LESSONS FROM CHRISTMAS IN CORONA SEASON!!!
Yes… opening ceremony of a grand event (even of the earthly realm) say Olympics signaling the imminent arrival of the exciting sporting action is always celebrated with pomp and gaiety (with special songs thrown into the mix), so as to say that the best is on its way. Spiritually speaking, there would be no grander event in human history than the Almighty in His spirit beginning to indwell us and subsequently preparing us to spend Eternity with Him (2 Cor 1:22/ Eph 1:13-14). The prophecy to this effect (Eze 36:26-27) would be fulfilled on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:37-38/ Rom 10:9-10). No wonder in anticipation of the same, Christmas being akin to the opening ceremony which would trigger a “chain reaction” required involvement of the Heavenly choir itself (nothing more, nothing less and nothing else- Luke 2:8-18) on the first Christmas 2000 years ago.
In this message, Yours truly intends to draw some paramount lessons from Christmas (at the end of this message there is a emphasis on soon-to-be fulfilled Biblical Prophecies with a convincing proof) using some alliteration…a la Biblical Preacher of yore (Pro 12:10).
Prompt…
Action:
Display of the pic/animation of a chain reaction
As I hinted before, Christmas by itself would not make one a “Temple of God” (1 Cor 3:16) but it would prompt a start of the process towards the attainment of that ultimate privilege.
If Christ child (aptly named the Saviour- Matt 1:21) had not been born on the Christmas day, His atoning death involving shedding of the precious blood would not have been possible about 33 years later (the day we commemorate as “Good Friday”- 2 Cor 5:21/ 1 Peter 1:18-19), if not for His substitutionary sacrifice, the fact that the same had been accepted by God would not have been affirmed on the Resurrection Day three days later (Rom 4:25) and finally but for all the preceding events beginning with Christmas to cleanse us and make us fit to be Temples of God, on the Day of Pentecost that great privilege of repentant human beings becoming His “Sanctuary” would not have come to pass. Today thanks to the First Christmas, besides all great spiritual blessings which would accrue to us of being His Temple, we also have the assurance of eternal life (John 3:16). Hey, we experience a mini-heaven right here on Earth (Eph 2:1-6/Gal 5:22-23) besides being guaranteed a perpetual stay in an indescribably glorious Heaven (1 Cor 2:9).
In the O.T. Section of the Bible (where all Christ-related signs and prophecies converge on Him- Heb 1:1), we see the Lord’s presence came to indwell the Temple King Solomon (1 Kings 8:10) had built only after “countless cattle” had been sacrificed before (1 Kings 8:5). In the N.T. Section all the signs and prophecies which would converge on Christ before His advent, would now emerge with the proclamations’ of He being the “Divine Lamb” beginning (in the earthly realm) with that of a Prophet such as Simeon… and later on the Messianic forerunner…John the Baptist (Luke 2:25-38/ John 1:35).
Prophecy…
Action:
Display of a Pic bearing the words "Prophecy is history written in advance"!!!
Jesus could have accomplished everything as per the Heavenly Father’s plan (1 Peter 1:1-4) without even a single prophecy.
Now let’s address this question…why the Bible abounds with not only Christmas prophecies (Gen 3:15, Isa 7:14, Micah 5:2) which were fulfilled on the First Christmas day but also prophecies relating to other milestone events in Jesus’ life such as His substitutionary death on the Cross (Isaiah 52:13-15/ Isaiah 53) till the grandest event of He indwelling us in spirit (Gal 4:6)! Whilst answering let me illustrate… some years ago during Christmas time, the womenfolk of our Church went to a reasonably distant Departmental store to buy gifts for the widows/orphans/Sunday school children of our Church. When, they came back it dawned on one Sister (in faith) namely Sunita Benny that she had forgotten her purse containing many valuables in the parking lot of a huge, busy commercial complex. Praying profusely, the entire “Purchase committee” rushed back to that hustling, bustling area after full one hour (traffic snarls you see) where a unguarded purse has as much chance of remaining unpicked as an ice-cube would have of not melting in a fiery furnace. Hallelujah, they found it safe and secure!
Now, Dear Friends if I were to share this account with an atheist or a rationalist and state that the Christian’s God is a prayer answering One then the atheist/rationalist may attribute the miraculous recovery of the purse to sheer “luck” or “coincidence” rather than to the power of a prayer answering God. Now consider this…if all the events-in proper sequential order- relating to that dramatic experience of Sister Sunita were documented in a Sacred Book, say 300 years ago…would any rationalist worth his “logical” salt still attribute it to mere luck or coincidence. No way… no wonder, it is said of prophecy that it is “history written in advance”…
At this stage, when we factor in the following 3 points
1) On Jesus’ one life hinged the salvation of entire mankind, so it follows that our infinitely wise Father would take no chances lest anyone attribute the same to a “coincidence” rather than Divine providence
2) the Gospel was first preached to the Jews with whom the Apostles shared these prophecies to substantiate their points (Acts 2:22-36/ Acts 13:16-39)
3) and then to the Gentiles (with whom too, Apostle Paul would draw from their own historical “prophecies” to present the Gospel- Acts 17:28)
the significance of the Prophecies in being wonderful facilitators for Gospel preaching and subsequent soul-winning would emerge with no shades of grey!!!
Project…
Action:
Display of pic of the First Chapter of Lukes Gospel bearing the heading "GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE"
Ever wondered, why the good Lord got the Christmas narrative “projected” so to speak from Mary’s perspective in Luke’s Gospel only and not in any other Gospels (for instance in Matthew’s Gospel, we get to see the Christmas story from Joseph’s perspective)? If at all, there could have been any person who could have logically objected to a virgin birth, it would have been a Doctor and who was Mr. Luke…a Doctor (Col 4:13) Ladies and Gentlemen!!! Any one still around, doubting the miraculous virgin conception and birth….
Provide…
Action:
Display of pic of Baby Jesus with Virgin Mary
Now why Virgin birth? No one before Jesus or after had been born to a Virgin. As Divinely foreordained spotless, sinless sacrifice for the sins of mankind (Rev 13:8/ I Peter 1:19), virgin birth provided that “Lamb” which was sinless from not only it’s birth but right from it’s conception onwards. Also as a perfect mediator (1 Tim 2:5-6), He would be a Son of Man (of Mary), representing human interests before the Almighty and a Son of God (conceived by the Holy Spirit – Luke 1:35), representing the interests of the Almighty before men. Only in this capacity of the peacemaker, would the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6-7) bring peace in the estranged relationship (from the time of the Fall in the Garden of Eden) between God and Mankind. Also we need to note that
a) while the First Advent of the Prince of Peace was all about bringing indescribable peace (John 14:27) at individual level (all of who accept Him are at peace with the Heavenly Father- Rom 5:1- which is the basis for the indescribable peace which would follow in their lives irrespective of circumstances…favourable or unfavourable)
b) His Final advent (read Second Coming) would be all about bringing peace at global level (Isa 2:1-4). While on the subject we also need to remember since it was Eve (1 Tim 2:14) who was first deceived by the Crafty Serpent, Divine justice required that only the “Seed of Woman” (note-not seed of Adam and Eve but only “Eve”- Gen 3:15/Gal 4:4) trample the head of the Peace destroyer…the Serpent (Rev 12:9).
Props…
Action:
Display: Display of pic of a united World
Before I take even one proverbial step, let me relate now verbatim a Christmas quote from Galatians 4:4 which reads thus…
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law
The key operative words in the afore-referred Scripture are “when the fullness of time had come”. The all-wise Heavenly Father who had set-up the “stage” (before the “First Adam” arrived (Gen 1:1-28) was bound to keep the “stage” ready before the advent of the “Final Adam” too (another name for our Lord- 1 Cor 15:45). Now consider these facts…by the time our Saviour arrived…the World was readied so to speak, to facilitate Gospel proclamation by its unification by virtue of not only a single language (at that time Greek) courtesy the Greek rulers but also by excellent roads (subsequently) connecting most of the vast Roman Empire (thanks to Roman Emperors). Minus these “facilities”…Apostle Paul’s three missionary journeys would not have fructified at all!!!
All glory be to our Heavenly Father whose wisdom can never be measured who kept everything in its place for the arrival of His Son...for the Good News of Christ-oriented salvation had to travel to the ends of the Earth…about 3 decades later.
Proposition…
Action:
Display of pics of Jesus walking leaving behind footprints
If not for the advent of Christ-child on the First Christmas, there would not be before us “a live lived solely for Father’s glory” (John 6:38) to emulate. Because our Lord “fleshed out” obedience all the way in contrast to the First Adam, today one can make a call to live as Christ lived (1 Peter 2:23/ 1 John 2:6). And it’s possible because He is indwelling us now (1 John 4:4)!!! Talk of virtuous cycles…. (sic)…
Propagate…
Action:
Display of pic of personal evangelism
Dear Friends…if witnesses’ (read lowly shepherds) of Jesus’ First advent could not contain the Good News to themselves but shared with everyone they met (Luke 2:17-18), how much more it is binding on us to share the Good News of His birth, (which resulted in our “rebirth” - 2 Cor 5:17/ 1 Peter 2:24) oozing contagious joy (which ought to be flowing inside- Luke 6:45/ Luke 6:37-39) with everyone we come across this Christmas season and beyond…of course with love and humility (1 Peter 3:15) after establishing our rapport with them (1 Cor 9:19-23)!!!
During Christmas season speak about your “rebirth” lovingly which was a consequence of Jesus’ birth on Planet Earth (the Apostolic norm of first personal witnessing and then Gospel sharing has to be followed- Acts 8:25) to everyone who comes visiting (secular friends who come wishing, milk boy, Newspaper vendor, Internet Bill Collector etc etc) handing over to them in the process a calendar (bearing day-wise Scripture verses), a Gospel tract and a piece of cake.
Propel…
Action...
Display of pics of
1.Church Rapture
2. Triumphant Second Coming 7 years after the Rapture
Whist praising God during the Christmas season for fulfilling many Biblical prophecies as regards our Lord’s First advent, it would serve us well also to meditate on imminent rapture of the Church too, heralding His Second advent (7 years later). Pure simple logic states that if all the Christmas-related prophecies regarding His First advent were fulfilled on Christmas day, then prophecy regarding His Second coming also would be fulfilled.
Soon we would be all “propelled” not by any rocket power but by His power into the mid-sky (Isa 26:27-28/1 Thess 4:13-17). Signs pertaining to the fulfillment of rapture-related prophecies of the Church are abounding. Pertinent amongst them are the return of violence of Noah’s days and immorality of the Lot’s days (Gen 6:11/Gen 19/Luke 17:26-20) what with escalation in terror attacks everywhere and legalization of homosexuality. I ought not to miss out on pointing out yet another all too visible sign of recent occurrence. The one of the advent of the Thermal Screening phenomenon all over the World (courtesy the Global Pandemic) where the thermal screens are being pointed at only the right hand (no, not even the left hand) and the forehead as a foretaste (figuratively speaking) of yet another global phenomenon which would be prevalent in the imminent tribulation period under the cruel reign of Antichrist and his deputy the False Prophet (Rev 13) following the Rapture. It is as though the entire global population is being readied now emotionally to show their right hand or their forehead for “inspection by strangers” (all along we had never minded our family members checking on our foreheads and right hands but not strangers).
Action:
Display of pics
Of Thermal Screening in public places In Future Screening to check Microchip has been implanted or not
TREND IN 2020 WOULD BE TREND IN TRIBULATION PERIOD
Consider this Biblical prophecy …
He (the False Prophet on behalf of Anti-Christ) required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark (read microchip) on the right hand or on the forehead. And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. -Rev 13:16-17
So if Tribulation period is on the anvil, then is not the Church Rapture closer than ever before!!!
Let me warn the readers here that the Tribulation Period for 7 years with its series of woes (Rev 6-19) would resemble a mini-hell on Earth. Those who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Saviour would not be part of that Tribulation time as they would be raptured (taken out of harm’s way…virtually speaking) before this horrific period arrives. Dear Readers, if you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour this is the right time (2 Cor 6:1) …make this prayer…
Father in Heaven, I confess I am a sinner by birth…I believe that You sent Your Son Jesus Christ to die on my behalf on the Cross as per the Scriptures. I also believe that as per the Scriptures after His death on the Cross, Jesus rose from the dead. Forgive my sins, cleanse my heart with blood of Jesus, accept me as Your child and write my name in the Book of Life. Fill my heart with Your Heavenly joy and peace as a proof of the fact that You have given me a new life. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen
I urge you once again to say this prayer and experience for yourself a joyous, Christ-centred life from then on. From now on, you would have the inner power of His indwelling Spirit (1 John 4:4) to say “NO” to your erstwhile pleasure-seeking desires and say “Yes” to life of humble subjection to God’s Holy desires aimed at your eternal benefit. Ah…you would be restored to the original, pristine condition Adam and Eve enjoyed before the Fall. This is what genuine repentance in Jesus’ Name does, restoring the immeasurably precious right relationship with our Creator!!! Attend a Local Church regularly now to further strengthen your faith in Christ.
Come Lord Jesus soon to reign not only in our hearts as you did after the First advent but to first rapture your Church and then subsequently usher in your peaceful and just rule in the whole world itself!!!
Yours in His service,
(Suresh Manoharan)
Ps: The same message bearing pics/animation in multi-color can also be accessed at the following URL...
http://www.jandsmministries.com/message_C_Dec1_20.asp
