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Portions of the following program may be pre-recorded. I am Pastor Ernie Sanders, the voice of the Christian Resistance. Stay tuned. My radio broadcast, What's Right, What's Left is coming up right now. Coming to you live from Independence, Ohio.
Changed our life for the better in many different ways. Heard around the world every Monday through Friday. Castor Sanders is always years ahead of the rest of the media, telling you exactly what they're covering up. This is what's right, what's left. I tune in every chance I get to hear exactly what's going on with the voice of the Christian resistance.
Unabasidly cutting through the rhetoric by exposing the hard topics facing our society and world. A lot of the other news medias don't pick up the news items like he does. And bringing to light the enemies of freedom who are out to steal your rights, your children, and enslaving you. You really get the truth out. I can tune into your show and hear the unvarnished truth.
Thank you. This is what's right, what's left, with Pastor Ernie Sanders. Welcome to the program. This is Pastor Joe Larson. I'm sitting in one more night for Pastor Ernie.
He's going to go drive early in the morning to have some surgery on his eye. And we're going to pray together. Here in a few minutes for him. With me on the board tonight is Stile, and he's going to help me with a very unusual program. We're going to do a real Christmas special tonight.
And uh We are going to be talking about a Christmas tree, the decorations and How Christians can have a real Christian tree. Help teach our children, grandchildren, and for many out there themselves about. Christmas and Christ. But how are you doing tonight, Stal? You ready to go to work?
I'm always ready, Joe.
Okay, well, you're supposed to keep me out of trouble, so you got a big job. Yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna have my hands full tonight. All right. Let's pray for Pastor Ernie. And I want all of you out there to.
Pray with me. We are all going to need prayer. If you haven't needed it, you will. And there is great, great power in prayer. I'm such a firm believer.
I've seen wonderful things in my life, but through the power of prayer.
So please pray along with me. Dear Heavenly Father, you know your servant Ernie, Going in for surgery. He's had one I worked on, got a really great doctor, but. I would pray that you, the surgeon, that you would guide and direct his hands, Lord. You shouldn't be there.
To watch over and control things. You would be with his wife, family. that uh you would comfort them during this time and that you would help him recovery site quickly. And that the healing would go well. And I know he's put his uh faith and trust in you and Confident in the outcome.
Yeah. We agree there, but we know we must pray that if it be thy perfect will, Lord. But uh we sure hope that he gets his eyesight all restored. And is able to continue reading, teaching and preaching until you call him home. And we ask this in Jesus' precious, precious name.
Amen. Got to start tonight. With my favorite decoration on a Christman tree. I guess I'd maybe better start telling what a Chrysman tree is. It's an actual Christmas tree that glorifies.
Hi. Everything on it. Tells a story. of the state here.
Something about Jesus. They know his name in Hebrew is Yehoshua. Yehoshua. Which means Jehovah says. Isn't that interesting?
Yahoshua. Jehovah, God Jehovah states. That's where we get Jesus Christ is our Savior because his actual name is. God Jehovah saved.
Now I guess before I start with the anything. They go on a Christmas tree. Yeah. The earliest things I can find in history, you go back, there was a writing. In the Jewish.
At the Festival of Light. Jesus is the light of the world. And this was recorded. The first reference to a church writing about a tree was. the historian Tertullian back in two hundred AD in the year of our Lord.
where he said, You are the light of the world, a tree evergreen, If you have renounced the heathen temple, That little story there. Uh in four hundred AD. There was a pastor, William Boniface. He was Roman Catholic, so they called him, you know, St. Boniface.
But he was sent by Pope Gregory. as a missionary to the heathen Germans at Gesmar, Where he confronted this is a true story. the chieftain Gundahar. And they were going to offer as a sacrifice little prince. That was four.
This bloody sacrifice is de Gulp. Be top Or They're pagan God. Who they believe. It wasn't like the uh stuff you've heard about Thor. who lived in a huge oak tree.
No. Pastor Boniface. When he went to stop this, he took boldly took an axe and after a few swings at this mighty huge blood oak tree. An enormous wind came out of nowhere and blew the tree completely over. All over the place.
The heathen were enough. We're terrified actually. Then, pointing to an evergreen tree nearby, Faster bottoms was stated. And this is a clip. This is the word, not a drop of blood shall fall tonight, for this is the birthnight of Saint Christ.
Son of the All-Father and Saviour of the world.
Now notice how he's mixing some things in. To help these people understand what he's talking about. The All-Father. You know, because they believe that Thor, his father, Odin, was the all-father. That this is the Saint Christ, Son of the All-Father, Savior of the world.
This little tree, a young child of the forest, She'll be a home tree to night. It is the word of peace. for your houses are built of fur. It is the sign of endless life, for its branches are evergreen. See how it points toward heaven?
Let us be called the Tree of the Christ child. Gather about it, not in the wild woods, but in your home. There will shelter no deeds of blood. But loving gifts and light of kindliness. We have Knowledge like this.
This came from Dear friend of mine and Pastor Ernie, William J. Federer, we call him Bill, Bill Federer. And he is a researcher. He is an author, historian. Be good.
And a wonderful brother in Christ. This information is out there, but Yeah. You know, it's amazing. The world doesn't really want you to know this stuff. For some funny reason.
Then In fifteen twenty A man named Martin Luther. You remember Martin Luther? Dial I know Martin Luther well. They're great. Christian Reformation from the Catholic Church, right?
Yes, sir. All right, in fifteen twenty, he was walking home on Christmas Eve. Under a cold December sky when he noticed All these countless stars illuminating the night. He returned home and to the delight of his children set up an evergreen tree. placing a great number of small candles on the branches.
He told his children of the Christ child, the light of the world. whose birth had so glorious bright in the sky on that first Christmas Eve. He set up a fresh scene, a major scene. Under the tree so that the lights would appear. As the stars above Perfectly.
So, if you didn't know where the Christmas tree came from, I hope you have some ideas. This is what we know from. From the history we have, and things were carried forward and. We now have the Christmas tree.
Now My favorite decoration on the Christmas tree. There's one item, it's called a candy cane. Candy? Christmas?
Well, there's a reason, you see, because the candy cane tells a marvelous story. The candy cane is white. White It's for purity. And just that thing. Surety in the Lord We know that the white apparel in John John twenty, verse twelve.
And seeth two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And while they looked steadfast toward heaven as he went up, behold Two men stood by them in white apparel, Angels telling about Jesus will come in like manner as he went. To heaven. And we know that the angel of the Lord did come and rolled away the stone. But uh Where Christ was entombed, they rolled away the stone from the door, and in Matthew 28:3, His countenance was like lightning and his raiment white.
as snow. And we know other times in Revelation. Revelation 3, verse 5: He that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white raiment. And I will not blot out his name of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my father and before his angels. Revelation seven, nine talks about Before the people worshiping, before the Lamb clothed in white robes.
And in Revelation 7:13, and one of the elders answered and said unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robe, and whence they come? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of the great tribulation and have washed their robes. and made them white. in the blood of the Lamb.
for purity. Bye. And clean. Cleanly. White clean.
Clean from what? Claimed from sin. We have been cleaned. From sin. And we know when the Lord comes back.
Revelation nineteen, fourteen, and the armies which were in heaven follow him. upon white horses. When they went to the Hebrew people, when they went to war, they rode the white horses, the kings. When they went to make peace, they rode a donkey.
So these the armies in heaven were in white hor on white horses. clothed in fine linen, white and clean. They've been purified by the Lord, going to battle, running to the battle. We hear that keep fighting the fight every night. Right style, fighting what?
The good side of fate. That's right. Yeah. The candy cane is part. It's hard.
Because Well Jesus is called what, the rock? God's called the Rock of Ages. 1 Samuel 2: There is none holy as the Lord Christ, for there is none beside thee, neither is there any rock. like our God. And Salmon goes on: The Lord is my rock and fortress.
Uh again in the In chapter 22 of Second Samuel, the God of my rock. For who is God save the Lord? Who is a rock save our God? On and on in Psalms: the Lord is the rock. Blessed be my rock.
Psalm sixty two, He is my only rock in my salvation. I shall not be moved. You know, there's a hymn, I shall, I shall, I shall not be moved. Because he's the rock. First Corinthians 10, 4.
And did all drink the same spiritual drink, but they drank that spiritual rock. That followed them. And that rock was. Right. And there are many more verses.
That's amazing. You can do uh Looking at these, remember he was First Peter 2:7. Unto you, therefore, which believe he is precious. Jesus. But unto them which be your disobedient, the stone which the builders disavowed.
The same is made head of the corner. the cornerstone, the rock of which everything is built upon. Then There are red stripes. That on the candy cane, right?
Well, what is a red for? Stands for two things. John 3:16, For God so loved the world, love, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him. Sure isn't that courage. But have everlasting life.
I could do two hours just on love. But It also is red for the blood. Matthew 26. Mm-hmm. For this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Likewise after supper, saying This cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed For you. Matthew. John, I'll talk about The my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him. John 6:56.
Ephesians One through one seven, in whom we have redemption through his blood. The forgiveness of our sin. According to the riches of his grace. Everywhere through scripture. especially this because later on we'll talk about the sheep.
Now the God of peace. That brought again the dead, brought again from the dead, our Lord Jesus. That great shepherd of the sheep. Through the blood, the everlasting Sounds good. Through the everlasting covenant, the red is for blood and for love.
And Most candy canes you'll notice there are stripes. One of the old fashioned ones, the ones in my tree. John nineteen one. Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged him. And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns and put it on his head and put on him a purple robe.
and said, Hail, king of the Jews and they smote him with their hands. Scourged and whipped him until. His back was Blood. striped with wounds. Yeah.
Matthew twenty seven, twenty six. Then released he Barnabas or Barabbas unto them And when they had scourged Jesus, they delivered him to be Crucified First Peter twenty, first Peter two. I'm going to read several verses here. For even hereunto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps. who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.
who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatened not. but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously through his Father. to his own So bear our sins in his own body on the tree. That we being dead to sins should live under righteousness by whose stripes. Ye were healed by the stripes of Christ.
You and I. were healed. Beryedi were as sheep going astray, but are now returned unto the shepherd. and Bishop of your souls. Receive the idea of I'm getting to is when we decorate the Christmas tree.
Christmon tree. We can make. Our decorations. Candy canes, I haven't figured out how to make yet. I'm not much of a.
Can itself? But they can be bought and hung. They're beautiful. And they tell the story also. The spices.
Peppermint flavor. And they talked about the spices loot. Talk about the women when they return prepared spices and ointments. For Jesus. And when they came to the sepulchre, they brought the spices they had prepared.
Right. Then in John nineteen forty, they took the body of Jesus and wound it in linen clothes with the spices as the manner of Jews to bury. Um Talks in Matthew 23, 23, woe unto you. Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you pay tithes of mint, bananas, and cumin.
and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, of judgment and mercy. Faith. These ought ye to have done, And not believe it. The other undone. But woe unto you, Pharisees, for ye tithe mint and rue all manner of herbs and pass over judgment and the love of God.
These ought. Ye that have done. and not to leave the other undone.
So the spice is on the candy cane. Again, scripture. And last but not least, What shape? Is the candy cane? Dial Well, it's in the shape of a shepherd's crook, right?
Shepherd's death, right. And also.
Well It uh what was it used for? Herding sheep? Yeah. So the shepherd could reach out and grab the sheep around the neck and pull them out of trouble, pull them out of ditch, or help steer one away from something, help turn the flock. It was used to control and.
He also used it to fight off Predators that came after the sheep.
Now, Judges 6:21. Then the angel of the Lord, which is Christ himself. Ha, the angel of Lord reincarnate Christ came down. Put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand. and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes.
And there rose up fire out of the rock. And consumed the flesh and unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of. His sign. These were the parents of Samson.
They had built, they were going to worship him, this angel, but he took the worship. Why? Because the angel of the Lord was the pre incarnated Christ. He took his staff, think about this, and he touched the rock. And fire rose out of rock.
Think about that. We have in Saul. First uh first uh Samuel, seventeen forty. I'm sorry. Samuel.
And he took his staff in his hand and chose with him five smooth stones out of a brook. and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a script, and his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine. Even the boy David had his what staff. Psalm 23, 4. Remember this?
Yea, though I walk to the belly. The shadow of death. I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy Staff. It comes with the deep.
thy rod and thy staff, Uh Zachariah, how about this one? 1110. And I took my staff, even beauty, and cut it asunder that I might break my covenant which I had made with. All the people. And it was broken in that day, so that the poor of the flock that waited upon me.
knew that it was the word of the Lord. And I said unto them, If you think good, give me my price. And if not, forbear, for they weighed for my price thirty pieces. The silver And the Lord said unto me, Cast it into the potter, a goodly price that I was. Plus Pressed at them.
And I took thirty pieces of silver and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord, Then I cut a sudden asunder my other staff, even bands.
so that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. Yeah. The staff. Oh, remember Marc and Mark six eight? And Jesus commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, the apostles, save only save a staff only.
no script, no bread, no money in their purse. Only take a step. Cain, there's quite a Bible study right there. There were so many verses I was kind of picking and choosing. Trial, it kind of uh Make it fit the time allowed.
But you see when you go to put candy canes on the tree, You could do a Bible study just one night putting candy canes. on a tree. And talk about the tree being what? Evergreen, the tree pointing to heaven. The tree, the evergreen, everlasting life pointing to heaven.
What a way to start Christmas by decorating a real. Christmas tree by celebrating. The Christmas story, The Birth of Our Saviour. About having the Nativity scene under. The Christmas tree.
What do you think?
Sound like we might have something here. I think that's a great plan.
So that's what we do at the Larson House. We put up the tree. And We put up the light. And then the candy cakes. Yeah.
After the break, we'll talk about how to decorate the tree. Alex said we'll start with the tree lights. And according to my clock, we're just about time for the break, right? Yes, sir. All right, take it away.
God rest you. You merry gentlemen. Let nothing you dismay. Remember Christ our Savior. Was born on Christmas Day.
To save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray. Yeah. Oh tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, oh tidings of comfort and joy. In Bethlehem in Jewry, this blessed babe was born. And laid within a manger upon this blessed morn.
The witch is mother. Mary did nothing take in score. Oh tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, oh tidings of comfort and joy. From God our heavenly Father, a blessed angel came. And unto certain Shepherd.
Brought tidings of the same. How that in Bethlehem was born. The Son of God by name. Oh time. Tidings of come forth and joy, comfort and joy, oh tidings of come forth and joy.
Wow, beautiful, beautiful music that's I think one of my favorite parts about Christmas is Some of the most beautiful music in the world was written to celebrate. Christmas and uh I don't mean Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. I guess fun stuff, but the real beautiful old hymns. There's nothing like them. This is Pastor Joe Larson, and I'm sitting in for Pastor Ernie Sanders tonight.
Some of you remember me, some of the new people may not, but I always introduce myself as that. God fearing, Bible believing, flag waving, gun owning, constitution loving, patriot. I am one of many who is Been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Blessed beyond. Yeah.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
So tonight, Pastor Ernie's going to bed very, very early as he has to get up about three o'clock in the morning. drive in uh Cleveland to go to The surgeon has some eye surgery and keep him in your prayers tonight. Tonight we're talking about A Chrisman tree, a real Christmas tree. Not the uh fake trees that you see at the uh Mall Yeah, that all the uh Trees that are covered in. I think I did this the other night, but I'm going to read a word.
In scripture in Jeremiah. He's talking about the word of the Lord. And he said. And Jeremiah ten: two, Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen. And be not dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the heathen are dismayed at them.
For the customs of the people are vain. for one cutteth the tree out of the forest and the work of the hands of the workmen. with the at They deck it with silver and gold. and they fastened it with nails and with hammers that it moved not. In the old days when I was a kid, they had Christmas trees at two flat pieces of wood and they were nailed into the bottom of the tree formula.
Then I'll x And that's what the tree stood on. In those days, they weren't even put in water. Yes, I'm old style, very old. You know, you've probably never heard of a tree without a Sand with water, right? Or an artificial tree.
Well listen, I I've heard of a tree without water 'cause I'm very bad at watering mine.
Okay, but in the old days that's how we got the tree to stand up. They were just Crossed pieces of wood nailed into the bottom of the tree so it stood upright with long nails. And in last verse 5, they are upright as a palm tree, but speak not. They must needs be borne, carried, because they cannot go anywhere. Be not afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
Yeah. What the Lord was saying here in scripture is the heathen were using these. Trees decorated for Pagan worship. Hagen Worship. And it was decorated with silver and gold kind of decorations.
And if you notice that when you go through someplace like a mall, There's all kinds of the gold, silver, ribbon and balls. But have you ever seen anything on a tree at one of those big malls that represents Jesus Christ? Not to my recollection. Occasionally you might find one with a star. I don't think I've seen anything in a big mole except the star.
But most of the time it's big, fancy, a lot of times it's gold and silver and a lot of ribbons. And they're really full. I mean, everything is packed so that you almost can't see the tree, right? Right. We get a tree that Has some room.
Trees in nature house the birds, they shelter shade. Remember the uh Date tree, there were so much people lie under the trees, the uh the pomegranate, the date. Olive trees would be what they had for shade, the animals, the birds would nest in them. And so, anyway, a real Christmas tree, like I said, we start with the light. And well, Bible study time likes.
How about John one? Six through nine. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came to witness to bear witness of the It was bullied. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness to that light.
That was the true light which lighteneth every man that cometh to the world. Yep. Yep, yep, yep. The Christmas tree light Jesus was what? The light of the world.
Now, I just pick for times and there are many, many other. places in scripture where you can find so One night you put on the light. And uh the candy cane. All about the candy cane, how they represent Jesus the next night, the next day. You start then and add to that.
On the tree.
Now, here's some of the things that you can do. They can be made at home.
Some of these things can be bought, and a lot of them can be made. Our church as well. A whole tree full of Ornaments that were made, stones, stuff. By different church members.
So it can be done.
Some of these things you can buy, like Angels. And uh Remember in Matthew, when the devil took Jesus up. Through the holy city on a pinnacle there in the temple, and he said. If thou be the Son of God, cast yourself down, for it is written. He shall give his angels charge over thee.
and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest any time thou shouldst Dash thy foot against the stone. And the devil, then the devil leaveth him, and behold, angels came. and minister to him. Ben, if you look, you could find a whole bunch of verses on Bible, on angels, right, Scale? I don't think that one should be too hard to find.
Yeah, that's who I'm going with this. You can create your own family's Bible study. And You can do it in such a way each and every year, you can do different verses as you hang the different ornaments like the. light. There are different places in there about Jesus being the light of the world.
Angels is a lot of different version uh versus on angels.
So every year that you do this, you can change it. and increase the knowledge of the word of God. I wonder how many people have thought about this. Later on, I'm going to have the phone lines open, see how many people actually thought about this, using it for a study. to teach the children, to teach the grandchildren.
and how you can make it new and different every year, keep a tradition. But change it. Then you can put sheep. On the tree.
Right. And uh Matthew 25, verse 32, and before him shall be gathered all nations. And he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth His sheep from the goats. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, and the goats, but the goats on his left. Then the king shall say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. We are the sheep of his pasture, right? He's the great shepherd. There are so many verses. It was so hard to do this because I'm going.
My brain's got all these different verses. I could spend two hours doing this, probably drive everybody nuts. Then you can make little fancy gifts and hang them as like you hang an ornament, right? And of course we know that the easiest one is Matthew 2, 11. And when they came into the house they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshipped him.
And when they had opened their treasures they presented unto him gifts gold and frankincense. And murr. Ah, do you remember something very unusual about this verse style? What's that? But then Well the wise man came to the house.
But the Christmas carols all say the wise men were there with the shepherds at the manger, but Yes. plainly said they went to uh Nazareth and they came to the house For the young child, not me. Child means Lock team? Babe is wrapped. Babes don't walk.
children walk.
So the wise men followed the star, and they didn't get there until Jesus was back in his house. His father was out working. He was a carpenter. Remember Joseph working? And only Mary and the baby were there when the gifts came.
That's a very good point. At Christmas, we all think of the wise men being there. They never made it. They were they didn't go to Bethlehem. The star, you know, an angel told them in a dream to, you know, follow the, go to where the baby was, follow the star.
Remember, they were led by the star. And it didn't take them to Bethlehem and led them back to Nazareth. Ah, there's so many things, doves in the tree. Uh Famous one when Jesus in Matthew, when he's going to be baptized by John. And in Matthew 3:16, and Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water.
And lo the heavens were opened unto him. And he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him. Dubs. and be on the tree. And Fish.
Do you remember what was the symbol of fish used for? Do you remember style of later after Christ? Ah, after the time of the Apostles? I thought there was just a symbol for um Christianity and a follower of Christ in general. No, it was a secret.
It was a secret symbol of Christian Jews when they were forced underground and being persecuted and killed by Rome. They use the symbol of the fish to identify each other. There was a protection. But in scripture. We know Matthew 4 in verse 18.
And Jesus walking by the Sea of Galilee saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother. casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers. And Jesus, and he said unto them, Jesus, of course, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Well, in The Fishers of Men, so we can have fish on the tree for two reasons. The secret symbol that protected Christians during the first great persecution. And then You can place crowns. And the kids can make little crowns. You can do you have to sit down and before Christmas helped make some of these ornaments.
A little tin foil and some cardboard and some tapes and whatnot and Little gold paint. Revelation 2:10. For none. Those things which thou shalt fear, none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried.
And ye shall have tribulation ten days Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life. Crown of life.
Okay, a circle. Why would I put a circle? Make a circle on my Christmas tree. Do you have any idea, Style? I'm trying to think of it.
I'm I'm not can't think of it off the top of my head. I wonder if anybody out there has people think. Everybody think while I read this? In Revelation. Jesus did what?
In verse eight, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the. The end. Saith the Lord, which is, which was, and which is to come. The Almighty. The beginning and the end.
Then in Isaiah in uh chapter forty six verse ten Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times, the things. that are not yet done saying My council shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. Declaring the end from the beginning a circle representing Alpha and omega the beginning and the end, right?
Now you can also What the I am energy symbol on a tree. Why? Everlasting life, right? Jesus came and said, What? He was going to bring us everlasting life?
So there was another thought. How about bells? We know that we heard the bells on Christmas Day, the old familiar carols. There's a secular reason. Scripture, there are several things about bells.
They were mainly on the Um Called it in that the uh Priest, we'll bear. But in Zachariah 14 in verse 20, it said. In that day there shall be upon the bells of the horses holiness unto the Lord. There shall be upon the bells of the horses Holiness unto the Lord. The bells ringing will signify holiness before the Lord.
Then I went and uh I found some real bad brambles and I needed a crown of thorns. But you can also take some old barbed wire They make a crown. out of barbed wire and it's a pretty ugly looking little crown. Representing a crown of thorns. And both Matthew and Mark talk about it in Mark 15:17, and they clothed him with purple and plaited.
A crowd of thorns and twitched. About his head. Yeah, when they put it on his head, it rammed all those thorns into his flesh. Then Last well, maybe not last, but uh I the last thing I put is the star. Matthew 2.1.
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, 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. Also, you can go to Revelation twenty-two, verse sixteen.
I, Jesus, have sent mine angels to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. You know what Jesus just said there? Trial. I am the bright morning star.
That makes a pretty good argument for the star on the top of the tree.
Well, and also How about the star that led the wise men? Isn't Jesus saying he was that star that led them? Absolutely.
Okay. Remember the angel of the Lord, God is what? Omnipresent. He is present in all times and in all places. He is here with us.
At this instant, he is there at the beginning, he is there at the end of everything if there is an end. far beyond where we can comprehend. He is everywhere at one time.
So here he is. The Angel of the Lord all through the Old Testament. The pre-incarnate Christ. And, for a special thing on Christmas, I just thought that I'm going to do that tonight. Let's open our Bibles if you have your Bibles, and let's go to.
Matthew. And I'm kind of slow, folks. My uh Hands are not what they used to be.
Now, um Okay, very much. Right then. Not met, I'm sorry, I got. I am thinking the wrong thing for a second here. Pardon me.
One thing I love about live radio: when you make a mistake, everybody knows you made it. Yeah. I'm sorry, Luke. Luke chapter two.
Okay. Mm-hmm. Chapter two Now pay close attention. There are two miracles at Christmas. Did you know that style?
Well, there's the miracle of our Savior's birth. What's the other? All right, here it is. Luke 2 verses 8 On. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in their field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And lo the angel of the Lord. That is the pre-incarnate Christ, the angel of the Lord. That's who he is. That's Jesus. Before he was born in the manger.
came upon them, and here's the key. The glory of the Lord shone round about them. The Shakana glory only comes in the presence of God. Who's there? The angel of the Lord.
There's no one else there right now. The angel of the Lord. And with him is the shikanah glory of the Lord. And it said, And they, the shepherds, were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy.
which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour. Which is Christ the Lord, omnipresent. Omnipresent. And this shall be a sign unto you: ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.
Now, And then after all of this, And suddenly There was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saints. The Chicago glory was there only with the angel of the Lord. And after he had Taught to the shepherds. Then came the heavenly host.
So, this Shicana glory was only in the presence of the angel of the Lord.
So, here you have the pre-incarnate Christ. Introducing the birth of the Savior, baby Jesus. Emmanuel, God with us. announcing his own birth. I'd call that a heck of a miracle.
I'd say so. All right, why aren't the pastors preaching a Christmas story? Ernie and I have talked about this for many years. I look around. I talk to other pastors.
I show them this. They just, you know. It's right there. If you have eyes. and are opened by the Holy Spirit.
Can you see how I can be so positive? You go back in the beginning. Uh Judges chapter 2. I'll tell you exactly where I'm positive of this. Judges chapter two.
An angel of the Lord verse one. came up from Gilgal to Bochum, and said, I Hear that the house made you Go up out of Egypt and have brought you into unto the land which I. Swear unto your fathers, and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. This angel didn't say, God told me to tell you. God said, He said, I, the angel of the Lord, I made you.
I brought you out of the land. I swore unto your fathers. I will never break my Covered. The Angel of the Lord. Is the pre incarnate Christ?
And he announces his own birth. To the shepherds. The second. Wonderful Christmas. Miracle How about that?
Any comment? That's quite the miracle. How many people do you think have heard that message? other than maybe some of the older listeners on this radio program. Uh my answer would be not enough.
Not enough people hearing the message. Mm. Hey, we're we're supposed to we're blessed. Salvation Heaven came down. What's that hymn, Heaven came down and glory filled my soul?
Heaven came down, God sent his only begotten son. Be born a woman. Lying in a manger, the lowliest place they had with the animals. They came without a home. He was never rich, never famous, didn't write a book, never owned anything.
Nothing but the clothes on his back. And he came to go to the cross to be the Lamb of God. Take away the sins of the world. He came to go to that cross. For take my sins and your sins, past Ernie's sins, and everybody else that would.
accept his offer. And those sins were placed in his sinless, thoughtless soul, so that God had to turn from him. That's why he cried on the cross. And O God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? He forsaken because the father had to turn from the son.
could not look upon the Son as he died with all those sins. Right. You know, I think about it. We always think about the pain he went through, the beating and carrying the cross and being nailed, but. I think the most horrible thing that happened were when On that sinless, spotless soul all those horrible sins, the ugly lies, the state.
the rapes, the pillage, the murders, the beatings, the You name it. For a sinless soul to bear all those sins. It must have been a pain that we can't imagine, a pain on a cosmic level. A pain that None of us can relate. I think if you ask anybody who's been around, the worst pain in the world is emotional pain.
Mother that's lost a son, father that lost a child, a parent, a wife that lost a husband. You know when you lose somebody you love that's dear to you, the emotional pain. There have been families that have lost their children, children that have lost their parents. There is nothing worse than that emotional pain, and I think that is what. really price suffered the most.
When he went to the cross for us.
So, folks, we can make Christmas really have meaning. We don't have to go to the mall. We don't have to spend a lot of money. We can spend time with our family. We can create our Bible study as we decorate our Christmas tree.
It can even be an artificial tree. Doesn't have to be a real tree. Decorated, do your family tradition, make your own. 30 out of it. Do it for your children, do it for your grandchildren and Maybe for some of you for your Cells.
Now, I just thought of something you could add lamps. Duhockeys? You can add wise men, you can add a manger. You can put a scroll, make little scroll holes to represent the Bible, praying hand. You can oh, how about an anchor?
Let's talk about he's the anchor that holds. You can have there's a star of David, a six-pointed star. and the five pointed star of the five wounds of Christ. I wonder if we can think of anything else that can represent. And go on there.
Hmm. That's something maybe some of the listeners will think about. And if you can come up with something else. A little later, we're going to open the phone lines and maybe they can call in, give them time to come up with another symbol that can be put on the. Christmon three.
And in your house. Heaven can come down to earth. And the entire story really of Jesus can be told. Right there with crosses and decorations and um. you'll make this Christmas special.
We'll be right back after this. Thank you for listening to What's Right, What's Left, the voice of the Christian Resistance. To support this ministry, head to wrwl.org. That's wrwl.org. Mail your donations to What's Right, What's Left Ministries.
14781 Sperry Road, Newberry, Ohio, 44065. If you missed part of tonight's program, you can check out the podcast at thewordcleveland.com. The wordcleveland.com. Once again, thank you for listening and supporting What's Right, What's Left Ministries, the voice of the Christian Resistance. Stay tuned, the second hour is coming up next.
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