The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor

Our town has a beautiful nativity scene on the front lawn of the courthouse. It truly is impressive. As I walked up closer, I sort of chuckled and commented on the blonde-haired blue-eyed Jesus in the manger. No, the Bible doesn't describe Jesus' outward appearance so we can't say for sure what He looked like. However, most would agree that He was more likely to appear Arab rather than a blonde-haired blue-eyed European.
Later as I was thinking about our day, I thought to myself, “How fitting and poignant. A baby Jesus made in our own image.”
We love to make Jesus into our own image. He hates the same things we do, dresses the way we do, has the same political beliefs, and has the same enemies. He hates it when the local Wal-Mart cashier wishes us “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” at this time of year. He smiles down fondly at us as we make laws against other people's sins, while He hands out unlimited grace for our own sins of choice.
No, we have no problem following this Jesus that we've made into our own image.
But the Jesus Who was born in a manger over 2000 years ago is much more difficult to follow.
The Jesus of the Manger, Who was born into scandal and scorn from the religious folks. He was born homeless. An outcast. The King of Kings entered this world via a dirty, feces-covered stable. And of all the people God could've chosen to announce His Son's arrival to, whom did He choose? Shepherds. Some of the lowest of the low in Jewish society. They lived with their sheep year-round in the fields, so they stank of sheep and their own filth. Outcasts. And then there were the magi. They were not kings, as the old hymn portrays. They were magi. Mystics. Pagans. Traveling from a foreign land to follow the star that their prophecy foretold would light the way to the Son of God. Pagans. Immigrants. Outcasts.
The Jesus of the Manger is the Savior of the homeless and the immigrant. He is the Savior of the poor, the cold and the underfed. He is the Savior of the prisoner and the tortured. The tax collector and the prostitute. The drug addict and the thief. The outcasts.
The Jesus of the Manger is the radical Lord of the upside down Kingdom of God, where the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Where those who make peace are above those who wage war. Where enemies are loved and the poor are blessed. Where the wisdom of this world is foolishness.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.” - Luke 4:18

Junia Mark

dmark2012@gmail.com

Do Violence to No Man

Luke 3:14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

I believe what John the Baptist is saying is that a soldier is justified in defending his country, but here in America there hasn't been an actual case of defending the country since the war of 1812! Every war since then has been based on lies. I'm not questioning the bravery of the soldier, but the wicked purposes of the politicians that sent them to kill and be killed in one war based on lies after another.

Since this and many other evils are the policy of the government, a Christian should have nothing to do with serving in the military. When the lies are all stripped away you’ll find that the soldier isn’t defending freedom, or their families, or neighbors, or their country, but committing violence, including murder, yes murder, all based upon the lies the government tells them.

Today America supports every evil in the world and punishes those who call evil what it is, it's hate speech to the satanic puppets installed to rule over us. Make no mistake about it, you have a God given right and responsibilty to defend yourself and your family, and your brethren in Christ, but to "defend" this satanic run country is another matter; "defending" this country will cause you to do violence to men, women, children and afterwards when you realize they caused you to kill innocents that were never a threat to you or your country you'll regret deeply what you've done. I'd say this is the prime reason for the veteran's suicide rates of 20-30 per day. 

A country which denies Jesus Christ at every turn isn't worth defending. A country that promotes and supports child murder and mutilation isn't worth defending, likewise sodomy and the transgender delusion. A Christian cannot look to the world for their moral compass. They cannot judge good and evil based upon what the world does, but that is the case with many professing Christians. The Word of God must be our moral authority. The Bible tells us to not be conformed to the world, but most churches are, therefore so are the people who go to them. That is why the Bible tells us to come out of the wicked world institutions, including the conformed to the world “Church” (Rev 18:4), and to keep himself unspotted from the world (James 1:27).

dmark2012@gmail.com

Oh Foolish Galatians Who Hath Bewitched You

Gal 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

Gal 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Gal 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

The Remnant is characterized by its faithfully coming out of the harlot church system as God has commanded in Rev 18:4. They are in the wilderness being perfected for the Lord’s return. Oh that joyous day!

In the meanwhile we live in these fleshly vessels day by day, and seek Him to know and do His Will. We are not caught up in the world’s problems. Sometimes they effect us indirectly, or inconvenience us, but the Lord can and does protect and provide for His own.

Regardless of the situations we face, we have and should not relinquish our peace, love and joy in the Lord. They are gifts from the Lord, take hold of them and don’t let the enemy steal them from you!

One of the way the enemy steals from us is to needlessly divide the Remnant over unprovable doctrinal issues, beware of this and don’t do his bidding by taking part in it.

This time of year we see endless memes (pictures with text trying to illustrate or enforce a belief upon others) about the evils of Christmas, as if Jesus Himself told us not to celebrate His birth. Here are some common reasons given: it has pagan origins, His birth was really in September, we are not allowed to cut down trees and put them in our houses, Santa is Satan! When you put gifts under the tree you are bowing down to it, etc.

Once again, we are not commanded by the Lord to, or not to celebrate His birth, but we know this:

Luk 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Luk 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Does that sound like a celebration to you? Does to me. It truly is the greatest story ever told, and because of it we are where we are now, in His peace, love and joy awaiting His glorious return.

Back to the first verses posted at the beginning of this article, telling someone they can’t do this or that, without it being a direct commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ, is trying to put someone back under the law. If you, or someone you “teach”, do such things, you better remember this admonition:

Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. Gal 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. Gal 3:12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Those who want to put you back under the Law say God has commanded us not to celebrate Christmas, which to them that believe is about the birth of Jesus Christ, see Luke 1 and 2. They refer to God’s commandment given under the Law to not cut down trees and place them in their houses (Jer 10:1-4). Why do you single out that one? Do you not eat pork, do you not work on the Sabbath, did you stone your children to death if they were still disobedient after the age of accountability? Did you circumcise them to follow the whole law? All 613 of them? Probably not eh? But you want to see to it that no one celebrates the birth of Jesus because a tree might be involved? Foolishness, hypocrisy and worst of all, another way to drive away those who might want to come out of the “church”, or divide the remnant before the Lord returns.

On the other hand, if you want to celebrate it in September do so, if you don’t want to celebrate it, don’t. Again, there is no commandment to do so. If I told you that you had to I would be as big a hypocrite as those who say you can’t.

Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

Col 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ ... Col 2:20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, Col 2:21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Col 2:22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

1Co 10:27 If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake. 1Co 10:28 But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof:

1Co 10:29 Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience? 1Co 10:30 For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? 1Co 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Rom 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. Rom 14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. Rom 14:6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

I think the verses above amply support my beliefs, what we do we do for the glory of the Lord, giving thanks and praise to Him and Him alone. No man will put us back under the law, no matter how many fancy memes they create, or re-post. It’s good you can read, but understanding what you read is even more important. Before you go comparing Christians who celebrate the birth of Christ to pagans that sacrificed their children to false gods, you’d better examine your own selves for fault.

Daniel Mark

dmark2012@gmail.com