by The Rev. Wayne Brooks
Callas Community Church
Greetings from the Community Church of Dallas, at this
blessed season celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus
Christ. No other event has changed the course of history
like the coming of. Jesus our Savior and God. No other one
can take your soul, cleanse it of all guilt, fill the loneliness,
sider the person whose birth we celebrate.
The angel announced to Joseph, ‘‘and she shall bring
save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). It
happened the way Isaiah the prophet (Isaiah 7:14) had
predicted many years before, ‘Behold, the virgin shall be
with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call
his name Immanuel, which, being interpreted, is God with
us’ (Matthew 1:23).
The Apostle John adds this divine commentary, ‘In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with
God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us
(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the onlybegotten
Why did God leave heaven to come to this earth to
become one of us? Listen to the testimony of God’s Word.
‘“...There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that
...There is none that doeth good, no, not one’’ (Romans
3:10-12). ‘‘Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth,
and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”’
(John 14:6). \
“Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the
tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto
righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed” (I Peter
2:24). ‘“...What must I do to be saved? And they said,
Belieeve on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shall be
saved...” (Acts 16:30,31).
Have you personally committed your heart and life to
this one whose birth we celebrate? Are you a personal
disciple of Jesus Christ? We at the Community Church are
always eager to share the message of Christ. We want you
to know the Savior. We are here to be of spiritual service.
Hope your
holiday is aglow
with happiness.
GUYETTE’S COMMUNICATIONS, INC. SS
Memorial Highway, Luzerne
288-7686
Wishing you all the blessings of a joyous
holiday season. Sincere thanks one and all.
R. L. EYET
JEWELER
Alertness
and action
by The Rev. Robert W. Harris
Lehman-Idetown-Jackson United Methodist Churches
In the Gospel according to Luke we read of shepherds
‘keeping watch over their flocks by night.” They were
alert for any danger and sensative to the slightest change
in their surroundings. When the ‘angel of the Lord’’ came
they were afraid but did not flee. They heard the angels
message and they heeded it. After hearing the Angel they
ran down into Bethlehem to see for themselves. When they
had seen, the sought out others and told them.
In the Gospel According to Matthew we read of wise
men from the East. These men studied the stars, the
Scriptures and history and anticipated a new King in the
land of the Jews. When they saw the star, they invested
almost two years of their lives to travel to Jerusalem to
give gifts and homage to the new King. These men, as the
shepherds, left their normal pursuits: Unlike the
shepherds they returned home by a different way - and
vastly different themselves. They had found even more
than they expected - not simply a new king for the Jews -
but The King of Kings.
Neither the shepherds or the wise men fully com-
prehended the significance of-the angels message or the
star. However, they both by position and temperment
knew it was important enough to act on - and knew that it
came from God. They were men committed to the
protection of life and the pursuit of truth. There were
others who saw the star - maybe even others who heard
the heavenly music. But no one else was alert enough to
follow - concerned enough to care.
Many will hear the sounds and see athe sights of
Christmas this year. How many will be alert to their true
significance? And if alert, how many will act - and have
their lives changed? Will you?
IMAGES
18 Church Street, Dallas
HOURS: till 9 daily, Sun., 12-5
PAGE SEVENTEEN
In all the literature of the world, the greatest story ever
written is the story of Christmas. In it we are told that the
everlasting Creator of the heavens and the earth took
upon Himself a human nature, experiencing human
disappointments, pain, suffering and death, for the
purpose of redeeming man from his sin. Many non-
believers have become Christian thru the reading of this
marvelous story of God’s love.
Luke tells us that shepherds: were, thru the night,
watching the Temple animals when suddenly there stood
before them an angel, and the splendor of the Lord shone
round about them. They were stricken with terror, but the
angels said: ‘Do not be afraid: I have good news for you.
There is a great joy coming to all people. Today in the city
of David a Deliverer has been born to you -- the Messiah,
‘ the Lord!”
‘‘Fear”’ is never absent from the human heart. We are
afraid of many things. In this devastating state of mind
Heaven comes to us with ‘‘Do not be afraid, I have
glorious news of great joy...Today, a Savior is born to
you!”
This message is a personal one ‘Unto You!” It comes
not to the powerful, the wealthy, the privileged calss, but
“to you.” This story always thrills me because the
shepherds did something that we all should do and often
do not. The Shepherds said - - ‘Come we must go straight
to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened.” Is the
story that we have heard true? Is the vision an
hallucination, or is it real? ‘‘Let us go to Bethlehem and
find out!”
The greatest gift
that we can wish
for you is a joy-
ous, loving holiday.
Carol Eason's Beauty Salon
These shepherds did not poston their search until a
more convenient time. They followed the tiny clue they
had, and their search was rewarded. They found the Babe
lying in the manger. Having ascertained that the heavenly
message was true, they returned to their fields ‘praising
and glorifying God for what they had heard and seen.”
In this simple story we have the secret of a tran--
sforming religion, of a transcendent life that no hurricane,
or nuclear explosion can touch. ‘‘Let us go to Bethlehem!
Let us do something!”’ A hearsay religion is a poor tool in
the hour of crisis. A transforming faith is the result of a
person experience. The shepherds saw the Deliverer, the
Lord.
Each one of us must go to Bethlehem and have a
spiritual encounter with Christ. We need not travel to the
Palestinian Bethlehem, but to the spiritual Bethlehem.
Indeed our journey to Bethlehem must be a spiritual one.
Paul exhorts us...‘‘Let Christ be born in you.”
Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year.
As the sweet sounds i
of Christmas echo round]
the world, we wish you all
the blessings of a
joyous holiday season.
COMMONWEALTH TELEPHONE CO.
aiff
fl
fit
. angels sing
out our thanks and
warm wishes for your
every happiness
Thi dnl
We hope you and yours
blessed with the
warmth and happiness
that are so abundant
throughout this holy
season, Many thanks.
ara
TOM &
MARTHA REESE
ALL OF US
from the
TOY BOX
Wish You A
kingston -
Season. |