Mental Musings

There are several things about the Christmas story that are not based on the Bible, but rather on traditions. For example, Jesus wasn’t actually born on December 25 th . I mean, I guess it is possible that He was, since nobody knows the actual day he was born. And those manger scenes depicting the magi…they most likely didn’t even visit Jesus during the same year as His birth. We are uncertain exactly when it took place, but based on biblical evidence we can guess that it was about 2 years later. Mary and Joseph apparently remained in Bethlehem for several years, but now had moved into a house. 1   After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem, 2   saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” 3   When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4   So he assembled all th...

Have you ever been faced with a difficult decision? A life and death decision? Jim and Betty Elliot and their friends wanted to help the Auca (Ahka) Indians of Equador to learn about Jesus. The problem was that the Auca were very vicious, people and anytime someone had tried to approach them from the outside they had been killed. After months of trying to slowly connect, the Auca came to their camp in force and killed them. The Aucas always remembered those five strange white men who had been so kind to them and had not tried to kill them. And so, a year later when more missionaries tried again to speak to the Aucas about Jesus, they were ready to listen. Several of the men who had helped to kill Jim and his friends with their spears now became Christians. Lottie Moon was a single woman who had a passion for telling the Chinese about Jesus. In 1873 she started her missionary work in China. War broke out in China in 1894 and then widespread famine. Lotti...

I want to tell you about 2 stories that seem strange, but are absolutely, 100% true. Both stories had numerous eyewitness accounts and have been documented numerous times. The first that I want to tell you about happened on Christmas Eve in 1914 during World War I. Watch this video. This story seems too good to be true, but it did happen. About 100,000 soldiers participated in an impromptu truce that Christmas. Most of these truces ended later on Christmas day, but some continued until the New Year. Not all the stories from that night are as heartwarming. In a couple areas while soldiers on both sides attempted to engage each other in truce they were shot and killed by the opposing sides. But for the most part, on Christmas Eve 1914, thousands of soldiers set aside their weapons and the war so that they could take photos, play soccer, sing songs, and eat together. Most accounts suggest the truce began with carol singing from the trenches on Christmas ...