12-15-07
Copyright 2007 Pastor Bill Mazzulla III

Pastor Bill's Newsletter
Christmas Edition 2007



Table of Contents

I   Announcements
II Prayer Requests
III Greetings from a Chaplain in Baghdad
IV Christmas Kindness - Touched By An Angel?
V Food For Thought
VI Further Personal Experiences - Remembering Jesus




I Announcements

Do to how busy I am and that I wanted to get this Newsletter out early enough for you to check out the link to the Chaplains message, time to ponder the messages in this Newsletter and to have time to forward it to your friends and family.  Hopefully they will enjoy Pastor Bill's Newsletter Christmas Edition 2007.
That is why their are no animations this time and not many links either.

A friend had sent me a video of Chaplain Jim White in Baghdad sending his Christmas greetings and asking for prayer for those serving in the military.  Just click on the words in that section to see the video.

Speaking of prayer please remember my wife Minister Rosemary.  More details in the Prayer Request section.

There is a short story of Christmas Kindness (Did an Angel help me?) I experienced while shopping, this year 2007. 
It was a pleasant surprise!

In Food For Thought:
I was going to get into scriptures and math that together proof most likely Jesus was born in December or early January but I decided not to go deep into that because this Newsletter will be long enough and I believe that my point about using this season as an opportunity is a valid point withpout the extra information.

Finally, in the last article,  more of my personal experiences with a few reflections upon Christmas.



II Prayer requests.

1. Please pray for our troops and their families.
This is one of the times of year that their sacrifice becomes intense.
If possible give to USO or any organization that is doing something to help our military members and/or the families have a better Christmas. 
USO is the one I am aware of.
A link to a video of a "Chaplain in Baghdad is in the next section.


2. Those of you who belong to my other groups and/or groups I moderate,
probably already know this but this is for the rest of our subscribers.
Minister Rosemary, aka Sister Rosemary, is a licensed minister and my wife.

When healthy she likes to sing and play (strum) her Q-chord
 (like an electronic auto-harp but with other instrument sounds, also).
Minister Rosemary also has a ministry of prayer (praying for all involved in my internet ministry, including you).
Her ministry as the Lord leads and the opportunities arise includes exhortation and testifying of the love of Jesus.
In fact now they are coming to her.  
Minister Rosemary finds ways to bring Jesus and prayer into the conversations with her therapist and nurses when they come to the house to tend to her.  While they are tending to her; she tends to them spiritually.
Praise God! 
Please pray for her speedy recovery. 
I know Minister Rosemary, Sister Rosemary appreciates everyone's prayers.
Thanks for your prayers.

3. Please pray for our ministry.
Both our internet ministry and other aspects of ministry.
I love preaching the Word, teaching the Word, exhorting, ministering to the Lost and to God's people.
I desire to preach as an Evangelist more often but in the past few years, evangelistic opportunities for us to minister are rare.
Minister Rosemary, my wife loves to visit churches with me, sing, testify, pray with and encourage the whole congregation, as well as individuals.  Please pay that once Minister Rosemary is recovered, that the Lord will open up doors for us to do Pulpit ministry as visiting evangelists to various churches in Maine and New England. 
Evangelizing even further, if it be the Lord's will and He provides the finances.



III Greetings from a Chaplain in Baghdad
I do not personally know Chaplain Jim White but His message about Christ in Christmas and request for prayer, I am sure is representative of all of our Christian chaplains serving with the military in Baghdad, Afghanistan etc.
As I said this is a video of a Chaplain Jim White in Baghdad sending his Christmas greetings and asking for prayer for those serving in the military.



IV Christmas Kindness 
Touched By An Angel ?

Because my legs bother me constantly but worse when I am on my feet,
(except for while I preach under the anointing),
I try to use a riding cart many stores make available.
Thankfully Walmart is one of those stores. 

A side note for the fist time in years, our local Walmart has lawn Nativity scenes.
This gladdens my heart, that even in their merchandising they are acknowledging Christmas and not just a "Winter Holiday".  If only I could afford a set!

Anyway back to my main thought.
Usually, my wife Minister Rosemary helps me.  She helps me by getting a regular grocery cart and putting all of our groceries in it as I check out.   Then once I park the riding cart I lean on the regular grocery cart which now has our groceries placed in it and I push it out to the parking lot.
But she is home-bound during her recovery.

This true story happened to me earlier this week.
I did so much shopping that the small basket in the riding cart was almost over full (grocery shopping and Christmas dinner shopping).
I was also carrying a large box (plastic shelves kit) with one hand while steering the riding cart with the other.
When I got to the check-out the woman in front of me asked if I would be able to fit everything back in the small basket of the riding cart.  My response was to thank her and say something like;
"It's OK, I will get by".
She was done ringing up her stuff and I thought was gone.
The next thing I know she had an empty cart, and was putting my bagged up groceries and merchandise in the regular cart as the cashier rang them up.  Then she pushed the regular cart out to the entrance for me while I parked the riding cart.
I thanked her immensely and offered her $5 for her helping me and for her time (over 20 minutes, maybe over 1/2 hour).  She told me; "No that is alright.  Just give it to Salvation Army". 
I had to drive to the other entrance because Salvation Army was not at both entrances but after experiencing such kindness; I was glad to give to the Salvation Army who helps so many low-income families have a nicer Christmas.

It almost felt like I was in a mini-Christian Christmas version of "Touched By An Angel".
Now that lady had the Christmas Spirit. I never found out if she was a Christian or not but she had the Christmas Spirit of taking the time to give of herself and then still think of others again.  People that give of themselves like that at Christmas time,  often are the kind that do give of themselves all year long.
Was I touched by an Angel?
Maybe.
That stranger's kindness is one more reason that this Christmas Season special to me;
knowing that there are still strangers willing to take time to help others.

Which reminds me of something else.
Yes, Jesus is the reason for the season
and to remember it; that is an excellent start!
But I also saw this slogan recently:
"Jesus is the reason for every season."
AMEN!





V  Food For Thought
 
I believe if you look at the story of Elizabeth's conception shortly after the Holy Day (Yom Kippur) and then later Mary's conception.  Then do a little arithmetic and you would discover that Jesus was most likely born between late December and ealy January.
I could go into explaining this in more detail but I think this Newsletter will be long enough.
Even if Jesus was not born this time of year it is an opportunity but first a little background.

Some people observe traditions out of tradition.
That is not always good because some traditions might be harmless while other traditions might go against Christianity,
like lifting up Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus, Kris Kringle) above Jesus Christ.  The real Saint Nickolaus would roll over in His grave and rebuke all who would do such a thing to His Saviour.  The best I know is that Saint Nicholas served the same God as us, Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

Then there are traditions of anti-tradition.
Like those who insist that Christmas was only instituted because the Church world was Romanized (Roman pagan influence) as a result of Constatine's claim to Christian conversion. Maybe his conversion was sincere, maybe not.
Some scholars along with ministers and Christians who study them claim that Constatine is how the catholic, universal  church adopted so much pagan Romanism.
 Maybe Constatine was sincere.  Even so, many claimed to be converted especially soldiers and Roman politicians in order to say they were of the same faith as Constatine, and to be able to claim to be Constatine's brother.
(Even the pagans grasped the idea that the Christians claimed to be a family in Christ and thus brothers and sisters.). 
Perhaps Constatine did introduce Romanism into he church world. Maybe not.  Maybe it just happened from all those claiming to be Christian in order to be associated with Constatine joining the church while still pagan at heart.
If a church even nowadays tripled and most of those new voting members were desiring everything except Jesus Christ,
that would be enough to make the church start practicing and preaching/teaching unbiblical ideas.  Especially  if as a new majority they just happened to eventually vote in a church board that thought like them and then found a pastor who thought like them to replace the Bible preaching Holiness Pastor.
Of course it would be wrong but it has happened to some churches and even whole denominations.
Churches approving of Sodmites uniting (homosexual marraiges and civil unions of them) is one modern example of this.

Anyway, many claim that Christmas was started because of the Pagan Festival during the Winter Solstice which is on December 21.  Scholars and commentators smarter then myself have debated for centuries whether Christ's birth was December 25th or it was hand-picked for the then Romanized Church World by pagan influences not wanting to give up their Winter Solstice celebrations.
One thing I will acknowledge is that some of customs and ideas originated in Paganism, like Christmas magic, luck (good or bad) and elves are 3 examples.  In fact elves, fairies, genies, gnomes were originally all part of pagan religious belief systems.  In reality elves, fairies, genies, gnomes etc. were demons spirits that the people were afraid of and oftentimes also worshiped.
On Mars Hill In the King James Bible;l the Apostle Paul told those there at mars Hill :seeing all of their idols:
"I perceive that you are a superstitious people",
which also means a religious people.
But dead religion and religion of demons does not save.
So the idea of Santa's elves is demonic because that is what elves originally were.

However Christmas only being a Pagan Festival in disguise, as a Christian Holy Day  or really being the day Jesus was born has been debated by scholars and ministers for centuries.  Many of them on both sides of the argument are more intelligent in their knowledge of the Word then myself.

I know some say that Christmas is a pagan day connected with the winter solstice of December 21.
As already stated I believe Jesus was born in late December or early January,
But even if it is true about Christmas actually being picked at December 25 due to the Winter Solstice; this is a time of year that is great opportunity for us Christians to share the Christ of Christmas.

For one: this is the only time of year people will listen to songs about Jesus (some Christmas carols), watch plays and musicals (Christmas Cantatas) about Jesus, even watch movies about Jesus and movies about the Bible.

In fact many unchurched, usually unbelieving parents and/or other relatives will attend a church to see a very amateur production because their child is in that play or church Christmas concert.  What a wonderful opportunity for the church to share the Gospel!

With all of this openness to Jesus during the Christmas season;
we should be looking for opportunities to share the reason of hope that God has given us. That hope is through Christ not only being born but also dying for our sins and raising from the dead; we not only have a hope for eternity but also as we go through this life.  Let us not lose this rare yearly opportunity by fussing over the fact that some think Jesus was not born this time of year. 

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
1 Peter 3:15

Christmas Season ( celebrating Jesus Birth) and even the New Year with all of the attempts to change (New Year's Resolutions) are times of the year that offer unique opportunities  to obey 1 Peter 3:15.
We Christians should be giving an answer of that hope all year long but this time of the year there are more opportunities  To fulfill 1 Peter 3:15 .

VI  Further Personal Experiences
of Christmas Season 2007
(so far)

Usually we like to decorate for Christmas time.  It is usually finished before Thanksgiving or mostly finished by the end of Thanksgiving weekend.
Our decorations are lights, nativity scenes (of the birth of Jesus) other Christmas paraphernalia like angels, wooden soldiers, snowflake decorations stuck to the window etc.
Also, a miniature Christmas village we have collected (mostly 1 or 2) buildings at a time over the years.
When we have space for all of our buildings there are many churches because that is my favorite part of the village ... different style churches as a reminder of serving Jesus.

Usually no Christmas tree because the Living Room is a bit crowded with one and I feel more attention should be to worshiping Jesus not the tree.
If you have a Christmas tree that is fine as long as your conscience is clear and you keep Jesus as the focus of Christmas.

Minister Rosemary (sometimes in e-mails and posts, I also refer to her as Sister Rosemary) my wife, usually helps me with decorating.
This year due to her neck surgery she is unable to assist with decorating.  Between that, my work, doing most of the house-keeping we have not decorated much and probably won't.
If our pre-teen granddaughter comes to visit and stay with us for a few days before Christmas and if she is willing to help with that then MAYBE we will decorate with lighs and our miniature Christmas village.
Since I started writing this (almost a week now)) I have set up a small nativity scene on a table in our Living Room.
Since I wrote that last paragraph my wife Rosemary had me set up a few more lights (tonight).


Anyway, every Christmas since I have become born-again back in 1975, my focus is on Jesus.  This year with no Christmas decorations most of this Christmas season and even now very few decorations (the Nativity scene and only a few lights);
my mind has been and is even more focused on Jesus of Christmas then past years.  

So Merry Christmas to all and to all a Blessed night.
Hallelujah!
Our Saviour, Jesus Christ, was born about 2000 years ago.


Also, in case I do not get a Newsletter out before New Years 2008:
Have a Happy, Safe and a Blessed New Year!

___________________________________________________________


Copyright 12-15-2007 Pastor Bill Mazzulla III


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