Tuesday, December 31, 2013

January 1, 2014

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God." Leviticus 25:38

Following 400 years of bondage and 40 years of wandering through the wilderness, God's people stood on the verge of entering the Promised Land of Canaan. Essentially, they were one more obedience from realizing this long awaited promise. The land of Canaan awaited on the other bank of the Jordan River.

The Exodus and the wilderness wandering were historical events. They actually happened and are recorded in the first several Old Testament books. But they also illustrated the spiritual journey God wanted to lead them on.

Egypt and the years of bondage are a vivid picture of the life of sin. Living apart from God leaves you as a slave to your selfish sinful desires. Like generations of Hebrews, you are born into "Egypt". Spiritually speaking, you and I are born into the captivity of a sinful nature. And like the Hebrews enslaved in Egypt, it takes a supernatural act of God to set us free.

Just as God sent Moses to the Pharaoh to declare, "Set my people free!" God sent His Son to set us free from the bondage of sin and death! He was conceived by the Spirit and born of a virgin and subjected Himself to the cross, taking the penalty of sin and the bondage of death upon Himself. When He shed His blood for our sins He made it possible for you to escape Egypt! And when the Spirit of God raised Him from the dead, He put you within reach of God's Promised Land!

2014 lays before you full of promises and challenges. Perhaps 2013 has been a year in Egypt for you. Or, maybe you have found yourself wandering through a wilderness period. God, through Christ and by the leadership of His Holy Spirit can bring you out of your Egypt and through your wandering. He wants to lead you to the edge of His Promised Land where you can experience His best, and find His rest, and grow from His tests!

Will you listen to His voice?

Will you obey his call?

Will you repent and reconcile with Him?

Will you make the necessary restitution?

Will you be willing to make 2014 a truly NEW year?

I believe that is where we are as a church! God has led us out of our Egypt and through some wilderness experiences. On the eve of a New Year He is going to give us some peeks into His Promised Land. He bids us to take the risks associated with obedient faith and cross over our Jordan into new a level of life and ministry in Him.

It will be a little scary and a lot exciting!

Are you willing to get your feet wet?












Monday, December 30, 2013

December 31, 2013

"Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the Lord showed him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan, all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea, the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.” Deuteronomy 34:1-4

After 40 difficult and frustrating years of leading God's people to God's Promised Land, he only got to see it from a distance. Though, most of those he had led would not get to see it at all. They were done in by their rebellion, idolatry and disobedience. Moses was done in by a single act of disobedience.

Maybe you are tempted to believe that one little disobedience isn't a big deal. Well, Moses would beg to differ with you. The next time you entertain thoughts of disobeying, think again! Think, "Moses".

Other than a promised piece of real estate by several rivers, what is special about the Promised Land?

The Promised Land is God's Best!

From the moment that Eden was corrupted and Paradise was lost, God was looking to restore a place where His people could enjoy His best.

God promised that day He would undo what the Serpent had done. To keep that promise he needed a land where His people could dwell and raise up a great nation. Out of that nation would come the Promised Messiah to save His people from their sins.

The Promised Land Was God's Test!

After 40 years of testing God's patience, God was now prepared to test them. The generation of their fathers had been rebellious and disobedient to God bringing His judgment upon them. But now their obedience would be tested. Would they follow Joshua across the Jordan River in flood season? Would they be willing to march around Jericho with Him?  Would they faithfully fight against the ungodly people people dwelling in the land they were to possess?

They were about to be put to the test in the Land of Promise.

The Promised Land Was God's Rest!

If they would follow Joshua and obey God, there would be victories over their pagan enemies. Once all of their enemies had been conquered and destroyed, they would have the rest that comes with peace.

Moses missed the Promised Land because of his disobedience, but he had experienced some of God's Best as God opened a sea, and sent manna from heaven, and met Him on Mt. Sinai.

Moses missed the Promised Land but he had certainly been tested dealing with the Israelites in the dessert.

Now, after climbing the Mt. Moab and glancing at Canaan from a distance, he finally found his rest.

What about you?

Do you want God's best?

Believe and obey in His promises.

Do you want to pass God's tests?

Fight in His might.

Do you want His rest?

Destroy all the enemies of your heart and surrender completely to Jesus!

Sunday, December 29, 2013

December 30, 2013

"Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6:35

As the prophet Micah foretold, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It was the city of his ancestor, King David and by decree of Caesar Augustus that all throughout the land the citizens were to register of the census in their home town.

It was while Mary and Joseph were there in Bethlehem that Mary's baby was born in a manger at a local stable because the inn was full. So the history records that Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea. It was prophetic but it was also symbolic.

The word "Bethlehem" means "house of bread". Jesus, the Son of God, was born in "the house of bread". The Bread of Life was born in the "house of bread"! How good is that? Think about what that birth in Bethlehem signified.

First, it means that Jesus sustains life. As bread was a staple of their diet and an important part of ours and sustains our physical life, Jesus sustains the spiritual life of anyone who believes in Him and "feeds" on Him spiritually.

Second, it means that Jesus strengthens life. As a healthy diet of good food, such as bread, is necessary to strengthen the body, so "feeding" on Jesus strengthens the spirit of a believer.

Third, it means Jesus satisfies life. Few things are more delicious and substantial than a hot freshly made loaf of homemade bread. You can almost smell it now, can't you? In the same way, Jesus satisfies the spiritual hunger of those who "feed" on Jesus!

How do you "feed" on Jesus?

Have faith in Him. Believe what His Word tells you and life according to those truths.

Have fellowship with Him. Walk with Him daily. Talk with Him through pray and hear Him through His Word. Regularly partake of Communion in the fellowship of your local church.

All of this is possible and available to us because the Bread of Life was born in the "house of bread"! 

What good news this brings to a hungry world!

Saturday, December 28, 2013

December 29, 2013

"But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." Luke 2:10

There is a trite old definition for joy that says joy is "Jesus-Others-You".

Actually, that formula fits pretty well into this text we have been studying.

The shepherd's joy began when they heard the angel tell about the birth of Jesus. For centuries faithful Jews had been praying, waiting and longing for the Messiah. Now the angel is announcing His arrival and the good news comes to a few humble shepherds! How good is that!?

And then they hurried to the stable to see the Christ-child as the angel foretold. When they arrived and saw Him cuddled in his mother's arms they rejoiced!

Jesus was a source of joy!

Having seen for themselves and rejoicing at the sight of the newborn Son of God, the shepherds then went to spread the good news to others throughout the land. Wherever they went and everyone they told were amazed at their story. Their joy incited joy in others!

Their witness about Jesus was a source of joy to others!

Once they had seen Jesus and then told others about seeing Jesus and when they had seen they joyous response of others, then the full significance of the events they had seen and heard finally impacted them. They were filled with joy! It was an amazing night of joy!

I guess the trite old formula IS true. Joy does come from Jesus and then Others and You. So, it may be trite but it is true! 

Try it!

Friday, December 27, 2013

December 28, 2013

"But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." Luke 2:10

Once famous evangelist, Billy Sunday said, “if you have no joy, there’s a leak in your Christianity.”

Joy was a new experience for the shepherds because joy arrived with the coming of Jesus! But it should not be a novel experience for you. Jesus intended for His believers to live in joy:

"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." John 15:11

"Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." John 16:24

So, what can you learn about joy from this encounter between the angel and the shepherds?

First, joy comes from receiving the good news.

These shepherds heard the good news in a very dramatic way. The angels came to them with this amazing announcement. How great was that?!

You will not get the news from an angel but the good news is no less powerful. One of your main responsibilities is to put yourself into places where you can receive the good news. Whether that be church service or small group or listening on radio or on the Internet or watching TV or in your daily devotions, it is up to you to get your daily dose of good news! No one else can do that for you.

How can you have joy if you are not regularly hearing the good news? What are you doing to make sure you regularly hear the good news?

Second, joy comes from responding to the good news.

The shepherds immediately responded to the good news. When they heard about what was happening they went to see it for themselves.

What do you do with the good news you receive? Do you obey it? Do you test it? Do you live it out in your daily living so that you know it it true? Do you let it guide your decisions and steer your emotions? Joy is not an emotion, but it is an action that leads to positive feelings. Feelings always follow faith and faith is the preferred response to the good news.

Living in joy means receiving the good news and responding to the good news and thirdly, joy results from relationship with the good news!

Joy is the natural response to living in relationship with Jesus. If you receive the good news just for information you will not live in joy. If you receive purely for inspiration it will not remain. But if you will commit to living in an intimate personal relationship with Jesus, your joy will not leak. The good news is about truth and Jesus IS the Truth! The good news is about finding your way and Jesus IS the Way! The good news is a way of life and Jesus IS the Life!

How is your relationship with Jesus? How well do you know Him? Is He your Source of Joy?
Don't let the joy leak out of your life. Plug that leak by plugging into Jesus! Receive His good news daily and respond to it and live in relationship with it!

Have a joyous New Year!





Thursday, December 26, 2013

December 27, 2013

"But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." Luke 2:10

The shepherds found joy that night just as the angel promised. Once they found the joy they spread it around. True joy is contagious!

So, what is the source of joy? If it is contagious, why don't we see more of it? Do you have it? Would you like to have it?

I have been sharing with you some sources of joy based on the events that transpired that night. The birth of Jesus brought the joy of God's presence, and it brought the joy of God's pardon, and the joy of God's peace, and joy from God's power, and the joy of God's promises proven true, and joy because of the possibilities that faith in God brings to your life!

The possibilities are what I want to focus on this morning. Notice that the angel appeared to three different times in this chapter and each time he announced that there were greater possibilities for their lives if they would receive the good news and believe it.

There was Zachariah, the aged priest with a barren wife. They had prayed and dreamed of having a son all of their lives, but to no avail. Now the angel announced that what they had thought was impossible was now possible! Nothing is impossible with God!

Mary was a teen-aged girl making wedding plans and looking forward to being married to her fiance', Joseph. When the angel brought the amazing news that she would soon become the mother of the Son of God, it was not possible since she had never known a man. But her life was filled with possibilities because nothing is impossible with God!

Even the shepherds who live a lonely isolated life would become evangelists, proclaiming the birth of Christ and spreading the joy they had come to know! They never would have believed that was possible!

Loving God and living in Christ lifts the limits from your life! As the Apostle Paul came to understand, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". Imagine the joy of knowing that your life is filled with potential and possibilities when God is your God!

Over this past week I have shared six reasons to have joy because of the birth of Christ. Any one of these if reason enough for joy in itself, but the good news of Christmas is that ALL of these are available to you as a believer!

So, again I ask you, "How's your joy?" Are you living in joy? If not, why not? What are you lacking? What is missing?

Are you living in His presence? Have you received His pardon? Do you know His peace? Is His power at work in you? Do you believe His promises? Are you focused on your possibilities or are mired in your past?

Will you take a spiritual inventory of your life as 2013 draws to a conclusion and a New Year looms? Will you determine that for 2014 you are going to discover your joy?

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

December 26, 2013

"But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." John 2:10

Over the past several days I have been focusing on the announcement made by the angels to the shepherds that holy night. What was this "good news of great joy"? Why don't we see more joy in the church among believers?

We have recognized there should be joy in the presence of God and joy in the pardon from God and because of the peace of God though Christ. Also, you can find joy in the power of God. Christmas was impossible but impossible things happened so Jesus could be born!

How about another reason for joy?

You can take joy in the promises of God! In the events leading up to and culminating in the birth of Jesus there were 360 prophecies fulfilled. That means that 360 things that God predicted in advance were going to happen happened! And they happened exactly as they were foretold!

That incredible fact proves that God had His fingerprints all over the events that led up to the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! And the accuracy of these predictions should give us joy in knowing that the promises of God are true and reliable!

Whatever His Word promises He will do!

There is no one else you know and love who could keep his promises 100% of the time! Every person over promises and under delivers. BUT NOT GOD!

If you are facing a difficult circumstance right now and you desperately need Him to be Who His Word says He is - rejoice! Jesus is everything He promises He is and He can do and possibly has already done what ever He says. What He can do is posted in His Word. Read it, memorize it and claim it!

Find joy in praising Him that He will do what He promises to do! Christmas proves it!

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

December 25, 2013

"But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." Luke 2:10

Joyous Christmas to you!

Here is another reason why the good news of Christmas brings reason for joy.

Christmas brings the joy of His presence, and the joy of His pardon, and the joy of His peace. Anyone of those is reason enough alone - but ALL of them are available to you through Christ!

Want more?

Find joy in His power!

It was the power of God that caused an elderly couple to conceive and give birth to John the Baptist, the greatest prophet ever! From their weakness came the strength of God! From their impotence sprang a miracle! His power brought Zachariah and Elizabeth great joy!

Why?

Because "nothing is impossible with God"! That is His power!

Through the power of God a virgin gave birth to the Son of God without ever knowing a man! It is impossible, but it happened! Because "nothing is impossible with God"! He has the power to accomplish everything He wishes to accomplish. And he can do it through weak human beings! Mary found exceeding joy through the power of God at work in her!

Christmas demonstrates the amazing power of God! Nothing is impossible because of His great power! And that power resides in you when you walk in Christ and His Spirit!


Perhaps you are facing some difficult challenges as you celebrate Christmas 2013. Find joy in the power of God! Take joy in the knowledge that "nothing is impossible for God"!

Merry Christmas!



Monday, December 23, 2013

December 24, 2013

"But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." Luke 2:10

Christmas brings great joy. There is the joy of His Presence. Jesus came to be "Immanuel", "God with us". Because of Christmas you can live in the presence of God! Take joy in His presence!

Also, there is joy in His pardon. Jesus redeemed us by dying to pay the penalty for your sins. "The wages of sin is death", says the Scriptures. So, the sinless Lamb of God came to take away your sins and deliver you from the guilty and shame of sin! What joy there is in being pardoned!

This morning I want to remind you of another source of joy from the Christmas story. In addition to the joy of His presence and the joy from His pardon, there is the joy of His peace!

Peace has several aspects but essentially, peace comes from being reconciled with God. That reconciliation is possible once you have been pardoned from sin. When the barrier of sin is removed and you connect with the Father through the grace of Jesus, the net result is peace!

Jesus would be the Prince of Peace because He would come to reconcile His people to God.
He would be known as the Prince of Peace because he can give a rest from the burden of your sin and the nagging bondage of living in sin. God is given the central place in your life and when He filled the God-shaped void in yor life, you slowly grew in your knowledge and understanding of His peace. There is great joy in having that peace!

And, find joy in the fact Jesus not only provided for your peace - HE IS YOUR PEACE! That is a source of great joy!

Sunday, December 22, 2013

December 23, 2014

"But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." Luke 2:10

Christmas is supposed to be a season of joy. In this series of posts I am taking a closer look at this topic of joy. What is it and where does it come from?

Joy comes from God's presence. Christmas is when God came to us in the person of Christ.

Also, joy comes from God's pardon.

Jesus came to be our Savior. Savior from what? He saved us from the penalty of sin. As sinners we were spiritually dead and destined for eternal death. But Jesus, because He was without sin, took our sins upon Himself. He died for you and me.

Because He took our penalty, we can be pardoned.

It would be the equivalent of you receiving a death sentence because of a heinous crime you committed. You are arrested and tried and found guilty by a jury - because you ARE guilty. When you appear before the judge he sentences you to death and you are taken to death row. You remain there for several years until the time comes for your sentence to be carried out and you hear footsteps coming down the long hallway toward your isolated cell. Your heart quickens, a big lump develops in your throat and there is a sinking feeling in your stomach. "This is it!", you think to yourself. But, the guard opens the door and announces, "You are free to go!"

"What?", you reply.

"You are free to go. Report to the Warden and he will make sure you get your belongings."

"But........why........how?"

"The Warden's son volunteered to take your death sentence. He will die tonight in you place! Since he has taken your sentence you are free!"

As the news begins to sink into your consciousness, you feel a great sense of relief and then slowly a joy arises in you as you realize you are free! You will get to grow old! You will get to see your children grow up! You will live out your days in freedom because someone's son died in your place!

That is the pardon you receive in Jesus when you put your faith in Him. And that is why Jesus came at Christmas. He came to pay the penalty for your sins so you can be pardoned!

Joy results from God's presence and joy arises from His pardon. Christmas is where it all began!

Friday, December 20, 2013

December 21, 2013

“This is how the birth of Jesus came to about; His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ”The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him “Immanuel” (which means “God with us”) When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” Matthew 1:18-25

When you read this at first glance it appears to be a story about the birth of Jesus, but take a closer look – a second look and you will see it focuses on the immaculate conception of Jesus.

V. 18 – “but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant”

Matthew wanted to make it clear to his Jewish audience that this child conceived in Mary could not have been Joseph’s.

In the Jewish custom of arranged marriage it is possible that Mary and Joseph did not know each other well. Perhaps they had never met face to face. That would make it impossible for this pregnancy to be traced to Joseph.

V. 18b – “by the Holy Spirit”

After establishing this could not be Joseph’s child it is made clear how the conception happened and who the child belonged to – God!

The Spirit of God had melded with human cells to create a God-man who would be called Jesus.

V. 20“do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.”

For the third time in three verses the angel emphasizes that Mary's pregnancy had nothing to do with Joseph or any man. The child growing in her womb was the offspring of God's Spirit.

V. 21“and you shall call His name Jesus for He shall save His people from their sins.”

Were this child the offspring of the man, Joseph, there would be no way he could have saved people from their sins for he would need a Savior himself.

So once again, the angel emphasizes the divine origin of this pregnancy.

V. 23 – “Behold a virgin shall be with child….”

Quoting from the Prophet Isaiah, the angel stresses for the fifth time that Mary will be a virgin when she conceives this child and still a virgin when she gives birth to the child.

V. 25 – “and did not know her until she had brought for her firstborn Son.”

Just in case you missed it the first five times, Mary is a virgin and has had no sexual relations with Joseph or any other man.

It seems to me that Matthew is trying to make a point here. What do you think?

Oh, Baby! You bet he is!  God’s plan of redemption and the hope of every man rested on this child being the child of God born of a woman. There are three great doctrines wrapped up in this wondrous event!

The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception which declares Mary conceived her Son  by the power of the Holy Spirit not the seed of man.

The doctrine of the Incarnation states that in the womb of the Hebrew virgin named Mary, God united His Spirit with human flesh and God became a man to dwell among us.

When we share these two truths we are talking about two foundational tenets of the doctrine of salvation! Without these two doctrinal truths Jesus couldn't have come to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins!

Now God desires to birth new life in your spirit by the power of His Spirit! His Word wants to be fleshed out in your life.

Will you respond to His calling on your life with the same faith and obedience demonstrated by Mary?










Thursday, December 19, 2013

December 20, 2013

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:1-6

This is the Season of concentrating and celebrating the events surrounding the birth of Jesus, the Son of God. Rightly so!

I want to do that by fast forwarding from the time of His birth to a significant statement He made in the days leading up to His death.

Jesus identifies Himself as "THE TRUTH".

Interesting! Truth is not just a concept or a theory or an opinion - "TRUTH IS A PERSON!" Jesus is truth! He defines it, He demonstrates it, and He demands it of His followers.

Since truth is a Person, entering into truth requires a relationship with that Person! While truth may lead you to Jesus, only entering into a faith relationship with Jesus, can you know truth.

A bold statement like this had better be well documented! The claim of truth is only as valid as the evidence supporting the claim and the evidence behind Jesus' statement is 350+ fulfilled prophecies! Over 40 prophecies were fulfilled just in the events surrounding His birth! The other 300+ were validated by His life, His ministry, His death and His resurrection.

Think about it! If 350+ predictions are made by dozens of godly people under the inspiration of God's Spirit between 1,000 to 400 years ahead of time are all perfectly fulfilled in the life of one person, shouldn't you take that Person's claims seriously? And if that person predicts His death AND His resurrection and then pulls it off, doesn't that give Him serious credibility?

I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and He defines truth for me. Whatever lines up with His life and teachings is true and anything that contradicts them is untrue.

Those last two statements will offend many people because it will challenge their notions of truth. There is no better example of this than what has happened to Duck Dynasty founder, Phil Robertson.

By giving honest Biblical answers to questions posed to him by a journalist, he has come under heavy criticism and the loss of his TV job. Many claim to be offended by Phil's expression of what he believes to be true.

So, for those who are offended by Phil's sincerely held beliefs, what do they hold as truth and what support do they offer for their claims? What they believe is based on their opinions, perhaps recent opinion polls, their emotions, their values, and their worldview. In other words, their version of truth is based on human wisdom. 

So, now his expression of truth has been punished, Phil will have to decide if he will continue to hold to that truth or conform to the pressure of worldly wisdom.


What does this have to do with Christmas?


Everything!


The arrival of God's Son on planet earth, and all the credibility that lends to the Word of God, confronts you with the decision of choosing your personal standard for truth.


If you, like Phil, hold with Jesus for your definition of Truth you can be sure your "Phil Robertson moment of truth" is coming.


Are you ready?


Wednesday, December 18, 2013

December 19, 2013

"This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”(which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus." Matthew 1:18-25

The Prophet Isaiah foretold that "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us") Isaiah 7:14

Every birth is a big deal!

When Dr. Foresman delivered my daughter I noticed he was crying. When I saw him crying it worried me. Were his tears an indication something was wrong?

Everything looked fine to me, but this was the first birth I had witnessed so what did I know? One of the nurses must have seen the look of concern on my face so she pulled me to the side and told me, "Don't worry, he cries with every baby he delivers. He thinks birth is a miracle."

Of course, that made me feel a whole lot better.

Twenty-two months later when we went in for the birth of my younger son, I was watching to see if Dr. Foresman to see if he would cry this time.

He did!

While every birth is beautiful and amazing, Isaiah prophesied the birth of God's Son, the evidence that God is with us AND He would be the embodiment of God in the flesh.

The unmistakable sign of the birth of God's Son was clear - He would be born of a virgin!

Of the billions of births that have happened or will ever occur, only ONE will be delivered by a virgin. And notice, not just "a" virgin but "the" virgin!

How can you have confidence that Jesus is the Son of God? 

History records that He and He alone was born of a virgin, just as it was foretold centuries before. 

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”  Micah 5:2


And because that promise came true we can have confidence in these promises:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:16-17



"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!  Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." Romans 5:6-11

"But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus."  Romans 3:21-26

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:1-10

If this prophecy of an event so unlikely as a virgin birth is proven to be true, then all the other promises concerning the purpose, plan and power of this One Who was born must be true as well!

What a truly great birth!