EMMANUEL - God (Jesus) Wth Us

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.

Matthew 1:23

For years I have loved a certain song that used to be sung often, but afraid the modern era has all but pushed it to one side. A part of it says:

Jesus is the sweetest name I know,

And He's just the same,

As His Lovely name.

And that's the reason why I love Him so,

For Jesus is the sweetest name I know.

Is that true of you and me at this Christmas season? There are names I love...Brian, Jennie,

Beverly and Johnny, my immediate family but are they the sweetest names I know....don't think so. Jesus is the only One Who has the right to that position. Just some thoughts about Jesus at this time.

J – Joy to the world, the Lord is come;

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room,

And heaven and nature sing, And heaven and nature sing

And heaven and heaven and nature sing.

E – Emmanuel, Emmanuel

His name is called, Emmanuel;

God with us, revealed in us;

His name is called...Emmanuel

S – Sing we now of Christmas, Noel, sing we here!

Hear our grateful praises, to the Babe so dear.

Sing we Noel, the King is born, Noel!

Sing we now of Christmas, sing we now Noel!

U – (For) Unto us a Child is born; for unto us a Child is given.

And the government shall be upon His shoulders.

And His name shall be called...

Wonderful

Counselor

The Mighty God

The Everlasting Father

The Prince of Peace.

S – Sing, choir of angels, sing in exultation,

O sing, all ye bright hosts of heaven above!

Glory to God, all glory in the highest!

O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!

May this be a season of praise and adoration for each of us that should be a time that carries over into every day of the upcoming new year.

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow,

Praise Him all creatures here below.

Praise Him above , ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Amen!

The Red Bike

For the wages of sin is death,

but the gift of God is eternal life

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23

I had gone through the procedure my parents had asked me to go through even though I really didn't agree with them. Up until age 8, I had a scooter. I really wanted a bike, but in those days, there weren't various sizes of bikes for different sizes of children. You got a ladies bicycle when you finally got a bike. However, my parents assured me that if I stuck with riding my scooter well, I wouldn't have to learn how to ride a bike...like I believed that. One summer evening though, a neighbor girl let me try to ride her bike and I took off like you wouldn't believe. I could balance the bike and steer the bike...just didn't know how to put the brakes on the bike. I couldn't wait to go tell my parents. I just knew I was ready for a bike.

That Christmas just before my eighth birthday, there by our Charlie Brown Christmas tree stood a beautiful bright red bike. It didn't take long though to see that it was a used bike that my dad had painted at the body shop attached to the car dealership where he was the service manager. As I looked at it, the handle bars were sort of an odd shape. When I took it out to ride, the right pedal made a clicking sound as the pedal would slightly strike a part of the bike frame. There wasn't a bell on it nor a basket. I would end up getting those for my birthday in just a few weeks, but didn't know that at the time. My bike didn't begin to compare with bikes other friends got that year, but I knew it was what my parents wanted me to have. I was riding that bike until I went to college. I think I must have ridden it up and down every block in our town, even later, on occasion out to the city lake with some teen friends. That bike was my friend and often my escape when some days weren't going so well and I felt the need of riding with the wind in my face.

When I graduated from college, I worked for a year at a nearby Baptist Children's Home as a cottage parent to about 16 girls of different ages. Our place was right next to the city park. Once and only once, I suggested to the older girls that we go for a bike ride in the park. I left the younger girls with an assistant, the rest of us grabbed bikes and we took off toward the park. As I took off on the bike I grabbed, I suddenly heard “click, click, click” as I was pedaling the bike. I looked at the handle bars and they were odd in shape. A closer look at the very rusty front fender revealed some bits and pieces of bright red paint. It was my old bike...my old friend. My Mother had given my bike to the children's home and I wasn't aware of it. It was okay with me but what a shock to be riding my old bike that had been given me when a little girl. I could have selected any bike on the bike rack but as God often surprises us, I had the joy of riding my old friend once again.  That bike ended up being a gift that kept on giving.

There are many kinds of gifts that keep giving and those are the gifts that are the most meaningful and even memorable. Christmas is a time for giving and what is given doesn't have to be gifts that are large or expensive...not even a bright red, used bicycle. There are many ways during this holiday time we can give. Material gifts are fine. I'm afraid though that children are often trained in that process that Christmas is all about what they find under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning.  With every pile of gifts under our trees, we are telling our children our reason for the season.  On that morning, parents can read the Christmas story until they are blue in the face, but let me tell you that children have other things on their mind.  There may be some folks we know who could use a gift certificate for a gas station or grocery store. Those things will melt into memory. Perhaps a young mom could use the gift of babysitting for a few hours. These are gifts that stay in one's mind and that the receiver may in turn pass on at a later time to others in need.

God is our example in giving although there's no way we can match all He has given us and continues to give us. He topped off everything in giving us His son Jesus. That's what Paul refers to in Romans 6:23. God gave us the gift of His Son and this IS the Gift that keeps on giving and giving and giving. At this Christmas season, I would hope we all could take moments alone with God in thanksgiving for His goodness to us in sending Jesus who would later die for us personally as well as for the sin of mankind . All of this is ours so that we might experience eternal life,...never ending, along with His joy unspeakable and full of glory.

"Joy to the world, the Lord IS come..."

Thank You Father for the greatest gift of all. We hear “Jesus is the reason for the season” but one has to wonder when we see the full shopping carts of so many who don't seem to give Your Son a thought. Thank you for giving us Your Son Jesus...the Gift that keeps on giving. Thank You for Your wonderful gift to us that we might have life and joy in abundance.

Amen.

Ahhh...Fresh Bread

I am the bread of life:

he that cometh to me shall never

hunger; and he that believeth on

me shall never thirst.

John 6:35

Just a block or so from Central Jr. High School where I spent my 7^th and 8^th grade years, there was a bakery. Students would often go there at lunch time and some would purchase a loaf of bread and have the baker slice the loaf in half for two people to share. They would then go to a nearby dairy store and purchase a stick of butter. They would ask the waitress to cut the butter in half. Each person would stuff their half of the stick of butter down inside of their half loaf of warm bread and let the butter melt. They then had a feast fit for a king. (That is, unless you preferred to gnaw on a giant size dill pickle instead of anything else.)

Bread has been considered a staple food down through centuries. It is made up of simple flour and water but depending on who is baking the bread, there are other things added to that mixture to get the desired type of bread the baker wants. Bread is prized for it's quality, aroma and taste. Should a loaf of bread become hard or dry, it is considered to be stale.

There are two parts to a loaf of bread. The inner part of the loaf of bread is officially referred to as the “crumb.” The outer part of the loaf, is the “crust.” It is the oldest of prepared foods we know of from history. The word “companion” of Latin root can be broken down into two parts:

com – that means “with”

panis – that means “bread”

Thus, bread is broken or eaten with someone who is considered a companion at the time of the eating of bread. This is true especially as we take of the Lord's Supper or Communion in our churches when we meet as a church family to share the bread during that time.

No household wants to be without bread in the cupboard. It is often used for toast at breakfast time. Sandwiches are frequently eaten for lunch both in the home as well as taken in school lunch boxes. Chefs cook using bread...turkey dressing, bread pudding but then there's an old familiar staple that anyone of most any age can make and enjoy...bread and jelly.

There are many metaphors connected with the word “bread” such as:

breadwinner

putting bread on the table (as in earning a living)

hit him in the bread basket

bread and water (that I was always taught was served to inmates in prison)

Best thing since sliced bread.

But the greatest truth I have found regarding bread is Jesus' claim that He is the Bread of Life and that's no metaphor. Jesus had a lot to do with bread. He fed thousands of hungry people with it along with a few little fish. Bread would sustain those people until they could get back to their homes. He broke bread probably on many occasions with His disciples, but we are most aware of His last evening with them before going to the cross the next day. T that time He broke bread with them saying, “This is my body which is broken for you.”

If Jesus is our “bread” then how does that translate into our own lives?

1. Jesus is our staple.
   When referring to a “staple,” I'm not talking about a little metal wire that holds sheets of paper together. The definition of staple in our present usage refers to something for which the demand is constant...something of consistent use or appeal. I just love that, for that is Who and what Jesus is to us as the Bread of Life. He is in constant demand or should be and is in consistent use by us. Just as we feel we must have regular bread, far more, we in reality need this wonderful Bread of Life...Jesus.

2. Jesus never spoils.
   If not properly stored, the bread we purchase will become moldy, hard, and unusable. Jesus never rots or hardens. Jesus is sinless, perfect and can be trusted completely because of His purity. Because of His being sinless, He was the only perfect sacrifice for you and me as He died on the cross for the remission of our sin.

3. Jesus feeds us.
   As the perfect Bread, He is our sustenance spiritually speaking. He is our strength and as He feeds us, we grow in Him.

4. Jesus is refreshing.

I am someone who could live on sandwiches....bologna, ham, cheese, scrambled egg

sandwiches...you name it...I like it. When I'm really hungry, nothing tastes better to me than a sandwich with two pieces of fresh WHITE bread, spread with Miracle Whip, a slice of cheese, a big slice of a homegrown tomato and a couple of pieces of beef bologna. Why be so descriptive?...because it is refreshing just to think about it even though I'm not hungry right now. Jesus loves to feed us through the teaching of His Word. It should be as refreshing to your favorite sandwich would be for you.

5. Jesus never grows stale.
   Everything about Him is new and fresh everyday that you and I awaken, when our feet hit the floor running to meet a new day. No matter how often we have read His Word, even in many of the old familiar wrinkled, underlined areas of our Bibles, the newness and freshness of Who Jesus is comes through in the most remarkable of ways.

6. Jesus thinks of everything.
   Did you notice in the beginning verse that Jesus not only says we'll never hunger because of His being our Bread of Life, but He also adds that we'll never thirst either. As much as I love a good sandwich, I always want something to wash it down with. He not only satisfies our hunger for the living Bread that He is but our thirst is quenched for the living water He also provides.

The next time or periodically as we bite into some warm toast, grilled cheese sandwich or even a club sandwich from a deli, may we stop to think of our Savior who is our wonderful and refreshing Bread of Life and Who satisfies our thirst as well.

Our Father, Who art in Heaven...

Hallowed be Thy name.

Thy Kingdom come...Thy will be done,

on earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread....

and Father, may we never take for granted that daily bread or the Bread of Life Your Son is in our own lives. We pray for a close relationship with that precious Bread of Life everyday in every way. Thank You for Your provision of all things at all times....I love you. Amen.