Good News
Posted By Russ Emerson on December 25, 2003 at 4:01 am
Matthew:
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.
But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel,”
which translated means, “GOD WITH US.” And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.
Mark:
John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey.
And he was preaching, and saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”
Luke:
Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.
While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
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. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.
John:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
All you post is true, and blesses those who choose to relate to it as true.
And true, too, is Jesus’ promise that ‘One, like unto the Son of Man’ would come to humankind AT THE TIME (when) 1) the Gospel is first taken to every nation as a witness (Matt 24:14); 2) when the times of the gentiles are fulfilled (Luke 21:24); and at the time that the 2,300-year prophecy of Daniel, known as abomination of desolation, runs out (Matt 24:15).
All three of Jesus’ inspired, all-knowing and holy promises, connected to 3 different processes, could only be influenced by humankind on the first two, because the third was functionally a ticking clock-timer, begun (see Book of Ezra) 457 years BC. All three of Jesus’ promises can be seen to have come to fruition in the same calendar year, when the Gospel was taken to every nation for the first time ever, on a widespread missionary basis AND the year that the Edict of Toleration required ending gentile control of the Holy Land AND the year that was precisely 2,300 years after 457 BC, namely, the year we now call 1844.
But in January, 1845 CHRISTIAN CLERGY introduced the damnable heresy of even denying our Lord Who redeems us had returned, privily, gently introducing their damnable heresy by saying, “…and we are piously awaiting your return, Lord…”(II Peter 2:1)
Now, in the year 160 of the new era, those same clergy want us to continue to deny our Lord Who redeems us has returned; deny our Lord Who redeems us meant to choose words which point to 1844; deny our Lord knew the difference between ‘in this day’ and ‘in that day’; deny our Lord actually KNEW that His holy and God-borne words would lead us to the One Who came, May 23, of that glorious year 1844!
But every Christmas becomes harder and harder to bear, as more and more people turn away from Jesusism and turn toward Christ in His New Name (Rev 3:12, 2:17), knowing that Micah 7:15 promised He’d be with humankind for 40 years, and He would have a New Name and His followers would have His new name…
Jesus told the truth. I believe Him, and I choose to accept the One promised by Jesus the Christ, Who came May 23rd, 1844 and Whose martyrdom July 9th, 1850 heralded this New Day in which we live.