"who is Christ the Lord"

"I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, …”

(Numbers 24:17) (1600 b.c.)

“for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

(Luke 2:11) (4 b.c.)

One Solitary Life

"One Solitary Life"
Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.
He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself...
While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.
Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress.
I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life.

This essay was adapted from a sermon by Dr James Allan Francis in “The Real Jesus and Other Sermons” © 1926 by the Judson Press of Philadelphia (pp 123-124 titled “Arise Sir Knight!”).

A Word from the November Men's Meeting

One of the brothers received this word at the CCF Men’s Meeting November 18, 2008 and asked it be shared via the blog.

"While we were in prayer I received a sense of the Lord responding to some requests made to him that night. I believe the Lord was giving a request to us, and it went like this.

The Lord, I hear you confessing that I am Lord and in control. But you're not being honest with me, and you are not being honest with yourselves. You are giving me these confessions, but fear is rising in you steadily. You need to hand me this fear, and do it preferably now as you read this. This fear is rising because you don’t know what will happen after this year. You need to be honest with me now because you don’t know what will happen the day after you read this."

Christmas 2008 - A Sign

As I have mentioned before, Charles Simpson continues to impress me and disciple me. He is one "who waits upon the Lord, and mounts up with wings as eagles" seeing into the Spirit, and even more so as he advances in age (Isaiah 40:31). Please take a moment to read his December newsletter about signs.
Have a Blessed and Peaceful Christmas season. -=db=-

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."
(Isaiah 7:14)

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this."
(Isaiah 9:6-7)