christmas

A breathtaking view of the Milky Way galaxy illuminating the night sky over mountains.

Jesus – the silver star that always shines

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Christmas is being celebrated all over the world. The nights are filled with an impression as though the constellations in the Milky Way seem to be falling down onto the earth. Not only in India, but all over the world, there is a custom of exchanging sweets or other gifts on special days. But two thousand years ago, God gave humanity a priceless gift. He laid his beloved son Jesus in a manger and gave him to the people of the world. The holy Bible says that For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 When that child grew up and became a young man, he said – “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12). Even today, whoever finds Christ, whoever accepts Christ walks in the light. The mind and body are enveloped in the silver light of God’s glory. It may seem ironic that the first announcement of Jesus’ birth was made by ordinary, illiterate shepherds. The priests or Jews, who proudly boasted of knowing everything about God, did not receive that announcement. It was through shepherds, who knew nothing about God and were tending to their sheep, that God announced that gift of hope to the world. Even today, it is not those who boast of being enlightened by intelligence and knowledge who seek Jesus. Those who live in perpetual poverty, those whose lives are broken, those who are tormented by diseases, and those who see death in front of them – these are the ones who seek Jesus; those that set out to seek the owner of that wonderful name. When they believe in Jesus, by obeying Jesus’ word, they enter into a wonderful light that they have never seen before. Then, through a continuous process, they move to heights in life like the stars in the sky. The greatest gift God gave to the world was the miraculous baby Jesus, wrapped in a swaddling cloth and given to humanity. That bright light has always illuminated the world. Jesus was born in a small village called Bethlehem, located almost in the centre of the world. He lived for about 33 years in Galilee, a commercial city in Israel. Jesus, who did nothing wrong and preached only good, was given death on a wooden cross by the greatest priestly power of that time, Judaism, and the greatest military power, Rome. Having survived death, Jesus continues his victorious journey to this day; he continues to shed light on the world.  Having divided the world history into two as  A.D. and B.C., he have become a historical hero. However, he did not choose palaces or large houses as his residence while living on earth. He lived a humble life as an ordinary person among ordinary people. From that small part of the world, he conquered the world by sending his 12 chosen disciples. He did not have to take up arms for it. Civilizations like Rome and Greece collapsed before them. Socrates taught his people for 60 years in Greece. Plato, Socrates’ disciple, taught them for 40 years. Aristotle, Plato’s disciple, also devoted his life to teaching the world for 40 years. Alexander, Aristotle’s disciple, moved forward by destroying empires with the intention of conquering the world in front of Greece. But at the age of thirty-two, he had to say goodbye to this world ,without fulfilling his desire to live, ending everything. But Jesus, who lived until the age of 33, is still alive today;  As a starlight for the world, shining brightly! If God chose shepherds who were tending sheep to announce the news of Jesus’ birth, Jesus invited those who made a living by fishing to follow him. Religious leaders could have been called, priests could have been called; those who claimed to be intellectuals could have been called. Jesus chose those who knew where to cast their nets and where to catch fish. They were ready to follow him without even knowing where he was going. They were ready to wait patiently and sacrifice sleep, while others were sleeping comfortably. Jesus needed those who were ready to leave everything and follow him.Jesus still looks for those who are willing to leave their jobs, their wages, and their security to follow him.

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three kings

They followed the star; you?

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Two thousand years ago, winter nights in Israel. Following a new guiding star in the sky, three foreign kings – wise men – moved there. Matthew, one of the biographers of Jesus Christ, who has always remained unfading among the biographers the world has seen, wrote: After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;for out of you will come a ruler    who will shepherd my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” 9 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. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. Matthew 2:1-12 It is clear from the above verses that the wise men were moving by looking at the star in the east. Who were these people? There are those who think they were Babylonians, Persians, or Indians. There is a reason for that. The word magoi (Magi) is used in Greek to refer to the wise men. The word magician is derived from the word magoi. Persians and Babylonians used to consider these people as astrologers and physicians. Their opinions and advice had been taken into consideration by the kings. The famous historian Herodotus recorded that they were of Medes. In Medya, which was a part of Persia, the Magis were the teachers of the kings. They could not absorb the sacrifices without the presence of the Magi. Moreover, they were well versed in philosophy and natural sciences. It is no exaggeration to follow a bright new star in the sky. Another group claims that these kings came from the Parthian region of Babylon. They believed that the birth stars have a strong influence on the future of people. They considered the discovery of a new star as the birth of a new king. However, the Bible records that a group of eminent men who lived in the shadow of the stars, who were known in the fields of mantra tantra, karma, and astrology, saw a new star and followed it to find Jesus. That is why some people think these kings are Indians. This fiery star still guides all those who seek goodness in their hearts. When they found Jesus, they went back another way. Do you also want to find a different path in life? That birth in Bethlehem is a miraculous event in history. That miraculous life that began with the birth through a virgin did not end with the miracle of the resurrection. Even today it leads us from miracle to miracle. Who else in history became adorable as soon as they were born? From illiterate shepherds to kings, they sought out the miraculous child and knelt at his feet. The wise men who followed the star bowed down to the baby. ‘Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.’ (Matthew 2:11). Such gifts had been presented when a king used to visit another king. One of the three precious things they saw was gold. Gold, which was considered the king of metals, was given to those in Kingly position. The second offering is frankincense. This sight, which was dedicated to the priests, was an acknowledgment of Jesus’ priesthood. The third offering was Myrrh. Myrrh was used as a precious spice to anoint the bodies of the dead. As soon as they were born, God blessed them with a vision of Jesus’ future life! What is the greatest event in world history? Which is the most remembered and noted birth in history? There is only one answer, the birth of Jesus. Who was this Jesus who split time in two, divided history into AD and BC? The Holy Bible says that when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son into the world (Galatians 4:4). When Jesus grew up, he showed the world a lifestyle different from what the world had seen. Jesus taught the world about a new way of life based on divine laws. Jesus taught about life in God’s kingdom according to God’s government, how to experience God’s closeness, how to receive God’s blessing, how to survive financial bondage, how to get healing from God, how to break the bonds of demonic bondage… etc. Jesus gave hope to the weak and oppressed. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free” (Luke 4:18, 19). Jesus, who was born in Judaism, revealed to the world how to be saved by putting aside religions. Religious leaders teach how to find God. But Jesus announced that those who follow him, those who obey him, have found

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