God

Merry Christmas, Messiah has come

Some five hundred years before the arrival of Emmanuel, the prophet Isaiah, prophesied that Emmanuel would come. ” Therefore the Lord himself will give the sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

Thus, when it was nearing time for Emmanuel’s arrival, God sent the angel Gabriel to reveal His plans to the chosen virgin:

“And in the sixth month He sent the Angel Gabriel unto a city in Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

Subsequently, the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

When she saw him, she became troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God.
Behold thou shall conceive in thy womb, and give birth to a son, and shall call his name JESUS” (Luke 126-31).
When Joseph heard the news, he became distraught.”How could this be? He thought. Mary and I have not come together yet! I must divorce her before everybody finds out.”
“As he contemplated this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. The child she is carrying is of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20).

“So it came to pass that there went Joseph up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David. He went there to register with Mary, who had pledged to marry him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came, and Mary gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no guest room available for them” (Luke 2:4-7)

Jesus shall reign for ever and ever

“For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:6-7).

“Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: “The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).

 

Let’s have a candid debate on gun violence

Coalition to Stop Gun Violence

Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Shootings like the one in Newtown, Connecticut have become common place in the American society. Still, every time a maniac goes on an ego trip and massacred innocent people it is increasingly difficult to come up with a motive. The question is always why. Why would anyone in their right frame of mind committed such despicable and horrendous acts?

The Newtown massacre hits close to home. I happen to live in Connecticut, and while I do not live in Newtown, I feel divinely connected to the victims, especially the defenceless kids. That is the reason I get mad when I ask myself this question: “What on God‘s earth did twenty innocent kids, ages 6-7 years did that deserve to have their lives cut short senselessly?” At the same time, I am fully aware that we will never know the answer–the alleged shooter is dead. However, as is customary in mass murders, so-called experts believe mental health is a factor as well as the lack of stricter gun control.

It is déjà vu all over again. Another mass shooting has occurred, and the question of stricter gun control comes up. We have seen this movie before. Have we not? One can bet his last dollar that, as soon as the news media turned its TV cameras and microphones off and the anti-gun passion has died down the issue will be gentle swept under the carpet. Gun rights activists and lobbyists have done a marvelous job of neutralizing the argument for stricter gun control. Their strategy of ‘no comment until we look at the facts’ is unadorned but hugely effective. Nevertheless, no one with a heart and a soul can truthfully deny that we have a gun problem that needs discussing.

The problem of guns and gun violence is not a new phenomenon in America. Even though, if one listens to and reads some of the comments about the Newtown massacre one would think otherwise. The only new trend in gun violence over the past five years or so as it relates to mass shooting is the drastic change in the locations and the faces of victims. Where as in former years the victims of mass shootings were mostly minority, gang bangers and drug dealers who lived and operated in urban communities, today the victims also include white Americans who lived in suburban communities.

All in all, it is time to have a serious national discussion on guns and gun violence. The scourge of gun violence is no longer an urban problem. It is everybody’s problem. Therefore, politicians can no longer look the other because of fear of loosing their seats. They must stand firm and do the right thing. I do not know how, or what but for the sake of those twenty kids who died in Newtown and every other victim of gun violence–do something!!!

May the souls of the dead rest in peace!!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Gerard van Honthorst Adoration of the Shepherd...

What comes to mind when you think of Christmas? When we think of Christmas certain thoughts and images come to mind. Many of us think of familiar sights and sounds, flavors and colors, gifts and shopping, lights and cards. Still, some of us think about worship and

the birth of Jesus and the impact He had and still has on the world.

Here is a list of words that have been associated with Christmas:

  1. Advent
  2. Angels
  3. Bethlehem
  4. Census
  5. Epiphany
  6. Frankincense
  7. Hallelujah
  8. Immanuel
  9. Jesus
  10. Joseph
  11. Mary
  12. Marji
  13. Myrrh
  14. Nativity
  15. Star
  16. Savior
  17. Light of the world
  18. Candle Light Service

What am I thankful for today?

English: "The First Thanksgiving at Plymo...

English: “The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth” (1914) By Jennie A. Brownscombe (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There is so much for which I am thankful. My blessings are many and endless. I am thankful for every waking hour, every breath I take and every step I make.

I especially thank God for His saving grace. His love and His mercy. He looked beyond my faults and saw my needs and pulled me from the mire clay. I thank Him for spared life, my family and friends, those who are near and far, and those on Facebook, Twitter, and WordPress. I thank Him for my neighbors and co-workers. I thank Him for governments; Federal, State and Local. I thank Him for the utility companies, and the mail carrier. I thank Him for my church family, and I thank Him for my employer, who took a chance on me and gave me a job. Thank you Lord for everything.

Finally, my brethren, Just like the pilgrims were in early autumn of 1621, I am particularly thankful to God today for the opportunity to live in the greatest country on earth. Despite its sordid past and its problems at home and abroad, the USA is still a beacon, and I would not exchange it for any other country…Happy Thanksgiving everyone!