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I have seen many Christmases come and go, but the day has not lost its wonder for me. I do not get too excited about the gifts I give and the gifts I receive, but I continue to be excited that God gave the greatest gift when He gave His only begotten Son. That gift made it possible for lost men to be saved. The gift of God’s Son has made it possible for us to live far better lives in this world than we ever could live without Him, and it made it possible for us to go to Heaven when we leave this world.
We should never let people forget that Jesus is the reason for the season. We should honor and praise Him on Christmas Day and on all the other days in the year.
After Christmas Day we will be close enough to the end of this year to look over the boundary and into the beginning of the new year. I already have plans for much of next year. I plan to do all I can in the service of the Lord, and I hope to be a blessing to people everywhere I go.
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Abe Two Sez

“I hear that children used to hang up their stockings on Christmas eve to get presents. I don’t wear stockings, so I can’t hang them up. I reckon I won’t get anything for Christmas.”

 

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Poem

CHRISTMAS

Christ, the Prince of Peace, is born today,
How full of love and joy our hearts should be!
Refreshed our souls as with a mighty shower—
Immanuel has come, to bring you and me
Salvation and deliverance from Satan’s power
Through faith in Him, who is the Living way.
May every heart and voice His praises sing,
And may we, as our hallelujahs rise,
Surrender all to Jesus Christ, our King.
—Gertrude R. Dugan

Bethlehem and Calvary

There was no room in Bethlehem
For Him Who left His throne,
To seek the lost at countless cost
And make their griefs His own;

But there was room on Calvary
Upon the Cross of shame,
For Him to die uplifted high
To bear the sinner’s blame.

There was no room in Bethlehem,
And in the world today
Men will not give Him room to live,
And bid Him turn away;

But there is room at Calvary,
And there He stands to give
A home to all who heed His call
And look to Him and live.

There was no room in Bethlehem
For Christ, the King of Kings,
From throne and crown to earth came down
With healing in His wings;

But there is room at Calvary
For sinners to abide,
And who will come may find a Home
In Jesus Crucified!
—Author Unknown

What Star Is This?

What STAR is this, with beams so bright.
More lovely than the noonday light,
Sent to announce a newborn King
Glad tidings of our God to bring?
O while the STAR of heavenly grace
Invites us, Lord, to seek thy face,
May we no more that grace repel,
Or quench that light which shines so well.
—Selected

The late venerable and godly Dr. Archibald Alexander, of Princeton, United States, had been a preacher of Christ for sixty years, and a professor of divinity for forty. He died on the 22nd October, 1851. On his deathbed, he was heard to say to a friend, “All my theology is reduced to this narrow compass--” Jesus Christ come into the world to save sinners.”
—C. H. Spurgeon Note Book

The sinking sun cast lengthening shadows against the mountains, sent var-icolored spires of light through the clear atmosphere. It transformed the white clouds to flaming gold. A lone eagle winged his way upward toward the summit of a mountain and perched upon a distant crag. Darkness would soon envelop the earth and all nature was settling down to another night of rest.
Mary and Joseph scanned the skies with anxious eyes. They knew that they must hurry to reach their destination before nightfall. They had been long upon the way to their native city because of the edict of Caesar to register for taxation.
Mary bit her lip in a effort to suppress the pain of her body. Tired and cramped from the long, hard journey, she tugged Joseph’s coat.
“Joseph,” she said, “Will you hasten the donkey? I must reach shelter before the sun goes down.”
Joseph saw that she was pale and tight-lipped, and he knew that she was in pain.
“We will soon reach Bethlehem,” he said to reassure her. “There we will find shelter in an inn, and you can rest.”
“That will be so good,” she murmured.
Joseph urged the tired beast onward, and with the steady clip-clop of his hooves he pressed on with his head drooping lower and lower.
Darkness was gathering when they finally reached Bethlehem. Joseph stopped the donkey on a narrow street and went in to a nearby inn to secure a room. “No room,” was the response. “Please,” he said, “my wife is in pain. We cannot stay in the street. She’s about to have a baby! Is there not a tiny room where we can stay?”
It had been a long day, and the innkeeper was tired. He had already turned away many travelers. “Because of Caesar’s taxation every inn in town is full,” he said.
“I have money to pay,” Joseph persisted.
The innkeeper saw the anxiety in Joseph’s face.
“The only place I can suggest is in the manger in the cave under the inn. It would be better than staying in the street.”
Joseph hesitated only a moment. “At least that would be a place where Mary could lie down. I’ll take it,” he told the innkeeper.
He hurried back to Mary and led the donkey to the back of the inn as the innkeeper had directed.
“I am sorry, Mary,” he said, “there is no room in the inn. We will have to say in the manger.”
“It will be all right, Joseph,” she murmured. “At least we won’t have to stay in the street.”
Mary turned her eyes toward the heavens. The new moon was a ribbon of light against the sky. Toward the horizon a brilliant star was shining.
They reached the lower level back of the inn. The clean scent of straw and provender was wafted on the breeze, and the hungry donkey lifted his drooping head and pressed against the bit. Joseph allowed him to have his way.
They entered the manger through the open door. Joseph looked at Mary. Her face was livid and her lips and tightly clenched. He lifted her gently from the donkey, then made a bed for her in the straw. Mary breathed a sigh of relief as she stretched her body on the bed Joseph had made for her.
The new moon sank behind the mountains, and the stars were bright in a purple sky. As the hour of midnight approached, the stillness was unbroken save for the bleatings of the sheep on the mountain. Then the cry of an infant broke the stillness. Only Joseph was there to comfort Mary in that hour.
Suddenly the song of angels rang
through the heavens and reached the earth in startling sweetness. Mary looked with wonder as the skies suddenly became illuminated. A brilliant star appeared like a meteor and pointed a shaft of light toward the stable where she and the young child lay. Then, as the angels came near to sing their first Christmas carol, the Babe fell asleep.
As Mary listened to the angel’s song her thoughts went back to the day when an angel had come to her and told her such strange things. How troubled she had been and frightened that an angel should appear to her, and she had marveled when he said, . . . Fear not, Mary: for thou has found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive . . . and bring forth a son, and, shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end, (Luke 1:30-33).
As Mary pondered these thoughts in her heart she breathed a prayer of thanksgiving to God who had chosen her to such a noble calling. And again she said, . . . My soul doth magnify the Lord, (Luke 1:46).

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy, (Matt. 2:10).

When Jesus was born the world was very dark at night. The only lights people had were small, oil-burning wicks and wooden torches. So the cities and the country were blanketed in darkness. The darkness of night made the stars appeared unusually bright.
Men who studied the stars saw an unusually bright star moving across the heavens and wondered what it meant. Wise men in the East saw the star and decided to follow it. It led them to Bethlehem, and guided them to the manger. There they saw the Christ-child, worshiped Him, and gave gifts to Him. Then, being warned of God, they departed without responding to the request of King Herod to show him where to find the child.
When Jesus was eight days old, his parents took Him to the temple for circumcision. Simeon was in the temple and, being led by the Holy Spirit, took the child in his arms and said, For mine eyes hath seen thy salvation. A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel. He had long been seeking for the Messiah, and he knew that at last he had found Him. Eighty-four-year-old Anna was in the temple fasting and praying, and she saw the Christ-Child and gave glory to God.
When Jesus had grown to manhood and started His ministry, Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree to see who He was, and his life was changed. Nicodemus sought Him at night, and learned about the new birth. People thronged him everywhere He went, and He saved the lost, healed the sick and comforted the sorrowing.
In the Old Testament, Isaiah wrote, Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near, (Isa. 55:6). In the book of Hebrews 11:6, we read: . . . he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Surely this Christmas we should seek to honor Jesus. Our hearts should be set upon the One who came into the world to seek and to save the lost.

Pilate said, . . . Behold the man! (John 19:5).

More than nineteen hundred years ago a man was born contrary to the laws of nature. He lived in poverty and was reared in obscurity. Only once, during His exile in childhood, did He cross the boundary of His native land. He possessed neither wealth nor influence. His relatives were unknown and without influence. He had neither training nor education.
In infancy He startled a king. In childhood He puzzled doctors. In manhood He ruled the course of nature, walked upon tossing billows, and hushed the sea to sleep. He healed the multitudes without medicine and made no charge for His services.
He never wrote a book, yet all the libraries in the world cannot contain the books that have been written about Him. He never wrote a song, yet He has furnished the theme for more songs than all the songwriters combined. He never founded a college, but all the schools put together cannot boast of having as many students. He never marshalled an army, drafted a soldier, or fired a gun, yet no general ever had more volunteers under His orders who made more rebels stack arms and surrender without a shot being fired.
Time has spread 2000 years between His generation and the present, yet He lives. He stands upon the highest pinnacle of heavenly glory, proclaimed by God, acknowledged by angels, and adored by saints. He is the living Christ, the Lord of glory!
—Author unknown
Selected “Day Starters”
Edited and copied in part

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A preacher was preaching a long, dull sermon. After almost an hour a small boy near the front, called out loud, “Mama, are you sure this is the only way we can get to Heaven?”

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