count for Christmas #8

Count for Christmas #8Hoping and Praying Luke 1 part 1Over four hundred years had passedsince Malachi had warned the Jewishpeople to be ready for the day whenGod would visit them. And they hadbeen hard times. Greek conquerorshad followed the Persian emperors.After one glorious burst ofindependence  under the great Jewishfreedom fighter Judas Maccabeus
the Jews were now once more underforeign rule. Rome had conquered
Greece and the emperor hadmarched into Jerusalem itself.
Roman soldiers were stationed
throughout the land.
How the Jews longed for
another national herowho would throw outthe hated Roman legions
and set up a Jewish kingdomagain. If only God wouldsend his promised King tobring them freedom. 

count for Christmas 7

Count for Christmas #7
The visit of the Magi part 3Matthew 2:11-12
On  coming to the house they saw thechild with his mother Mary and they
bowed down and worshipped him. Thenthey opened their treasures and presented
him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.And having been warned in a dream not to go backto Herod they returned to their country by another route.
 

count for christmas #6

Count for Christmas #6
The Visit of the Magi part 2Mathew 2:7-10Then Herod called the Magi secretlyand found out from them the exacttime the star had appeared. He sentthem to Bethlehem and said Go andmake a careful search for the child. Assoon as you find him, report to me sothat I too may go and worship him.After they had heard the king theywent on their way and the star theyhad seen in the east went ahead ofthem until stopped over the placewhere the child was. When they sawthe star they were  overjoyed. 

count for Christmas #5

Count for Christmas #5The visit of the Magi part 1Matthew 2:1-6After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the time ofKing Herod Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and askedWhere is the one who been bornking of the Jews? We saw his star inthe east and have come to worship him.When King Herod heard this hewas disturbed and all Jerusalem withhim. When he had called together allthe people's chief priests and teachersof the law he asked them where theChrist was born. In Bethlehem in Judea they replied for thisis what the prophet has written.
But you Bethlehem in the landof Judah are by no means least amongthe ruler of Judahfor out of you will comea ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.  

COUNT FOR CHRISTMAS 3-4

COUNT FOR CHRISTMAS 3-4

Count for Christmas #3 #4A Message for Mary

Luke 1:26-55Four weeks later God sent Gabriel tothe town of Nazareth in Galilee.A young woman named Mary lived there.Gabriel had a message for Mary too. He said toher Don't be afraid. God is pleased with you andyou will have a son. His name will be Jesus. He willbe great and will be  called the Son of God. MostHigh.Mary did not understand these words How can this be He askedThe  angel answered The holy spirit will comedown to you and God's powers will come over youMary put her faith in God I am the Lord servant she told Gabriel.Let it happen as you have said Mary sang a song to praise God. 

count for chrristmas 2

Count for Christmas #2

Matthew 1:14-25 The Birth of Jesus Christ

This is how the birth of Jesus

 Christ came about: His mother Mary

was pledged to be married to Joseph,

but before they came together, she

was found to be with child through the

Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her

husband was a righteous man and did

not want to expose her to public dis-

grace, he had in mind to divorce her

quietly.

But after he had considered to this

an angel of the Lord appeared to him

in a dream and said, Joseph son of

David do not be afraid to take Mary

home as your wife because what is

conceived in her is from the Holy

Spirit. She will give birth to a son and

you are to give him the name Jesus

because he will save his people from

their sins.

All this took place to fulfill what

the Lord had said through the proph-

et. The virgin will be with child and

will give birth to a son and they will

call him Immanuel which means

God is with us.

When Joseph woke up he did

what the angel of the Lord had com

manded him and took Mary home as

his wife. But he had no union with

her until she gave birth to a son. And

he gave him the name  Jesus.

count for christmas 1

Thursday, December 1, 2016

count for Christmas #1

Count for Christmas #1

Good News from  the Angel Gabriel

When Herod the Great was king of the land called

Judea there lived an old man by the name of Zechariah.

His wife was Elizabeth. They had no children.

Zechariah and Elizabeth were good people. They

tried hard to obey the laws of the Lord God. God saw

this and He was pleased with them. In addition, The

first governor of Galilee he eventually become king

of Judea Galilee Samaria and the area east of the Jordan River.

One day Zechariah was in the Lord's Temple. He was

serving as a priest that day. Suddenly an angel from the Lord came down and

stood near him. Zechariah didn't know what to do.

Don't be afraid the angel said. I am Gabriel God's

servant and I was sent to tell you good news.

Your wife Elizabeth  is going to have a son. You will

call him John. He will be a great servant to God.

Because of him people who do not  obey God will

change their ways John will get people ready for the Lord.

Zechariah was amazed But my wife and I are both very old

he said how will I know this is going to happen?

The angel answered you do not believe and so you

will not be able to say anything until the child is born.

When Zechariah left the Temple he could not speak

write it on a writing tablet.

Soon Elizabeth discovered she was expecting

a baby just as the angel had promised. She

was amazed and happy.