First of All, Pray: Blog
Bringing Biblical Truths to Daily Life
O Little Town of Bethlehem: Christmas Series Part 9
“O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by.” (By Phillips Brookes, 1868)
I’ve never been to Bethlehem, but I’ve often visited it in my imagination. I envision it that sleepy night, loaded with weary travelers slumbering in inns and along the roadside, oblivious to the moment in time of which they were a part, suspended forever in history.
Upon a hillside in a cave that sheltered livestock, a young woman was giving birth. I picture her new husband looking on anxiously as he nervously assisted a kind stranger lady who had some skill in midwifery. While others slept dreamlessly, a Child was born who was destined to save them from their sin.
As he gazed at the newborn Infant, the husband mulled over the words the angel had told him not too long ago. “…the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit…He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21).
High above the dark streets shone a magnificent star, rivaled in brightness only by the Light of the world now sleeping on the young mother’s breast.
“Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.”
In not too many days, an old prophet named Simeon would declare to the young woman, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34b-35).
From the little town of Bethlehem would arise One in whom the hopes and fears of all the years would intersect—hope for all those helplessly lost in darkness yet longing for forgiveness, cleansing, peace, and purpose. Such souls clung to the hope of His appearing.
But as Simeon would soon predict, the life of this little One of Bethlehem would also be a sign to be opposed—indeed, stirring the fears of those who dreaded His appearing. Yes, He would break off the shackles of fear from the lives of many, but some, of whom Simeon would soon refer, “loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” (see John 3:20-21).
Despite those who would refuse to believe, God gave His only begotten Son into the earth as the ultimate gift.
“How silently, how silently,
The wondrous Gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.”
The free gift of God arrived with little fanfare; only the woman and her husband—and whoever might have been helping—witnessed the birth of the Redeemer. A small band of shepherds would also arrive a short time after the birth to behold the Infant proclaimed to them by the angel of the Lord.
“No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still,
The dear Christ enters in.”
Without much fanfare, men and women, boys and girls have encountered Him in moments of quiet desperation, moments of confusion, storm, or turmoil. And as meek souls join those who have gone before by receiving Him still, the dear Christ enters in…and lives of desperation transform into lives of dedication and delight.
What a truly wondrous Gift God has given!
Dorothy
© 2015, Dorothy Frick
Bethlehem: Christmas Series Part 8
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from old, from everlasting. Micah 5:2
Tiny Bethlehem, just south of Jerusalem, has witnessed a mighty flow of history. Rachel died there and was buried by the wayside (see Genesis 48:7). Just east of there, Ruth gleaned the fields and met Boaz who, marrying her, would tie her into the Messiah’s direct genealogy. The psalmist David was born there, and as a teen he was anointed there as king by the prophet Samuel (see 1 Samuel 16:4-13). There three of David’s mighty men risked their lives to get him a drink of water from the well when he was being fiercely pursued by Saul (see 2 Samuel 23:13-17).
But above all other cities and every other notable event, Bethlehem stands alone—shining forever as a beacon in history—as the birthplace of Him whose goings forth were from old, from everlasting.
Micah, the prophet who foretold that Bethlehem would be the origin of the One who would be Ruler in Israel, lived about 700 to 750 years before the birth of Christ.
This Ruler would be One whose goings forth are from old, from everlasting. The people of God anticipated this Ruler; they knew He would be Someone very special; but here Micah declared that He would be from old and from everlasting. He was yet to be born, yet He was from before the days of antiquity. The thought boggled the mind.
Who could have been alive from everlasting except the Ancient of Days Himself?
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.…And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1-2; 14
He—the One who would be Ruler in Israel—is also the One who was in the beginning with God and who was the Word of God—and who was God—yesterday, today, and forever. He became flesh, was conceived within the womb of a virgin, and entered the human race to dwell among us.
In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:4-5
At the right time, in tiny Bethlehem, was born the Word of God. He came to be Ruler in Israel; He came from everlasting into time and space. He came to those dwelling in darkness; in Him was life and His life was the Light of men.
He beckons to all—to the Jew first and also to the Gentile (see Romans 1:16)—calling to men and women throughout history and from all ends of the earth—I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life (John 8:12). Many have come to His light—the Light that was born long ago in the tiny town of Bethlehem.
His light still shines in darkness, and try as it might, the darkness has never been able to comprehend it. But to as many as receive Him, believing in His name, to them He gives the right to become sons and daughters of God (see John 1:12).
May the Light of life, born in Bethlehem, enlighten your path and shine through your heart and life as you trust wholeheartedly in Him.
Dorothy
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from old, from everlasting. Micah 5:2
© 2015, Dorothy Frick
The government: Christmas Series Part 7
Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth…And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David. Luke 2:1, 3-4
…and the government will rest on His shoulders… Isaiah 9:6b
God’s big, sweeping plan to redeem mankind from the grip and tyranny of sin was ordained before the foundation of the world. As part of that plan, He also designed smaller sub-plans laced with prophetic and intricate details to bring clarity, precision, and confirmation to His greater plan. And as His plan unfolded, most of the individuals involved were utterly unaware that they personally played a specific role in its fulfillment.
Take Caesar Augustus, for instance. Caesar’s own records (“The Deeds of the Divine Augustus”, see http://classics.mit.edu/Augustus/deeds.html, #8) reveal that he conducted three censuses during his reign. They were held in roughly twenty-year cycles, and the census that summoned Joseph to Bethlehem when Mary was pregnant with Jesus was likely the second of the three. Caesar Augustus—the self-proclaimed “divine Augustus”—was merely a mortal chess-piece played by the wisdom and hand of the one true God to fulfill His predetermined purpose. Whereas Augustus took great pride in amassing boundless wealth for his administration through taxes collected in the census, God used this empire-building monarch’s hunger for ever-increasing power to get Mary and Joseph to the right place at the right time.
Know this: There is no power or throne established by the hand of man or angel that supersedes the power and authority of our God and His Christ. Neither Caesar, nor Pilate, nor Herod, nor Nero, nor Lenin, nor Hitler, nor governments present nor governments to come can override the rule and the plan of God.
Don’t be surprised if the heathen rage (see Psalm 2:1). Don’t be shaken if you see the “nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing. The kings of the earth” may indeed “take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!’” (See Psalm 2:1-3). The fact is that your God is aware of it all and He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them (Psalm 2:4).
The God who used the governmental drive of Caesar Augustus to get His handmaiden and her fiancé to Bethlehem for the birth of the Christ child is not moved by regulations, laws, decrees, or even lawless acts of the governmental leaders in our day. He sees the end from the beginning and His purpose will be established; He will accomplish all His good pleasure (see Isaiah 46:10).
Knowing this—that God is sovereign and His purpose will not be thwarted—how then should you live?
- Connected: More than anything else, you are to maintain your vital and intimate connection to the Lord. Though the mountains are shaken and the hills tumble down, His steadfast love will never leave you (see Isaiah 54:10). As you praise Him and give thanks throughout your days, you will be nurturing that vital, unshakable connection with Him.
- Confidently: You have entered an unbreakable covenant with the Child of Bethlehem, Jesus Christ, through the blood He shed on the cross. He will neither leave you nor forsake you. You are called to walk with confidence in Him, knowing that He who has begun a good work in you will see it through to completion (see Philippians 1:6).
- Circumspectly: You also are called to walk with vigilance and watchfulness. To walk circumspectly, you shun the things designed to hinder or halt your connection with the Lord. You listen carefully to Him and let Him lead you through your day as you watchfully pray about the people and situations He places on your heart.
- Compassionately: You are a carrier of the One who laid down His life for the world. Wherever you go, His compassion is upon you and within you. Led by His compassion, directed by His Spirit, and filled with His Word, you are a light shining in a dark place. He is able to move upon situations and people as you yield to His compassion within you.
Caesar Augustus was subject to the plan of God unawares. And despite the rumblings within governmental proceedings of our day, no purpose of God can be thwarted. You, as one who has opened your heart to the Highest Authority in the universe, can be confident in your God as you live out your days. You were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord. No one—neither man nor government nor devil—can stop you from walking as a child of the Light.
Be confident and be bold this Christmas season…and forever! It is your birthright in the Lord.
Dorothy
…if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36
© 2015, Dorothy Frick
Emmanuel: Christmas Series Part 6
“O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.” (Translated from Latin to English by John M. Neale, 1851.)
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matthew 1:23, KJV
God came to earth in the form of a baby. Human flesh—tender, baby, crying, kicking, gurgling, cooing flesh—cloaked the Ancient of Days.
God came to earth. He was Emmanuel—God with us. He joined the race of man in the same manner that the rest of us did—He was born.
His primary purpose was to become a ransom for His people Israel, and then through that one sacrificial payment, to redeem the rest of the human race as well.
Neither animal sacrifice nor good works was enough to open Heaven’s door to humanity. Sin had permeated our beings; we lived our allotted time on earth in the lonely exile of sin. And then? The Son of God was born. Rejoice, rejoice! God is with us.
“O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.”
The Messiah was to come through the lineage of David, son of Jesse. From that kingly heritage would be birthed the One who would bring an end to the devil’s tyranny over mankind. He would save God’s people from hell and even grant them victory over the grave. Tall order for a newborn babe. Yet within that infant in swaddling clothes lay the future conquest over Satan—the one who currently held the keys to death and hell. At the right time, this Boy would step into the Manhood and ministry that would forever change the world.
“O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.”
The planet has long been fractured and splintered into divisive groups. It seems like the more we celebrate diversity in an attempt to affirm and unify, the further apart we grow. Man’s tinkering, it appears, has only served to stir up already-agitated waters, exposing our species’ innate inability to solve such deeply-rooted issues.
Not so with the One called the Desire of nations (see Haggai 2:7, KJV). He came to create one heart, one mind, and one body through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost (see Titus 3:5). He came to break down the barrier walls between us—in Christ “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:28-29).
Those of us who have been born from above through faith in the Child of Bethlehem—all grown up, crucified, and risen from the grave—are one body, wherever we dwell on the earth and in whatever portion of history we occupy.
If you are born again, you are my brother or my sister. We are family, even if we don’t always see eye to eye. We have a bond that runs more deeply than human DNA, a bond forged in the redemptive shed blood of Jesus.
Emmanuel—God with us—came to the earth and redeemed for Himself anyone and everyone who would believe in Him. And to them He gave the privilege to become the sons and daughters of God.
Rejoice! God is with us!
Dorothy
© 2015, Dorothy Frick
Tomorrow: The government
Joseph: Christmas Series Part 5
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. Matthew 1:18-19
Joseph the carpenter was a righteous man. He had recently asked for Mary’s hand in marriage and they were anticipating their wedding day. However, something terrible became known to him—she, the desire of his heart—was pregnant though he had never touched her. He must have wrestled with this news; outrage, suspicion, horror, and unbearable hurt surely collided within his heart and overwhelmed him. Finally, that godly man made up his mind: not wanting to disgrace her, he developed a plan to send her away secretly.
Joseph was not only a righteous man, but he was a kind man as well. He knew the Law; according to it, Mary must be stoned for committing adultery. However, he could not bear the disgrace and terror of agony that would befall her; therefore, he made a plan to send her away before anyone noticed her swelling belly.
Such was the man whom God chose to raise His Son—he was a man of faith and a man of compassion.
After hearing the heartbreaking news of Mary’s unwed pregnancy, the gears must have been turning in Joseph’s mind as he developed a plan to send her out of town as soon as possible. It likely happened that very night, as he tossed and turned in fretful sleep, that he received the plan for “Operation Mary”—an entirely unexpected, miraculously impossible, nearly unbelievable plan straight from the realm of glory.
But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit…” Matthew 1:20
The angel of the Lord called him by name and told him not to be afraid. Then the plan unfolded: he was to marry this young woman; the Child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. Matthew 1:21
She would have a boy and Joseph was to name Him Jesus. This baby would not only grow up in Joseph’s home and be raised as his son, but one day this Child would also save God’s people—and Joseph himself—from their sins.
And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus. Matthew 1:24-25
Joseph, the righteous man and Joseph the compassionate man received the plan from God. He took Mary as his wife and kept her a virgin until the birth of her Son. And he named the boy Jesus according to plan.
Mary was the instrument of God through whom the Messiah entered the earth, yet she was not left to fulfill this magnificent plan alone. Although her faith in God was unshakable, that which had happened to her was beyond far-fetched, and because of that, Joseph had fully intended to secretly send her away to let her start a new life on her own far from the judging suspicions of the townspeople.
But God had another plan, and He was entirely capable of making it known to Joseph, whom He had chosen just as He had chosen Mary. And through their faith and obedience, the Messiah grew up in a loving, righteous home.
Has God put a dream or desire in your heart that appears nearly impossible to fulfill? Do you feel alone in the vision He has planted within you? Take courage from the story of Mary and Joseph; when God purposes to accomplish a specific task through your life, He will speak to whomever He must—just as He did with Joseph—to see to it that His plan unfolds at just the right time.
Allow your faith in the miraculous ability of God to grow and be buoyed up within you as you consider the lives of the couple whom God chose to raise the Messiah. Does your situation look laughable? Impossible? Beyond the reach of human help or reason? Then you are just the candidate for whom God can unfold His plan—in accordance with His Word and complete with signs, wonders, behind-the-scene workings, and sweetly surprising coincidences of glory.
And yes, just like He did for Mary, God will speak to whomever He must in order to accomplish His plan in your life. In the meantime, what is your job? It is to declare as Mary did in the face of God’s impossible plan, “May it be done to me according to Your Word.”
And then, like Joseph, as you forsake neither righteousness nor kindness, simply listen to Him in your heart and obey.
Dorothy
I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. Job 42:2
© 2015, Dorothy Frick
Tomorrow: Emmanuel—God with us
According to Your Word: Christmas Series Part 4
And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38
When you think about it, Mary was a radical believer. She humbly submitted herself to the will of God even when doing so could bring her untold hardship and shame. A virgin with child? Absolutely preposterous. Scandalous. Shameful.
She embraced the impossible, knowing that with God, nothing is impossible. Think about her life; she was recently engaged to the godly carpenter Joseph, and this new predicament would surely bring shame to him as well. Would he understand? Would anyone understand?
“May it be done to me according to your word,” she said, despite the nearly certain outcry of ridicule and suspicion to follow.
You may be facing a crossroad in your life. Perhaps the Lord is directing you down an unbeaten path. Maybe He is prompting you to take a stand that is unpopular with your peers. One of the messages of Christmas is plain and direct: “Lord, I am Your bondslave. May it be done to me according to Your Word.”
Yes, the story of Christmas is tender, warm, and mild. But within it—in the courageous spirit of the sweet young virgin—is a bold, fierce passion for the plan and will of God—a passion that does not cower at the consequences or cost.
Think about that as you see the young mother in nativity scenes and on Christmas cards this season. Her humble willingness to lose everything—her reputation, her husband-to-be, and perhaps even her life—to gain the will and approval of God speaks indelibly amidst the hubbub of the season.
May God grant you not only the joy of Christmas, but also a fierce, bold passion that says to God in the face of impossibilities, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to Your Word.”
Dorothy
© 2015, Dorothy Frick
Tomorrow: Joseph
The forerunner: Christmas Series Part 3
“The angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John…” Luke 1:13
You won’t see this scene on any of your Christmas cards or in the glitzy commercial holiday world, but this subplot is an essential part of the Christmas story.
“And he [John] will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord’’’ (Luke 1:16-17).
God prepared a forerunner—someone who would move in the spirit and power of the Old Testament prophet Elijah; someone who would step into the ministry of reconciliation; someone who would prepare the way of the Lord. The plan of God was to redeem not only Israel but also the entire world. To do so, this important preparatory component needed to play out just before the birth of the Messiah.
John the Baptist was that forerunner, and his conception and birth were attended by the miraculous. First, an angel appeared to his father Zacharias, announcing God’s plan to use this yet-to-be-conceived child to prepare the way of the Messiah. Second, his wife Elizabeth was past the age of childbearing and had been barren all her life, yet she would bear for Zacharias this amazing forerunner. Then when Zacharias asked the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years” (see Luke 1:18), he became mute, unable to speak until the things the angel told him took place.
Elizabeth conceived soon thereafter. When the time arrived for the baby to be named, Elizabeth instructed those present that his name was John. Determined to name him after his father, they attempted to pressure Elizabeth to conform with convention until Zacharias—still mute—stepped in and wrote on a tablet, “His name is John” (see Luke 1:24, 59-63). “And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God” (Luke 1:64). It all happened just as the angel had predicted.
Perhaps one of the most astounding wonders of all surrounding John in those early days was what happened when Elizabeth was in her sixth month of pregnancy. The virgin Mary, newly pregnant, traveled to the hill country of Judah to visit her aging cousin. The moment Mary greeted her upon arrival, Elizabeth exclaimed, “…how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy” (Luke1:43-44). The Holy Spirit so overwhelmed the unborn forerunner that his mother could feel him rejoicing within her.
Two godly women—one a virgin bearing the Messiah, and the other, after lifelong barrenness, now pregnant in her old age with His forerunner—carried within them the plan and purpose of God for the ages. Things played out relatively quietly for the two women, humanly speaking, but they found themselves in the center of the supernatural workings of Heaven.
John would grow up to be a prophet, living in the wilderness, preaching repentance, baptizing, and proclaiming, “Make ready the way of the Lord” (see Luke 3:4), and he would even baptize Jesus just before the Lord entered His three-year ministry. Later Jesus would say of John, “I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28).
Jesus, the baby of the young virgin, would grow up to teach, preach, cast out demons, heal the sick, and raise the dead. Although He was utterly non-political, He would be viewed as a revolutionary. His purpose was to revolutionize the hearts of men and women and to make them citizens of the kingdom of God. His greatest work, however, was in His death—He was arrested as an agitator, lawbreaker, a fraud, and a proclaimer of Fake News. He was sentenced, beaten, stripped, and nailed to a cross. He died, spilling His blood—as a ransom for you and for me.
Of this Man, the prophet Isaiah had written hundreds of years before, “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4-5).
The forerunner came to prepare the way of the Lord for ministry and for death. And before that, the forerunner’s mother became pregnant as a sign and confirmation to the young Mary that with God nothing is impossible (see Luke 1:37).
And in your life, despite all that may have transpired, God is working behind the scenes to will and to work for His good pleasure. Know that even as He orchestrated the details for everyone involved on that first Christmas, He is still active, orchestrating details for your life as well. And as you worship the One who made His debut here on earth as an infant in a manger, trust Him this Christmas to work out every one of your details, as well.
Dorothy
Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass. 1 Thessalonians 5:24
© 2015, Dorothy Frick
O Holy Night: Christmas Series Part 2
“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 its worth.” By Placide Cappeau, 1847
God had a plan from way back, before the foundations of the earth. He created the species of man to fellowship with Him and to populate the planet. In His great wisdom and foresight—before we ever arrived on the scene—He saw that we would go our own way, fall into sin, and descend into the agony of spiritual darkness.
He gave the first hint of His plan to pull humanity out of the abyss of their own making early in man’s history. After the man and woman He created fell into deception and disobedience (see Genesis 3:1-7), God told the serpent, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel” (Genesis 3:15).
And so it came to pass. Jesus came to earth through the seed of woman; the virgin birth enabled the Savior to be both a Man—through Mary, His mother—and to be God, through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit (see Luke 1:35). And as history rolled on through time, God gave more hints about His plan to deliver men and women from their sinful nature through an astonishing sacrificial act. And according to Galatians 4:4, “…when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law.”
In due season. For millennia the world, steeped in sin, pined away in error, and tooled along on an evil course. So dark and oppressed was the race of man. The Jews, likewise subject to the permeating stain of sin, nonetheless held promise through their holy Scriptures of hope and help from Heaven that the Messiah—the stem of Jesse, the Promised One—would someday appear and set up His Kingdom.
At the right time. “…when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law.” Jesus, the Son of Man and the Son of God, was born at the right time into the history of the human race. Angels proclaimed His birth. Wise men from the east calculated—by the stars and Hebrew prophecy—the exact timing and location of the birth of this new King.
And the world?
“The thrill of hope
The weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.”
The shackles of sin would soon be broken by the voluntary sacrifice of the Man who now lay as a baby in a manger. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:17).
Yet for so many, the chains of sin remain, two thousand years later. Darkness still seems to permeate the planet. How could that be? Again, let’s look at Scripture. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
You see, Jesus voluntarily gave His life as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind; likewise, receiving deliverance from those sins is also on a voluntary basis for every individual man, woman, and child. “Whoever believes in Him…” is a voluntary act; the one true God never coerces or intimidates anyone into submission; He states His case, He reasons with facts, He displays signs and wonders, and He woos. When religion is imposed with threats or violence, God is not in it.
Many throughout the past two millennia have attempted to force their brand of “whoever believes in Him” upon others through coercion, threats, tyrannical laws, and wars. But wise souls have always known that such enforcement was never the plan of God. God’s plan—then, now, and forever—was this: for His Son to bear the sin, sorrow, and error of our race, thus canceling out our debt of sin, and to simply receive anyone and everyone who believed in Him from the heart as sons and daughters.
This is the reason for the “thrill of hope”. This is why the “weary world rejoices”. And this is why each soul can now feel its worth—because whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. The God of all things places great worth on each human soul; He sees worth in you.
We sing, we pray, we celebrate because of who that little baby was—the Sacrificial Lamb, the Son of God and the Son of Man. In the fullness of time, that little child of Bethlehem laid down His life for you and for me—voluntarily—because He valued us.
What can we do in response to such a great and selfless act? Listen to the carol:
“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.”
Take time this season to fall on your knees and affirm your faith in the baby of Bethlehem; worship Him—the Christ—the Son of God and the Son of Man.
Dorothy
© 2015, Dorothy Frick
The most wonderful time of the year; Christmas Series Part 1
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year
With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you ‘Be of good cheer’
It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”
By Edward Pola and George Wyle, © 1963.
Nothing captures the mood of the season quite like this song made famous by Andy Williams. There’s just something about the wonder and anticipation of Christmas that hangs in the atmosphere, draped across homes, offices, schools, and stores like garlands bedecked with twinkling lights. Even though several poor souls have attempted to Grinch the season away from the rest of us with a twisted form of righteous indignation and lawsuits, nevertheless, this is still the most wonderful time of the year. And the majority of us know it—the child within each one of us can’t help but hope for snow as we gaze out at the red and green, silver and gold fantasy of ornaments and lights, trees and glitter, sparkling on every corner of every street.
Many hearts open a bit wider at this time of year. Many—even those who don’t know the Lord intimately—hope for the promised cheer of the season to wrap them like a blanket and transport their heavy hearts to a brighter, kinder, more welcoming place. They’ve been disappointed so many times before; maybe this year will be different. Maybe this year they’ll be able to capture the joy and the essence of peace on earth, good will toward men. Maybe, just maybe…
My prayer is that you and I will be empowered by the One who is the reason for the season, not only to enjoy His presence and peace ourselves this season, but to be carriers of the message of His warm kindness and life-changing cheer to others as well. Despite the attacks against Christmas, I believe that the majority of those who do not know Jesus as Lord recognize that there’s something very special about this Man who was born to a virgin, wrapped in swaddling clothes, placed in a manger, and visited by shepherds and wise men.
I believe most people long for the Christmas story to be true; you need not be intimidated by the fact that you know it is true. Agree with me that both you and I will be directed by the Spirit of God throughout the season as we go about our daily lives. Pray that each of us have divine appointments ornamenting our days as we carry the message of the cheer of Christ in our hearts, eyes, smiles, and words.
And as you carry His presence with you like a light shining in a dark place, He will most certainly direct your steps.
Be of good cheer during this most wonderful time of the year!
Dorothy
The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them. Isaiah 9:2
© 2015, Dorothy Frick
Barbara’s got all the blankets
It’s Thanksgiving time again, and like many of you, my mind goes back to the kinder, gentler times of my childhood.
Our family usually traveled to Oklahoma City to spend the holiday weekend with Grandma and Granddaddy Bollinger. They had a small three bedroom house, so my sister and I shared Grandma’s double bed while she sacrificed and slept in Granddaddy’s bedroom with him.
Well, despite the quieter days of the early 60’s, when Barbara and I had to share a bed…WW3 was soon to follow.
That first night we arrived, the night before Thanksgiving, Mom tucked Barbara and me into bed and then joined the other grown ups as they sat and talked and finished up all of the Thanksgiving preparations.
Let me tell you. Barbara is four and a half years older than me, and I was extremely suspicious of her privileged position as the oldest girl in the family. She was vicious in my opinion, as she was known at times to pin me down and tickle me until I nearly wet my pants…OK…I did wet my pants. She was a true foe of the highest order.
On the other hand, she was equally leery of me. I was the baby of the family, and she knew I was the privileged one. To her way of thinking, I got away with murder as I screamed “MOMMMMMY!!!” every time she even looked at me.
Yes, war was brewing as soon as Mom turned out the light…
“Give me the cover!” I cried as I grabbed hold of a wad of blanket.
“Let go! It’s MINE!” she demanded as she pulled the cover back.
Soon we were kicking, yanking, screaming like little wildcats, pulling blankets in every direction. Flashes of static electricity snapped like enemy fire in the darkened Oklahoma bedroom…
The noise of our warfare soon reached the kitchen where Mom and Grandma were taking the last pie out of the oven.
And then we heard it…the unmistakable sound of Mom’s feet, walking across the living room, into the hall, her hand upon the doorknob…
“GIRLS!” she whisper-yelled. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING???!!”
I felt vindicated. I, the victim, the baby, and the innocent recipient of the oppression of that older person of privilege–my enemy and my sister, who lay over there in this very bed–I would revel in the justice only Mom and Dad could meet upon her.
I yelped out in my very best “poor-me-I’m-the-victim” voice, “BARBARA’S GOT ALL THE BLANKETS!!!!!!!”
As Mom cracked the door open and switched on the light…there, before God and all the turkeys of a million Thanksgiving dinners, lay the truth….
Barbara, entirely exposed to the cold in her little cotton flannel pajamas, lay shivering….and I, yes I, the victim of her privilege, had the entire pile of blankets heaped up on me and spilling over my side of the bed to the floor.
I may or may not have gotten spanked…but as I crawled back under the re-spread blankets, a new thought began forming in my little girl brain that late Thanksgiving eve: Maybe I’m not ALWAYS the victim here. And MAYBE…just MAYBE…my supposed people of privilege don’t ALWAYS have the advantage…
And if you ever watch the news with me nowadays, you may hear me whisper this little saying under my breath as I watch the conflict of our time: “Barbara’s got all the blankets.”
Happy Thanksgiving,
Dorothy