A new year is always exciting and refreshing!  It is filled with new hope, new ideas, new opportunities, new adventures, and a new outlook.  It gives us all a new way to look on the future with clearer eyes and a renewed zeal to what lies ahead.  The opportunities always seem limitless, and the resolutions are sometimes higher than we can reach, but the newness outweighs it all.  Even though we live in a time when vintage items, antiques, and rustic creations are popular, we still like things that are new.  But, ultimately greater than the newness of a year is newness of life.  So many people are burdened with sin to the point that they get in the rut or habit of living in them without even thinking that life doesn’t have to be this way.  Settling for a life of drug and alcohol use because that is the “norm” or settling for a lifestyle of lying, greed, covetousness, profanity or even hatred, envy and jealousy will never allow for true happiness.  Life can only be new in Christ and His church.  When we are baptized into Christ, the “old man” is buried, and we put on the “new man” (Eph. 4:22-24).  It is only then that we walk in “newness of life” (Rom. 6:4).  The new man is not burdened anymore because he is like a newborn baby (John 3:3-5).  A baby has no cares or concerns and no need for sin—he simply needs loving parents to take care of him and give him the nourishment he needs to grow.  When you see a happy baby, you know he has what he needs. That is all that Christians need too!  We have a father to take care of us and He gives us all we need to grow thru His Word (Eph. 4:6; 1 Pet. 2:2).  That should give us a reason to smile!  But, the world still surrounds us wickedness, sin and defeat.  Even though a new life has been given, it is not perfect.  But, one day life will be entirely new!  John heard the Words of the Lord in Heaven when He said, “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev. 21:5).  Not just a new year, not just a new life, but all things new—refreshed and better than anything we know now.  When life is new in Heaven, there will be no days of depression, no days of crying because of grief or hurt, no days of anxiety, no days of fear, no days of crime, no days of temptation, no days of loneliness, no days of emotional torment, no days of darkness, no days of pain, no days of frustration—because everything old will be gone (Rev. 21:1-5).  Everything old that tends to still haunt even the most faithful Christian will not be able to bother us anymore—not even death (Rev. 21:4). It is a promise that is “true and faithful” (Rev. 21:5) that each child of God desires more every day. So, rejoice in the new year, make the most of each new day, but the best rejoicing is done in a new life in Christ with the promise of all things new in eternity.

~Derrick Coble

During the Christmas season, perhaps one of the most popular icons is the nativity scene. It is seen at residential homes, church buildings, and even government buildings as a life-like reminder that Jesus came into this world to save sinners (1 Tim. 1:15).  Most of the scenes are the same including: a stable, Jesus, Joseph, Mary, three wise men, flocks, a star, and an angel.  Every Christian definitely appreciates the fact that many thoughts are turned to the Lord at this time of year, but at the same time, it can’t be forgotten that whatever is done has to be done by the authority of God (Col. 3:17) in accordance with His Word.  So, there are three things that never really happened at the manger that everyone needs to know.  
            First, there was no angel at the manger of Jesus.  The angel Gabriel announced Jesus’ birth to Mary (Luke 1:26-35), angels ministered to Jesus after His temptation (Mat. 4:1-11), and an angel strengthened him in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43).  But, no angel appeared at the actual manger.  It is true that an angel of the Lord did appear to announce the birth of Jesus to shepherds who were keeping watch over their flocks by night (Luke 2:8-12).  It was this angel, along with a host of other angels, who praised God saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). But, it wasn’t until “the angels were gone away from them into Heaven” (Luke 2:15) that the shepherds went to Bethlehem and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger (Luke 2:16) without any angels.         
            Second, there was no star shining over the manger.  The Scriptures show that the wise men saw the star in the east (Mat. 2:2) and they came to Jerusalem asking where Jesus was so they could worship Him.  Herod then sent them to Bethlehem (Mat. 2:8) while the star went before them and stood over the place where the young child (not baby) was (Mat. 2:9).  The star stood over a house (not manger) where the young child was with His mother, Mary (Mat. 2:11).  So, the bright shining star was not guiding anyone to the manger but did serve to guide the wise men to the house where the young child Jesus was.      
            Finally, not only were the wise men not at the manger, but the Bible never indicates there were only three wise men.  It simply says, “There came wise men from the east” (Mat. 2:2). But, around the eighth century, the names Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar were given to these men.  It is important to note that the wise men entered the house where Jesus was (Mat. 2:11) and presented unto him three distinct gifts.  Were there ten men bearing these three gifts?  Were there only two men bearing these gifts?  The point is that the Bible is silent on this matter and if the Bible is silent on this matter we ought to respect the Scriptures and observe that same silence.
            It is strange how the plain and simple facts surrounding the birth of Jesus are conveniently overlooked?  For years, many have accepted the nativity scene as a Biblically true icon accepted without question.  It is sad that so many are deceived by this and other doctrines that are never questioned in various religions. For this reason, everyone ought to search the Scriptures (Acts 17:11) for the real truth and “try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).  

Derrick Coble