The REAL Christmas Story

THE BIRTH OF JESUS

    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 David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house 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.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone around 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. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child, And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. 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.
St. Luke2:1-21





Do You Ever Feel Like Nobody Really Cares?


WELL, GOD CARES. He knows all about you and he loves you!
Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him Revelations 3:20
When the Lord says "behold, I stand at the door," He is speaking about the very door of your heart. Friend, the Lord Jesus is knocking at your heart's door right now. Will you receive him? Will you invite him into your heart and life? You can receive Jesus right now if this prayer expresses the desire of your heart:
Lord Jesus, believing I am lost and separated from you by my sins, I am willing to turn from my sins. I receive you as the Saviour and Lord of my life. Thank you, Jesus, for coming into my heart and life as you promised. Amen
If you prayed this prayer, please find a pastor near you to help you continue to grow in your new life with Jesus.





My son Charles wrote these: (at age 15) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some people say they are saved.
Some people go to church
Other people just walk the earth.
But there is one question that all people need to ask themselves,
Is your name in the book!



Walking
With
Jesus'
Everylasting
Love



Jesus is the way to be,
Because He's the one who died for me
He forgave us for all our sins
So that we can go to Heaven.
We thank him for what he has done
And do you know what else is fun?
Learning about Jesus and what he has done!








What Would Jesus Do?

So many choices,
Too many voices.
What is one to do?


Talk shows say this,
Magazines say that.
What is one to do?


Slogans like, "Just say no"
or "Everybody does it,
Just don't reveal
The true meaning of it.
What is one to do?


Now I'm not saying
That everything isn't true.
But when you don't know
What is and what isn't,
What is one to do?


So when you ask yourself,
What am I to do?
Just think,
What would Jesus do?

By Jennifer Eis





LET'S KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS





JESUS CHRIST (about 4 B.C.- about A.D. 29)

    Christianity was founded n the teachings of Jesus Christ. Much of our knowledge of Jesus comes from writings of the New Testament of the Bible. The parts that tell the story of Jesus are the Gospels (from the Old English words, Good Spiel, meaning "good news") of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The good news these writers wanted to tell was that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and to explain his ideas. This may be why they tell us so little about the life story of Jesus. The Gospels appeared 35 to 70 years after Jesus' death.
    Jesus comes from a Hebrew word meaning "God is Salvation." Christ comes from a Greek word translating the Hebrew word "Messiah"--the anointed (chosen) one. The name Jesus Christ expresses the faith of the early Christians that Jesus is the Messiah, or Savior.
    Jesus was born to a devout Jewish couple in the ancient country of Judea (now parts of Israel and Jordan). According to the Gospels, Jesus' mother, Mary, was told by an angel that she would give birth to the son of God. Soon aterwards, Mary was married to Joseph of Nazareth, a carpenter. Joseph and Mary traveled to the little town of Bethlehem to register for a tax list. The small town was so crowded that the only room left for them was a stable. It was there that the baby Jesus was born.
    Little is known about the early years of Jesus' life. The Gospels agree that Jesus probably began preaching at about the age of 30. He chose 12 of his followers to be his apostles and help him in his work. Jesus was a good speaker and storyteller, and he attracted huge crowds of people. The Gospels tell how he could make sick people well with the power of faith and could make miracles happen. He taught people that God is our father and that we are brothers and should love one another as God loves us. He taught that God forgives people to the degree that they forgive one another, and that God will grant them eternal life.
    Fear on the part of civil and religious authorities of what Jesus said and did led to his arrest in Jerusalem. He was brought to trial. Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, sentenced him to die on the cross. (Crucifixion was a common form of execution at that time.) At the Last Supper, the night before he died, Jesus celebrated the Passover feast with his disciples. As he gave them bread and wine, Jesus said, "This is my body," and "This is my blood." He told them to eat the bread and drink wine in the same manner after his death and resurrection. From this simple act originated the Christian sacrament of Holy Communion, commemorating the death of Christ.
    After Jesus died, his body was placed in a tomb. On the third day afterward, the tomb was foundopen, and Jesus was gone. The Gospels report that he appeared to several of his followers after he had risen from the dead. He was with his disciples until the day they saw him taken up into heaven.
    The Gospel or "good news" of Jesus' resurrection and his teachings were carried first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles (non-Jews). The early Christians often met in synagogues in Palestine. For a long time Christianity was considered to be part of Judaism. His followers took his teachings to other people and other nations. Christianity became one of the major religions of the world. The calendar in use today is dated from the time of the birth of Jesus. "B.C." means "before Christ." "A.D." stands for anno domini (in the year of our Lord) and is used for dates after Christ's birth.

From: The Young Students Learning Library.














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