Imagine if you will the picture… It is another normal depressing night in the fields of Bethlehem and you are a son of Abraham and a shepherd guarding and watching over your flocks by NIGHT (Luke 2:8). All seems to be as it always is. Sadly, you are pondering what life is all about? In your deep despair and subjective worldly perception you wonder, has Almighty God forsaken His people Israel? Does the God of Israel even care about me? Will a Messiah come and redeem His people from the bondage of oppressive Rome? I’m confused and disillusioned with everything. The conditions, seasons and future looks very bleak and pessimistic.
As Almighty God breaks through the silence He does not send not a prophet, but the entire exceeding multitudes of angelic host to herald the Messiah’s birth!
It is very hard to be optimistic in such a day when Rome dominates the land with an iron hand and its oppressive taxation leaves very little left for the people. The ruler of the land who is under Rome is not even a Jew and is a violent madman who knows NO mercy. It feels as if we are at the end of our lot here and all is hopeless. As your despair and hopelessness reaches a suicidal numbing pitch a wonder of wonders bursts out of the heavens from above which astonishes and frightens you beyond all belief! It is in this night, when ALL is hopeless that Almighty God breaks through the 400 years of silence. As Almighty God breaks through the silence He does not send a prophet, but sends the entire exceeding multitudes of the angelic host from heaven's glory to herald the Messiah’s birth!
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“And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, 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, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:8-14)
Wake up O Israel!! Wake up O Earth!!! A Savior is born!!!! Wake up!!! Almighty God has sent a SAVIOR, mighty to save and deliver ALL who trust in Him from sin and death (John 3:16-17, 36, Rom 7:24-25, Rev. 20:11-15)! Oh my beloved, how many people in the land of Israel were TRULY looking for Almighty God’s Savior, the Savior of the Holy Scriptures (Isa. 53, John 1:10-11)? Sadly near to none because people (conservative and liberal) are NOT looking to be delivered from their transgressions against Almighty God. They are looking for Almighty God to accommodate and accept THEIR subjective fallen world perspective which is governed by their 5 senses (Rom. 1:18-32, 10:2-4, Jude 1:10). They are ever seeking to preserve this fallen world while rejecting the NEW one that is to come in complete RIGHTEOUSNESS (Rev. 21). It is their personal will that must always trump Almighty God’s ETERNAL SOVEREIGN will. They (conservative and liberal) have THEIR own opinions of who God is and have made the Holy Scriptures to fit THEIR personal “Judeo/Christian” life style (Jer. 23:36, Matt. 7:21-23, 2 Peter 3:16). They know it not but they are personally (conservative and liberal) at war with Almighty God and His program for the ages.
The dear shepherds and Israel of old were absolutely oblivious to truly who Almighty God was, why the present state and condition of the nation Israel and what was their greatest need for their lives.
The majority of the world wants a godless and lawless existence (conservative and liberal) and desires for their lawless lives the fruits of RIGHTEOUSNESS by applying godless and lawless means (Rom. 10:2-4, 2 Peter 3:16, Jude 1:10). Even today, just as 2000 years ago the majority of the world still REJECTS Almighty God’s FREE GIFT of saving grace, redemption and ETERNAL LIFE (Rom. 1:18-32). The dear shepherds and Israel of old were absolutely oblivious to who Almighty God truly was, why the present state and condition of the nation Israel and what was their greatest need for their lives. Their greatest need was not to be free from under the yoke of Rome and Herod, but to be delivered from the tyranny, oppression and bondage of Satan, their wretched fallen state and ETERNAL damnation (Rom. 7:24-25, Heb. 2:14-15).
Even today just as 2000 years ago the majority of the world still rejects Almighty God’s FREE GIFT of saving grace, redemption and ETERNAL LIFE.
Is today any different here in America. The Bible can be found in our own tongue abundantly in every facet of our society, but is the most neglected and rejected book in our nation. Our nation is fully saturated today with godlessness, lawlessness, corruption, decadence, violence, the blood of millions of the unborn, lewdness, narcissism, drug addiction, sex addiction, greed (poor and rich) and the outright rejection of Almighty God and His infallible Word. The height of hypocrisy is that we run around saying Merry Christmas, God bless you, God bless America and Happy Holidays and are absolutely oblivious that we as a nation are about to reap the whirlwind and receive the full weight of Almighty God’s wrath coming up shortly in the Day of the Lord (Rev. 6-16). We as a nation (conservative and liberal) are looking for solutions by godless means. We are seeking political saviors who cannot save this sinking Titanic. We have replaced REALITY with vain and delusional optimism. We as a people want to be delivered from all of the ills that plague our nation but we do NOT want to give up our lawless vices that got us here in the first place. Our day is no different than that night 2000 years ago when the world and the shepherds guarding their sheep were oblivious to what Almighty God was doing and what He was going to do. Think about it, how many people back then and here today are looking for Almighty God's TRUE Savior? The answer is a horrific, nearly none (Isa. 53, Matt. 7:13-14, John 1:10-11)!
We as a people want to be delivered from the ills of our nation but we do NOT want to give up the lawless vices that got us here.
My dear friend, may I ask you this very personal question since we are in the “Christmas” season? Do you truly comprehend and believe the biblical message of ETERNAL salvation put forth by Almighty God in His infallible Word? Do you fully comprehend without a shadow of a doubt that your ABSOLUTE GREATEST NEED is to be delivered from your fallen humanity and the wrath of your Creator (John 3:36, 1 John 5:12)? My friend are you fully prepared for your ETERNAL abode? Do you have the ABSOLUTE PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS required by Almighty God (Rom. 3:23, 6:23, 10:2-4)? My friend, no one does and that is why we need Almighty God's Savior so desperately!
This child would - by the shedding of His RIGHTEOUS BLOOD one day - make FULL ATONEMENT for all who would place their absolute trust in Him and that He would be the satisfying propitiation that would make peace on earth.
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No wonder the angelic multitude on that night 2000 years ago rejoiced with EXCEEDINGLY GREAT JOY, for they FULLY understood what this lost world did not. For what sin had destroyed, Almighty God was seeking to redeem. This child would - by the shedding of His RIGHTEOUS BLOOD one day - make FULL ATONEMENT for all who would place their absolute trust in Him and that He would be the satisfying propitiation that would bring TRUE peace to the earth (1 John 2:2). Indeed Almighty God’s RIGHTEOUS intentions and good will towards mankind were expressed in the sending of His precious Son (John 3:16-17). Oh beloved, that is what Christmas is about!!
A Savior was born! Do you personally know Him? That is your own personal choice to make. May it be so that you choose to receive the LOVE of Almighty God which is His dear Son who is the greatest gift this Christmas season and every season! Place your trust in Him today, you will NEVER EVER be the same!
The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!
DJP I.F.
What Must I Do To Be Saved!