The Christmas Story

I put this story together a couple years ago to tell my children the story of the birth of Jesus in a language they could understand. We read this story every Christmas Eve. Feel free to pass it along.

Send me your comments. Joe

AJA Press

Book Review: Living Life In The Zone by Kyle Rote Jr. and Dr. Joe Pettigrew

It's a New Year, and time for New Years Resolutions. Right? Well, no. Normally, I don't make resolutions. It prevents me from failing to keep them. Instead, I make commitments. Not resolutions. Not things that I will do EVERYDAY, but rather things that I hope to get done during the year. Last year, I committed to read through the Bible, and I did. Sure I missed some days, but I actually finished the reading nearly a week early.

This year, I have committed to expand my Bible study beyond just reading the Bible, into doing something a little more -- involved. Enter Kyle Rote Jr. and Dr. Joe Pettigrew with their 40-day devotional, Living Life in the Zone: A 40-Day Spiritual Gameplan for Men. I received the book from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Bloggers Program and began it immediately. Like many Christian devotional books, Living Life in the Zone: A 40-Day Spiritual Gameplan for Men follows a 40-day plan, calling on the Biblical significance of a forty day period (see Noah, et. al.). But Rote and Pettigrew do something that I haven't found in many of the devotional guides and Bibles that I've researched -- they tailor their devotional to the life of a man.

Calling on their vast experience of working with the men of professional sports as part of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Rote and Pettigrew present the life of a man in terms that men can understand. They cover topics such as living a healthy Christian life at work, loving an imperfect woman, dealing with daily stress, and even the oft-taboo topic of improving your sex life from the perspective of a Christian man. I have tried to carve time out of my day every day to spend a little time in the Word under the tutelage of Rote and Pettigrew, and found deep insight into things that I have just taken for granted for years. By spending just fifteen minutes a day pondering the thoughts and words of such pro sports greats as Roger Staubach, Joe Gibbs, John Wooden, and Coach Tony Dungy, I've found myself trying to live more like the man God wants me to be.

It's only a 40-day devotional, and won't require a major commitment on your part to get through this little book. But it just might cause you to make some major commitments you hadn't considered before.

Send me your comments. Joe

AJA Press

Disclosure(s) of Material Connection:

Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Merry Christmas!

Last year I started a new Christmas tradition with my kids, reading them my own kid-friendly rendition of The Christmas Story. I share that with you today, along with a Christmas message from America's last great President.

Merry Christmas!

Direct video link.

Send me your comments. Joe

AJA Press

Merry X-mas!

This time of year there is always great debate (among those who just need a reason to debate) about the meaning of Christmas. Whether you celebrate it as the birth of Christ, or just a time to give gifts, or some other manufactured holiday [see Kwanzaa], Christmas should be a time of great joy and happiness, shared with family and friends, blah, blah, blah. Right?

I say, emphatically, NO!

Christmas is a time of year that we recognize the birth of our Savior. Period. You may give gifts, which is great, as on that first Christmas day we received the greatest gift of all from our Creator God in the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ, sent to take away the sins of the world. But as I mentioned earlier, much of the debate of this time of year centers around the terms "Christmas Tree," or the use of the letter 'X' instead of 'Christ' in the word Christmas. It is that which weighs heavily on my mind today.

Christmas. Xmas. Or X-mas. What is the difference. Is there really any difference? Many people -- including some of my own loved ones -- intentionally use the letter 'X' to replace 'Christ' in Christmas, as if by writing the word differently they can remove the real reason for the season.

But what does the 'X' really represent? Consider this, from Wikipedia:

"The word Christmas originated as a compound meaning 'Christ's Mass'. It is derived from the Middle English Christemasse and Old English Cristes maesse, a phrase first recorded in 1038.[6] 'Cristes' is from Greek Christos and 'maesse' is from Latin missa (the holy mass). In Greek, the letter Χ (chi), is the first letter of Christ, and it, or the similar Roman letter X, has been used as an abbreviation for Christ since the mid-16th century.[12] Hence, Xmas is often used as an abbreviation for Christmas."

But maybe you're one who views Wikipedia as flawed, due to it's social editing structure. In that case, consider this:

From Bill Purdue, an Open University historian:

"I suppose to us it will always look like an abbreviation, but it would first seem to be an abbreviation used by clerics with a good knowledge of ancient languages."

Or this, from About.com:

It is said that when the Emperor Constantine had his great vision that caused him to convert to Christianity, he saw the Greek letters Chi and Rho intertwined. Chi is written as an 'X' and Rho is written as a 'P', but they are the first two letters of the Greek word Christ 'savior'. 'XP' is sometimes used to stand for Christ. Sometimes X is used alone. This is the case in the Chi (X) abbreviation for Christ in Xmas. Thus, Xmas is not directly a way of secularizing the holiday, but since 'X' is not Chi in English, we read the word as X-mas and see no connection with Christ.

Still not convinced? Then maybe you should consider this, from Snopes.com, one of the most reputable sites for debunking urban myths (presented as a screen capture as well as text -- click image to enlarge):

The abbreviation of 'Xmas' for 'Christmas' is neither modern nor disrespectful. The notion that it is a new and vulgar representation of the word 'Christmas' seems to stem from the erroneous belief that the letter 'X' is used to stand for the word 'Christ' because of its resemblance to a cross, or that the abbreviation was deliberately concocted "to take the 'Christ" out of Christmas."

Actually, this usage is nearly as old as Christianity itself, and its origins lie in the fact that the first letter in the Greek word for 'Christ' is 'chi,' and the Greek letter 'chi' is represented by a symbol similar to the letter 'X' in the modern Roman alphabet. Hence, 'Xmas' is indeed perfectly legitimate abbreviation for the word 'Christmas'...

So there you have it. No matter how you slice it -- or spell it -- Christmas is just that, the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Merely substituting 'Christ' with an 'X' does not change that. Am I suggesting that you shouldn't celebrate Christmas if you haven't accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior?

Quite the contrary. Instead, I suggest you continue to celebrate Christmas with your friends and family, giving gifts and singing carols, and all that has come to be a traditional Christmas celebration. Oh, yeah, and I strongly encourage you to come to a personal relationship with Christ, because without that, everything we do on this Earth is for nothing.

Send me your comments. Joe

AJA Press

The Joe Show 94 - Simple Worship 2

Average Joe Radio presents

The Joe Show
featuring
Average Joe American

Episode Ninety Four: Simple Worship 2

Featuring songs from Scot Longyear's new album,
Simple Worship 2, as well as from his first album, Simple Worship.

from Simple Worship | Soul Believe

from Simple Worship 2 | Tired

from Simple Worship 2 | Lost

from Simple Worship 2 | On Your Mind

from Simple Worship 2 | More

from Simple Worship | His Eye Is On The Sparrow

Catch Scot's first interview, plus more great music, on Episode 25.


Direct video link.

Phone: (317) 644-6129
Email Feedback: joe@averagejoeamerican.us

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Maddy's Cancer Battle

Book Review: American Savior by Roland Merullo

Five months ago, the United States of America inaugurated our forty-forth president. Many have their doubts about his qualifications and even his eligibility, some even have doubts about his fundraising tactics during the campaign. Others have virtually bowed down to worship him as the candidate of Hope and Change, so much so that he has become widely known as the "Obamassiah" -- as if he were some great savior for our country.

But what if the Messiah really did return to earth and run for the highest office in the land? What if America really did find her savior in the form of none other and the Son of God, Jesus Christ? Someone with undisputeable morals, pure motives, and the power to fulfill every one of His campaign promises?

Author Roland Merullo takes us on a trip of discovery and enlightenment as he explores this question in his thought-provoking and entertaining American Savior: A Novel of Divine Politics.

When a child falls from a third-story balcony, dies, then lives to tell about it, the parents credit a man who breathed life back into their child then vanished. The media and others play it off as a hoax. But when a hospitalized young child suddenly appears cured of her terminal illness, and she and her parents credit a mystery visitor who laid His hand on her and spoke to her some words of encouragement, the media begins to become more interested in this "Good Visitor" who keeps popping up in the right place at the right time.

When the Good Visitor, much like Jesus Christ did in the New Testament, calls upon the most unlikely of society to help Him prepare and run His surprise presidential campaign, American Savior takes off without looking back. What if Jesus Christ had to address today's tough issues of abortion, war, healthcare, and taxes? Would he have some kind of divine insight to tackle the problems we face today?

Most importantly, would America embrace the return of this Risen Savior? Or would we treat Him today as He was treated almost two thousand years ago by the powers of that time?

Author Roland Merullo answers those questions, and many more, in this fictional glimpse into American politics. American Savior is a must read for anyone who has ever pondered these thoughts, as well as anyone who just loves to dabble in politics. Roland Merullo does not disappoint.

Your comments?

Joe

What Is Good Friday?

Question: "What is Good Friday?" Answer: Good Friday is the Friday immediately preceding Easter Sunday. It is celebrated traditionally as the day on which Jesus was crucified. If you are interested in a study of the issue, please see this article that discusses the various views on which day Jesus was crucified. Assuming that Jesus was crucified and died on a Friday, should Christians remember Jesus' death by celebrating Good Friday? The Bible does not instruct Christians to remember Christ's death by honoring a certain day. The Bible does give us freedom in these matters, however. Romans 14:5 tells us, "One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind." Rather than remembering Christ's death on a certain day, once a year, the Bible instructs us to remember Christ's death by observing the Lord's Supper. First Corinthians 11:24-26 declares, "...do this in remembrance of me...for whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." Why is Good Friday referred to as "good"? What the Jewish authorities and Romans did to Jesus was definitely not good (see Matthew chapters 26-27 ). However, the results of Christ's death are very good! Romans 5:8 , "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." First Peter 3:18 tells us, "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit." Many Christian churches celebrate Good Friday with a subdued service, usually in the evening, in which Christ's death is remembered with solemn hymns, prayers of thanksgiving, a message centered on Christ suffering for our sakes, and observance of the Lord's Supper. Whether or not Christians choose to "celebrate" Good Friday, the events of that day should be ever on our minds because the death of Christ on the cross is the paramount event of the Christian faith. If you would like to learn more about why Jesus' death on the cross was so "good," please read the following article: What does it mean to accept Jesus as your personal Savior? Recommended Resource: The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus by Gary Habermas. What's new on GotQuestions.org? GotQuestions.org seeks to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by providing Biblical answers to spiritually-related questions. To continue in this mission, we need your support! For more information, please visit https://www.gotquestions.org/support.html Got Questions? The Bible has Answers! We'll find them for you! www.GotQuestions.org This message was sent from GotQuestions.org . It was sent from: Got Questions Ministries, 6050 Stetson Hills Blvd., #254, Colorado Springs, CO 80923.

Strength Under Adversity

SOAP {Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer}:

FOR TODAY'S FULL READING, CLICK THE TITLE LINK ABOVE | ABOUT SOAP

SCRIPTURE
63 Jesus kept silent. Then the Chief Priest said, “I command you by the authority of the living God to say if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

64 Jesus was curt: “You yourself said it. And that’s not all. Soon you’ll see it for yourself: The Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Mighty One, Arriving on the clouds of heaven.” MATTHEW 26:63-64 [MSG]

OBSERVATION
Under terrible conditions, the Savior never faltered.

APPLICATION
Jesus, when faced down by Caiaphas and his cronies, stood firm. Of course He stood firm, He's the Creator of the universe. When asked to condemn Himself by saying He is the Son of God, He chose instead to say, "You said it, I didn't."

Denied three times by Peter, betrayed by Judas Iscariot, and about to be condemned to death, Christ was a shining example of how we, too, should stand up for our faith.

Our world has become one in which it's easy to say what we believe, but becoming increasingly hard to live it without being subjected to ridicule and, in some cases, faced with some type of disciplinary action for speaking openly of our faith.

If I were to be pressed in a life and death position to affirm my faith, could I be so bold as my Savior was before Caiaphas? I want to believe that, with God's strength, I could.

PRAYER
Father, thank You for sending Your Son to do what no one else could ever have done.

Your comments?

Joe

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Any One I Meet UPDATED

SOAP {Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer}:

FOR TODAY'S FULL READING, CLICK THE TITLE LINK ABOVE | ABOUT SOAP

SCRIPTURE
1-2 God appeared to Abraham at the Oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent. It was the hottest part of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing. He ran from his tent to greet them and bowed before them.

3-5 He said, "Master, if it please you, stop for a while with your servant. I'll get some water so you can wash your feet. Rest under this tree. I'll get some food to refresh you on your way, since your travels have brought you across my path."

They said, "Certainly. Go ahead."

6 Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. He said, "Hurry. Get three cups of our best flour; knead it and make bread."

7-8 Then Abraham ran to the cattle pen and picked out a nice plump calf and gave it to the servant who lost no time getting it ready. Then he got curds and milk, brought them with the calf that had been roasted, set the meal before the men, and stood there under the tree while they ate.

9 The men said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?"

He said, "In the tent."

10 One of them said, "I'm coming back about this time next year. When I arrive, your wife Sarah will have a son." Sarah was listening at the tent opening, just behind the man.

11-12 Abraham and Sarah were old by this time, very old. Sarah was far past the age for having babies. Sarah laughed within herself, "An old woman like me? Get pregnant? With this old man of a husband?"

13-14 God said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh saying, 'Me? Have a baby? An old woman like me?' Is anything too hard for God? I'll be back about this time next year and Sarah will have a baby."

15 Sarah lied. She said, "I didn't laugh," because she was afraid.

But he said, "Yes you did; you laughed."
GENESIS 18:1-15 [MSG]

OBSERVATION
Treat everyone with kindness and respect, for you never know who you might be dealing with.

APPLICATION
Abraham walked with God. He was not a perfect man -- none are but Jesus -- but he was a God-fearing man who found favor in God's eyes.

One day, as "three men" approached outside Abraham's tent, Abraham jumped to his feet at their service, ordering up a feast and offering them water to wash their feet. Did he know who they were? It certainly sounds like it, as he addressed them as "Master."

There were three men, the Bible clearly states. Abraham called the three "Master." The Bible says "the men said to him," as if they spoke to Abraham in unison, of one mind.

Who were the "three men?" The Bible goes on to refer to them as "God" in The Message and "the Lord" in the New International Version. Three men? The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Who else?

The book of John tells us that Jesus was with God in the beginning. 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. JOHN 1:1 [NIV] Why then could the Holy Spirit not be with God in the beginning as well? Certainly, the triune God has always been.

And what of Abraham, who had never seen God, recognizing the three heads of God approach him? The Bible says nothing of a burning bush speaking to Abraham, as it did to Moses. The Bible says "God." It says "three men walking."

Imagine being in such favor with God that he actually walked up to you while you're sitting on your porch! Wouldn't that be an incredibly wonderful, frightening, blessing?!

What if God walked up to me right now? Would I be ready? What would I do? What would I say?

PRAYER
Father, make me always aware that anyone I meet could be The One. May I treat them all with love and respect.

UPDATE
I never claimed to know everything, which became more obvious to me upon reading the next chapter of Genesis, which starts out: 1-2 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening. Lot was sitting at the city gate. He saw them and got up to welcome them, bowing before them and said, "Please, my friends, come to my house and stay the night. Wash up. You can rise early and be on your way refreshed." (emphasis mine)

The three men who approached Abraham at his tent then left for Sodom, and we see two of them at the beginning of chapter 19. "The two angels," the Bible says. So, I guess my line of thinking that Abraham was approached by the Trinity may have been a little off. This trinity was apparently God and two of His angels.

Still, imagine being approached by God Himself!

Your comments?

Joe

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Merry Christmas from God!

Christmas is upon us. Once each year across the world this day is set aside as a day of celebration. For many throughout the world, today is the celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh.

The Birth of Jesus {Matt 1:18-25 [MSG]}

18-19 The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn't know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.

20-23 While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—'God saves'—because he will save his people from their sins." This would bring the prophet's embryonic sermon to full term:

Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son;
They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for "God is with us").

24-25 Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God's angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary. But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus.

The every day miracle of child birth took on a whole new meaning on this day, over two-thousand years ago, when the miracle of childbirth delivered the miracle baby -- the God-baby. Even the wisest among men of that time recognized the event for what it was.

An Event for Everyone {Luke 2:9-20 [MSG]}

8-12 There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."

13-14 At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

15-18 As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. "Let's get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us." They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.

19-20 Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they'd been told!

Exactly the way they had been told! The miracle of God coming to earth in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ, happened exactly as God had planned. Exactly as it had been foretold by prophets centuries earlier.

{Isaiah 53:1-10 [MSG] (emphasis mine)}

1 Who believes what we've heard and seen? Who would have thought God's saving power would look like this?

2-6 The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look. He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away. We looked down on him, thought he was scum. But the fact is, it was our pains he carried— our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost. We've all done our own thing, gone our own way. And God has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong, on him, on him.

7-9He was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn't say a word. Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, he took it all in silence. Justice miscarried, and he was led off— and did anyone really know what was happening? He died without a thought for his own welfare, beaten bloody for the sins of my people. They buried him with the wicked, threw him in a grave with a rich man, Even though he'd never hurt a soul or said one word that wasn't true.

10 Still, it's what God had in mind all along, to crush him with pain. The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin so that he'd see life come from it—life, life, and more life. And God's plan will deeply prosper through him.

The story of the greatest gift of all is not complete with the birth of Jesus Christ, for that gift receives it's greatness through the sacrifice He made for us on the cross.

Jesus Christ died for our sins, and arose, so that there might be no doubt that he was God in the flesh, here to save us from our sins, so that we might spend an eternity with Him.

Merry Christmas, world! May we never forget the meaning of this day.

Your comments?

Joe

Cross posted at Average Joe American.

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Peace

At church today, the topic of the sermon was Peace. We're in the advent season, and over the past four weeks, the sermon topics have been Hope, Love, Joy and (today) Peace.

During today's sermon, Pastor Derek Duncan talked about, of course, Peace. There was one passage that I felt was a major take away:

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 [NIV]

In this day when we are at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, fighting terrorism and drugs, and concerned about the future plans of North Korea, Iran, and Russia, the word Peace has become quite a buzzword. Whether you call it "troop withdrawal," or "draw down," or some other term that refers to ending hostilities, the meaning is the same: Peace. Politicians often run on a platform of Peace (either obtained through withdrawal or victory). But can they truly bring us peace?

No. Absolutely not. Only one person can bring us Peace: Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God. Our lives will be filled with trouble, but in the arms of Christ, we find true peace. Even in the hardest of times, we have peace in Christ.

There was something that Pastor Duncan said that I had never considered before. Today, the term "god" can mean many different things to many different people. While I might refer to God as the Creator of all, another might think of their "god," whomever that might be. As Christians, as followers of God through His Son Jesus Christ, we need to shift our focus on the One and Only source of peace and salvation: Jesus Christ. There can be no confusion whom we serve when we serve the Son.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Send feedback to Joe by email, or by calling 317-644-6129.

Your comments?

Joe

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A Christmas Story for My Children

You've no doubt heard the story of Santa Claus and his flying reindeer; the story of Frosty the Snowman, or the Grinch who stole Christmas. You've probably seen Snow Miser, Heat Miser, and the Abominable Snow Monster on television. I bet you can't even imagine Christmas without a visit from the spirits and Mister Scrooge.

But have you ever heard the most wonderful Christmas story of all?

Over two thousand years ago, long before you, or Mommy, or Daddy were even born, there was a very special birth of a very special baby.

Long, long ago, in a little village in a land called Nazareth, there lived a man named Joseph, and a woman named Mary, the woman he loved. Joseph and Mary were making plans to be married, when one day, Gabriel, God's chief angel, made a special visit to Mary.

"Good morning, Mary," the angel said, "Do not be afraid." Mary was shaking at the unexpected visit. "Don't be afraid, Mary. God has sent me to tell you that He has a wonderful surprise for you. You are soon to be the mother of a special baby boy."

"But how," Mary asked, "Joseph and I have not yet married?"

"God chose you, Mary, for a very special purpose. You will be the mother of His Son. You will name Him Jesus."

"I am ready to serve my God," Mary said. "Let it be so."

The angel, Gabriel, left.

Mary rushed out into town and told her cousin Elizabeth, who was also going to have a baby. Mary stayed with her cousin for three months. While Mary was with her cousin, the angel Gabriel visited Joseph in a dream.

"Joseph," Gabriel said, "it is okay for you and Mary to be married. The baby she is expecting is the Son of God. You will name him Jesus, which means 'God Saves'." When Joseph woke up from his dream, he rushed off to Mary, and they became husband and wife.

The king at that time was a man named Caesar, and he wanted to know how many people lived in his kingdom. King Caesar ordered every man to travel to his family's home town, families and all. Joseph took his new wife Mary and left for Nazareth, where they could be counted as members of the family of David.

While they were there, Mary told Joseph, "It's time. The baby is ready." Joseph took Mary to every hotel in town looking for a room, but they were all full because of the people who had come to town to be counted. With no place else to stay, Joseph and Mary stopped at a stable where they were given a place to sleep with the animals.

As they stayed in the stable, Joseph comforted Mary as her baby, Jesus, was born. Mary wrapped her baby in a blanket and laid him in a manger in the stable.

There were shepherds camping in the neighborhood, watching over their sheep, when the angel Gabriel came to them, and they were afraid. "Don't be afraid," Gabriel said. "God sent me to tell you of a wonderful event, a very special event for everyone in the world." The shepherds watched in wonder as the angel Gabriel continued. "A Savior has been born -- the Son of God. You will find him, the baby, wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger in a stable."

When Gabriel finished, thousands of angels from Heaven joined him, singing, "Glory to God, and peace to everyone on earth." 

As Gabriel and the other angels left them and returned to Heaven, the shepherds talked it over and decided that they wanted to go see the baby Jesus. They started running and didn't stop until they found Joseph and Mary and their new born baby lying in the manger in the stable.

Others also came to see the new baby Jesus -- the Son of God -- bringing gifts to give to Him. A young boy who had no gifts to bring came to see the baby with his drum, and played music for the baby. They found their way to the baby by following a star in the sky -- the brightest, highest star in the sky, shone right over the stable where Jesus was born.

Today, over two thousand years later, we still celebrate that wonderful night -- the night that Jesus was born -- by throwing the biggest birthday party of all: Christmas. Like the angels did so long ago, we sing songs for Jesus, called Christmas Carols. Like the men who visited the baby bringing gifts, we give gifts to those we love, in honor of Jesus' birthday.

Happy birthday, Jesus. And Merry Christmas, to all.

Your comments?

Joe

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What Will You Give For Christmas

Christmas shopping this week? Take a moment to remember what the season is all about, with this little short from Jeff Caylor.

Direct video link.

Hear more from Jeff Caylor in The Joe Show and in Soapy Joe.

Your comments?

Joe

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Loving As He Loves Me

Today's Daily Soap {Scripture | Observation | Application | Prayer}
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SCRIPTURE:

Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ's love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They're really doing themselves a favor—since they're already "one" in marriage. Ephesians 5:25-28 [MSG]

OBSERVATION: 

I am not only to provide for and protect my wife, but to love her so must as to almost elevate her above myself.

APPLICATION:

Christ showed His love for the church -- for His followers -- by serving them. He didn't put Himself first, but rather put us above Him. He washed the feet of those who followed Him. He broke bread for them and served them. He even died for them -- for us.

What kind of love do I show to my wife? Do I serve her, or expect her to serve me? After a long day at work I come home and expect to be able to relax. But my wife has worked all day, too. Do I give her a chance to relax? Why does it have to be a special occasion for me to whisk the kids away and give her a break?

I could do a much better job of loving my wife the way Christ loves me.

PRAYER:

Father, help me to learn from the example You provided some two thousand years ago. I want to love her like You love me.

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One Eye Closed

Today's Daily Soap {Scripture | Observation | Application | Prayer}
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• S: Dear friends, let me be completely frank with you. Our ancestor David is dead and buried—his tomb is in plain sight today. But being also a prophet and knowing that God had solemnly sworn that a descendant of his would rule his kingdom, seeing far ahead, he talked of the resurrection of the Messiah—'no trip to Hades, no stench of death.' This Jesus, God raised up. And every one of us here is a witness to it. Then, raised to the heights at the right hand of God and receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out the Spirit he had just received. That is what you see and hear. For David himself did not ascend to heaven, but he did say, God said to my Master, "Sit at my right hand Until I make your enemies a stool for resting your feet." "All Israel, then, know this: There's no longer room for doubt—God made him Master and Messiah, this Jesus whom you killed on a cross." Acts 2:29-36 [MSG]
  
• O: Christ knows Hell from the standpoint of Creator.
  
• A: There has been debate among Biblical scholars about where Christ went during His three days in the tomb between His crucifixion and resurrection. I'm not one to claim to be a Biblical scholar. I can offer only my viewpoint (or, if you prefer, my opinion). Some have suggested that Christ might have made a trip to Hell during those three days. The book of Acts seems to refute that, saying that Christ "was not abandoned to the grave." [NIV] As He was indeed in a grave -- or tomb -- the term "grave" in this passage is likely in reference to the eternal grave of Hell. It stands to reason, therefore -- to my finite mind, at least -- that Christ did not taste of Hell. But what, then? Heaven? When He would be ascending to Heaven shortly after His resurrection, I think that is unlikely. I ask you this: why did Christ have to go anywhere during His three days in the tomb? Or better yet, why couldn't Christ be everywhere during those three days? As God in the flesh, Christ is one part of a triune God. God is omnipresent -- everywhere all the time. Christ, then, must be omnipresent, too. Close your right eye, and you're still here and can still see through the left eye. God in the flesh while in the tomb -- in my opinion -- was still everywhere in the form of God the Father. Just because a body lied in a tomb doesn't mean something had to happen to Christ during that time. As He is God, I believe there was no change to Him. With one eye closed, our God was still in control.
  
• P: Father, the very Being that is You is a wonder. How You came to earth and died for my sins, yet never lost control of Your creation. You are truly and Almighty God.
  

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The Gate of God

Today's Daily Soap {Scripture | Observation | Application | Prayer}
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• S: Then the man brought me back to the outside gate complex of the Sanctuary that faces east. But it was shut. God spoke to me: "This gate is shut and it's to stay shut. No one is to go through it because God, the God of Israel, has gone through it. It stays shut. Only the prince, because he's the prince, may sit there to eat in the presence of God. He is to enter the gate complex through the porch and leave by the same way." Ezekiel 44:1-3 [MSG]
  
• O: As imperfect humans, we are not fit or worthy to follow in the footsteps of God or receive His gift of salvation.
  
• A: In describing the Temple, Ezekiel spoke of a gate to the Sanctuary that was closed -- off limits -- because God Himself had passed through the gate. As Creator of all things, God is omnipresent -- everywhere all the time -- and surely has no need to actually enter His Sanctuary through a gate. Unless it was God in the form of man entering through that gate. The book of Ezekiel is 65% prophecy -- containing the largest amount of predictive prophecy to appear in any book of the Bible. Much of the prophecy of Ezekiel has alredy been fulfilled, to include that of God walking through the Sanctuary gate. This very gate is believed to be the gate through which Jesus entered the Sanctuary on Palm Sunday. Jesus -- God in the form of man on Earth -- entered the Sanctuary through a gate that has since been shut, not to be used by man. As this passage is prophetic, it describes something that had not yet happened at the time of its writing. Prophecy in the Bible is often written as if it has already happened, which is the case in Ezekiel. In this case, Jesus later fulfilled this prophecy. It is believed that when Christ returns to rule his Millenial Kingdom on Earth, he will enter again through that very same gate.
  
• P: God, thank You for giving us a gift we could never deserve -- the gift of salvation through Your Son Jesus Christ.
  

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Joe

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