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CHRISTMAS
MESSAGE
JESUS
CHRIST
is
the reason
FOR
THE SEASON
by
Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
On
December 25th, more than one
billion people will celebrate
Christmas!
The
birth of Jesus Christ, the
Jewish Messiah and the world's
saviour, is gaining in
popularity each year.
The
Gregorian calendar divides
history into two sections from
the time of His birth nearly
2000 years ago - BC (Before
Christ) and AD (Anno Domini -
which is latin for "In
the year of our Lord".)
Although
there have been, and still
are, other calendars, the
Gregorian is used worldwide.
According
to Dr. Ralph Winters, an
expert on world religions, the
message of Jesus Christ is a
very viable and powerful force
in the world today.
Here
are some of his findings: In
the year AD 40, there was only
one Christian to 40,000
pagans. By 1900, there was a
dramatic change - one
Christian for every 100
pagans. In 1950, the ratio was
reduced further - 1 to 26. And
today, the figure stands at
one Christian for every 9.3
non-believers.
GREAT
REVIVALS OF EVANGELICAL
CHRISTIANITY ARE CURRENTLY
SWEEPING THE PHILIPPINES,
LATIN AMERICA, SOUTH KOREA,
AFRICA AND EASTERN EUROPE.
With
the collapse of communism, it
will surely continue to
escalate, garnering in
millions more for God's
kingdom!
And a growing number of
imminent Jewish scholars and
rabbis now believe in Jesus as
their Messiah or at least
acknowledge Him as prophet and
teacher.
Ellis
Rivkin, professor of Jewish
history at Hebrew Union
College, said: "Of these
messianic claimants, only one
- Jesus of Nazareth - so
impressed his disciples that
he became their Messiah. And
he did so after the very
crucifixion which should have
refuted his claims decisively.
But it was not Jesus' life
which proved beyond question
that He was the Messiah, the
Christ. It was His
resurrection".
And
even though Muslims do not
accept Jesus as the Son of God
and His substitutionary death
on the cross for our sins,
they believe in Him as a
prophet.
History
has a way of repeating itself
and like the middle ages, the
religious race is once again
between Mohammed's Islam and
the Gospel of Christ.
And
now with the door open to the
former Soviet Union, we can
carry the gospel of Jesus
Christ into the many Muslim
republics there!
Muslims
have been taught to sacrifice
themselves for their religion
- And when they realize that
Jesus Christ is the Very Son
of God (which their Koran
teaches, as well as
contradicts) they will be
willing to die for Jesus, if
necessary!
With
that kind of a mind-set, the
gospel will spread quickly
among the masses, as it did in
the Early Church period!
But,
with the enormous wealth of
the Arab Gulf States - some of
which heavily support Islam's
missionary vision - and the
fanaticism of Iran's Shiites,
the religion of Mohammed is
gaining ground.
Although
Christianity has made gigantic
strides during the last two millennia's,
many believers have become
lukewarm in their devotion to
Jesus Christ and are Christian
in "name only". And
unfortunately, some
denominations have compromised
their doctrinal position and
denied "the faith which
was once delivered unto the
saints". (Jude 3)
St.
Paul warned of those who
"have a form of
godliness, but deny the power
thereof". His admonition
was: "from such turn
away".
THREE
FUNDAMENTAL DOCTRINES OF THE
CHURCH, WHICH HAVE BEEN UNDER
ATTACK BY LIBERAL THEOLOGIANS,
ARE THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF
CHRIST, HIS SUBSTITUTIONARY
DEATH AND PHYSICAL
RESURRECTION!
Let's
go back to the beginning of
Christianity and Jesus' birth,
in order to understand the
phenomenon surrounding this
great event.
Isaiah
prophesied the Messiah's
virgin birth 700 years before
it happened. He also foretold
His death on the cross.
"Therefore,
the Lord Himself shall give
you a sign; Behold, a virgin
shall conceive, and bear a
son, and shall call His name
Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)
"For
unto us a child is born, unto
us a son is given: and the
government shall be upon his
shoulder: and his name shall
be called Wonderful,
Counsellor, The mighty God,
The everlasting Father, The
Prince of Peace." (Isaiah
9:6)
"But
He was wounded for our
transgressions, He was bruised
for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was
upon Him; and with His stripes
we are healed." (Isaiah
53:5)
Numerous
prophets had revealed other
aspects of His miraculous
birth, perfect sinlessness,
supernatural miracle ministry,
substitutionary death and
glorious resurrection from the
dead.
Micah
prophesied His birth in
Bethlehem. This was fulfilled
when Caesar Augustus, the
Roman emperor, made a decree
that all Palestinians must
return to the town of their
ancestry for a general census.
"But
thou, Bethlehem Ephratah,
though thou be little among
the thousands of Judah, yet
out of thee shall He come
forth unto me that is to be
ruler in Israel; Whose goings
forth have been from of old,
from everlasting." (Micah
5:2)
Although
Joseph - the husband of Mary -
lived in Nazareth, he had to
return with his expectant wife
for the enumeration. Jesus was
born in Bethlehem, as the
prophet had said.
"And
Joseph also went up from
Galilee, out of the city of
Nazareth, into Judea, unto the
city of David, which is called
Bethlehem; (because he was of
the house and lineage of
David:) To be taxed with Mary
his espoused wife, being great
with child.
"And
so it was, that, while they
were there, the days were
accomplished that she should
be delivered. And she brought
forth her firstborn son, and
wrapped Him in swaddling
clothes, and laid Him in a
manger; because there was no
room for them in the
inn." (Luke 2:4-7)
Hosea
foretold His flight into
Egypt, where He and His
parents fled from King Herod,
who sought His life. Jeremiah
prophesied the mourning of
children killed by Herod in
the "slaughter of the
innocents".
"Then
was fulfilled that which was
spoken by Jeremy the prophet,
saying, In Rama was there a
voice heard, lamentation, and
weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her
children, and would not be
comforted, because they are
not." (Matt. 2:17-18)
Hundreds
of Old Testament prophecies,
identifying the Messiah, were
fulfilled by Jesus of
Nazareth.
The
sad part is that today,
multitudes of people celebrate
His birth, but have no vital
contact with Him. They've also
forgotten the reason for His
coming!
JESUS
CAME TO GIVE HOPE TO THE
WORLD, PEACE TO TROUBLED
HEARTS AND MINDS AND HEALING
TO THOSE WHO HURT. JESUS CAME
TO PROVIDE SALVATION FOR THE
ENTIRE HUMAN RACE!
"He
came unto His own, and His own
received Him not. But as many
as received Him, to them gave
He power to become the sons of
God, even to them that believe
on His name:" (John
1:11-12)
Jesus
Christ is the real reason for
the season!
HAVE
A SAFE, PEACEFUL CHRISTMAS
SEASON
CHRISTMAS
CAROLS
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