Manna in the Morning

Well, Christmas is over...but the spirit of Christmas doesn’t have to be. Yes, the tree will come down...but our spirits should not have to. True some of the toys the kids got are already broken...but our joy should be able to remain intact. Yes, the music that we hear and sing are not the Christmas carols anymore...but our hearts should still be singing joyful songs because of what Christmas means. True, the lights and decorations will be packed away until next year...but that doesn’t mean that the light of His presence has to be packed away...but rather we should heed his challenge to “let our light shine so that others may see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven.” The message of Christmas is not just for a season but rather it is for a lifetime. The joy of Christmas is not just for a beautiful Christmas carol...rather it is to fill our hearts the whole year through! Let’s remember why He came. He came not to stay a baby in a manger...He came to be the Lord and Master and Savior of our lives. That means that today...we allow Him to rule in our hearts...He is the rightful king for our throne...He wants to shine out of your life today!

As we have approached the wonderful day we call Christmas we have considered an ancient prophecy by Isaiah about the coming Messiah and the titles and work that He would do when He came to this world. There is another great verse from the pen of Isaiah that merits our consideration as well. It is found in chapter 7:14 and reads, “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.” What has interested me about this special prophecy is that though it was indeed fulfilled in the birth of Christ we have no record of anyone every actually calling Jesus...Immanuel. Yet, when we understand that the term or the name Immanuel means literally, “God with Us” we feel the impact of what that verse means. Jesus, the Word of God, became flesh and was with us! He was here on planet earth. God walked the sand that He had created. He climbed the mountains that He formed. He tread on the waters that He caused to flow. In the person of Jesus...God was with us! And He still is. Jesus said before He left this world...”And lo, I am with you always.” He is with you this morning...He is with you on your way to work...He is with you at your desk...He is with you in your valley or on your mountaintop...He is with you in the hospital...he is with you...He is Immanuel.

Isaiah preached 800 years before the birth of Christ and yet he had much to say about this event. In chapter nine Isaiah wrote, “For unto us a child is born; to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” The title “Everlasting Father” is the most mysterious of the four titles in this great verse. In this same verse this special child is called a Son...a Counselor...and, a Father. I think the Hebrew writer helps us with this concept when he writes that Jesus was the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of God’s nature.” In other words...Jesus was the spittin’ image of God the Father. Once He said, “If you have seen me you have seen the Father.” It is such a wonderful thing to know that the Creator of the Universe the Everlasting Father is also our Savior...our Friend...our Helper...our Lord and Master! Do you remember what Jesus had to say to His followers before He ascended back to Heaven. “And lo, I am with you always...even to the end of the age!”

Again, our verse for this week comes from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah where in the ninth chapter of his writing he wrote, ““For unto us a child is born; to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Let’s consider for a moment that special designation that the coming Christ child would be referred to as “Mighty God.” As one reads the Gospels he becomes quickly aware of the power of God that is with Jesus. Not only does Jesus claim this power that only God could have and use but He also uses it in magnificent ways. He walks on water...He gives sight to the blind...He cause the lame to walk...He opens ears and loosens tongues...He heals all kinds of diseases...and causes the demons to flee...He even raises the dead. Truly it is as He Himself said, “If you have seen Me...you have seen the Father.” That same “Mighty God” is ready to be your friend and helper today. It is true that there is no problem but that you and God together cannot solve.

Isaiah, a prophet of long ago wrote, ““For unto us a child is born; to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” As far as I know...no one every actually called Jesus a “wonderful counselor” in the record of His life that we have in the Gospels. However, there is no doubt that He was indeed a Wonderful Counselor. We see Him interacting with people throughout His ministry. He encouraged those who were downtrodden...He reached out to those who had been cast aside....He touched those who society had made untouchable...He loved those who were unlovable. He offered counsel through His sermons and parables and always sought to bring His listeners closer in their relationship to God the Father. Toward the end of His earthly ministry, He talked about “another counselor” coming. To speak of another counselor, of course, indicated that He was a counselor but another One...would come after He went back to the Father. He was speaking of the Holy Spirit. One of the most special gifts that come from the hand of God is the gift of His Spirit when we obey the Gospel and are baptized into Christ. And that Spirit desires to be our Wonderful Counselor this day and every day of our lives.

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah has been called the Messianic Prophet and sometimes even, the Christmas Prophet, because of his clear prophecies about the coming birth of God’s Messiah. As we approach that special day...let us focus on one of Isaiah’s key prophecies. It’s found in Isaiah 9:6. “For unto us a child is born; to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” These words are spoken by Isaiah about 800 years before the birth of Christ. Let me say that again: Jesus birth was predicted by Isaiah 800 years before the blessed event. Talk about expectation! Talk about anticipation! We should take great comfort in knowing that God is Sovereign and that His plan and will is carefully laid out in His divine wisdom. Tomorrow we will take a further look at this verse...especially that the Messiah would be called “Wonderful Counselor.” But for today let’s realize that Christmas is special. God planned it very carefully and He saw His plan come to fulfillment in the birth of the Christ Child. This time of year is filled with anticipation and expectation...appropriate emotions for a special season! Merry Christmas...the Lord has come!

With all the hustle and bustle, I thought we needed to be reminded why Christmas is a good idea. Think about this: Without Christmas...

• The candied fruit market would completely collapse!
• Our boring, uneventful lives would have no stress at all!
• Eggnog would just be a slimy, high cholesterol beverage.
• Santa would be a strange fat man with poor fashion sense.
• Three words—No Christmas Bonus!
• You’d have to spend your own money buying stuff that doesn’t fit.
• We would never wonder if reindeer really knew how to fly.
• Your cat would never know the joy of coughing up tinsle!
• But the number one reason...without Christmas, there could be no Easter!

But there is Christmas and there is Easter! Two of the greatest events in the history of the universe that merits our celebration. The birth of our Lord and His victory over sin, death and the grave!

Good Morning! Or, maybe I should say, “Merry Christmas!” It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Surely you’ve noticed. Christmas cards are beginning to show up in the mail receipts. Lamp posts are decorated with festive lights. Last Friday night a parade of brightly colored floats passed through the main streets of Lake Butler. Christmas music is heard on the radio. The stores are laden with aisle after aisle of suggested gifts to buy for those on your Christmas list. Yards feature snowmen, reindeer, Santa Claus and other brightly colored images. Christmas tree lots are popping up around town. Yes, there’s no doubt...it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. It seems a bit trite to urge you to remember the true meaning of Christmas...but still reminders are in order. We celebrate Christmas because of the Love of God. God loved us enough to send His Son to redeem us from our sin! We should remember that Christmas began in the heart of God. It is complete only when it reaches the heart of man. So, check your heart today before anything else that you do. Make sure it’s in tune with the music of heaven’s love for you!