Merry Christmas!
 
Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"
                      Charles Wesley, 1739
    Hark the Herald Angels Sing is one of the most beautiful Christmas songs ever written, and at the age of 278 it is as timeless and relevant as ever. It is easy when reading its lyrics to see that Charles Wesley was a serious Bible student and had determined that his song would accurately reflect the Biblical story of the Savior’s birth. A birth that was foretold long before the generation that would live to see it walked the earth. Isaiah recorded, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). Not only was the nature of His birth foretold, but the place of His birth as well (Micah 5:2), a fact Matthew reminded his readers of in establishing his claim to Jesus Messiahship (Matthew 2:6).
    For all the things written about the birth of Christ and its attendant events none can match the Biblical accounts, so, today as I wish you good cheer as you celebrate the birth of Jesus with your families I will simply quote the Word of God:
    “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!"  
    But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of his father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."
    And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God” (Luke 1:26-35).
        Even as Luke gives us an account of Mary’s reaction to her angelic visitor, Matthew adds how Joseph found out the good news:
    “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with Child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."
    All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel" (which means, God with us)” (Matthew 1:18-23).
    Joseph obediently accepted his role in God’s plan, and, as Luke recounted:
    “Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with Child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn Son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
    And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a Baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."
    And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!"
    When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this Child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them” (Luke 2:4-18).
    Paul described Jesus as the “Firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15), that is the preeminent or greatest of all mankind— the perfect man. Yet he was more than just a man, as Paul would go on to explain: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15-17).
    Every December 25th we celebrate the day that God became incarnate, in order to live among us and to lead us to salvation. We may exchange gifts and make merry with family and friends, but it is my hope that each of us will take a moment in the day to honor the birth, the life and death, and the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. And with that I leave you with the lyrics of another beautiful song about the birth of Christ. Merry Christmas!
 
O Holy Night
O holy night
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appeared and the soul felt it's worth

The thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder brinks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees

O hear the angel voices
O night divine
O night when Christ was born
O night divine
O night, O night divine

O Holy Night
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error-pining
Till he appeared and the soul felt it's worth

The thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder brinks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees

O hear the angel voices
O night divine
O night when Christ was born
O night divine
O night, O night divine.
               
                Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure / translated by                         
                John Sullivan Dwight

 

Why does Satan seem to hate mankind so much? Why does he desire to see our destruction? To begin to answer these questions we must look back at the original sin. Most experts agree that it was the sin of pride. Satan wanted to be equal to God. A persuasive and deceitful being he persuaded many angels to follow him, leading them into rebellion against God (Revelation 12:7-9). Such arrogance and pride were doomed to failure. Defeated and cast out of heaven by Michael and the heavenly angels, and certain of his ultimate fate, Satan has continued to rebel against God, and in so doing he demonstrates the pettiness of pride and its destructive nature. Having failed to usurp God's throne he wants to reek as much havoc as he can, and to take away from God something God holds dear. You and me. As we look at the destructive campaign Satan has waged against God and man since the Garden of Eden, we see the traits and characteristics within him that have come to define him over the centuries; traits and characteristics we also see all too often in those men and women who choose to follow him.
    According to Genesis 3:1, to bring man down Satan chose to enlist the help of the earth’s craftiest beast— the serpent. We are not told how the devil persuaded the serpent to do his bidding, but we do know the end result. The serpent appealed to, even created desire within Adam and Eve, and enticed them, not merely with the pleasure of tasting the forbidden fruit, but with the promise of wisdom like God’s (Genesis 3:4-6). And Adam and Eve sinned. Over the centuries little has changed in Satan’s game plan. Paul wrote the Church in Corinth: “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough” (II Corinthians 11:3-4). Today, as in the first century, as in the garden, Satan simply preys on our basic desires— to those things he knows most appeals to us.
    Most of us have known someone in our life who seemed to have the ability to charm everyone around them, for good or bad. In comparison, we often picture Satan with a tail and horns, but really, he is the ultimate charmer, with cunning far beyond mere man. As John wrote about him, “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). He can not only charm you or me, or a crowded room, he can, and has, persuaded the whole world to follow him on the path to destruction. As we read in I Corinthians 15:33, “Do not be deceived: bad company corrupts good morals” (NASB). The devil is the great deceiver, the ultimate charmer who is in fact “bad company.” If we follow after him, it is to our own destruction.
    As with all great charmers Satan is both confident and brazen in his actions. He actually tempted the Son of God, when He was here in human form (Matthew 4:1-11)! In Luke’s account he tells us: “And the devil took Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to Him, "To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If You, then, will worship me, it will all be Yours" (Luke 4:5-7). Paul described him as “the god of this world.” However, Satan overstated the extent of his power and authority when tempting Jesus. God, the One True God, is still sovereign over the world, although He has allowed the devil to operate on the earth with a great deal of latitude, as noted in Paul’s additional words, “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (II Corinthians 4:4).
    Paul also described Satan as, “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Ephesians 2:2-3). His power is not only on the earth, but like the air, it encompasses the world. His ‘spirit’ is everywhere, being breathed in by all humanity. In that sense he is “the ruler of this world” (John 16:11). John would go on to say, in his first letter, that, “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (I John 5:19). These words are those of apostles. Men who had known Christ in person (in the flesh, or Spirit, as in Paul’s case). They knew, and in fact wielded the power of God, as no men before or since, yet even they did not underestimate the power of the evil one. So many, even those well versed in scripture, are nonetheless enthralled by him. As Jesus told the Jews, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8;44). Satan, the father of lies, has indeed persuaded many to stand with him in untruth. And next week will continue our study by looking at the servants of Satan, and go on from there.

Who is Satan?, Part 1
 
 
    Who is Satan? This question has often been asked, garnering a variety of answers, from “God’s most beautiful creation,” to “the leader of the fallen angels,” to simply “a cherub.”  The bible, however, gives us no definitive answer. Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:12-19 have been set forth as descriptions of the kings of Babylon and Tyre, while thought to simultaneously describe Satan (Lucifer). He is alluded to in Genesis 3:1-5, where the serpent did his bidding in deceiving Eve. He is mentioned, without description, as standing against Israel in I Chronicles 21:1. Moreover, Jesus testified of his existence calling him the “father of lies” (John 8:44), and, indeed, was tempted by him for forty days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). He is the great deceiver who tempted man into his downfall, and who continues to rail against God and man through the same evil he unleashed in the garden.
    Aside from being the original liar Satan is a thief of the truth, as Jesus described in Matthew 13:19, “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.” Before a man can even begin to understand the truth of God, Satan will try and steal it away from his heart, when possible. Christ also described the devil as the evil one and enemy of the world, saying, “The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels” (Matthew 13:38-39). Concerning Satan and those who choose too follow him Jesus also charged: “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of My own accord, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear My word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:42-44).
    Satan was not created in corruption. He chose to rebel against the Creator out of pride (Isaiah 14:12-15). In the same way he wants to bring man down, in subjection to himself. However, Satan and his plans have been defeated, as Jesus foretold: “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself" (John 12:31-32; also, John 14:30). When Christ was lifted up on the cross it was the beginning of the end for the devil. The end came when Christ rose from the dead. We are living in the final dispensation before the judgment. Satan and his angels have been bound (Revelation 20:1-3). His influence on the earth, while still great, is limited. He cannot defeat the forces of God. He cannot stop the spread of God’s word. As dark as the world may seem at times Christ was victorious. With that understood it is important for Christians to understand that there is still work to be done. Spiritually speaking the world is still a dangerous place. And, the devil is still a cunning and dangerous adversary.
    While we will never come face-to-face with Satan or one of his demons, he is still able to present himself to us in the sense of disguising evil as good. He is able, through his agents (those who love the darkness), to convince many of the beauty of sin. His greatest weapon today may well be his mastery of deception, as Paul wrote, “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds” (II Corinthians 11:14-15). Earlier in his letter he penned these words: “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (II Corinthians 4:4). Through Satan’s abilities to deceive many will be blinded to the truth, led astray by enticements, exchanging truth for a lie. For the Christian who is engaged in the Lord’s work Paul’s understanding of the many hardships to be faced still resonates today: the door for effective work is wide open, but there are many adversaries (I Corinthians 16:9).
    Anyone seeking the truth can expect resistance. It seems like every article of truth set forth in the Bible has its challengers. Those who oppose God seem to come from all directions at times, in a relentless attack on the church and Christian ethics. If they can’t defeat us outright, then they seek some form of compromise. However, when Christians compromise God’s truth they are defeated. God’s truth is not up for negotiation. No quarter can be given. There is no give-and-take. We either stand for the truth or we fall. The apostle Peter had a similar understanding. In his first letter he wrote, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world” (I Peter 5:8-9). If we give an inch to the world it will devour us. When it comes to spiritual truth compromise is weakness, and when the world senses that weakness it attacks it. Therefore, we must adhere to Peter’s advice. We must band together and resist, bolstering one another's faith, knowing that Satan’s desire is for us.

by Roland W. Keith
 
    Most of us at some point in our life will find that someone cared enough for us to leave us an inheritance. Large or small it is something they want us to have, and their will in the matter is absolute. Therefore, when they die, and their last will and testament goes into effect we receive what they have willed to us. Our Father in heaven, the Great Creator, made His Son heir of all things created. According to Paul, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world” (Hebrews 1:1-2). But it was a unique covenant, in which all men who turn to His Son for salvation would share, upon the Son’s sacrificial death. Again, according to Paul, “Therefore He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive” (Hebrews 9:15-17).
    So, by the Will of the Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, has become both joint Testator and mediator, and joint heir of the promises of God. And we, the created, find ourselves heirs of the greatest inheritance possible — eternal life in heaven. However, as with many wills the right to take possession of our inheritance is conditional, that is, we must meet the requirements laid out for all would be heirs. We must live in obedience to His commands (John 3:36; I John 5:2), and we must also be willing to suffer, as He suffered for us, as Paul informed the Romans: “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him” (Romans 8:16-17).
    The conditions placed on us have nothing to do with works of the Law, but are acts of obedience to the One who has offered us a priceless gift, by His Own good grace, as Titus was informed: “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7). The offer made is much like a lawyer who informs a person that according to the conditions of a will the person can come into possession of their inheritance, but they are required to meet with their long-estranged brother in the lawyer’s office by a certain date to sign the papers. The inheritance is free, but conditional. If the brothers abide by the conditions of the will they inherit, if not their inheritance is forfeited. God offers us an inheritance beyond measure, but we must come to His Son in obedience to claim it, if we reject His conditions we forfeit what He has offered us.
    According to the letter to the Galatians, “if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:29). God’s desire for mankind goes well above and beyond what we deserve. His gift, if accepted, makes us brothers and sisters of His Own Son, as Paul explained: “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God” (Galatians 4:6-7). From a pauper to a prince, from a shanty shack to a heavenly abode, we are transformed and blessed when we call on the name of the Lord Jesus. Just as Noah we become heirs of righteousness when we abide in God’s word (Hebrews 11:7). Moreover, those who were “afar off” (Acts 2:39) become heirs with the children of promise. As Paul wrote, “This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6). Jews and Gentiles, male and female, slave and free — all mankind can share in the inheritance.
    God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11; James 7:5: I Peter 3:7). From all nations and all walks of life God accepts those who come seeking Him. Moreover, His conditions are not burdensome (I John 5:3), particularly when we compare them to the reward that awaits us if, when we find Him, we accept His offer. As Paul asked his fellow Jews: “For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard” (Hebrews 2:2-3). Why would any of us risk eternal punishment and turn our backs on such a great opportunity (John 3:18)?
    God guarantees punishment for those who reject Him, but He also makes a guarantee to those who earnestly seek Him. In Hebrews 11:6 we read, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” Earlier in the letter Paul wrote, “So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of His purpose, He guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 6:17-20).
    There is no surer guarantee that we may have confidence in receiving our inheritance than the word of God. So, what are you inheriting? Eternal punishment, or eternal life in heaven? If you are reading these words the opportunity to inherit God’s promises is still available. Choose wisely.