D ECEMBER 13, 2019
Born to die
Read the Bible in
Just One Year
5
Editor | Dr. Shelton Smith
Vol. LXXXV. No. 25
The Royal
Highway to
Heaven
That man
might live
13
The Word Was Made Flesh
DR. SHELTON SMITH
Jesus’ Preexistence
The early part of John, chapter 1,
gives a number of details about
Jesus’ preexistence prior to Beth -
lehem. It says,
“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.
“All things were made by him; and
without him was not any thing made
that was made.
“In him was life; and the life was
the light of men.
“And the light shineth in darkness;
and the darkness comprehended it
not.”—Vss. 1–5.
All of that is prior to Bethlehem.
It is testimony to the preexistent
Christ. “In the beginning was the
Word.” It says that He who is “the
Word” was in the beginning. He
was with God and He was God.
Say hello again to some of the
crowds floating around who try to
nullify His deity. They are out
there on the streets, in the courts,
in the schools and, horror of
horrors, even in some so-called
churches. “The Word was God”!
That’s the truth!
If you ask, “How do you know
that is talking about Jesus?” I will
tell you that it’s because verse 14
says, “And the Word was made
flesh.”
Merry
Merry Christmas
Christmas
The Real Deal of
Christmas
12
Facts of Bible
Prophecy
6
DR. CURTIS HUTSON
“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.
“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
Jesus’ Prophecy
it with judgment and with justice
There are things about the Lord from henceforth even for ever. The
Jesus prophesied in verses 6 and zeal of the L ORD of hosts will perform
following. It is a reference to this.”—Isa. 9:6, 7.
Isaiah, chapter 40.
In my library is a booklet
Some years ago when I was going entitled 57 Reasons. The author
to a less-than-desirable theological lists fifty-seven reasons why he
seminary, they tried to tell us that believes the Bible is the Word of
the Book of Isaiah should be divided God.
three ways. Their reasoning was
If I had but one reason, I would
believe the Bible is the Word of
Continued on p 7▶
They Were Wise Men
God on the ground of fulfilled
Bible prophecy. Seven hundred
years before the fact, the prophet
prophesied Jesus’ supernatural
virgin birth in Isaiah 7:14:
“Therefore the Lord himself shall
give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall
conceive, and bear a son, and shall
call his name Immanuel.”
This had never happened before;
it has not happened since. Jesus is
correctly called “the only begotten
of the Father” (John 1:14).
A study of the Book of Daniel
would have revealed to any Bible
student the very year of the Savior’s
birth.
Micah 5:2 prophesied the very
place He would be born.
“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah,
though thou be little among the thou -
sands 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.”
Since more than one town was
named Bethlehem, the Bible made
sure to give the correct one,
Bethlehem Ephratah.
In John 3, Jesus predicted His
own death, even telling the kind
of death He would die.
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so must the
Son of man be lifted up.”—Vs. 14.
Just like the serpent was raised
up on a pole in Numbers 21, Jesus
Christ was lifted up on a cross two
thousand years ago.
Isaiah 53 prophesied His death
between two thieves: “And he was
numbered with the transgressors”
(vs. 12).
Continued on p 8▶
DR. HUGH F. PYLE
“Now when Jesus was born in
Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of
Herod the king, behold, there came
wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
“Saying, Where is he that is born
King of the Jews? for we have seen his
star in the east, and are come to
worship him.”—Matt. 2:1, 2.
It would be well for us to learn
from these ancient wise men
about whom we read in Matthew
2. For entirely too many people
today Jesus has become, as Dr.
DeHaan used to put it, “the
forgotten Man of Christmas.”
For many celebrants, Christmas
will be all over in a day. But for the
truly wise men (and women),
Christmas with its message of joy
and peace can last forever! How
many people are foolishly getting
ready for Christmas without getting
ready for Christ?
Taken up with all of the tinsel
and trappings of Christmas, we
forget that “He that cometh from
above is above all” (John 3:31).
Truly wise men still worship Jesus!
Rome attempted to conquer the
whole world with battles. God will
yet conquer the world with a Baby.
Let us explore the simple yet
beautiful event of the wise men
who found what they were looking
for when they found the Babe of
Bethlehem.
1. They Were Wise in
Their Direction
“There came wise men from the
east.”—Vs. 1.
University Purges Pledge of Allegiance for
Not Being Inclusive
receive more light.
2. They Asked a Wise
Question
“Where is he that is born King of
the Jews?”—Vs. 2.
Many people rush away from
In other words, they were
Christ at Christmas. These men
anxious
inquirers. Oh, that people
moved toward Christ. When we
would
become
anxious about
act upon the light that God has
given us, He will see to it that we
Continued on p 6▶
A vote to stop reciting the Pledge of Allegiance during meetings was
cast by the Grand Valley State University (GVSU) Student Senate—
with twice as many voting to remove it than keep it—as the
overwhelming majority insisted the patriotic tribute symbolizes an
oppressive and discriminatory government that is noninclusive.
One student senator at the Michigan university, Dorian Thompson
[a conservative], revealed that 22 voted to remove the Pledge, while
only 10 opposed the measure and 10 abstained.…
“The arguments to remove it were to create an inclusive
environment, that it represented an oppressive government and that
there are international students that we should be representing,”
Thompson informed the College Fix.…
Continued on p 2▶