There is a special blessing in the Christmas message which is frequently missed by many. The birth of Jesus is not simply an interesting fact of history wholly unrelated to your present life . . . but rather it has a direct bearing upon it.When the angel announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, the personal importance of His coming was emphasized. He said, "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" (Luke 2:10-11).Have you ever thought that it was foryouthe Saviour was born? Do you realize that when God sent His Son into the world, He sent Him to becomeyourSaviour? Listen to the word of the herald angel, "I bringyougood tidings of great joy... for untoyouis born... a Saviour." Yes... it was foryouthat Jesus came.He did not come to be the inspiration of sacred art, nor to be the theme of glad song, much less to be merely a good man and a great teacher... Jesus Came to be the Saviour, and as such He was born toyou.Bound inseparably together are the Saviour's birth and His death. He came to save, and to save He must die... die in the sinner's stead, bearing the full penalty of divine wrath of sin. This too was personal--it was foryou.And such a very personal message of God's love and grace demands a personal response. The Saviour who was born wasGod's gift to you. And He wants you to receive that gift. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).To receive the gift of God by faith you must believe that Christ actually was born to beyourSaviour and that He died foryoursins. Because He arose victorious over death, He offers you abundant, everlasting life.Won't you receive the gift of God this Christmas? It can be your best Christmas yet!
Armstrong and his thirteen contributors endeavored to produce a book designed to enumerate the problems of modern pastoral ministry. Each of the fourteen writers dealt with a different issue in the practice of pastoral ministry which he considers broken. In so doing, they hoped to provide what each of them views as a necessary corrective to restore pastoral ministry to its biblical and historical roots. Some of the contributors provide helpful reflections. Others used their respective missives as an opportunity to ride gallantly upon their theological hobbyhorses intending to find brokenness where perhaps none exists, or at least not to the extent they believe exists. Helpful Reflections Joel Beeke's chapter, "The Utter Necessity of a Godly Life," gives a pointed reminder to pastors that their lives must be lived above reproach. Much of the chapter seems elementary at its best and patronizing at its worst; but it does serve as a not-so-subtle rebuke to the minister whose life reflects more of this world than of the next world. Beeke reminds pastors that their congregations can never rise above the depth of their own spirituality. Pastors must always be one step ahead in the never-ending quest for godliness. It is easy for the busy pastor to substitute the duties of the job for devotion to the Savior, such as using sermon preparation as a substitute for devotional meditation. I have fallen into this trap, especially while under the time pressures common to many bi-vocational pastors. Now as a "fully supported," pastor, I realize that the giftedness of my ministry must be authenticated by the fruitfulness of my character and conduct borne out of a passionate love relationship with Jesus. My people will never see Jesus reflected in my life if I neglect spending time in the Tent of Meeting. Thomas Smith's chapter entitled, "Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing," is a wonderful polemic for the centrality of Christ in preaching. Just as the apostolic kerygma maintained the centrality of Christ and the cross, all modern preaching must strive to bring people to Christ. Without Jesus, there is no good news. Without the preaching of the cross, there is no hope for spiritual health and wholeness. All our exegesis must pass through a Christological filter to ensure sound hermeneutics. The apex of Christian preaching must remain the glory of God through the exaltation of Christ. Jerry Marcellino deals with the important issue of the glory of God in worship. One must not design a worship services for the pleasure of the people. Worship belongs to God. The object of worship is never the feelings of the worshipper, but the exaltation of the One worshipped. Worship must reflect God's grandeur, his transcendence, and his mystery. While many of Marcellion's points regarding worship are well taken, his treatment of what constitutes acceptable worship music lacks the necessary specificity to be helpful and is sufficiently vague to be harmful. While some worshi
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