MIND OF CHRIST MINISTRIES, INC.
PASTOR THOMAS E. OGLESBY
P. O. BOX 85
NUTLEY, NEW JERSEY 07110
E-mail:mindofchrist@verizon.net
Phone: 973-818-2750
December 2019
“What Is Christmas About?”
Dear Believer (s):
Jesus birth enabled us to have God’s Love in us. His birth gives us the spiritual love of the Father; enabling His children to have the true Love of God.
Christmas is about love. Christmas lets us know that we have a God who loves us. God loved us so much, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) God’s son was born to create a spiritual love in each individual. “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.” (1John 4:7-12)
How are we able to have the love of God in us? “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” (1John 4:15-16)
Jesus was born of a virgin, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” (Matthew 1:23) The virgin birth staggers natural man. He cannot understand the process or purpose of such an unusual event. However, the virgin birth of Jesus is an integral part of the doctrine of the outpouring of divine nature into human flesh. He was Born of God and woman. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary, with no earthly father to taint His blood with sin. “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35) His birth was foretold in the Old Testament and accomplished in the New Testament.
Why is the virgin birth important? Because it is a demonstration of the power, wisdom, and love of God, and is necessary that Christ might be sinless. In order to satisfy divine justice, a pure sinless sacrifice had to be made for our sins. “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;” (Hebrews 5:9) He had to be both human and divine, yet be sinless. Sin was imputed to Adam, and through the paternal side of the race it is legally descended to all men and women. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12) If Christ had a human father, His humanity would have been tainted by original sin. It was therefore necessary that He be virgin born. He was the Son of God by His virgin birth and the Son of man by His earthly mother. These two natures blend into one, so He was not God and man but God-man or as the theologians call it, the “theanthropic Being” only in this way could He qualify as Saviour of our souls.
Men and women of the world with their selfish and ungodly thinking have tried to change the true meaning of Christmas. It has become a day in which we exchange and give material gifts. We might feed the homeless or possibly care for the homeless for a day. But Christmas is the true love of the Father. More than anything else, God wants us to have the gift of His Love.
I invite you to receive God’s Love by praying with me: “Dear God, impart unto me your love. Let me deny the love of the world, the love of the flesh, the love of self, the love of material things, and the love of money. Let me receive into my heart right now the Love of God. Let your love grow in me and let your Spiritual Love in me honor and obey You. Let me share this love with everyone each and every day. Thank you God for your gift of Love that you have imparted to me; I Praise and glorify you. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen!”
We have entered into the Christmas Holiday Season. Be very prayerful and alert. Do not allow the enemy to hurt or destroy you or your loved ones by getting caught up in the tricks of the devil and the world; such as dangerous rushing, overspending, and getting in to heated arguments, and forgetting to show love . I pray that you will plan wisely in all that you do, get the proper rest, and eat healthy. It’s very important that we continue to spend time with God in prayer, praise, and Bible reading. Let us not forget the needs of our elderly, homeless, and to share the love of God with others.
I will be in Special Prayer on Christmas Day. I will carry your special prayer needs before our loving God. God wants us to come to Him in our time of need. I will join my faith with yours petitioning God for the answer to your problems. Trust and believe in God because He loves to help His Children. Write, email, text or call me with your prayer requests.
I want to thank you for enabling me to spread the love of God by your faithful giving. Please, I ask that you continue to do so this month. Remember, when you give to God from your heart no gift is too small. The Bible says in Luke 6:38, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
My prayer is that all believers will have the most joyous, and spirit filled Christmas ever.
Thomas Oglesby & Family
Pastor Thomas Oglesby & Family
