Jesus, the Babe of Bethlehem – He lived, and today He lives again, and watches over us as Mary once watched over Him. Where once He was cradled as a helpless babe in a lowly manger, now He reigns as … Continue reading
Tag Archives: grateful
Christmas Symbolism
Reply
It’s Christmas time, and nothing about the Christmas story, I want you to know, is accidental or haphazard. Every part of that beautifully simple story is a story in and of itself, and all of it bears witness of the living reality of our Savior.
For example: During the Savior’s ministry, He was called the ‘Bread of Life.’ Bread is now, as it was then, the ‘staff of life.’ It’s the mainstay of our diet. Jesus, the ‘Bread of Life,’ was born in Bethlehem. Bethlehem means ‘House of Bread.’
Jesus is the ‘Good Shepherd.’ And who was it that was privileged first to see Him and proclaim His birth? – Shepherds, those who tended the flocks.
Many scriptures refer to Jesus as the ‘Lamb of God,’ He who was to die for our sins. Well, those flocks that were on the hills around Bethlehem that night? – More than likely they were Temple Lambs destined for sacrifice for the sins of the people on the altars of the Temple.
And how fitting it is that He who was called by John the ‘Bright and Morning Star’ should have what as His sign? – A new star, brighter than any other in the heavens.
And again, laid in a manger, a symbol of His lowliness, the Savior’s beginnings were as humble and as lowly as any child that has ever been born. And how appropriate that is when later He commanded us to become as children – meek, lowly, and humble.
And what of the children whose blood satiated Herod’s soldiers? They died in holy innocence that He might live. And years later, He died in holy innocence, and rose that they might live.
And again, what about the angel who proclaimed the birth of our Savior, Gabriel? That same Gabriel, as Noah centuries earlier, was the Savior of the human family from the waters of the flood.
And also in the Christmas story, there are repeated references to David, that the Christ-child would be born David’s son in David’s city, and receive David’s throne. Well, what of this David? – In the Old Testament, David was called a ‘man after the Lord’s own heart.’ He was Israel’s mightiest king. It was he who in power and glory freed Israel from political and spiritual bondage, united her tribes, and gave her the greatest prosperity and freedom that she has ever enjoyed.
And just think about this for a moment: He whose birth brought a moment of peace will return again to this earth to bring a millennium of peace.
Well, there’s more, much more within this story to tell. But I close with this: The wise men from the east followed a comparatively small light from a star, and they found Him. Now today, if we will follow that small gentle light from within, the light of the Holy Ghost, we will find Him, who is the light and the life of the world, even the Son of God.
Merry Christmas to you.
Taken from the works of Glenn Rawson – Dec. 1997
“Let It Be” Words of Wisdom
“The thing is, we have to let go of all blame, all attacking, all judging, to free our inner selves to attract what we say we want. Until we do, we are hamsters in a cage chasing our own tails and wondering why we aren’t getting the results we seek.”
— Dr. Joe Vitale
NAIL IN THE FENCE.
There once was a little girl who had a bad temper. Her mother gave her a bag of nails and told her that every time she lost her temper, she must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.
The first day the girl had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as she learned to control her anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. She discovered it was easier to hold her temper than to drive those nails into the fence.
Finally the day came when the girl didn’t lose her temper at all. She told her mother about it and the mother suggested that the girl now pull out one nail for each day that she was able to hold her temper. The day passed and the young girl was finally able to tell her mother that all the nails were gone. The mother took her daughter by the hand and led her to the fence.
She said, “You have done well, my daughter, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one.” You can put a knife in a person and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry, the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.
Friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us. Show your friends you care.
Please forgive me if I have ever left a hole in your fence.
Broken Heart and a Contrite Spirit
“What are a broken heart and a contrite spirit? And why are they
considered a sacrifice? “As in all things, the Savior’s life offers us the perfect example: though Jesus of Nazareth was utterly without sin, He walked through life with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, as manifested by His submission to the will of the Father. ‘For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me’ (John 6:38). To His disciples He said, ‘Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart’ (Matthew 11:29). And when the time came to pay the ultimate sacrifice entailed in the Atonement, Christ shrank not to partake of the bitter cup but submitted completely to His Father’s will.” – Bruce D. Porter
The First Thanksgiving
November the 21st, 1621, Plymouth, New England: The pilgrims sat down to feast with 90 of their Indian brethren. Governor William Bradford offered the following prayer:
“Lord God, Thy hand has watchfully brought us to this land and given us friendship with the natives that live herein. We do give solemn thanks and praises to thy name.”
You know, that these stalwart souls were of a mind to offer such thanks is the story I want to tell you this Thanksgiving.
The pilgrims began as separatists from the Church of England. They wanted freedom to worship as they chose. And because of that, they were branded as traitors by the crown and persecuted, sometimes even unto death. And then, moved by the Spirit of God, they set their eyes on the newly discovered land of America. On September 6, 1620 the Mayflower set out with 102 passengers crammed in every inch of space. Consider it: Those pilgrims left all, and they would never return.
Well, the voyage was difficult, fraught with much suffering, sickness, and even death. As the season advanced, the North Atlantic weather grew colder. Food and water became scarce, and it seemed as though that journey would never end. Finally, after 66 days land was sighted at dawn on November the 19th. They dropped to their knees and thanked God.
One of them wrote though, “We now had no friends to welcome us, nor inns to entertain or refresh our weather-beaten bodies – no houses, or much less, towns to seek help.” And then she added, “And it was freezing cold weather.” But they were grateful. Why?
On Christmas day, 1620, they began construction on a common storehouse. But without homes and adequate food, they could never get warm. They weakened and became ill. When they finished the storehouse, it became a hospital.
Disease took its toll on them, and as many as two or three settlers died every day. At one time, there were only 6 healthy people out of more than a hundred who could care for the sick. This was called by them ever after “The Starving Time.” Only 51 pilgrims survived that first winter out of 102. Scarcely a family was not hit. Still, after all that, they gathered every day twice daily and offered prayers of thanks.
And you know, when the Mayflower returned to England in the spring, it is a testimony of the value of freedom to note that not one pilgrim went with her in spite of it all.
And then the Indians – they had feared them. But when the Indians finally came, they came friendly and with a desire to help, which if you consider how the Indians had already been treated by the whites, it was a miracle that they were friendly. The kindness of those early Native Americans saved those pilgrims.
Through the summer the pilgrims worked, and hard with little comfort. And when fall came, their harvest was plentiful; they wanted for nothing.
And so filled with the spirit of gratitude, Governor Bradford proclaimed a feast, and then added, “We will extend an invitation to our Indian friends to join us in the feasting.”
And on the day of the feast, Massasoit arrived with 90 Indians. For three days they prayed, sang, feasted, played, and bonded as brethren in the family of God.
Now my friends, why [was there] a feast of Thanksgiving? What did they have to grateful for? Well, they had a greater faith in God, they had freedom, and now they had food, shelter, and friends. And when you think about it, what else matters?
Their gratitude for simple things changed the lives of millions all the way to your table. Happy Thanksgiving.
Glenn Rawson
Giving Thanks at Thanksgiving.
Centuries ago the nation of Israel turned and watched as Moses stretched forth his hand and the walls of the Red Sea collapsed and returned to their strength. In awe Israel saw the mighty hosts of Pharaoh’s army overthrown in the sea, never again to oppress them. Now, with the subsequent restoration of God’s holy law through Moses, and their miraculous deliverance by Joshua into the Promised Land, Israel was once more a nation of free people, free in body, free in conscience, and free in nationality. Is it any wonder that Israel was so filled with joy and gratitude that they lifted their voices in song, thanking and praising God with all the power of their delivered souls?
Ever after that and for the centuries that followed, feasts and celebrations were established among the Hebrews, times of remembrance where they would be grateful and remember how that by the power of God He had made them a peculiar people and nation.
However, in time Israel did come to forget. Not only did they forget the God who had delivered them, but they forgot and mocked the covenants and responsibilities they had assumed as His chosen people. Eventually they were scattered, destroyed, and oppressed once more.
It has been said that history repeats itself. Our season of feasting and celebration is upon us this week; it’s Thanksgiving. What a blessed people we are! By the power of God we are a prosperous and a free people. Praise be to God for the kindness of His Fatherhood, for the prayers He has answered, and for the privileges He has given us. May we rejoice now in our time. We are the greatest, wealthiest people ever in the history of this earth. Ought we not to thank the God who gave it? Oh, I hope our riches never come to canker our soul.
Further, thank God for the gift of His son; we have a free conscience. Thank God for the miracle of forgiveness and the power of redemption and resurrection. We are free. No tyrant can oppress our soul or destroy our peace unless we let them [him]. Praise be to God for the assurance and presence of a Savior Who is always there, Who will not rest in His atoning endeavors until all of us have become celestial beings.
Thank God for truth, pure unadulterated ‘diamond truth’ that allows us to see and understand, and be anchored in place in a world that has become like a roaring blender of opinions and ideas. We are so blessed!
And thank God for America and her liberty. By the power of God and His guardian angels we are a free nation. There is so much more that is worth rejoicing of in America than is worth complaining of. Look around. I see this world we live in and I wonder: My children have never known starvation, many do; my children have never understood slavery and oppression, they are foreign to them. They have never known the fear of tyrants, nor the despair of hopelessness and bondage. And yet there are people all over the earth who suffer so much. Why – why are we such a blessed people when so many suffer so much? I cannot help but think that America has the same responsibility as ancient Israel, to lift up the hands that hang down and strengthen the feeble knees. Oh, Heavenly Father, thank Thee for all of Thy bounty.
My dear friends, this Thanksgiving it is my prayer that our gratitude will overflow unto tears of humility and songs of rejoicing for the goodness of God. Oh to grace, how great a debtor; daily I’m constrained to be. Let thy goodness as a fetter bind my wandering heart to thee; prone to wander Lord I feel it; prone to leave the God I love. Here’s my heart, oh take and seal it; seal it for thy courts above.
Glenn Rawson
Eternal Progression!
“All of us need to grow continuously in our lives.”
— Les Brown
We may learn wisdom!
“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. ”
— Confucius: was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher
Wake Up The Spirit!
“Language is surely too small a
vessel to contain these emotions of
mind and body that have somehow
awakened a response in the spirit.”
— Radclyffe Hall