"The Dreams That Brought Salvation"

The Dreams That Brought Salvation

  “Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”       Matthew 2:13

It had been a very strange time for Mary and Joseph and their newborn son.  It was bad enough being pregnant, to travel all the way to Bethlehem.  Then having a baby in a stable was almost more than Mary could bear.  Although the joy of looking down at her son, Jesus, made it all worthwhile. Yet, all those shepherds coming in and bowing down before her son was certainly unexpected, to say the least.  Although she knew what the angel had said to her about Jesus being “the Son of the Most High God” she had never understood the full meaning until that night. 

At least Joseph and Mary were comfortable and warm but they couldn’t stay in a stable indefinitely.  Joseph went into the town and inquired of others if they knew of a house they could rent. He returned with the good news that he had rented a small one room house near the outer edge of the city.  It would be quiet and had room enough for Joseph to do some small carpenter repairs.

One evening they heard a commotion outside and Joseph went to the door, but stepped back as three men, richly dressed, entered. It was obvious they were men of great wealth.  They came immediately and knelt in front of Mary holding the child. They worshipped the Baby as the newborn King.  At length they set their treasures in front of the mother and Child and left. The wise men then went off in another direction for an angel warned them in a dream they should not go near Herod.  Therefore, Herod, when he realized the wise men would not return to him, flew into a rage and he sent his soldiers to Bethlehem to kill all the babies’ two-years old or younger.

Before this happened, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream and told him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt and stay there until Herod was dead. Joseph awakened Mary and taking what they needed, they headed for Egypt. No one has figured out how long they were in Egypt, but it was probably between 1 to 3 years.  Then one night in a dream God spoke to Joseph that Herod had died and He must take Mary and Jesus and return to Israel because it was now safe.

God used dreams to warn the Wise Men not to go back to Herod.  Then through a dream he gave Joseph instructions to go to Egypt and not back home to Nazareth.  If those dreams had not be heeded, Jesus would have been killed with all the other babies in Bethlehem and Salvation would not have come.

God speaks to people today in the same ways He always did; in dreams, visions and in His Word. When God speaks to us it is important to think about it and pray about it. What does it mean and what must we do with it. What we must remember is that not all dreams are from God.  Most people dream, but not everyone has a vision.  Most often, God speaks to people through His Word; the Bible.

When God speaks to you through dreams or visions, it will not fill you with fear, nor will it be about another person and what will happen to them.  As a Christian, you are not a fortune teller, nor is God going to tell your future.  Some people may prophecy but that doesn’t mean they are a prophet.  You will know when God speaks to you because it will stay in your mind.

In the book of Joel 2:28-29 it tells us, “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.  And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”  I believe we are living in those days that Joel wrote about.  God will speak to us in ways that show us direction, warning and encouragement; and always line up with the Word of God.

I do not believe that every dream we have is from God.  I have had many dreams and only a few I knew were from God.  I’ve had a lot of scary ones like being chased and couldn’t get away from whoever was chasing me.  People that follow dreams would have a reason for that dream, but I knew they were not from God.  If it’s not from God, it may be that the enemy of our soul may be trying to bring fear on me.  When you have scary dreams, you just say, “Devil, get out of my dreams because greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.” I John 4:4

At times, there are people who have not accepted Jesus as their Savior who have dreams or visions, where God is drawing them to him.  Those dreams might be fearful because their souls are hanging in the balance.  Dreams for the unsaved are dreams leading to Salvation and they need to be taken seriously.  Like God warning the Wise Men and then Joseph.  They took those dreams and visions seriously and in that way saved “Salvation”.

Pray that God will give you dreams and visions to share with others, or to understand certain things He wants you to know.  Our job is to be obedient to the Lord and lead others to Salvation.

"The Message of Christmas"

The Message of Christmas

 “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." Luke 2:11-12

               The sun rose slowly over the hills and soon the lowing of the sheep penetrated the shepherds sleep. They sat up, rubbing their eyes.  One stood and began to stir the smoldering ashes, adding wood to the fire.  The air was very cold this morning.  No one had spoken yet; the silence was almost eerie and it seemed a shame to break into it. Then Josiah cleared his throat and spoke quietly to the others, “I am wondering if I had a dream last night about the sky being full of angels; we were all terrified.  Then went down into Bethlehem and found a stable with a newborn baby lying in one of the mangers.”

 The others looked at him and one by one they spoke and proclaimed it was not a dream, but it had really happened.  Then they all began talking excitedly. “I also thought it was a dream but when I think about that little baby we saw in the stable, I know it was true”, exclaimed Benjamin, the youngest shepherd.  He was just a boy, but clearly had an understanding of what he had seen.  “That wasn’t just any baby, you know; the angels said he was the Savior; the Christ Child, the one spoken of in the scriptures!”

            “What about all the angels, did you ever see anything like that in your life?  I’ve never heard of anyone who has seen the wonder of what we saw,” added Matthias excitedly.

            Then Jacob, the head shepherd stood and spoke to the others, “I believe we were chosen by Jehovah to see this amazing thing that has happened and we are to go tell everyone we meet about it.  Let us pass on the message the angels gave to us; “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men! The long-awaited Savior has come to earth; the Christ!”

            The boy, Benjamin, jumped up and grabbing his staff said, “His mother and father said his name was to be Jesus.  I will never forget that name.” Filled with excitement and great joy, the shepherds hurried off to tell others what they had seen and heard.

            That was the first Christmas morning.  When we awake on this Christmas morning, what will be on our minds?  Will it be like the shepherds who talked among themselves about the wonder of what they saw? Or will it be to proclaim to others, “Joy to the World; the Lord has come!”

           Or will our heads be filled with presents, lots of food and how we are going to spend the day? When we get together with family and friends will our conversation be about the next football game; a Christmas movie we saw, or will we talk about the fact that Jesus, our Savior was born to save us from our sins?  Will we be thankful that because of him we can spend eternity in heaven; and have the assurance that he will come again?

            I, for one, am determined when I open my eyes this Christmas morning to thank God for sending his son, Jesus to be our Savior.  Help us not to compromise as the world does by thinking only about gifts and fun, although there is nothing wrong in that; as long as we keep Jesus first in Christmas.

            I believe every family, or even if you are alone, should read about the birth of the Christ Child from Luke 2:1-20 on Christmas Day.  What hope and joy it gives!

            We should also make it a tradition to greet one another on Christmas by saying, as the angels did, “Joy to the World; the Lord has come.”  I think I will add, “And He is coming again!”

May you be blessed this Christmas as you share the Good News!

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"The Legend of the Star Cookie"

The Legend of the Star Cookie

December 13, 2015

            A long time ago in another land, there were three wise men.  Each man lived in a different country in the Far East.  All three studied the movement of the stars; today we would call them astronomers.  They didn’t have telescopes, or computers, but made drawings of all the different stars they viewed.  When they saw a new star in the sky, they would write it down on their sheets of papyrus, or record it on scrolls.  These three men also studied ancient writings and knew of many things to come in the future.

            The three men did not know each other, but one starlit night, all three were watching the sky. Suddenly, as if from nowhere, a great star appeared.  It was bigger and brighter than any other.  They were amazed at the sight of it.

One wise man lived in an elegant tent in the desert.  He was a nomad whose tribe moved from place to place.  He was very wealthy and lived in luxury in the great tent.  The walls were hung with rich brocaded tapestries and the floor was made of beautifully woven oriental rugs.

Another of the wise men lived within a huge walled city.  His household boasted of many servants who were at his beck and call.

The third wise man lived in a palace of many rooms in a country called the Orient. He watched the stars from a tall tower in the palace.

The star puzzled the wise men and they began to pour through the old scrolls on which were written many things regarding the heavens.  Each wise man came to the same conclusion – this was the star that proclaimed a child was born who was to be King of the Jews!  For this to happen in their lifetime was an amazing thing. 

The wise man that lived in a rich palace called his people together and told them he must see this thing which had come to pass.  He had them prepare food, clothing and whatever he would need to take on a long journey.  He filled a jeweled box with gold coins to take as a gift to this newborn king.  He set out alone, always following the star, sleeping in the day and traveling by night.

The man who lived in a fine house inside the great walled city, called his servants and ordered them to prepare everything he needed to take a very long journey.  A lovely pure jade jar was filled with the finest frankincense and was a fit gift for a king.  It was very late in the evening when he passed through the gates of the great walled city.  Keeping his eyes on the star that shone so brightly in the heavens, he began his journey.

The third man left the comfort of his elegant tent and mounting the kneeling camel, started out across the cold, dark desert with only the star’s light to guide him.  As he swayed back and forth on the large camel, he suddenly realized the beast itself was being guided by the star.  Had he forgotten anything?  No, he had food, clothing and a wondrous container encrusted with gold that safely held costly myrrh.  This would surely be a wonderful gift for the child.

Guided only by the star, nights of travel turned into weeks for the wise men. One night, the star seemed to be much larger and shone far brighter than before.  The first of the wise men felt he was near his destination and stopped his camel near a brook that gurgled softly in the quiet of the night.  He built a fire and as he sat there, he pondered on the child born a king.  Perhaps nearby was a great palace where the child lay on a soft bed under silken coverings, while his nurse gently sang to him of years to come when he would sit on a throne and rule the Jewish people.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of an approaching camel.  He quickly stood, his eyes trying to pierce the darkness.  “Who is there?” he called. 

“A weary traveler,” came the quick reply as a figure came into the circle of light made by the fire.

The first man could see this was no robber, by the fancy trappings of the camel and the rich robes of its rider.  “I am very tired”, declared the man as he climbed off the kneeling camel.  “I have traveled far, following the wondrous star you see there,” he said, pointing to the bright star above them.
He had no more than spoken these words, when out of the darkness appeared a third man astride a great camel.  “I, too, am following the star,” he exclaimed!

The three men greeted one another in excitement and wonder.  All had followed the star and believed they were very close to finding the child whom they sought.  They gathered around the warmth of the fire and began to share a meal talking all the while about the new little king.

The first man took little cakes from a small basket and lay them on a stone in the fire to bake.  Another opened a clay pot and took from it fruit, among which were juicy, plump raisins.  As he passed them to the other men, several fell from his hand onto the baking cakes.  The third one opened a wineskin of the very sweetest red wine, which when he passed it to the others, splashed out onto the cakes.  In the heat of the fire, it quickly crystallized and became a red, sugary substance.

When the cakes were done and removed from the stone, how amazed they were, for each cake had turned into the shape of a star.  Each star had a raisin in the middle and was covered with a reddish sugar.  They smiled as they ate the strange cakes, for they were very sweet and delicious.  This was indeed a strange night.

The next day, the three travelers arrived in Jerusalem and inquired about the newborn king and learned that according the prophets of old, he would be born in Bethlehem.  That night, the star again appeared to them and led them straight to Bethlehem.  There they found the Child with his mother; a young woman called Mary, and her husband, Joseph.  They fell down and worshipped the Child and gave him the treasures they brought.

After they had left, Joseph and Mary talked much about the visit of the wise men.  They examined the rich gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh with amazement.

It was then they noticed a fourth gift placed near the Child; a small cake with a raisin in the center and a red sugary substance that glittered in the lamplight.  Together, they shared the soft, sweet cake. They did not, of course, realize they were partaking of a symbol of things to come to the little King they named Jesus.  The cake represented his body that someday would be broken for all mankind, while the raisin was a symbol for the fruit of the vine, showing his blood would be spilled to wash away the sins of those who accepted him as their eternal Savior.  The red sugar represented the sweet love of God, who so loved the world he sent his son as redemption for all who believed in him. 

God spoke to the three wise men as they left Bethlehem and told them to go home another way, for the wicked King Herod wanted to find the newborn Child and kill him.  So the men journeyed together in another direction for some time far from Bethlehem.

At last they reached a parting of ways and each took with him one of the star shaped cakes, wondering why they seemed so special and so holy.  They only knew this, these sweet little cakes had something to do with the future of the Holy Child, born in the little village of Bethlehem, who would one day be a great King.  

This is just a story I wrote a long time ago.  It isn’t actually scriptural because the Bible doesn’t say how many wise men came to worship Jesus.  Neither does it say how old Jesus was when they arrived, but it does say the Holy Family lived in a house and not in a stable.  No one knows how long they lived in Egypt or when they returned to Nazareth; only that at some time King Herod had died.

There are many traditions that people follow and one of those is that the Wise Men also were at the stable the night Jesus was born and that there were three of them.  That is not true, but it makes a nice story.  Nowhere in the Bible does it tell us we should have a Christmas tree or give gifts to each other. However, there is nothing wrong in following traditions as long as we don’t forget that ‘Jesus is the Reason for the Season’. 

"THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS"

The Gift of Christmas

“This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”        I John 4:10

Some of you are shopping for Christmas gifts and a few are already finished.  I spend a lot of time looking at ads in the paper and checking things on the internet trying to think what certain people would really like.  I don’t enjoy randomly buying just to get it over with.  It has to be a gift that I think one would like to have and enjoy. One of my favorite things to get for my grown grandchildren and other family members is a subscription to the “Guideposts” magazine.  It’s so inspiring and it is a gift that gives all year long.  When they are grown they have their own likes and dislikes, but who doesn’t like inspiring and encouraging stories?

Children can become so blinded by lights and glitter, they don’t connect Baby Jesus birth with the real gift of Christmas.  As a child, I knew only one thing about Christmas – Santa Claus!  Of course I heard the story about Baby Jesus who was born in a stable, but didn’t connect the two together for Christmas.  It took a few more years for me to realize that the word, ‘Christmas’ was used to celebrate the event of the birth of Jesus, because it shows us the ‘Christ’ in Christmas.  Several years went by; years of joy and years of unhappiness.  There was always a yearning in my heart for something more in life and didn’t know what it was until the day he let me see what was missing in my life; it was Jesus Christ.

He introduced himself to me 36 years ago and I was never to be the same again.  He took my sins and cast them in the depth of the sea, never to be remembered again.  I was forgiven of all the sinful things I did, or thought; I became a new person.  I pray that I continue to become a better person as I am led by the Holy Spirit. As time goes on I find myself being blessed over and over again.  I am so grateful that God sent His son to bring me out of darkness into His light.

Looking back, I can remember several special gifts I received at Christmas. The first one was my favorite doll, Ginger; white ice skates, my first skis, a stack of Nancy Drew books and my first lipstick.  I was very excited over all these gifts, but the greatest gift I ever received was Jesus.  When God gave his son, He gave the ultimate gift; his Son! We should really get very excited over this.

Let’s look deeper into this gift.  Why is it so great?

Number 1: We can live with abundant joy.

Number 2: We can find peace and contentment.

Number 3: We will never go without our needs being met.

Number 4: He promises that we will spend eternity in heaven.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea.  When we accept the gift he has for us, all these good things will be given to us.  We read in the Bible about Joseph and Mary, who traveled to Bethlehem where Jesus was born.  The shepherds came and worshiped the Baby and the wise men came from a great distance to pay homage to the Child.  They fell on their knees before Him because they knew and understood who he was. 

You cannot experience Christmas for what it is, if you don’t know the Christ in Christmas. Come Christmas morning, your heart should be full of joy and thankfulness for the gift of eternal life that he is offering.  Ask Jesus to be Lord of your life and he will stand by you in all circumstances.

Won’t you think about this? When we accept this Gift; we must pass it on to others.  What other gift would last forever and ever?  What other gift would cost you nothing and yet be more valuable than any other thing this world has to offer?  Make this Christmas the best you ever had by asking Jesus into your heart.