Judaism was apostate. The traditions of the elders had been .substituted for the “ thus saith the Lord.” The ec clesiastical leaders were so meticulous about the externals of their religion that when the Son of God appeared first as a Babe in a manger, and then later as a Teacher and Friend of sinners, they had no place for Him. They cried, “ Away with Him!” The Roman government was all-sufficient in itself, secure in the strength of its own great armies and defenses. They likewise had no room for Jesus’ saving message or His gracious ministry, As we today anticipate the sound of the trumpet, there is no evidence ■ that the world as a whole will be waiting to receive Him with glad acclaim. W e read in Hebrews 9:28, “ So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Today the religious world is badly confused. Man’s opin ions have been substituted for divine revelation, character for Christ, the natural for the supernatural. A program of world conquest to Christianize the whole social order is now being planned, but these religious leaders fail to remember that Christianity begins in the hearts of men, not in their environment. We are in the midst of a new conflict, not so much any more between modernism and fundamentalism, but between true Christianity and a religion with an ever- expanding program of human betterment without the su pernatural. One is the program of men; the other, the prosecution of the purpose of Christ. Believers in Christ’s return will share in every good work that will contribute to the highest good of men, but they will not be diverted from the essential task of World-wide evangelization. The nations are attempting to make a peaceful world by force. Nothing could be more stupid and hopeless than that, but apparently it is the only course that nations know how to follow. We are now in the midst of a great war between opposing ideologies. Commentators on world events remind us that the “one world” idea is fast dis appearing. “ Two worlds” seem inevitable, one conse crated to free enterprise, and the other to absolute stat- ism, with its dictatorship. In many countries, nationalism and patriotism have become a religion. The stage is being set for the rise of the superman who will express the lofty ambitions and human ideals of the world’s leading na- tions. But the order that he will instigate will be anti- Christian, not anti-religious, a system in which the Son of God will have no recognition. The challenge as we listen again to the angels and await the trumpet blast is for— PREPARATION The world and organized religion will never be ready to receive the Lord Jesus Christ. The nations of the earth will continue to “ rage, and . . . imagine a vain thing.” Satan will take advantage of every opportunity, not only to prepare, but to enthrone, the man whom he will in- vest with his power and authority. The true church of Christ should be reminded con- Stantly of the need of preparation for this great day of the coming of the Lord. The responsibility is a personal one. Shall we not live in the light of this glorious coming event? Christmas with its glamor, gaiety and giving, may distract us from the Person of Jesus Himself. The cares of this world, the love of pleasure, the pursuit of happi ness, and multiplied other things may deafen our ears and dull our hearts to the,trumpet sound. And as we think of giving, shall we not first give to God our spirit, soul and body — our past, present and future? Shall we not ask Him to fire our hearts with a new love-flame until we shall be praying fervently, “ Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”
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ti n a l l t h e a n n a l s of earth, there is nothing else to be compared with the story of the birth of Christ. It is ever new. What a privilege it is to pause in the stress of modem life and go back in spirit to stand by that manger bed and gaze again upon the lovely Babe . . . God manifest in thé flesh. Luke, the beloved physician, tells us in his first chapter that it was by the direct creative power of God, working through the Holy Spirit, that the blessed virgin Mary became the mother of our Lord. His In carnation was the first step in the fulfillment of the program of redemption. Bethlehem was the prelude to Calvary. AN EVENT—NOT A MYTH The Christmas story is not a Hebrew myth. It is not Christian folk-lore. It is a blessed and glorious fact. God has actually come down to earth and has become incarnate in the person of the Man, Jesus Christ. In Bethlehem’s Babe we see deity and human ity united, never more to be separated. But Incoma- tion alone would not save one poor sinner. The Son of God became man in order that He might give His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). But for Calvary, Bethlehem would have no lasting significance. The Saviour bom in David’s city had to die in order to redeem us to God. It is an interesting fact that although Micah fore told the birth of Christ as taking place in Bethlehem, there seemed, almost to the last, no likelihood that this would be. God used a Roman emperor’s command to bring Mary to Bethlehem at the very last moment (Luke 2:1-4) in order that His Word might not fail. CHRISTMAS FOR CHRISTIANS To keep Christmas, and yet not to have received Christ as Saviour, is to trifle with the mercy God has manifested in the gift of His Son. Have we received Him for our very own, and are we seeking to glorify Him in our ways? “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us . . . He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:1-14).
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DECEMBER, 1962
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