What Do You Think?

⁴¹While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, ⁴²saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”

They said to Him, “The Son of David.”

⁴³He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying:

⁴⁴    ‘The Lord said to my Lord,

    “Sit at My right hand,

    Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”’?

⁴⁵If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?” ⁴⁶And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.          (Matthew 22:41-46)

Jesus poses a question to the Pharisees saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” They all knew of the Christ, they knew that he was coming, according to the prophets, and that He would come through the blood line of King David. This is why they responded, “The Son of David.” They knew who He was.

They just didn’t recognize Him when He was sitting right in front of them, and they didn’t know how to respond properly to the appearance of the Son of David.

Neither did they know that Jesus was born in the city of David, Bethlehem. They thought he was from Galilee, or Nazareth. I’m amazed that they never asked Him where He was born.

Many people were already calling Jesus by the name, “Son of David,” The Blind man called to Him, “have mercy Son of David.” But the temple priests couldn’t see it.

And Jesus is sitting in the temple declaring His identity as the Son of David, and as the Son of God. That is why He poses the second question, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”’?

If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?” (Vs 44, 45) in Psalms 110, David writes that prophetic psalm with the statement, “The Lord”, that is Jehovah or Yahweh, “said unto my Lord Adonai, sit down on my right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool”(Psalms 110:1). David is referring to the Messiah as his Lord.

In any case we must be aware that we also could find ourselves in a similar position as these temple Jews, in the presence of Christ, but not knowing who he is. Jesus tells us that He will come and go in our lives in Matthew 25. “I was hungry and you fed me.” and he tells us that we will not know it was Him, saying, “‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” (Matthew 25:40)

Do you think that Jesus would call you, and then leave you to your own devices? No one is that naive! He answers our prayers, teaches us, leads us, and speaks to us through every aspect of our lives, we just need to be aware of His presence. So He poses this question to us, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” This is a valid question today, especially in light of how we are living our lives in the 21^st century.

Today’s Affirmation:

Today, I need to know and understand who Jesus is in relation to my life.

Prayer:

Father God, I want to be more aware of your presence in my life, In my mind, I know you are the king of kings, and the Lord of Lords. But I want to know also in my heart that you are with me, and will never leave me, or forsake me. Make me mindful of you presence in my life today. In the Name of Jesus Christ, I pray. AMEN!

Driven

³⁹So
when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they
returned to Galilee, to their own
city, Nazareth.
⁴⁰And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with
wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

⁴¹His parents went to Jerusalem
every year at the Feast of the Passover. ⁴²And
when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the
feast. ⁴³When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy
Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem.
And Joseph and His mother did not know it;
⁴⁴but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a
day’s journey, and sought Him among their
relatives and acquaintances. ⁴⁵So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem,
seeking Him. ⁴⁶Now so it was that
after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the
teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷And
all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. ⁴⁸So
when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have
You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”

⁴⁹And He said to them, “Why
did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” ⁵⁰But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to
them.

⁵¹Then
He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. ⁵²And
Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. (Luke 2:39-52)

They did
what was required of them according to the Law, and went back to Nazareth, a seventy mile
trek. It was no easy thing to go up to Jerusalem,
but they went every year for Passover. Several years later when He was twelve years
old they went to the Holy
City, and when they left,
this time Jesus stayed behind without their knowing it. Apparently they thought
He was in the crowd somewhere as they walked, perhaps with some of their
relatives. But, he was not to be found. So here we go, back to Jerusalem! It took them all of three days to
find Him, and where was He, but in the temple.

Mary and
Joseph found Jesus, with the teachers in the temple, both listening to them,
and asking questions, and we are told, “And
all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.” (Vs
47) One thing we all know about Jesus is His style of teaching was built around
asking questions. So here He was teaching at age twelve in the temple. Of
course they were amazed; he was teaching them about Him. The scriptures were
His story, and even at age 12, He was compelled to reveal the truth of God’s
holy word to those who would listen.

So when they saw Him, they were amazed; Certainly His parents would have known who He is. But I believe
Mary was like any mother at this point, and she wanted to protect Him as long
as she could. So they fussed at him for leaving them, and here comes the guilt
trip, “Son, why have You done this to us?
Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” (Vs 48b) as if to say,
look at us don’t we look worried?

But Jesus
doesn’t buy into the guilt, but gives it right back, He says, “Why did you seek Me?
Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Vs 49) He is saying, I’m a big boy now, I have stuff
to do for my Father. He was almost of age, but not quite old enough for His bar
mitzvah, a Jewish ritual that signifies the coming of age for boys at age 13,
they are then considered to be a man at that age, and will be held accountable
for their actions from then on.

Of course His parents didn’t
understand what he meant. Joseph no doubt felt as though he was His dad,
Perhaps Mary also had forgotten how all of this came to be, 12 years ago. There
were diapers to wash, a house to clean, and meals to cook, they were caught up
in the practical things of day to day life, and this was their Kid.

He relented and we are told, “Then He went down
with them and came to Nazareth,
and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. ⁵²And
Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” (Vs 31, 32) Even Jesus had to mind His Momma. And also keep
the Law, which said, “Honor your father
and your mother.” (Exodus 20:12)

We see Jesus
here as a child but still compelled to live out His calling. He will live and
die, and live again. He is here solely for the purpose of setting us free from
our burden of sin, and at age 33 he does just that.

What are
we here for?

Today’s Affirmation:

Today, I
will ask myself what God has written on my heart? Why am I here?

Prayer:

Father
God, nothing is more important than being the person you created us to be.
Remove the blinders Lord, cause each of us to know our purpose in life. Enable
and empower us to succeed as your children. In the Holy name of Jesus Christ, I
pray. AMEN!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Prophecies

³⁶Now
there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of
Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from
her virginity; ³⁷and this woman was
a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but
served God with fastings and
prayers night and day. ³⁸And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and
spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. (Luke 2:36-38)

When a young woman begins to have
her period, age 12 or so, it was seven years after that she was wed, and lived
with the same man until this time. She was eighty-four years old and had been
with one man all of that time, but now she is a widow. The way that it is said
in the scriptures makes it a little difficult to understand, doesn’t it?

She never left the Temple, and was there
almost all of the time, in other words she was very devout. We are told, “but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.” (Vs 37) Here
is her purpose she is so intent on serving God through intercessory prayer,
that she fasts, and prays continually, night and day.

We also are told, “And coming in that instant she gave thanks
to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” (Vs
38)  I believe that she looked at this
baby Jesus and began to prophesy about Him. Thanking the Lord, she spoke of
what He will do so set the captives free. Therefore he was the hope of those
who were looking for redemption, just as He is now.

It is interesting that Mary and Joseph
have brought this child to the temple to be blessed at a time when two prophets
were present, and both of them speak of virtually the same thing about Him. I
would dare to say that this had never happened before, but then never before
had the Lord come in the flesh to the temple.

The Holy Spirit is what is driving
all of these events, and if a person was listening they could have known and
understood who this child would grow up to be. I would have wanted to be close
to Him as he grew up, if I had been alive during those years. I would have
dropped everything else just to follow Him when he began His ministry. But then
that’s hind sight isn’t it?

But I can do that now! He lives,
and he is still doing wonderful things in the lives of those who place their
faith in Him. We need to quit acting like the Lord is dead. And give our lives
to Him in reality.

Today’s
Affirmation:

Today, I will commit to walking
ever closer to the living Jesus, and let him use me to do and say what is
needed. I am a vessel, one that by necessity must be filled, and I determine
what will fill it. May I choose truth over lies, and good over evil.

Prayer:

Father God, empty me out! Cleanse
me, Lord, of all unrighteousness, and create in me a clean heart, do not take
your Holy Spirit from me but prepare me for service to the kingdom. In Jesus Christ’s
holy name, I pray. AMEN!

It takes Guts to Prophesy

²⁵And behold, there
was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout,
waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶And
it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death
before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷So
he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the
Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, ²⁸he
took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

²⁹
“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,

According to Your word;

³⁰
For my eyes have seen Your salvation

³¹
Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,

³²
A light to bring revelation to
the Gentiles,

And
the glory of Your people Israel.”

³³And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which
were spoken of Him. ³⁴Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother,
“Behold, this Child is destined
for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will
be spoken against ³⁵(yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that
the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” (Luke 2:25-35)

Simeon
apparently was a prophet. The Holy Spirit was with this elderly but righteous
man, and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the
messiah. So here he is, lead by the Spirit into the temple at the same time
that Mary and Joseph had brought the child to be blessed, according to the law.
Simeon takes the child into his arms and makes this proclamation:

²⁹
“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,

According to Your word;

³⁰ For my eyes have seen Your salvation

³¹ Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,

³² A light to bring
revelation to the Gentiles,

And
the glory of Your people Israel.”
(Vs 29-32)

Speaking to the Lord, so that everyone can hear, he speaks of
his willingness to depart this world now that he has seen His coming, he says, “my eyes have seen Your salvation.” He
knows that this is the Christ that he holds in His arms. Giving God all of the
glory and praise, he tells everyone that the Father has prepared this, not just
for Jews, but for all people, the whole world, and even speaks of how it will
happen. He will bring a light to the gentiles, and will be the glory of His
chosen people, the Jews.

We are told, Joseph
and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. I would
imagine that this was something that they might have remembered time, and time
again, as He grew into a man. But the last thing he said to Mary as he blessed
them was, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and
rising of many in Israel,
and for a sign which will be spoken against ³⁵(yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that
the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Some will rise because of Him, heaven bound. But some will fall, also.
There will be for everyone an opportunity to rise to heaven through faith in
Christ Jesus, but for many their true colors will take them down to the bowels
of Hell. he says that he will represent a sign that will be spoken against,
well that was surely true wasn’t it, in spite of the signs and miracles, he was
spoken against, and they even gave false witness against Him to kill Him.
Simeon tells Mary that a sword will pierce her heart. The truth is what Jesus referred
to as a sword. He would be sacrificed is the ultimate truth of His being the
Christ. That had to be hard for her. And then He says, “that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” that the thoughts of many hearts may be
revealed.”(Vs 35) It seems that everywhere Jesus went He always knew the
thoughts of the people around him, and it was their own thoughts that
determined their fate, certainly that was true of the temple Jews, it was so
unfair to argue with Jesus, he knew everything in their pea brain, and in the
end they condemned themselves.

Simeon was a prophet for this particular occasion; he was a
good and righteous man whom the Lord used as His mouth piece, and all of Israel would
have done well to have heard and harkened to all that he said. But alas, it was
not to be. Prophesy isn’t always fun, but nevertheless we know the outcome don’t
we? Had he not dared to speak he would not have been the topic of today’s
scripture.

Today’s
Affirmation:

Today, I must know that either you or I might be used by
God to deliver His message, but only if we have the guts to speak it.

Prayer:

Father God, I know that I have carried your word to people
who listened, but also to people who did not. I have no doubt that we will see
the outcome of both Your warning, and Your blessings. I have no other desire
but to serve you, Lord. Do with me as You will. In Jesus Christ’s holy name, I pray.
AMEN!

 

 

Born to Suffer

²¹And
when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was
called Jesus, the name given by
the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

²²Now
when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed,
they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him
to the Lord ²³(as it is
written in the law of the Lord, “Every
male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), ²⁴and to offer a sacrifice according to
what is said in the law of the Lord, “A
pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” (Luke 2:21-24)

I was brought into this world by a wonderful Jewish Doctor,
as I recall he was a portly gentleman by the name of Dr. Jacobson. And 8 days
later he took care of the details described here, but without much ceremony or
fanfare. In most Jewish families it is still the custom to circumcise the male
children on the eighth day, not that there’s any relationship to Baby Jesus’
experience, but I can identify with it.

He was officially named at that time, the name given by the
angel, Jesus. Now the mother after having given birth for forty days had to
purify herself, and then present herself at the temple to make a sacrifice. And
so Mary did this, and at the same time they brought the child to be presented
to the Lord. We are told about this requirement, (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to
the Lord”), (Vs 23) Being called Holy before the
Lord, was a blessing that set aside that child to serve the Lord. In this
particular case there was no need, because he would live for just one purpose,
to be a living sacrifice for all of mankind. He was in the extreme an obedient
Son of God, never missing an opportunity to serve.

In verse 24 we are told, ²⁴and to offer a sacrifice according to
what is said in the law of the Lord, “A
pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”  A sacrifice had to be made at this time, for
someone who had resources, the wealthy, a lamb and a turtle dove, but for the
poor, they could offer a pair of doves, or pigeons.

These are humble beginnings for what would become the most magnificent
event in human history, the child is born in the most humble circumstances, and
Mary and Joseph take care of the basic requirements as they are laid out in the
Law of Moses. Barely able to afford the cost of the sacrifices, they manage. And
now the task of raising God’s Son looms before them, and while they do not know
it yet, they will have to endure watching their own son die on a cross.

It is probably a good thing that we do not know in advance
everything the Lord has in store for us, because at some point in every life
there will be some suffering. The scriptures tell us that we will see these
times, “For
what credit is it if, when you
are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and
suffer, if you take it patiently, this is
commendable before God. ²¹For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered
for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:” (1^st Peter 2:20, 21)

Today’s
Affirmation:

Today, am I suffering? Whether I
am, or not, I know that I must follow in his footsteps.

Prayer:

Father God, thank you Lord, that
you have brought me thus far in this world, and that you have seen me through
some times of suffering. I would rather suffer with You Lord, than suffer
without You. I pray that You will always be there for me when I need You, in
the holy name of Jesus Christ, I pray. AMEN!

 

His Delivery System

¹⁵So
it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds
said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has
come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶And
they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
¹⁷Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them
concerning this Child. ¹⁸And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the
shepherds. ¹⁹But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰Then
the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that
they had heard and seen, as it was told them. (Luke 2:15-20)

I can’t imagine what it must have
been like to be so privileged as to actually look in on the birth of the Christ
child. For a man to have heard the praise of angels over His birth, and then to
actually go and see, this was the experience of a lifetime!

A shepherd would have traveled a
good bit, constantly moving from one pasture to another so that the sheep would
have enough to sustain them. They would have met many people along the way,
passing through one village after another. And what would they talk about with
others, but the experiences of their lives. And now the birth of this child was
at the very top of things on their minds. No doubt they met people who knew
even more about the Messiah because of the prophets they had either read about,
or heard about from the temple priests.

If a person knew who the Messiah
was, then they would also have known that there was great hope for the nation
of Israel,
because He is the savior of this nation. The word was spread by these simple
shepherds, one village at a time, and anywhere there was grass, there was this
testimony of eyewitnesses. And we are told, “And
all those who heard it marveled
at those things which were told them by the shepherds.” (Vs 18) I believe
that there would have been quite the rumble among God’s people.

We may think, what about Mary? Who
did she tell? Mary didn’t tell anyone anything, and neither did Joseph. They
had a small child to consider, but we are told, “But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Vs 19) I have had that experience but
not on the scale of Mary’s secret. I have know things that I couldn’t speak of
out loud. Because someone said, I will confide this with you, but you can’t
tell anyone. It’s difficult sometimes to keep things to yourself. But I believe
that while Mary must have wanted to confide in someone, she dared not, because
there were people who would do this child harm. Eventually they would have to
leave and go all the way to Egypt
in order to protect Jesus from a paranoid King Herrod.

But the Shepherds though, they
could continue to talk about Him, and even while Herrod was killing babies in
Bethlehem we are told, “Then the
shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they
had heard and seen, as it was told them.” (Vs 20) there were no constraints
on them, they could shout it to the heavens. They had been privileged to
witness the birth of their messiah.

What about us? We have been
granted the blessings of knowing more than they, we have experience the saving
grace that would eventually come to these simple shepherds, and now has come to
the entire world. They played a part in this ongoing drama by spreading the
good news of the birth. Mary couldn’t because she had a baby to protect. But what
is your excuse? Why aren’t you telling the whole world about this miracle? You
know more than they ever did, our churches have even trained us, and equipped
us to do this one thing, to convey the good news of salvation to the whole
world.

And even our savior commands us, “Go into all the
world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15) We are just
like the shepherds, His delivery system. What is our constraint? Could it be
that we are simply afraid?

Today’s Affirmation:

Today, I will come to terms with the knowledge that I have
been made a witness for Jesus and His gospel. What do I have to lose if I take
my calling seriously?

Prayer:

Father God, there are people both near and far who will
never see heaven unless we tell them the good news of salvation. Help me to do
so. cause me to ask the right questions, and to speak to the right people. Use
me as your delivery system! In Jesus Christ name, I pray. AMEN!

 

 

 

A Poor Choice!

⁸Now
there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping
watch over their flock by night. ⁹And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the
glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰Then
the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings
of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹For
there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the
Lord. ¹²And this will be
the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a
manger.”

¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the
heavenly host praising God and saying:

¹⁴
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”  

(Luke 2:8-14)

I can imagine that this must have been an awesome event for
a shepherd. At this time of night the only light that was available was from a
camp fire, or perhaps an oil lamp. To have all of this light shining around
them must have been exciting. And then to have an angel appear to them, we are
told that they were greatly afraid. I don’t know about you, but I would have
freaked out if I were to have experienced these things. But I’m not a simple
shepherd, and I’m not living in the a stone age environment. And if an angel
were to speak to me in the middle of the night, I think I would respond with
great interest, but would not freak out.

The angel says, “Do
not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be
to all people. ¹¹For there is born to you this day in the city of David a
Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Vs 10,
11) So far, every time an angel shows up with a message it has been good news,
depending on the point of view. But here, this is without any reservations at
all, good news, and tidings of great joy. This news will affect the whole
world, and from that day forward every human on the planet Earth will have an
opportunity at a fresh start, and a new beginning, an opportunity to be born
anew. Even the days of our lives are numbered from this time 2011 years ago.

It was not uncommon for people to
know that there would be a messiah, even among shepherds. And on this night
they were invited as witnesses to His birth. Christ the Lord is born, and he
will be found according to this sign, “You
will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” (Vs 12)
as if to say go see for yourselves! It wouldn’t have been far, just down the
valley from the hills where they were. So off they go Sheep and all.

And they are going to the accompaniment of heavenly music, And suddenly there
was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill
toward men!” (Vs 13, 14) it had to be a
moment that these simple shepherds would have savored all of their lives.
Chances are they told this story many times sitting around the fire at night, that
they were witnesses to the birth of Christ.

I love to place myself in some of the stories the bible
tells, it makes them come so alive to me. But here we are made to see the
simple circumstances of His birth, and how he being royalty came to be born of
humble surroundings, not to a king and queen, but to a young maid and a
carpenter. Jesus Christ was positioned by His birth to minister to the poor and
lost of this world, and shepherds were the least of those. They were the
poorest of the poor, but witnesses to the greatest event ever seen by man, the
birth of the Lamb of God, How appropriate!

Today’s Affirmation:

Today, I understand fully that Christ is for common folks.
The ones that have been left out, and have very little. He has not changed His
focus.

Prayer:

Father God, Thank you for the life of Your Son Jesus who
gave His life for mine. I pray that I am worthy of Him. I know that I cannot
deserve Life or earn it, but I am driven to wonder if I can do anything to add
to His kingdom, and what an honor that would be, to say that I serve Him who
saved me. In Jesus Christ’s name, I pray. AMEN!

 

 

 

 

 

Follow the Money

⁸Now
there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping
watch over their flock by night. (Luke 2:8)

Christ could not have been born in December because of what this scripture tells us. We are told, “Now there were
in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over
their flock by night.” It is a historical fact that it was the practice of
shepherds to bring the sheep in during this time of year, because of the cold.
This event probably took place in late September, or early October.

Christmas is held in December
because it coincides with the Pagan feast of Saturnalia. So as was the practice
the early Roman Catholic Church adapted the same day as the birth of Christ in
order to draw more Pagans into the church. But of course the Roman Church was
full of Pagans calling themselves Christians, even the first Pope was a
Pagan-Christian, Emperor Constantine. As it turns out this was very successful
tactic, the merchants in those days did not lose their festival trade, and many
Pagans made the switch. And thanks to the celebration of Christmas, merchants
are still making a killing in December, and people are still spending more than
they should at that time of the year.

But what Christians need to know
is this, it is still a Pagan practice, and has very little to do with Christ,
or the facts of the Bible. Pagans still celebrate their festival of Saturnalia
today, they just call it Christmas, and many of them call themselves Christians.

I pray that the church will wake
up to these false teachings that are so prolific in our churches today, and
have compromised the truth of our doctrine, and the Word of God.

We must turn away from these lies
as a Church, as we are the body of Christ, and we know that He cannot abide a
lie. He is coming to take His bride out of this world, but is He going to receive
unto himself those of us who have played the Harlot? I don’t know what He will
do. all I do know is what He said, Nevertheless I have this
against you, that you have left your first love. ⁵Remember
therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will
come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. (Revelation 2:4, 5)

“⁵Remember therefore from where you have fallen,”
these words are vital to us. Talk to your pastor about these Pagan practices,
repent of them, and get back to true worship.

⁶ “For I am
the Lord, I do not change;

Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

⁷ Yet from the days of your fathers

You have gone away from My ordinances

And have not kept them.

Return to Me, and I will return to you,”

Says the Lord
of hosts.

“But you said,

‘In what way shall we return?’ (Malachi 3:6, 7)

Today’s Affirmation:

Today, I will rest in the
assurance that God has told us everything we need to know, and He does not
change.

Prayer:

Father God, I lift up Your true church, those who hear Your
word and obey. And I also lift up to you those who upon hearing will repent and
come under the grace that Your Son offers. Let those who have ears hear, and
those who have eyes see, in the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. AMEN!