Birthdays

 

At cardiac rehab on the nutrition board each month they post the month’s birthdays.  To see my name on the October post made me feel special.  So, in December, I wanted the dear Lord to feel special, and to remind my pagan friends that there was a special friend of mine who had a birthday on December 25^th.  Matthew 1:23, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”  How wonderful! This is a quote from Isaiah 7:14, “God with us,” 700 years before it happened!  So, dear Jesus, I hope we, your people, made you feel special this Christmas.

Universal Negative

 

Be careful of a “universal negative.”  You’re never grateful.  You never remember our anniversary.  You’re never on time.  I’m never late.  We never miss church.  And the opposite is true, the “universal positive.”  I’m always on time.  I always remember your birthday.  I’m always kind.  But there is the exception to the rule: Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”  Jesus Christ is always faithful, and Jesus Christ will never fail.

Two New Thoughts on Christmas

 

Brother Jamie mentioned two facts Sunday night that I had not thought of before (and here I thought I knew everything).  I was born privileged.  I was born in America, not Cameroon, not Romania, not Venezuela (and I have been in all three of those countries).  Good people in those places, but just not as fortunate as I am.  But spiritually, I was born into the wrong family.  John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”  But, on April 17, 1956, I was born again into God’s forever family.  And now, I am in such a privileged family!  Praise the Lord for His sacrifice on Calvary!

 Oh, I forgot the second new thought: my heart and the Christmas stable are similar.  They are both dark and dirty and no place for fit for a King.  But, Jesus came into both!  Jesus Christ made a difference in the world when He was born 2,000 years ago, and Jesus Christ made a difference when He came into my heart – when I was born again almost 70 years ago!  Thank you, Lord for saving my soul!