Good morning to all!   ‘Tis the season to be jolly.  Ho! Ho! Ho!  and all that good stuff. Remember those who need our prayers. I hope all of you have a season of peace and love. Know this - that everyone has someone that loves them and that Jesus that was born 2000 years ago.  He was born to:   

Show us the way to eternal life (John 14:6)

Show God's love for you (John.3:16)

and to Demonstrate His personal love for you (Hebrews12:2).

Matthew1:23 "Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us." God has set out to prove he is through out the history of the Bible by doing the impossible and by giving enough evidence for a person to believe it. The virgin birth of Jesus is no exception. First, He foretold of the event years before it happened.  He foretold of the family in which it would happen (David's), of the place (Bethlehem) when (days of Roman empire) what He would be called (God with us) and where He would be from (Egypt, Nazareth).  Now, read Matthew Chapter 1 and 2 this morning and watch how God controlled the situation to make all these prophecies come true.

Notice that long line of so-so begat so-so names (which you might not be able to pronounce properly) gives the lineage of Jesus.  The Jews had been documenting and keeping records of their births since the days of the Book of Numbers.  The Jews knew the Savior of Promise was to come through the tribe of Judah and of the seed of David.   That list of so-so begat so-so was to prove to the Jews (the Book of Matthew was in wide circulation by 40 AD) that Jesus could be the Savior with the records of such births kept by the Jews in the temple at Jerusalem. If there was any doubt, they could go look it up for themselves in the temple records. In  70 AD, the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed and since that day, there is not a Jew on the face of the earth that can prove what tribe he belongs to much less that he is of the seed of David.  So, anyone born after 70 AD, who claims to be the Savior of promise, has no proof. Jesus had the proof and offered it then and now. Next week, I'll prove the virgin birth, but, for now, read about the birth of the Savior for yourself in Matthew Chapter 1 and 2.   Realize that all that God has done for you would be in vain if you reject his salvation and are eternally lost. Peter said in Acts 2:38 “repent and be baptized everyone of for the remission of sins.” Let Jesus reign in your life and in your heart and have a great Christmas!  

Love,

Your Chaplain Tex