God Became Man

John 1:14 – “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Shortly after Thanksgiving I heard Brian Galloway of the Galloway Family give this testimony: “I appreciate this time of year – I really do. It’s a time when we should enter into an attitude of gratitude – we should be eaten up with it every day of our lives, especially at Thanksgiving when we stop and reflect and meditate on the goodness of God. The psalmist said, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that’s within me bless His Holy Name.” And he says, “Forget not all of his benefits.” I’ll tell you, a lot of people take jobs simply on the basis of benefits. Benefits do matter – they sure do. I’m glad I got hooked up in something that’s got good benefits. Hallelujah! You better believe, praise God, there’s benefits in being a child of God - Fringe benefits. I’m glad I’m saved.

And always around Thanksgiving, we start gravitating into the Christmas season. Y’know a lot of people get pooch-mouthed around Christmas. They really do. You can look at the statistics and more people commit suicide around Christmas and New Year’s than any other time of the year. It’s a time of depression. But y’know, I get to thinking about the incarnation. And I want to crawl under the carpet somewhere and just melt when I think about how far God stepped down and entered flesh so that He could become a sacrifice for this sorry, low-down, good-for-nothing heathen. I’m glad I’m saved tonight. I really am. And don’t let the Thanksgiving and the Christmas humdrums get you down. You just think about the goodness of God – and think about God thinking enough of you to become flesh – and even yonder at the right hand of the Majesty on high right now there is a man Christ Jesus that is eternally locked in a body of flesh and He’s there so that He can be touched by the feelings of our infirmities. I appreciate the incarnation so much. I really do.” The Galloway Family then sang this song, God Became Man.

Well it was tax time in Bethlehem
And there were shepherds tending their flocks in the fields.
The star from the east did shine so bright –
Angels’ voices were heard in the quiet –
And all things were in place for the master’s plan.
Then God became man.

And now God understands my every need
And we walk through paths just God and me
And lest I stumble – lest I stray
His Love is there to show me the way.
A hopeless life is now a master plan
‘Cause God became man.

He’s the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost,
He’s Messiah as the prophets told.
He’s King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Holy, Holy is His Name.
But on that first Christmas morning
God became man.

Quote – “His is the only birth in history to cause every nation in the world to come to a grinding halt every December 25th.” – Ben Carper

Salvation Brings Love

2 Thessalonians 3:5 – “And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.”

Happy Valentine’s Day!

You know, the world recognizes this day as a day of love – a day of caring – a day of chocolates – a day of flowers – a day of jewelry. It’s a day when young boys (and old men) turn their thoughts to the fairer sex. But the greatest love story was played out over two thousand years ago when Christ came to this earth and gave Himself on Calvary’s cross. It was an act of total love and compassion. 1 John 3:16 tells us, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us.” 1 John 4:7-8, “For love is of God … for God is love.” 1 John 4:10, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his son.”

And as our thoughts turn to love – the love of God – the love of Christ – His eternal love, let us not forget that in His Word He tells us that He has imparted perfect love to us (1 John 2:5). In fact, He tells us in 1 John 4:17, “Perfect love casteth out fear.” In His Word He also commands us to love one another (1 John 3:11). In fact, one of the proofs that we are His is that we love the brethren. In His Word He also commands us who and what not to love – “love not the world, neither the things that are in the world (1 John 2:15).” In His Word He also commands us to love God – “We love him because he first loved us (1 John 4:19).” Love holds a special place in the Christian’s heart – “Now abideth faith, hope, charity [love], these three; but the greatest of these is charity [love] (1 Cor 13:13).” Love is also mentioned first in the manifestations of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22 – “Love, joy, peace …”

So in this season as our thoughts turn to love, sure, love your spouse – love your boyfriend – love your girlfriend, but let us not forget the greatest Valentine – God’s love for us. Let us love Him more!

Because of His Love for Me

Once I was all alone and forgotten
Till the Saviour took me in and cared for me.
He washed my sins away,
Changed my nighttime into day,
Taught me of His love so full and free.

I was clothed in rags of sin when He found me;
In my own goodness such a stench filled the air.
When His name I did confess,
He gave me robes of righteousness.
Now I praise Him for His loving care.

On the road of sin and death I was wand’ring,
Not aware of the end that was my fate,
But when I knelt to pray,
He put my feet to stay
In the path that leads to Heaven’s gate.

I’ve been adopted in a royal family
Through His Grace so abundant and free.
I’ve been washed as white as snow,
And to Heaven I will go,
All because of Jesus’ love for me.
© 2006 Paul Stultz

Quote – “Love is an itch that it takes two to scratch.” – Evangelist Bobby Grubbs

Happy Birthday, Jesus

Luke 2:11 – "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

Once again, friend, we know that the exact date of Christ’s birth is not known – or even the time of year for that matter. And some would tell you that it is wrong to worship the birth of our Lord or to celebrate Christmas at all or to celebrate it at the time that we do. But one thing is clear – Christ was born into this earth, in human form, leaving the glory of heaven for the sole purpose of dying on Calvary’s cross, thus providing salvation for man’s fallen race.

“For unto you is born . . . a Saviour” – just as the prophets foretold:

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.”
Isaiah 9:6 – “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.”
Micah 5:2 – “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands 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.”

We celebrate Christmas – not to celebrate a specific date – not to celebrate a specific night – not to celebrate a specific place or time – we celebrate Christmas to praise God for His incarnation in human flesh and “save his people from their sins (Matt 1:21).” The time of the year is not important – the day of the month is not important – the season of the sun is not important – what is important is that we celebrate the Son for the salvation He has provided for all mankind.

Christ’s advent is a fact of Scripture and a fact of history. His coming so affected the history of mankind that He split time fore and aft. His coming was so important that wars have been fought in His Name. His coming was so crucial that martyrs have died with His Name on their lips. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).”

So the date may be all wrong, but Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Happy Birthday, Jesus

Happy birthday, Jesus – I know we say it all wrong –
With Christmas trees and ringing bells and now and then a song,
And it’s quite plain that we don’t say it nearly enough,
But with all the worldly distractions, it makes it a little tough.

But happy birthday, Jesus – I’m glad your so forgiving,
Cause if we had to trust ourselves, life wouldn’t be worth living.
We’d surely make a mess of things – just look at how things are.
Even with you in our lives, we botch things up by far.

But happy birthday, Jesus – It’s a time of giving gifts,
A time of peace with fellow men – of healing up old rifts,
A time when hearts are full of joy, fond memories recall,
For ‘tis the time when God gave us the greatest gift of all.

So happy birthday, Jesus – Help us trust in you
To make us love each other more and to your Word be true.
Help us make a difference on this old sin-cursed earth
And help us start this very day as we celebrate your birth.
© 2006 Paul Stultz

No Room For Christ

Luke 2:7 – “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”

Now, we’re pretty sure that the events of this account did not occur in December as tradition has reported it. Experts disagree as to whether they occurred in the spring or the fall of the year, but it is a fact of Scripture and of history that they did occur. That innkeeper so many years ago did not know that the Messiah, the Saviour of the world, the Christ was about to be born on that chilly night. If he had known, he probably would have made room for the couple. But the fact is, he turned the pair away and forced them to seek alternate arrangements.

And just as the innkeeper turned Him away then, so the Pharisees and religionists of the day also decided that He did not fit into the mold that they had created for the Messiah. They didn’t want a humble-born Christ – they wanted a king. They didn’t want a meek and lowly Saviour – they wanted a triumphant conqueror. They didn’t want a personal Lord – they wanted a commander to overthrow their Roman masters. So they rejected Him and crucified Him. “His blood be on us, and on our children,” they said in Matthew 27:25. And they still bear the guilt of that decision.

Not only does Israel still reject Him on a national level, but most of the world reject Him on a personal level. We find ourselves too busy, or too educated, or too sophisticated to put faith in Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour. Those of us who do, still push Him to the back of our busy schedules. We don’t walk with Him daily as He desires – we don’t spend time with Him in personal devotions – we don’t tell others about Him. Let us not turn Him out; let us instead welcome Him in and fellowship with Him daily.

No Room For Christ

“No room in the inn,” is what they were told
On the night they reached Bethlehem.
“But there must be a place, My wife’s hungry and cold,”
Joseph pleaded with expression grim.
“I’ve a stable below,” the innkeeper said,
“To get out of the night’s chilly air.
It’s not very much, but there’s hay for a bed.
You’ll be welcome to stay in there.”
So the One who was come from Heaven above
In a stable was caused to be born.
He came down to earth to show God’s great love,
Was humbled that first Christmas morn.

“No room in our world,” is what He was told
By the religionists of Jesus’ day.
“You’re not our messiah – You don’t fit our mold.
So we’ve got to send you away.”
They gave Him over to Gentiles to be crucified,
To hang Him upon a cross.
Yet He forgave them as He suffered and died.
They did not even realize their loss.
The One who could save them from all of their sin
They rejected and cast Him away.
The One who had come their souls to win
They crucified that fateful day.

“No room in our lives,” is what He’s still told,
For Jesus we have no time.
We busy ourselves seeking silver and gold.
To us wealth and fame is sublime.”
So once again Christ is shut outside
By a world so full of sin,
While in your heart He wants to abide.
Why don’t you let Him come in?
Why don’t you give Him first place in your life
And let Him within you dwell?
He will release you from all sin and strife
And deliver your soul from hell.
© 2006 Paul Stultz

Remember this thought -- “The world is that system of society which has in it no place for God.”

The Fulness of God's Time

Galatians 4:4 – “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.”

Many years ago, Dr. Sightler said, “Has it ever occurred to you that nothing has ever occurred to God?” It wasn’t original to him – he attributed it to Bill Harvey, who probably heard it from someone else. But do you think God was sitting up in the heavens one day and just decided to send a Saviour? I don’t think so. In fact back in the very beginning God knew that it would be necessary to send His Son as our Saviour. And then when man sinned in the Garden of Eden, He told the serpent, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel (Gen 3:15).” The plan was laid.

This was a hard and fast promise of the Scriptures, and for centuries the Jews looked for that “seed of the woman,” their Messiah, that would come and set things right. All the prophets prophesied of Him, the Psalmists sang of Him, the Jewish historians and theologians wrote of Him. Jeremiah called Him “that prophet.” When John the Baptist came on the scene, the Pharisees asked him if he was “that prophet,” to which he replied “No, I’m just a voice.”

So millennia went by – but no Messiah. The time wasn’t right. God knew exactly the right time to send His Son. Look at the conditions of the world when Christ came. The Roman Empire controlled the world, and Caesar Augustus declared a census and a tax, so every one had to go to the city of their lineage. Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth – they had to get to Bethlehem somehow, because according to the prophet Micah, the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem.

And the “good news” of salvation would have to be spread throughout the empire by the first missionaries. The Greek Empire had Hellenized the world – Greek was the universal language. The Roman Empire had unified the world – one empire, one coinage, one language, one government, no customs at the borders, brick roads connected the countries of the empire. All this aided the spreading of the gospel from country to country. The “fulness of the time was come.”

The Fulness of God’s Time

When the fulness of the time was come,
God sent His Son to die.
He sent Him through the woman’s seed –
He sent Him from on high.
This promise to Eve was told of God,
When from His glory they fell.
He said He would send a Saviour here
His precious love to tell.

He gave the Law in ages past
Because of sin so vile.
The wicked serpent caused the fall –
God’s creature did defile.
He caused us to transgress God’s Will.
The Law revealed our sin
And made us live on borrowed time,
Till He our souls could win.

At Calv’ry’s cross the deed was done –
Christ died to save my soul –
That I might be the child of God
And I could be made whole,
And when I put my trust in Him,
His Spirit came to dwell.
He gave to me His wondrous grace –
My soul He saved from hell.
© 2006 Paul Stultz

Turkey Day?

Colossians 4:2 – Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.

The Bible speaks much of thanksgiving: "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” (Heb 13:15); "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; . . . but rather giving of thanks." (Eph 5:3-4); "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." (2 Cor 9:15).


David's heart of gratitude toward the Lord is seen throughout the book of Psalms. "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD." (Psalm 150:6). When he was in trouble, he called to the Lord for help (Ps. 28:1-2), and then afterward, he remembered to give God thanks for delivering him (vv.6-7).

But in this day of instant gratification, we tend to forget the one who “daily loadeth us with benefits.” Romans 1:21 is a commentary on our day: “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” Thus unthankfulness becomes the first step in a downward spiral.

Turkey Day?

Why have we forgotten Jesus
When we should remember Him most?
Why do we live without Him?
Why in our own selves boast?

The Pilgrims who settled this country
Endured much hardship and pain.
They overcame all of these troubles
With the hope of new life to gain.

In thanks to their Father in Heaven,
They paused for a day of prayer.
They praised Him for His wondrous blessings –
They thanked Him for His love and care.

Yet, now we forget all about Him,
Who gave Himself on Calvary’s cross.
Thanksgiving’s only a byword
For turkey and cranberry sauce.

Some even drop the name Thanksgiving –
They call it “Turkey Day” instead.
They don’t want Christ in their memories –
From everything sacred they’ve fled.

We need to keep Christ in Thanksgiving.
We need to praise His dear Name
And always be thankful for blessings –
For salvation from sin and shame.

© 2006 Paul Stultz


Quote - "The born again, blood-bought child of God should have a continual attitude of gratitude." - Unknown