Fulfilled Prophecies at the Birth of Christ

by Tim Chaffey, AiG–U.S

Another Reason to Rejoice this Season

Then the shepherds returned, glorifying God and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. (Luke 2:20)

Millions of Christians around the world choose to celebrate the birth of Jesus during this time of year—some on December 24 or 25 and others around January 7—while some choose not to celebrate at all. Whenever a Christian decides to celebrate, or if he elects not to celebrate His birth, we can all rejoice in the fact that, by putting on humanity, the Son of God became one of us to deal with our sin by dying in our place before conquering death when He rose from the dead.

History in Advance

Do You Fear the Birth of Jesus?

by Jeremy Ham, AiG–U.S

The historical account of Joseph and Mary traveling to Bethlehem in preparation for the birth of Jesus is no stranger to many of us. On Christmas, we celebrate Jesus Christ’s birthday, remembering why He had come (John 3:16–17). Although what God has done through the Lord Jesus Christ gives us the reason to be joyful always, do you also fear God in light of Christ’s birth? The birth of Jesus Christ should either make you afraid or make you admire and revere our awesome God.

Admiration for Christ’s Birth

Christians have no need to be afraid. In fact, on Halloween, we discussed the topic of the fear and the proper response to it. We have God on our side, so why should we be scared (see Psalm 118:6)? However, this does not negate the need for a fear of God. In this article, we are referring to two different definitions of fear in this context—to be scared of something or to have a reverent fear in awe of God. When we fear God, we submit to God as our Creator and Savior, and we will praise and glorify Him for who He is and what He has done for us.

Relax, Parents: There's No Need to Put the Christ in Christmas

By Amanda Marcotte

The Rockettes don't flash their legs to celebrate the Virgin Birth.

Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

In our age of neurotic parenting, it should come as no surprise that irreligious parents might succumb some to the evidence-free claims of many that children must be raised in a faith tradition in order to achieve some ill-defined "values". Andrew Park at Salon has a piece up about his attempts to inject a little religion into the holiday festivities. (By "religion", he of course means "Christianity", because as concerned as he is about exposing his children to faith traditions, he isn't concerned enough to start fasting for Ramadan and teaching his children about the prophet Mohammed.) 

Why Christmas Is So Deadly

 Kent Sepkowitz, The Daily Beast

In addition to being the time of lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you, Christmas turns out to be the most lethal day of the year. By a long shot. Followed by New Year’s Day. Followed by the other 363 days of the year, more or less in a heap, though the rate slopes up for a few weeks pre-Xmas, then sinks after the big day.

Make Advent More than "The Christmas Season"

Many of us make the four
weeks leading up to Christmas
into something it's not.

For the longest time, I thought "Advent" was just a fancy word for "the Christmas season," a holier, maybe more spiritual-sounding word for an otherwise hectic and overly-commercialized holiday stretch between Thanksgiving and Dec. 25. What I've discovered in the past few years of observing Advent is it's not just a different word; it's an entirely different approach.

Let me explain. Advent as a season is meant to make the journey toward Christmas full of meaning; it's meant to put us in touch with our deepest longings and greatest hopes; it's meant to teach us to bring all our desires together on one object: Christ. While "Christmas" as a season (properly) begins on Dec. 25 and goes 12 days (yes, there's a song about that!) until Jan. 6, Advent is all about the build-up to it. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and takes us right up to the glorious celebration of the incarnation.

Pope Says Jesus' Birth Date Is Wrong

GINA MEEKS

 

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Pope Benedict XVI

Jesus was born several years earlier than commonly believed, according to a new book by Pope Benedict XVI. The pontiff argues in his book Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives that the Christian calendar is based on a miscalculation.

This latest publication, which delves into the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, completes Benedict's trilogy. His first book was about Jesus' public ministry, and the second about His death.

“The calculation of the beginning of our calendar—based on the birth of Jesus—was made by Dionysius Exiguus, who made a mistake in his calculations by several years,” 85-year-old Benedict explains in his book, which has a print run of 1 million copies.

The Manger

In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics based on biblical principles) in the public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments and a large orphanage. 


About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. They relate the following story in their own words:

It was nearing the holiday season, 1994, time for our orphans to hear, for the first time, the traditional story of Christmas. We told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger.

Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word. 

Never a Better Time Than the Worst Time

Nevin Bass

“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,” Gal 4:4

In our fast paced world convenience is a premium. Fortunes have been made be those who cater to man’s desire for ease and convenience. We have instant pudding, instant potatoes, microwave ovens, and direct deposit. And yet some things are just not as convenient as we would like. As a matter of fact, usually the best things take time. The best things are also not always convenient. I know there are those who speak about the recognizing the will of God by its ease and convenience. Yet the unvarnished truth is that the will of God is not always convenient. In fact God often does not check man’s schedule before executing His plan.

Speaking about convenience, how many times have parents commented that Christmas could come at a more convenient time? I want to tell you about some parents that where hoping for a more convenient Christmas.

Tax Time

“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.” Luke 2:1

I will admit that that tax-time is not my favorite time of the year. I suppose tax-time has never been a popular time. In the days of Caesar Augustus tax-time was extremely unpopular. Not only was it time to pay out for “services” that folks didn’t agree with, but you had to travel for the privilege to do so.

Aren’t you thrilled when Uncle Sam does all kinds of ridiculous stuff and then sends you the bill? Do you realize how much frustration there would be if every American had to write a check to the government every time they got paid? I will remind you students of American history that some red-blooded Yankees held the Boston Tea party over a 3% tax on tea! You heard me right; the spark that ignited the American Revolution was a 3% tax on tea! How far we have come!

Not only was it tax-time in Luke chapter two, but every one in Israel that was from somewhere else had to return to their hometown. You couldn’t crank up the ‘puter and efile over the Internet. You couldn’t even just fill out a form and mail in a check. Nope. You had to pack your bags and return to the town you were from. Oh yeah, you didn’t have an SUV to throw all your luggage into. Your mode of transportation was old Clyde the donkey.

Did I mention that the wife was due any day? How many of you ladies like to travel when you are great with child? Why did your husband have to be from another place? This is probably one of the worst days of your life!

And when you get to the tiny hamlet of Bethlehem, there are no vacancies in any of the inns. Great! Oh my, … a contraction. And another … and another. It’s time! It is the worst day of your life. Your firstborn is about to come into the world, and you don’t even have a roof over your head.

 Convenience?

Did someone say that the will of God is always convenient? Was that you that said we should just wait for the door to open and waltz into glory? Can’t God make it easier for me? Why does it have to be so hard? Well, on the worst day of Joseph and Mary’s life, God made His appearance.

“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,” Gal 4:4

God’s time was not man’s time.

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7

Is it possible that God was in control of this situation all along? Not only is it possible, it is absolutely certain. God’s purpose was to bring Mary and Joseph to a stable and the precious babe that was born to be laid in a manger. No, He was not born in a convenient way. This was not the birth of a conventional king. He is the Great Shepherd and He came into this world at the worst of times. And yet it was God’s perfect time. This was the fullness of time - God’s perfect time.

All of the disasters that went into this day from Mary and Joseph’s perspective were indeed the plan of God from the beginning of time.

Invite Jesus Into Your Calamity

I want to encourage you to recognize the sacredness of your calamity. Perhaps the political environment is not to your choosing. I know the economy has not been this poor for many years. Maybe it is a hard time for your family. It might be that Christmas is not coming at a convenient time for you this year.

Could it be that the hand of God is at work behind the scenes? Might the Lord not be found directing some of the very things that are troubling you? Why would He do this? God does His greatest work in your life sometimes on your worst day.

Would you welcome Him into your calamity? Would you push aside the hay and give the Lord Jesus the position of honor in your stable? Place Him there in the manger. When you do, you discover that He was born to reign in a world of uncertainty and trouble. Other kings are born for a palace, but Jesus came for the worst day of your life. And He will take you home to glory.

Christmas is the time that we celebrate the advent of our Savior into the world. I must remind you that the first Christmas was a very tumultuous time. There is never a better time to celebrate the presence of Jesus in your life than the worst time.

http://truthstreams.com/?p=92

Why Suicide Rates Increase in the Spring

Written by

Deborah Gray

2020

Mon, March 24, 2008

Additional Posts

• Using a Light Box for Seasonal Affective…
• Light Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder

View all Posts »

We often hear that suicide rates are highest during the holidays. I even heard a character in a Christmas TV movie warn about the risk during the last holiday season. Seems to make sense, in a way. After all, the holiday season even has its own syndrome - the holiday blues. Many people are stressed out, and for anyone who's alone and depressed, the contrast between the ideal of the holidays and reality can be hard to take.

Here's the problem - the prevailing wisdom is wrong. In fact, we're not heading away from the most dangerous time of the year for suicide, we're heading towards it. Suicide rates are actually at their highest during late spring and early summer, and at their lowest around the holidays. There does appear to be a jump on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, which is thought to be due to the holiday season ending and harsh reality settling in.

So why, despite all the stress (even Jimmy Stewart tried to throw himself off of a bridge), does the holiday season seem to damp down suicide attempts? First, the increased socializing and contact with that many people do during the holidays may actually keep those suicidal thoughts at bay. The support of family and friends is one thing that keeps people from utter despair. Second, there are plenty of distractions. You're busy, busy, busy. This may be a source of stress, but it also can keep your mind from focusing on your depression. Also, even if someone's depressed, the beauty and joy of the holiday season can provide a temporary lift.

But why the heck does one of the most wonderful times of the year spur people to take their lives? Part of the reason is definitely that the contrast between a depressed person's inner world and the outer world is just too painful. In winter, the whole world, including nature, seems to match your dark mood.

Also, you begin to realize that if you don't feel good during this season, when the world is renewing itself, you're never going to. One of my lowest points, right at the time that I decided to try antidepressants, was in May. I remember sitting on the floor of my room on a lovely warm day. Spring had always been my favorite season, and I had the summer to look forward to, with weekends lying on the beach, one of my favorite things. But I felt like I could barely get through the next day. I had assumed that the winter had something to do with my depression, but when spring didn't cause my mood to lift, I knew it was time to get help.

In addition, there's a paradoxical response to the increase in sunshine that is thought to contribute to suicides in the spring. The sunshine can actually give people who have been feeling fatigued by the lack of sunlight during the winter enough energy to plan and carry out a suicide, yet not enough to give them an emotional lift. This is similar to the risk that can occur when someone starts on an antidepressant. In the beginning, the antidepressant may work enough to lift the fog that's been preventing them from accomplishing anything (like suicide) but not good enough (yet) to have hope.

For information on suicide prevention, please see the links below. I'll be writing a SharePost shortly about what to do if you think someone you know is depressed.

Links

True or False: Depression and Suicide Rates Rise During the Holiday Season?
Suicide: Holiday's Darkest Myth
Study finds suicide rates fall during holidays

Sunny May the Month for Suicides

Understanding and Helping the Suicidal Person

Samaritans 
Know Suicide's Warning Signs

http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18/22771/rates-spring 

Are You Naughty or Nice?

Have you been good, or have you been naughty? Take 


this quiz and find out which list you'll be on!


http://www.chacha.com/topic/christmas-list/quiz/610/are-you-naughty-or-nice

My Own Daily Reminder

When you open my cell phone, the first word that you will see pop-up on my greeting screen is "BELIEVE". I have had that word tacked up onto my computer screen, my vanity mirror, my journal - almost anywhere that I can see it. However, I have never really taken what that word means to heart. This afternoon, I know what it is like to believe.
A few days ago, I got hold of the DVD of The Secret. I had already read the book some time ago, and I wanted to watch the film. I decided to take The Secret's message to heart.
Each morning, I had been waking up and dreading going to work - the company I work for has a very stressful environment, and being there takes a lot out of me. Despite this, I would tell myself and really feel that I was excited to go to work, that it was going to be a good day, that only good things were coming my way. Doing this helped me. I would get through my days tired, but still able to laugh and feel less stressed. I also developed a more compassionate view of the people in our office who made our lives hard. I started seeing them not as monsters, but as people who hurt inside like we do. I was happy with this result - it made me feel more serene and calm and less stressed. It also started making me more productive at work, as I no longer let the tense atmosphere affect me. But I was in for a little surprise. The Universe wanted to show me just how this process works. :-)
Each Christmas season, Starbucks gives out daily planners to its loyal customers. The planners are usually covered in real leather and are quite striking and stylish. To get one, you have to fill up a small card with 24 stickers - each sticker represents one cup of coffee bought in Starbucks. In our country, a cup of Starbucks coffee costs an average of Philippine Peso 150.00 - about the cost of one lunch and transportation to and from work. In a country where wages aren't that high, this is quite a luxury, and although I get paid a bit more than the average worker, this is a bit much for someone who has a family like me. I have tried for three years to get the stickers required, but each year I stop about midway when I start computing the cost! This year, when they started the annual promo, I got a card and wondered if I could fill it up with the required stickers. I had worked my way into getting 18 stickers onto the card - no mean feat considering that I started collecting the stickers the day the promo started, or almost two months ago! I had scrimped and saved to get at least two stickers a week - sometimes three if I had a little extra left over. I wanted to get that planner before Christmas - my gift to myself.
With only five days left till Christmas, I wasn't sure that I could fill up the card. I was beginning to think this was going to be one of those years when I'd just watch other people lug the Starbucks planner around and wish I had one. This morning, as I was taking a shower and just enjoying the water splashing on my face, I told myself I was getting that Starbucks planner TODAY. I didn't really know how since I still had 6 stickers to fill up. When I got up from my desk to get my coffee after lunch, I told my staff I was going to get my Starbucks planner. All the while I was thinking: "Now, how is that possible? I can't afford to buy 6 cups of coffee today."
As I stood in line, I kept staring at the planner displayed on the counter. I could feel the leather cover between my fingers and I could imagine writing on its sepia colored pages. All of a sudden I heard the barista ask the girls ahead of me if they wanted to give me their stickers, since they already had their planners and didn't want their stickers anymore. The girls said YES. I almost jumped - I had three free stickers, plus the one for the coffee I was getting made four, which meant that I only needed two more to get the planner. At that point, I was already sooooo thankful and I expressed my thanks to the three young girls who graciously gave me their stickers. (They were my three magi -- only in female form, don't you think?)
But that wasn't the end of it. It so happened that as part of Starbucks Manila's 10th year anniversary, they were giving away double stickers between the hours of 12:30 noon and 2:30 p.m. till December 25. It was 1:00 p.m. so I was getting double stickers!!!! That meant I was getting SIX stickers in all - the number I needed to get my planner!!!!! I walked out of the shop with my planner in the brown Starbucks bag, still in shock, but convinced that I had tapped into the Secret.. even if it was just for a short moment.
I instantly knew why I kept the word BELIEVE tacked in all those places. The Secret had been trying to get to me all these years through that word - I just wasn't really listening.
I have my planner on my desk now. The leather cover feels just as it did when I was imagining how it would feel when I touched it. I have told my co-workers how I got it - I told them I simply believed I was going to get it and I did.
This planner will be with me all through next year. It will be my daily reminder to BELIEVE.
(And oh - I'm already seeing the 2009 planner on a bigger desk in a corner office with a view!)
SFB
The Philippines
thesecret.tv