Mistakes Made About the Messiah’s Birth

The word Christmas cannot be found one-time in God’s Word. That means it is impossible to put “Christ back into Christmas,” since He was never there! Christ was born prior to 4 B.C., since Herod died in 4 B.C. But, Herod was alive at the birth of Jesus Christ (Matthew 2:1).

Contrary to what you have heard, Jesus Christ is NOT “the reason for the season.” Catholicism and Visa and Master Card and Macy’s are the “reason for the season.” The corrupted church introduced the “mass of Christ” which was then shorted to “Christ’s Mass”, and now we have CHRISTMAS!!!

We can read prophecies and fulfillment of prophecy in regard to the Savior’s birth (Isaiah 7:17; 9:6; Micah 5:2; Hosea 11:1; Matthew 1-2; Luke 2). Many religious groups will have large crowds at this time of the year, made up of many folks who will not darken the doors of the church building until “Easter” Sunday. Some of my brethren now host “Christmas” parties to compete with their “Easter” celebrations and “dedication” of babies and elder reaffirmations!

MISTAKE # 1: December 25th is the exact date of Christ’s birth. This date was arbitrarily set by the corrupted church in the 5th century. Dates for His birth have been set in almost every month of the year. It is not at all likely that His birth was in the winter time. Jesus prophesied the coming destruction of Jerusalem in Matthew 24:19-20, “But woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter…” Travel in the cold rainy season would be more difficult for a mother. Joseph and Mary made a 65 mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be enrolled (Luke 2:1-5). This was by decree of Caesar, and was to insure all paid their tax. The powers that be, like today would want all to be counted. They would pick a time when travel would be easy, not difficult.

MISTAKE # 2: The Bible commands us to commemorate His birth! Nowhere does the Bible authorize Christians to celebrate the birth of Jesus. We are commanded to commemorate His death, burial, and resurrection. This we do each Lord’s day (Acts 20:7; Matthew 26:26-29; I Corinthians 11:20-ff; 15:14). We celebrate the “birth” of Christ from the tomb, through His glorious resurrection! The “trees” in our homes, decorated with baubles of various shapes and colors are borrowed from the fatherland: Germany! Our “feasts” with loved ones come from pagan feasts to the god of harvest (Saturn); and the god of light (Mithras). Let us keep our traditions separate from paganism and enjoy time with friends and family.

MISTAKE # 3: The Bible says there were THREE wise men who came! WHERE does the Bible tell me so? Matthew 2:1-3 begins, “Wise-men from the east came…” There were at least two magi who desired to give three types of gifts to the Messiah. There could have been 2 or 20; or 4 or 40. The Bible does not say. Haven’t you ever wondered why three strangers inquiring about a baby caused such a stir?? “And when Herod the king heard it, he was TROUBLED, and all Jerusalem with him.” (Matthew2:3 Emphasis mine, JW). When you look on a nativity scene, a Christmas pageant, or one of your cards, take a moment and count ‘em! There are always three (3) wise-men!

MISTAKE # 4: The wise men (3 or 30) visited the baby in the stable! Again, look on church lawns with the manger scene, and there you will see the THREE wise men. The Bible does not say they came to the stable where Jesus was born! Let your fingers do the walkin’ and let the Bible do the talking’: “And they (the magi, JW) came into the HOUSE and saw the young CHILD with Mary His mother; and they (the magi – JW) fell down and worshipped…” (Matthew 2:11 – Emphasis mine, JW). The shepherds were at the manger. Tradition dictates the animals; not the Bible. The wise-men came into a “house” to see the “child,” not a babe. Their arrival was at least 40 days after His birth, could have been much more! Herod’s decree was to kill all male children up to two years of age (Matthew 2:16). 1 Thessalonians 5:21 still reads, “Prove all things…”

MISTAKE # 5: Mary rode a donkey and the 3 wise-men rode camels! Let me challenge you to find book, chapter, and verse authority for either of those traditions! The Bible nowhere teaches any such thing. Christmas cards influence more people than the Word of God. The weather conditions for the night of the Savior’s birth are likewise unknown to man today. Let us be careful to separate FACT from FICTION, whether it is in regards to the birth of Jesus Christ, or any other subject of God’s Word!!

We rejoice that Christ Jesus was born. Without His coming, we would be without a perfect sacrifice, without the conquering of death, without hope of resurrection; hence, no salvation attainable or possible. We do celebrate the coming of the Messiah, and His coming again! Let us not celebrate in a religious way, those things that God has not commanded nor authorized! “And whatsoever ye do, in word or indeed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17).

Jess Whitlock

YOU CAN STILL FIND THE CHURCH OF THE BIBLE

In 1942 when I was in Kansas City, someone stole my car. I had a new 1942 model NASH automobile. My car was gone! I did not know which way to turn. So I called the police. When they came, they began to ask questions. They asked, “What kind of car is it? What is the name of the car?” Suppose I said, “It doesn’t make any difference about a name. Just go find me a car.” They asked, “What model is it? When was it made?”

Suppose I said, “It doesn’t make any difference when it was made. Just get me a car. The model is immaterial.” Suppose that they had come back with an old 1914 model. I would have decided it did make a difference, would I not? I suspect that if I had talked to those policemen like that, they would have said, “He is drunk; we had better lock him up.” Yet I can talk to the world about the church and say, “It does not make any difference about the name, makes no difference when it was started, no difference what it does,” and the world says I am a scholar. If I had talked that way to the police, they would have said I was a drunk!

Yes, they have destroyed every identification mark of the church. But let me tell you, you can find the church that Jesus built, if you will get out and look for it in as sensible a manner as those police looked for my car.

G. K. Wallace

If You Had Died for the Sins of the World How Would You Feel?

  • When men took your name in vain?
  • When men damaged their bodies dabbling in sin instead of glorifying you as their savior in their bodies?
  • When men fussed and got angry among themselves in which you had established and thus brought reproach upon you?
  • When men chose to go somewhere else on the day which you had set aside for men to worship you?
  • When men refused to obey what you said they had to do to gain the benefit of your death?
  • When men did not appreciate your sacrifice enough to stay for the supper you had left as a memorial of it?
  • When men did not respect you enough to wear your name?
  • When men did not care whether their conduct caused anyone else to stumble?

Did you ever stop to think? The Son of God probably would think the same as you would about such thoughtless people.

Author Unknown

The 5 B’s of Baptism

There is much confusion about baptism. Many do not believe that a person must be baptized to be saved from his sons. Others say baptism is necessary for salvation. Some say sprinkling or pouring are acceptable forms of baptism. Others say only immersion in water is acceptable. There is only one way to settle the confusion about baptism. We must go to the New Testament, which is the law for all men today. What does the Bible tell us about baptism? Its teaching is clear on this subject. Let us notice the five “B’s” of Bible baptism.

First, baptism is a BURIAL. Notice the apostle Paul’s statement in Romans 6:3-4: “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were into His death? Therefore we were buried with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Paul states clearly that baptism is a burial. To bury something is to cover it completely. Sprinkling or pouring will not substitute for the burial which baptism demands. In fact, the word “baptism” itself means “to immense, dip, plunge.” Bible baptism is a burial.

Second, baptism is for BELIEVERS. Bible baptism is for those who can show they believe in Jesus, the Son of God. In Mark 16:16, Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” No where in the New Testament will one find a person baptized who was not able to express his belief in Christ. In Acts 8:12 we read, “But when they believed Philip as preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.” Notice that “both men and women” were baptized, not little children. Why? Because baptism is for believers, not babies. Babies are born innocent. They are not guilty of the sins of their parents, as some teach (Ezekiel 18:20). Jesus used little children as examples of humility, and said we must become like them to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:1-5). Would Jesus use sinful children as examples of what we must become to be pleasing to God? Certainly not!

Third, baptism is BEFORE the forgiveness of sins. Jesus made this clear in His statement, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Jesus said belief AND baptism bring salvation. He did not say belief brings salvation, and then one is baptized. One cannot be saved without baptism. In Acts 22:16, Saul of Tarsus, a man who believed in Christ, repented, and confessed Jesus as Lord, still had to be baptized to wash away his sins. There  is not a single instance in the New Testament where anyone was said to be saved until he was baptized. Baptism comes BEFORE forgiveness.

Fourth, baptism is the BIRTH of the Christian. It is the beginning of the Christians’s life. In John 3:5, Jesus told a man named Nicodemus, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” To be born of water and the Spirit involves being baptized in water in obedience to the teaching of the Holy Spirit. How does the Spirit teach us? He does so through the Word of God. In the New Testament we learn of the importance of being baptized in water. So it is the Spirit who teaches us to be baptized as we read His Word. This is what the apostle Paul meant in I Corinthians 12:13. “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free – and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” Paul says all must be baptized into the body of Christ, which is the church (Ephesians 1:22-23). It is by the teaching of the Spirit through the Word that we learn of our need to do this. Then, we must “drink into one Spirit,” which means we are to continue to study the Word which the Holy Spirit has given – the New Testament. We must grow in our knowledge of God’s Word, and we must remain faithful in the one church (Revelation 2:10).

The final “B” is that Bible baptism is where the BLOOD of Christ is applied to cleanse us from our sins. Can a person be saved from his sins without the blood of Christ? No! But only in baptism is the blood applied from Heaven to take away our sins. The blood of Jesus was shed in His death. The soldier pierced the side of the slain Savior of the world, and “...immediately blood and water came out” (John 19:34). Then, in Romans 6:3-4, Paul speaks of being buried in the “likeness” of Christ’s death through baptism. The blood that was shed in Christ’s death is reached only in the likeness of His death – baptism. In Revelation 1:4-5, John says Jesus washed us from sins in His blood. When does that washing take place? It is the washing of baptism. Remember what Ananias said to Saul of Tarsus: “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” When we look at Acts 22:16 and Revelation 1:4-5, we conclude that in baptism the blood of Jesus is applied to wash away our sins.

We should never forget the five “B’s of baptism. They remind us of what the Bible teaches about this very important subject. The Bible says baptism is a BURIAL. It is for BELIEVERS, those who can express their belief in Christ. It comes BEFORE forgiveness of sins. It is the BIRTH of the Christian, and it is where the precious BLOOD of Jesus is applied to wash away our sins. Have you received BIBLE baptism?

Author Unknown

Jesus' Testament

By means of a “last will and testament,” men indicate the desired disposition of their property at death. The title page of the latter section of our Bibles reads, “The New Testament of Jesus Christ.” While uninspired publishers supplied this title page, the inspired text refers to itself as the will or testament of the Lord:

For where a testament is, there must of necessity be the death of him that made it. For a testament is of force where there hath been death: for it doth never avail while he that made it liveth (Hebrews 9:16–17, ASV).

The immediate context (vv. 11–15) makes it clear that the will/testament of the Christ is in view in the quoted verses.

 Several parallels exist between the making and execution of human wills and the making and execution of Jesus’ last will and testament:

  • While living, one may dispose of his property as he desires. However, when he dies, if he has a will, his estate will be dispersed only to those named in the will and according to its conditions, if any. Jesus gave many blessings, including forgiveness of sins, on various conditions during His earthly life, but since He died, His written will prevails.
  •  A will takes effect only when its maker dies. This fact is no less true of the Divine will of Jesus than of human wills (Heb. 9:16–17). Jesus referred to the blood He shed on Calvary as “my blood of the new testament” (Matthew 26:28, KJV), signaling that it would go into effect at His death. This fact coincides with Paul’s statement that at Jesus’ death on the cross, he took the Old Testament “out of the way, nailing it to the cross” (Col. 2:14). It will be in effect as long as the world stands (Matthew 28:18–20).
  • A person must be qualified to write a will. Human testators must have attained majority, be of sound mind, and not be influenced by coercion or by a mind-altering chemical substance. Jesus was qualified in every respect, possessing Divine wisdom and knowledge (John 12:49). He was not subject to coercion (John 10:17–18). None can invalidate His will. He declared, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
  • A new will voids all previous wills. While living, one may replace or revise a will several times, but at death, only the last one he made has legal standing. God gave a testament/covenant through Moses to Israel fifteen centuries before Jesus was born. However, God made a new covenant/testament for all mankind through His Son. He “took away” the first one in His death (Hebrews 10:8–9). Thus Jesus “nailed to the cross” the first testament’s authority (Colossians 2: 14). One finds true religion only in the New Testament, not in the old (Hebrews 1:1–3). Only the last will of the Lord is in force.
  • One must meet the conditions of the will to be an heir. One does not inherit merely on the basis of desire, feelings, or belief that he should, but upon meeting the will’s provisions (Matthew 7:21–23). Only God’s children are heirs (Romans 8:17) of the inheritance that is “incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away” (I Peter 1:4). These are named in the “book of life” that will be opened at the “reading” of Jesus’ will, otherwise known as The Judgment (John 12:48; Revelation 20:11–15).

 The principal aim of each one of us should be to so submit to the will of the Christ that He will inscribe—and keep—our names in the book of life as beneficiaries of His Testament.

Dub McClish

What Does Jesus Christ Mean to You?

To the geologist, He is the Rock of Ages.

To the builder, He is the Foundation.

To the doctor, He is the Great Physician.

To the jeweler, He is the Pearl of Great Price.

To the pilgrim, He is the Way.

To the weary, He is Rest.

To the thirsty, He is the Water of Life.

To the philosopher, He is the Wisdom of God.

To the banker, He is the Hidden Treasure.

To the educator, He is the Great Teacher.

To the farmer, He is the Lord of the Harvest.

To the sinner, He is the Lamb of God that takes away sin.

Author Unknown