christmas Archives - Georgetown Baptist Church https://old.gbcpg.org/tag/christmas/ IMPACT one life at a time Sun, 04 Dec 2022 13:47:40 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.0.9 https://old.gbcpg.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/cropped-logo_red_512x512-32x32.png christmas Archives - Georgetown Baptist Church https://old.gbcpg.org/tag/christmas/ 32 32 Is Christmas Worth Celebrating https://old.gbcpg.org/christmas_2022/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=christmas_2022 Sun, 04 Dec 2022 13:46:03 +0000 https://old.gbcpg.org/?p=5325 Is Christmas Worth Celebrating? by Jason Fam It’s that time of the year again when we see Christmas trees being decorated and put up everywhere we look. Christmas lights would light up the night sky. Carols are heard in shopping malls. That could only mean one thing – Christmas is coming. Being celebrated on the 25th of December every year, Christmas is a day commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ celebrated among billions of people around the world. However, what is the true meaning of Christmas? What is the reason we can celebrate Christmas today? Growing up, every Christmas we would put up a Christmas tree in our home, spend time and have a feast around the dinner table with family and friends, give and receive gifts, do some Christmas shopping, and sometimes we would travel overseas for vacation. Being born in a Christian family and being a Christian myself, we would celebrate Christmas in church, and we would sing Christmas carols with our church friends. Growing up with this tradition every year, I sometimes would ask myself a question: Is there more to Christmas than this or is Christmas just another holiday in our calendar? Spending the past couple of Christmases during the COVID-19 pandemic really had me thinking of what Christmas really is about. If Christmas is about trees and presents, what about those who cannot afford them? If Christmas is about having a feast in the comfort of your home, what about those living in hunger and those living in the streets, with nowhere to call home? If Christmas is about spending time with family and friends, what about those who do not have people to celebrate it with, especially those in quarantine because of COVID-19? If all that is on our bucket list this Christmas is stripped away, do we still have a reason to celebrate Christmas? I have good news for you. The answer is a resounding yes! Why do I say so? I’d like to personally share with you three reasons why Christmas is worth celebrating. Jesus our Savior Jesus our Emmanuel Jesus our Reigning King Jesus our Savior “God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay; Remember Christ, our Savior, was born on Christmas Day. To save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray. O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, O tidings of comfort and joy!” – “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” “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.” – Matthew 1:21 Firstly, Christmas is about God willingly sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, out of His love for us, to save us from our sins. In Matthew 1:21, God commanded for the newborn baby in Mary’s womb to be named Jesus (ישוע), which in the Hebrew language means “The LORD saves”. Jesus did not just come to perform miracles and to heal the sick physically; He came to fulfill man’s greatest need: He came to restore our relationship with our Maker which was once broken by our sins. He came to redeem us from sin so that we can have peace with Him. Why do we need Jesus to save us from our sins? Wouldn’t our good deeds be good enough to undo or outweigh them? Romans 3:10 says that “there is no one righteous” and Romans 3:23 says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. In other words, because of our sinful nature, no good deed or charity that we do, no matter how good and noble it is, can ever meet God’s standard of good. And sin is not merely just doing what is wrong or unlawful, but it is simply turning away from God. Isaiah 53:6a says that “we all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.” And the consequence of sin is spiritual death – eternal separation from God. Because we cannot save ourselves, God sent His Son, Jesus, who is holy, perfect, and sinless to take the punishment of death that we deserved, so that we might have abundant and eternal life with our Maker. He saved us, not because of our own merit or human endeavors, but because of His grace and mercy, given to us freely (Titus 3:4-5; Ephesians 2:8-9). Unlike most beliefs that tell us that we have to do good deeds and work our way up to heaven, our salvation is freely given to us because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” – John 3:16-17 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” – John 10:10 Christmas is not just about celebrating the birth of a baby boy; it is about celebrating the birth of our Savior, through whom we receive the ultimate gift of eternal and abundant life through His death and resurrection. He came as the Light of the world so that those who have walked in darkness can now have the light of life (John 8:12). Because of what Jesus came to do, we can be set free from the bondage of sin and darkness, so that we may find light and life in God. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the shadow of death a light has dawned.” – Isaiah 9:2 “Come Thou long-expected Jesus, born to set Thy people free From our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in Thee Israel’s strength and consolation, hope of all the earth Thou art Dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart” – “Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus” by Charles Wesley

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Is Christmas Worth Celebrating?

by Jason Fam

It’s that time of the year again when we see Christmas trees being decorated and put up everywhere we look. Christmas lights would light up the night sky. Carols are heard in shopping malls. That could only mean one thing – Christmas is coming. Being celebrated on the 25th of December every year, Christmas is a day commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ celebrated among billions of people around the world. However, what is the true meaning of Christmas? What is the reason we can celebrate Christmas today?

Growing up, every Christmas we would put up a Christmas tree in our home, spend time and have a feast around the dinner table with family and friends, give and receive gifts, do some Christmas shopping, and sometimes we would travel overseas for vacation. Being born in a Christian family and being a Christian myself, we would celebrate Christmas in church, and we would sing Christmas carols with our church friends. Growing up with this tradition every year, I sometimes would ask myself a question: Is there more to Christmas than this or is Christmas just another holiday in our calendar?

Spending the past couple of Christmases during the COVID-19 pandemic really had me thinking of what Christmas really is about. If Christmas is about trees and presents, what about those who cannot afford them? If Christmas is about having a feast in the comfort of your home, what about those living in hunger and those living in the streets, with nowhere to call home? If Christmas is about spending time with family and friends, what about those who do not have people to celebrate it with, especially those in quarantine because of COVID-19? If all that is on our bucket list this Christmas is stripped away, do we still have a reason to celebrate Christmas?

I have good news for you. The answer is a resounding yes! Why do I say so? I’d like to personally share with you three reasons why Christmas is worth celebrating.

Jesus our Savior

Jesus our Emmanuel

Jesus our Reigning King

Jesus our Savior

“God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay;
Remember Christ, our Savior, was born on Christmas Day.
To save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, O tidings of comfort and joy!”

– “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen”

“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.” – Matthew 1:21

Firstly, Christmas is about God willingly sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, out of His love for us, to save us from our sins. In Matthew 1:21, God commanded for the newborn baby in Mary’s womb to be named Jesus (ישוע), which in the Hebrew language means “The LORD saves”.

Jesus did not just come to perform miracles and to heal the sick physically; He came to fulfill man’s greatest need: He came to restore our relationship with our Maker which was once broken by our sins. He came to redeem us from sin so that we can have peace with Him.

Why do we need Jesus to save us from our sins? Wouldn’t our good deeds be good enough to undo or outweigh them? Romans 3:10 says that “there is no one righteous” and Romans 3:23 says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. In other words, because of our sinful nature, no good deed or charity that we do, no matter how good and noble it is, can ever meet God’s standard of good. And sin is not merely just doing what is wrong or unlawful, but it is simply turning away from God. Isaiah 53:6a says that “we all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.” And the consequence of sin is spiritual death – eternal separation from God.

Because we cannot save ourselves, God sent His Son, Jesus, who is holy, perfect, and sinless to take the punishment of death that we deserved, so that we might have abundant and eternal life with our Maker. He saved us, not because of our own merit or human endeavors, but because of His grace and mercy, given to us freely (Titus 3:4-5; Ephesians 2:8-9). Unlike most beliefs that tell us that we have to do good deeds and work our way up to heaven, our salvation is freely given to us because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” – John 3:16-17

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” – John 10:10

Christmas is not just about celebrating the birth of a baby boy; it is about celebrating the birth of our Savior, through whom we receive the ultimate gift of eternal and abundant life through His death and resurrection. He came as the Light of the world so that those who have walked in darkness can now have the light of life (John 8:12). Because of what Jesus came to do, we can be set free from the bondage of sin and darkness, so that we may find light and life in God.

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the shadow of death a light has dawned.” – Isaiah 9:2

“Come Thou long-expected Jesus, born to set Thy people free
From our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in Thee
Israel’s strength and consolation, hope of all the earth Thou art
Dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart”

– “Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus” by Charles Wesley

The post Is Christmas Worth Celebrating appeared first on Georgetown Baptist Church.

]]> The Dark Side Behind Christmas https://old.gbcpg.org/the-dark-side-behind-christmas/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-dark-side-behind-christmas Wed, 28 Jul 2021 06:54:43 +0000 https://old.gbcpg.org/?p=4377 It is 5 months to Christmas but with the bleakness surrounding us now, surely, we can all do with the peace, hope and cheer that Christmas usually brings, can’t we? But I wonder, have you ever thought about the dark side of the Christmas story? Quest from the East Matthew 2 tells us that the Magi from the east noticed a peculiar star which heralded the birth of the king of the Jews. These Magi were most likely Gentiles and they might have been astrologers or ‘wise men’ of some kind. They then traveled to Jerusalem and to King Herod to seek out this royal child. After all, where else could a king of the Jews be born if not in Jerusalem and in the ‘royal’ household? But what they heard must have shocked them! There was no such newborn in Herod’s household! Furthermore, the chief priests and teachers of the law quoted the prophet Micah, that such a national king, the Messiah, whom all Jews have been anticipating throughout the centuries, would be born in Bethlehem, not Jerusalem! So, the Magi continued on their quest to search for the child in Bethlehem. But what about the religious leaders? Craig Keener, in his commentary on Matthew, wrote “while the religious leaders know where the Messiah will be born, they do not join the Magi in their quest. These were the religious leaders, but they failed to act on their most critical biblical knowledge.” They utterly ignored their king and their Messiah and that is both outrageous and sad! As for Herod, he felt his rule threatened by a ‘new’ king of the Jews. So, when the Magi failed to report back to him exactly where the child was, he ruthlessly ordered the slaughter of all Bethlehem boys under 2 years only. So, while religious leaders ignored the Messiah, the civil leader opposed him and wanted him dead! It clearly portrays Herod as a usurper to the throne that legitimately belongs to Jesus. Is Jesus ignored We can reflect on at least 2 ideas here. First, the priests and teachers of the law scored full marks in the Scripture quiz but they wouldn’t even travel the short 5-miles to Bethlehem to worship the Messiah. Gentile Magi would but not them; how ironic! How ironic too, that we may “know” our Scriptures, but completely ignore them or the Jesus they point to. Or that we may “know” how we should live according to God’s Word, but then disregard what it says anyway! Whether we are leaders or not, may we genuinely and earnestly seek to worship our King and Savior, and not take him for granted. Is Jesus dethroned Secondly, none of us would dare say that we want Jesus dead. But then, are we willing to give up our own throne to Jesus, or are we like Herod who plots and maneuvers to keep it for himself? Who sits on the throne of your life? If you are the one, then you usurp Jesus’ place. He will not dislodge you by force but if you yield it to him, he will take it because he is its legitimate King and owner! Serve Him, Honor Him If we claim to be God’s servants and we honor him in every way, then every day, Christmas or not, will be bright, joyous and rewarding. Blessings! This blog is authored by Mok Kok Hoong on 28 July 2021.

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]]> It is 5 months to Christmas but with the bleakness surrounding us now, surely, we can all do with the peace, hope and cheer that Christmas usually brings, can’t we? But I wonder, have you ever thought about the dark side of the Christmas story?

Quest from the East

Matthew 2 tells us that the Magi from the east noticed a peculiar star which heralded the birth of the king of the Jews. These Magi were most likely Gentiles and they might have been astrologers or ‘wise men’ of some kind. They then traveled to Jerusalem and to King Herod to seek out this royal child. After all, where else could a king of the Jews be born if not in Jerusalem and in the ‘royal’ household? But what they heard must have shocked them!

There was no such newborn in Herod’s household! Furthermore, the chief priests and teachers of the law quoted the prophet Micah, that such a national king, the Messiah, whom all Jews have been anticipating throughout the centuries, would be born in Bethlehem, not Jerusalem!

The Wise Men on a quest to look for Jesus in Bethlehem

So, the Magi continued on their quest to search for the child in Bethlehem. But what about the religious leaders? Craig Keener, in his commentary on Matthew, wrote “while the religious leaders know where the Messiah will be born, they do not join the Magi in their quest. These were the religious leaders, but they failed to act on their most critical biblical knowledge.” They utterly ignored their king and their Messiah and that is both outrageous and sad!

As for Herod, he felt his rule threatened by a ‘new’ king of the Jews. So, when the Magi failed to report back to him exactly where the child was, he ruthlessly ordered the slaughter of all Bethlehem boys under 2 years only. So, while religious leaders ignored the Messiah, the civil leader opposed him and wanted him dead! It clearly portrays Herod as a usurper to the throne that legitimately belongs to Jesus.

Is Jesus ignored

We can reflect on at least 2 ideas here. First, the priests and teachers of the law scored full marks in the Scripture quiz but they wouldn’t even travel the short 5-miles to Bethlehem to worship the Messiah. Gentile Magi would but not them; how ironic! How ironic too, that we may “know” our Scriptures, but completely ignore them or the Jesus they point to. Or that we may “know” how we should live according to God’s Word, but then disregard what it says anyway! Whether we are leaders or not, may we genuinely and earnestly seek to worship our King and Savior, and not take him for granted.

Is Jesus dethroned

Secondly, none of us would dare say that we want Jesus dead. But then, are we willing to give up our own throne to Jesus, or are we like Herod who plots and maneuvers to keep it for himself? Who sits on the throne of your life? If you are the one, then you usurp Jesus’ place. He will not dislodge you by force but if you yield it to him, he will take it because he is its legitimate King and owner!

Serve Him, Honor Him

If we claim to be God’s servants and we honor him in every way, then every day, Christmas or not, will be bright, joyous and rewarding.

Blessings!

This blog is authored by Mok Kok Hoong on 28 July 2021.

The post The Dark Side Behind Christmas appeared first on Georgetown Baptist Church.

]]> Drawing Near to JESUS This Christmas https://old.gbcpg.org/drawing-near-to-jesus-this-christmas/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=drawing-near-to-jesus-this-christmas Sun, 20 Dec 2020 05:52:55 +0000 https://old.gbcpg.org/?p=3788 The month of December it’s the Christmas season & it’s time for the church to re-claim the true meaning of Christmas from how the world has usurped it. I am reminded of Psalm 77 and of these verses (11-15). 11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. 12 I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” 13 Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? 14 You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. 15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. This psalm was written in a time of great distress. Believed to have been written in the time of the Babylonian exile and the psalmist was recalling the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt. In this depressing season of the pandemic for many who do not know Jesus, it is time for us to stand up & make a difference to our community & to bring to them the truth that Jesus is the hope in this season. Can I encourage everyone to think of someone (family member, relative, colleague, friend) whom the Holy Spirit has led you to make a difference to his or her life, to pray for him or her? Then to follow-up to invite her to our Sunday church service from next week and/or to follow our live-stream (and send the link to them) starting from this Sunday. This Christmas, let us all draw near to Jesus and also to draw others to Jesus too! Note: The Christmas service is originally planned for 7:30pm. The change in timing to 10:30am is necessitated by National Security Council’s (MKN) latest SOP which prohibits churches from holding services on the night of Dec 25. We are opening L3 & L4 for the event. Once it reaches the maximum capacity, members will be redirected to room 5-08 at Level 5 so that social distancing can be practiced. We are now welcoming back children and toddlers to IMPACT. Parents, please ensure safe distance seating with your children. If your children is aged 3 years old and below, the crèche will be open to serve your needs. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome everyone including children back to celebrate Christmas with us. However, kindly ensure your children will also observe the SOP guidance.

The post Drawing Near to JESUS This Christmas appeared first on Georgetown Baptist Church.

]]> The month of December it’s the Christmas season & it’s time for the church to re-claim the true meaning of Christmas from how the world has usurped it. I am reminded of Psalm 77 and of these verses (11-15). 

11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
13 Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

This psalm was written in a time of great distress. Believed to have been written in the time of the Babylonian exile and the psalmist was recalling the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt.

In this depressing season of the pandemic for many who do not know Jesus, it is time for us to stand up & make a difference to our community & to bring to them the truth that Jesus is the hope in this season.

Can I encourage everyone to think of someone (family member, relative, colleague, friend) whom the Holy Spirit has led you to make a difference to his or her life, to pray for him or her?

Then to follow-up to invite her to our Sunday church service from next week and/or to follow our live-stream (and send the link to them) starting from this Sunday.

This Christmas, let us all draw near to Jesus and also to draw others to Jesus too!

Note:

  • The Christmas service is originally planned for 7:30pm. The change in timing to 10:30am is necessitated by National Security Council’s (MKN) latest SOP which prohibits churches from holding services on the night of Dec 25.
  • We are opening L3 & L4 for the event. Once it reaches the maximum capacity, members will be redirected to room 5-08 at Level 5 so that social distancing can be practiced.
  • We are now welcoming back children and toddlers to IMPACT. Parents, please ensure safe distance seating with your children. If your children is aged 3 years old and below, the crèche will be open to serve your needs. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome everyone including children back to celebrate Christmas with us. However, kindly ensure your children will also observe the SOP guidance.

The post Drawing Near to JESUS This Christmas appeared first on Georgetown Baptist Church.

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