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The LifeLine |
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December 2010 |
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from: Pastor Tom’s Desk Christmas Quiz: How much do you really know about Christmas?Our culture has influenced our understanding of the story of the birth of Jesus. A lot of misconceptions have arisen due to this. See how you do. 1. The name of the mother of Jesus was: Martha, Mary, Eve, Deborah 2. Jesus was born in what town? Jerusalem, Nazareth, Bethlehem, New York 3. Joseph was a: Carpenter, Doctor, Engineer, Fisherman 4. Why didn’t Joseph and Mary stay at the inn? It was too expensive, There was no inn, There was no room, None of the above 5. How did Joseph and Mary get to Bethlehem? Colt, Mary rode a donkey and Joseph walked, wagon, Who knows? 6. After being born, Jesus was placed in a: Basket, Manger, Pile of hay, On the back of a donkey 7. A manger is a: stable, feeding trough, wooden table, barn 8. Which animals does the Bible say were housed in the stable? cows, donkeys, sheep; lions, tigers and bears; goats, sheep and cows; The Bible doesn’t say. 9. From what area were the three kings that visited Jesus? the west, the east, the orient, none of the above 10. What sign were the shepherds told to look for by the angel? a lion and a sheep together in peace, a tree with a star on top, a star over Bethlehem, none of the above 11. With what words did the heavenly host of angels praise God? "Joy to the World, the Lord is Come," "Glory, Glory, Hallelujah," "King of Kings and Lord of Lords," "Glory to God in the highest," 12. What is frankincense? a form of gold, an incense from a tree, a jewel, none of the above. 13. What is myrrh? a musical instrument, a spice used for burial, a valuable wine, none of the above 14. How many wise men came to see Jesus? One, Two, Three, The Bible doesn’t say 15. What does "wise men" most likely refer to? lawyers, star gazers, priests, doctors 16. The wise men met Jesus in a: manger, castle, stable, house 17. Who told Joseph and Mary to go to Bethlehem? an angel, Caesar Augustus, Herod, No one told them to go. 18. The child Jesus went to Egypt: to meet pharaoh, because Joseph was told in a dream to take him, Joseph did not take Jesus to Egypt, none of the above 19. According to the Bible, the little drummer boy met Jesus: when Jesus was in the manger, at a house, When Jesus was about two years old none of the above, 20. In which books do we find the story of Jesus’ birth Matthew, Mark, Luke, John 21. December 25th has been celebrated as Christmas since the Bible was written. True, False
ANSWERS: (Yeah you have to use the Bible) 1. Matthew 1:18 2. Matthew 2:1 3. Matthew 13:55 4. Luke 2:7 5. We don’t know. The Bible doesn't say. 6. Luke 2:7 7. Feeding Trough 8. The Bible doesn't say. 9. None of the above. Matthew 2:1 10. None of the Above Luke 2:12 11. Luke 2:14 12. A valuable incense made from the sap of a tree 13. John 19:39-40 14. No one knows, but more than one. 15. Star Gazers. 16. Matthew 2:11 17. Luke 2:1, 4 18. Matthew 2:13 19. None of the above. 20. Matthew and Luke 21. False. Although the Bible talks about the birth of Jesus, it never uses the word "Christmas". The Bible Times Paradise Garden Lost And I will put enmity between you and the
woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and
you will strike his heel." Genesis 3:15 Adam and his partner disobeyed the law of Eden and were banned forever from it. The tragedy occurred after a conversation between the woman and the serpent, who appears to have entered the garden from the outside. The serpent blatantly questioned the fairness and integrity of God. When he suggested that God was simply lying when he said that eating fruit from the tree of knowledge would bring death, she picked some and shared it with Adam. Immediately, they were overcome with guilt and embarrassment and sought to clothe themselves with leaves. When God came that evening to talk with them, they hid among the trees. But he knew they were there, and summoned them into his presence. Adam blamed the woman; the woman blamed the serpent. But God recognized that each was guilty. The woman would discover that childbearing will be painful, and that the perfect relationship between a man and a woman is damaged. Adam would find work a drudgery where once it was a pleasure. The earth would be hard to cultivate. And death entered the world, making the passage back into God’s presence fearful, and severing their intimate contact with him on earth. God also cursed the serpent: one day a descendant of the woman would destroy its power and trencher forever. It seemed as if God was speaking not to the serpent directly but to some evil power that had been directing it. God now clothed them properly with garments made of animal skins. And at least part of his reason for driving them out of the garden was a concern that they should not now eat of the tree of life and be doomed to live forever in their fallen state. (Genesis 3)
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a
sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and
will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14
The story of Santa Claus's namesake. December 6 marks Saint Nicholas Day, historically speaking, there's not much we really know about Nicholas. Though he's one of the most popular saints in the Greek and Latin churches, his existence isn't attested by any historical document. All we can say is that he was probably the bishop of Myra (near modern Finike, Turkey) sometime in the 300s. That said, there are of course many legends about Nicholas, and since these have influenced people throughout history, and they likely illustrate something about the historical man, they are fair game for a publication, like ours, devoted to Christian history. Supposedly, Nicholas was born to a wealthy family in Patara, Lycia. His parents died, and he inherited a considerable sum of money, but he kept none of it. In the most famous story about his life, he threw bags of gold through the windows of three girls about to be forced into lives of prostitution. At least that's the most common version of the story; there are others, including an excessively grim one where the three girls are beheaded by an innkeeper and pickled in a tub of brine until Nicholas resurrects them. After a couple of miracles (he's sometimes called Nicholas the Wonder-Worker) performed while he was still a boy, Nicholas was chosen by the people of Myra to be their new bishop. But it wasn't long before Diocletian and Maximian began their persecutions of Christians, and the new bishop was imprisoned. When Constantine became emperor, Nicholas was released with countless others and returned to his preaching only to find a new threat: Arianism. According to one biographer (writing five centuries after Nicholas's death), "Thanks to the teaching of St. Nicholas, the metropolis of Myra alone was untouched by the filth of the Arian heresy, which it firmly rejected as a death-dealing poison." Other biographers claim Nicholas attacked the heresy of Arius (who denied the full divinity of Christ) in a much more personal way—he traveled to the Council of Nicea and slapped Arius in the face! As the story goes (and this should be taken as fantasy because there are pretty good records of the council, and Nicholas isn't mentioned), the other bishops at Nicea were shocked at such rude behavior and relieved him as bishop. But then Jesus and Mary appeared next to him, and they quickly recanted. That's the questionable legend of Nicholas. But not the end of the story. Even by the reign of Justinian (d. 565), Nicholas was famous, and the emperor dedicated a church in Constantinople to him. By the 900s, a Greek wrote, "The West as well as the East acclaims and glorifies him. Wherever there are people, his name is revered and churches are built in his honor. All Christians reverence his memory and call upon his protection." The West became even more interested when his "relics" were taken from Myra to Bari, Italy, on May 9, 1087. He's said to have been represented by medieval artists more frequently than any saint but Mary, and nearly 400 churches were dedicated in his honor in England alone during the late Middle Ages. With such a popularity, his legends inevitably became intertwined with others. In Germanic countries, it sometimes became hard to tell where the legend of Nicholas began and that of Woden (or Odin) ended. Somewhere along the line, probably tied to the gold-giving story, people began giving presents in his name on his feast day. When the Reformation came along, his following disappeared in all the Protestant countries except Holland, where his legend continued as Sinterklass. Martin Luther, for example, replaced this bearer of gifts with the Christ Child, or, in German, Christkindl. Over the years, that became repronounced Kriss Kringle, and ironically is now considered another name for Santa Claus.
MISSIONS World Wide: Locals react violently to the Gospel in Nepal. Persecution of missionaries in South Asia is not uncommon. Those who profess the faith openly are targeted and can fall victim to vicious attacks. One such attack happened on the road in Nepal just a few weeks ago. Indra Rai Waglan was traveling with another elderly believer when they were attacked by six men. The men accused Waglan of blasphemy against their gods and that he forced two families to convert to Christianity. Although the conversions are wonderful news to Christians, the six men did not think so. They left Waglan unconscious on the side of the road. Waglan is a missionary supported by Gospel for Asia and was in the area to conduct a prayer meeting for a neighboring village when the men brutally beat him. He was given medical treatment and has many bruises all over his body and a broken rib. Nepal police have found and charged the six men that attacked Waglan. The court now has the case and it will be underway. The easy thing to do in this situation would be to write off the six men as evil and hell bound but GFA and believers in Waglan's community think otherwise. They ask that prayer be offered up for the six attackers that they will receive the grace of God and accept Christ as their Savior. The primary goal of GFA is to share the good news of Jesus Christ with those in Asia that have never heard His name before and that is what Waglan and the believers in Nepal are trying to do. Prayer is also needed for Waglan's complete healing and that his family will remain firm in the faith. This circumstance is difficult but God has His hand in the situation. Pray that Waglan and his family will remember that and trust Him who holds the universe in His hands. The Gospel train makes an extended stop in Cuba. Cuba is seeing one of the fastest church growth rates in the world--the Southern Baptist International Mission Board says that's evidenced by the fact that there just aren't enough churches to hold all the believers. In 1960, Cuban Baptist churches numbered 210. Growth was slow over the next three decades, increasing that number by just 28. However, within the last twenty years, a church-planting movement began sweeping the island nation. Today, according to the IMB, the number of Cuban Baptist traditional churches, missions and house churches exceeds 6,200. Church growth is surpassing the speed of construction for houses of worship, which leaves some of the congregations worshipping in houses, garages, yards or on rooftops. A similar phenomenon in Asia revealed a critical need for trained and Scripturally grounded leaders for these new Christians. Without the proper training, the risk of heresy grows. The leaders also find they need tools to cope with the other needs of their burgeoning congregations. So, IMB missionaries regularly form teams help train and disciple new leaders. This team also discovered another close tie-in that helps the church: music. It's a big part of life in Cuba. An estimated one of every five people is involved in music in some way. When the church-planting movement gained steam, leaders saw many musicians coming to Christ. It made sense to develop schools that would teach musicians to grow as disciples and to use their skills in leading worship. As a result, these 50 train about 1,000 Cuban Baptists each year. Thoughts by Chambers Prayer in the Father’s Honor . . . that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God —Luke 1:35 If the Son of God has been born into my human flesh, then am I allowing His holy innocence, simplicity, and oneness with the Father the opportunity to exhibit itself in me? What was true of the Virgin Mary in the history of the Son of God’s birth on earth is true of every saint. God’s Son is born into me through the direct act of God; then I as His child must exercise the right of a child— the right of always being face to face with my Father through prayer. Do I find myself continually saying in amazement to the commonsense part of my life, "Why did you want me to turn here or to go over there? ’Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?’ " ( Luke 2:49 ). Whatever our circumstances may be, that holy, innocent, and eternal Child must be in contact with His Father.Am I simple enough to identify myself with my Lord in this way? Is He having His wonderful way with me? Is God’s will being fulfilled in that His Son has been formed in me (see Galatians 4:19 ), or have I carefully pushed Him to one side? Oh, the noisy outcry of today! Why does everyone seem to be crying out so loudly? People today are crying out for the Son of God to be put to death. There is no room here for God’s Son right now— no room for quiet, holy fellowship and oneness with the Father.Is the Son of God praying in me, bringing honor to the Father, or am I dictating my demands to Him? Is He ministering in me as He did in the time of His manhood here on earth? Is God’s Son in me going through His passion, suffering so that His own purposes might be fulfilled? The more a person knows of the inner life of God’s most mature saints, the more he sees what God’s purpose really is: to ". . . fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ . . ." ( Colossians 1:24 ). And when we think of what it takes to "fill up," there is always something yet to be done.Women of Christ December 11th Obedience Brunch Out details to come Ladies For more Info Contact: Susan Sonza 908.686.6416 Dolores Robinson 973.763.3566 C.A.O.S. Youth Ministry! Sundays 4-6pm.Please keep us in prayer and don’t be shy, there are so many ways to get involved with this ministry. For more information contact Andy 908-304-4354. please see a calendar for specific events
Crossroads Chatter
Congratulations to Congratulations to Dalton and Joanna Lalucesfor the birth of daughter Bethany Emmanuelle on October 21, 2010 - 7lbs8oz She joins dad Dalton, mom Joanna & big brother Jonathan
We wish to extend our sympathies to the family at the homegoing of their mother June Steitz.
November 7,2010: Congratulations to Greg & Patty Prairie
Quotable Quotes... He became what we are that he might make us what he is. Athanasius God became man to turn creatures into sons: not simply to produce better men of the old kind but to produce a new kind of man. C.S. Lewis The mystery of Christ, that He sunk Himself into our flesh, is beyond all human understanding. Martin Luther The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God. C.S. Lewis As far as the Incarnation is concerned, I believe firmly in it. I believe that God did lean down to become Man in order that we could reach up to Him, and that the drama which embodies that Incarnation, the drama described in the Creed, took place. Malcolm Muggeridge Nowhere is salvation conceived of as a flight from history as in Greek thought; it is always the coming of God to man in history. Man does not ascend to God; God descends to man. George Eldon Ladd Joy came down on Christmas Day A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes...
and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to
be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent. Dietrich
Bonhoeffer Eternal God, this holy night is radiant with the brilliance of your one true light. May that light illuminate our hearts and shine in our words and deeds. May the hope, the peace, the joy, and the love represented by the birth in Bethlehem this night fill our lives and become part of all that we say and do. May we share the divine life of your son Jesus Christ, even as he humbled himself to share our humanity. Amen. Rev. Richard J. Fairchild Commercialization has obscured the meaning of Christmas. The commercial has become more important than the carol. What man has to sell more important than what God has given. Anonymous The spirit of Christmas needs to superseded
by the Spirit of Christ. The spirit of Christmas is annual; the Spirit
of Christ is eternal. The spirit of Christmas is sentimental; the Spirit
of Christ is supernatural. The spirit of Christmas is a human product;
the Spirit of Christmas is a divine person. That makes all the
difference in the world. Let's approach Christmas with an expectant hush, rather than a last-minute rush. Anonymous The birth of the Lord means peace on earth,
but only for those "on whom his favour rests." Indeed, the Saviour's
birth is a meaningless gesture by the appraisal of many persons. But for
those people who receive Jesus as their personal Saviour and Lord, they
find the peace that can only come from the favour or grace of God. Jesus, the Light of the World, as we celebrate your birth... may we begin to see the world in the light of understanding you give us. As you chose the lowly, the outcasts, and the poor to receive the greatest news the world had ever known, so may we worship you in meekness of heart. May we also remember our brothers and sisters less fortunate than ourselves in this season of giving. Amen. Karen L. Oberst The implications of the name "Immanuel" are both comforting and unsettling. Comforting, because He has come to share the danger as well as the drudgery of our everyday lives. He desires to weep with us and to wipe away our tears. And what seems most bizarre, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, longs to share in and to be the source of the laughter and the joy we all too rarely know. Michael Card This is the month, and this the happy morn, Wherein the Son of Heaven's eternal King, Of wedded maid and virgin mother born, Our great redemption from above did bring, For so the holy sages once did sing, That He our deadly forfeit should release, And with His Father work us a perpetual peace. John Milton
The Nativity Among the oxen (like an ox I'm slow) might at length I looked for hay; learn at least (I like a sheep have strayed) my Lord is laid; would win thence
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