1. FIND and FOLLOW the Lord’s GLORY! (Luke 2:9)

“And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.”

2. Forget your INSECURITY! (Luke 2:10)

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”

3. FIGHT for UNITY! (Luke 2:15)

“And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.”

4. Be FAITHFUL to Tell the old, old STORY! (Luke 2:17)

“And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.”

Conclusion: “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them,” (Luke 2:20).

By…

Introduction: I love the CHRISTmas song,

1. How can we be JOYFUL this CHRISTmas? (Luke 2:10)

2. How can we PRAISE Jesus this CHRISTmas? (Luke 2:13)

3. Why can we be HAPPY this CHRISTmas? (Luke 2:10)

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

4. What can we do do be a BLESSING to others this CHRISTmas? (Luke 2: 17, 18)

“And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.”

Text: Isaiah 9:6, 7

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

• The word “government” is miśrâh, which means rule, dominion

1. Jesus Christ’s NAME shall be called, “Wonderful”! (Isa 9:6)

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

• **His….CREATION!
• **His….SALVATION!
• **His …SOVEREIGNTY in every SITUATION!

2. Jesus Christ’s Name shall be called, “Counsellor”! (Isaiah 9:6)

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

3. Jesus Christ’s NAME shall be called, “The Mighty God”! (Isa 9:6)

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

4. Jesus Christ’s NAME shall be called, “The Everlasting Father”! (Isa 9:6)

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

5. Jesus Christ’s NAME shall be called, “The Prince of Peace”! (Isa 9:6)

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Conclusion: This prophetic passage in (Isa 9:7) describes our Lord’s futuristic plans for His kingdom to come.

“7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

1. Abrahamic
2. Davidic
3. Land
4. New

Text: Galatians 4:1-19

Introduction: Are you on TIME? Ever late? I’ve heard it said, “some people would be late for their own funeral”??? But I’m glad to tell you, my friend, that God is always “On Time”! He’s an “ON TIME GOD”!!

In fact, Paul elaborates on this subject…”AN On TIME GOD.” Writing to the Churches in the Galatia area, and us today by the Holy Spirit, he refutes the false teaching of legalism and reinforces the truth of liberty in Christ Jesus. By the way, this includes before a person is saved – regenerated, and after he or she is saved – sanctification. More specifically, in chapter four, a phrase is used called, “The fullness of time.” A careful examination of the text shows three (3) benefits from “An On TIME GOD.”

1. What does the “Fulness of Time” mean? (Gal 4:1-4)

“1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.”

{This epistle – to the Galatians – is a letter revealing the lies of false teachers who were insinuating that a person was kept under the legalistic laws – Jews had 613 to live by to please God, at all times}

{However, these verses debunk that idea and show that Jesus came to do away with man-made rules and regulations when it comes to pleasing the Lord God}

“4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.”

• The word ” fullness” is plḗrōma, which means piece that is filled up, fulfillment, full
• The word “time” is chrónos, which means period of time, short, long, or delay

Personal Application: In the precise time, God sent His Son who was born under the law but condemned sin in the flesh….

“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin,[1] condemned sin in the flesh,” (Rom 8:3).

…. and in so doing, liberated the CHRISTian to walk in freedom and liberty.

2. Why did the “Fulness of Time” come? (Gal 4:5)

“To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

• The word “redeem” is exagorázō, which means payment of a price, to buy back

Personal Application: God sent His virgin born Son, Jesus Christ, to “buy back” the guilty sinner from the slave market of sins penalty, power, and one day – presence. He accomplished this by pouring out His own precious blood on the cross.

3. How does Jesus fulfill the “Fulness of Time” today in the believer’s life? (Gal 4:6, 7, 19)

“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”

• The word “Abba” is Aramaic for father- papa

“Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”

• The word “heir” is klēronómos, which means one who inherits

“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.”

• The word “children” is téknon, which means offspring
• The word “travail” is ōdínō, which means to feel and suffer the pains of childbirth

Personal Application: Through the inward work of the Holy Spirit, every child of God identifies with God their Father. Because of God the Son, Jesus Christ, we become inheritors of His great family and possess all that is promised to us.

• Christology – The person of Jesus Christ (v 4)
• Soteriology – The plan of Salvation (v 5)
• Pneumatology – The power of the Holy Spirit (vv 6, 7, 19)

Text: Matthew 1:21-23

Introduction: Is Jesus the “Reason for the Season” only at CHRISTmas time? But isn’t He the Reason for every season (Eccl 3:1-7)? After all, He is the Creator.

“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years” (Gen 1:14).

What makes this CHRISTmas season so special? Covid-19 has drastically changed things this year….family gatherings may be limited; health concerns are at the top of the list for most families. Physical affection may be hindered due to the virus. Some are opting not to meet or to Zoom with the family. Whatever decision each family makes, the words of Matthew’s gospel are comforting to our hearts, and remind us that “JESUS is The Reason for this and every Season.”

1. Jesus is WITH us! (Matt 1:23)

“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 is with us.”

2. Jesus died FOR us! (Matt 1:21)

“21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

Personal Application:
“I can, I will, I do believe, that Jesus died for me.  And on the cross, He shed His BLOOD, for sin, to SET me FREE!”

3. Jesus FORETOLD us! (Matt 1:22)

“22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet.”

Personal Application:
The Bible is unfolding before our very eyes. In this case, Isaiah pre-wrote history when he predicted a virgin would have a baby. He would be named Jesus. God’s Word is trustworthy! It is 100% accurate. Therefore, we can stake our life on what the Bible predicts will happen in the future, as well as what has happened in the past, not to mention how we need to trust Jesus in the present.

That spells…..Jesus WITH us, FOR us, and FORETOLD us. What a SAVIOR! JESUS is the “REASON for EVERY SEASON”!

Love y’all,
Dr. Randy Reese

1. Fight your “FEARS”! (Luke 1:30-34)

“26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin….. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary.”

• The word “troubled” is diatarássō, which means agitate, confuse
• The word “fear” is phobéō, which means frightened, alarmed, to be afraid

2. Feed your “FAITH”! (Luke 1:28-33)

“28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: For thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”

3. Find your “FAVOR”! (Luke 1:28-34)

“30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.”

• The word “favor” is cháris, which means delight, pleasure, blessing, benefit

Conclusion:
So what are you afraid of? Nuclear war? Sickness? Losing your job? Stock market crash? Will you face your fears?

“Fighting our Fears” with “Faith” finds “Favor” with God. When we “Fight our fears” and find “Favor” with God, then we can expect to do extraordinary exploits for the glory of our Lord.

Text: 2 Corinthians 9:15

“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”

Introduction: Do you agree, there are some “GiFTS” money can’t buy? How about these four (4) BEST GIFTS to give this CHRISTmas?

1. Give Lots of “LOVE & AFFECTION” this CHRISTmas! (2 Cor 9:15)

“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”

Personal Application: One little girl while in English class at school was asked to spell the word A-F-F-E-C-T-I-O-N. She stood up on her feet from sitting down at her desk, walked over to her teacher, and put her arms around her neck and gave her a big hug. Needless to say, she made an A.

2. Give Plenty of “PATIENCE” this CHRISTmas! (2 Cor 9:15)

“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”

Personal Application: Are you known as a PATIENT person? Or could you use a little extra dose of PATIENCE? Most of us could!

3. Give A “HELPING HAND” this CHRISTmas! (2 Cor 9:15)

“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”

Personal Application: The older we get, the more we appreciate a “Helping Hand”! Will you teach a helping hand today?

4. Give “HOPE to the HURTING” this CHRISTmas! (2 Cor 9:15)

“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”

Personal Application: When we offer Jesus to others, we are giving “HOPE to the HOPELESS,” and “HELP to the HELPLESS”! There are a number of people hurting at CHRISTmas.

“UNSPEAKABLE” (2 Cor 9:15)
“UMERITED” (Eph 2:8, 9)
“UNDEFILED” (2Cor 5:21)
“UNCHANGABLE” (Heb 13:8)
“UNLIMITED” (Rev 22:16)

…Gift!

God gave the BEST GIFT!
Let’s do the same.

Text: John 10:22-30

Introduction: Does it seem like “TIME” Flies? Setting our Priorities is a must. Do you have your priorities in the right place? We must continually evaluate our “TIME” schedule. As we take a look at the gospel of John, there are five (5) “TIMES” to set your clock by, on a daily basis:

1. At Church – “WORSHIP TIME” (John 10:22)

“And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.”

{The words “feast of dedication” is enkaínia, which corresponds with the Jewish holiday “Hanukkah”…..according to the Greek scholar Thayer, this event is celebrated in the middle of December commemorating the Maccabeaus’ overthrow of Antiochus Epiphanes}

{Did you notice Jesus celebrated this Jewish event, which is still celebrated today?}

Personal Devotion: What a joy it is to come together to worship Jesus Christ and grow in His likeness, while going out into a world that needs God’s JOY, PEACE, LOVE, and HOPE.

2. At Home – “FAMILY TIME”! (John 10:30)

“I and my Father are one.”

{Jesus makes this affirmation that He was equal with God the Father; this proving His eternal existence and deity}

Personal Devotion: Spending TIME with our families is important for our legacy, as well as our well-being}

3. In Heart – “DEVOTION TIME”! (John 10:27-30)

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me…. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand… My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”

Personal Devotion: Spending TIME with daily devotions is an absolute. If we feed our Faith over our Flesh, then Faith wins!

4. In the World – “WITNESS TIME” (John 10:25)

“Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.”

Personal Devotion: If all we do is “take in – take in” the Word of God, and never “Give out” – witnessing – then we become spiritually overstuffed. Instead as we “Give out” we make room for the Holy Spirit to pour in.

5. In Eternity – “END TIME”! (John 10:28)

“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

Personal Devotion: The Judgment Seat of Christ is coming. Every CHRISTian will “appear” before Jesus to give an account of how we’ve served the Lord based on the gifts we’ve been given. Are you preparing? Lord help us to get ready!

Text: Matthew 1:18-25

Introduction: Is anything “Broken” in your life? Seems like things are “Breaking” all the time! Can you fix what’s “Broken”? The Gospel of Matthew gives us an account of Things that were “BROKEN” in Joseph and Mary’s pre-marital life. When things are “BROKEN” in your family or life, what do you do? Check out the three (3) CHRISTian responses when things are BROKEN:

1. When do we need to RESPOND when things are “BROKEN” and need fixing? (Matt 1:18-20)

“18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.”

** Joseph’s Dilemma

Mary’s pregnant. He knows he’s not the father.

** Joseph’s Dream 

God dispatched an angel to help facilitate the repair.

2. How do we need to RESPOND when things are “BROKEN” and need fixing? (Matt 1:20-23)

“But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 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. “

** Joseph needed some time to process this problem.

** God had a remedy for the problem.

3. Why do we need to RESPOND when things are “BROKEN” and need fixing? (Matt 1:22-25)

“22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 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. 24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”

** Joseph needed reminding of God’s purpose and plan for his life.

** God’s solution to fixing the problem was to send His Son, Jesus as the Savior of the world.

Conclusion: Have you noticed our Lord uses us at times to be the catalyst of “fixing” the broken pieces of the puzzle! What are you facing today that our Lord may be wanting to use you to “FIX” the problem? Please follow the process which was demonstrated in Joseph’s life.

And then, ultimately, God the Father’s plan will unfold because of the Son, Jesus Christ, and its made possible thru the power of the Holy Spirit.

1. A “CANDY CANE” is shaped like a SHEPHERD’S STAFF! (2 Cor 5:9)

2. A “CANDY CANE’S” stripes speak of the SAVIOR’S SACRIFICE! (2 Cor 5:21)

“21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

3. A “CANDY CANE’S” white color speaks of SINS FORGIVEN! (2 Cor 5:17)

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

4. A “CANDY CANE” resembles a SHEPHERD’S STAFF which speaks of SERVANTHOOD! (2 Cor 5:15)

“And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”

5. A “CANDY CANE” has a distinct SMELL which speaks of HEALING! (2 Cor 4:16-5:8)

“16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory…. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

6. A “CANDY CANE” can be BROKEN and SHARED! (2 Cor 5:20)

“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

7. A “CANDY CANE” reminds us of SACRIFICES today but REWARDS tomorrow at JESUS’ SECOND Coming! (2 Cor 5:10)

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”

Personal Application: It will be WORTH it all to be rewarded at the Judgment Seat (bema) of Christ. All the heartaches, persecutions, menial sacrifices – in comparison to His will – pale in comparison to the lost person who faces the terrible sentence at the “Great White Throne” Judgment.

Conclusion: Why not go out and buy some CANDY CANES for CHRISTmas? What a great way to share the love of JESUS this time of the year! After all, isn’t HE the REASON for the SEASON?

Love y’all,
Dr. Randy Reese