The Grapevine Newsletter
Special Events and Announcements below
| How Do You Respond to JESUS? |
December 2008 |
In the 2nd chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew, we see the account of the Magi coming to Jerusalem to find the Christ child. I find this chapter especially significant, for in it, we see 3 different responses to Christ, responses that we still see today:
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.” Matthew 2:1-3
Herod was troubled. He was not willing to bow to another king. He was unwilling to sit under the rule of an almighty god. He took the prophecy seriously, but was willing to openly wage war against God.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools…” Rom 1:18-22
When someone chooses this path, when they know of God and simply choose against him, the bible says they are fools. The fool invariably ends up living a life of hostility toward God:
“The foolishness of man ruins his way, and his heart rages against the LORD.” Prov. 19:3
These people make a conscious decision to go their own way. No one is going to tell them what’s right or wrong.
“There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Proverbs 16:25
While it may be possible, I will work on the assumption that you do not fit this category. Generally people in this state of conscious rebellion against God are not attending church services. You may, however, fit in to the next category:
“When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.” Matthew 2:3
The people of Jerusalem were TROUBLED by news that their messiah had come. Troubling to me is that they needed the magi to point it out to them, and also that they didn’t jump for joy. These people had the word of God! Remember, Herod consulted the priests & they knew where the Christ was to be born. They had all the info. On top of that, they had already been informed of his birth a year or two before:
“In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."
When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us." So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.” Luke 2:8-18
Add to that the miracles that transpired when the baby Jesus was presented at the temple (Luke 2) and we see that what the magi had to say should not have taken the city by surprise, but for many, that’s exactly what happened.
There are many people in the church today, people who attend this church, who have knowledge of the scriptures. They know what it says, but they can’t point you to Christ any better than the people in the Jerusalem town square could for the magi. How can that be? Because THEIR JESUS, the messiah they’ve imagined and constructed in their minds, doesn’t match up to the one who actually came.
The Jews didn’t want a toddler for a savior. They had visions of a mighty military commander who would liberate them from Roman rule. Many people in the church today don’t want the savior that came, the one who offers the water of life freely to those who believe. They want a savior who will revoke his promise from the people who commit the sins that they themselves don’t commit. Or they may want a savior who is all love, all the time, and doesn’t care about sin. In short, they, like the people of Jerusalem, are idolaters:
“Then God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. "You shall have no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.” Exodus 20:1-4
If you say “to me, God is …” or “the Jesus I believe in…” and what follows doesn’t exactly match up with the word of God, it is idolatry, and it is NOT JESUS. There are a lot of people attending church today, with good intentions, who do good things, but have never put their faith in the Jesus of the Bible, who will receive a rude awakening one day:
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' Matthew 7:21-23
Notice verse 21 “..but he who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven WILL ENTER…” What’s that? If you don’t know, if you’re seeking the answer to that question, then you may want to pay special attention, because this is for you. The magi had heard a bit about this coming “King of the Jews”. They didn’t have the whole story, but God led them west. They weren’t finding what they were after, so they went to where the people this king was to rule over were. They asked around & eventually were pointed in the right direction. God still works this way:
“and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;” Acts 17:26-27
God put you in a particular place, in a particular time, to give you the best chance possible to come to know Him. If you will just grope for Him, if you want to know Him, you can. Jesus said that only those who have done the Father’s will may enter in to heaven. He wasn’t talking about only doing nice things. He wasn’t talking about not missing church. He was talking about something very specific:
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." John 6:37-40
If you believe, put your complete trust in, Jesus for eternal life, then you’ve got it. You’ve done the father’s will. Jesus says that He won’t cast you out, and that He won’t lose a single one. The scripture makes it plain, over and over, that faith in Jesus, and Him alone, equals ETERNAL life, a condition that cannot be changed, reduced, or revoked.
Ephesians chapter 2 describes this transaction as a free gift of God, and that before receiving that gift you were separate from Christ, far off, and after you are brought near. If you do this today, or tonight, or tomorrow, then you can be like the magi, and rejoice that you’ve found the Christ. Your searching is over.
How do you respond to Jesus? Are you at war with Him? Are you trying to construct your own idea of Him? Are you searching for Him? There is a free gift of eternal life there for the taking. I pray that this Christmas be the one on which you receive the greatest gift of all.
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It seems like a question with an obvious answer. But it isn’t. Most Christians recoil when they see Jesus’ title of “Christ” left off the word, being replaced by an X. And in truth, many people write Xmas rather than Christmas for the simple reason that they do not like to write His name. Others write it that way because they are too lazy to spend the extra second or two that would be necessary for them to write the additional four letters that are found in the longer version of the word.
The truth is, most people use Xmas today as a means of leaving out His title, but it did not start out that way. Originally, the X represented the Saint Andrew’s cross, a Christian symbol whose origins are in Western Europe. Andrew, of course, was one of the original twelve apostles. It was Andrew who led his brother Peter to the Lord, and thus was indirectly responsible for the conversion of three thousand souls in one day on the feast of Pentecost. He was the “founder” of personal evangelism. Andrew was proud to have been the lesser of the two brothers. He led many to the Lord, but he was personally called by the Lord Himself. He has been called the disciple of the private life, the apostle of the hearth.
The Saint Andrews cross has represented Christianity for many, many centuries, and has long been associated with the holiday that we call Christmas.
While there are many today who write “Xmas” with the idea of leaving God out, it was originally intended to honor both Christ and His first disciple, Andrew. It is certainly more appropriate to use the full word, “Christmas” today, but we ought not be too quick to judge that which we do not understand. Faithful saints have also written “Xmas.”
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Special Events and Announcements
December 2008
Welcome to Grace Christian Church! We hope you will feel right at home here. If you have any questions about the church, the Bible or anything else, please feel free to speak to one of the pastors. Thanks for coming and please join us again!
It’s nearing the end of the year, so it’s time once again to begin filling positions for next year. There are sign-up sheets on the bulletin board in the lobby for several important areas. Nursery & Junior Church are huge needs. The children’s ministry requires a lot of people to operate smoothly. If you’ve got a way with kids, have ever considered teaching, or even have children who attend nursery or junior church, you should consider this opportunity. Another area that is vital is the cleaning crew. It takes a lot of work to keep our church looking clean and inviting, and we need your help. If you sign up, you’ll be teamed with others & only be responsible for one weekend per month. We appreciate all the hard work and dedication of the 2008 cleaning crew, nursery workers and junior church teachers. We pray that 2009 will be just as fruitful!
Angel Food distribution will be on Saturday, December 20th from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The next order date will be Saturday, January 3rd, from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Please see Pastor Nate or Ganna for more information. Volunteers are needed for the distribution as there are more orders than normal. Please be at the church around 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 20th.
With all the hustle and bustle that comes with the holiday season, it is often too easy to forget about helping others. Here are two great ways you can be a blessing: FEED THE HUNGRY—The Angel Food program is a great way to meet a need. For $30 you can purchase enough food to feed 1 person for a month, or a family of 4 for a week (try pulling that off at the local grocery store!). If you order in December, the food will come in the Saturday before Christmas—great timing! If you don’t know of a needy family, you can still order & we will distribute it for you. See Nate or Ganna Mosley for more information. MAKE SOMEONE’S CHRISTMAS A LITTLE MERRIER — We will have a “giving tree” up in the coming weeks. On it you will find descriptions of gifts for needy families. Simply take the slip for the need you want to meet, buy the gift, and put it in the collection bit in the lobby. Once all the gifts are taken care of, we will have a “wrapping party” & deliver the gifts. Whatever route you choose, just make sure you don’t miss out on the blessing of BEING a blessing this holiday season.
“...you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Acts 20:35
Christmas Eve falls on a Wednesday this year. The service will be at 5:00 pm instead of the usual 7:00 p.m. to accommodate family gatherings. Also the middle school youth group, Rat Pack, will be performing their black light production to We Are The Reason following service.
The annual New Year’s Eve party will start at 6:00 pm. Be sure to join us for fun & food. If you’ve never attended, we eat, play games, eat, watch movies, and eat. At a few minutes before midnight, we gather in the sanctuary and pray the new year in together—then we eat some more! Bring your favorite game or dish, and enjoy a safe fun night for the whole family.
The nursing home ministry due to some logistical problems has chosen a new nursing home to visit. Please see Scotty or Nicole Ritchie for details.
Friday night bible studies are still going on. We gather in the basement/fellowship hall in a relaxed atmosphere and cover a wide range of topics. Whether you're looking for another opportunity to get into the Word or just want to get to know people a little better, come on out! It is Friday nights at 7:00 p.m.
Ruby Tuesdays is now on Monday's at 6:30 p.m. in the basement/fellowship hall. The ladies are studying a book on the Proverbs 31 woman. They would love to see new people. For more information, please see Jenny Mosley or Ganna Mosley.
Grace Christian sweatshirts and hoodies are on sale now! Available in lots of sizes and colors ( including children's). Also, for the ladies there is a football jersey. Shirts are still for sale, too. We do need a minimum quantity of shirts sold before we can place order. Payment is due at time of pick up. Please see Stu or Elaine Way with any questions.
If you would like to borrow tables or chairs from the church, please check with the pastors first. Thank you!!
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Want to get involved but not sure what to do? There is always room for help in the nursery, jr. church, music or cleaning ministries, or come out for one of the Bible studies. It’s a great way to get to know your church family and learn more about the Lord. If you are interested in helping in one of the ministries, please talk to one of the pastors and see Shelly Mosley about the schedule.