Video and Message: Christmas 2016

During this joyous holiday season, as you get together with family and friends, I hope that you pause for just a moment and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. Sadly, this tends to get mixed up, and even lost during the unashamed commercialization of the holiest time of the year.

There is an incredible story behind Christmas. It is the account of God becoming a human being, like us, in the Person of Jesus Christ. Did He have to do this? Not at all. But because he loved us so much, and we desperately needed a Savior, he sent his Son into the world not to condemn it, but to save it through him. -1 John 4:8

By this graceful, merciful, and unselfish act, God provided a way, the only Way, for us to spend eternity with him. By this I mean, He gave his Only Son to receive our punishment for our sins. Thus, he paid the price in full, delivering us from condemnation. One can surely see that the true meaning of Christmas is love. -John 3:16-17

While you exchange gifts, worship, and remind yourselves of those less fortunate, keep in mind that these things are done in remembrance of what he did for us. None of this should ever overshadow the significance of the birth of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

God is love, and he did for us was an act of pure love. So, let's celebrate his priceless gift. Feel free to shout out, as that multitude of angels did on that holy night, so long ago: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." - Luke 2:14 (KJV)

****A message to you from Eve:****

Dear faithful followers of our ministry blog, It is at this time that our ministry goes on its annual Christmas/New Year's break. A time for celebrating Christ, helping out with various church and community endeavors, and, of course, enjoying time with our loved ones.

2016 has been an incredibly blessed year for The Coffeehouse Bible Ministry, and I pray to Our Lord that he will continue to bestow his blessings on us in 2017. I also want to thank all of you for your love and support by following our blog.

Our ministry blog will return invigorated, and ready to continue spreading the Word on Monday, January 9, 2017. I hope you will continue to come along on our walk with Jesus Christ together. Until then, I sincerely wish all of you a happy, safe, and blessed Christmas and New Year's!

May God bless you always!

The Coffeehouse Bible Ministry

The Gift of All Gifts!

"The central miracle asserted by Christians is the incarnation. They say that God became man." - C.S. Lewis

All around the world, many will soon gather to celebrate the birth of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Christmas sermons will be given in many languages, and in many different locations. Some might prefer going to those offered in the morning, while others would rather attend in the afternoon or evening.

No matter whether we congregate in large, mega-churches, small, intimate, houses of worship, or even in humble, homes of fellow believers, the important thing is that we all share a common bond with one another, regardless of place or situation. And that is our shared belief and faith in Christ.

There are some interesting facts pertaining to the first Christmas that tend to get overlooked in all the hustle and bustle of the season. This would be a great opportunity to revisit them, and maybe steer our focus back onto that blessed event of long ago.

The first Christmas service was celebrated at night. It wasn't observed in a church, synagogue, or temple. It took place in the Judean hills. There were no candles or lamps to light the meeting. As a matter of fact, the scene was illuminated only by the stars and the glory of God.

Those in attendance were not rich, famous, or favored. Instead, only a handful of lowly shepherds made up this congregation. The music for this special occasion was provided not by a house band or a church gospel group, but by a heavenly choir.

Yes, it was night in Bethlehem. But, it was also night (the night of hopelessness and despair) all over the world. Oh, there was peace in the land, alright. However, it was the kind of solemn peace one might associate with a cemetery. It was during this time, that Rome held God's chosen nation under its heel.

Meanwhile, the people longed for a lasting peace, God, hearing their pleas, sent then an eternal Prince of Peace. God had a message of good news to deliver to the world. He didn't have any modern conveniences, such as the internet, or social media. So how did he get the word out?

He used something even better...an angel...to deliver the most astoundingly, incredible message ever heard. That night, a baby was born in Bethlehem, and his name was Jesus! But this was no ordinary baby we are talking about here.

What made this child especially unique from any other that was that it was the incarnate Son of God, the promised Messiah. This tiny newborn was sent by God Himself to save his people from sin. Jesus came to save sinners from the greatest curse on the human race...sin.

Scripture: Luke 2:10; Matthew 16:16; Philippians 2: 9-11; Revelation 19:6; John 1:14

Prayer: Gracious and loving Father, during this time of the year we are reminded over and over of Your generous gift to us in Your Son, Jesus Christ. May we remember, and be thankful for this always. Amen

May your holidays be blessed!

Genevieve

A Birth Unlike Any Other...Before or Since!

"You can never truly enjoy Christmas until you can look up into the Father's face and tell him you have received his Christmas gift." - John R. Rice

Let's play a little name game, shall we? "Who is the greatest person of all time?" Hmmm..? Let me narrow it down a little more. "Who is the greatest teacher of all time?" Still scratching your head??

How about this..."Who is the greatest leader of all time?" No?? Maybe this will ring a bell..."Who lived the only perfect life ever lived?" I think we would agree that there is only one possible answer to all of these questions: Jesus Christ! No one can compare with him.

Unquestionably, the birth of Jesus Christ is the most consequential birth of all time. It totally upended the historical narrative of this planet. Even more, it introduced the greatest One who ever blessed the world with his presence. He is definitely one-of-a-kind!

"But wait...there's more!" The teachings, miracles, parables, precepts, example, life, death, resurrection, and purposes of Jesus Christ also serve to reveal his uniqueness. No doubt, this is all very powerful and vital information. Yet, it is his birth that is quite extraordinary. And that is the focus of today's message.

When most of us think about the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we tend to overlook an important part of the blessed event. I know it's easy to get caught up in the shepherds, manger, the Star of Bethlehem, etc. However, it's the part that we don't always consider that is essential to the rest of it. Jesus' life didn't begin with his birth!

He existed in the beginning with the Father God. His birth was an advent, or a coming into the world from heaven on a very special mission. (John 1:1-2; John 1:14) Think of it this way. Jesus didn't come to be, or into existence, in the way we think of it. He already was. By way of his birth he came to earth as a real, breathing man of flesh and blood; just like you and I.

One of the biggest questions, if not the biggest, revolves around the Virgin Birth of Jesus. It is a relevant question which has to do with miracles. After all, the birth of Christ was certainly a miracle! We can think of the Virgin Birth as the keystone of the arch of history. If Jesus isn't born of a virgin, he is not God but man. The Virgin Birth is recorded in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38)

Christian tradition maintains the Virgin Birth. It's even incorporated in the Apostle's Creed. Which curiously enough was not actually written by the apostles themselves, but is so named because it consists of a brief summary of their teachings. Furthermore, about 80% of professing Christians around the world believe in the Virgin Birth.

As we approach Christmas, let's not get so distracted by the shopping, lights, trees, smells, gifts, and parties that we forget the great truth of Christmas. The truth is that God has come to be with us. This is so important, that the Bible gives 256 titles to Jesus to demonstrate his majesty, deity, and humanity to us! (1 Timothy 3:16; Matthew 1:23; Hebrews 1:14-15; John 10:10; Luke 2:34)

In closing, I leave you with this. The first Christmas presents to us the Christ. Let's always seek him, believe him, and serve him. I wish each and every one of you and your families a most blessed, joyous, and safe Christmas and holiday season.

2016 was made even more special because I had the opportunity to share my love for Jesus Christ with all of you. If God wills it, I look forward to being with you again in 2017. God bless you!

Scripture: Luke 1:35; Luke 1:37-38; Luke 2:11;  Matthew 1:21; 2 Corinthians 5:21

Prayer: Holy Father,  as we gather with family and friends during this holiest time of the year; I want to thank you for Your most precious gift to us; Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen

Have a blessed Monday!

Hailey

Friday Faith Check-up: Yes, Jesus Is an Optimist!

"The condition of an enlightened mind is a surrendered heart." - Alan Redpath

When one deliberates on what constitutes an optimist, something like this may come to mind: a person who thinks the best possible thing will happen, and holds onto the hope for it despite the chance it might not turn out. For our purposes here, I think this definition will suffice.

Have you ever thought of Jesus Christ as being an optimist? For some clarity on this, let's review a few important points regarding his optimism. I feel we should begin with his attitude. Most would agree that attitude plays a huge part in a positive outlook on anything. And, let's face it, Jesus had a pretty, positive attitude. Don't you think?

This can be evidenced through his teachings, for example. His lessons are for the most part contradictory or opposite of the dismal, pessimistic, forlorn, and defeated spirit that quite often manifests itself in the name of Christianity. Frankly, if he were alive and breathing today, he'd find he had very little in common with a good portion of us Christians.

In and around the church today, there are many "forecasters of doom" who have declared the death of the kingdom of God, and have all but performed its final rites. But stop the bus! The church is not dead. In fact the kingdom of God is very much alive and well. It even continues to march on as the church triumphant!

Our Lord believed in the cause of his kingdom so much that he gave us four parables which articulate his optimism of which we are discussing today. The first of these parables regards the phenomenal growth of the kingdom of heaven. This is the well-known Parable of the Mustard Seed found in Matthew 13:31-32.

Here, Jesus ingeniously employs the mustard seed as an analogy using the contrast between the smallness of the seed and the enormity of the plant that comes from it. Thus, Christ is able to spiritually stimulate his followers with this illustration of the exceptional growth of the kingdom of heaven.

The Parable of the Leaven, found in Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:21, compares the kingdom of heaven to a woman making bread. Here, Jesus' optimism wasn't based on a flashy, or dazzling display of power by the kingdom of heaven. Rather, it was based on the quiet, unpretentious, yet relentless and undeniable influence it would impart on millions of lives and enumerable civilizations through time untold.

The last two parables are the Parables of the Treasure and Pearl, found in Matthew 13:44-46. These parables both serve to display the optimism of Jesus not only by the growth and spreading influence of the kingdom, but also its infinite wealth. The point of both parables is the great richness and abundance of his kingdom.

Clearly, the optimism of Jesus Christ speaks of the boundless worth of the kingdom of heaven. And he joyfully offers it to you today. What does he require from you? Not a thing, other than your unconditional surrender. And you will find that when you give all, he gives all. There is no other way to find the kingdom.

Scripture: Romans 15:13; 1 Corinthians 2:9; Revelation 21:4; Psalm 43:5; Matthew 6:8

Prayer: Holy Father, I will put my trust in Your sovereign plan always; over what my own circumstances tell me. My hope is with You and I will wait for it patiently. Amen

Have a blessed and safe weekend!

Kaye

A Vain Religion Is Not Religion!

"To become Christ-like is the only thing in the whole world worth caring for, the thing before which every ambition of man is folly and all lower achievement vain."  - Henry Drummond

There are many things in this world that are either empty, cheap, or weak in substance. Some are pursued, purchased, or construed and adopted without a lot of forethought by many. Whatever the case may be, a true believer in Jesus Christ mustn't allow himself to become another statistic.

One of the biggest threats to a Christian's journey is to acquire, or participate in vain religion. And while it may sound complicated, it really isn't. Sadly, there are a lot of folks walking around out there practicing vain religion and may not realize it.

Vain religion dupes a person into straying off the path upon which Jesus has set us forth. Rather than heeding the straight teachings of Christ, the deceived believer falsely inserts his own thoughts and actions instead. This, as you may have guessed, can be a very dangerous course to take. (James 4:17)

Religion itself is not a vain thing. However, when, for example, one becomes more concerned about how they are seen "religiously" by others, it is a sure sign of vain religion. Some other indications of a tainted view of religion are: acts of belittlement and criticism toward others, and self-righteousness, to name only a few. (Romans 3:23)

Many times, a vain religion isn't always so obvious. Someone who practices vain religion may exhibit symptoms which, to the unassuming world might seem perfectly normal. Take the Pharisees for example. Their zeal for religion was seen as quite pious, but their strict practices were done just as much for keeping up appearances, as they were for religion. (Matthew 23:13)

There's nothing wrong with diving headstrong into religion if it is done with a true heart. But, too many times it is used as a platform to appear better than others, or worse. Any religion, if used for a self-serving agenda, is totally unacceptable. Jesus Christ taught us better than that. His lessons emphasized love, compassion, and sacrifice for others. (Matthew 7:5)

I urge you to examine your heart today. Does any of the above describe you? I certainly am not condemning, or judging anyone here. I, definitely am not the one to do this. If anything, I hope that I brought the possibility, and our vulnerability of slipping into a vain religion to your attention.

To diminish the risk, continue reading the Bible daily, establish and maintain a regular prayer routine, and always be aware that the Great Deceiver (Satan) loves nothing more than ensnaring us with his lies and false promises. (1 John 3:10)

They only serve to feed destructive, self-righteousness and hypocritical behaviors, especially as they pertain to hindering or disrupting our relationship with Jesus Christ. Remember, vain religion fools and deceives the heart. In the end, you will only be consumed by your own deception.

Scripture: James 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 11:1-2; 2 Timothy 3:16; Psalm 118:8; Matthew 23:29

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I know that a loving, true, and believing heart is pleasing to You. May my heart always be so for You. Amen

May God bless you!

Charlene

Wednesday Video - Sheila Walsh: Conviction vs. Condemnation

In this week's video clip, Christian speaker Sheila Walsh talks through our brokenness to find healing. Nicely done!  ~Eve

The Decision of A Lifetime

"The Christian life is not adding Jesus to one's own way of life but renouncing that personal way of life for His and being willing to pay whatever cost that may require."  - John MacArthur

On any given day of the year, people around the world make the decision to come to Jesus Christ.  And though they may have many different reasons for doing so, it is the love for who Christ is, and what he did for us that is the common thread which binds us together.

I've found that almost everyone whom I have ever asked about their journey as a Christian, remembers the year, day, and sometimes even the time of their commitment. You have to admit, accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is a decision that is not to be made lightly. It is a choice that will produce eternal consequences.

There are numerous resources out there for both, those who are considering accepting Christ, and the newly converted Christian. Instead of adding to that list, I'd like to simply offer a few suggestions to an often asked question, "I've accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, what now?"

Deciding to come Christ is a great responsibility. Here are some basic points to help you along in your relationship with Our Lord. The biggest piece of advice I can offer is to live your life worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in every way (Ephesians 4:1). I don't have to tell you how difficult this can be, but definitely worth the effort.

In spite of what we see going on in the world at large, we must also conduct ourselves in a manner that is worthy of the gospel of Christ (Philippians 1:27). It pains me to see how ugly we can treat one another, but it doesn't surprise me. Remember, we only walk on this earth for a short time, then the bill comes due, as they say.

Regarding your faith, stand firm, be courageous and strong, do everything in love, be alert at all times (1 Corinthians 16:13); and don't yourself to be burdened by sin (Galatians 5:1). Living a true Christian life is not a cakewalk. But then gaining something of real value rarely is. There is going to be a cost involved with it.

Christ truly loved us, which is why he died for us, And though he isn't here in person, he now lives in each of us; which is so much better. This means that the life we live is by faith in Him. And, in order to live by faith, it will require the sacrifice (death) of the life you live now. This is where many hesitate and walk away (Matthew 19:21-22).

Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross was the price he paid for our freedom from sin (Galatians 2:4). We must never forget this. Don't waste it by indulging in fleshly and earthly pleasures. Take advantage of it instead, to humbly serve each other in love (Galatians 5:13).

Don't use your freedom from sin as a license to go wild. Though we are no longer slaves to sin, we must live as God's slaves. In other words, to do His will (1 Peter 2:16). Finally, take care to always put forth a good example, especially to those weaker in faith than yourself (1 Corinthians 8:9).

When a person makes the life-changing decision to come to Christ, he will find himself in excellent company. Innumerable others have followed this well-worn path. There definitely will be highs, lows, bumps, and bruises along the way. But, we must "press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14).

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 3:8; John 8:32; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 3:13; Galatians 2:20

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me persevere in my walk with You; when I stumble and fall, Your mighty hand lifts me up; when I grow weak and afraid, You strengthen and comfort me. Because of Your mercy and grace, I have been given a second lease on life, and I am eternally grateful to You for that. Amen

May God bless you always!

Brandi