THE CHRISTMAS STORY

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel....There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.  The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord."  (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 11:1,12)

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

THE CHRISTMAS STORY

"The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning.  The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil."  (1 John 3:8, NASB)

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You that sin, which is out to destroy me, You destroyed in Jesus Christ, His Birth, His Blood, His death and resurrection.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

ANOTHER CHRISTMAS STORY

"'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God,' Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty.'"  (Revelation 1:8) 

The Christmas Story:

 "For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord,...the Alpha and the Omega,..Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty." (Luke 2 & Revelation 1)

Father, in Jesus' Name, how glorious for the, "....Alpha and the Omega,.." to be born in a manger.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

PSALM NUGGET, OT LESSON, NT LESSON

PSALM NUGGET:

"Your testimonies are very sure; holiness adorns Your house, O Lord, for length of days."  (Psalm 93:5)

OT LESSON:

"Sing, O daughter of Zion!  Shout, O Israel!  Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!" (Zephaniah 3:14)

NT LESSON:

"And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son."  (1 John 5:11)

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

PSALM NUGGET, OT LESSON, NT LESSON

PSALM NUGGET:

"Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your Name." (Psalm 86:11)

OT LESSON:

"Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful than ten rulers in a city."  (Ecclesiastes 7:19, NIV)

NT LESSON:

"Beloved, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning.  The old commandment is the Word which you heard from the beginning."  (1 John 2:7)

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"....DAYS OF ETERNITY"

"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will come forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.  His times of coming forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity."  (Micah 5:2, NASB)

This is an Old Testament version of the "Christmas Story."  In time-space language, the New Testament stories tell us that it happened; the Old Testament stories told the ancients that it would happen.

"From days of eternity," is a phrase which you and I cannot comprehend, because we are, as someone once said, "eternity blind."  Right now our senses are "enslaved" in the time-space world.  So for us the interpretation of our text is most thought of as stated above, viz., that it happened, and that it would happen.

If, "we walk in the light as [Jesus] is in the light," we accept the reality that, "His times of coming forth..," never had a beginning, nor do, "His times of coming forth..," have an end.  And, when you and I surrendered our lives to Jesus Christ we entered that eternal dimension, as Strong's defines it, "that which has neither beginning nor end."  John 3:16 affirms this.  

Christmas and Easter are really, "....days of eternity."

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for bringing me into, "....the days of eternity."  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2