Matthew tells us in his gospel that the angel said, “They shall call his name Immanuel which translated means, God with us” (Matt 1:23). This is the miracle of miracles. This is the wonder of wonders. This is the truth which should rivet the attention of all Christendom. Surely the angels of heaven looked down upon this earthly scene and marveled at the absence of human marvel, at the glorious truth that the infinite one clothed himself with humanity.

Today the nations of the world long for deliverance from international strife and the threat of global chaos. This deliverance can only be found in Christ. Today in our world there are millions everywhere who long for release from the bondage of sin, the horror of terrorism, the hatred of men, and the sorrow of disease and death. The answer is Jesus. The smartest minds among us are straining to find answers to the problems that plague us as a people on a planet that is whirling through space with no apparent destination in sight. The Lord Jesus Christ, Immanuel, he is the “Door of Hope” to the so badly needed peace in our time. All smaller questions and secondary disagreements should be given a rest, for the sake of sincere meditation upon this grand truth, “His name is Immanuel which translated means, God with us.”

Christmas is the time when we focus upon the incarnation in a greater way than any other time of the year. Jesus has come. He lived and he died a sacrificial death for all. He is still with us through his Holy Spirit whom he sent when he ascended back to the Father in heaven. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. Make him the focus of everyday, of every celebration, and every family gathering this Christmas season. Merry Christmas! Remember that God loves you and sent his only Son to die so that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

Seven hundred years before Christ was born Isaiah took his pen, dipped it in the ink of inspiration and he painted a picture of the Christ child who would be born. Over and over again in the book of Isaiah you will find beautiful pictures of Jesus, the Christ, and the Messiah, who would come. Isaiah is called the gospel of the Old Testament because of its beautiful portrayal of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 9:6 says, “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given.” This verse speaks first of the humanity of Christ. Isaiah writes, “For unto us a child is born.” He was born in the human way as all human children are born. His conception was of the Holy Spirit and unlike any other human birth, but for nine months he grew and developed as all babies do. He was then born into the world through the portals of the virgin’s womb. So, “unto us a child is born.” This speaks of the human nature of Christ. The Scripture teaches us that Jesus was one hundred percent human just as we are. Thus, he had to have a human kind of birth.

There have been through the years those who have taught that Christ is not really human, that he only had the appearance of a human being. He was divine, but he just appeared to be human, and that he could not have been human and sinless at the same time. But for Jesus to have been our Savior he had to be human and sinless. He had to be human in order to be tempted. In order to be tempted he had to have a human body. He had to be tempted in order to be tested. He had to live a perfect and sinless life. And to live legitimately a perfect and sinless life he had to be tested as it relates to sin. And he “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 4:14).

Then Isaiah writes, “unto us a son is given” (Is 9:6). That speaks of the divine nature of Christ. He was the son given. Jesus Himself said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16). The Son Isaiah talks about is God’s Son. God’s only Son was given to us as a gift. Although he was fully human, he was fully divine. Jesus called himself, “the son of man.” He was the son, which speaks of his divine nature. The Son of man, which speaks of his human nature.

Then Isaiah says “…and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” His name shall be called Wonderful. And Jesus is wonderful! Thank God today for His wonderful gift of Jesus.

So many times we walk through life saying, “What have you done for me lately, Lord?” And the Lord answers back from heaven, “If only you knew.” Many have heard of Helen Keller. She was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Helen Keller was born deaf, blind and unable to speak. Eventually she learned to speak and to write, blessing millions with her story of courage in the face of incredible difficulty. Helen Keller was a fervent Christian. These are her words: “I thank God for my handicaps. Through them I have found myself, my work, and my God.” A truly healthy person has a deep sense of gratitude for all of God’s blessings.

The Bible records that on one occasion Jesus healed 10 men from the disease of leprosy. One of those men came back to give thanks (Luke 17:11 – 19). Are you living with the nine or with the one? Far too many of us take our blessings for granted and groan about duties. Does that sound like you? It doesn’t have to be that way. Praise is a choice. A thankful heart is a choice you make. No one is forced into bitterness. You choose the way you live. The one who returned to give thanks chose not to forget what Jesus had done for him. The secret of a thankful heart is a conscious choice not to forget what God has done for you. I think many of us need to return and give thanks. Remember that God loves you and sent his only Son to die so that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

The reformation of historic Christianity initiated by Martin Luther and continued by Zwingli, John Calvin and other Protestant Reformers in the 16th-century affirmed the authority, inspiration, and sufficiency of Holy Scripture. Martin Luther took a bold stand upon the authority of the Bible and he refused to recant what the Bible clearly and plainly taught. Today Bible believing Christians affirm that which the Bible affirms of itself, that it is authoritative and divinely inspired.

The Bible declares that it is of divine inspiration. What is Scriptures meaning of the word, “inspiration?” Perhaps we should begin with what is not meant. The word “inspiration” does not refer to a feeling or a heightening of one’s ability. For example, Shakespeare was inspired to write great plays or Fanny Crosby was inspired to write great hymns. That is one meaning or understanding of inspiration. This is not the way the Bible is inspired.

When the word “inspiration” is used by the Scriptures themselves it affirms two things. It affirms the Bible’s divine origin and supernatural nature. The key verse affirming the divine origin of the Scriptures is 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” The phrase “is given by inspiration of God” is one Greek word Theopneustos which means “God Breathed.”

In the Old Testament “the breath of God” is associated with the creative activity of God (Gen 2:7, Psalm 33:6). So the term “God-breathed” is one of the strongest and clearest terms Paul could have used to affirm the divine origin of Scripture. This idea of divine origin is emphasized in 2 Peter 1:20, 21. Scripture did not originate in the genius of man nor is it the result of human research.

There are many other references in the Bible that tell us that men were moved by the Holy Spirit to speak God’s word (Ex 4:10-16, 2 Sam 23:2, Micah 3:8, Zech 7:12). Over 3,000 times phrases like “the Lord spake,” “the word of the Lord came” are used in the Bible.

To say the Bible has a divine origin in no way denies that men were involved in its writing. Neither does it imply that the human writers of the Bible were mere writing machines. It means that the Holy Spirit worked through human instrumentality in such a way that it resulted in producing what God wanted written. The Scriptures reveal to us who God is and what He has done and is doing to redeem humanity. From the Bible we learn the great doctrines of the faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3).

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). Psalm 91 describes the ongoing sovereign protection of God. God protects his people from ever-present dangers and terrors. Most of the dangers mentioned in the psalm are left undefined. This underscores the fact that no kind of danger is omitted. Christians can be assured from this psalm that nothing can harm a believer unless God allows it. We live under the shadow of the Almighty, sheltered by the God who is above all gods. He who has his thoughts always on God is said to “dwell in him,” to “make his abode with him,” and to “sit down in his secret place.” God extends his “shadow” over the person who places themselves under his protection. I pray that you are dwelling in the Lord and know the comfort his protection brings.

God’s children often experience chastening from the Lord. Hebrews 12:6, “For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives” (NKJV). In Psalm 38 David writes about an occasion when he was under the disciplining hand of God. David is under conviction of sin. He is aware that by his own sins he brought suffering upon himself (V. 4). His sin pressed him down and crushed him to the earth, and were more than he could bear (V. 4).

There was also confession of sin. In this confession David acknowledges that he is constantly on the verge of sin. In verses 17 and 18 he writes, “For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me. For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin” (KJV). This is an acknowledgment that we all must make as Christians. No matter how hard we try to follow God, we are sinners by nature and we sin often. It is difficult to escape situations where we are not tempted and we stand on the verge of sinning all the time. It is as if we are walking along the very edge of a cliff and could fall at any moment. Those who think they are beyond sin are sure to fall.

Therefore, the first step toward avoiding sin is to acknowledge our tendency to sin. Only then will we be ready to say, no! To paraphrase verse 17, David says, “How constantly I find myself upon the verge of sin; this source of sorrow always stares me in the face.” My prayer is that I will be aware of this sinful tendency in me and that with the Lord’s help I will say no to sin.

In Psalm 32:5, David writes, “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.” The terms David uses here to describe sin were used in verse one and two of this psalm. Now they are used in a context of personal confession. In this penitential psalm David rejoices in the knowledge that God will respond to confession and repentance with complete forgiveness.

Living on this side of the cross we can rejoice even more because we understand more. God shows us that he is willing to forgive because his judgement on sin is satisfied by Christ’s death on the cross. Understanding this should lead to the joy of confession and repentance. Confession means to say the same thing. To call sin what it is before God. To name it as God names it. Do not excuse it, rename it something else than exactly what it is, sin! To repent is to turn from that sin and determine that with God help you will never do it again.
1 John 1:8-10 has a word for us at this point. John writes, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

Confession will be normal in a Christian who is living in victory. It should be a priority because, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). I pray that you will discover the joy of confession and repentance.

The psalmist writes in Psalm 16:8, “I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” David indicates that he is always thinking of the Lord. And that, because He is so near, he need never stumble or fall. David brought himself to realize the continual presence of God. He understood that because the Lord is at his right hand (i.e. close to him, ready to protect and save) he could say, “I shall never be moved.” That means nothing will shake him or disturb him from his trust and confidence.

The very same can be true of us. We can know that His presence ensures our protection. As Christians we are not exempt from the day to day circumstances of life. Believers and unbelievers alike experience pain, trouble, and failure at times. David expresses the unique sense of security that believers feel. Those who seek after God can move ahead confidently with what they know is right and important in God’s eyes.

Probably it was Jude, the full brother of James and half brother of our Lord Jesus Christ, who authored the short memo on apostasy called Jude. Written from Palestine to Hebrew Christians the letter of Jude confronts the apostasy of the Church. In verse 21 Jude exhorts his readers to “Keep yourselves in the love of God.” The word “keep” is in the imperative and establishes our responsibility to be obedient and faithful by living out our salvation. We do this while God works out His will. We are to stay in the place of obedience where God’s love is poured out on his children as opposed to being disobedient and reaping the correction of the Lord. Another way of saying it is to stay always in the boundaries where God’s love can reach and bless you. This means to live close to Him and His people, not listening to false teachers who would pull us away from Him.

But how does a person keep himself? The answer is in Acts 20:32. “So now, bretheren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” We build ourselves up by allowing the Scripture to be our guide and the rule of our lives. God’s word is the antidote to the poison of apostasy. May God’s word be your counselor in every decision and the light that guides every step of your journey? I hope that it will.

As a shy teenager, Barbara Ann Kipfer began keeping a list of her favorite things. Adding to her list became second nature. She added to it while riding in a car, eating lunch, and even during the middle of the night. After twenty years and many notebooks later, her list was published as a book titled 14,000 Things To Be Happy About. Reading just a portion of her book reveals that all around us are things to be thankful for. Perhaps you could write your own book. Let us be a thankful people.

James reminds us that, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning”(James 1:17). In this verse two different Greek words for “gift” are used. The first refers to the act of giving, and the second denotes the object given. These words together emphasize the perfection and inclusiveness of our gracious God. Everything related to His giving is complete, useful, and adequate.

He is the “Father of lights.” This phrase is an ancient Jewish expression. It refers to God as the sovereign creator of the universe. The “lights” refers to the sun, moon, and stars. With God there is “no variation or shadow of turning.” I am thankful that God never changes (Mal 3:6; 1 John 1:5). He is good and gracious all the time. Out of His goodness and grace He showers upon us every good and perfect gift. He gives so many good things that in a lifetime we could not count them all. Of course His greatest gift to us is Himself, in the person of Jesus Christ. His death on the cross for our sin means eternal life for those who repent, and trust Him. And this God of the whole universe loves you.