The Last Sacrificial Lamb Is Born In Bethlehem

When you think of the first story of Christmas, it's usually about Mary and Joseph looking down at their new born son in a manger, surrounded by barn animals and maybe a shepherd or two looking on. Angels singing praises of joy to the Lord Most High, and maybe even the star that is guiding the wise men from Babylon to the destination of the Jews Messiah.

We live at a time when children are born in sanitized hospital rooms with the best of care, before and after the mother gives birth. When we hear of stories of women giving birth at home, or alongside the road where the car had to pull over because the child would not wait, we are captivated and amazed of such a thing happening in today's world.

A Foolish Son & A Contentious Wife, Proverb 19:13

As you read the Proverbs, you must understand that while God meant for them to be learned by all of His children, Solomon shared the Wisdom he got from God in particularly for his sons. So when you read a proverb that is gender specific, there are lessons that women should also learn. Thus in today's Proverb, women should be looking for a Godly man, to help her raise the children to be wise Godly adults. So both men and women should be wise in whom they chose to marry, or they will be finding more joy outside of home, than they will inside it.

I am sharing chosen excerpts from a commentary by;
Let God Be true.com.
To read it in full, please follow the link above.

Without a doubt, the two horrible things that can happen to a man is to marry an odious woman, or he can have foolish children. Both are disasters and make marriage and children very sober matters. The persons and relationships that should be for help and pleasure become like enemies. It is wisdom to carefully consider these potential threats and avoid them at all costs.

This proverb is priceless. The two matters at stake are very serious – an unhappy marriage or shameful children. Either one tortures and destroys a man over many years. A man enduring both faces daily pain hard to describe in words. But God gave this proverb by King Solomon to save you from both evils, and He reduced it down to one single, simple rule. Glorious wisdom! Incredible mercy and kindness! Keep reading!

A foolish son is also a horrible thing in a man’s life. It can steal the joy and life out of your soul, knowing that you generated and trained an idiot. The Preacher saw foolish sons, for he had foolish brothers, and his son Rehoboam was a fool. Read his pain and learn the sober lesson (Pr 10:1; 15:20; 17:21,25; 23:15-16,24-25; 29:3,15). It is wisdom to learn from the mistakes and pain of others – so pay attention and grasp this lesson.

Lady Wisdom vs Lady Folly Proverb 9:5-6, & 17-18

I love the book of Proverbs, because in so many ways they resemble the teachings of Jesus as he walked with the Disciples. It makes sense though, because Christ is Wisdom personified in the flesh of Jesus.

Now as you read today's proverb, it's beneficial to understand why Solomon was led by God to refer to wisdom and folly as women. This is because the proverb is directed towards his son. In order for the boy to understand the difference between wisdom and folly, the best way was to bring it down to a level he could grasp.

To Defend Evil Will bring A Curse From The People, Proverb 24:24

He who says to the wicked, "You are righteous," Him the people will curse; Nations will abhor him. Proverb 24:24

Today we may witness the mass destruction of the NFL. Remember, Satan twists reality of those who do not keep their minds eyes and hearts on Christ. When it comes to winning the souls of the rich and famous, the most powerful tool in Satan's arsenal, is the fame and fortune they seek. For those who reach the pinnacle of success, their minds will lie to them about their importance to the human race. It is already difficult to avoid sin, with fame and fortune it becomes almost impossible. Paul tells us that the desire for wealth and fame can lead to many pitfalls, because the love of money is the very root of evil. Not money in and of itself, but the love for it. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1 Timothy 6:9-10) So we must never forget that with this new found power, comes much responsibility. Without Christ in your life you will inevitably fail. Even with Him in your corner, the temptations are powerful. Like Solomon himself, many men and women throughout history started off with their hearts and minds on God, just to lose sight of Him after they gained the wealth and fame they desired. When it comes to professional athletes today, they become part of the whole entertainment industry. An industry that has long ago sold it's soul to Satan. Their new friends and advisors will twist their minds into believing good is evil and evil is good. It's just a matter of time before they too turn against all that is righteous by defending the all evil deeds of Satan's minions in the world. That is why much prayer and diligence is needed to keep from falling into Satan's hands when money becomes no obstacle for your desires. It would be better if you pray for just enough to survive and anonymity in the world, than for fame and fortune.

Do You Love God The Way Your Dog Loves You? Proverb 12:10

Back in 2013, two days after Christmas, I had to have our beloved 18 year old dog, Hershee, euthanize. Her kidneys had shut down and she was in so much pain she could not even settle down for more than five minutes at a time. So the merciful thing to do was to end her life.

It's easy to talk about it now, but at the time it was as if a member of our family had died. Maybe this should not be, I mean after all, she was just a dog. But, whether we choose to accept it or not, Hershee felt that she was one of us, and we treated her as if we would treat any member of our family. We were her "pack" so to speak, and I trust that she felt herself a valuable member of that pack. She ate good when we ate good, was happy when we were happy and always tried to do her part, even if it was just to bark and growl at people she didn't know.

What Are You Addicted To?

by Chuck Ness
Every human has been hot wired with a special faith component to our souls, even agnostics and atheists have faith in what they believe. Another way to explain this would be to say we have all been created with an addiction gene. It's that ever yearning desire to find something that will make us feel like we belong, or comfortable in our own skin if you will.

From the moment we become conscious of our self, we begin searching for that One Thing our soul craves. For each of us it could be a different point in life. Some find it when they are 10, some at 14, and yet others may take years before they find it, even into their 90s or on their deathbed. Sadly, most humans never find it until it's much, much too late. However, each and everyone of us are in search of it, even though we don't realize it.

Why Does God Allow Christians to Suffer?

By Chuck Ness

“Why didn’t God just create us so that we would never have to experience pain, suffering, or sadness?”

After all, God has the power to make the world free of evil, yet He chose instead to make us creatures with free will. Thus, free will was the door left open for the possibility of evil entering our lives.

Then one must ask, "What's the purpose of pain, suffering? Why does God allow humans, who were made in His image, to live on a planet where evil abounds?"

Well, God could have made us perfect without the ability to sin, and we would have never known pain and suffering. Instead of being as we are, we would then be like Chatty Cathy dolls.  Just pull the string and watch us do and say whatever we were programmed. Is that the kind of life you would wish to live? Well, obviously God did not think so either. That’s the short answer to why God created us with free will.