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Jesus Who Was Conceived By the
Holy Spirit
< Matthew 1:18-25 >
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed
to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.Then
Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example,
was minded to put her away secretly.But while he thought about these things,
behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son
of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is
conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.And she will bring forth a Son, and you
shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.’ So
all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through
the prophet, saying:‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son,
and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’
Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded
him and took to him his wife,and did not know her till she had brought forth
her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.”
Matthew chapter 1 describes the birth of Jesus
in detail. By human logic, a virgin who has never been with a man having a child
cannot be possible. A pregnancy could be possible only when there has been a
sexual relationship between a man and a woman. Therefore, throughout the history
of all ages, this kind of extraordinary birth is only seen in the myth. However,
this was possible with God.
We can understand this if we carefully examine
the reason Jesus was born. The reason Jesus Christ, who is God in His essence,
was born in a human form through the Virgin Mary was to save His people from
all of their sins. In other words, to save sinners from their sins, He Himself
had to come as the Savior. To save the sinners, a sinless One was needed as
the propitiation for our sins (1 John 2:2), and that was Jesus Christ, who was
God Himself.
For a virgin who is pledged to be married to have
a child before the marriage is an action that deserves criticism of the society
as an unlawful behavior. This could even be a sin that deserves death penalty
among the Jews at that time. The Law of Israel commanded that anyone who committed
adultery be stoned. According to today’s scripture lesson above, Mary and Joseph
were pledged to be married. Joseph and Mary both feared God. So, through the
marvelous occurrence they had experienced, they learned to follow God’s plan
with faith that feared God.
The Scripture records specifically this historical
event in Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold,
the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”
And again, Isaiah 9:6 states, “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son
is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be
called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
And it was fulfilled.
Also Micah 5:2 records, “But you, Bethlehem
Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you
shall come forth to Me. The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are
from of old, From everlasting.” This passage prophesizes the birth of Jesus
definitely and concretely.
The Books of Micah and Isaiah are prophecies that
were recorded by the prophets Micah and Isaiah as the words of God were on them,
inspired by the Holy Spirit. They knew by God’s prophecy about the birth of
Jesus Christ, who was to be born over 700 years after their days, and recorded
it.
Besides these passages, there are many places
in the Bible that prophesizes the birth of Jesus directly or indirectly. This
is truly amazing. The birth of Jesus was an impossible mystery unless it was
designed and done by God Himself. This proves that God the Father had planned
the birth of Jesus from everlasting, that is, from the beginning, before there
was ever an earth (Proverbs 8:23).
The Bible is composed of 39 Books of Old Testament
and 27 Books of new testaments, totaling 66 Books. The Old Testament is composed
of the Books of the Law and the Books of the prophecy, while the New Testament
provides the Gospels, the Epistles, and the Revelation. The Old Testament is
mostly written in Hebrew and Aramaic and the New Testament in Greek. The strength
of Hebrew is its precise meaning and the strength of Greek is its extensive
vocabulary.
The Bible was recorded over 1600 years throughout
several centuries by forty some people in many different places. As a result,
the lack of credibility on its unification is the general view. However, this
was not written by any man’s intelligence, but rather it was written inspired
by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, all the prophecies of the birth of Jesus coincide
with the events and facts that happened historically.
2 Timothy 3:15-17 records, “And that from childhood
you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation
through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration
of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction
in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for
every good work.” This passage proves clearly that the Bible is authentic
and that its author is God Himself. And we have to know that, not only in Isaiah,
but in the entire 66 Books of Old and New Testament in the Bible are the prophecies
and records about the birth and work of Jesus Christ.
Luke 24:27 records, “And beginning at Moses
and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things
concerning Himself,” and verse 44 records, “Then He said to them, ‘These
are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things
must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and
the Psalms concerning Me.’” These passages make it clear that the Jesus
Christ is the master of whom the Bible spoke.
Then what is the reason that Jesus was born, who
has been prophesized and testified throughout the centuries, through the body
of the Virgin Mary as a human? In the name ‘Jesus’ the purpose and the meaning
of His birth are clearly reflected. As we put meaning in a name when we name
things, Jesus has the meaning “the One who will save His people from their sins.”
The fact the He was given the name Jesus of all the names is a sure sign that
shows the purpose of His birth.
The Almighty Creator came to this world in a lowly
human form. This shows the amazing grace He has for us. The reason Jesus came
as a human was because He loves us so much.
John 3:16 records, “For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not
perish but have everlasting life.” What this passage tells us is that anyone
who believes in Jesus can enter Heaven.
There would be no one in this world that would
sacrifice his only son for a criminal. When this is so even with humans, the
fact that the Creator was born in a human body for humans that are just like
insects tells us how much the Holy Triune God loves this world. Therefore, if
someone rejects His unconditional love, he deserves to be condemned for such
stubbornness.
John 8:24 states, “Therefore I said to you
that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you
will die in your sins.”
Here, what does the passage “if you do not believe
that I am He” mean? This means that “if you do not believe that God sent His
one and only Son and that one and Only Son is Jesus Christ.” The reason Jesus
came to this world is to save the sinners from all of their sins as it was recorded
in Matthew chapter 1.
The work of the Old and New Testament is the work
of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is real and alive. As it is real that Jesus
came to this world to take on the sins of the world, crucified on the Cross
and was resurrected on the third day, the Holy Spirit is another Person, and
a real Spirit of Holy God just like Jesus. Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit is
also God Himself.
I mentioned earlier that the work of the Bible
is the work of the Holy Spirit. Genesis 1:2 records, “The earth was without
form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of
God was hovering over the face of the waters.” The Spirit of God in this
passage is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit truly exists just as God the Father
and Jesus truly exist. The Holy Spirit is also mentioned in today’s scripture
lesson we have read: “After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before
they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.” This passage
tells us that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary.
Therefore, in reality, God the Father, Jesus the
Son, and the Holy Spirit are the same God to us. For Jesus to come to this world
as our Savior, there was collaboration with God the Father and the Holy Spirit
that made it possible for Jesus to be the Savior. However, some people find
this part hard to believe and demand evidence that explains this, saying this
is absurd. Then, I can give these people the work of the Trinity in detail from
the Scripture in the works of God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Just as you truly exist, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and God the Father truly exist.
As we are all human, but each individual is different and unique from the others,
the role of the each one in Trinity is different, but they are one God. I tell
you that the Holy Spirit is the divine Spirit.
Devine Spirit, the Holy Spirit is a Person, and
has its own independent character. It was by the work of the Triune God that
the Savior of mankind, Jesus, came to this world through Mary. Therefore, we
know that in the work of salvation, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit worked
together. This is why Jesus commanded His disciples to “go therefore and
make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19) right before He ascended
to Heaven. The work of God that created the universe and all the work that God
has done are not done by God the Father alone, or done by His Son, Jesus Christ
alone, but they are done by God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit
together as they counsel about all the works and do all the work.
We were saved from our sins by believing what
the Savior had done for us. As Jesus is a true being, the Holy Spirit is a true
being as another character of divine God. Just as Jesus is a true Being, the
Holy Spirit is a true Being as another Person of divine God just as Jesus is.
Therefore, all the works within the universe is the work of the Triune God.
In fact, not only the Holy Spirit resides in the hearts of us who believe in
the gospel of the water and the Spirit, but also He tells and teaches us the
truth and guides us in the way of life.
Let us look at John chapter 14. John 14:25-26
says, “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.But
the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach
you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
This is why the Bible calls the Holy Spirit the
Helper. The Holy Spirit that the Father would send “will teach you all things
and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” The Helper Holy
Spirit teaches us the truth. He teaches us the truth about all things such as
what pleases God the Father and what His will is. Also, the One who reminds
us of what the Lord has taught us is the Holy Spirit. This is why the Bible
tells us that “the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you,
and you do not need that anyone teach you” (1 John 2:27). This means that
the Holy Spirit teaches us about God as He resides in our hearts. This is why
the Holy Spirit is the Helper.
The Scripture describes Jesus Christ in detail
as well as the works of the Holy Spirit. All the Books of the New Testament,
such as the four Gospels, Acts, the Pauline Epistles, the Epistles by James,
Peter and John, and even the Revelation are teachings of Jesus. In the period
of the four Gospels, the Lord Himself taught us. As the period of the Gospel
was over, Jesus ascended to Heaven. He promised that He would send the Holy
Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and since then it has been the age of the Holy
Spirit.
This is the period of Holy Spirit. This period
that you and I live in is the period in which the Holy Spirit works. This period
that you and I live in is the period of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit
resides within us, and makes us to spread the gospel. And He helps us understand
the Truth, rebukes our sins, guides us to follow God’s will well, and supplies
what is lacking in us. Also, He helps us realize what is wrong, and reminds
us of the Word.
The gospel of the water and the Spirit is the
gospel of the Holy Spirit. This means that the Holy Spirit works with the gospel
of the water and the Spirit. Why does the Holy Spirit do the work? That is because
this is the period of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ was born in this world,
and took on our sins by His baptism, received judgment, ascended to Heaven,
and will come back someday. Until Jesus’ return, the Holy Spirit works along
with the written Word.
The Holy Spirit is the God who works through the
God’s Word. When Mary accepted God’s message, the Holy Spirit works to have
baby Jesus. The Holy Spirit gave the ability that made it possible for the baby
Jesus to be born because Mary who heard the words of God accepted God’s message
saying, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your
word.” As such, the Holy Spirit works through what was prophesied.
Matthew 1:22-23 says, “So all this was done
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet,
saying ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall
call His name Immanuel, which is translated, ‘God with us.’” We must know
that the Holy Spirit works for those who believe in the written Word of God.
In Luke, the Bible tells us that the angel Gabriel,
who showed up to Elizabeth also shows up to Mary and tells her, “Blessed
are you among women! The Son you will bring forth will be great!” The great
One meant the Savior. Then Mary was frightened and asked him, “How can this
be since I do not know a man?” Gabriel told her that “Elizabeth your
relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth
month for her who was called barren.” Then Mary accepted the words of God
that the angel gave her and said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let
it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her, and
then Jesus was born from her. This is a good example of how the Holy Spirit
works.
In this age, the Holy Spirit is still in the world
working within our hearts. How does the Holy Spirit work? When we believe in
the written Word of God, the Holy Spirit works through God’s Words. When we
spread the Gospel to those who have not accepted Jesus, it is the Holy Spirit
that works within them. When you and I spread the gospel and God’s Word, the
Holy Spirit within us works on those who are not yet born again. When the Gospel
is spread, the Holy Spirit works within them, helping them to understand the
Gospel. When people hear and think about it, the Holy Spirit teaches them the
Word of God as to what it means, and works within them to help them understand
the gospel. As a consequence of this, people receive the remission of sin. Because
God gives us the understanding through His Words, the Holy Spirit works through
what was written in the Scriptures.
Our Salvation was planned by God in Jesus Christ
before creation, and Jesus Christ, the Son came to this world and accomplished
our salvation through His water of baptism and blood. And the Holy Spirit assures
the redemption we have received that was planned by God the Father and executed
by the Son. The Holy Spirit, as the Helper, helps us to have strong faith, saying,
“You are believing correctly, Believe like that, that’s correct.”
As such, the Holy Spirit is the Helper and Teacher
to every one of us. This is why the period of the Holy Spirit is the period
of New Testament, and the period of the New Testament is the period of the Holy
Spirit. Therefore we must know that we are living in the period of the Holy
Spirit.
It is true that Mary conceived a child by the
Holy Spirit as she accepted the words of God that He gave her, and by the work
of the Holy Spirit, the baby Jesus was born into the world. We thank our God
who gave us this salvation. The work of the Holy Spirit enables us to be saved.
Conceived by the Holy Sprit means that the salvation
we have is from God. It is not done by a great founder of a religion but a work
done by God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit to make us His children.
This is how we were saved from our sins and received the remission of sin. This
is why the fact that we were saved is by the work of the Holy Spirit. And this
is why we are thankful.
Generally speaking, we know Jesus pretty well,
but we do not know much about the Holy Spirit. However, in reality, the One
who resides within us is the Holy Spirit. As it is said that Jesus is in the
Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ, the Son in the Father and the
Father in the Son, it was Jesus who cleansed our sins before ascending to Heaven,
and now it is the Holy Spirit that lives within us in our faith. Jesus Christ,
for real, came to this world, blotted out all the sins of yours and mine, and
ascended, and now the faith that believes in Jesus Christ and the Word of God,
and the Holy Spirit resides within your hearts. You and I are under the control
of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore we must know the Holy Spirit very well.
If you and I make the Holy Spirit who lives within us unsatisfied, it is displeasing
God. When we please the Holy Spirit who lives within you and me as we follow
His instructions, not only we are joyful, but God is also pleased. Therefore,
as our faith that believes in Jesus Christ in our hearts should be unchanging,
you also need to be aware of the Holy Spirit that lives within you. When we
are aware of the Holy Spirit, we can have proper relationship with God. And
only when we are aware of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit works within us,
and makes intercessions to God on our behalf, helps us to understand God’s will,
and leads us in the paths of righteousness. But if we dissatisfy the Holy Spirit,
then the Holy Spirit would be in a bad mood, and He would say, “Then you do
whatever you want, you take care of it on your own,” then we would feel as if
we were abandoned by God and we would be depressed and confused and feel we
are separated from God 9000 miles away. So, we must know the Holy Spirit well,
who lives within us. By the Work of the Holy Spirit within you and me, Jesus
has saved us and the Holy Spirit still works within us to guide our way.
Do you understand this? ―Yes. ― The
reason you understand this is because you have received the remission of sin,
and now the Holy Spirit dwells within you. Those who have not been saved and
thus do not have the Holy Spirit in their hearts cannot understand the Word
of God and say they are illogical. There is nothing more logical than the Bible
that was written as it was inspired by the Holy Spirit. The introduction, the
body, the conclusion is clear and obvious in the Bible. However, those who are
not yet born again cannot see the authenticity of the Bible at all. So, Jesus
regards them as the blind, saying, “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they
not both fall into the ditch?” (Luke 6:39)
Once I met a pastor. This pastor one day said
to me, “If you can explain to me by human logic how Jesus was born from a body
of a virgin, then I will believe in God’s Word as it is.” As many theologians
have this kind of faith, so did this pastor. I was dismayed by his saying that
he would believe in Jesus if I could explain to him how a virgin who does not
know man could be with a child. So I asked him.
“Are you a pastor?”
“Yes, I am a pastor, and I am also a director
for a Christian student organization at a university.”
“A director? What is the role of the director?”
“The role is to help students to understand Christianity,
so they can have faith.”
“As the director, you do not believe in the birth
of Jesus? Do you not believe that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in
the Virgin Mary, born into this world, and saved us from our sins?”
“No, I do not believe it.”
“Then first, you should be ashamed of yourself.
Secondly you cannot call yourself a pastor who is a shepherd to your sheep.
You are merely a professional pastor who simply does it to make a living.”
He said that a chicken can lay unfertilized eggs,
but having a child without knowing a man is impossible.
I said, “This is why I say you must not be an
authentic pastor but only doing it to make a living. How can you lead the students
to Jesus when you don’t even understand this or have faith in this? You should
leave your Christian student organization that you are leading. You would not
lead them to Jesus. You are ruining their souls.”
It was lamentable that someone who calls himself
a pastor does not understand the birth of Jesus by the Holy Spirit. To tell
you the truth, if the Holy Spirit does not live in you, it is impossible for
you to understand the birth of Jesus as it is written in the Bible. How do you
understand the birth of Jesus? There is such thing called artificially insemination
these days, however, even this requires a sperm and an egg for conception. Then
how could it be possible to be born only with one of them? However, the birth
of Jesus was possible because it was the work of God.
The event that the baby Jesus would be born through
the Virgin Mary by the work of the Holy Spirit was prophesied over 700 years
before Jesus was born. Why was there the passage in Isaiah, “Behold, the
virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel”?
When God wants to let us know His amazing plan for us, He often reveals it through
a particular event that is not possible by human power.
There was a time that Israel was taken over by
the enemies and all the people in Israel were taken as captives. It was impossible
to take this country back from the enemies. However, God promised that this
country would be restored in 70 years. No one believed it, but the miracle happened
in God’s hands.
Likewise the amazing miracle through the prophet
Isaiah “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His
name Immanuel” really happened. It is impossible by human logic, but God had
promised that He would work through this miracle, and He really did. How does
God work with His mighty power to save you and me? As He sent his prophets to
prophesy, He still sends His servant angels to deliver His messages and saves
anyone who believes in the Messages. Therefore, the salvation for you and me
is the work of the Holy Spirit.
By the works of the Triune God―God the Father,
Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we have been saved. So, even now God sends
the Holy Spirit to anyone who accepts His Word and make them children of God.
When we were saved, did we get saved or received the Holy Spirit because someone
shouted, “Receive this fire” or “Receive this Holy Spirit”? No, we did not.
The Holy Spirit always works through the written Word. Whether we read the Word
ourselves, or someone preaches it to us, if we believe in the Word, the Holy
Spirit works within us to help us understand the Word and assures us. So the
Holy Spirit fulfills the Word within us as it is written. This is why God gives
the Holy Spirit as a gift to those who believes in the Word.
You and I have received a truly amazing salvation
through the work of the Holy Spirit. Here, That the Virgin Mary conceived a
baby Jesus by her faith in the Word, and that you have been saved by believing
in the Gospel of the water and the Spirit and thus Jesus came to dwell inside
you as the Holy Spirit are the same principle. If you believe in God’s Word,
you will receive the remission of your sin, and then become a child of God.
When you become a child of God, the Holy Spirit lives within you.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came by the
Holy Spirit. Jesus, the Son of God was without sin. He works within us the same
way it is written in the scripture lesson. As Mary accepted the message from
the angels, the Word became flesh and was born as the Baby Jesus. This is how
the Word works. This is how Jesus became our Savior.
As we say “the work of the Holy Spirit,” someone
might imagine that the Holy Spirit appeared to Mary and told her “I will work
through you from now on,” and worked as some magic. That is not how it happened.
That is not how God worked. When God sends His Word, if we accept God’s Word,
the Holy Spirit works within us along with the Word of God, and as a result,
the Word is fulfilled within us as we believe. The same principle is applied
to the birth of Jesus and our being born again. That is how it happened when
you receive the remission of your sin. That is how it worked when I was born
again. When we accept and believe in God’s Word, our sins are actually blotted
out and the Holy Spirit assures that.
That is how Jesus and the Holy Spirit work. Is
this not amazing? Mary accepted God’s Words and the baby Jesus was born. What
happened when you and I accepted the Word of salvation through Jesus’ baptism
and the blood of the Cross? Were the souls of yours born again as the righteous
or not? They were born again. Was there the Holy Spirit in Jesus or not? There
was. The Holy Spirit was in Jesus from His birth. Is there Holy Spirit within
us who have been born again by the water and the Spirit? There is. It is the
same miracle. It is the same Word.
Do you understand the Word that Jesus was born
by the work of the Holy Spirit? ―Yes.― It is the same work. It is
amazing. Therefore, when we receive the remission of our sins by accepting Jesus,
it is not the end. The Holy Spirit who actually lives in us teaches us, and
guides us as a Teacher. Therefore, it is the Holy Spirit within us who is reigns
over us, teaching us and guiding us.
Therefore, we are not alone. God, the Holy Spirit,
is always with you. You are with God. Likewise, the Holy Spirit also helps in
our weaknesses when we are in trouble or hardships. For we do not know what
we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercessions for
us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26). If we do not know what
to do, it is the Holy Spirit who teaches us, “That is not the way, this is it.”
He reminds us of God’s Word, and comforts us. When we are in sorrow, He holds
our hearts and comforts us. This is how we are always with the Holy Spirit.
You and I received the very amazing salvation.
The salvation you and I have received is truly amazing. The Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit created this universe, so that you and I could receive this
salvation and become children of God. We must know this.
Why did God create the world? He created the world
so that people like you and me, those who have received the remission of sin,
could be the lord of this place. This is why our salvation was planned before
creation. It had been planned since forever long ago that you and I would be
saved from our sins today. According to the Providence God planned before creation,
not only we have been saved from our sins, but also we became the children of
God who have the Holy Spirit living within us. Therefore, in reality, we are
living as princes and princesses, as the children of God in His Kingdom. Though
we may not be princes and princesses as we live in this world, we are the children
of God and princes and princesses in His Kingdom. We are the very important
people, the true VIP’s. We are important people who have truly received amazing
salvation.
This is why Christmas is amazing and has great
meaning. When the baby Jesus was born after being conceived by the Holy Spirit,
as Mary conceived the baby Jesus by accepting God’s words, and the baby Jesus
was born in 10 months, the work of our salvation started. This is why we remember
and celebrate Christmas. We sing “Joy to the world, the Lord is come” when the
Lord was born from the Virgin Mary after accepting God’s message. We sing “Joy
to the world, the Lord is come” on the day when the Lord was born through the
Virgin Mary, who accepted God’s words that were sent to her from God. We are
commemorating the day of this amazing work.
To be accurate, the day that Jesus was born was
not a cold one so that water facets would get frozen, but a warm day that the
shepherds were out with the sheep. Rather than putting an importance on the
exact date, we have designated a day that the whole world comes together to
commemorate the day that opened the door of salvation after being conceived
by the Holy Spirit, and to remember the salvation we have received in our hearts.
What is important is not the day itself, but rather the fact that Jesus came
to this world, and that Mary accepted God’s words so that the baby Jesus was
born.
We meditate on the amazing salvation again as
we commemorate this day. We must bind ourselves again to be those who please
the Holy Spirit as we remember the salvation we received by the work of Holy
Spirit and that He is living within us. Fellow Christians, we are people who
are truly blessed with amazing blessings. Mary was considered the blessed but
you and I are just as blessed. Is it true? ―Yes.―
Is Christmas a day that we paint the town red
with our boyfriends, girlfriends, sinners and family? Or is this a silent night,
a holy night that we spend doing righteous deeds as we remember and commemorate
that the Lord came to save us? It is the day for righteous deeds. I am telling
you in advance. I tell you this out of fear that there is anyone in here who
misunderstands the meaning of Christmas and feels sorry for himself because
he is not out partying. I say this in a fear that there may be someone who thinks
“why am I not out drinking like the rest of the world, but spend it so silently?”
and feels swayed by the sense of inferiority. The best way to spend Christmas
is to spend it silently, meditating the meaning of the day, or by doing some
righteous deeds. There could not be a more memorable Christmas than if we would
proclaim the gospel on this Christmas, and as a result, someone would receive
the remission of sin. As the baby Jesus was born because Mary accepted the Words
of God, if a sinner becomes a righteous person and be born again as a little
Jesus in this World by accepting the Word as we share the gospel, could there
be any more meaningful Christmas than that? I hope that you have this kind of
righteous Christmas, and if it is at all possible, a meaningful Christmas.
I also urge to look around you to see whether
there is anyone in sorrow or pain during this Christmas. Christmas is a holiday
that the whole world celebrates. However, we must remember and believe that
it could be a very sorrowful holiday for some people so that you can make this
Christmas the Christmas that benefits others.
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Christmas is a joyful and thankful
day. As for me, I hope the publication of our gospel books is done
quickly so that I can pass them out at Christmas. I hear that my
first book is going to be sent out to America tomorrow, and I wish
the book could be put out on Amazon.com soon, so that more people
can read it next year. As there are books getting published in Chinese,
I hope the publication is done soon so that they can be distributed
in Hong Kong and China next year. As Mary conceived baby Jesus by
accepting God’s Words, I wish the Chinese could accept Jesus and
receive the remission of sin as well. Is it not your hope as well?
―Yes.― I hope you have a very meaningful Christmas and
cozy Christmas with other righteous people if it is at all possible.
We thank God for our salvation and His protection
for us. We see many accidents during every Christmas season, and we thank God
for protecting us from these accidents. There are many traffic accidents from
drinking and driving as well as crimes by younger people for money to meet their
budget for pleasure. We should be careful during the Christmas recess.
I hope that you pray constantly for His protection,
for the spread of the gospel, for His Kingdom, for your safety, for the safety
of His Church, and the safety of God’s servants and fellow Christians, and for
the salvation of many souls.
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