May each of us have a worshipful Christmas, remembering our Saviour "veiled in flesh, the Godhead, see...."
A quote from C.H. Spurgeon....................
"Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given." As Jesus Christ is a child in his human nature, he is born, begotten of the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary. He is as truly-born, as certainly a child, as any other man that ever lived upon the face of the earth. He is thus in his humanity a child born.
But as Jesus Christ is God's Son, he is not born; but given, begotten of his Father from before all worlds, begotten--not made, being of the same substance with the Father.
The doctrine of the eternal affiliation of Christ is to be received as an undoubted truth of our holy religion.
But as to any explanation of it, no man should venture thereon, for it remaineth among the deep things of God--one of those solemn mysteries indeed, into which the angels dare not look, nor do they desire to pry into it--a mystery which we must not attempt to fathom, for it is utterly beyond the grasp of any finite being.
As well might a gnat seek to drink in the ocean, as a finite creature to comprehend the Eternal God.
A God whom we could understand would be no God. If we could grasp him he could not be infinite: if we could understand him, then were he not divine."
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th'incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Imagine deeply the love Jesus has for each one of us that he willingly left His throne, came to earth to be born as a baby, lived a humble life of poverty, and died on the cross for us, to save us from our sins.
"Amazing love, how can it be, that thou my God would die for me?"
The cradle in Bethlehem was just the beginning of the redemptive plan. We have to look beyond that to the cross
and resurrection of Christ. He came to this earth to die for us.
He knew that from the beginning. Amazing love. I pray each person reading this blog truly knows the salvation of Christ and is living for Him.
John Piper has a Christmas message that expresses well the love Christ has for each of us.
"There is no traditional Christmas story about the birth of Jesus in the Gospel of John. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). Instead of putting the Christmas story up front with its explanation, John weaves the story of Christmas and the purpose Christmas through the Gospel.
... after saying in John 1:1 that the eternal Word "was God," John says in 1:14-16, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth". . . . And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace."
So the eternal Word of God took on human flesh, and in that way the divine Son of God--who never had an origin, and never came into being, and was God, but was also with God--became man. And in doing this, he made the glory of God visible in a wholly new way.
That is the meaning of Christmas in John's Gospel. God the Son, who is God, and who is with God, came to reveal God in a way he had never been revealed before.
Or as it says in John 3:16-17, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, [that's Christmas and Good Friday all in one--why?] that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world [Christmas is not for condemnation], but in order that the world might be saved through him [Christmas is for salvation]."
He is the way the truth and the life (John 14:6). And the aim of giving himself as the truth to the world is freedom. You will know the truth and the truth will make you free. Free from the guilt and power of sin. Free from deadness and blindness and judgment."
As you celebrate Christmas this year, I pray you will think deeply on the love Christ has for you and come to know Him as your Saviour and Lord.
read the full text of this message at - http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2009/4444_You_Have_the_Words_of_Eternal_Life/
James' rash is cleared up and his high fevers are gone.
He still has days where he has a low-grade fever and doesn't have much energy. Today has been one of those days for him. Lying around and being held have been what he really wants to do today.
Dengue can take weeks to fully recover from, so please keep him in your prayers. Thanks!
James with his two favourite stuffed animals - Tigger and
Curious George. He doesn't nap or sleep at night without those
two 'friends' with him!
Mikayla recently attended the High School Christmas Banquet. This year it was a dress-up affair held at a local posh hotel. Mikayla and her friends really enjoyed the event.
In the Philippines, caroling from house to house is a big event.
Recently, a friend of ours who is involved with a senior citizen group here, brought his group to our door to carol for us. It was very nice to hear their songs and visit with them some. We provided refreshments of pop and cookies before they went on caroling to other homes.
