Do you know why Jesus was born in Bethlehem's manger, 2,000 years ago?  Do you know when His impending birth was first announced to the world? Who was the first one to hear from the mouth of Almighty God Himself that a Saviour would be born Who would take back what Adam had given away? Do you know why He had to be born to a virgin?

Most people today have heard of Jesus Christ -whether they know anything about Him or not. But many of those who have claimed Him as their Lord and Saviour actually know very little about the truth of His birth, life, death and resurrection -and even less concerning why He came. It is this lack of knowledge that has kept many from becoming born again in Christ, and it is largely this same lack of knowledge that will fill hell to overflowing with those who might otherwise have enjoyed eternal life in heaven with Him.

We are not told when God actually decided that a Saviour would be needed for the people of His creation, but we can rest assured these plans were made long before the Garden of Eden and the creation of Adam. As God sees the end from the beginning, Adam's fall was no particular surprise; when it happened, God simply went to Plan B.

What would our world be like today, had Adam not abdicated his godship over the Earth? The answer to this will amaze you. First, there would be no sin of any kind: Adam and Eve were without sin, until they ate of the forbidden fruit. There would be no sickness, pain, or disease: these things, along with all forms of sin and God-lessness, came into the Earth when Satan took over Adam's chair.

Our history would have recorded no wars nor any other breach of peace. The Great Flood of Noah's day would never have taken place, and all history books would likely be little more than genealogical records -and lists of accomplishments. The Earth would be a serene garden, an extension of Eden, enlarged to accommodate each successive generation born to the descendants of the first human residents of that pristine, carefully ordered place.

Had Adam not fallen for Satan's lie, every human being on Earth today could go and visit with Adam and Eve at their home: thousands of years old, they would still be alive, healthy and unchanged from their creation in the Garden of Eden!

It would be possible to meet and talk with Cain and Abel, and every other descendant of Adam and Eve -because every human being born since Adam and Eve were created would still be alive and well!

Why is it called "Adam's sin", and referred to as "original sin"? Until the incident with the forbidden fruit, there was no sin in the Earth; Eve was deceived by the serpent, Satan -but Adam was not. Adam walked with God and knew first-hand his office as "god" of the Earth; he therefore knew that eating of the forbidden fruit was disobedience and rebellion, but he did it anyway.

Today we would say he went into it with "both eyes open": he knew what he was doing was wrong, and therefore had no defense of any kind to plead. He lost his entire position -his throne, if you will- and Eve lost her position as well, brought down by her willingness to listen to the opinion of someone other than God.

Today there are countless millions of people worldwide who are in the same boat with Eve -and for the same reason. Until you listen to God and obey Him, the devil will eat you for lunch every day that dawns!

Our texts for this message: "Genesis:2:16: And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: Gen:2:17: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." "Gen:3:5: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Gen:3:6: And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." "Gen:3:13: And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done?  And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." "Gen:3:15: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. 16: Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee."

There are so many lessons to be gleaned from these Scriptures -and others in this same time frame- that a large book could be written. But for the purposes of our study here, we will touch on only a relative few, developing each to better understand how the birth of Jesus Christ evolved out of this incident long ago.

It is noteworthy that God put the tree in the Garden to begin with. However, in all things God has ever given to everyone the right to choose: this is the widely misunderstood "free will" every human being ever born into the Earth was gifted with, as a part of the human legacy of the "family of man". To fully understand, one must let go of silly ideas such as those held by the treehuggers, animals-rights activists, and others who attempt to supplant the laws of God with their own God-less notions of how things should be.

God planted that tree in the midst of the Garden, not as a temptation -but rather as an alternative: if someone chose to disagree with His edicts, they could exercise their right to choose, by their choice accepting the consequences assigned to their rebellious choice. Even unto today, this law of God has not changed. Those who sin will receive the consequences of that sin -not because God is "watching" them but- because He judged every possible wrongful action as sin and assigned a penalty to it. Committing the act sets in motion the reaction, and a sin debt is created that will be paid.

Here is where those who do not wish to obey God set themselves on the path to hell, and here is where the immutability or unchanging aspect of God's laws is first seen: people may change in their desire to observe the ancient laws and live by them -but the law is not changed by their unwillingness to obey it. "Gravity" is a law of God, and it still works. You may decide that you will not obey this law -but if you drop a brick on your foot you will instantly learn that this law of God was not changed by your silly decision!

Those who understand this "cause and effect" are not surprised by the fact that AIDS afflicts many who engage in homosexuality and lesbianism, acts that God judged to be "abominations" in His eyes long before man came upon the Earth. Such truth also reveals why no "cure" for AIDS will ever be found: God will never permit anyone to "enjoy their sin" free of the penalties of it. Every other sin -which is defined as anything that misses the mark or standard set by God- has been similarly judged, and penalties assigned.

Another lesson learned from Eve is that of associating with temptation: she was flirting with disaster by even going near the tree. This is the same trap young people today fall into when they hang out with kids who smoke cigarettes or dope, drink alcohol, and spend time with members of the opposite sex. Sooner or later, temptation will overpower common sense and Satan will start another young soul on the wide, high-speed highway to hell.

Almost every human being on Earth can be tempted; however, there are many who have the power through Jesus Christ to resist and refuse temptation: "1John:4:4: Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."  Even so, a key element in resisting temptation is the avoidance of it: stay away from where it is found and your task will be much easier. Your mind will find a justification for your involvement in sin -if you hang around it long enough.

Over the years, many "would-have-been-great" preachers of the Gospel have fallen, brought down by attempting to evangelize in bars, brothels, gambling halls, and the like. The only possible, successful method of evangelizing drunkards, prostitutes, homosexuals, gamblers, liars, abortionists -and others who are "enjoying" their life of sin- is that of meeting them in a neutral place where you can maintain control of the situation and the conversation. Otherwise, you may end up like a priest I heard of recently; he had needle tracks on his arms, just like the heroin addict he was attempting to evangelize!

What does all of the above have to do with Christmas? Everything. Everything concerning life is interwoven with everything else -and until you understand what "sin" is and how it devastates the quality of human life, you cannot understand why it is so critically important to live free of a sin burden. Similarly, you cannot understand the birth of Jesus Christ until you understand the causes that required His birth.

Genesis 3:15 contains the foreknowledge of things to come, and also contains the basic reason for Jesus being born to a virgin -instead of being born as a result of physical sexual intercourse. This is a truth that has escaped the awareness of many, including those masters of misinformation who teach in many seminaries and divinity schools, and who do not have a clue as to why the "virgin birth" was necessary -or even that it actually took place! To deny the virgin birth as impossible is to deny the power of God to accomplish the impossible -as man would consider possibility.

The penalty for the sin of disobeying God by eating the forbidden fruit was accorded to Adam, the man to whom dominion over all the Earth had been given, and although Eve suffered for her disobedience, she escaped the full force of the judgment because she actually was deceived, and because her position in life was in subjection to Adam. Therefore, the penalty became known as Adam's sin and thus a part of his legacy that would accrue to every man who followed him in successive generations, even unto this day in 1998.

Eve did not have this sin baggage. So, a saviour who would appear at some future time had to be free of Adam's sin, necessitating therefore the birth of a man who was not imbued with the sin-debt of Adam -and that individual must of necessity be one who was conceived without the assistance of a man. Or, in other words, must be of the "seed" of the woman, and therefore untainted by the "seed" of a man -which would contain the legacy of Adam. ["Genesis:3:15: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."]

Genesis 3:15 also indicates that Satan -as the serpent- was the first to learn that a "seed" of the woman would be his undoing: he would bruise the man's heel -a minor affliction- but the man would bruise his head!

Genesis 3:16 is the Scripture so hated by the women of the world who have been deceived by Satan into the feminist foolishness, thinking they should be equal with their husband in a marriage relationship. Here is an outstanding example of a human trying to change God's unchangeable laws because they do not like what He decreed. To fight against God is as futile as trying to blow out a light bulb, but it is also an act with disastrous consequences.

There are many today who refuse to "see" the signs of the times, and the disaster that is looming just over the horizon for an America that has lost its moral mind. Pastors, evangelists, and even church organizations are telling people it is perfectly okay to disobey the Word of God and "do what you want to". But what God has done, He will do again. And the lessons of Sodom and Gomorrah and Canaan will be learned again. For those who love God, reading the Bible is like reading tomorrow's newspaper before it is printed, and for those who can hear the voice of the Spirit there are few surprises. God always tells His people what is ahead, and where the birth of the Messiah is concerned He foretold it for many years -before that blessed night in Bethlehem.

Nine hundred years before His birth, the manner of Jesus' death was foretold by the prophecy of David, that of crucifixion; "Psalm:22:16: For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet."

Eight hundred years before the birth of Jesus, the Prophet, Isaiah, predicted He would be born of a virgin, and even told what His name would be; "Isaiah:7:14: Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." This prediction -if it came true- would be the fulfillment of God's promise to Satan in the Garden of Eden. (Gen. 3:15)

Five hundred years before the birth of Jesus -approximately- the prophecy of Daniel tied the time of His birth to a happening that can be fairly accurately dated in time -the going forth of the order for the rebuilding of Jerusalem- and also prophesied the time of the birth of the "anointed One" as "69 weeks" of years -or 483 years. Considering some variances in calendars, Jesus was born approximately 5 centuries later!

Five hundred years before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Micah named the city where Jesus would be born -Bethlehem- whose name is interpreted to mean "house of bread": "Micah:5:2: But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."; this statement also clearly indicates that the One we know as Jesus had lived long before His incarnation into the human body and Personality we know as the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Another connection to this is found in the New Testament: "John:6:35: And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. Jn:6:41: The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. Jn:6:48: I am that bread of life. Jn:6:50: This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die."

A third connection to "bread" is found in "Mark:7:27: But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs." Here, Jesus was not referring to four-legged canines, but rather teaching that He was sent to the "children"(Jews) and not to the "dogs"(Gentiles).

A fourth type of reference is found at "Mark:14:22: And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.", an oblique reference to the fact that He was indeed "the bread of life" eternal. Those who take "communion" lightly, not knowing or caring what they are doing -beyond carrying out a ritual of the church- would do well to consider their dishonoring of Him Who willingly allowed Himself to be brutally murdered in their place, for their sins.

Just a few weeks before He was born, Mary and Joseph had no known plans to travel anywhere -and certainly not to Bethlehem,  many miles to the south of Nazareth. Far into her pregnancy, young and carrying her first child, Mary likely would have laughed at the idea of such a trip at that time, especially since she must ride a donkey -the pickup truck of that day. However, as it would many times in the life of every Jew, Rome intervened.

Augustus, Caesar or Emperor of Rome, decreed what amounted to a census of the Jews in order to facilitate taxation, and forced them to return to the city of their birth for registration. ["Luke:2:1: And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. Lk:2:3: And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. Lk:2:5: To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child."]  As both Mary and Joseph were of the House of David, and born in Bethlehem, they had no choice but to travel that great distance -no matter the difficulty or hardship- or be found in violation of Caesar's decree and subject to worse penalties than today's IRS would mete out.

The God-fighters who populate most seminaries and schools of divinity have developed many sermons on what took place on that holy night in Bethlehem -most of them wildly wrong- and have by extrapolation sent many incorrect ideas into the minds of those in the pews who would never read and/or understand the real truth.

To briefly touch on a couple of items that make knowledgeable Christians cringe, the "theologians" and "doctors of divinity" (two titles that must make God gag with nauseau!) decided that Mary and Joseph were poorer than the proverbial churchmouse, and therefore had no money with which to secure decent lodgings for the night. But the truth is that they were forced to travel very slowly -because of Mary's condition- and by the time they arrived in Bethlehem every public inn and hostel was long filled.

Arriving at night, after most others were already abed, no amount of money would have bought them lodging -and only the kindness of some unknown individual, perhaps a man already a father, or one with a pregnant wife, saved them from seeing the birth of their son in the rocky dust of an alleyway.

All the best lodgings would have been taken by the wealthy -who would have bribed or otherwise bought their way in- and the lesser facilities appropriated by those of lesser means, and so on down the economic scale until every lodging had been taken. No doubt the local residents of Bethlehem profited handsomely from renting rooms and any fit space to those who had money, but could find no other accommodations.

There is another aspect to Jesus being born in a stable that escapes those who create religious claptrap and twaddle as pablum for the "God-challenged". In order to draw all men to Him, Jesus had to rise above the lowness of His birth. He could not under any circumstances be born above those who would need Him most -the common, everyday  people who would always outnumber all other social and economic classes- as they would need hope in order to survive on Earth through their lifetime. The rich would have their money and possessions to overcome -in order to find salvation; they would also have to bow their knee to a Man born in a stable, a priceless lesson in humility!

Although the shepherds of that day lived close to their animals, it is perhaps very unlikely that many were actually born in a stable. Therefore, it will be difficult to find a lower starting position than that of being born in so close a proximity to barnyard creatures. On the other hand, a "flip" look at the flip side of this is that, since one could go no lower than the circumstance of his birth, every increase would be a major step away from such a beginning. But a great feature of this is that no one could ever accuse Jesus of condescending to help those of lower birth than Himself.

Born to be a King, He came into the world lower than any peasant. Possessed of the power of heaven and the riches of Almighty God, He was born into the Earth as a man who possessed nothing of value. These are contrasts, not contradictions, and the only way in which you can possibly understand them is if you will submit your life, heart and soul into the care of the Holy Spirit.

When you stop listening to the "theologians", "doctors of divinity", "reverends", and others who place their religion and its man-created claptrap and twaddle above the Word of Almighty God, you will begin to see the truth of Scripture -and you will begin to see the lies you have been taught by those who want you to believe what they believe, instead of the truth of God.

A lie is a lie, no matter what its depth or intent. And even though some lies are relatively insignificant and harmless on their face, they can have far-reaching consequences that filter  down through the ages and handicap millions of people who never learn the truth of the matter.

One of the most notable of these lies is that Jesus was poor all His life, while on Earth. No doubt, Joseph and Mary were not wealthy by any stretch. However, as Joseph was a tradesman and apparently "owned his own business", he lived above the level of the laborer who had to scratch for whatever income he could find. Although we know very little about Joseph, there are certain inferences we can draw from what is known -and from this we see that he was not as poor as some "pity-pot" preachers would have us believe.

He owned a donkey, a not-inconsequential possession, and apparently owned his own home. He also had the finances that permitted him to travel to Bethlehem -and later to Egypt: "Matthew:2:13: And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. Mt:2:14: When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: Mt:2:15: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.".  At some point in time before they left for Egypt, they were visited by "wise men from the East" [Matthew 2:1] who brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh [Matthew 2:11]; whether from the gifts or from his own resources, quite obviously, Joseph had the means from which to support himself,  Mary, and the child while forced to live in a foreign land.

Another lie, very visible this time of the year, is depicted in paintings and elsewhere. Many creches, works of art, and so forth depict the Wise Men worshipping the Babe at the stable -even though not one word of King James Scripture agrees with this view. ["Matthew:2:11: And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."]

How much time had elapsed is not known, but certain things are obvious: Joseph, Mary and the Child were not in the stable; Jesus was no longer a baby; and that He may have been close to two years old at the time: ["Matthew:2:16: Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men"]

Even Herod referred to Him as the "young child" -and not the "baby", or "babe": ["Mt:2:8: And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also."] In point of fact, we do not know that the Wise Men even found Jesus in Bethlehem; they followed the star to where it led them, perhaps close by to the city -or perhaps further away. We know that Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day following His birth -in a temple or synagogue somewhere- (Luke 2:21) and we know that Joseph and Mary were in Jerusalem after the 33rd day of His birth, for she went into the temple for the offering up of her Son to the Lord; according to the law of Moses (Leviticus 12:2 through 8)

Where the lies really get thick is in assessing the years of Jesus' ministry. "Poor-mouthing" preachers have bawled and squalled for centuries about how poor Jesus was -and how Christians should want to be poor "like Jesus", if they want to spend eternity in heaven with Him. It is as easy to tell a lie in song as in spoken word, and the writer of that abysmal "hymn of the church" that wails about "a cabin in the corner of Glory Land" should have been instantly denounced and his song trashcanned: the Bible speaks of "mansions" -not cabins- and another translation renders "mansions" as "apartments".

What foolishness, that a minister be capable of reading the Bible -yet incapable of understanding what he has read. Over and again, Scripture speaks of "riches", but the preachers of religion teach "poverty". Some man-made religions tout vows of poverty as holiness, but no one who has ever lived in poverty would agree there is anything holy about it, and God Himself nowhere agrees there is anything "holy" about "poverty"! And Christianity, although not a religion, has been deceived for centuries that poverty is somehow a virtue. Anyone who believes this by implication also believes that the lack of adequate food, water, and clothing -as well as a decent home to live in- is what God wants for the human creation He brought to the Earth. This is utter foolishness.

It is the merest of common sense to realize that poverty could not possibly be God-ly: who would want to serve a God Who could not provide the basics of life for those He gave life to? Here is where Christianity and Judaism part company with man-created "religions" that are empty and meaningless, because their founders are dead and in a grave somewhere; God is alive and well, and can provide all necessities for those who love and follow Him: ["Philippians:4:19: But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."]

If poverty was holiness, the people of India, Africa, Asia, and South America would be the holiest people on Earth, and it would be flying in the face of Almighty God to even send them one dime of assistance, in an attempt to help them break out of their poverty! The only "unholy" aspect of riches comes when the riches have you -instead of the other way around.

Was Jesus poor? NO! Do you actually believe God would send His only begotten Son into the Earth to offer salvation to every human being -and not provide Him with the basic necessities of life: food, clothing, shelter?  For those who have eyes to see, Jesus -as a minister- was not poor: poor people do not need a treasurer for their ministry. Yet, Judas was Jesus' treasurer: ["John:12:6: This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. Jn:13:29: For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor."] "Poor" people do not give to the "poor", either -as a matter of fact.

No doubt Jesus knew Judas was stealing from the treasury -or He may have made him treasurer knowing he would be tempted to steal. In any event, there was enough money in the bag that Judas could steal from it without the other disciples missing a meal because of the lack of money; again, this is obvious to those who have eyes to see. Other Scriptures also clearly relate that Jesus enjoyed the support of the community, and therefore was not the poor preacher in rags, traipsing from town to town in search of donations and souls.

How these poor-mouthing, ignorant preachers in the centuries since then have demeaned their Saviour!

That Jesus enjoyed the support of many is evidenced by implication through "Luke:8:3: And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance."  Oddly enough, Jesus brought an heretofore unheard-of freedom and measure of respect to women at a time in history when a woman was a commodity, and a pseudo-slave too low on the scale of respect to even be spoken to by a man  -in the public view, thus giving women a credibility they benefit from even today in most of the world's cultures that have embraced Christianity to any degree.

Yet today, many women are deceived into believing satanic lies, and are actively engaged in worshipping "goddess" and referring to the God of the Bible (when they can bring themselves to touch one!) as "she". Totally deceived by the devil, they do not realize they are worshipping Gaia, a pagan goddess, and have thrown their innate potential for eternal salvation in the face of the One Who purchased it for them with His own blood! These lost women -in company with lost people everywhere- have no clue that, while their salvation is free, it is not cheap: it cost Jesus Christ His life!

When measured against today's Marxist philosophies of "political correctness", Jesus did everything wrong. He refused to bow to the phony religious leaders of the day. He refused to disobey the Word of God and grant women equality with men. He refused to compromise with the Laws of God, and insisted upon observing even the finer points of the law.

He recognized and spoke out against sin and immorality, satanic-inspired religious rules and doctrines, and the foolishness of mankind that had deceived multitudes into believing they did not need God. He called things what they actually were, and in todays world of 1998, he would be as out-of-step with many people who think they are the leaders, movers and shakers, and the "holy righteous" -just as He was in His own day.

He wept over Jerusalem ["Luke:19:41: And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,"] and He would weep over America today. America, the beautiful. America, the intended fountainhead of Christianity to the world. America, the America that -like Jerusalem- knew not the hour when payment of its sin-debt would be required: "Lk:19:44: And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation."

As America still shines the light of Christianity upon the dark corners of Satan's kingdoms to a greater degree than any other nation, America is under the most vicious attack by Satan ever brought against any nation in the history of humanity. If he could somehow extinguish the flame, large areas of the world would perish into the darkness of eternal hell, brought down by the deceptions of false gods and religions.

And even at this moment, the God-hating heathen who love the darkness of Satan are filing lawsuits to remove creches and every visible reminder of Jesus Christ from the public view. Why do they not object to the display of religious symbols other than those of Christianity and Judaism? Because Satan knows -and they instinctively know- that no other religious philosophies have any power to unseat or discomfit him in any way whatsoever! Therefore, he has no need to come against those religions that are actually helping him to fill hell to its rafters!

What is the truth of Christmas?

It is the truth of the Word of Almighty God! Every word in the King James Bible is true, and is the best modern-day interpretation we have of the ancient Scriptures. How do we know this? God has honored this rendering of His Word with empowerment of it throughout the centuries, fulfilling and bringing to pass the faith of those who believed what they read and stood on it.

If the King James rendering of God's Word was incorrect, this fact would have been made known in a number of ways, chief among which would the simple fact that what is written would not work for anyone. However, the exact opposite is true. The laws of God as set out in Scripture are laws in the same sense that gravity, inertia, and all the other laws we use every day are laws of God; these laws work today in precisely the same manner as when He set them into operation.

Therefore, when we today take a stand on the Word of God, we set ourselves in agreement with that Word -and it will work for us. Why? The answer is found here: ["Isaiah:55:11: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."] It may indeed return to you void -if you do not believe that word with the same faith that God believes it. But if you believe it, it will work for you!

If any part of the Word of God is true, then it is all true. And those who try to pick and choose the parts they can accept are just kidding themselves -as well as walking on very thin ice over very deep water, and cheating themselves out of blessing upon blessing. There are religious denominations that preach only those parts of the Bible that they have chosen to believe -yet those same people wonder why so many of their members are sick, afflicted with every disease known to medicine, and going to early graves from accidents, illness, and addictions.

Their problems are no mystery to God, however. He knows they have refused to believe in and act upon every word of His Word.

The virgin birth took place. Jesus, having lived from everlasting time, came to Earth and took on flesh, making a means of escape from the sin-debt created when Adam rebelled. He fulfilled ancient prophecies, right down to the last word. And then He went back to heaven to await the arrival of those of us who would believe.

Search the Scriptures for yourself. Learn why "Christmas" as the world celebrates it is a deception designed to destroy the truth and steal away your salvation by replacing this miracle of God with a secular, pagan celebration of worldly riches and material things -none of which will you take with you on your journey into eternity.

For many, this "Christmas" of 1998 will be their final one -for any of a number of reasons. As you move through this time, remember that Holy Night so long ago, when your Saviour was born in a stable, the child of a teen-aged virgin who gave all she would ever have to the Kingdom of Almighty God, and allowed herself to experience an unimaginable grief, watching her own child die a most horrible death as a substitute for those whom He loved -including you!

When you minister to someone who is sick, or depressed, or lonely this "Christmas", remember the details of your Saviour's birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection. Tell them about Him, and how He loves every human being without reservation, asking only that they love Him.

As you give of yourself to others, relating the story of Jesus, the Christ -the long awaited Messiah of ancient prophecy- you will realize that you know the truth about Christmas, and that long-ago Holy Night in Bethlehem!

May God's richest blessings be poured out upon you -and those whom you hold near and dear- as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, in this holiday season!