“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:33.

A man was out driving in the country during a heavy rainstorm when he came across an old farmer who was surveying the ruins of his barn.

He pulled over and asked the farmer what happened.

“Roof fell in,” the farmer replied.

“What happened with it? Why did it fall in?” asked the stranger.

“It leaked so long, it just finally rotted through,” the farmer said.

“Why in the world didn’t you fix it before it rotted through?”

“Well, sir,” said the farmer, “I just got around to it. When the weather was good, there wasn’t a need for it. And when it rained, it was just too wet to work on.”

Isn’t it amazing that when you want to do something you somehow manage to find the time, no matter how busy you are?

But when someone asks you to do something you don’t want to do, suddenly there is just no room in the schedule.

This can happen when it comes to the Christian life as well.

If we are serving God only when it’s convenient-
– then we are settling for second best.

If we make time for the things of God only when something better doesn’t come along first-
– then we are missing out on what God wants to do in our lives.

How much better it is to make time for the things of God-
– to put the things of God above everything else.

How much better it is to get your priorities right. 
Instead of making excuses, make time for the Lord.
It is not only the simple way to live, but it is also the best way.

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“But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”Acts 2:24.

Believing that the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead is essential for Christians.

Merely recognizing that He died for our sins is not enough.
We must accept His resurrection in order to receive eternal life.

Christ paid our debt, but His sacrifice on the cross means nothing unless He possesses power over the grave.

In vanquishing evil and death, the Lord made our salvation possible.

Jesus’ resurrection proved He was able to remove sin and its penalty.

Assuming Christ remained dead would mean accepting the opposite—that believers are still in sin.
And the inevitable end of a sinful life is death.

Consequently, a person who denies Christ’s eternal nature looks toward a void future.
Bertrand Russell, a famous atheist philosopher, offered this sad description of such hopelessness:
“Brief and powerless is Man’s life; on him and all his race, the slow, sure doom falls pitiless and dark.”

Instead of enjoying Christian liberty and anticipating a home in heaven, those who reject resurrection are slaves to the present, with no real hope or meaning in life.

Career, family, and good works can offer brief pleasure but not the kind of joy that comes from knowing we are right with the Lord and working in His will.

Resurrection is not a denominational issue or a point for theological debate.
Either we believe Christ rose from the dead and ascended to heaven or we do not.

If we reject His victory over the grave, we deny ourselves a place in eternity.
But if we accept the truth, we will be saved.

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“Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).” John 19:17.

In Jesus’ day, crucifixion was used by the Roman government as a method of executing criminals.

God transformed the cross into a symbol that unites Christians everywhere.
It stands at the heart of what we believe and serves as a central focus of the gospel message.

When we consider the cross-
– we will think about his…

Reputation!

Our Saviour left heaven to dwell on earth and become one of us.
While here, He obediently accomplished the work His Father had given Him. John 5:19.

Because of His perfect life-
He alone was qualified to be our substitute and bear God’s judgment for our sins.

Reconciliation!

Christ went to the cross in order to reconcile us to God.
He suffered a painful death on our behalf, and through His sacrifice, our sin debt has been paid.

God’s justice was fully satisfied at Calvary.
Nothing else is required for our salvation.

Resurrection!

Three days after Jesus was buried-
God raised Him from the dead.

The Saviour’s sacrifice on the cross was accepted as payment for our sins-
– and the way to heaven was opened for all who trust in Jesus.

Our resurrected Lord, having appeared on earth to many people, ascended to live forever with His Father.
Jesus conquered death and made it possible for us to dwell in heaven with Him someday.

I invite people to place their faith in Jesus Christ.

Because of the cross and what happened there-
– such an invitation has great value to the hearer.

In fact, the events of Calvary continue to be relevant to Christians of all ages.
Take time today to thank the Lord for the cross.

The post Calvary Continues appeared first on My Manna.

“Thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57.

I heard about a man who tried to start his own religion but soon found that it didn’t go so well. 
He decided to approach the French statesman Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-érigord and ask him what he should do to gain converts. The statesman told him, “I recommend that you get yourself crucified, die, and then rise again on the third day.”

Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection on the third day is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. It is what sets our faith as Christians apart from the faith of all others. 

Yet many view Christ’s crucifixion as a rude interruption of what was an otherwise successful ministry. But the cross was at the forefront of the mind of Jesus Christ from the very beginning. 
This is where He knew He was headed, and He spoke of it often. 

The Bible even tells us that before He even came to this earth, a decision was made that He would ultimately go to the cross. Scripture calls Him “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelation 13:8.

It was at the cross that the righteous demands of God were satisfied. It was at the cross that God and humanity were reconciled once again. It was at the cross that a decisive blow was dealt against Satan and his minions. It was at the cross that our very salvation was purchased. 

Therefore, we can’t talk about the cross too much — or contemplate it too often.

(PR)

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“By this we know love of God, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:16-18.

In Israel there is an interesting geographical phenomenon!

They are two landlocked seas.
One is alive and one is dead.

The sea full of life is the Kinneret, better known as the Sea of Galilee.
The other sea is a dead Sea.

Now the Kinneret is constantly emptying as it flows through the Jordan River valley into the Dead Sea.
But the Dead Sea does not empty its water at all.

Instead, the Dead Sea is continually shrinking-
– because the intense heat at this lowest place on earth actually evaporates more water than is flowing in.

Do you see a parable here?

The Sea that is alive is the one that gives.

The more of your self, of your life, of your love, that you pour out, the more alive, filled up, and refreshed you will become.
The Lord Jesus exemplified this to the greatest extent ever-
– by giving all He was and all He had,
– even to those who hated Him and were His bitter enemies.

And the love that He gave was returned to Him by His Father in the resurrection-
– and by all the multitude of His redeemed people throughout all ages and into eternity.

Could it possibly be any different for those of us who live lives of giving and loving?
No.

We will continue to be filled by the Lord’s infinite abundance no matter how much we pour ourselves out.
Of course, if we hold back, keeping all we have to ourselves, we will begin to evaporate and die.

Give and you will live.
Love, and you will be filled with God’s love.

Hold back, and even that which you have will vanish away.

There once was a sea that was dead
It was, ’cause it only got fed
And never gave up
Not one single cup
Now that’s something to keep in your head

Let’s be givers.
Let’s be lovers.

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“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” John 8:12.

Christmas lights are everywhere this time of year. 

Driving through neighbourhoods to admire the creative and sometimes over the top Christmas displays is one of our favourite traditions. 

Every so often, we’ll come across a truly awesome display of lights encompassing the house, yard, and every single tree. 

Christmas lights are a huge part of the holiday season and for good reason! 

Lights are an important symbol in the meaning of Christmas because Jesus entered this world to be the Light in the darkness. 

Even God got in on the original light show, sending a host of angels to announce this momentous birth and dazzle the night sky before a field of stunned shepherds.  

And then there was the star over Bethlehem that the wise men followed in hopes of finding this prophesied Messiah or future king.

So the next time you go driving around looking at Christmas lights, remember the coming of Jesus. 

Remember that Christmas is a time to remember the birth of Jesus, “the Light of the world,” and how that light transformed the darkness in your life!

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“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary, His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.” Matthew 2:10-11.

Many people think these three gifts were just incidental. 

No, they’re fundamental. 

These were not trinkets; these were treasures that didn’t occur by happenstance. 
This was something the wise men had planned. 

These gifts are highly symbolic. 
They carry deep significance.

In the gifts the wise men brought to the young boy Jesus-
Gold speaks of His sovereign dominion—He was born a King. 
Frankincense speaks of His sinless deity—He is God in human flesh. 
Myrrh speaks of His sacrificial death—He was born to die that we might live.

    He is King and they brought gold.
    He is God and they brought Him frankincense.
    He is our Saviour and they brought myrrh.

Sovereign dominion;
Sinless deity;
Sacrificial death.

Because He is a King, He has my wealth. 
Because He is God, He has my worship. 
And because He died, He has my witness. 

All that I am, all that I have, all that I do, belongs to this One. 

That is wisdom!
That’s what a wise man will do. 

Do some soul-searching today. 
Are you really wise?

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The person to whom the name Jesus was first revealed was Joseph: – a carpenter, a humble man, a working man, unknown and undistinguished except by the justice of his character.

It is not, therefore, a title to be monopolized by princes, sages, priests, warriors or men of wealth. It is a name to be made a household word among common people! 

He is the people’s Christ.

The name of Jesus was sweet from the start because of the words that accompanied it, for they were meant to remove perplexity from Joseph’s mind: “Fear not.” 

Truly, no name can banish fear like the name of Jesus! It is the beginning of hope and the end of despair! 

Let the sinner hear of the Saviour, and he forgets to die! He hopes to live! He rises out of the deadly lethargy of his hopelessness and, looking upward, he sees a reconciled God and no longer fears.

At the time when the name was given, His full person had not been seen by mortal eyes, for He lay as yet concealed. But soon He came forth, having been born of Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

A matchless man, He bears our nature but not our corruption! He was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, but in His flesh there is no sin! 

This Holy One is the Son of God, and yet He is the Son of man—the Saviour of the World!

“Dear Jesus, thank You for being the Saviour of my soul, the only One who could truly take my sins away. I pray I will never neglect so great a salvation. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

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“Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:2.

No single tradition is more widely adhered to during the Christmas season than that of giving gifts.

This tradition is firmly rooted in the biblical account of the Magi who saw a star in the east and came to worship Jesus.

“On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.” Matthew 2:11.

Despite its biblical basis, gift giving has been vigorously challenged by followers of Herbert W. Armstrong as well as by organizations such as the Watchtower Society.
Their basic argument is that Magi means “astrologers” and that God would never lead His people to give gifts at Christmas on the basis of astrology.

In response it should first be noted that even if the Magi did practice astrology, the Bible makes it crystal clear that the wise men were led by God both by means of the star, which guided them to Christ (Matthew 2:9), and by means of the warning that kept them from returning to Herod. Matthew 2:12.

Furthermore, contrary to the practice of astrology, which involves divination and attempts to predict the future apart from God, the star the Magi followed was not used to foretell the future, but to forth tell the future.

In other words, the star of Bethlehem did not prophesy the birth of Christ; it pronounced the birth of Christ.

Finally, it is interesting to note that, contrary to popular tradition, the Magi were not necessarily three kings. 

While Matthew’s gospel narrative does teach that wise men visited Jesus and His parents shortly after His birth, Matthew never specifies how many wise men there were.

The traditional belief that there were three wise men originated from the fact that they brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:11.

Consequently, while the biblical account is consistent with the possibility of three wise men, there is no strong biblical or extra-biblical evidence in support of this numbering.
Neither is there any biblical support for the naming of the Magi.

Tradition beginning sometime in the sixth century named the wise men Melkon (or Melchior), Balthazar, and Gaspar.
As with the numbering of the Magi, these names should be attributed to folklore and tradition rather than to historical fact.

On the one hand, the exchanging of gifts can be dangerous in that gift giving has a powerful potential for promoting crass materialism.

On the other, the giving of gifts reinforces the reality that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35.

This Christmas season, may we be ever more mindful that the greatest gift we can give to another human being is the Christ
Child.
When He enters the human heart, everlasting life becomes a present reality.

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“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.” Matthew 2:10.
“The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.” Matthew 4:16.

Many questions have been raised about the star that the Magi saw and the way in which it guided them to the place of our Lord’s nativity. 

Whatever the Magi from the East saw, the important thing to notice is what they did when they saw it. 
They obeyed the revelation they were given. 
They followed the star. 

And when they understood that the star had come to stand over the place where the child Jesus lay they responded with exceeding joy.

Christmas is a time for Christians to revel in the great goodness of God’s revelation in Jesus. 

All of us were in darkness until the light of Christ shone upon us. 
Blindly we stumbled about until the dawn of the birth of God’s dear Son. 

The Father has sent his Son into the world to give us the light of life. 
He has sent forth the message to us, not in the form of a star this time, but in the Gospel message.

Like the wise men from the East each of us must obey the Gospel word we have been given. 

We must “walk in the light as He is in the light.” 1 John 1:7.  
And we must, like those men from the East, rejoice greatly that we have now seen the Child of Bethlehem. 

This is the stuff of exceeding great joy, not only for this season of Christmas, but for every day in every season.

“Almighty God our Heavenly Father, we adore You for the gift of your dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. We humbly thank you for shedding abroad the light of the Gospel among us. We were darkness. Now you have made us children of light. Give us grace that we might continue in that light all our days and grant us that same exceeding great joy in which the Magi rejoiced. Glory be to you great Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, ages to ages the same, Amen.”

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