Dear Partner,
Merry Christmas and a marvelous, wonderful, and very prosperous 2024! What does Christ-mas mean? Christ is the Greek word for “The Anointed, the Messiah, Son of the Living God.” It is used 569 times (Strong’s G5547). Mas is “a carnival or celebration.” So Christ-mas is a celebration of The Anointed One and His ANOINTING, which is “the burden-removing, yoke-destroying power of the King of the universe (Isaiah 10:27, New Living Translation). Now let’s look at Isaiah 11:1-2, NLT
- Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
- And the Spirit of The LORD will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of The LORD.
The “new Branch” is JESUS, THE SON of DAVID! Now look at verse 10, also in the NLT: “In that day the heir to David’s throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to him, and the land where he lives will be a glorious place.”
The book of Luke, the physician, is, in reality, a documentary. He said so himself in Chapter 1:1-4 in the Amplified Bible, Classic Edition:
- Since [as is well known] many have undertaken to put in order and draw up a [thorough] narrative of the surely established deeds which have been accomplished and fulfilled in and among us, exactly as they were handed down to us by those who from the [official] beginning [of Jesus’ ministry] were eyewitnesses and ministers of The WORD [that is, of the doctrine concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God], it seemed good and desirable to me, [and so I have determined] also after having searched out diligently and followed all things closely and traced accurately the course from the highest to the minutest detail from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, [My purpose is] that you may know the full truth and understand with certainty and security against error the accounts (histories) and doctrines of the faith of which you have been informed and in which you have been orally instructed.
Luke interviewed Mary, the mother of Jesus, in Ephesus, where she had moved with the Apostle John. John 19:25-27 says: “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”
Mary, then, is the main source for the Christmas story. This is all found in Rick Renner’s book Christmas—the Rest of the Story. Always remember when you are studying the Bible, once God, who is a Spirit, said something through one of His prophets in the earth, those words were here and could never be removed. There was, and still is, absolutely no way the devil can ever get them out or stop them! In light of that, let’s read the holy words of God spoken through the prophet in Micah 5:2: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Now look at Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore The LORD himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Seven hundred and fifteen years later, Jesus was born in Bethlehem to a young virgin girl named Mary. The Anointed WORD controlled armies, people and Ceasar Augustus. Well, let’s allow The WORD of God to speak for itself. Luke 2:1-7 says: “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 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.”
Now in verse 12: “And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” Swaddling clothes were to wrap newborn lambs to keep them from injuring themselves right after they were born.
Why was there no room for Mary and Joseph at the inn? It was 90 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem—ON A DONKEY! However, it’s only 8 miles from Bethlehem to Jerusalem where Jesus was presented to The LORD. Luke 2:21-23 says: “And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to The LORD; (As it is written in the law of The LORD, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to The LORD).”
Angels were there in the cave, used as a stable, that was filled with sheep, to see to it that nothing went wrong while the Temple shepherds assisted Mary in giving birth. Now let’s fast-forward 30 years to Luke 4:16, AMPC: “So He came to Nazareth, [that Nazareth] where He had been brought up, and He entered the synagogue, as was His custom on the Sabbath day. And He stood up to read.
Why Nazareth? Matthew 2:23 makes it clear: “And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.” Isn’t that amazing? On page 27 of Rick’s book, we find that Nazareth was a “small agricultural village with no more than 120-150 people living there.” Everyone there had known Jesus since He was 2 years old! Now look at Luke 4:17-30 in the AMPC: “And there was handed to Him [the roll of] the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened (unrolled) the book and found the place where it was written, The Spirit of The LORD [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity], to proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of The LORD [the day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound]. Then He rolled up the book and gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were gazing [attentively] at Him. And He began to speak to them: Today this Scripture has been fulfilled while you are present and hearing. And all spoke well of Him and marveled at the words of grace that came forth from His mouth; and they said, Is not this Joseph’s Son? So He said to them, You will doubtless quote to Me this proverb: Physician, heal Yourself! What we have learned by hearsay that You did in Capernaum, do here also in Your [own] town. Then He said, Solemnly I say to you, no prophet is acceptable and welcome in his [own] town (country). But in truth I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were closed up for three years and six months, so that there came a great famine over all the land; and yet Elijah was not sent to a single one of them, but only to Zarephath in the country of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and yet not one of them was cleansed [by being healed]—but only Naaman the Syrian. When they heard these things, all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage. And rising up, they pushed and drove Him out of the town, and [laying hold of Him] they led Him to the [projecting] upper part of the hill on which their town was built, that they might hurl Him headlong down [over the cliff]. But passing through their midst, He went on His way.”
JESUS IS NO LONGER A BABY! John 13:1, AMPC, says: “[Now] before the Passover Feast began, Jesus knew (was fully aware) that the time had come for Him to leave this world and return to the Father. And as He had loved those who were His own in the world, He loved them to the last and to the highest degree.”
Now look at verses 33-35, AMPC: “[Dear] little children, I am to be with you only a little longer. You will look for Me and, as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: you are not able to come where I am going. I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another. By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves].” And John 14:6, AMPC: “Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.”
At that time, Jesus’ disciples had no idea what was about to happen, or that for the last 3½ years, He had been training them to take His place once He was raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of God as our High Priest of the Second and last Covenant, ratified in His sinless BLOOD on the cross. Look again at Chapter 14:10: “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” That’s also our heavenly Father! Now read verses 12-13: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
Keep reading verses 14-21: “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”
Now read John 16:7, 13: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you…. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.”
And verse 23, which I have personally used and still stand on: “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.” What a marvelous, exceeding great and precious promise! And John 15:7, AMPC: “If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.”
Then the most precious words to ever fall from the Master’s lips that say it all! Mark 11:22-25: “And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” Those words mean more to me NOW than ever before. I have been on this earth 87 years now, and the 24th of next month I will have been in this ministry of faith in God for 57 of those years. You and I are living in the book of Hebrews, NOW!
I’ll close this letter with Acts 1:1-8,10:38 and 3 John 2: “The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: to whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: and, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, LORD, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Acts 10:38: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” And 3 John 2, AMPC, says: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers.”
As you sow your BLESSING seed this month, remember God’s WORD is His will! That’s what I pray for you at every meal, every day. Rejoice and be glad because every day is one day closer to the Great Resurrection!
God Loves you, we Love you and Jesus is LORD!
Love,
