Are You Ready?

This is the end of another year. This was a significant year in many respects. We witnessed an historic election. We watched an historic Olympics from China.

We also have experienced a significant economic downturn. Stock and real estate values dropped at record rates across the country. Many people lost their jobs as many big companies either went belly up or had to make major cut backs.

This was also another year in which Jesus Christ did not return to the earth. All that means is that we are one year closer to His return. When Christ came the first time, He came to suffer and die in the place of sinners.

When Christ comes back He will come as a conquering King to rule over the whole earth. That day is drawing closer and closer and the Bible exhorts us to be ready.

Are you ready? Jesus is coming soon.

Jesus is a Great Savior

Last week we celebrated Jesus coming in to the world. This was a glorious event that was anticipated by believing people for centuries. Christ’s coming was the fulfillment of a great promise made by God.

Do you know why Christ came into the world? The Bible says that Christ came to die for sinners. Christ came to give His life as a ransom for many. Christ came to seek and to save sinners. Christ came to destroy the works of the devil. Christ came to make the Father known.

While many people, if not most people, in the world acknowledge that Christ came, many do not know Him as their Lord and Savior. He died for sinners but sinners must repent and confess Christ as Lord or they will die in their sin.

It is pointless to celebrate Christmas and not know Christ. I encourage you to trust Him with all your heart. He is a great Savior.

Jesus the King

The Bible tells us of some Magi who came looking for the One who was born as the King of the Jews. Jesus is the King of the Jews. He is the descendant of David who would rule over Israel. But Jesus is more than the King of the Jews. Jesus is the King of kings.

Jesus rules over all. He is a King who is the Judge of the world. Every single person is accountable to Jesus the King.

Those who fail to submit to the King will eventually experience His wrath and judgment. This is what we all deserve because of sin.

However, Jesus is a merciful King who will pardon all who confess Him as Lord. He can do this because He Himself paid the penalty that we deserve.

So, do you acknowledge Christ as King? He is whether or not you ever confess Him, but every knee will eventually bow to the King of kings.

The Indescribable Gift

Today is the day after Christmas and, traditionally, this is a big shopping day and, especially, a day for returning Christmas gifts. Maybe the gift was not the right color. Perhaps the gift wasn’t the right size. Perhaps the gift just wasn’t any good. Whatever the reason, you might have received something as a gift that just wasn’t very special to you.

Well, the good news is that God gave us the perfect gift on that first Christmas. He sent His own Son into the world to be the Savior that we so desperately need. We are dead and hopeless in our sin. Christ is the One who can set people free.

But, a gift is no good unless it is received. Have you received Him? Have you committed yourself to following Christ? Have you confessed Him as Lord?

God sent the best. 2 Corinthians 9:15 says, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.”

Merry Christmas!

I wish all of you a Merry Christmas. I trust that you and your family are enjoying a day that is similar to what happened to those shepherds on that first Christmas day.

You’ll remember those shepherds were out tending their sheep in the fields around Bethlehem when and angel appeared to them to tell them that the Savior was born. After hearing this announcement and seeing the glory of God shining all around them and hearing an angelic choir give glory to God, these shepherds ran to town to see this baby.

They told everyone what they had been told and after seeing the child they returned to their sheep glorifying and praising God.

These men who had to return to their job of tending those smelly and stupid sheep, but their lives had been changed by the coming of a Savior.

Whatever your circumstance today, I trust that you are praising and glorifying the Savior.

Christmas Superficiality

When the magi came to Jerusalem the chief priests and scribes told them that the king they were looking for could be found in Bethlehem according to the Bible.

What’s amazing about this is that these men knew this information but they would not walk the few miles from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to see the Savior who had been born.

They were very superficial. They knew the truth but they didn’t care about the Savior. Sadly, there are many today who know Christmas truth, but they don’t know Christ. They know Christ was miraculously born in Bethlehem and they are content just with knowing this information.

At Believers Fellowship we want to worship Christ in spirit and truth. You are welcome to join us tonight as we will be having a Christmas Eve service at 7 o’clock. We will rejoice in the reality of a Savior – One that our sin sick world desperately needs.

We encourage you to trust in Christ as Savior.

Christmas Hypocrisy

You are probably aware of the magi who came to Jerusalem looking for the King who had been born. Herod, the king of Judah was quite disturbed by this news. Herod was a very jealous man and was threatened by this news.

Herod called together the Bible scholars to find out where this promised king was to be born. They told Herod that He would be born in Bethlehem. So, Herod sends the magi on their way with these amazing words, “When you find the King let me know so I can come and worship Him.”

That statement is the height of hypocrisy. Herod did not want to worship this king, he wanted to kill him. But the hypocrisy of Herod is very common.

There are many today who will worship Christ with their lips. They will sing the Christmas songs and go to Christmas services, but their hearts are far from Christ.

Trampling Down Christmas Truth

You probably heard about the tragedy that occurred at a Walmart on Long Island the day after Thanksgiving. This day has come to be known as Black Friday because that is the day retailers go in to the black as they kick-off the official first day of Christmas shopping.

This particular Walmart was set to open at 5 am that morning and by that time 2,000 people had gathered outside and were chanting “push the doors in.” That’s pretty much what happened and sadly, almost unbelievably, one employee was trampled to death by the frenzied crowd.

What happened at that Walmart provides a real picture of what has happened to the truth about Christmas. The truth has been trampled in the mad rush to materialism. People will give lip service to Christ – they’ll sing Christmas songs, but they’re more interested in other stuff than they are the Savior.

Join us as we rejoice in the truth about the Christ of Christmas.

You Can Trust the Savior

Jesus Christ came into the world as the result of a divine act –a divine working. Quite simply, God did a miracle in having a virgin named Mary conceive this child.

Miracles are not any more difficult for God than anything else that He does. In fact, nothing is impossible with God. God had said hundreds of years earlier, through Isaiah that a virgin would give birth to a baby who would be called Immanuel, which means God with us. The virgin birth of Jesus was the fulfillment of that prophecy.

Because of God’s infinite power, He can back up what He says. No word of God must be incredible to us as long as no work of God is impossible to Him.

You can trust God’s Word and you can trust the Savior that He sent into the world. Jesus is the only Savior. It is only through Him that anyone can truly know God.

Jesus is Savior, God, and King!

God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary to tell her that she would conceive and give birth to a very special child. Gabriel carefully described this child to Mary.

The child’s name would be Jesus. He was given this name because He would save His people from their sins and Jesus means, “The Lord is salvation.” Mary would give birth to the Savior.

Gabriel also told Mary that her son would be great and called the Son of the Most High – the Son of God. This child would not only be the Savior, but He would be God in the flesh.

Not only would this child be the Savior and God incarnate, but He would also be the eternal king who had been promised to David. This child’s kingdom will have no end.

Jesus is Savior, God, and King. The birth of this Son shows that nothing is impossible with God.

Grace Does The Impossible

God sent a might angel named Gabriel to announce the coming birth of the Savior. He sent him to the very unlikely city of Nazareth to make this announcement to a very unlikely woman.

You would have thought that this announcement would have been delivered to a Queen or, at least, a Princess. However, Gabriel was sent to a woman named Mary. Despite what Roman Catholic tradition says, there was nothing special about Mary. She was very simple, very humble, and probably very poor. She was engaged to a man who was a carpenter, nothing special about that.

But we are told that Mary was favored or shown grace by God. She was the one that He had chosen to give birth to the Savior. To this very unlikely woman comes a special demonstration of God’s grace. The choice of Mary, this unlikely woman just gives proof that nothing is impossible with God.

Can Any Good Thing Come Out of Nazareth?

One day the Lord dispatched an angel named Gabriel with a very important message. He was sent to announce the coming birth of the Savior. God sent Gabriel because he was a very special angel. His name means “Mighty One of God.”

So God made a very likely choice for the messenger of this very important announcement. But God sent Gabriel to a very unlikely city. He did not send him to Rome, the political capital of the world. He did not send him to Athens, the cultural center of the world. He didn’t even send him to Jerusalem, the Jewish capital.

No, the Lord sent this mighty angel with this most important message to the little village of Nazareth. Many thought that it was impossible for any good thing to come out of Nazareth. But this unlikely city proves that nothing is impossible with God.

Nothing's Impossible with God

In Luke 1 we read of the angel Gabriel coming to Mary to announce to her that she would give birth to the Savior. In verse 37, Gabriel says, “Nothing will be impossible with God.” Literally that reads, “Not any word will be impossible with God.” That means that whatever God says He will do – that He will do. Whatever God purposes – will be accomplished. Whatever God plans – will be fulfilled. And this is all true because of the infinite power of God.

And the power of God is clearly seen in the Christmas story. Gabriel assures Mary that the miraculous, virgin birth that he came to announce will be accomplished because the power of the Most High will overshadow her. Therefore her holy offspring will be called the Son of God.

The same power which accomplished the virgin birth is working today to save all who put their faith in the Son of God.

Missing Christmas?

It would be hard to imagine anyone living in America missing Christmas. You can’t avoid it even if you want to. Stores, houses, and businesses are decorated to celebrate the season. Everywhere you turn you hear Christmas music of one kind or another. You’ll hear people talking about Christmas. Christmas is mentioned in the news. You are surrounded by the reality of Christmas – how could you miss it?

But there were many people in Bethlehem who missed Christmas. The Savior of the world was born right under their noses and they failed to get the significance.

That can happen to you. You might know that Christmas is going on but you can miss the significance of it. Unless you have repented of sin and come to Christ, totally committing yourself to follow Him as your Lord and Master, you will miss the significance of Christmas.

Don’t let that happen to you. Turn to Christ with your whole heart.

Deny Yourself - At Christmas?

At this time of the year we celebrate the birth of Christ. It is a great time of rejoicing and thankfulness for God’s grace in sending His Son to be the Savior of mankind.

However, it does you no good to celebrate this fact unless you have experienced the salvation that Christ came to give. Many people know that Christ came in to the world and they believe that He is the Savior. They believe that Christ died for sinners and rose again.

However, just knowing and believing those facts won’t get you into heaven. Demons know and believe those facts. You must know these facts and you must believe them, but you must also repent of your sin and commit yourself completely to Jesus Christ.

Jesus said that you must deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him. That’s a call to total commitment. Have you done that?

If so, then rejoice in your great Savior.

Meditate on the Miracle

As you go through the Christmas season it is important to take advantage of this time and focus on the significance of Christ coming into the world.

Is it an amazing thing to you that God became a man? Christ had to be God in order to be the perfect sacrifice for sin. He also had to be a man to stand in our place and be a substitute for us as He paid for our sins.

The virgin birth is what brings man and God together. Through the means of a virgin birth, God could take on a normal human body that would be subject to everything we experience as people, yet He would not be tainted by the sin nature that you and I inherit from our parents.

As you go through this season where we remember Christ’s birth, spend some time meditating on the miracle of the virgin birth.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas?

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas – well maybe not in the weather here in San Antonio, but certainly in the stores and malls. The big build up to Christmas is on full speed at this time and many people will be shopping, traveling, and celebrating.

The first Christmas was a busy time as well. Caesar had demanded that a census be taken and so everyone had to go to their hometown in order to be counted. That meant that a young couple named Joseph and Mary had to make the trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

Their trip was complicated by the fact that Mary was pregnant and when they arrived in Bethlehem all the rooms were filled. Joseph and Mary were forced to stay in a barn and that’s where their son was born.

That was the humble birthplace of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He humbled Himself and became a man to die in our place.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year?

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – at least that’s what the song says. We’re in that time of year leading up to Christmas and it can be a wonderful time. It can be a time of celebrating and rejoicing. It can be a time when families get together and enjoy great times together.

But for some people, it is not so wonderful. They don’t have much to celebrate. Financially they’ve had a bad year. Some don’t have enjoyable family times to look forward to. Some families suffered a divorce or a death this year which makes the holiday season really tough.

Based on the externals this might or might not be the most wonderful time of the year. However, we always have something to rejoice in. At this time of the year we remember that Christ came into the world to save sinners just like us.

At Believers Fellowship we will rejoice in God giving us His Son.

Don't Hide the Light

As Christians we are to shine as lights for Christ in this world. And Jesus said that you don’t put a light under a basket, but you put it on a lampstand. You put it in a place where it can shine and be seen. Yet some Christians are guilty of hiding the light. Some believers want to avoid any contact at all with the darkness. But it doesn’t do the world any good for us to hide our light.

We are to be shining the light and holding out the offer of the gospel. We have good news to share with people who are living in darkness all around us. We have a message that leads to life and we are to get it out to as many as we possibly can.

Let’s put aside all our complaining about the world and shine the light of Jesus Christ. That’s why we’re here. That’s the mission of the church.

Don't Be A Grouch for Christmas

Philippians 2:14 tells us to stop complaining and verse 15 says we are to shine as lights in the world. In other words, stop whining and start shining.

A whining, bellyaching, griping Christian will never have a positive influence on others. They won’t believe the gospel will do what you say it can because they don’t see it working in you. They can legitimately ask, “If Christ so satisfies, how come you are such a whiny, grumpy, grouch?”

We are to be lights but we can definitely dim that light. We should be broken in our hearts as we see the results of sin all around us and rather than complaining about it, we should reach out to people with the gospel, telling them about forgiveness and salvation in Christ.

As Christmas approaches, let’s take advantage of every opportunity to tell others about the Savior who came into the world.

Shine the Light

As believers we are to be witnesses to the world. We are to put aside our whining and start shining. We shine by living a godly life in an ungodly world. A person in our world who truly models integrity, whose life is characterized by goodness and righteousness and truth – a person who demonstrates a real love and forgiveness – a person who doesn’t return evil for evil but gives a blessing instead – that person is going to shine.

Now some people may shy away from the light, but they can’t help but notice it. Our light must shine in the midst of this dark world.

A Christian who isn’t committed to growing in godliness is going to dim the light. A believer who isn’t wholeheartedly following the Lord, isn’t going to appear as a shining light to others.

We don’t want to dim the light of Christ. We want it to shine through our lives as brightly as possible.

Stop Whining and Start Shining

As Christians we do too much complaining. We complain about the things everybody else does – politics, weather, traffic, and whatever else – but we also complain about things in the church. The music is too loud, or too old, or whatever else.

When we do this complaining we forget why we are here. We are not here to live as comfortably as we can, but to be witnesses for our Savior. We are lights in the midst of a dark world and we are to shine. So… we need to stop the whining and start shining.

As believers we are the only light the world has. In us they are to see the light and life of God. We are to live godly, holy lives in the world and that kind of living will have a startling effect.

So let’s work on shining the light and giving glory to our Savior.

Tell Out the Good News

Philippians 2:14 says, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing.” One way for a Christian to do that is to remember why we are here. We have been given a commission by our Lord to take the good news of the gospel to our world. We have an evangelistic mandate.

We live in the midst of and among the people of the world. We have a responsibility to them to tell them of the salvation that they can find in Christ. You can’t fulfill that responsibility if you’re a whiner and a grumbler.

The Bible says that we live in a crooked and perverse society. That is becoming easier and easier to see in our country. The abnormal has become normal. Everywhere you turn you see signs of fornication, adultery, homosexuality, lying, and cheating.

We live in a world that desperately needs Christ. We must put aside our complaints and tell out the good news.