Posts Tagged ‘Christmas’
Why We Make Christmas Last All Month
Pastor Don Johnson Christmas is a problem for some, both Christians and non-Christians. I don’t mean the problems of materialism and the lack of “Christ in Christmas,” I mean the fact that Christmas is celebrated at all. For non-Christians, the objection is a matter of pride as they look down on “The Church” and its…
Read MoreFrontLine November/December 2015
FrontLine November/December 2015 | VOLUME 25 | NUMBER 6 God With Us Brian Collins Bible scholars have long discussed what the major themes of the Bible are. God is, of course, at the center of the Bible. The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to mankind. In revealing Himself to man God also teaches us…
Read MoreThe Calm of Christmas
Diane Heeney This is a busy, busy time of year. It seems we can become so inundated with “things to do, places to go, and people to see” that our spirits become disheveled and our nerves frayed. Make time in the coming weeks for the calm of Christmas. Turn off Bing Crosby and the Grinch…
Read MoreIsaiah 7—The Historical Setting of a Christmas Passage
Layton Talbert Most Christians are familiar with the virgin birth prophecy contained in Isaiah 7. Wander out of 7:14 into the surrounding territory, however, and the textual terrain bristles with peculiar terminology and thorny questions. For instance, what is 7:16 talking about? In the length of time it would take the child to cultivate a…
Read MoreThe Birth of Christ Brings a Decision
John C. Vaughn Each Gospel writer presents a slightly different perspective. Matthew addresses the Jews to prove that Jesus Christ was the promised Messiah. The first three verses of chapter two illustrate the implications of that fact. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa in the days of Herod the king, behold, there…
Read MoreChristmas in Bethlehem
When the Shepherd Became My Lamb Wilbur Schoneweis The Christmas season is filled with many marvelous and encouraging themes in which the Christian can rejoice, be comforted, and glorify God. However, the Christian will have to look beyond the usual trappings of the season to find these themes. No season of the year is accompanied…
Read MoreProsperity and Poison
Aaron Blumer Prepare your heart for Christmas … and Black Friday! Last summer our garage acquired a new addition to its collection of lethal chemicals: a bottle of fungicide now adorns a high shelf. The chemical’s intended purpose is to keep the tomatoes alive and prospering, and it has proved to be wonderful stuff. But…
Read MoreGod’s Gracious Gift
Warren Vanhetloo God is a giving God. His giving is beyond our full comprehension. His giving is not an occasional decision on His part; it is characteristic of His very nature. He gives because of who and what He is, not because of who or what we are. God’s giving is of grace. None of…
Read MoreA Psalm from the Shepherd’s Fields
John C. Vaughn David wrote many psalms in many circumstances, but the 23rd is the most well known and most beloved of all. It was born in the shepherds’ fields and guides us into deeper love and trust for our Great Shepherd. We return to it again and again, not to look for previously unseen…
Read MoreCelebrate Like a Christian at Christmas
Doug Wright Ephesians 4:17-18 seems like a strange passage for a Christmas message, but that was what I had chosen for a final chapel message before the Christmas break. The combined chapel was especially challenging since it included students from Kindergarten through the twelfth grades. To make matters worse, the chapel precedes the class Christmas…
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