Okay, first of all, Merry Christmas to you guys reading this :) Hope you guys enjoy it a lot ^^
As some of us celebrate Christmas.. Just to have the fun of it.. And i guess, some of you guys doesn't really know what does Christmas really means..
me, as a Christian. We know that on the 25th of December is the day where Jesus is born in Bethlehem..
John 1:1-5:
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
4In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
And it continues in John 1:10-14:
10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The same message of God stepping into history is found in the Christmas carols that people sing at Christmas.
Christmas carols
Here’s the best one, “O, Holy Night“, and it says:
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining.
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
Now look at “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing“
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.”
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Here's some stuff i found in the internet... :)
"What's the meaning of christmas??
More than the beautiful decorations, the lights, gifts and the good food on the table, Christmas is a birthday. The very Creator of Earth came to us as a child!
Here is the how the Bible records it:
"Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.
The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus." He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end."
Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"
The angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God." Luke 1:26-35
"…In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.
Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.
While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:1-7
This anniversary is inimitable because of Who Jesus is, but also for the reason that what was prophesied about Him thousands of years before His birth, came true this very night. The prophecies fulfilled in Jesus’ life were not a few, there were over 300 prophecies that all fulfilled in His life. From the time of His birth to the way He would die, crucified, Christ has lived them all.
Now to come back to today’s reality let’s take a look at you, yes at you. Think about this: imagine that all your good friends decided to throw a great party for your birthday, they do let you know because you are so busy and they want to make sure you show up, so, on Saturday at 6 p.m. you must be there! Right, the weekend arrived and elegant, joyful and expecting a great party, you knock at the door of one of your friend’s apartment.
No one seems to hear …well you ring the doorbell, because you realize the music is a bit loud and they might not hear, it is after all the place where your celebration takes place …you wait but…nothing. Knock, knock, ring, ring and almost 30 minutes have passed and they seem to have a great time but no one opened the door for you!
How in the world? This party is for you after all, isn’t it? After a little while the laughter stops of a minute and full of hope, you think they finally heard but…no, it was the champagne glasses clink to make a toast and you hear your name "to our good friend …" Oh, but you are not even in there! How can they do this to you?
After getting tired of waiting you depart…none of your friends called to check why you didn’t come to the party, their phones are off... it goes without saying that …nobody cared. Disappointed and broken hearted you arrive home…unbelievable! Your birthday celebration without you, the celebrated one! And they say they are your friends too…
It is painful when we apply this story to ourselves but …this happens every Christmas. There are so many people who celebrate Christmas without Jesus as their guest! Let’s invite Jesus in our hearts this Christmas and may we really have Him as The most important guest in our homes this year! He brings the true meaning to your Christmas and your life will also be filled with deep joy as long as you have Him in your heart! Once you know Him, you realize you can’t live without Him! "
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"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them,
Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
LUKE 2:8-14 "
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Jesus (also called Christ which means king or Messiah) was born in Israel 2000 years ago. Modern civilization marks his birth by dividing time B.C. (before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini - or the year of our Lord). For his first thirty years, Jesus lived a traditional Jewish life, working as a carpenter. During this time, all of Israel was under Caesar's Roman dictatorship, including Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, and Nazareth, where he was raised.
In his thirties, Jesus began his public teaching and display of recorded miracles, yet still never travelled more than 200 miles from his birthplace. Over a three year period, despite his efforts to keep a low profile, Jesus' reputation spread nation wide. The Roman governors and rulers of Israel's provinces and the leaders of the Jewish people (the religious counsels) took note of him. Jesus' key messages included:
-God loves you and is with you
-Love one another
-Immense value of each person
Good news: kingdom of God has come to earth
Reality of judgment to heaven or hell
God forgives those who ask
Many have asked "Who is Jesus Christ?" Jesus' most controversial act was that he repeatedly claimed to be God, which was a direct violation of the Jewish law. Therefore the religious leaders asked the Roman government to execute him. In each of several official trials, the Romans found that he was not guilty of breaking any Roman law. Even the Jewish leaders recognized that other than Jesus' claim to be God, Jesus followed the Jewish law perfectly. Still the religious leaders, using the argument of political disfavor, persuaded Pilate, a Roman governor of the Southern province of Israel, to authorize an execution.
Jesus was brutally tortured and then hung by his hands, which were nailed to a horizontal wooden beam (cross). This method of execution restricted the airflow to his lungs, killing him in three hours. However, according to more than 500 witnesses, Jesus returned from the dead three days later, and over the next 40 days journeyed in both the southern and northern provinces of Israel. To many, this was conclusive proof that Jesus' claims to be God were real. Then Jesus returned to Jerusalem, the city where he was recently executed, and according to witnesses, he left the earth alive by rising up into the sky.
As a result of these miraculous events, the number of his followers increased dramatically. Only a few months later in that same city of Jerusalem one record states that some 3000 new followers were added in a single day. The religious leaders responded by trying to stomp out Jesus' followers. Many of these people chose to die rather than deny their belief that Jesus was truly God.
Within 100 years, people throughout the Roman empire (Asia Minor, Europe) became followers of Jesus. In 325 AD, the following of Jesus, Christianity, became the official religion of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Within 500 years, even Greece's temples of Greek gods were transformed into churches for followers of Jesus. Although some of Jesus' messages and teachings were diluted or miscommunicated through the expansion of a religious institution, Jesus' original words and life still speak loudly for themselves.
- Wish you guys a very Merry Christmas once again =) -
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