for, but also they are clothe with the righteousness of Christ.  Christians are only accepted by God because of what Christ has already done for them.

SELAH

   The question might be asked, "How is all of this practical to my every day Christian walk?"  The Gospel is not something that needs to be told to unbelievers.  Christians need the Gospel preached to them, and too themselves often.  Just remember when we do sin (and we will [c.f. 1 John 1:10]) God sees us as believers clothe in the righteousness of His Son.  Oh, and even as Christians, our "good works" are tainted by sin.  The puritan writer John Bunyan ("Pilgrim's Progress) once quote as saying that there were enough sins in one of his prayers to condemn everyone who has ever lived to hell.  Again, the only reason God accepts believers is because He sees us clothe in the righteousness of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, our righteousness.

Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo - O Holy Night / Cantique De Noel ...

Only God could have given these two men such beautiful voices.

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: GOD'S PEACE OFFERING

Luke 2:14

   "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

Luke 2:14

   As I write this blog, there is a global conflict that is taking place all around us.  This conflict has been occurring for thousands of years at this point.  Most of mankind is actively involved in this conflict, but many are not always aware that they are.  Some living now, and throughout history, have resolved this conflict in their lifetimes.  But, this was only possible because the agent to whom they had hostilities towards took the first steps in resolving this conflict.

   What is this conflict that I am writing about?  It is the ongoing conflict between God and the sons and daughters of Adam (that includes all of us), who was the first father of all mankind.  The first salvos were fired by our first parents, Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden.  Ever since then, the Bible records that all humans have, through our active rebellion against God's Laws (this is our sins), have made the God of the Bible our enemy.  (c.f. Romans 8:7, James 4:4, Romans 3:23)  The Bible also records that all we who have made God our enemy have the wrath of God resting on us at this very moment (c.f. John 3:36), and will face the full force of God's wrath in hell when we die.

   That is not the end of this story, though.  About two thousand years ago, God the Father (the first person of the Trinity) sent God the Son (the second person of the Trinity) to live in human flesh, live a perfect life of obedience to fulfill the demands of the Law (that we could never do), and die on a Roman cross to take on himself the wrath of God for all of us who would repent and put their trust in him.

   Jesus was (and still is) God's only peace offering to mankind.

SELAH

   If you are reading this, and have not put your trust in the life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ for your rebellion and sins against God, make this Christmas season a memorable one by repenting of your wrong views about God and trusting in Christ as your righteousness and peace offering to God.

   If you are a believer and have already done this, take this Christmas season to remind those around you who do not have Christ as their Lord and Savior their need to do so. 

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: CHRISTIANITY IS A HISTORICAL FAITH

Luke 2:1-2

   In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
   This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.  (ESV)

Luke 2:1-2

   When Luke recorded his Gospel, he referred to real historical political leaders of the time.  This is a reminder to us that these were real people living in real history.

   There are those today, like the guy who arrives late to the party, who would still question if the biblical Jesus of Nazareth really did exist in history.  Most reputable historians, even the most secular ones, would acknowledge that Jesus was a real person of historical record.

   In his second epistle, the apostle Peter recorded:

2 Peter 1:16

   For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  (ESV)

2 Peter 1:16

   Jesus was not the figment of a person's imagination like the mythic god of the Greeks and the Romans were.  In the light of this, I see a problem with images of Jesus that depict him as being of different ethnic backgrounds (e.i. Chinese, Hispanic, and even Caucasian).  He did not have blonde hair or blue eyes.  He was a Jew that lived in the Middle East.  Who of us has seen any paintings or pictures of a black Julius Caesar or a Japanese Martin Luther King?

SELAH

   During this time of the year when we who are believers celebrate the birth of our Savior, let us be reminded that we serve a God who took on human flesh and intervened into real history.  Yes, as Christians we do live by faith, but the faith that we live by is not a leap into the darkness of ignorance and myth but a step into the light of truth and events that really took place in history.  There was a real stable outside of Bethlehem, and there is a real empty tomb outside the city of Jerusalem.

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: THE MAGNIFICAT

Luke 46-55

    And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
   for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
    for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
    And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
    He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
    he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
    he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
    He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
    as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”  (ESV)

Luke 46-55

SELAH

   Notice, that Mary acknowledge that she also was in need of a savior.

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: O COME, O COME, EMMANUEL

Luke 1:5a

    In the days of Herod, (ESV)

Luke 1:5a

   For over seven hundred years, Israel had suffered being led into captivity and under occupation by one nation after another.  There were short periods of self-rule in between, but they were short periods of time.  By the time of the birth of what we now know as the beginning of the first century, many in Israel were looking to God to manifest the promised Messiah that he had long ago promised Israel. To add insult to injury, the then occupying Romans had placed over them a puppet ruler, Herod, who was not even a Jew.   Little did they realize that God was about to send His Promised One to Israel. (and to the rest of the world)

   "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel," is an old hymn that is usually heard during the Advent season, and has become a favorite of mine.  I believe that it conveys the sentiments of the faithful first century Jew who was longing for arrival of God's promised Messiah.

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel

SALEH

   When God did send the Messiah (savior) to Israel, most of Israel did not recognise Him (Jesus) as Messiah because they did not realize that they needed salvation from a power that was far greater than any earthly occupying force.

   In this Advent season, those who do not know Christ as their savior need to be reminded that they need salvation from a force that a far greater than a bad economy or a corrupt government.  They need to be reminded that they as individuals have broken God's Holy Law (use the Ten Commandments), and that they are at this very moment under the wrath of God that is to come.  They need a savior.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30 1874: A BRITISH LION FIRST ROARED

   He was born two months prematurely on a Monday on the thirtieth day of the month of November in the year of our Lord 1874 in Blenheim Palace of Woodstock, Oxfordshire in Great Britain under the name of  Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill.  Though he was born into a world of material affluence, he would have to overcome obstacles in his life that could have held him back.  As a young boy, to the discouragement of his father, he did not do well in school.  Many believe now that this was due to young Winston having a form of dyslexia.  He spoke with a heavy lisp that could still be heard in his latter public speeches.  Both of his parents were were concern about keeping up their social status than giving any affection to young Winston or any of his siblings.
   In the 1930s Churchill would become the lone voice warning Great Britain and the world about the coming conflict with Adolph Hitler and the Nazis.  As Great Britain's Prime Minister during World War II, he would bolster the courage of the tiny island nation in the darkest days of standing alone against the Nazi war machine by the commanding power of his voice.  Churchill saw World War II as a fight for the survival of Christian civilization against Nazi barbarism.
   Let's let this loin out of his cage, and speak for himself:

   "Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the new world, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old." (in an address to the House of  Commons, June 4, 1940)

   "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."

   "Never give in, never give in, never; never; never; never - in nothing, great or small, large or pretty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense."

SELAH

Ephesians 6:13

   Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.  (ESV)

Ephesians 6:13

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: ZECHARIAH'S PRAISE UNTO THE GOD OF SALVATION

Luke 1:67-79

   And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied saying,
   "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people,
   and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
   as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
   that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us;
   to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,
   the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us

   that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear,

   in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

   And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

   to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins,

   because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high

   to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."  (ESV)

Luke 1:67-79

   Because Zechariah first doubt the message that Gabriel brought to him from the Lord, he was struck with a form of muteness until the day that his promised child was circumcised.  When he did speak, he was used by the Lord as a vessel of praise.  The words that came from Zechariah were truly not his own, but were from God himself, the third person of the trinity, the Holy Spirit.

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SELAH

   God's inspired Word (Holy Scriptures) is the best vehicle that a believer can use to praise Him.  This is another reason that a believer should be immersed in Scriptures.  So, that when the believer prays to praise God, the Holy Spirit can bring back to that believer's memory those Scriptures that the believer has read that praises God for his many attributes.

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: IT IS GOD WHO OPENS AND CLOSES THE WOMB

Luke 1:18; 24,25

   And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this?  For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years."
   After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying,
   "Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people." (ESV)

Luke 1:18; 24, 25

   The Jewish priest Zechariah and his wife were an older couple who apparently went through most of their lives without having any children.  Now, in their latter years, an angel of the Lord came to announce that they would have a son who would grow up to be a mighty prophet of God (John the Baptist).  This was a difficult thing for Zechariah to believe. 

   But, as we see here, and many other examples throughout the Scriptures, it is God opens and closes the womb.  It is God who takes a dead womb and brings life to it.

Genesis 20:18

   For the LORD had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife. (ESV)

Genesis 20:18

Genesis 21:1-2

   The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he promised.

   And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. (ESV)

Genesis 21:1-2

   Conception is an act of God. That is the bottom line.  All human conceptions happen because God sovereignly wills them to happen. 

   The Bible also does not make any distinction between a baby inside the womb, or a baby outside the womb. 

   God can also cause a young woman, who had not have any sexual relations with any man, to conceive a child in her womb.

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SELAH

Psalm 127:3

   Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. (ESV)

Psalm 126:3

HAPPY 112TH BIRTHDAY MR. LEWIS

   He was born on a Tuesday on the 29th day of the month of November in the year of our Lord 1898 in Belfast, Ireland under the name of  Clive Staples Lewis.  He would later in his youth give himself the nickname "Jack", and this nickname would stick with his closest friends.
   C.S. Lewis was not always a christian.  During a good bit of his younger adult life he was a atheist.  He would later write about his journey to faith in Christ and his conversion in his allegorical work "The Pigrim's Regress."  During World War II, the BBC commissioned Mr. Lewis to air a series of broadcast on the topics of Christianity and morality.  Through these broadcast C.S. Lewis' voice became the second most recognized voice in the United Kingdom. (Second only to the great Bristish statesman Mr. Churchill, ofcoarse)  Another work that would eventually come from a compiling together of  these broadcast in writing form was Mr. Lewis' well known book "Mere Christianity."  "Mere Christianity" would become a favorite from C.S. Lewis' writings for many christians.  One of my favorite C.S. Lewis writings is his "The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses."
   Lewis is mostly known today for his children's books "The Chronicles of Naria."  Two of the books have been made into successful motion pictures, and a third is to be released this December.
   Clive Staples Lewis went to be with his Lord on a Friday on the 22nd day of the month of November in the year of our Lord 1963.  He died on the same that U.S. President John F. Kennedy and author/atheist Aldous Huxley did.
   Alot more can be said here about the life of C.S. Lewis. (e.g. his later marriage to Joy Greshem, his freindship with J.R.R. Tolkien ["The Lord of the Rings" author])  I just wanted to take this moment to thank our Lord for the gift that He has given His chruch through the life and works of Mr. Clive Staples Lewis.



A JOURNEY THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: GOD BREAKS HIS SILENCE

Malachi 4:5-6

   Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.
   And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction. (ESV)

Malachi 4:5-6

Luke 1:11-13

   And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

   And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.

   But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John." (ESV)

Luke 1:11-1

   There are over 400 years of  Israeli history between the above two passages recorded in Holy Scriptures.  Over 400 years of  God sending no prophets to speak to the Jewish people either to bless or to curse.  Over 400 years of no new revelations spoken directly from God.  Over 400 years of no new books being written by a messenger of God.

   Those 400 years or more for Israel can also almost be seen as being under one foreign occupation after the other. First there was the Presians, then the Greeks, and after that the Romans.  There were short periods in between these occupations when Isreal as a nation had a sense of independence, but those periods were relatively sort ones.  No doubt there were cries from the people of Israel like, "Where is God in all of this?" and "Where is our promised Messiah?"  Many Jews most have thought that God had forgottened them in their dispair.  But, our sovereign God never forgets or fails to bring to pass any of His promises.

   God promised that He would send Israel a special messenger before He would send Israel their promised Messiah.  The birth of John the Baptist was the answer to that promise.

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SELAH

   We as believers have many promises given to by our loving Father in His Word.  Remember that our God is sovereign, and that He will keep all of His promises that are in His Word to us. Here are a couple that we can hold on to no matter what comes our way as we travel along the earthly journey:

Hebrews 13:5

   Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave nor forsake you." (ESV)

Hebrews 13:5

Philippians 1:6

   And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (ESV)

Philippians 1:6

Your servant in Christ,

Michael Hotard

Soli Deo Gloria

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

Luke 1:1

   Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us,

Luke 1:1

   So begins the longest of the four accounts of the earthly life and ministry of  Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

   For some time I have been thinking about going through a book of the Bible with my adult Sunday School class.  I guess you can say that I have been wanting to do a form of exegetical teaching.  But, I did not know during that time which book was the best to start with.  So, I prayed about it, and now believe that the Lord has impressed me to start with the Gospel of Luke.

   I will be posting some of the observations that I will come across in studying the Gospel of Luke in this blog.  I just ask that the reader will pray with me that I will remain diligent in my studying of the Word of God, and that the Holy Spirit will illuminate the truths of God's Word for my own growth and edification, and also for the the growth and edification of those who I am privileged to teach in an adult Sunday School.  I also hope that my studies of this book will be a blessing to you the reader of this blog.

   Note:  Please excuse and indulge, dear reader, any grammatical errors that may be encountered here.  I am still abit of a novice in my writing style, but hoping that these posts will help me in improving these skills.

Your servant in Christ,

Michael Hotard

Soli Deo Gloria 

PRIMA FACIE

     Truthfully, this is not my first attempt at starting a blog.  I pray that this attempt will fare much better than all of the others.  But, this will be my first posting on this particular blog.
     My guiding Bible verses for this blog will be:

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

   For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war in the flesh.
   For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
   We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,  (ESV)

   Spiritual warfare is a major part of a Christian's walk also long as he/she is on this side of what Shaespeare's Hamlet referred to as "the undiscovered country."  That warfare does not for the part and for most Christians consist of any head-to-head battles with or banishing of devils.  No.  The spiritual warfare that I as a Christian will face each day is explained in the verses above.
   Our daily battles are against any and also errors that come against the truth of the one true God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  These all come in the forms of the wrong thoughts, doctrine, and arguments that those who do not truly know Christ as Lord and Savior have about Him and His Word.
   As a Christian, God requires that I should be able to articulate a sound defense of what I believe and why I beieve in it in a firm but also humble manner. (c.f. 1 Peter 3:15)
   So, as shown in the sub-title of this blog, the main motis operandi of this blog will be the proclamation and defense of the Gospel of  Jesus Christ.
   All visitors will be welcomed and commit on any post. I know that some exchanges will become passionate, but there is no need for profanity in any of these exchanges.  I look forward to the days ahead.

Your servant in Christ,
Michael Hotard

Soli Deo Gloria