Luke 2:1-7 (ESV) In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. [2] This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. [3] And all went to be registered, each to his own town. [4] And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, [5] to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. [6] And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. [7] And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Luke tells us of the birth of Christ with a worldly historical setting. Maybe you haven’t thought about this before. Why did Luke do this? From a Christian point of view we don’t think about the world as playing a role in our salvation. We see the world as a part of sin because we separate it from the perfection of God. We talk about our sinful flesh and a sinful world therefore we see the world as bad. This is true because Satan is prince of this world and the world is sinful but it is God who orders our life and sin cannot stop God. So why does Luke tells about our Savior structuring it around a evil man such as Caesar Augustus and Quirinius the governor of Syria? Here are two points to look at. One, Christ is the one promised to save this sinful world and two, too show that this is real and not a story told to make you feel fuzzy and warm. Luke shows the reader that God uses the world to accomplish His will and not the other way around. Luke tells us God is in control and no matter what the world tries to do it cannot defeat Him. On the contrary the world cannot do anything without God’s permission. God sends His Son into the world because God desires all to be saved “1 Tim. 2:3-4 (ESV) This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, [4] who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ” He fulfils all prophecy in the world and through the world such as Caesar Augustus registration. The registration brings Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem and fulfils what was written by the Prophet Micah. Micah 5:2 (KJV) But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Did Caesar Augustus understand what he was led to do? No, all Caesar cared about was money, but yet we see what happens, Jesus is born in Bethlehem. And again we hear from the Prophet Isaiah 9:6 (ESV) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. All this is for a world that desperately needs a Savior and Jesus came into a very real world.
This blessed Christmas let us remember the world in our prayers. We have salvation, the world does not. We pray for all people, in this world, that they do not reject the saving grace of God that is given freely to them by the Holy Spirit.

Your Servant in Christ

Pastor Quick

1 Corinthians 1:3-9 (ESV)
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
[4] I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, [5] that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— [6] even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— [7] so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, [8] who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. [9] God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

If God is merciful and forgiving, why is there hell?
This is a great question to talk about. We all look at God as the very foundation of love and love is to forgive all things. We all fall short in understanding what love is and when that love shows us our sins that we love more.

First we look at what Christ has done – He sacrificed himself on the cross. This is no ordinary death. Christ took the sins of the whole world and when he did this the Father and Holy Sprit turned their back on him (Mark 15:33-34 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?). He suffered like no one else in all of creation and eternity. In this we begin to understand that Jesus loved all of mankind because He was the only one who could do this for us.

When we look at what Christ has done, it is only then can we start to understand when God ether takes life from the earth or brings forth His hand of chastisement. What often happens with people is that they want God to be made in our limited understanding. We want him to forgive all things because love is to forgive all things. This is where we fall short. We have forgotten that Jesus has forgiven all things through the cross, it is us who spit on Christ and say we don’t respect or honor or need His horrific death. We believe we can do it on our own or want to believe we can, so that we can turn to God and say “who are you to say that I deserve death”.
When we look at Christ and truly see that His love is free and in no way do we deserve it, we then can understand when He punishes someone who has done evil for the sake of evil. But even in this is God always seeking all people so that they may be saved. When it comes down to the end time when all must stand in front of God, those who have faith, not on their strength but because Christ has giving it to them and they have not rejected it, He ushers them into eternal paradise. But those who have rejected Christ’s free gift and now stand on their own merit, which falls deadly short of perfection, must answer the Father who sacrificed his son so that they would live, are dammed to hell for all eternity. Hell is there because sinful rejecting man has chosen it, not God. God desires all to be saved. This is a lot to absorb. I will be more than happy to do a Bible Study on this one. Let me know.

God Bless you today and always

Pastor Quick