Merry Christmas!

Christmas is really the greatest story ever told.  God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son to be born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem.  God the Son, Jesus, left Heaven to come to earth.  Jesus lived a sinless life.  He worked miracles, healed the sick, taught the things of God.  Then He died on the cross, not for His sins, but for yours and mine.  He literally rose again, and offers His forgiveness and salvation to all who repent and believe. 

God’s Word says:

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.  -Galatians 4:4-5

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”  -Matthew 1:23

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.  -John 1:14

And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”  -Matthew 1:21

The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”  -Luke 19:9 (also Mark 10:45)

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  -John 3:16  NKJV

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Christmas Story is found in Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2. 

-David R. Brumbelow, Baptist Student Ministry, Lee College, Baytown, TX.  12-18-AD 2018.  sanjacintobaptist.com; bpnews.net; biblegateway.com

*******

Note:  When an Article is labeled “Handout,” it is a short article I used in church and/or in the Baptist Student Ministry / Baptist Student Union.  I served as pastor for 37 years and as BSM Director at Lee College, Baytown, TX from 1992-2020 (with a couple years hiatus around the year 2000).  The Handout was usually printed on a half sheet of paper. This is a little late, I’ve been busy, but I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and will have a Happy New Year. 

-David R. Brumbelow, gulfcoastpastor.blogspot.com, December 28, AD 2022.  

 

Articles:

10 Commandments for Christmas

That Night, A Christmas Poem

Alcohol and the Holidays

What's Wrong With Communism?

More Articles / Labels in lower right margin, Web Version. 

Christmas Movies; Boatwright

Phil Boatwright, author of Movies: the Good, the Bad, and the Really, Really Bad, reviews movies from a Christian point of view. 

Following are his recommendations for Christmas movies: 

For Children (and adults): 

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

Little Drummer Boy (1968)

The Miracle Maker (2000)

Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol (1962)

For Adults (and maybe children)

The Godfathers (1948)

The Gathering (1977)

The Fourth Wiseman (1985) 

The Bishop’s Wife (1947)

The Nativity Story (2006)

Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

White Christmas (1954)

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

Scrooge (1970)

Elf (2003) 

A Christmas Carol (1951)

Picture a Perfect Christmas (2019)

Read the full article and brief reviews of these movies at: 

Christmas Movies for Everyone

http://www.bpnews.net/54072/movies-christmas-movies-for-everyone

No, I have not seen all these movies, and I’m sure I would disagree with this or that in each one.  After all, they are Phil Boatwright’s recommendations.  But I thought some of you might be interested in his list. 

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  Honor Jesus with your church attendance, giving to missions (you can start with the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for the International Mission Board, and Samaritan’s Purse), your lifestyle, and your witness. 

And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.  -Luke 1:46-47  NKJV

-David R. Brumbelow, gulfcoastpastor.blogspot.com, December 18, AD 2019. 

Articles: 

10 Commandments for Christmas

That Night, A Christmas Poem

Alcohol and the Holidays

The Girl Who Saved His Ministry

Links You May Find Helpful

More Articles (Labels) in lower right margin. 

How Well Do You Know the Biblical Christmas Story?

1.  How did Joseph and Mary get to the place where Jesus was born? 

2.  In what town was Jesus born? 

3.  Who sang at Jesus’ birth? 

4.  What animals does the Bible say were at the manger scene? 

5.  Were the Wise Men at the manger?  

6.  What three gifts did the Wise Men bring? 

7.  How many Wise Men were there? 

8.  How did the Wise Men travel to see the newborn Jesus? 

9.  Where is the Christmas Story found in the Bible (book & chapter)? 

10.  What year was Jesus born? 

a. AD 1  b.  AD 0  c.  1 BC  d.  5 BC

11.  What is a manger? 

12.  What does the name “Jesus” mean?

13.  Did Jesus exist before He was born in Bethlehem? 

14.  What was miraculous about the birth of Jesus? 

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  -Isaiah 9:6

Come back next week for answers…

Merry Christmas!

-David R. Brumbelow, author of Wit and Wisdom of Pastor Joe Brumbelow, and Ancient Wine and the Bible. 

(Permission granted to reprint.)

*******

Answers to Christmas Test

1.  How did Joseph and Mary get to the place where Jesus was born? 

Answer:  The Bible does not say.  Mary may, or may not, have rode a donkey. 

2.  In what town was Jesus born? 

Answer:  Bethlehem in Judea.  There was also another Bethlehem in northern Israel.  (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:5-6)

3.  Who sang at Jesus’ birth? 

Answer:  No one.  Of the angels, Scripture uses the word “saying,” not singing.  (Luke 2:13-14)

On another note, did you know that every time an angel appears in the Bible, the Bible describes him as a male? 

4.  What animals does the Bible say were at the manger scene? 

Answer:  None.  While it was a barn or stable, and likely there were animals, the Bible does not say. 

5.  Were the Wise Men at the manger? 

Answer:  No.  The Wise Men came later to the house where they were staying.  Just as you would do, after the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary sought, and found better accommodations.  (Matthew 2:1, 11)

6.  What three gifts did the Wise Men bring? 

Answer:  Gold, frankincense, myrrh. 

7.  How many Wise Men were there? 

Answer:  The Bible does not say, it only speaks of them in the plural.  We probably think there were three because of the three gifts.  And, that may be correct. 

8.  How did the Wise Men travel to see the newborn Jesus? 

Answer:  Scripture never says.  But camels were often used for travel back then.  And, Wise Men riding camels looks cool! 

9.  Where is the Christmas Story found in the Bible (book & chapter)? 

Answer:  Matthew 1-2; Luke 1-2.  Of course, there are other Bible verses related to the birth of Christ. 

10.  What year was Jesus born? 

a. AD 1  b.  AD 0  c.  1 BC  d.  5 BC

Answer:  We don’t know for sure.  According to our calendar, Jesus was supposed to have been born in AD 1; but our calendar is off a little.  Jesus was probably born about 5 BC. 

On another note:  AD does not stand for after dead!  It is a Latin abbreviation that means, “In the Year of our Lord.”  AD should come before the year; BC should come after the year.  Christians should use AD more often.  

11.  What is a manger? 

Answer:  A feed trough for cattle and / or other animals.  2,000 years ago they were sometimes carved out of stone, as well as made of wood. 

12.  What does the name “Jesus” mean?

Answer:  Savior; Deliverer.  (Matthew 1:21; John 1:29) 

13.  Did Jesus exist before He was born in Bethlehem? 

Answer:  Yes, He is God the Son and has always existed.  (Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1; Romans 9:5; Titus 2:13; Revelation 1:8).  That is why we say Jesus came from Heaven to Earth to be born of the Virgin Mary.  Jesus is the only One who could say, I’m infinitely older than My mother, and as old as My Father.  

14.  What was miraculous about the birth of Jesus? 

Answer:  At least two things.  1.  Jesus’ birth was a miraculous Virgin Birth.  This is one of the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith.  (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23, 25; Luke 1:34-37)   2.  Jesus’ birth was prophesied hundreds of years before He was born.  (Isaiah 9:6; Micah 5:2)

Conclusion

I have no problem having a Manger Scene with angels singing, Wise Men, camels, a donkey, cow, lambs, etc.  After all, it’s fine to have a composite of all the characters involved (or “maybe” involved) in the birth of Christ.  Kind of like a curtain call at the end of a play. 

But this test is simply meant to remind us we often assume things are in the Bible when they are not.  Always remember, the Bible is our final rule of faith and practice. 

Happy New Year! 

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, January 1, AD 2018.

10 Commandments for Christmas

That Night, A Christmas Poem

One Solitary Life

11 Reasons to Not Drink Alcohol

Other Articles in lower right margin.  

One Solitary Life

He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in still another village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was 30. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a house. He didn't go to college. He never traveled more than 200 miles from the place He was born. He did none of the things one usually associates with greatness.

He was only 33 when public opinion turned against Him. His friends deserted Him. He was turned over to His enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. When He was dying, His executioners gambled for His clothing, the only property He had on earth. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the kindness of a friend. He rose from the dead.

Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race, the leader of mankind's progress. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man on earth as much as that One Solitary Life.
-adapted from Dr James Allan Francis in “The Real Jesus and Other Sermons,” Judson Press, Philadelphia; 1926. 

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. -Isaiah 9:6

And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. -Matthew 1:21

Merry Christmas!
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, December 17, AD 2015.  

Articles:
Alcohol and the Holidays
That Night, A Christmas Poem
10 Commandments for Christmas
More articles in lower right margin. 
 

Christmas; Or Happy Holidays, Xmas?

At this time of year some Christians write articles saying the use of holiday and Xmas, instead of Christmas is just fine. After all, “holiday” comes from “holy day,” and the “X” is an abbreviation of the Greek name of Christ. Some say early Christians, under persecution, used the “X” as a secretive way of referring to Christ and Christianity. I disagree. 

I understand “Happy Holidays” is sometimes used to include Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. However, it is also often used to be politically correct and so no one will be offended by the “Christ” in “Christmas.” It is regularly used to secularize Christmas. As a comedian said, “I’m dreaming of a secularized generic holiday.”

I also agree that some Christians can get obnoxious in arguing with store clerks about Christmas. Please use a winsome attitude in wishing someone a Merry Christmas!

I still like “Christmas” as being more understandable, meaningful, and descriptive than “Holiday” and “Xmas.”

A holiday can be as much Presidents Day or Columbus Day as Christmas. Very few would ever stop and consider, or know, that the word began as “Holy Day.” To most it just means a day off work. Holiday has become a generic term.

We may derive comfort that to a very few the X stands for Christ.

But the X seems to be just as secretive today as it may have been in the first or second centuries.

I doubt one in a hundred knows or considers, “Oh, the X in Xmas stands for Jesus Christ who was born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem.”

I also doubt many know much about the ancient Greek language.

Abbreviations are often not understood, so why not take the time and effort to write it out?

Many more Americans understand the name Christ, rather than understand the name “X.”

To many, “X” stands for the unknown. Others may view Xmas as X-ing out the name of Christ.

I would not recommend an evangelistic preacher to go around preaching about X. They might think you’re talking about Malcolm.

So while I may not angrily protest, I do prefer stores have the courage to actually use the word Christmas. Recently I heard the Houston mayor speak of the city “Holiday Tree.” And yes, I suspect she was trying to not offend atheists, non-Christians (who usually have no problem with using the word Christmas), and to be politically correct.

So to all I wish you a Merry Christmas!

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, December 18, AD (In the Year of Our Lord) 2014.

Articles:
"Merry Christmas" is Preferred by Customers
10 Commandments for Christmas
Young Preachers - Finding a Place to Preach; Part 1
More articles / Labels in lower right margin. 

The Afterglow of Christmas

The Afterglow

After the carols have ended
And the gifts have been placed away,
The candles burned out their brightness
And the snow has melted to gray;
After the holly has withered
And the berries have all turned brown,
The carpets sparkled with tinsel
When the needles came tumbling down,
With all the merriment ending
And the embers are burning low,
May the Christ, the Heart of Christmas,
Fill and brighten the afterglow.
-unknown

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, December 21, AD 2011.

"Merry Christmas" is Preferred by Customers

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. -Isaiah 9:6

The Christian Post (christianpost.com; 12-5-2011) reported,

“A recent Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 70 percent of American adults prefer retailers to use ‘Merry Christmas’ signs. Twenty-four percent of those polled would rather see ‘Happy Holidays.’ According to the survey, many adults across almost all demographic groups prefer ‘Merry Christmas,’ with young adults feeling as strong as older adults.”

I hope and pray more retail stores and even Christians themselves realize it can be more offensive to refuse to use the word Christmas at Christmas.

Stores, prominently display your “Merry Christmas” signs. Tell your employees they can actually wish their customers a “Merry Christmas.”

May we all remember and emphasize the true, biblical meaning of Christmas.

So this month I wish all a Merry, Christ-honoring Christmas!

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, December 7, AD 2011.

Christmas Greetings, a poem

The first holiday after the death of a loved one is always a tough time. But for believers in Jesus Christ, we know there are better days ahead. We know one day we’ll meet again. The following poem may be an encouragement to some. I came across the poem sometime ago in one of O. S. Hawkin’s books.

Christmas Greetings

I’ve had my first Christmas in Heaven:
A glorious and wonderful day!
I stood with the saints of the ages,
Who found Christ the Truth and the Way.

I sang with the Heavenly choir:
Just think! I, who longed so to sing!
And oh, what celestial music
We brought to our Saviour and King!

We sang the glad songs of redemption.
How Jesus to Bethlehem came,
And how they called His name Jesus,
That all might be saved through His Name.

We sang once again with the angels,
The song that they sang that blest morn,
When shepherds first heard that glad story
That Jesus, the Saviour, was born.

O, how I wish you had been there:
No Christmas on earth could compare
With all the rapture and glory
We witnessed in Heaven so fair.

You know how I always loved Christmas;
It seemed such a wonderful day,
With all of my loved ones around me,
The children so happy and gay.

Yes, now I can see why I loved it;
And oh, what joy it will be
When you and my loved ones are with me,
To share in the glories I see.

So Dear Ones on earth, here’s my greeting:
Look up till the day dawn appears,
And oh, what a Christmas awaits us,
Beyond all our partings and tears!
-Dr. Albert Simpson Reitz

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, December 19, AD 2010.

Christmas Quotes

“Last month was our giving thanks holiday, and Christmas is God’s way of saying, ‘You’re welcome.’” -Dennis the Menace to his friend Joey

“My nomination for history’s most profound event is the incarnation of God in Christ.” -Ralph Bailey

“Our main job is not to cry, ‘Look what the world has come to,’ but, ‘Look Who has come to the world.’” - Kermit L. Long

“God walked down the stairs of Heaven with a Baby in His arms.” -Paul Scherer

"Christ was born in the first century, yet He belongs to all centuries. He was born a Jew, yet He belongs to all races. He was born in Bethlehem, yet He belongs to all countries.” -George W. Truett

“In BC we know God is. In AD we know who God is.” -author unknown *

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law. To redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. -Galatians 4:4-5

* Note: BC means “Before Christ.” AD is an abbreviation of a Latin term meaning, “In The Year Of Our Lord.”

Merry Christmas!
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, December 12, AD 2010.

10 Commandments for Christmas

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. -Galatians 4:4-5

10 Commandments for Christmas

I. Thou shalt not leave “Christ” out of Christmas nor refuse to use the word “Christmas” during this season.

II. Thou shalt demonstrate joy to the world, for the Lord is come.

III. Thou shalt not let Santa Claus take the place of the reality of the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem.

IV. Thou shalt remember that the value of gifts we give and receive is not so much the cost as the love that is behind them.

V. Thou shalt consider the words of Jesus, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

VI. Thou shalt not neglect Christ and His church during the Christmas Season.

VII. Thy Christmas Cards shall bear the good news of the coming of Christ and His salvation.

VIII. Thou shalt be kind to those who serve; the cashier, the merchant, and the mail carrier.

IX. Thou shalt remember the greatest gift of all, when God gave His only begotten Son.

X. In all thy giving, thou shalt give a gift to the One whose birthday we celebrate. Appropriate recipients shall be missions, thy church, and those in need.

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, December 10, AD 2009.

That Night, A Christmas Poem

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.” -Isaiah 9:2

That Night

That night when in the Judean skies
The mystic star dispensed its light,
A blind man moved in his sleep-
And dreamed that he had sight!

That night when shepherds heard the song
Of hosts angelic choiring near,
A deaf man stirred in slumber’s spell-
And dreamed that he could hear!

That night when in the cattle stall
Slept child and mother cheek by jowl,
A cripple turned his twisted limbs-
And dreamed that he was whole!

That night when o’er the newborn babe
The tender Mary rose to lean,
A loathsome leper smiled in sleep-
And dreamed that he was clean!

That night when to the mother’s breast
The little King was held secure,
A harlot slept a happy sleep-
And dreamed that she was pure!

That night when in the manger lay
The sanctified who came to save,
A man moved in the sleep of death-
And dreamed there was no grave!
-unknown

I remember R. G. Lee calling this the best poem ever written about Christmas.

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, December 8, AD 2009.

Alcohol and the Holidays

Last week a news program dealt with a problem many families struggle with at Thanksgiving and Christmas. The problem was big family fights and how to avoid them at family celebrations. One recommended option was to reduce the amount of alcohol served at family gatherings.

I have a better solution. Have an alcohol-free, drug-free holiday. I’m well aware that you can have family fights without alcohol being involved. The first thing alcohol does, however, is affect your judgment and reduce your inhibitions. With a little alcohol you do things you would never do in your right mind. Drug free, many can hold their tongues and keep their attitudes in check.

For those who think you must have alcohol at every family gathering, I would ask, Why? Even dedicated drinkers should be able to survive two or three hours without a mind altering recreational drug. If it is your home then you don’t have to supply it or allow it. You can also be gracious, but firm in prohibiting alcohol in your home.

Several years ago the Gulf Coast city of Galveston, Texas had a problem. Families were no longer going to the Seawall. They studied the issue and found that with all the drunken partying, families were staying away. Galveston made the wise decision to ban alcohol on the Seawall. An amazing thing happened. Peace and tranquility reigned and the families returned. Absence of alcohol will never solve all problems, but it will certainly solve many of them.

Alcohol coarsens everything it touches. The great Southern Baptist preacher, R. G. Lee, eloquently preached, “Intoxicating beverage never touched an individual that it did not leave an indelible stain, never touched a family that it did not plant the seeds of misery and dissolution, never touched a community that it did not lower the moral tone, chill religion and undermine law. Liquor never touched a state that it did not multiply crime, destroy wealth and increase the burden of taxation. It never touched a nation that it did not clog the machinery of government, blight prosperity, weaken patriotism and encourage treason.”

Want a peaceful family Thanksgiving? Want a joy-filled, Christ-honoring Christmas? One way to achieve that goal is to pour beverage alcohol down the drain.

Reference: Highways to Havoc by R. G. Lee, Christ for the World Publishers, Orlando, Florida; 1974. Lee (AD 1886-1978) was pastor of First Baptist Church, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis, Tennessee. He served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention and authored numerous books.

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, November 30, AD 2009.

Articles: 
Ancient Wine and the Bible - the Book; update
Wine for Your Stomach's Sake; 1 Timothy 5:23
More articles in lower right margin.