Today, the day after Christmas, is the first day of Kwanzaa, a holiday created back in 1966 by the leader of a violent black nationalist cult. Encouraged by the FBI, Ron Karenga, who was not only convicted and imprisoned for felony assault and false imprisonment, but also led a rival group to the militant Black Panthers back in the 1960s, created Kwanzaa as an alternative to Christmas for African Americans. 

The made-up holiday by Karenga, which he made up at the behest of the FBI, is supposedly an annual celebration of African heritage and culture. However, its seven celebrated principles, which are symbolized by the lighting of one of its seven candles on each day of its seven day celebration, are the same as those of the ...

I’ve saved my favorite Christmas passage for last (Luke 2:21-35). It is a passage that tells us of one of my favorite Bible characters, a man named Simeon. Truly, this elderly saint possessed a most precious trait that we would all do well to emulate.

The Scripture tells us of several commendable traits Simeon possessed. For instance, he “was just” toward men and “devout” toward God. He knew, as few seem to understand today, that a right relationship with God demands right treatment of our fellowman. He was also an anointed anticipator—“the Holy Ghost was upon him”— of the promised Anointed One—“the consolation of Israel.” And he even “came by the Spirit ...

Contrary to popular opinion, the wise men did not arrive at the Nativity scene. They arrived sometime later, when Christ was no longer in a stable, but a house (Matthew 2:11-12). Upon entering the house, they immediately “saw the young child with Mary his mother.” However, it was really the child that they sought, He was the real focus of their attention. Likewise, as the Scripture admonishes us, we need to make Christ the focus of our attention (Hebrews 12:1-2). According to Lilias Trotter, who served for over thirty years as a missionary to Algeria’s Muslims, if we “turn [our] eyes upon Jesus [and] look full into His face [we will] find that the things of earth will acquire a strange new dimness.” 

&...

The wise men were heathen astrologers from the east (Matthew 2:1-10). They had undoubtedly observed in their study of the stars the appearance of a new star in the heavens. Upon inquiring about its possible meaning, they must have been informed of the ancient prophecy of the mysterious Prophet Balaam: “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17). Thus, the wise men came to Jerusalem in search of Israel’s new born King.

I find it incredibly ironic that heathen astrologers sought the newborn Christ, while Jerusalem was ignorant about Him, King Herod was threatened by Him, and Israel’s priests and ...

It is most fitting that the birth of the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-18) was first announced to shepherds (Luke 2:8-14). The patriarchs were shepherds. David was a shepherd. The Prophet Amos was a shepherd. 

Good tidings were brought to Moses concerning God’s deliverance of His people from slavery while Moses was keeping sheep. How appropriate, then, that “good tidings” of a far greater deliverance, God’s deliverance of His people from sin, were brought to “shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.”

The angels were not sent to the shepherds with good advice, but with “good tidings” or good news. They were not sent to tell the shepherds what ...

How shocking; the King of kings and Lord of lords was born in a stable. The reason, according to Luke, was that “there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:6-7). The inn was too crowded with people and things. There was simply no available room or space left for the Savior.

Nothing much has changed since that eventful night in Bethlehem so long, long ago. The world is still too crowded with other things to make room for its Redeemer. Christ is still crowded out of minds and hearts, as well as lives and homes. He is even crowded out of Christmas by its crass commercialism and today’s political correctness. Ironically, it is the One whose birthday we’re celebrating whose name is impermissible to speak and ...

Bethlehem was a small country town of about 300 people. It was located six miles south of Jerusalem. It was the birth place of the great king David and the home of Ruth and Boaz. Its only other claim to fame was an ancient prophecy made by the Prophet Micah. Micah had predicted that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).

Incredibly, God used the ruler of the civilized world—Caesar Augustus—to bring about the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-5). Although the Bible teaches that heavy taxation can destroy a nation (Proverbs 29:4 ESV), in this incident, it was used by God to fulfill the prophecy of the ancient Prophet Micah. God’s use of the Roman Caesar and the Roman tax to bring to pass His ...

Mary’s visit to Elizabeth, recorded for us in Luke 1:39-56, was undoubtedly made to confirm Mary’s faith in the angel’s annunciation of the birth of Christ (Luke 1:26-38). Remember, the angel informed Mary of her cousin’s miraculous conception—a conception in Elizabeth’s “old age”—as a proof of Mary’s miraculous conception—a conception wrought by the Holy Spirit that would result in the birth of God’s “holy” child.

Notice, the confirmation of Mary’s faith was given after she believed, not before. Unlike Missouri, where folks have to see it to believe it, in the Kingdom of God, we have to believe it to see it. Our faith will be confirmed after ...

Mary’s initial consternation over her angelic visitor was quickly replaced with bewilderment over his announcement (Luke 1:26-38). How could she, a virgin, conceive and give birth to any child, let alone a Son who would be named “Jesus,” which means “THE SALVATION OF JEHOVAH”? In Mary’s mind, a son was out of the question, especially one who would be great, called the Son of the Highest, be given the throne of David, and reign over the house of Jacob forever. The angel had surely gotten the wrong address.

Unlike earthly postal employees, heavenly emissaries never deliver messages to wrong recipients. Lowly Nazareth was the right address and the Virgin Mary the right recipient. Heaven was ...

Introducing Jesus as “the Word” spoke volumes to the Jews of John’s day (John 1:1-14). The Jews believed that words were alive. Once spoken, they went forth to accomplish the purpose for which they were spoken. Thus, spoken words could not be recalled.

This explains why the Hebrew vocabulary was relatively small and why the Jewish people tended to be persnickety about what they said. It also explains why Isaac did not recall his blessing of Jacob and confer it on Esau after discovering that he had been tricked into giving Esau’s blessing to Jacob (Genesis 27:1-40).

By introducing Jesus as “the Word,” John presented Christ to the Jews as everything that God had ever said come alive. As ...