Tuesday, 25 December 2018
The Greatest Gift
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Monday, December 24, 2018
“The Word Was Made Flesh”
by Dr. Paul Chappell
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
John 1:14-17
The greatest miracle of Christmas is not angels appearing in the night sky to shepherds watching their flocks, or a star guiding the wise men to the baby whose birth it had announced, or even the virgin birth. The greatest miracle of Christmas is that Jesus Christ, the eternal God who created the world, came into that world and took on the body and nature of man without ceasing to be God. It is beyond our ability to fully understand, but it was essential for God's plan of salvation. Christmas is the celebration of Jesus, the Word of God Himself, being made flesh.
In his Christmas sermon “The Song of the Angels,” Charles Spurgeon said, “Sing, sing, oh universe, till thou hast exhausted thyself; thou canst not afford a song so sweet as the song of Incarnation! Though creation may be a majestic organ of praise, it cannot reach the compass of the golden canticle—Incarnation! There is more in that than in the creation, more melody in Jesus in the manger, than in worlds on worlds rolling their grandeur round the throne of the Most High.”
This Christmas, like every Christmas and indeed every day, should be marked with gratitude, joy, and praise. It is a celebration of the amazing love of God for us! It is a celebration of the miracle of the incarnation of Jesus Christ.
Today’s Growth Principle:
As you celebrate the great gift of God's Son, remember that it is a measure of His love for you.
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1
"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. Isaiah 43:10
Merry Christmas!
Monday, 24 December 2018
The Lowly King
Sunday, December 23, 2018
The Lowly King
by Dr. Paul Chappell
And I will encamp about mine house because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that returneth: and no oppressor shall pass through them any more: for now have I seen with mine eyes. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
Zechariah 9:8-9
Jesus had all the splendor and glory and honor of Heaven, and it was right as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Yet, He laid all that aside, humbling Himself to become a man. Part of the reason for that great sacrifice is that it was necessary for the plan for redemption to be fulfilled. Only by living perfectly according to God's law could Jesus be qualified to pay the price for our sins rather than for His own. There is another reason for His choice to take on very humble circumstances, and that was to serve as a hope and inspiration to those of us who also are not part of the elite of this world.
Many years ago in a special Christmas sermon T. DeWitt Talmage proclaimed, “Ye who think yourselves far down, aspire to go higher up. I stir your holy ambitions today and I want to tell you, although the world may be opposed to you, and inside and outside of your occupations or professions there may be those who would hinder your ascent, on your side and enlisted in your behalf are the sympathetic heart and the almighty arm of One who one Christmas night about eighteen hundred and eighty years ago was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.” Christmas reminds us that no matter how lowly we may seem in the eyes of the world, God has a plan and purpose for us.
Today’s Growth Principle:
God's plan brings honor and glory to those who humble themselves and follow Him.
Sunday, 23 December 2018
Photo of the day =)
Contrasts Element:
Light and Dark
White and Brown
Hard and Soft
Concrete and Wood
Living and Non-Living
The Transforming Saviour
Saturday, December 22, 2018
The Transforming Saviour
by Dr. Paul Chappell
And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
John 8:9-11
Dr. R. A. Torrey told the story of a man who visited his office in Minnesota. Torrey was not present, but his assistant, George Sanborn was present. Torrey recounted: “Mr. Sanborn is not a large man, and the Scandinavian [guest] was a big, burly fellow. He rushed towards Mr. Sanborn as if he were going to do him personal violence. Though small, Mr. Sanborn was fearless. He sprang to his feet and said, What do you want?’ ‘I want sympathy,’ the man cried. ‘No,’ said Mr. Sanborn, ‘you want Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone can help you.’ Mr. Sanborn explained to him the way of life and he accepted the Saviour. On the following Christmas Day at our testimony service, this man arose and said, ‘I am so happy today. This is the first sober Christmas that I have spent in ten years. Jesus Christ has saved me.’
Christ did not come into the world to leave us as we were. All those who met Him during His life on earth were changed. Some believed His message and were saved. Many were delivered from sickness and demons that had tormented them. Some were even raised from the dead. Others were hardened by their refusal to believe that a lowly carpenter from Nazareth could possibly be the Messiah they had waited for to come and deliver them. No one who truly sees the Christ of Christmas will ever be the same.
Today’s Growth Principle:
The transformation worked by God’s grace in our lives should be visible to all who know us.
Saturday, 22 December 2018
Lights in the Darkness
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Dec 21, 2018, 8:06 PM (9 hours ago)
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Friday, December 21, 2018
Lights in the Darkness
by Dr. Paul Chappell
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Luke 2:8-10
In November of 2014, the Gay family of Lagrangeville, New York, received official certification from Guinness World Records for “Most Lights on a Residential Property.” They began putting up outside lights when their first child was born. That year they put up 600 lights. In 2014, they filled their two-acre property with 601,736 lights. The glow of so many lights was visible from miles away. It took almost two months to set up the massive display which was choreographed to music visitors could listen to in their cars as they drove through the light show. It was so large it was impossible to miss.
It is hard for us in the modern electrified world to grasp how dark it is at night without any illumination beyond whatever is provided by the moon and stars. But long before electricity came, as shepherds watched over their sheep in the dark night hours, the entire sky was filled with the bright and shining glory of God Himself. What had brought this amazing change? The announcement of the birth of the Messiah.
The impact on the shepherds was immediate. Having seen the angels and the bright light, they rushed to Bethlehem, leaving their sheep behind. After seeing Jesus lying in a manger, just as they had been told, they immediately began spreading the word. They were reflecting the light they had seen to others. This is the same task that God has given us—to take the Good News of the Saviour to the world.
Today’s Growth Principle:
Share the light and love behind the Christmas story with everyone you can, just as the shepherds did.
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