Christmas

The Road to Bethlehem – The 2nd Sunday of Advent

/ Bob

Advent is that time of year when we look forward to Christmas – as we remember and look forward to the coming of Mashiach – the Messiah – Christ, the Lord. This week we lit our second candle in our Advent Wreath – the Bethlehem Candle of Faith.

When the wise men came into Judea they went to Herod, the King, figuring that he would no doubt have all of the up-to-date information on the new king they were looking for. Herod’s scriptural advisors rightly told Herod that Bethlehem was the place where the Messiah King was to be born because it was prophesied in the 5th chapter of the prophet Micah. The little town of Bethlehem has always been a defining proof of the Messiah. He would come from the line of David and would be born in Bethlehem. Yeshua – Jesus – did have the ancestral link to David and was, indeed, born in Bethlehem.

After exploring this facet of the Nativity Narrative (and after answering a few questions about whether or not there was a donkey in the story as well as what type of place Jesus was actually born in – hint – it wasn’t a barn, a cave, or a stable) we went on to explore the significance of small things in God’s economy. Micah 5:2 says “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.” (NKJ) At the time Bethlehem probably had a population of about 500-1,500 people – a small town even by today’s standards. Yet, in this small town we find the biggest event in human history – the birth of God!


God specializes in using small things to accomplish big things. Think about the rod that Moses used. It was an insignificant shepherd’s tool that was used to do miraculous things. How about the jawbone of a donkey that Samson used to slay 1,000 Philistines? Or five fish and few pieces of bread that were used to feed 5,000? And don’t forget the slingshot and that smooth river stone that David used to take down the arrogant Goliath. Small things used by God to accomplish big things.

And so it continues today. Even our small faith, if it be only the size of a mustard seed, can move mountains because when that small faith meets up with God’s omnipotence, big things happen.

O little town of Bethlehem – teach us that when we are weak it is then that we are strong, because the strength of God shows up best when we are week, when we are small, and even when we feel small.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, December 3, 2023. It is part of an Advent series of lessons that will run through Sunday, December 17, 2023.

Handouts with slide content can be requested at:
fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .
Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .

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Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

The Hope of Prophecy – 1st Sunday of Advent

/ Bob

Advent is that time of year when we look forward to Christmas – as we remember and look forward to the coming of Mashiach – the Messiah – Christ, the Lord. This Sunday we lit our first candle in our Advent Wreath – the Candle of Prophecy and Hope.

In the Old Testament the people who walked in darkness were looking ahead to a great light – one who come to deliver them from their darkness and their oppression – one who would restore God’s Kingdom. There are many prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the Messiah; over 300 in fact. The fact that one man could fulfill all of the prophecies is mind-blowing. It is statistically impossible and yet He did. We looked at a few of them and then discussed what the coming of the Messiah would have meant to the Jewish people in Jesus’ time.

Isaiah 53 is known as The Forbidden Chapter in many Christian groups. In it we find “the Suffering Servant.” Messianic scriptures point to a victorious King who would restore the Kingdom of God and throw off the oppression of conquering nations. The followers of Jesus, as well as many Jewish scholars of the day, saw and proclaimed Isaiah 53 as describing the Messiah with the Christ followers seeing it as clearly pointing to Jesus. Jewish leaders responded to the focus on Jesus by asserting that that the “suffering servant” was the nation of Israel. And so it continues today. As we looked at the chapter in class we saw Jesus throughout. He is the Messiah and He is the Suffering Servant.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, November 26, 2023. It is part of an Advent series of lessons that will run through Sunday, December 7, 2023.

Handouts with slide content can be requested at:
fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .
Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .

Website – FromTheBackPorch.org
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Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com
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One Solitary Life

/ Bob / 2 Comments

As we enter into the Advent Season – joyfully celebrating the coming of our Messiah – we should never forget what Jesus has done for us in His coming. Even from infancy He was destined to die for our sins. Even from infancy He was destined to change the way mere mortals could gain access to God. Even from infancy He was destined to change the world.

He was born in an obscure village

The son of a simple peasant woman.

He grew up in another small town

And worked with his father in a carpenter shop until He was thirty.

And then for three years he was what we might call a traveling preacher.

He never owned a home – never married and never had a family.

He never wrote a book. He never held political office.

He never went to college and never set foot inside a big city.

He walked wherever He went

And He never traveled more than 200 miles from the place he was born.

He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness.

While still a young man the tide of public opinion turned against Him.

Most of His friends deserted Him; one denied even knowing Him

And One betrayed Him and turned Him over to His enemies.

He went through the mockery of a trial

And was nailed to a cross between two thieves.

While He was dying His executioners gambled for His only possession – His robe.

When He was dead he was taken from the cross

And laid in a borrowed grave.

Almost twenty centuries have since come and gone

And today this man is the centerpiece of the human race.

I think I am well with in the mark when I say

That all the armies that ever marched –

All the navies that ever sailed –

All the parliaments that have ever sat and

All the kings that have ever reigned –

All put together have not affected the life of man here upon this earth

As powerfully as has that one solitary life.

And I can definitely add that no one has affected my life as powerfully as has that One Solitary Life.

I developed this version of the essay “One Solitary Life” by Dr James Allan Francis by using his words and other phrases that I have heard and used in stating the significance of Jesus Christ. It is a powerful statement that is true in its content and will strike true in the heart of anyone who considers it with an open mind and searching soul.

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Naughty or Nice?

/ Bob

It hangs over us all year long, but the magnitude of “The List” grows as Christmas Day approaches. And so it has been for our entire lives. We joke about it as adults, but the meaning behind it remains firmly entrenched in our moral code – a moral code that seems to tap dance its way through and around the very Word of God. While the Bible is full of instances where justice reigned down on those who did evil in the sight of God (i.e. Sodom and Gomorrah, Ananias and Sapphira) and while the Bible admonishes us to choose good over evil, it seems that without careful thought we can step into a belief system where we determine our destiny by our own actions and, in so doing, ignore the way God loves those who are naughty AND nice.

In something of a playful way, we use the naughty and nice concept to control the behavior of children. In a much more serious sense, we use the naughty and nice concept to control our own behaviors and the behaviors of those in our society. Unfortunately, most religions rely heavily on the concept of naughty and nice to sustain their moral code – a practice that is ultimately futile since all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. No one can measure up but the belief system (religion) continues with the never-ending pursuit of perfection. If you will just do enough “do’s” and avoid enough “don’ts” then you will end up on the nice list and go to Heaven, but if you fail to do the do’s and you are very adept at doing the don’ts then it’s the naughty list for you and a one-way, expense paid trip to Hell. That’s the way religion works – always has and always will because we as humans want to control our own destiny and most religions provide just such a tool for us to do that. It’s a win-win. We get to control our lives and religion profits by helping us do it.

However, God laid out a different plan through His Son, Jesus. God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son, Jesus, so that all who believed in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) For it is by grace we are saved and not because we are on the nice list. Otherwise, we would tend to boast about being on the nice list instead of rejoicing that we know the One Who put us there in the first place. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Naughty or Nice? God declares us righteous through the blood of Jesus. (Romans 5:9) God declares that we are on the Nice List because of Him. And not only that – He takes the list of the bad things we have done and drops them into the Sea of Forgetfulness and remembers them no more. (Micah 7:19) Again, it’s not because of what we have done or haven’t done, but it’s solely because of Who He Is.

I enjoy the fun of Santa and I don’t have a problem with teasing folks about the naughty or nice list. However, if you’re talking naughty or nice – you’re naughty. God said so and your actions back Him up. But because of Jesus you can be on the Nice List. How sweet is that? Sweeter than any Christmas candy or any sugar plum you can imagine.

The difference between Hell and Heaven is not Naughty or Nice. The difference between Hell and Heaven is a Savior – Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas!

What Does “Noel” Mean? And Other Christmas Queries

/ Bob

What Does “Noel” Mean? And Other Christmas Queries

Was Jesus born on December 25? Did Mary ride a donkey to Bethlehem? Were there 3 kings who visited the baby Jesus and did they ride camels? What does “Noel” mean? What does “Gloria in Excelsis Deo” mean? What is the difference between Immanuel and Emmanuel? Were Mary and Joseph married when they went to Bethlehem? Did Mary give birth to Jesus in a barn or stable or a cave or none of the above? All of these questions and many others were answered in this Agape Life Bible Study. Some of the answers might surprise you.

When we consider the facts surrounding the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, it is important to remember the facts about the birth and life of Jesus that are truly important – that in the fullness of time, Jesus was born of a virgin and that He lived a perfect life so that He could be offered up on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for our sin and that 3 days later He rose from the grave – victorious over death – and is now seated at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf and waiting for the day when He will return once again in power and in glory.

In short – Jesus was born to die so that we might be born again to live. Hallelujah!

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, December 12, 2021. Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

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