Tag: Salvation

Bible Studies

“Radical Change” The Good News of Jesus Christ: the book of Mark

Loring Schultz

Read: Mark 2:13-17 NLT – Jesus Calls Levi (Matthew) – Then Jesus – Bible Gateway

“As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me and be my disciple,’ Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him.” Mark 2:14 NLT

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Have you noticed someone who has truly come to Christ and the radical change that has occurred in their life? I emphasize ‘truly’ for there are many who profess finding Jesus, but their lives do not show it. They are easily exposed to being fraudulent, no true conversion has taken place. Unlike the truly converted, whose lives have changed and taken on a new a meaning. Things they have done before they no longer do, things they would never do they are doing unashamed. Jesus has a way of making that happen in the most unlikely individual when they realize they need a savior. This week in our study in the gospel of Mark we meet up with such a person, Levi, whose name was changed to Mathew after he met Jesus in his place of business.

Jesus went out to the lakeshore after healing and forgiving the sins of a paralytic proving His deity in Peter’s house. Again, Jesus was teaching all who came to Him. “Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him.” (Mk.2:13 nlt) Jesus came to a tax booth near the Sea of Galilee. Tax booths were set up by the Roman government to collect taxes for infrastructure and to support the government. They were set strategically along the main roads to collect tolls like in our day. Commercial fishing was also taxed, so you would find a tax booth near a major fishing location. There Jesus saw Levi in his tax collector’s booth and said to him, ‘follow me and be my disciple.’ Levi didn’t hesitate to leave his lucrative job behind he went out and followed Jesus.  

Levi is a good example for us to look at of one having a radical change after accepting Christ as savior. Levi was a tax collector, one of the most despised people in Israel at that time. Tax collection ran like our modern-day franchises. Tax offices were purchased from the Roman government with the right to collect taxes in a certain area. Operators were allowed to keep everything above the required government tax rate. Tax collectors made an exuberant living by charging excess fees far above what was reasonable, and most were dishonest. These tax collectors were making themselves rich at the expense of their own people. Levi left the money on the table, realizing that he needed a savior more than the money due to his sins, and he was now about to show everyone his radical change.

Levi’s quick response to Jesus and what he is about to do next is a testimony to the genuineness of his conversion. Levi decided to have a dinner party in honor of Jesus and invite his friends, colleagues, and associates. “Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners.” (Mk.2:15 nlt) Levi wanted his guests to meet Jesus who had made such a change in his life. This did not sit well with the Jewish leaders who were looking for anything to discredit Jesus. Jesus sitting among these people and having a meal with them was an offense to these Pharisaical leaders. “But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with such scum?’” (Mk.2:16 nlt) The leaders felt any contact with these people would make Jesus a sinner. Sinner was a common term for tax collectors, adulterers, robbers, and the like. But in their eyes, anyone who did not follow the Mosaic Law as they interpreted it were sinners, or scum.

Christians today need to be careful we don’t look down on non-Christians by not associating with them. Jesus gave us a command to go into all the world and preach the gospel making disciples in all nations. (Mt.28:19-20) Jesus also said “But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.” (Mt.5:44, 46 nlt) Jesus answered the Jewish leaders in Levi’s home by saying, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” (Mk.2:17 nlt) A self-righteous person feels no need to come to Christ for salvation, but a sinner does. And that sinner will have a radical change take place in their life for all their friends and the world to see.

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Devotionals

Christ the Stone    

Loring Schultz

Read: Daniel 2:31-45 NLT – “In your vision, Your Majesty, you – Bible Gateway

“Everyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.” Luke 20:18 NLT

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

There are many parallels in Scripture to consider for our benefit if we take the time to recognize them. An easy way to access them is to observe the study notes and related Scripture of the verses in the passage you are reading. That is, of course, if you have a Study Bible. If you do not have one, I highly recommend you get one.  Parallels between the Old and New Testaments occur quite often, and all are important for our understanding and growth as a Christian.

Daniel chapter 2 records the story of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and Daniel’s interpretation. The king sees a large shining statue of a man in his dream which frighten him. Daniel reveals the dream exactly as the king saw it. Daniel then interprets the description of the appearance of the man from head to toe.  In short, the man in the king’s dream represents four kingdoms, one that was present, Babylon, and three that are future. They were the Medo-Persian Empire, followed by Greek Empire with help of Alexander the Great, and the Roman Empire.  

The rise of a fifth and final kingdom is explained by Daniel from what Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. “As you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits.” (Dan.2:34 nlt) The interpretation of the rock (stone) is Christ at His second coming who will destroy all the sinful empires of man establishing His millennial kingdom on earth. “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever.” (Dan.2:44 nlt)

Jesus told His followers in the New Testament as He was being rejected by the Elders and Jewish Leaders, “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. Everyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.” (Lk.20:17b-18 nlt) All who reject Christ, the only way of salvation, is subjecting themselves to stumbling and being crushed by the weight of their own unforgiven sin. Let that not be you!  

Devotionals

Time to celebrate  

Loring Schultz

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 ESV

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Super Bowl Sunday, the unofficial holiday in the United States, is less than two weeks away. The Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs have earned their tickets to the biggest football game of the year by winning their respective conference championship games. The game has truly become an event the shuts down most of the nation for 4-5 hours on a Sunday evening. There are parties and family gatherings, with every variety of food imaginable and all eyes bent toward the giant flat screen television. Excitement builds for two weeks with fans bantering each other on who will win, and who are true fans and who are the bandwagon jumpers looking to get in on a good thing. Last year an estimated 123 million people in the United States watched the game, and that’s not including the international audience, that close to 40% of the entire population of America.

Obviously, they are not that many football fans in the U.S. or across the world, but many people get caught up in the excitement and enthusiasm of the fans and the whole event. It is a time to celebrate. On those same lines every day is an unofficial holiday for Christians, and it too is a day to celebrate. God in His grace and mercy reconciled us back to Himself through His Son Jesus Christ. Our only response needed is to accept Christ as our Savior. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph.2:8-9 esv)

Do people around us get caught up with our enthusiasm and excitement for Christ? Do you think it’s possible for us to stir up enough excitement these next two weeks to make a difference in the kingdom of God by offering a free ticket to the biggest event in of all history, eternity with Christ?  Yes, it is time to celebrate. And maybe we’ll even see a John 3:16 sign in the end zone this year!

Devotionals

Not Feeling Holy?          

Loring Schultz

“For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 1:9 NLT

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Every Christian has come to faith in the same way. The Lord calls us by the nudging of His Spirit leading us to realize our sin before Him. Sin that needs to be confessed and repented of, leading us to accept Christ’s payment for our sins, for there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. When we accept Christ as our savior, our sins are forgiven. God declares us righteous through Christ’s righteousness. Paul says, God saved us and called us to a holy life, and Peter writes, “But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, ‘You must be holy because I am holy.’” (1Pt.1:15-16 nlt) But do we always feel holy. No! In fact, far from it most of the time.

Not feeling holy is not an indication you are not saved. Your salvation does not depend on how you feel. If we monitored our feelings every day to see where we stand on the holiness scale, we would do nothing but continually doubt if our salvation is real and try to make sure that it was. Scripture is clear, we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ. (Eph.2:8) We did nothing to earn it. We did not make ourselves holy, God made us holy in Christ.

Understanding the biblical definition of ‘holy’ or ‘holiness’ may help us to see this in a better light. In the Old Testament, ‘The Hebrew word for holy is “qodesh” which means “apartness, sacredness,” or “separateness” showing that God is altogether holy, sacred, set apart or separate from His creation.” In the New Testament, “The Greek word used for holy or holiness is “hagios” and means much the same thing that the Old Testament word “godesh” means, which is “pure, morally blameless” or “set apart” as in set apart for holy use, which is what the saints of God have been called to.” (1) Having been ‘set apart’ for God’s use, we are to be separate from the things of the world.

This helps explain why at times we don’t feel holy. We don’t always set ourselves apart from the world and unto God. But that feeling is not the status of your salvation. The Holy Spirit is working in us to become more like Christ (holy) overtime. That process is called sanctification, being set apart for holy use. It is a journey every Christian goes through and none of have arrived yet, but one day we will. So, keep striving to be holy as God is holy and enjoy the journey.

(1) What Is The Biblical Definition Of Holy?

Bible Studies

“Clear the road” The Good News of Jesus Christ: the book of Mark    

Loring Schultz

Read: Mark 1:1-8 NLT – John the Baptist Prepares the Way – Bible Gateway

“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming! Clear the road for him!’” Mark 1:3 NLT

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This first Sunday of the new year in Biblical Insights we will start a study in the gospel of Mark. Mark, the second book in the New Testament and one of the four gospels, begins with a simple introduction, “This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.” (Mk.1:1 nlt) It may be simple, short and to the point, but that’s the point. So, there is no misunderstanding, this book is about the good news of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. The Zondervan NASB Study Bible notes, “The good news is that God has provided salvation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Mark is more concise than the other gospel writers and focuses more on Jesus’ actions than His teachings. Although through His actions there is much teaching to be learned. Mark’s gospel puts emphasis on His servanthood while confirming His deity. His humanity is detailed throughout the book, and He is presented as the suffering servant. “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mk.10:45 nlt) It is the good news of Jesus Christ.

Mark skips over the genealogy of Jesus and story of His birth jumping right into the start of Jesus’ ministry with John the Baptist preparing the way. “He (John) is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming! Clear the road for him!’” (Mk.1:3 nlt) John was the messenger who was prophesized would come ahead of the Messiah and prepare the way for Him. In ancient days king’s envoys were sent ahead to clear the roads for safe passage and to announce the arrival of the king. John was preparing the hearts and minds of the people of Jesus’ arrival to fulfill His Father’s plan of salvation for them. It is in this same manner that we prepare our hearts and minds by clearing the road of any debris or distractions that will prevent the Holy Spirit from teaching us the Biblical Insights He has for us in this study.

John the Baptist’s ministry of preparing the way for Jesus was a call to repentance. That’s a good place for us to start if we are serious about studying God’s Word and growing in Him. Confession of sin and turning away from it will clear and purify our hearts and minds, making us ready to receive His Word. John preached his message of ‘repentance baptism’, baptism accompanied by repentance, in the arid wilderness near the Dead Sea. People were coming out to him when they heard of his ministry. “All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.” (Mk.1:5 nlt) There hasn’t been a prophet in Israel for 400 years and you could imagine the interest of the Jews to see this prophet. John certainly looked the part with his clothing of camels’ hair and his diet, he was a replicate of the Old Testament prophets.

Meeting John in the wilderness was reminiscent of the Jewish wanderings in Exodus. The wilderness was the meeting place for God and His people in the Old Testament. We need to be reminded of that next time we find ourselves in a wilderness. God loves to meet His people in their wilderness. He will meet us when we are ready to meet Him after exhausting all our options. God will not leave us there but will draw us out as we turn to Him.  

John’s announcement was, “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals.” (Mk.1:7 nlt) John could not forgive sin, nor was that his intention. His message was to lead people to the one who could forgive sin. John stated he only baptized people with water, clearly no saving value. Referring to Jesus he said, “…. but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!” (Mk.1:8b nlt) John the Baptist’s ministry was one of confession, repentance and righteous living, followed up by baptism. He heralded the Messiah’s coming and prepared people waiting for His arrival.

Jesus’ ministry was providing salvation by coming to earth, living a perfect life, dying on the cross for forgiveness of sin, and conquering death by rising from the dead to ensure eternal life for all who believe accepting Him as savior. No wonder John uttered that he wasn’t even worthy as a slave to untie His sandals. Next week we’ll see the one who John was preparing the way for. Have you cleared the road for Him?

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A Christian Perspective

Wars Will End      

Loring Schultz

“Come, see the glorious works of the LORD: See how he brings destruction upon the world. He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire.” Psalm 46:8-9 NLT

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At the beginning of every year wishes for a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year are shared among individuals. In addition to the well wishes there is the desire for world peace and the end of wars and hostilities. Deep down there is the hope this may be a year of peace and wars will end. Some asked the question, ‘will there ever be an end to wars and will there be world peace?’ The answer is yes to both questions!

Wars will end at the end of the war of all wars, the battle of Armageddon, when Jesus Christ riding a white horse returns as Warrior-Messiah-King. (Rev.19:11-21) The battle of Armageddon is the final battle. The psalmist writes, “Come, see glorious works of the Lord: See how he brings destruction upon the world.” (Ps.46:8 nlt) Indeed, this is the final war. The psalmist continues, “He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire.” (Ps.46:9 nlt) The Lord Jesus strikes down the nations and destroys all weapons of war with a sword from His mouth. Yes, it is the final war as we have come to know war on the earth.

As much as the nations want world peace it will not be realized until Christ rules on the earth. Then all the nations will honor and praise God. There will be world peace and there will be no more wars. “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” (Ps.46:10 nlt)

The only hope for world peace is Jesus Christ and that day is soon on the horizon. But more importantly the hope for peace with God is also Jesus Christ. Individually, none of us are at peace with God because of our sin nature. Christ came to rectify that by shedding His blood on Calvary’s cross. Let us not worry so much about wars between the nations but about our own war with God by not accepting His Son for salvation.

Find peace with God: Home – Peace With God

Devotionals

How specific is your faith? Do you believe Jesus is God the Son?       

Loring Schultz

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” John 1:1, 14 NLT

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The term ‘faith’ when referencing Christianity means different things to different people. It is used in a general sense as ‘people of faith.’ Some Christians say, ‘I am a person of faith,’ ‘I have faith,’ and ‘you got to have faith,’ etc… There are more examples we can name, but the point is numerous people speak of their Christian faith in general terms.

Christians who speak specifically of their Christian faith refer to God’s saving plan of salvation. God sent His Son to die on the cross for their sins. It is by grace one is saved through ‘faith’ by accepting Christ as savior.

The keys to the game as referred to in the sports world is, God being holy can only accept a perfect, holy sacrifice in the forgiveness of sin. Another key is we must acknowledge our sin and our need to be forgiven and made right with God. We must repent and confess our sin believing that Jesus Christ is the only perfect, holy sacrifice. We must come to realize Jesus is indeed God the Son able to save us from our sin and eternal death.

World history recognizes a man named Jesus who walked the earth over 2,000 years ago. There are few people who dispute this by agreeing to the content of the historical Jesus in history books. Believing only in the historical Jesus is equivalent to saying you are a person of faith, believing only He was a man who walked the earth doing great things. If your faith carry’s you so far as to admit Jesus was sent from God but far short of believing He is God the Son, your understanding of salvation is distorted. If you think just having faith, believing there is a God, doing good deeds, and learning what you can from Jesus’ example, is enough to get by in this world and into heaven, you’re mistaken.

Jesus was not just a good man, a good teacher, a prophet, or miracle worker, He is God the Son. If Jesus was only good man, His death for the sacrifice of our sin would be meaningless. How specific is your faith? Is your faith in Jesus, God the Son, having accepted Him as your savior, or is your faith in the historical Jesus, a good man who walked the earth.

Bible Studies

“Simeon’s Song-Nunc Dimittis” 5 Songs of Hope for Advent

Loring Schultz

“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” Luke 2:29-32 ESV

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We have come to our 5th and final song of hope for advent. Yes, Christmas is over, but this song takes place after the birth of Christ, some 40 days later. The first male child born to a Jewish couple was to be dedicated to the Lord as required by the Law of Moses. Joseph and Mary, being devout Jews, brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem for this purpose. Mary had to wait 40 days until her purification period was over before she could go to the Temple, and she would also go to offer a sacrifice for her purification.

“And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.’” (Lk.2:22-24 esv)

Mary and Joseph made the 6-mile trip from Bethlehem to Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice of two turtledoves or two pigeons which shows the poverty of this young couple, the earthly parents of the Christ-child. This should serve as a reminder to us that Jesus left His heavenly home to come to earth, giving up the luxuries of heaven to live in the lower class of society. We can be sure Jesus understands the plight of the poor in today’s world and cares about them.

The gospel writer Luke introduces us to Simeon in Luke 2:25-26. All we know about him is what is written in these two verses. He is mentioned nowhere else in Scripture. “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” (Lk.2:25-26 esv)

Presumably Simeon was an elderly man. He was a righteous man who was waiting for the consolation of Israel (the comfort the Messiah would bring to the people at his coming). Scripture says the Holy Spirit was upon him and given special insight that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. One could imagine Simeon going to the Temple every day thinking maybe this will be the day. Finally, the day came when Mary and Joseph entered the Temple area. “….and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, (Simeon) took him up in his arms and blessed God….” (Lk.2:27-28 esv)

Simeon’s song begins, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” (Lk2:29-32 esv)

Simeon’s words here are known as “Nunc Dimittis” the Latin Vulgate translation meaning “You now dismiss.” It is a New Testament hymn celebrating God’s salvation. Simeon was holding in his arms the one who would redeem Israel from their sins and not only Israel but of every nation, tongue, and tribe.  Simeon didn’t need to see anything more; he saw God’s promised Messiah. He didn’t desire to live any longer, God rewarded Simeon for his faithfulness. Perhaps there are some things we would like to see before the Lord calls us home. The Lord’s arm is not too short that he cannot reach down and grant that request. But our focus is to be righteous and devout as Simeon. We may be surprised at all the Lord will reveal to us before we leave this earth.

Simeon now focuses his attention on Mary and Joseph and blesses them. “And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.’” (Lk.2:34-35 esv) Christ will raise up those who believe in Him, but He will be a stumbling block to those who disbelieve. Simeon’s blessing included a hard truth for Mary. A cost will come to her as Mary will suffer deep anguish at her Son’s rejection and crucifixion. What was going through Mary’s mind at this point? We don’t know, and we don’t know how many times she thought about this during Jesus’ years on earth as she watched Him grow up and become a man. Mary certainly knew that the prophecy had to come to pass. Yes, it was a hard truth.

Simeon is joined by Anna, a prophetess 84 years old, who begins to give thanks to God and tells everyone around her waiting for the Messiah that He is here. “And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” (Lk.2:38 esv)

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Simeon’s song “Nunc Dimittis” closes these 5 songs of hope for advent, and what better song can we end with but the hope (assurance) of our salvation. We can sing with Simeon, “……my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

Read: Luke 2:22-38 ESV – Jesus Presented at the Temple – And – Bible Gateway

Devotionals

God With Us

Loring Schultz

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).” Matthew 1:23 ESV

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There are many religions in the world today. Most of them serve and worship a god in some form or another. Others see this world as all there is and see themselves as gods. Most religions work towards entrance into the afterlife, whatever that looks like even though they can’t be sure if they’ll make it. There is only religion that I know of where God came to be with us and made it possible for us to be with Him forever in the afterlife.  That religion, if you allow me to use the term, is Christianity.

The gospel writer Matthew quotes from Isaiah the prophet concerning the birth of Christ. “Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Is.7:14 kjv) Matthew confirms the meaning of ‘Immanuel’ as ‘God with us.’ Christianity is also the only religion where God is a ‘triune God,’ three persons in one. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Three in one. God the Son, Jesus Christ, left His heavenly glories to be with us and take on sin at the cross of Calvary. The apostle Paul says it best, “(Jesus) emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Ph.2:7-8 esv)

No other religion on earth has a God who came down to rescue sinners paying the penalty for their sins against Him. But Christ did just that, and like John 3:16 says, “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.” (kjv) God’s plan of salvation is spelled out for us in the Bible, and it started with God with us. Christ came to us on Christmas. If you haven’t gone to Him for salvation what better day is there than today! It will be a Merry Christmas!!

Devotionals

A Light in Winter 

Loring Schultz

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” John 1:5 NLT

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The winter solstice arrived here in the northern hemisphere this past weekend on Saturday, December 21, at 4:20 AM EST. It is the day with the shortest amount of daylight. For those who dread shorter daylight hours and the winter season, there is good news, from this day forward the days will be getting longer. The winter solstice has been celebrated for centuries in various forms influenced by pagan festivals.

The three most famous are Saturnalia in ancient Rome, the Norse Yule traditions from Scandinavia from where we get our ‘yule log,’ and the celebrations of the Druids. Winter solstice celebrations are still held all over the world. Some follow the early pagan festivals, and others adapted from within their various cultures. Perhaps the most notable today is the thousands of visitors who will make their way to Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England, just to take in what they believe it to be. All these festivals have one thing in common, the darkest day giving way to rising light in the future days.

Just a side note; it is true that some of our Christmas traditions were picked up from some of these pagan festivals, such as the ‘yule log,’ since Christmas was first recognized on December 25, 336. The truth is, no one can be certain what time of the year Christ was born, most likely it wasn’t December 25th. The good news is, we know He came to earth being born of a virgin in Bethlehem.

It may not be a bad thing that Christmas is celebrated around the winter solstice. The world is anticipating the coming light to end their darkest days. What greater light is there for the world than the light of Jesus Christ and the hope of salvation for those who believe in Him. The amount of Christmas lights displayed around the world during the season adds to that hope. We do not know if Christ was born around the winter solstice, but it is fitting we celebrate His birth by shining His light in winter for all the world to see.