The Significant Life of a Carpenter

The Significant Life of a Carpenter

He was born in an obscure village in a remote corner of the Roman Empire karma to parents who enjoyed no financial advantage or significant social status. He grew up in a village of little importance, where he worked as a Carpenter for most of his adult life. At around the age of 30 he became a wandering teacher whose message was considered offensive to some.

He never wrote a book built a great building or achieved what most would consider worldly success. He never held a political office, own the house or property. He never attended a college and never traveled to one of the world’s great cities like Rome, ephesus, or athens. He never gave the world a great invention, a cure for a dreaded disease or a notable scientific discovery period he never personally painted a celebrated painting or wrote a great song or piece of music.

He was never cited for bravery but is remembered for his courage. He led no earthly army or was ever a decorated war hero. He was never awarded an Olympic gold medal or a Medal of Honor. He never won a championship at any level. He did none of the things that the world recognizes as greatness.

The ministry that he is primarily known for lasted around three years. He lived on this earth for only 33 years period he was still a young man on the tide of public opinion turned against him. He was unjustly turned over to those who held him in contempt. In his darkest hour, most of his close friends deserted him. He went through a mockery of a trial and was unjustly condemned to death by crucifixion. He was a victim of a campaign of lies, slander and false accusations orchestrated by religious leaders. His own countrymen called for his crucifixion, and he was executed by the state as a criminal. While he was dying his executioners gambled for the only possessions he could say was his own, an article of clothing. When he was taken down from the cross he was placed in a borrowed tomb. Three days later he was resurrected and some 40 days later he ascended back to heaven. Today he exercises all power and authority, and he reigns over God’s Kingdom from his throne in heaven. At some future point he will return.

More than 20 centuries have come and gone since Jesus was crucified and resurrected. Today he is history’s most significant figure and the most important person to ever set foot on this earth. Jesus of Nazareth is the world’s most significant life.

Understanding the Christmas Season

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Understanding Revelation in a Song

Understanding Revelation in a Song

Understanding Revelation may be as easy as the singing of Makem and Clancy, an Irish Folk Duo who sang the song “Whatever you Say, Say Nothing”.  understanding revelation

As I worked piling brush and listening to music, this song came to my ears.  Funny enough, it reminded me of many descriptions of the book of Revelation.  The book of Revelation is written in language that is frequently figurative.  Why?  So whatever you say, you say nothing that would cause you know who to take you you know where and do you know what to you.  Will this help in unraveling Revelation?  Dunno, but I hope you enjoy the song.

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Understanding the Christmas Season

What Is The Christmas Season All About?

No birth has ever been more celebrated, inspire more hope, or generated more goodwill.  The Christmas season Has inspired great hymns, songs, movies, poetry, TV programs, writings, commentary, etc.  No birthday of any man has its own season associated with it, having been celebrated in some fashion beginning with His birth. Christmas Season

1 – PROCLAMATION/CELEBRATION/RECOGNITION: (Originated by God).

God (Announced Jesus’ birth with a star).

Matthew 2:9-10, “When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.” (NKJV)

Angels:

Luke 1:35, “And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” (NKJV).

Luke 2:8-14, “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!” (NKJV)

Shepherds:

Luke 2:15-20, “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” (NKJV).

Wisemen: (were led to Jesus’ location by His star provided by God.)

Matthew 2:1-2, “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” (NKJV).

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.” (NKJV) (Inspired the modern custom of giving of gifts).

Simeon celebrated:

Luke 2:25-32, “And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 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. 27 So he came by 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, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: 29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” (NKJV).

Anna the Prophetess gave thanks:

Luke 2:36-38, “Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” (NKJV).

Holy Spirit

Luke 2:26, “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.” (NKJV).

2 – FAMILY: A time for the Gathering of Family (Joseph, Mary, Zecharias, Elisabeth)

3 – TRADITIONS: (Societal, Religious, & Family)

  1. Lights represent Jesus as the light of the world and God as the creator, “let there be light”, God is the father of lights.
  2. The Tree Represents life. The Evergreen is always living. Jesus is alive and is eternal.
  3. Gifts Reflect the gifts given by the wise men but more importantly represents God’s gift of his son.
  4. The Season of Celebration Represents the joy surrounding God’s love and the hope and salvation that resides in him.

4 – FRIENDS: Meaningful relationships honored and renewed.

5 – REFLECTION: A time to reflect on Jesus as our Savior and the true meaning and purpose of life.

6 – GIVING: it is more blessed to give than to receive. It’s a time for generosity, for blessing lives.

7 – RECEIVING: Time to thankfully receive God’s blessings with a thankful spirit. Accept God’s gifts as did Joseph and Mary.  God’s gifts, lovegrace, forgiveness, mercy, encouragement, talents, etc.

8 – LOVE: “love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and spirit, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

9 Truths About the Birth of Jesus

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9 Truths About the Birth of Jesus

9 Truths About the Birth of Jesus

1. The birth of Jesus was a long prophesied and long anticipated event:

  1. Jesus would be born of the “seed” of a woman. Genesis 3:15/Luke 1:34-35
  2. Jesus would be born of a virgin. Isaiah 7:14/Luke 1:34-35, Jeremiah 31:22, Matthew 1:18-20
  3. Jesus would be Immanuel, “God with us.” Isaiah 7:14/Matthew 1:21-23
  4. Jesus would be called by his name before he was born. Isaiah 49:1/Luke 1:30-31
  5. Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. Micah 5:2/Matthew 2:1-2
  6. The birth of Jesus. Isaiah 9:6/Luke 2:11
  7. Jesus would be protected by God. Isaiah 49:2/Matthew 2:13-15
  8. Jesus would grow up in a poor family. Isaiah 11:1/Luke 2:7, Isaiah 53:2, Luke 2:7
  9. Jesus would be aware of his Father from his youth. Psalm 22:9/Luke 2:40

2. God himself orchestrated a major celebration involving believers:

This celebration involved people from all walks of life, various ethnic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.  These included shepherds, angels, wise men from many countries, prophets, etc.birth of jesus

3. The birth of Jesus was unique in the ancient world:

  1. It was unique primarily because Jesus was born of a virgin, however, this truth could only have been accepted by faith. For only Mary would have known for certain that she was a virgin. Everyone else had to accept this by faith.
  2. Jesus’ conception was a miracle but it was not observable.
  3. The virgin birth was not something that could be proven!
  4. The idea of a virgin birth was not significant to an unbelieving world, because it was only hearsay.
  5. Note: artificial insemination is a modern procedure not possible at that time
  6. God brought the Messiah into the world by the birth of the Holy Spirit. It was not an observable witness to confirm his deity like the miracles, his teachings, or his resurrection.

4. The birth of Christ is unique for at least three reasons:

  1. Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit. No one else has ever, nor will ever be born/conceived physically of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:20)
  2. Jesus was living before he was earthly born. No one has ever been born into this world who was already living prior to their conception. Jesus came to earth from eternity and was born into time. (1 Timothy 3:16, Philippians 2:5-8).
  3. Jesus’ birth was specially noted. It was announced beforehand and surrounded by notable events. The births of most historical figures only become significant after they have a accomplished something great. Jesus’ birth was significant before he did anything and no one’s birth has been or ever will be predicted 700 years before the actual birth.

5. God’s message in the birth of Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us. Jesus birth is a declaration of relationship. God highlights this relationship:

  1. “Son” (Father and Son) (John 1:12, Romans 8:14, 1 John 3:1-2)
  2. “God With Us” (Matthew 1:23)
  3. “He was made like us” (Hebrews 2:17)

6. The birth of Christ is an important event, but other events transcend its importance. For example:

  1. His ministry of healing, miracles, and teaching.
  2. His crucifixion.
  3. His resurrection.

7. The birth of Christ identifies with our spiritual birth:

    1. Like Jesus; We are called to be born of God, John 1:1-14
    2. Like Jesus; Our spiritual birth is celebrated by believers.
    3. Like Jesus; Our spiritual birth is the beginning of a new life, Romans 6:1-4, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (NKJV).
    4. Like Jesus; our spiritual birth is considered a lowly birth from the world’s perspective.

8. The birth of Christ confronts all believers with certain truths:

  1. Our hope does not rest in his birth, but in his resurrection.
  2. We do not worship an infant in a Manger, but a risen Lord.
  3. Believers are not baptized into his birth, but into his death.
  4. Disciples are called to celebrate his death and resurrection in the Lord’s supper.

9. Histories testimony confirms the significance of his birth, thereby affirming his status as the son of God:

  1. His birth influenced the way the world measures time:
    1. B.C. Before Christ
    2. A.D Anno Domini, Latin, meaning the year of our Lord.
  2. His birth is still the most celebrated birth in all the world. It transcends nations and cultures.
  3. His birth is inspiration for the greatest season of goodwill among men.

The Birth of Christ Jesus

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The Birth of Christ Jesus

The Birth of Christ Jesus

Regardless of our personal view or feelings about Christmas as a celebration of the birth of Christ, all of us should consider Paul’s teaching about being considerate and tolerant of each other in matters in which God allows freedom.

Romans 14:5-6, “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.” (NKJV)birth of Christ

The actual date of Jesus’ birth is unknown. It is not revealed in scripture nor does early church history point to a specific date. Actually much is unknown- for example:

    1. The number of wise men, estimates as high as forty.
    2. How long Joseph and Mary stayed in Bethlehem.
    3. How long the family stayed in Egypt.
    4. The actual date that they took up residence in Nazareth.
    5. When and where Mary gave birth to her other children.
    6. How long Joseph actually lived.
    7. How many boys are two years old and under were put to death because of Herod’s decree.

Christmas, as we know it today, was established by men and has come down to the modern era through a long history of tradition. We could say, Christmas is a manmade tradition with roots in pagan worship. However, the birth of Christ itself is truth, but the modern occasion that celebrates and acknowledges that truth is largely tradition.

Today, the birth of Christ is the most observed and celebrated birth in the world.

9 Truths About the Birth of Jesus

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