"If You Belong to Christ, Then You are Abraham's Seed."

"The LORD had said to Abram,.. 'I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

(Genesis 12:1-3)

 

Maybe you never considered our text as "a Christmas story."  But Christmas did not just start in a manger in Bethlehem.  It was in the Eternal Heart of God "before the beginning began." 

 

A recent report reveals to what extent "all peoples on earth" have been blessed through the Jews.  It states that most of the modern inventions and advances in science, particularly electronics, have come from Israel.  I sent an article which I found recently to our "News" Blog.  It lists major Jewish contributions to mankind.  Make of it whatever the world chooses.  "All peoples on earth [have been] blessed through [Abraham]."  

 

It is no accident that the Savior of mankind, Who is called, "the King of the Jews," came out of "Bethlehem, Ephrathah,..among the clans of Judah," not Indianapolis, Tokyo, Baghdad, or Munich.  My Lord and Savior, your Lord and Savior, Jesus, the Christ, came from an obscure village in Israel, raised by a Jewish couple.  This was all by the design and choice of the "Eternal One."  Let there be no misunderstanding about the purposes of the Living Triune God---- "In the last days, the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem will become the most important place on earth.  People from all over the world will go there to worship."

 

"The most important place on earth" 2000 years ago was a manger in Bethlehem.  It was in The Land of Israel that the "Word became flesh and dwelt among us."  The shepherds, who were Jews, and the wise men, who were Gentiles, could say with John, "We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only...."  30+ years later, "the most important place on earth" would be a hill and empty tomb outside Jerusalem, site of the redemption, salvation, healing, deliverance of humanity. 

 

Anti-Semitism has been always in the earth, even in the Christian Community from the beginning.  Yet any person who calls himself a Believer in Jesus Christ must always remember, "....that those who believe are children of Abraham.  The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: 'All nations will be blessed through you.'  So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith."  The reality of the Gospel declared that night to the shepherds is, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."    

 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I Thank you that you include us all.  Amen.

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Prophetic News:         www.antipasprayerforce.blogspot.com

Devotional Archive:    www.apfdevotionals.blogspot.com 

                                    or, apfdevotionals.blogspot.com

When 18 year old Peter Torjesen "heard the call to evangelize China, he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"He WAS in the Beginning"

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth....No one has ever seen God at any time, but God the One and Only, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained."  (From John 1, NIV & NASB)

 

Though the NASB has, "explained him," the word for, "him," is not in the Greek text.  It is just, "He has explained"---------- all of this.  It took me several translations to get it right.  Forgive the presumption, but Bible translators are human too.  Man just cannot grasp the depths of the Blessed Trinity, no matter how learned, how spiritual, how--- whatever.  But the combined NIV and NASB give us a descent translation of an Eternal Reality.  The Word was not created or born.  At the "birth" of Jesus, "The Word became flesh."  

  

Church history has called this season, "Advent."  The word, "advent," means, "the coming, or arrival," an accurate definition of Christmas.  Jesus was not "born" in the sense you and I were born.  There was a time when you and  I were not; then we were conceived and born.  We had a beginning.  Jesus did not.  "In the beginning was the word."  Jesus did not come into being "in the beginning."  Jesus was there waiting for the "beginning" to begin. "Before the beginning began, the Word already was." 

 

Whatever are, as Paul describes, "the depths of God," the "God-Breathed" Word tells us, "In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.  We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given to us."  During the Christmas Season we celebrate with trees, lights, carols, gifts, and worship "what God has freely given to us"----------Himself in Jesus Christ. 

        "How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given

        So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heaven

        No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin

        Where meek souls will receive him still, the dear Christ enters in."

 

Father, in Jesus' Name, "O come to us abide with us, Our Lord, Emmanuel."  Amen. 

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Prophetic News:        www.antipasprayerforce.blogspot.com

Devotional Archive:   www.apfdevotionals.blogspot.com 

                                  or, apfdevotionals.blogspot.com 

 

When 18 year old Peter Torjesen "heard the call to evangelize China, he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"What Is Conceived in Her Is From the Holy Spirit"

"And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of you womb!'" (Luke 1)

 

George MacDonald writes, "See revelation culminate in Elizabeth and Mary, the mothers of John the Baptist and Jesus.  Think how much fitter that it should be so; that they to whom the Word of God comes should be women bred in the dignity of a natural life, and familiarity with the large ways of the earth; women of simple and few wants, without distraction, and with time for reflection-- compelled to reflection, indeed, from the enduring presence of an unsullied consciousness, for wherever there is a humble, thoughtful nature, into that nature the divine consciousness, that is, the Spirit of God, presses as into its own place.  Holy women are to be found everywhere, but the prophetess is not so likely to be found in the city as in the hill country." 

 

The fear of "Mariolatry" has kept most Protestants from appreciating the "ways" of God revealed in His choosing a very young girl from "the hill country" to bear, "Emanuel, God with us."  It is a common tendency among humans to correct wrongs with other wrongs.  Mary has fallen victim to such irrational behavior.  Protestants cringe when we here the Catholics recite, "Hail, Mary, mother of God."  I think most believe that the, "Hail Mary," is declaring Mary to be God, or even "greater," since she is the mother.  Although through Mary the "Word [of God] (Jesus) became flesh," she did not conceived God.  "An angel of the Lord appeared to [Joseph] in a dream," to make it clear.  "Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit."  

 

Of course Mary is , "blessed...among women"--- just not to be worshipped.  Worship is reserved for the One Whom she bore. 

 

Father, in Jesus' Name, You say, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways."  Please take the, "not," and, "neither are," out of that.  Amen.

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Prophetic news:    www.antipasprayerforce.blogspot.com 

 

 

When 18 year old Peter Torjesen "heard the call to evangelize China, he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2