Bits and Pieces – 94th Edition – December 26, 2021

Christmas is a time of gift-giving.  There is the planning, purchasing, and preparation, then the happy time when family and friends get together to enjoy each other’s company and kindness.  Gifts are usually wrapped in either decorative paper or a distinctive bag.  Reading this week in Micah, I came upon the words, “Wrap it up” [7:2].  Let us use the Christmas gift as an illustration of this text.

Everything is packaged today.  Sometimes it is very difficult to extract the product from the package it is so well wrapped up.  Our lives are wrapped up.  We say, “He is wrapped up in himself.”  What do we have wrapped up inside?  Remember, nothing is hidden from God. He can see everything.  In Micah’s day sin was covered over.  What about us? Do we have secret sins? Fleshly habits?  God knows.

God’s unspeakable gift came, “wrapped in swaddling clothes” [Luke 2:12].  The absolutely priceless gift came in very ordinary wrapping.  The Bethlehem shepherds found that cherished gift.  Have you?

     Jesus Christ is the “Gift of God”  [Rom. 6:23].  A gift is given out of love.  You never give to someone you don’t like.  “God so loved the world that He gave” us the gift of His Son to be our Saviour.  The sender pays.  It cost God the death of His Son on the cross to save our souls.   All we have to do is receive the gift freely offered in the Gospel.  Have you received the gift from the hand of God?  Do so today.

Once upon a time, there were four church people named Everybody, Somebody, Nobody, and Anybody.   When there was an important job to be done Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.  Anybody could have done it.  But Nobody did it.

When Nobody did it, Everybody became angry because, after all, it was Everybody’s job.  Everybody thought that Somebody would do it, but Nobody would do it.  So it ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done in the first place. Familiar? Let us learn to give of our best to the Master. [From the Protestant Challenge].

Mr. M.T. Bench is an unwelcome church visitor, but he nearly always attends church – except at Easter and Christmas.

He sits quietly with a rather wooden expression, and never coughs, chews candies, or looks at his watch.  On wet, cold or hot Sundays, and especially at the evening service, he brings all his relatives.  At some of the special services he even brings some of his neighbours.

He likes to sit up front.  His favourite place is near the pulpit.  With never a change of expression, he tries to stare the preacher out of the pulpit.  He is as responsive as a tombstone.  He must be deaf for he hears nothing the preacher says.  He must be mute for he doesn’t sing or pray or even speak to his neighbour.

What can be done with him?  He does not like crowds and stays away when the pews are full. The only way to get rid of Mr. M.T. Bench is to fill the pews with joyful worshippers.

He that is good at making excuses is seldom good at anything else. [Benjamin Franklin].

“All the fulness of the Godhead bodily” [Col. 2:9]

     The ability to package immense Bible truths within a very few words was a gift given to Paul by the Holy Ghost.  And probably no greater example is found than this statement that in Christ dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.  At this Christmas season how few grasp even a little of the magnitude of the miracle that occurred when “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” [John 1:14].

     “God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.”  [Shorter Catechism. #4].  All that God is, is somehow miraculously funnelled down into that earthly body.  The One with whom we have to do is not therefore merely a man, a good man, or even a prophet, but He is the God-Man.  He is perfect God and perfect Man.  And He alone can save us.

His life is infinitely holy.  His justice is infinitely right.  His Word is infinitely true.  His wisdom to understand our need is infinite.  His Power to save is infinite.  His goodness toward them that love Him is also infinite.  When remembering the Babe in Bethlehem, let us not forget the Sovereign on the throne.

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see!  Hail the Incarnate Deity!  Pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel. [Charles Wesley]