December 20^th 2020

9:30 am--------------------- A Wonder; a Woman With Child & With Wings – Revelation 12

10:00 am -------------------------------------------------------------A Wonderful Story – Judges 13

*** NO WEDNESDAY SERVICE THIS WEEK

His Name Shall Be Called Wonderful– Isaiah 9:6

The person spoken of is undoubtedly the Lord Jesus Christ. He is a child born, with reference to his human nature; he is born of the virgin, a child. But he is a Son given, with reference to his divine nature, being given as well as born. Of course. the Godhead could not be born of woman. That was from everlasting, and is to everlasting. As a child he was born, as a Son he was given. “The government is upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful.” Beloved, there are a thousand things in this world, that are called by names that do not belong to them; but Christ is called Wonderful, because He is so. God the Father never gave his Son a name which he did not deserve. There is no flattery here. It is just the simple name that He deserves, they that know Him best will say that the word doth not overstrain His merits, but rather falls infinitely short of His glorious deserving. His name is called Wonderful. And mark, it does not merely say, that God has given him the name of Wonderful — though that is implied; but “His name shall be called” so. It shall be; it is at this time called Wonderful by all His believing people, and it shall be. As long as the moon endureth, there shall be found men, and angels, and glorified spirits, who shall always call Him by his right name. “His name shall be called Wonderful.”

Consider the incarnation of Christ, and you will rightly say, that his name deserveth to be called “Wonderful.” Oh! what is that I see? Oh! world of wonders, what is that I see? The Eternal of ages, whose hair is white like wool, as white as snow, becomes an infant. Can it be? Ye angels, are ye not astonished? He becomes an infant, hangs at a virgin’s breast, draws His nourishment from the breast of woman. Oh wonder of wonders! Manger of Bethlehem, thou hast miracles poured into thee. This is a sight that surpasses all others. Talk ye of the sun, moon, and stars; consider ye the heavens, the work of God’s fingers, the moon and the stars that He hath ordained; but all the wonders of the universe shrink into nothing, when we come to the mystery of the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was a marvellous thing when Joshua bade the sun to stand still, but more marvellous when God seemed to stand still, and no longer to move forward, but rather, like the sun upon the dial of Ahaz, did go back ten degrees, and veil his splendor in a cloud. There have been sights matchless and wonderful, at which we might look for years, and yet turn away and say, “I cannot understand this; here is a deep into which I dare not dive; my thoughts are drowned; this is a mount without a summit; I cannot climb it; it is high, I cannot attain it!” But all these things are as nothing, compared with the incarnation of the Son of God. I do believe that the very angels have never wondered but once and that has been incessantly ever since they first beheld it. They never cease to tell the astonishing story, and to tell it with increasing astonishment too, that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born of the Virgin Mary, and became a man. Is he not rightly called Wonderful? Infinite, yet an infant; eternal, yet born of a woman; Almighty, yet hanging on a woman’s breast supporting the universe, and yet needing to be carried in a mother’s arms; King of angels, and yet the reputed son of Joseph; Heir of all things and yet the carpenter’s despised son. Wonderful art thou O Lord Jesus, and that shall be Thy Name for ever. – C.H.S.

… Some thoughts on Christmas

God’s true people place absolutely no religious significance upon the day and the season commonly referred to as Christmas. This so called ‘holiday’ (holy day) began with Pope Julius I, sometime in the 4th century A.D. It was set to coincide with the Roman Winter Festivals. ‘The Church’ wanted to convert the pagans of Europe to ‘Christianity’, so they established a ‘Christian’ religious meaning to the important and popular celebration of the winter solstice. They chose the birth of Christ because it echoed pagan attributes of the holiday, which celebrated, amongst other things, the rebirth of the Sun ("rebirth of Sun"/"birth of Son"). Truth is, true Christians (then and now) didn't really celebrate Christ's birth; it was his death and resurrection that were supremely important. It is certain Christ was not born on Dec. 25^th, but in the spring (May - June).’

Nevertheless, as Spurgeon once said: “I am glad that at least one day out of the year folks actually think upon the One named Jesus Who came 2000 years ago.” And I too, am glad that at least one day a year, people who are usually mean become nice and cheerful; those who rarely do anything for anyone, finally do something nice for a change. And the gathering of families together around a table, the giving of gifts, and a general attitude of good will, are a welcome respite, even if for one brief time in the year. And perhaps, as Spurgeon also said, we should take advantage of a time when the minds of men are on this most important of all subjects . . . the question of questions: "What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He?" As always, the church of God at this time, like every other time we meet, will declare Who Christ is and why He came. Bless God He was born. And bless God even more . . . He died for our sins according to the scriptures.