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…of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 12:17 Verse Of The Month “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 Vol. IX December, 2018 No. 12 THE GLORY OF CHRISTMAS When first man’s heart was overcast By sin’s benighting gloom; When fear and anguish first had flashed Its death-appalling doom; When from God’s presence man had fled, To hide his guilt and shame, That caused him first God’s face to dread And tremble at His name; ’Twas then a wondrous scheme began, The task of love divine, To woo man to Himself again, His lost estate to find. “Did He succeed?” I hear some say, “Was ‘balm in Gilead’ found To heal our hurt, and ope the way? Has One so great been found?” He triumphs! Angels shout from heaven; Yon virgin bears a Son! By Him the power of sin is riven; By Him the victory’s won. We worship at Thy feet, O Christ; Thy name we do adore. With Thee we’ll keep a holy tryst, And love Thee more and more! —V. P. Drake The Testimony ................................ ........................... ............... ................................. ................................. ......................... ............... .......................................... 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. Luke 2:7 THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD 3 Editorial THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD PROPHECY The prophet Isaiah gave us a I doubt that many would argue the glimpse of how this would be accom- fact that godliness is a great mystery. plished. A virgin shall conceive (truly a Mortals can’t comprehend immortali- miracle) and shall give birth to a son ty. Eyes can’t see invisible. Creatures who shall be called Immanuel. This of time can’t grasp eternal. We can all child shall have heavenly attributes echo the conclusive declaration of Paul (Isa. 9:6) and be called The mighty God, in Romans 11:33–34: “O the depth of The everlasting Father. The report in the riches both of the wisdom and chapter 53 revealed that God would knowledge of God! how unsearchable ultimately lay on Him the iniquity of us are his judgments and his ways past all, and He, baring the sin of many, finding out! For who hath known the would pour out His soul unto death, mind of the Lord? or who hath been making intercession for the transgres- his counsellor?” Several times the Bi- sors. Isaiah was prophetically revealing ble gives details concerning God before the final sacrificial lamb slain from the the foundation of the world—before foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). “cosmos” even existed. This mystery These promises, made before the world was kept secret since the world began. began, gave hope of eternal life to the Is this only wise God, our creator, recipients, for God cannot lie (Tit.1:2). YHWH, enshrouded in a cloak of immor- “When the fulness of time was come, tal and invisible mystery? Are we, the God sent forth his son, made of a wom- human family, hopelessly clueless about an…to redeem them that were under who God is? What He thinks? What His the law…” (Gal. 4:4–5). heart feels? Two words that repeatedly A PERSON accompany the context of mystery in the A virgin. A holy presence. Fear! Bible is “reveal” and “manifest” (or some Gabriel. The annunciation. How?? The variation of them). The biblical word power of the highest! He shall be called “mystery” is defined, not as information “the son of God.” “Thou shalt call his withheld, but information revealed. name Jesus: for he shall save his peo- Ephesians 1 reveals a very unique ple from their sins.” A virgin gave birth glimpse into the mind and forethought to a child. Never before. Never since. of God. He made a choice before the As the prophecy said, he shall be called foundation of the world that sinful hu- Immanuel (God with us)! manity could be made holy before Him Logos—a word spoken to convey a (verse 4). By the “good pleasure of his thought or reasoning; declare, com- will,” He predestinated a way we could municate. The Word, that was from the be accepted as His children (verse 5); beginning, that was with God and was redemption through the blood of His God, became flesh and dwelt among us. son, even the forgiveness of sins (verse This new God/man was the divine ex- 7). According to His good pleasure He pression of creator God—logos. In these purposed in Himself to make known last days, God has “spoken” to us by His unto us the mystery of His will (verse 9). Son…being the brightness of His glory Let’s notice how God has chosen to man- and the express image of His person. ifest Himself to us through prophecy, a (Heb. 1:2–3). God was manifest in the person and by preaching. flesh! He could be seen, heard, touched 4 The Testimony December, 2018 and handled as the Word of Life. John.1:1–3). For generations and centu- Jesus Christ came into the world for ries since, God continues to manifest a very specific purpose: to humbly be- Himself to the global human family by come obedient to the death of the cross, those who “preach the word” (Logos). to shed His precious blood as of a lamb Prophecy points to the person we without spot or blemish, to save sin- now preach. His name is JESUS. He is ners. After He had offered one sacrifice Immanuel—God with us. Years ago for sins forever, He destroyed He manifest Himself to a group of men (rendered powerless) him that had the as a little baby wrapped in swaddling power of death (the devil) at His resur- clothes, lying in a manger! Today He rection from the dead and is now set still manifests Himself to men in vari- down at the right hand of God. ous ways. I am thankful He is mani- PREACHING festing Himself to me! As foolish as it may seem, God, our “Now to him that is of power to stab- Savior, commanded that in due times lish you according to my gospel, and His Word would be manifested through the preaching of Jesus Christ, accord- preaching. Many of these first preachers ing to the revelation of the mystery, were eyewitnesses of Jesus. Paul, as one which was kept secret since the world born out of due time, spoke the hidden began, But now is made manifest, and wisdom of God in a mystery which He by the scriptures of the prophets, ac- ordained before the world to save them cording to the commandment of the that believe (I Cor. 1:21, 2:7). John, who everlasting God, made known to all witnessed God manifest in the person of nations for the obedience of faith: To Jesus firsthand, declared what he expe- God only wise, be glory through Jesus rienced that others would know and Christ forever. Amen” (Rom. 16:25–27). have fellowship with the Father also (I Larry Bower Seasonal “NOW THE BIRTH OF JESUS the paying of a toll on a highway CHRIST WAS ON THIS WISE…” or paying customs on entering the United States from Canada. Rome Levi was not a man of very high farmed out the tax business to pri- reputation, and he associated with vate citizens. This being a center men of poor reputation. He lived of Jewish settlement, Jews often in the coastal town of Capernaum bid for the job. A Jewish man on the north shore of the Sea of might receive this commission Galilee where men unloaded their and, since it was a busy port, he fishing boats daily, where mer- might have to hire others to work chants met ships laden with cargo under him. Tax collectors often from across distant lands by way charged “whatever the traffic of the Eastern Trade Route, and would bear”—sometimes even to travelers of various sorts disem- the point of extortion. Under- barked. As today, the Roman gov- standably, Jewish tax gatherers ernment found many ways to tax were often hated by their fellow its citizens. A customs tax in those Jews. Zacchaeus (Luke 19:2), days was equivalent in our day to down south at Jericho, a chief pub- “NOW THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST WAS ON THIS WISE…” 5 lican who had men working under had gathered around Jesus. But him, managed a large tax account- the scribes who taught the Law ing firm and had become very rich. and men from the sect of the Phar- In Luke 18:10–13 we read of two isees saw Jesus eating with all men, both Jewish, one a these men of bad reputation and “separated one,” from among the questioned Him, to which Jesus religious sect of the Pharisees. The responded that He had come to other a Jewish tax gatherer. The call sinners to repentance, not those who professed to be first, believing himself to be more “righteous.” There are none right- holy than his Jewish fellows, was eous, so Jesus came to save the fully aware of the public servant reprobate and the self-righteous— praying nearby. His own prayer that’s everyone. reflects his opinion of the other When Levi left his customs man. “I am not like other men— house to follow Jesus, he felt it especially like that one standing necessary to change his name over there.