Luke 2

Since this is Christmas week, I wanted to look at Luke 2. Our pastor spoke on it on Sunday and their were some things I didn't know about the Christmas Story.

Bethlehem: the city where David was born, not the City of David. Both Joseph and Mary were descendants of David, so they needed to return there for the census. It was a difficult journey through 70 miles of mountainous terrain.

The manger: "And she gave birth to her firstborn son and she wrapped Him in cloths and laid Him in a manger." v.7 The stable is mentioned no where in scripture and it is only from the mention of a manger that we derive He was born in a stable. It could have also been a cave where animals were protected.

Savior: "...for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior who is Christ the Lord." v.11 This is one of only two places in the gospels where Christ is referred to as Savior.

Prophecy: "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name, 'Immanuel." Is 7:14 Immanuel: God with us. =)

Turtle Doves: ...On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me... "...and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, ' A pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons.' v. 24 At the dedication of a child in the temple they needed to offer a sacrifice of a lamb or doves/pigeons. Mary's offering shows that she and Joseph were poor. Get this, a woman who bore a son was ceremonially unclean for 40 days...if she bore a daughter it was twice that! What's up with that??

Simeon: I didn't believe I hadn't heard this before Sunday. LOL He was in the temple at the dedication of the Child. Get this, "And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ." Simeon took the Baby into his arms and blessed God and said, "Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light or revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people of Israel." v. 26, 29-32

Wow!
Blessed Christmas!

Romans 11

In Bible times, it was very common to graft olive trees. A branch from a good olive tree was taken and grafted onto a wild olive tree. The wild olive tree, called agrielaios, did not produce very good fruit. But the good cultivated olive tree, called kallielaios, did produce very good fruit. Wild olive trees would grow up and take up space with it's root system. To keep from having to cut down a tree and plant a new seedling, a branch from the good tree would be grafted onto the wild tree. This good branch would then produce fruit while getting nourishment from the wild tree root system. Several branches would be grafted onto a wild tree.

In Romans 11:17 we read, "But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree..."

God was using the grafting process to make a very important point. Instead of grafting a good branch onto a bad tree, God took a bad branch and grafted it onto a good tree. This was opposite of the way the first century people grafted olive trees. God had a good tree with a good root system. The Israelite nation was the tree with the root system of the patriarchal law, mosaical law, and the new law. The Gentiles were represented by the wild olive tree. God took the wild olive tree, the Gentiles, and grafted them into the good tree and it's root system.
The reference to the branches being broken off means that Jews who did not accept Christ were unacceptable to God. They were cut from the tree. This shows that just because someone has a sincere heart and believes in God does not mean that person will be acceptable to God. A person must believe in and obey Jesus Christ to be acceptable to God.

Only God has the power to graft a wild tree branch onto a good tree and have that branch produce good fruit. I am glad that God is a loving God and wants all men to be saved. I am glad he gave us the Bible so that we can know how to serve Him.
...Taken off the web.

I just wanted to add that in v. 23 it says, "...if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again."
There is always a chance to change your mind and come to Christ.

Romans 10

This short chapter has a few well-known and to-the-point versus. Paul is talking to the Jews who once again were missing what God had planned for them. "All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people." v.21

But for the rest of us, these verses are simple and direct answers to, "How can I be saved?"

"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." v. 4

"...that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." v. 9-10

"For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him, for 'Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.'" v. 12-13

The streamline right to the heart of salvation.

The chapter starts with "...my heart's one desire":

Refiner's fire. My heart's one desire
is to be Holy. Set apart for you my Master,
Ready to do Your will.