The Christmas Story

Quoted directly from the Holy Bible, King James Version:
From Luke 2: 1-20.

1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

² (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
³ And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
⁴ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
⁵ To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
⁶ And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
⁸ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
⁹ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
¹⁰ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
¹² And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
¹⁴ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
¹⁵ And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
¹⁶ And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
¹⁷ And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
¹⁸ And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Merry Christmas!

May you have a meaningful and blessed Christmas.

Here is a treat for you. The incomparable Cathedral Quartet singing  a cappella  "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" from 1985.

Christmastime is here...

Well, my brothers and sisters, Christmastime is upon us once again.

Some people dread Christmas. Perhaps it is because the expectations are high. We are "supposed" to be happy. We are supposed to act merrily. We are pressured to spend money we don't have to give people things they may not want or need.

And then others love Christmas for its fanfare. They like the hustle and bustle. They love to bask in the lights and decorations. Nothing wrong with that. But it may not suit everyone's personality.

I have to admit I took myself out of all of this years ago. I got tired of it. I dreaded the superficiality of it all, the blatant commercialism, the pressure to "put on a happy face."

Don't get me wrong. I like a certain amount of decorations if they are for the purpose of getting at the real meaning of Christmas. My church is one of the most beautiful places at this time of year. Nothing too fancy, but absolutely beautiful. The adornments seem to encourage one to look beyond this world to the spiritual realm, the realm not seen with human eye, to see the hand of God, the love of God, and He reaches down to fallen humanity, and gives us the perfect gift of His only Son.

Take some time this Christmas to focus on Christ. Contemplate Him. Meditate upon Him. And be blessed. That way, none of this world's mixed up values will drag you down during this season of the year.

Merry Christmas one and all...

Happy Thanksgiving

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing,
He chastens and hastens His will to make known,
The wicked oppressing, now cease them from distressing,
Sing praises to His name, He forgets not His own.

We all do extol Thee, our Leader in battle,
And pray that Thou still our Defender will be,
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation.
Thy name be ever praised, O Lord make us free.

--from an old traditional Thanksgiving hymn

Read more about Thanksgiving, 2013 here.

God bless each and every one of you.

Billy Graham speaks to the nation in historic event beginning tomorrow

Beginning tomorrow, Nov. 7, 2013 and continuing throughout the weekend evangelist Billy Graham, who turned 95 years old this month, will speak to the nation in what was being billed earlier in the year as "the living room crusade."

As time progressed, however, the name changed to "My Hope, America."

Dr. Graham has stated that this will in all likelihood be his final crusade as age and several ailments have ended his ability to travel or even speak for long periods of time. Thus, he states that "with all my heart I want to leave you with the truth."

To that end, Graham has subtitled his message as "The Cross."

Graham believes that through the Cross of Jesus Christ, God is reaching down to man with love and forgiveness to anyone who repents and receives Christ as Savior and Lord.

According to The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, special events revolving around "My Hope, America" have already been underway across the nation and around the world. These events will culminate and climax with the special broadcast featuring Dr. Graham beginning tomorrow.

Check your local listings for the channels and times the special broadcast will be shown.

Fox News will carry the event nationally. BlazeTV and TBN will also carry the event, as well as many others. This page will give you a partial listing of the networks carrying the event nationally.

Throughout his long ministry, Billy Graham has preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to more people than any other person in history. He has personally shared the Gospel with presidents, prime ministers, kings, queens, and heads of state, including Winston Churchill, Dwight D. Eisenhower, LBJ, and Richard Nixon, along with Communist Party officials in China and the old USSR.

For tomorrow's broadcast Dr. Graham has called upon Christians everywhere to invite their friends, neighbors, and family members to gather with them to watch.

Not only will the broadcast feature a special message by Graham, along with popular Christian music artists, but rare footage from Graham's long career will be presented as well.

When Graham went to Madison Square Garden in New York City to hold a crusade as a young man, what was designed to be a two week event turned into 10 weeks as crowds swelled each evening to a point that exceeded the capacity of the arena to accommodate them. Graham agreed to continue preaching each night as long as the crowds kept showing up.

A similar thing happened in Los Angeles and in London, England.

Many Christians have stated in recent days that the thing that makes this "living room crusade" so special is that it may well be the last time Americans will get to see this living legend in public. Multimillions of Christians the world over describe Graham as the man who led them to Christ. Many people had never been in a church or heard the Gospel until they saw Graham on TV.

Our hope and prayer is that one last time during Graham's life multithousands if not multimillions will come to know Christ as their Savior and Lord through Graham's faithful proclamation of the Word of God.

But of course, an even better outcome would be that God spares him to preach yet again in the future. God works in mysterious ways.

Take the name...

Take the name of Jesus with you
Child of sorrow and of woe.
It will joy and comfort give you.
Take it, then, wherever you go.

Precious Name, O how sweet.
Hope of earth and joy of heaven!
Precious Name, O how sweet.
Hope of earth and joy of heaven!

At the name of Jesus bowing
As a shield from every snare.
When temptations 'round you gather
Breath that Holy Name in prayer.

Precious Name, O how sweet.
Hope of earth and joy of heaven!
Precious Name, O how sweet.
Hope of earth and joy of heaven!

--from an old traditional Baptist hymnal

A busy month

Just a heads up on the flurry of activity here.

Beginning the last Sunday of September and continuing with the month of October, I have been super busy doing musical programs for churches and leading Bible studies.

As you know I have a part time ministry on the side. I sing, and thus, I do concerts for churches free of charge and on a love offering basis. I have never turned down a church due to their inability to pay. My last concert was very gratifying. The people were super-gracious and a joy to sing for. I love doing these things to the degree that I would do it full time if had the opportunity.

I also do Bible studies and fill in for ministers on Sundays and Wednesdays from time to time. That, too, is always gratifying.

When I get busy like this, I am unable to do what I normally do on this site. I am sorry about that.

In addition, discouragement sets in when it comes to politics. I am as troubled by what I see  happening to our country as I have ever been. When Obama got reelected in November, I remember writing that I did not see how the nation could survive another four years. My view about that is that now we are in even worse shape...just within a few short months. I don't think we will make it four years if things do not change drastically.

So, I do my best to write and sound the alarm. But frankly, not many listen. When I see people turn a deaf ear to the truth, I get so distressed that I literally get sick. During those times I have to take a day or so to regroup.

Thanks for understanding, and thanks for your prayers during this time.
(Cross-posted at The Liberty Sphere).