Merry Christmas 2019
BY Herschel Smith
4 years, 11 months ago
“And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins. Now all this took place that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us’.” (Matthew 1:21-23).
From an earlier post, “Don’t Google the history of Christmas. Google will return all manner of bunk. Here is your source. When I studied church history, historical theology and systematic theology under Dr. C. Gregg Singer, who was one of the foremost church historians of his era, he relied heavily on Philip Schaff, “History of the Christian Church,” all 8 Volumes. Oh, he used hundreds or thousands of other sources, some primary, some secondary. But Schaff was the authority. So be it for me too.
In Volume III, Schaff outlines the history of the celebration of the incarnation in the early Christian church. I’ll let you read it for the details, but around the time of the Council of Nicea (325 A.D.), where the deity of Christ and the trinity was affirmed by Athanasius and the church council conta the heretic Arius, Christmas was being celebrated by the churches as a festival of food and gifts.
If you celebrate Christmas with feasting, the giving of alms, and the giving of presents to children, you stand squarely on the shoulders of the church fathers circa two millennia ago. Enjoy it, Remember what you’re celebrating.
The manifestation of the deity, God with us. That’s what you celebrate. Do it well. Have a great festival.”
For a bit of Christmas music, I chose The King’s Brass, a wonderful group under the direction of Tim Zimmerman (who also arranges music for them), and with whom I’ve had the chance to play trombone (albeit only for a couple of songs, and when the players were different)
On December 24, 2019 at 9:31 pm, Danny said:
Merry Christmas to your kith and kin Captain
On December 25, 2019 at 8:28 am, downeasthillbilly said:
Merry Christmas and God bless …
“The word rest in “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” simply means keep or make. Yet to completely uncover the final key to solving this mystery of meaning, a comma needs to be placed after the word “merry.” Therefore, in modern English, the first line of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” should read “God make you mighty, gentlemen.” Using this translation, the old carol suddenly makes perfect sense, as does the most common saying of the holidays, “Merry Christmas.””
http://americandigest.org/why-to-save-us-all-from-satans-powr-when-we-were-gone-astray-thats-why-do-try-to-keep-up/#more-15060
On December 25, 2019 at 8:29 am, 41mag said:
Merry Christmas Herschel!
On December 25, 2019 at 10:04 am, Longbow said:
Merry Christmas to all!
On December 25, 2019 at 10:31 am, Fred said:
Merry Christmas Mr. Herschel, and all y’all.
On December 25, 2019 at 10:37 am, revjen45 said:
My suggestion for Christmas music that really gets it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA1P2jG-EnE
Put the headphones on, shut your eyes, and prepare to be transfixed by its beauty.
On December 25, 2019 at 10:54 am, John Taylor said:
Thank you for the Christmas message! My personal Christmas favorite piece of music:
https://youtu.be/FJ9wS2J0GOs
On December 25, 2019 at 11:11 am, Fred said:
My very favorite Christmas Gift of all, I share with you.
John 18: 37 “Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.”
This is why the Christ was born, to bear witness of the truth. This is the truth: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”
Jesus is the Christ, is the Son of God, has made us begotten (born) again, into a living hope, through believing in faith that He is the Christ and is resurrected, having defeated sin, and death and hell, once for all, if that you would finally believe.
“To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
And in so doing, we have an inheritance, being made Sons of God with Him, joint heirs, being kept by the power of God through faith revealed in these last times for you, a gift, that no man can take.
“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.”
And though we have not seen Him, we love Him because He loved us first and so we believe and rejoice this Christmas day 2019, centuries after that humble day in a manger, and having received the end (the root purpose) of our faith, the very salvation of our souls unto eternal life. We no longer look forward to His coming as the Profits did, we have the entirety of His Holy Scriptures at our finger tips. We have the record, all we must do is believe that Jesus is Truth: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
And I, testify to you this Christmas day that you can know God, can see His workings manifest in you, as Jesus and the Father are one with the Holy Spirit that indwells me. I have seen and do see the glories of His workings. And, so can you.
If you haven’t yet, be born again into the Kingdom of God this very day!
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:”
Merry Christmas.
On December 25, 2019 at 12:42 pm, George 1 said:
Merry Christmas Herschel!!
All the best to you and yours!
On December 25, 2019 at 5:08 pm, BRVTVS said:
Merry Christmas Herschel! Your tireless advocacy of liberty is much appreciated.
On December 25, 2019 at 8:30 pm, JoeFour said:
Merry Christmas to you and yours, Captain Smith!
On December 26, 2019 at 6:22 am, Longbow said:
Arius received a righteous smack down from…. St. Nicholas.
I hope you had a happy Christmas, and wish you a prosperous new year.