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CHRISTMAS

HIGH AND LIFTED UP

HIGH AND LIFTED UP For many people, Christmas is a very joyous time of year. Family, holiday decorations, snowfall, presents, good food — these are all things that we enjoy at this time of year. But Christmas is also a very sad time for some people — for those who have suffered a great loss, […]

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CHRISTMAS

THE FATHER’S ONLY SON

THE FATHER’S ONLY SON There once was a very wealthy man. He was the heir of several generations of wealthy men before him, and each had increased the family fortune. This particular man had invested in art. He had the most valuable private holding in the world: Picasso, Rembrandt, Monet, Dali… works by some of the greatest […]

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CHRISTMAS

THE MYSTERY OF THE MAGI

THE MYSTERY OF THE MAGI All across the world right now, people are preparing for Christmas. For some, this time of the year brings joy and happiness and for others reflection, or even perhaps regret or pain as they look back over former years. Whatever your personal feelings at this time of year, Christmas is meant […]

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CHRISTMAS

WHY IS CHRISTMAS SO IMPORTANT?

WHY IS CHRISTMAS SO IMPORTANT? WHY IS CHRISTMAS SO IMPORTANT?I was walking through the mall a few days before Christmas. The hustle and bustle of last-minute shoppers filled the air like bees buzzing around their hive. I had joined the swarm of consumers on the hunt for the final few gifts to complete my shopping list when suddenly […]

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CHRISTMAS

THE STAR

“After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.” Matthew 2:9 Many theories have been suggested about what the magi actually saw in the sky over Israel. Some have speculated it may have been […]

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CHRISTMAS

NATIONS WILL FLOW TO ZION

NATIONS WILL FLOW TO ZION The Roman Senate had entitled Herod the Great, who was ruling over Judea, “king of the Jews.” But he was just a puppet of the Roman Empire. He had no rightful claim to the throne of David. Like most rulers of his day, Herod was paranoid and superstitious. So when eastern […]

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CHRISTMAS

THE ORIGINAL WISE MEN

The only other book in the Bible to mention “Magi” is Daniel. About 600 years before Christ, the Babylonians started to take Jews into exile. A young Hebrew named Daniel was among the first to go, and his story in Babylon is where the Bible introduces us to the Magi (THE ORIGINAL “WISE MEN”) Daniel’s life is […]

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CHRISTMAS

BEYOND THE NATIVITY SCENE

How strange the “Nativity Scene” must look to someone who doesn’t understand it. It is a portrayal of Christ’s birth that blends elements from two Gospels and adds some traditional – and a few mistaken – details. It usually shows Mary and Joseph looking after their baby lying on a trough filled with hay. Shepherds and three […]

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CHRISTMAS

GIFTS FOR A KING

GIFTS FOR A KING THE MYSTERY OF THE MAGI The Old Testament declared that Gentiles from around the world would come to the Messiah, bearing gifts that actually included gold and frankincense (Psa 72:10-15; Isa 60:1-6). When the Magi from the east visited Jesus, they partly fulfilled this prophecy. The nations were indeed paying their […]