“Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.” (Acts 4:25-28)

Perhaps you are leaving the movie theater somewhat overwhelmed by what you have just witnessed. Perhaps there was nothing in this world that could have prepared your heart and soul for the gut-wrenching movie “THE PASSION” that was directed by Mel Gibson. Perhaps mere words are insufficient to articulate the height and depth of human emotion that has swept through your entire being.

If you are a Christian, perhaps God has plowed your heart and used this film to call you back to your first love and your first works (Revelation 2:4,5). Perhaps your heart broke afresh over the terrible price our precious Savior paid for the redemption of our lost and wayward souls.

If you are an unbeliever and maybe a part of a religious system other than Christianity, perhaps great conviction has come upon your soul for the first time. Perhaps after viewing this film, you are seeing the claims of Christ and the veracity of His word in a more distinct light. After all, the Bible declares that Jesus is the light of the world. In fact, Jesus affirmed this truth in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” It is for you, my non-Christian friend, that this tract has been written.

Much controversy has surrounded this movie since its inception. All kinds of accusations have flown to and fro. Fears of anti-Semitism have arisen and spread like wild fire. Magazines, media, articles, and debates over this film have grown up like weeds and the number one question upon everyone’s lips is “Who Really Killed Christ?”

This is an extremely important question, but unfortunately, our darkened world cannot supply a truthful answer. Human nature being what it is, we cannot but help to politicize the moral, ethical, and spiritual implications raised by this picture. Though we should be grateful that the question has been raised, it is only in the Bible, the Word of God, that one can safely derive authentic answers to life’s perplexing questions.

God’s Role In The Death Of Christ

First things first. We must major on the majors and minor on the minors to arrive at our proposed destination. Our beginning passage in Acts points the finger in the right direction, if we are to understand the nature of who killed Christ. It clearly states that Christ was first and foremost condemned to die the most agonizing death possible on that cruel cross according to what “…thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.” The hand and counsel referenced here is the hand and counsel of Almighty God.

Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, the Bible prophesied of His coming. Holy Writ foretold that God would become a man and the Word of God (Jesus) would become flesh (Isaiah 9:6, 7:14, and John 1:1-14). The Scriptures foretold the brutal manner in which Jesus would die (Psalm 22, Isaiah 53). Keep in mind, crucifixion had not been invented yet as a method of capital punishment, when King David described our Lord’s suffering on a cross in Psalm 22. The prophets also pronounced Jesus’ glorious resurrection, long before His miraculous incarnation (Psalm 16:10, Acts 2). In fact, there are over 300 specific prophecies in the Old Testament that concern the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The New Testament simply records how Jesus Christ fulfilled each and everyone of them.

The truth is, Jesus Christ was slain before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). Before there was a created universe, before our first parents, Adam and Eve, roamed paradise, and before man sinned and committed high treason against God to plunge this earth into death, hell, and the grave, Jesus was already slain in the heart and mind of God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost conspired in eternity past to condemn Jesus to die a bloody, horrifying death in order to redeem lost, fallen, and sinful creatures like you and me.

It is this truth and destiny that burned in the heart of Jesus that amply supplied Him with the courage and humility to honestly proclaim that no one could take His life from Him (John 10:18). Jesus received from God the Father the command to lay down His life and the power to take it up again. Jesus knew He was born to die, to bear witness to the truth, and to unleash God’s salvation upon this poor-fallen world. Jesus’ death on the cross could not be avoided. It was God’s eternal decree and no man, no devil, and no government on earth could prevent this most central, tragic, and historical event from taking place. Jesus settles the raging debate once and for all in Luke 24:25,26, “Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?”

Man’s Role In Christ’s Death

Because many have not perceived God’s role in our Lord’s death, some throughout history have looked for human scapegoats to blame. The Jews, traditionally, have fit the bill. Throughout history, either misguided genuine Christians or unconverted pagans masquerading as Christians have hurled the railing accusation of “Christ Killer” against the Jewish people. As a result, the Jews have suffered persecution at the hands of the Church, especially in the Middle Ages. They were terribly treated.

Even the Reformation did not completely end the Jew’s mistreatment. Martin Luther, at first fought for more freedom for the Jewish people under the Reformation, but as they resisted the Gospel of the Kingdom message, he wrote scathing denunciations against them. In fact, some of his writings became familiar to Hitler. It has been said that Martin Luther later recanted. One can only hope that is true. Obviously, the Jews may have some legitimate concerns when it comes to the handling of our Lord’s death in this day.

On a human level, our opening passage of Scripture in the book of Acts implicates several groups that were involved in the murder of Jesus. God’s Word implicates Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel. In one sense, God indicted the entire known world at that time for the crucifixion of His Son. No one escaped responsibility. On the other hand, the Jews, the Romans, and the political and religious leaders of the day were mere instruments that were unknowingly carrying out the will of God. The Apostle Paul verifies this truth by stating, “Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

Dear friend, the truth is, it was your sin and my sin that is responsible for the spilled blood and broken body of our loving Savior. The artist Rembrandt sought to convey this truth in a painting called “The Raising of the Cross.” He painted it as a self-portrait. It was Rembrandt as the soldier that nailed Christ to the cross and lifted up our Lord’s tortured and mangled body up as payment for the sins of the world.

Who killed Christ? Rembrandt knew and so does Mel Gibson. You did and I did! It was our idolatry, greed, lust, selfishness, lies, perversions, abominations, and immorality that nailed Him to the cross, but it was His love that held Him there. Jesus paid a debt He did not owe and we owed a debt we could not pay. Though Jesus never sinned, He died a criminal’s death. Out of His great love for you and me, He became our substitute for breaking God’s Law. He served our sentence for us by enduring the agonizing torture upon a cruel cross. It’s by His blood shed on that cross that we can be saved, escape the wrath that is to come, and everlasting destruction. It is through Jesus’ broken body that our broken relationship with God can be restored. Please don’t delay. Call upon the name of the Lord, repent of your sins, believe in Jesus, be baptized, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38). Today is the day of salvation!

On January 22nd, 2012, our nation will be reminded of one of the most egregious rulings in the modern era. Thirty nine years ago, The Supreme Court decriminalized abortion on demand through the infamous ruling known as Roe vs. Wade. Not since the Dred Scott Decision addressing slavery has our nation suffered a more polarizing governmental decree.

Through the years this so-called “law” has raised many difficult issues America has debated and discussed. Today, I would like to focus in on one aspect of the deliberations, the nature of law. Who or what is the ultimate source and authority of law? Is law a fixed, eternal standard that is binding upon all men, at all times, and in every nation? Or, is law evolutionary in nature, which turns the Constitution into a “living document” that becomes wax in the judiciary to fit society’s ever changing mores? Is the source and authority of law based upon the Triune God of the Bible or autonomous men? 

The premise this article seeks to establish is Almighty God, the God of the Holy Bible, and His righteous, holy character is the basis and authority for all just laws. James 4:12 states, “There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who are you that judge another? 

James emphatically declares that the God of Holy Scripture is the one and only Lawgiver. He is the only one morally qualified to institute law. Men, as fallen creatures, are not morally qualified to make law. All men can do is either uphold or violate God’s fixed, moral absolutes. If we choose to break God’s moral commandments, however, the unavoidable consequence is they eventually break us. America is finding this out the hard way as we hurl ourselves against God’s moral commandments, which provide the framework for life and the infrastructure of reality.

If men are tempted to reject these Biblical truths, they can only fall back on two failed and disastrous options. The civil government or the individual is the source and authority of law. Tragically, Roe vs. Wade reveals that too many Americans today consider the State as sovereign? This is why many thoughtlessly look to Washington D.C. as the source of all law, power, and authority in the universe. I hate to burst this idolatrous bubble, but the Sovereign Lord of the universe was not born in Washington, D.C., He was born in Bethlehem.

Historically, when man believes civil government is the ultimate authority, the power, and source of law inevitably nations degenerate into “isms,” Communism, Fascism, or Nazism, just to name a few. These tyrannies have paved the way for terrible atrocities. If earthly government is the highest authority with no accountability to its Creator, it can easily be tempted to exploit and harm the very ones it claims to serve. This, in a nutshell, reveals much of mankind’s bloody history.

The second option, which we see increasingly manifesting in America today, is the sovereignty of the individual. If God is not sovereign and the civil government is not sovereign, then men resort back to the lie in the garden. The individual is left to construct his own “truth.” Men define for themselves what is good and evil apart from God’s objective truth. Thus, they become a law and god unto themselves. The consequences to this fallen condition are anarchy, chaos, and confusion.

Truly, only One Nation under God can balance the delicate tension between authority and liberty. Only One Nation under God can secure a just, social order on the one hand and maximum individual freedom on the other.

Roe vs. Wade is an example of men seeking to establish law apart from God’s moral commandments. It is a “legal” decree that violates God’s law, which states, “Thou shalt not kill (murder).” Roe vs. Wade decriminalized the murder of innocent babies made in the image of God. The Supreme Court, a court that did not fear God or man, vainly sought to remove the basis of law from God’s fixed moral commandments and opted for an evolutionary view of law instead. It is this mentality that seeks to change the Constitution of America into a living, evolving document that breaks the chains, which once restrained the Federal beast from devouring our liberties. To them, law like men, are evolving. Law is not God’s eternal rules for living set in stone; it has a more fluid quality that follows the path of political expediency. It is this path of least resistance that makes both men and rivers crooked. Roe vs. Wade is humanistic man seeking to make straight what God has called crooked.

Roe vs. Wade finds its basis of law in the pagan Roman Empire. Back then, it was the father who had the authority under paterfamilias to determine whether or not children lived or died. If the child did not find favor with his dad, he was sentenced to the infanticide wall and left to the elements and beasts. It was Christians back then who rescued these precious infants and raised them in the faith. If any of you reading this article are seeking to save babies at abortion mills today, you are walking in this same grand rescue tradition established by the early Church.

Today, under Roe vs. Wade, it is the mother who holds the power of life and death when it comes to her children. If she wants the baby, thumbs up, if she doesn’t want the baby, thumbs down. America, with a straight face, pretends this is law. When laws are based upon the mere whims of men or women, nations become lawless. This places law keepers in a precarious situation. Why is this the case? Simply put, in the days of lawlessness, those who keep the law, become the outlaw!

Sir William Blackstone who wrote the Commentaries on the Laws of England stated, “Upon these two foundations, the law of nature (the eternal laws of good and evil) and the law of revelation (found only in the Scriptures), depend all human laws. That is to say, no human laws should be allowed to contradict these.”

Clearly, Roe vs. Wade violates these two foundations for law on both counts. Under the color of law, it has destroyed one third of an entire generation. I’ll conclude this article with a short prayer that comes from Psalm 119, which is a tribute to God’s law. The Psalmist prayed “It is time for you, LORD, to work: for they have made void your law (Psalm 119:126).” May He do so speedily. May He arise and end the American holocaust that has spawned the culture of death defiling our beloved land in Jesus’ mighty and holy name!

In a couple of weeks the world will celebrate Christmas. As the years march on, the controversy surrounding this day magnifies. The mainstream church seeks to defend its language, “Merry Christmas” from the Christ denying “Happy Holiday” or “Winter Solstice” substitutions. Some Christians view it as an unholy alliance between Christianity and paganism, which should be avoided like the plague. Of course, the same case is made for Holy Week and the celebration of our Lord’s resurrection. In typical fashion, the God-hating world consistently dishonors the significance of Christ by substituting His preeminence with pagan themes. The question then becomes, should we throw out the baby with the bath water? In other words, should we reject God’s original due to satanic counterfeits? I’ll leave these questions to each man’s conscience to consider. 

The view of Christmas has other implications as well. Some Protestants cringe at the last three words mas as it may be a reference to the Catholic Mass. Some point out that Christ was not born on December 25th, so why even bother. Others seek to avoid the commercialism surrounding the birth of Christ by concentrating on the “reason for the season.” Obviously, Christmas has become many things to many people. 

But whether people honor or protest Christmas, its annual commemoration is certain. I suspect it will remain this way for the foreseeable future. Minimally, the merchants of the earth have a vested interest to secure the day if for no other reason than to boost their bottom line. The purpose for this article, however, seeks to understand the birth of Christ from a Biblical perspective. Does the Bible honor the event? If so, in what ways is the birth of Christ distinguished?

The Prophecies 

There is no doubt the God of the Bible viewed it as a major production. There were several hundred prophecies, types, and shadows that predicted, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given (Isaiah 9:6).” In fact, there are over three hundred prophecies concerning the Messiah interwoven throughout the Old Testament. Some of them are duplications of the same prophecy. For instance, the prophecy concerning Jesus being from the house of David is repeated about fourteen times. The prophecy that foretells the birth place of Messiah as the city of Bethlehem is repeated five times (Micah 5:2). The number of non-repeating distinct prophecies, however, comes in at about one hundred and ninety.

M.B. Bleecker, an engineer, took one hundred and fifty of these noteworthy prophecies that Jesus fulfilled and calculated the odds of His fulfilling them all. The odds of one man fulfilling one hundred and fifty prophecies in one lifetime are one in -1,039,851,278,722,473,896,502,516,467,047,788,121,009,514,090,594,304

The odds of Jesus fulfilling just eight of them in His lifetime are one in -100, 000, 000,000,000,000

Following up on this mathematical probability, Peter Stoner in Science Speaks (Moody Press, 1963) made this discovery. Mr. Stoner demonstrated that coincidence was ruled out by the science of probability.  Stoner suggested that by using the modern science of probability in reference to eight prophecies, “we find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 1017.” That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. In order to help us comprehend this staggering probability, Stoner illustrates it by supposing that “we take 1017 silver dollars and lay them over the face of Texas, so that they cover all of the state two feet deep.”

Mr. Stoner continues:

Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one.  What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man.

The Star 

In the realms of astronomy, the Star of Bethlehem has garnered for itself “the world’s most famous celestial event” in history. God rearranged the heavens as a sign that something of dramatic worth was transpiring upon the earth. Of course, it was never a common occurrence that the heavens would open and a choir of angelic hosts would appear to sing praise to God as they brought “good tidings of great joy.” What was the reason for such a bodacious display? They were carrying a divine message, which stated, “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.”

The Bible records that there was no small stir to the holy announcement. The most famous response came from the woman who was chosen to conceive and give birth to the Son of God. Today, we recognize Mary’s prophetic reply as the Magnificat. Pay close attention to her declarations as it pertains to this poor fallen world. Mary cries out:

My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; as he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

Mary acknowledges the incredible favor that has been demonstrated to her personally. Beyond personal considerations, she proclaims that there will be powerful ramifications that will greatly impact the world. Wrongs will be righted. Justice will eventually prevail. Oppression in due course will cease. Tyrants, dictators, the ruling elite, and the proud will be cast down. The hungry, poor, outcast, and disenfranchised will be helped. All this and more is guaranteed by the promise God spoke to Abraham and is now coming to pass with the birth of Christ. Is this something that should be ignored or should it be shouted from the rooftops now and forever more.

The Incarnation    

The theological term for this glorious event is called the Incarnation. In general terms it means in the flesh or to become human. When it comes to the birth of Christ, however, who or what is becoming human or coming in the flesh? The Gospel according to John grants us the Biblical meaning, John 1:1 and 1:14 states:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God… 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.

The denial of the Incarnation is what actually constitutes the dreadful designation the Bible calls Anti-Christ. Any person, religion, or philosophy that denies Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is Anti-Christ (1 John 4:1-3). Perhaps, there is more to this Christmas business than meets the eye.

Remarkably, the same Word that spoke the heavens and the earth into existence, the same Word canonized in the Bible, the same Word that God sent to heal us, and deliver us from destruction became flesh and dwelt among us. One of the specific words is the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14 which states, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Matthew interprets the name Immanuel as God with us. C. S. Lewis defined the significance of the Incarnation as “The Son of God became a man so that men could become the sons of God.”

The first mention of the promise of the Incarnation traces back to Genesis 3:15. God promised, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Normally, I present this passage of Scripture to teach on the battle that is raging for the souls of men, the lives of children, and the future of our planet. For this article, however, the emphasis will change. The spot light will focus on this passage as the first mention of the glorious Gospel of the Kingdom and the Incarnation as God’s remedy to correct the fall of man. To make this possible God had to establish a seed line.

God tapped Abraham and said, “I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.” Why did God choose Abraham? This attribute might have something to do with it. Genesis 18:19 states, “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.”

The promise of Messiah passed from Abraham to Isaac and from Isaac to Jacob. Jacob had twelve sons, which became the twelve tribes of Israel. Out of the twelve tribes, the tribe of Judah was chosen. Genesis 49:10 promised, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” Out of the tribe of Judah, the House of David was chosen. 2 Samuel 7:12, 13 declares:

And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

Finally, the book of Galatians announces The Promise was born. Galatians 4:4, 5 records, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

Having traced the seed line that brought about the Glorious Incarnation, it is time to explore what this means to us and this poor fallen world? There are many wonderful blessings associated with the Incarnation, but for our purposes, I’d like to concentrate on just two of them. One is corporate that concerns the world and the other is individual.

The corporate implications of the Incarnation are discovered in Isaiah 9:6, 7. God’s word states:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

When did the Kingdom of God come and the establishment of God’s government commence? When the Son was given and the Holy Child was born. What does this mean in the real world? “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever (Revelations 11:15).” How or when shall it completely take place? All we need to know is “the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform it.” 

The Gospel according to Luke reveals how Christmas relates to us as individuals. God’s word states: 

And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God (Luke 1:28-35).

Biblically, the same manner in which Mary conceived Christ physically is the same manner we receive Christ spiritually. Be it unto us according to thy word. 1 Peter 1:23 affirms this powerful truth, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” James concurs, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls (James 1:21).” The Apostle Paul agrees as well, “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 3:15).”

The circumstances surrounding the birth of Christ into our poor fallen world are highly significant. There was no room for him in the inn. This world and each sinner in it have a natural repulsion towards Christ. We suppress the truth in unrighteousness. We reject the light and walk in darkness for fear our evil deeds will be exposed. We go astray from the womb because we are conceived in sin. We are born alienated from God and seek to be a law and god unto ourselves. Thus for many, there is no room in our wicked hearts for Christ.

He was born in a stinky stable and laid in a manger. The manger was not a crib, but a feeding trough for animals. To think that the King of the universe chose this humble estate in which to become one of us is quite humbling. It is, as well, a powerful description of the state of our lives before the King of Glory by the power of the Holy Ghost takes up residence in our immoral lives. We suffer from stinking thinking and sinful actions. When Christ regenerates our lives, however, the sanctifying power of His precious blood goes to work to purify and cleanse our ”smelly stables” or if you prefer, our darknened souls.

Lastly, the ruling elite were clueless as the lowly shepherds saw and heard the glorious announcement:

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 (Luke 2:10-14).

So it is today, many glory in their riches, power, and wisdom, while those who are being saved boast in the Lord. In this way Christmas, among its many other accomplishments, also reveals our calling brethren:

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 

Just as in His resurrection, Christ refused to appear to Pilate, Caesar, and the High Priest, but rather visited His rough and unsophisticated disciples, so at His birth, the angels appear to lowly shepherds and bypass the rich and famous. As Jesus grew into an adult; His attitude towards the proud never changed. He prayed, “I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes (Matthew 11:25).” “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out (Romans 11:33)!”

Much more can be shared about the implications of the Incarnation, but this will have to suffice for now. With that be said, I want to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and most blessed New Year in God’s Kingdom!

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to “recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

The Patriarch Poem

More noble than the valiant deeds of shining knights of yore,

More powerful than terran plights that make the rich man poor,

More kingly than an earthly throne or a lion with his pride,

Is he whose babes sleep well at night, sure Daddy will provide.

There is a spirit in this land, and Jezebel’s her name.

She’s calling you to leave your home for power, fun, and fame,

She wants your wife, your children, too; she’ll never compromise,

until your house is torn in two by listening to her lies.

But though a hundred thousand million men may fall prey to her lures,

And wives en masse leave home in search of more fulfilling chores,

Though preachers praise and friends embrace her pagan plan of death,

Stand strong and quit you like a man with every blessed breath.

Stand strong and rise, O man of God to meet this noble call.

The battle is not new you see, it’s been here since the fall.

Your wife is your helpmeet, my friend, not another man’s,

So care for her and keep her far from Mistress Jezebel’s plans.

Protect, provide, and give to her your undivided life,

This is the dear one of your youth, your precious bride, your wife.

Rally to those tiny ones who trust you for their care,

A lifetime spent discipling them is a lifetime pure and rare.

For when they put their hand in yours and know a daddy’s love,

Your are showing them a picture of the Father from above.

So look not to worldly goals of gain or for your liberty.

Look only into their sweet eyes to find your ministry.

Devote your heart and sacrifice and make your manly mark,

There is none so great as he who finds his call as patriarch!

Douglas W. Phillips

Malachi 4:4-6 states, “Remember you the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded to him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”

Author Bill Bennett just released a new book called The Book of Man. Fox News allowed Mr. Bennett to write a guest column to promote his book. The following link will get you there. Though I agree with most of his assessments, there is a glaring error. Instead of condemning feminism and its destructive impact upon men, women, children, marriage, and our nation, he praises the advancement of women in society. Somehow he refuses to connect the dots between the rise of feminism and the loss of the masculine indentity that he addresses in his book and opinion piece.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/10/14/have-forgotten-how-to-raise-boys-into-men/?test=faces

One Nation under God 

Lord Acton stated, “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”This premise is confined exclusively to the human realm; it is not a true premise when it comes to Almighty God.  All authority, might and power belong to Him, yet He is without sin and there is no variableness, nor shadow of turning in His dealings with men and nations (Matthew 28:18-20; James 1:17b).  1 John 1:5 affirms this aspect of God’s holy character, “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

The prophet Jeremiah reveals our current malaise in America, “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water (Jeremiah 2:13).” Only One Nation under God can secure social order on the one hand and individual freedom on the other.  Only One Nation under God can maintain the delicate tension between authority and liberty.  All else is sinking sand and cisterns that can’t hold water.

Go see this film!

In God’s providential timing, our last KLI Braveheart Project lesson centered on the vital topic concerning godly, manly courage. Within mere days of this lesson being published, this film is released. God does nothing in a corner. His Spirit is confirming His word out of the mouth of many witnessess. This film captures the essence of what the KLI Braveheart project seeks to inspire within Christian men. It calls men back to their Biblical responsibilities and duties. It addresses the curse of fatherlessness plaguing our nation. I hear reports of men standing in theaters pledging to God to be courageous men.

May the Elijah Mantle fall upon men that will destroy the Jezebel, feministic spirit that has robbed the masculine identity and perverted it in Jesus’ name! May God use this film restore divine order in the home, the proper role and function of Biblical manhood, and turn the father’s hearts back to their children and the children’s hearts back to their fathers and remove the curse from our land.