“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 (KJV)
To my friends, family, and readers of ShewMen, I wish you all the very best this wonderful time of year. A very Merry Christmas to you and yours!
From the Frye Family
There were Three Lights that night when our Christ was born. All holy and perfect acting as Three in One.
Pure were they and that quiet night so bright. Our Christ would come bringing salvation, He to reign in might.
Delivered to us was He in means so humble. Yet the heavens filled with those proclaiming His Kingly arrival.
Their cry of the prophet who foretold of His coming. There would be "Glory to God" and peace forthcoming.
The shepherds they ran to see the child so proclaimed. And find Him they did in a manger He lay.
Proclaimed to the world by these shepherds so startled. Jesus the Son made His perfect arrival.
The kings of countries to see Him they traveled. At the Christ child they were sent Him by God in it they marvel.
And came they did baring gifts of old. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh in them found a sacred lifetime foretold.
That child would die on cross in years. Salvation and righteousness brought to those who would fear.
Born again to Him they would call themselves a new. It was Christ who made it possible from the beginning He knew.
Death would be bitter and cold for His Father withdrew. But life again in three days His world now renewed.
Jesus, God incarnate, was born to us on that bright night. One Light in Three His perfect purpose in man’s plight.
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Christmas time is here once again, and once again most people find themselves reflecting on the “reason for the season”. That “reason” for a large majority is related to the celebration of the birth of Christ Jesus. For some it is simply a “holiday” where friends and family come together for a time of togetherness.
For me Christmas time is a wonderful time of year. I have very fond memories of family and friends coming together to celebrate. In the home of my childhood this time of year had a very special meaning as my parents were quick to remind my brother and I that Jesus came (God incarnate), born to a virgin in a lowly manger to save those who would believe in Him.
I believe this to be true with all my heart. Jesus is God and was born to a virgin in humble manner, and this, so that God’s plan and purpose in saving His people could be fulfilled. It is really incredible to think about; God became man, so that He could save those who are called to salvation.
But, in this day and age I find things that disturb me during this wonderful time of year. Some in “mainstream” Christian circles focus so intently on the birth of Jesus with elaborate pageants, cantatas, and church services that I believe that the real message of Christ Jesus’ birth is lost. You see, Jesus was born, so that He could die and then live again. That should be the real message of the Christmas season.
Zechariah spoke to what followers of Christ should be celebrating this time of year. Jesus came and there was great rejoicing in Heaven and on earth when He did. He is King and was treated as such as he made His way in to Jerusalem, the Kingly city of David, to be scourged and then hung a cross to die. Jesus paid the ultimate price, so those who follow Him could be saved. He brought salvation.
The God who saves is the real “reason for the season”. Jesus was and is that humble King that Zechariah refers to. He is who was born “unto us”, FOR US, who took upon the sin of those who would believe. Sacrificing himself as the substitution to atone for the evil that we do, so an eternal death could be averted. THAT is the true reason for celebration this time of year.
My prayer for you right now is that you remember during this time that Christ Jesus was much more than a babe in a manger. He is God and worthy of all honor and glory this Christmas season.
This weekend was rivalry weekend in college football. As I watched the teams I am a fan of play today, it dawned on me that there was something I needed to share with you about God and what He expects of us. There was application in something I used to experience when I used to run up and down the gridiron.
Throughout my teenage years I played football. There were always three words I looked forward to hearing when I played. They were, “Take a knee.”
There were various reasons for “taking a knee”. The first was after an exhausting practice. The coach would call us all together and say, “Take a knee.” That usually meant that practice was winding down and the coach had something important for us to hear while we rested for a moment.
The second was before a game. Again, the coach would call us all together and say, “Take a knee.” This meant that it was time for one of us to pray for safety, guidance, and a good game. Of course, “taking a knee” required disciplined players to know exactly what was expected of them during these periods of instruction and reflection, and those expectations learned by the players were taught by the coaches.
There is a correlation between “taking a knee” in sports and “taking a knee” in a moment with God. Just as the coach called us together to rest and listen, God calls the believer to rest in and listen to Him. He expects us to “take a knee” as we pray for safety, guidance, and a good game for those around us. He then expects us to listen intently.
Just as the coach on the football team teaches his players how to get the football from point A to point B, God alone is the only one that can provide sound judgment concerning our direction in life. Without His guidance we are the “children” that Paul describes in Ephesians 4:14. We run about wildly with no specific purpose or direction in mind. We literally have no game plan. Paul calls for an intimate and disciplined understanding of Christ Jesus in the passages around verse 14 and reveals specific items that bring the believer direction.
I think that this is more than just good advice. Paul understood that believers have to grow up in Christ just as children grow to adulthood. He also understood that it takes a community to raise the fledgling believer to Christian adulthood. It takes a fully committed team. Each member must play (live) their specific role and position to the best of their God given ability, so that “each part” of the body, including the new believer, “is working properly”.
Coaches teach the disciplines of their respective sport, so that each player knows their role. They practice over and over to ensure that the actions involved in a play become a habit. They mold each player and mentor them to be a better player, sportsman, and person. Christians within the body of Christ are required to do the same.
God created a method in raising Christ following individuals to do what is required of them each and every time they are called to action. Paul expressed it in terms that can be understood by anyone who might read them in hope that they would apply them fully. Coaches, aware of the method’s origin or not, have found it effective and therefore use it to benefit the teams they coach. It is timeless…
A part of that method is the practice of “taking a knee”. God knows that we need a moment to catch our breath. He knows that we need to bow before Him and listen to what he has to say. He knows exactly what He needs to communicate to us as we seek His guidance, safety, and daily intervention. He calls us to “take a knee” throughout the day everyday, glorify Him, and in the process grow more knowledgeable and wiser regarding His most perfect way.
27 When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. 28 So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms. A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms. 29 And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. 30 And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered the ship’s boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship’s boat and let it go.
33 As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” 35 And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. 36 Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 (We were in all 276 persons in the ship.) 38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
I share this passage with you today as a reminder concerning those who are being tossed about on this Thanksgiving Day. It bodes well for us to remember that the soldiers on the ship were in great distress and did not believe in the one true and living God. Their struggle can be likened to the turmoil so many are experiencing today in our country.
Like the soldiers on the imperiled ship, they fight against the storm. They attempted to manhandle their situation. They fail at every turn in their circumstance and all seems hopeless.
Paul reasoned with the soldiers when all appeared to be completely lost. He told them to let go. He told them hold to the safety found in the ship. He told them to eat, so that they might be strengthened.
Today let us remind someone who we know that there is a God who can save and preserve in times of trial. Let us pray for the less fortunate as we gather around our table to break bread. Let us serve them by offering a portion of what we have, so that they may be strengthened and encouraged to let go of this life and gain the safety of the Ship.
I share this with you today in remembrance and honor of Christ Jesus, so that He might be glorified in all that we on this Thanksgiving Day.
Michael Frye
Harley Pebley
Ed Franklin
Bible Quote Ligonier Ministries SBTS Journal of Theology Monergism – Doctrines of Grace The Word of God is Not Bound New on Mike’s PhotoCapM
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