“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!

The post The Light appeared first on My Manna.

“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?

The post Are You Really Wise? appeared first on My Manna.

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.”

The post People’s Christ appeared first on My Manna.

“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.

The post The Giving of Gifts appeared first on My Manna.

“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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Each of the participants involved with Christ’s birth-

Mary and Joseph, the inn keeper, the angels, shepherds, and wise men-has much to teach us.

Although there is no scriptural basis for stating dogmatically that there were three wise men-
– the fact that three distinct gifts are mentioned has given rise to this traditional idea.

Master artists throughout the centuries have depicted three wise men on camels as one of their favourite nativity themes.

The number of wise men is not important, but the fact that they persisted in following the light that was given them until they found the object of their search, that they responded in worship, and that they returned home to share their experience with others all has much to tell us.

Also, the gifts presented to the Christ child were both significant and appropriate:

Gold, symbolic of His kingly reign; frankincense, symbolic of His priestly ministry; myrrh, symbolic of our redemption through His death.

How important it is that our gifts of love and Devotion be offered to Christ after we have first found Him and then have bowed in true adoration before Him.

The author and composer of this well-known Christmas hymn was an Episcopalian minister from Pennsylvania. 

John H. Hopkins has been credited with contributing much to the development of music in his denomination during the nineteenth century, writing a number of fine hymns and hymn tunes.

One of his publications, Carols, Hymns and Songs, enjoyed four editions.

We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star.

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain, gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never over us all to reign.

Frankincense to offer have I, incense owns a Deity nigh;
Prayer and praising, all men raising, worship Him, God on high.

Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in the stone-cold tomb.

Glorious now behold Him arise, King and God and Sacrifice;
Alleluia, Alleluia! Earth to heav’n replies.

The post Glorious! appeared first on My Manna.

God’s gift!

We try to give presents that are meaningful but we aren’t always successful.However, God’s gift—His Son Jesus—is always the right one for everybody.

This gift is:

Planned!
Heaven sent.

Jesus was sent to earth from the heavenlies in order to fulfill God’s plan. John 6:38.
Every aspect of His life—from His birth as a little baby to His death on the cross—was part of the Father’s gift to us.

Propitious!
God gave His Son to us because of our desperate need for rescue.

Sin ruined the human race and placed us all under divine condemnation. 5:18.

Since we are unable to pay the price justly demanded by God for our sin-
– our greatest need has always been for a Saviour who could pay our sin debt for us. Romans 3:23;6:23.

Only Jesus qualified because He was without sin.
He became our Redeemer, reconciling us to God. 5:10.

Personal!
God sent Jesus to die in our place so that we might become part of His family.
The Son deliberately sacrificed His life to accomplish the Father’s plan.

Perfect!
Jesus was God in human flesh, walking among mankind.
His character and will are flawless, and He works perfectly on our behalf. 8:28-29.

Precious!
Jesus Christ can do for us what no material thing or other person can.
In Him, we become new creations belonging to God. (2 Cor. 5:17.

God wrapped His special present to us in human flesh so we might know Him and identify with Him.
How closely intertwined is Jesus’ life with yours?

The post God’s Gift appeared first on My Manna.

“…encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” 1 Thessalonians 5:14.
There are hurting people everywhere-
– but at times we just don’t know what to say or do to ease their pain.

Here are few practical ways to bear someone else’s burdens:

Stay!

Be there.
At times the best “method” of helping is simply to be present.
During our darkest hours, we don’t need someone who tries in vain to fix everything; we just need a friend.

Listen.
Don’t attempt to give answers or tell people what to do next.
Injured souls frequently want only a listening ear so they can express what’s on their mind.

Share!

Never parade yourself as someone who seemingly has all the answers.
Instead, allow your own pain and failures to help others.

Pray.
There is power in speaking people’s names before the Lord.
When others hear someone talk to Jesus on their behalf, healing often starts to take place.

Give.
Sometimes helping others involves more than a handshake or warm hug.
Maybe they need something financial or material.
One of the best measures of sincerity is how much we’re willing to give to others.

Substitute!

You may know an individual who bears the burden of caring for someone else.
If you step in and take his or her place for a while, you are emulating your Saviour.He, too, was a substitute.
Because we were unable to do it ourselves-
– Jesus bore all of our sin and sorrow, even unto death.

As a result-
– we can live happily and eternally in communion with our Father.

If Christ did that for us, how can we ever say-
“I’m too busy to bear someone else’s burden”?

The post Busy to Bear? appeared first on My Manna.

“For He (Christ) chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to son-ship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will.” Ephesians 1:4-5.

What is the ultimate meaning of life?
What is life’s highest calling or purpose? 
Is it the call to work in public service?

Maybe it’s a career in the military, protecting our nation and preserving our freedom.
Perhaps it’s serving in law enforcement or as a public school teacher or saving lives in the medical field.

Is it being a pastor or missionary?
Maybe it’s not a profession, but to be a parent?

According to Jesus-
– life’s ultimate purpose is actually none of the above.

Life’s ultimate calling is to follow Jesus.
Nothing else comes close.

Don’t miss this:

Jesus is the initiator.
In other words, no one really discovers God on their own.
Jesus is the one who extends the call.

Jesus came for everyone 2 Peter 3:9.
This doesn’t mean that everyone will choose to accept Jesus and to be saved, but the call is extended to everyone.

If you don’t have a relationship with Christ-
Jesus is calling you to follow Him – today.

God’s Word says that whoever believes in Him and trusts in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16.
Christ is calling each and every person to follow Him. However, we all have a choice.

Are you going to trust Him? 
Are you going to look to Jesus as the ultimate calling in life?

Because until you do-
– you’ll continue to look for meaning and purpose in things that can never truly satisfy.

So, what’s the ultimate meaning of life?
To love and follow Christ.
Everything else falls short.

The post The Ultimate Meaning of Life appeared first on My Manna.

“Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Corinthians 15:33.
In an ideal environment-
– all our relationships would draw us closer to the Lord.

However, we live in a fallen world with sinful people, so that is not our reality.

God wants us to influence those who aren’t walking obediently with Him-
– but unless we’re careful,
– we could easily end up following them.

How are we to deal with relationships that drag us down instead of building us up?

Prayer!
Your first step is to pray for the people who tend to pull you away from God.

It’s not your job to change them-
– but you can ask the Lord to work in their lives.And don’t forget to ask Him to give you the wisdom and patience you need in your interactions with them.

Parting!
You may have to break off a relationship if it’s hindering your Christian walk.

However, this should be done only after much prayer and wise counsel.

Remember, some relationships are meant to be permanent, so listen carefully to what God is telling you.

Perseverance!
If the negative relationship never changes and the Lord is not calling you to break off association with that person-
– then He wants you to persevere in the situation.

In that case, your goal is to walk faithfully with your heavenly Father despite any hindrances or opposition.

If you deal with negative relationships-
– you should also cultivate friendships with godly people who can help you grow in your faith.

Spend time in God’s Word– filling your mind with truths that anchor your soul in stormy situations!

Persevere in walking faithfully with Christ—you may even influence the other person.

The post Stormy Situations appeared first on My Manna.