Bible Study Planet » Holiday

Christmas in July

admin — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 14:31:49 +0000

We should celebrate the birth of our Savior all year round! Enjoy this collection of Christmas-themed bible studies:

Christmas Bible Studies

- The First Christmas
- Hark! The Herald Angel Sing
- O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
- God With Us
- The Fragrance of Christmas
- The Christmas Creed
- Peace Child
- Christmas Quotes
- Christmas in the Old Testament
- Is Hanukkah the Jewish Christmas?
- There Would Be No Christmas Without Hanukkah
- The Birth of Christ (Kids Activity Study)
- Angels Appear To Shepherds (Kids Activity Study)
- Gabriel Vists Mary (Kids Activity Study)
- The Wise Men (Kids Activity Study)

Christmas Devotionals & Poems

- The Man and the Birds
- The Light of Christmas
- The Sadness of Christmas
- The People of Christmas
- The Place of Christmas
- The Joy of Christmas
- Christmas Prayer
- I’m So Glad Each Christmas Eve
- The Star That Made The Dark Would Bright
- Christmas Breezes

Christmas Audio

- No Room at the Inn (Drama part 1)
- Incident in Bethlehem (Drama part 2)
- A Christmas Carol
- The Night Before Christmas
- It’s a Wonderful Life
- Bing Crosby’s Christmas Special

Christmas Links

- Listen to Christmas music
- Christmas @ Peggie’s Place
- Make Your Own Snowflake
- Christmas Coloring Pages

Easter @ Bible Study Planet 2010

admin — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 14:18:54 +0000

Our 2010 Easter resource page is now up. It features free Easter bible studies, devotionals, kids easter studies, audio and video dramas of the life of Jesus, Easter links and more!

Visit Easter @ Bible Study Planet

The Man and the Birds

admin — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:08:43 +0000

The man to whom I’m going to introduce you was not a scrooge, he was a kind decent, mostly good man. Generous to his family, upright in his dealings with other men.

But he just didn’t believe all that incarnation stuff which the churches proclaim at Christmas Time. It just didn’t make sense and he was too honest to pretend otherwise. He just couldn’t swallow the Jesus Story, about God coming to Earth as a man.

“I’m truly sorry to distress you,” he told his wife, “but I’m not going with you to church this Christmas Eve.” He said he’d feel like a hypocrite. That he’d much rather just stay at home, but that he would wait up for them. And so he stayed and they went to the midnight service.

Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier and then went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper.

Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound…Then another, and then another. Sort of a thump or a thud…At first he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against his living room window. But when he went to the front door to investigate he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow. They’d been caught in the storm and, in a desperate search for shelter, had tried to fly through his large landscape window.

Well, he couldn’t let the poor creatures lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn where his children stabled their pony. That would provide a warm shelter, if he could direct the birds to it. Quickly he put on a coat, galoshes, tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light, but the birds did not come in. He figured food would entice them in.

So he hurried back to the house, fetched bread crumbs, sprinkled them on the snow, making a trail to the yellow-lighted wide open doorway of the stable. But to his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs, and continued to flap around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them…He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around them waving his arms…Instead, they scattered in every direction, except into the warm, lighted barn.

And then, he realized that they were afraid of him. To them, he reasoned, I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me…That I am not trying to hurt them, but to help them. But how? Because any move he made tended to frighten them, confuse them. They just would not follow. They would not be led or shooed because they feared him.

“If only I could be a bird,” he thought to himself, “and mingle with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way to safe, warm…to the safe warm barn. But I would have to be one of them so they could see, and hear and understand.”

At that moment the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind. And he stood there listening to the bells listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas. And he sank to his knees in the snow.

- Paul Harvey

Bible Study: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

admin — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:01:27 +0000

“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” is one of the most beloved Christmas hymns of all time. It was written by Charles Wesley in 1739 while the music was composed by Felix Mendelssohn in 1840. Let’s look at a few stanzas of this beautiful carol.

Hark! The herald angels sing,
”Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”

“God and sinners reconciled” through Christ. This is the true meaning of Christmas and, even more, the true meaning of Christianity. Jesus Christ was sent “through the tender mercy of our God to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.” (Luke 1:78-79) We’re reconciled with God because Christ has “made peace through the blood of His cross.” (Colossians 1:20)

Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

“Where was the Christ was to be born?” Herod asked the chief priests and scribes. “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they answered.

Bethlehem. This little, insignificant town would be the last place we would have chosen for God to enter the world. But, just as the Lord chose a place unworthy to host Him He chooses to save us, who are unworthy of such an honor. (Luke 1:52; 1 Corinthians 1:27)

Our righteousness, our good standing before God, comes not from what we have done, but from what Christ has done on our behalf. (1 Peter 2:24)

Christ, by highest Heaven adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.

The miracle of Christmas isn’t that a little baby was born in a manager, or that a star appeared, or that angels filled the sky.

The miracle of Christmas is the incarnation of Christ Jesus, “who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)

Christ, in some mysterious way, laid aside His divine rights, clothed Himself in humanity, dwelt among us, and served His creation by going to the cross…this is the miracle of Christmas.

Such sacrifice and love is beyond human comprehension and it causes us join the angels in praise of the King of kings.

”Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!

The People of Christmas

admin — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 23:19:15 +0000

Today let’s reflect on the people of Christmas.

Mary and Joseph

We think of Mary, who endured gossip and scorn once word spread that she was pregnant with a child not belonging to her fiancé.

We think of Joseph, who in faith obeyed God’s will to care for Mary, and raise the promised Child who was to “save His people from their sins.”

The couple was so poor that they had to sacrifice two doves because they could not afford a lamb (Luke 2:24), yet in their arms they held the Lamb of God.

The Magi

We think of the Magi, the mysterious visitors from the east who saw a sign that indicated that the Savior had been born. We call them wise, not because they knew Christ had come, but because they sought Him out to worship Him.

The Shepherds

We think of the shepherds, people of low standing in the eyes of the world, yet so precious to God that He sent angels to personally bring them “good tidings of great joy”, and to invite them to come to worship Christ.

The Angels

Finally we think of the angels. The perspective they had was the most unique because they saw the glory that Christ willingly set aside to save us from our sin. (Phil 2:5-8)

1 Peter 1:12 tells us that angels desire to look into the gospel. They must marvel at how seriously God takes sin is and wonder at the love He has for us to make this unimaginable sacrifice.

This Christmas we give thanks for these people. From them we learn that whether we’re struggling with attacks from the world like Mary and Joseph, or we’re wise and respected like the Magi, or we’re cast aside and forgotten like the shepherds, the good tidings of great joy found in the birth of Christ is for all people.

Hanukkah

admin — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:22:04 +0000

Hanukkah, also known as the “Feast of Dedication” or the “Festival of Lights,” is not among the holidays God commanded Israel to celebrate in the Old Testament. In fact, you will only find one mention of the holiday in the Bible: “Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the Temple, in Solomon’s porch.” (John 10:22-23)

Jesus chose to be in the Temple during this festival. The startling statement He made there is best understood against the background of this feast.

Hanukkah commemorates events that took place during the inter-testamental period, that gap between the Old and New Testaments. The Jewish people were under foreign domination, ruled by the Syrian king Antiochus, who forced them to abandon their culture and religion. He made sure the Jewish people could not use the Temple to worship our God. He erected idols in the holy place—and worst of all, he sacrificed a pig on the altar.

The Jewish people were utterly defeated and demoralized—until a small band of guerilla soldiers known as the Maccabees rekindled their hope. Within three years, these warriors miraculously recaptured Jerusalem and the Temple.

Note that Hanukkah—which means dedication—was not named for the brave warriors. The real victory was being able to worship the God of Israel once again. The Temple was rededicated on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev, in the year 165 BC. (This year the 25th of Kislev corresponds to November 29.)

A common Hebrew phrase connected with Hanukkah is “nes gadol haya sham,” which means, “A great miracle happened there.” Two miracles plus a common theme link Hanukkah and Christmas in a way I hope will heighten your appreciation of both.

The first miracle is the preservation of the Jewish people. Had Antiochus been successful, Israel would have lost her unique identity and God’s precious promises would be unkept. If Antiochus had gotten his way, there would have been no recognizable Jewish culture for Messiah to be born into. Without Hanukkah, there would have been no Christmas.

Whenever you are tempted to doubt God’s saving power in your life, remember the miracle of His saving power as seen through Hanukkah, and how the small band of soldiers prevailed despite all odds. The way God preserved His people Israel reflects the way He continues keeping all of us, Jews and Gentiles, who trust in Him today.

The second miracle associated with Hanukkah is the miracle of light, a tradition first mentioned in the Talmud—written hundreds of years after the events. According to this tradition, the menorah—the seven-branched candelabra that was to burn continually in the Temple—had been extinguished by Antiochus’ henchmen. When the Maccabees recaptured the Temple they cleansed it and searched for fresh oil to rekindle the sacred flame. But they discovered only enough to last one day—and it would take eight full days to procure fresh oil. According to tradition, in their zeal to rededicate the Temple they used what oil they had to rekindle the flame—and miraculously, it lasted for eight whole days.

According to this tradition, that is why we celebrate Hanukkah for eight nights, and why we use a special Hanukkiah, or nine-branched candelabra. The shamash or “servant” candle is lit first, and in turn it lights all the other candles, beginning with one candle on the first night. Each night, another candle is lit, until the eighth night, when the entire Hanukkiah is aglow.

The book of Maccabees gives another explanation for why Hanukkah lasts eight days. The people rededicated the Temple during the Feast of Tabernacles (an eight-day holiday which would have been observed the previous month had the Syrians not occupied the Temple). King Solomon chose to dedicate the Temple during the Feast of Tabernacles (2 Chronicles 6 and 7) so it makes sense that the people would wish to do the same.

The Jewish historian Josephus referred to Hanukkah as the Festival of Light, but light was also a big part of the Feast of Tabernacles celebration. Four giant candelabras—each holding four huge bowls of oil—were lit in the Court of the Women. The blaze from these 16 flames could be seen all around Jerusalem. How appropriate it was that Jesus chose this area of the Temple to declare, “I am the light of the world. He that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Jesus, like the servant candle on the Hannukiah, lights our way, and sends His Spirit to ignite us as well, so that we can shine His light in a dark world. We do not have enough “oil” to live a life dedicated to God, but Jesus has miraculously provided for us.

So the miracle of preservation made Christmas possible, and the miracle of the light reminds us of Jesus, whose advent the prophets predicted would be, “a light to the Gentiles” whose salvation would reach “to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).

Finally, the common theme that links Hanukkah and Christmas is that of God with us—Immanuel. A traditional Hanukkah hymn declares to God: “Rock of Ages, let our song praise thy saving power; thou admidst the raging foes wast our sheltering tower; furious they assailed us but thine arm availed us; and thy word broke their sword when our own strength failed us.”

God was present with His people in a way that pulled the rug right out from under the evil Syrian king. When Antiochus entered into the Temple to defile it, he declared himself Antiochus “Epiphanes” meaning “God manifest.” The Jewish nation rejected his outrageous, counterfeit claim to deity.

Counterfeit because God had promised to be present with His people, not only in a miraculous military victory, but in flesh. He promised to actually be what Antiochus, in his insanity, had claimed—the incarnate God. This promise was wrapped up in the special name by which the prophet Isaiah predicted the Messiah would be known: “Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

How poignant it is that Jesus chose the Festival of Dedication to stand in the Temple, in the portico of Solomon, and declare, “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30). Is it coincidence that Jesus chose this time and place to reveal His deity?

John tells us that in response to His claims the Jewish leaders “took up stones again to stone Him” (John 10:31). They accused Him of blasphemy, “because You, being a Man make Yourself God” (v.33).

Here’s an interesting aside going back to the original Hanukkah celebration. Before the Temple could be rededicated, we needed a new altar built with clean stones. But what about the stones from the old altar? They had been washed of course, but could they ever be considered clean, being porous as they were? According to tradition, these stones were stored in the portico of Solomon, until such time as the Messiah would come and explain what to do with them.

Could it be that when those Jewish leaders looked around the portico of Solomon for stones to throw at Messiah Jesus they reached for those very pieces of that old altar? What divine irony—to hurl a symbol of the sacrificial system at the One who was about to sacrifice Himself for us all.

It is only because Jesus is Immanuel, God with us, that He could sacrifice Himself as an atonement for our sin. He was born to die and rise victorious, born to light our way and make us to be lights, born to be adored by Jews and Gentiles who will bow and worship the One who is the hope of Hanukkah and the Christ of Christmas. These two holidays share their ultimate significance in the person of Y’shua (Jesus) the Messiah. He truly is our Rock of Ages.

- David Brickner

This article originally appeared in the December 2002 Jews for Jesus Newsletter

O come, O come, Emmanuel Bible Study

admin — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 21:34:51 +0000

O come, O come, Emmanuel is a very old Christmas hymn that dates back to around the 12th century. It was translated from Latin to English by John M. Neale in 1851. Known for it’s haunting melody and rich messianic themes, it has remained a Christmas favorite for centuries. Let’s look at three stanzas.

O come, o come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

Israel, like sheep, had wandered away from God. Held prisoner by their sin, they longed for the promised Savior who would restore their relationship with the Father by making “his soul an offering for sin”, thus making “intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:6;12) The Savior would pay the ransom that was owed and would lead the captives into the presence of God.

The hymn writer tells Israel to rejoice because Emmanuel is this Savior. Emmanuel means “God with us.” God Himself would be their Savior just as He had always been in times past. God is not unconcerned or unaware of their troubles. No, He loves those who are lost and comes to save them personally.

We’re to rejoice as well. Christ’s sacrifice was so great that it couldn’t be limited to just Israel. He is “salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6) He is my salvation and your salvation and the salvation of any who call upon His name. (Romans 10:12-13)

O come, O Rod of Jesse free,
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory o’er the grave

The “Rod of Jesse” is a reference to David’s father and the family line from which Christ would come. By becoming a man Christ would be able to be mankind’s kinsmen redeemer. A kinsmen redeemer was a close relative who would purchase back something a relative had sold because of debt.

Man, in a sense, sold his salvation to pay the sin debt he owed. By becoming a man, and living a perfect life, Jesus owed no debt making him qualified to become our kinsmen redeemer and purchase us back from sin.

O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer,
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

Dayspring is the dawn, the first light of day. When our spirits were dark like midnight Christ rose like the “Sun of Righteousness” (Malachi 4:2) to be the “light of the world”. (John 8:12)

“Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high has visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:78-79)

Rejoice! O Israel and all the world! God is with us and has set us free.

God With Us

admin — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:17:13 +0000

“Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” – Isaiah 7:14

Let us today go down to Bethlehem, and in company with wondering shepherds and adoring Magi, let us see Him who was born King of the Jews, for we by faith can claim an interest in Him, and can sing, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.”

Jesus is God incarnate, our Lord and our God, and yet our brother and friend; let us adore and admire. Let us notice at the very first glance His miraculous conception. It was a thing unheard of before, and unparalleled since, that a virgin should conceive and bear a Son.

The first promise was this: “The seed of the woman,” not the offspring of the man. Since a woman led the way in the sin which brought Paradise lost, she, and she alone, ushers in the Regainer of Paradise. Our Saviour, although truly man, was also the Holy One of God.

Let us reverently bow before the holy Child whose innocence restores to mankind its ancient glory; and let us pray that He may be formed in us, the hope of glory.

Don’t fail to note His humble parentage. His mother has been described simply as “a virgin,” not a princess, or prophetess, nor a matron of large estate.

True the blood of kings ran in her veins; and her mind was not a weak and untaught one, for she could sing most sweetly a song of praise; but yet how humble her position, how poor the man to whom she stood affianced, and how miserable the accommodation afforded to the new-born King!

Immanuel, God with us in our nature, in our sorrow, in our lifework, in our punishment, in our grave, and now with us, or rather we with Him, in resurrection, ascension, triumph, and Second Advent splendour.

- Charles Spurgeon

Christmas @ Bible Study Planet

admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:12:32 +0000

Our 2009 Christmas page is now available. Enjoy free Christmas-themed bible studies and devotionals, kids activity sheets and audio of classic Christmas programs.

Visit Christmas @ Bible Study Planet

Thanks Living

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:34:29 +0000

November brings us to the time of year when we observe our national Thanksgiving holiday here in the US. I’m glad we have a special day set aside to remember God’s gracious provision for us. But, that shouldn’t obscure the reality that we are commanded by God to demonstrate a grateful spirit every day of the year. I call that a spirit of “Thanksliving.”

How important is it to be thankful? In Romans 1:21, Paul outlines the downward course of a person toward reprobation. He says, “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful…” One of the first steps away from God is, not exercising a grateful spirit.

The secret of maintaining a grateful spirit is to be Content

Ungratefulness and covetousness are closely related. In I Corinthians 6:9,10 covetousness is listed right beside sins such as immorality and drunkenness. That’s because this sin becomes the channel by which we are led deeper into the sins of the flesh and spirit.

Hebrews 13:5 tells us that the secret to maintaining a grateful spirit is to be Content. To me, contentment has always carried the idea of being satisfied, being at rest. Like the proverbial cow, chewing its cud. But this is a verb, it denotes action. This word carries the idea of raising a barrier; to ward off something. We must ward off things that foster discontent. Someone has defined contentment this way; “recognizing that God has provided everything I need for my present happiness.” That attitude will insulate us from the rank materialism that is so pervasive in our culture.

The ability to be Content rest on our faith in God’s promises

Why can you and I be content with what we have? Because God has promised that He will NEVER leave us or forsake us. The literal translation is like this. “No, I will not leave thee; no, neither will I not utterly forsake thee.” It is a very emphatic statement. This is the ultimate security. And that’s what we are seeking when we struggle with covetousness; security. And that’s what we are seeking when we struggle with covetousness; security. We must realize that true security is found in our relationship to God and His promises to us.

That realization of God’s care should dispel all our fears. The word fear, in Hebrews 13:6 is the equivalent of our word phobia. Now a phobia is not temporary fright. A phobia is a state of fear one lives in. The dictionary says it is an irrational fear. So, for believers, the fear of man is irrational. Jesus said, “don’t fear those who kill the body but fear Him who can destroy both soul and body.”

Our faith in God’s promises is demonstrated by our lifestyle choices

One thing I want to make clear, there is a vast difference between contentment and complacence! Remember, contentment is active. It’s accepting what God has given and using it for His glory. It’s erecting a barrier to those things that foster discontent. Complacence is passive, it’s the attitude of, “whatever.” It gives the idea of not caring or not being concerned. 1 Timothy 6:6 states that “godliness with contentment is great gain.” What are some practical things we can do to develop this quality of great value?

Realize that all we have comes from God.

Accepting the sovereignty of God goes a long way in helping us to be content. This applies to possessions, circumstances, abilities, spiritual gifts and so on. Along with that we must be convinced that who we are is not dependent on what we have.

Flee from temptation.

Don’t go to the mall, the sporting goods store, or the tool aisle at Home Depot just to “window shop.” You may think it’s harmless but it feeds that desire for more. You know Satan will always help us find ways to justify our selfishness.

Our lifestyle choices reflect our contentment or lack of it

Be willing to give as the Lord directs you. Have you ever been saving money for a particular need, or want, and God directed you to take that money and give to a need that someone else has? Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in relation to giving. That will help you develop a contented heart.

Be aware of the plight of our brothers and sisters in other lands who suffer for their faith in Christ.

By entering into their sufferings and seeing how committed they are and how little they have materially, we can be challenged to be more content. Wishing you Happy ThanksLiving and the great riches of contentment!

Sincerely in the HOPE of the Gospel, HERALDS OF HOPE, INC.

Bible Study Planet » Holiday

Christmas in July

Christmas Bible Studies

Christmas Devotionals & Poems

Christmas Audio

Christmas Links

You may also enjoy reading:

Easter @ Bible Study Planet 2010

You may also enjoy reading:

The Man and the Birds

You may also enjoy reading:

Bible Study: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

You may also enjoy reading:

The People of Christmas

You may also enjoy reading:

Hanukkah

You may also enjoy reading:

O come, O come, Emmanuel Bible Study

You may also enjoy reading:

God With Us

You may also enjoy reading:

Christmas @ Bible Study Planet

You may also enjoy reading:

Thanks Living

You may also enjoy reading: