Daniel Whyte III's Blog, page 8
December 27, 2018
Go on the Journey of a Lifetime to See the King With Young Anata in “The Little Wise Girl”
The Little Wise Girl is the fictional story of a little girl named Anata, who went along with the three wise men to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ on that first Christmas long ago.
LISTEN: The Scripture & the Sense: Jeremiah 36 (with Daniel Whyte III)
Daniel Whyte III reads the Word of God on a daily basis and give the sense of it based on an authoritative commentary source such as Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Bible. This podcast is based upon Nehemiah 8:8 where it says Ezra and the Levites “read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” The aim of this podcast is that through the simple reading of the Word of God and the giving of the sense of it, the church would be revived and the world would be awakened.
Today we are reading Jeremiah 36.
December 26, 2018
LISTEN: How to Pray for the Good and Faithful Saints That You Don’t Know, Part 12 (Praying Through the Bible #331 with Daniel Whyte III)
Daniel Whyte IIITEXT: Colossians 1:1-14
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:
7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;
8 Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
— PRAYER —
We are in a series of messages titled “Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible.” The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have completed 330 messages in this series.
This is message #331 titled, How to Pray for the Good and Faithful Saints That You Don’t Know, Part 12.
Albert Barnes said: “Christians have been transferred from one kingdom to another, as if a people were thus removed. They become subjects of a new kingdom, are under different laws, and belong to a different community. This change is made in regeneration, by which we pass from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light; from the empire of sin, ignorance, and misery, to one of holiness, knowledge, and happiness. No change, therefore, in a man’s life is so important as this; and no words can suitably express the gratitude which they should feel who are thus transferred from the empire of darkness to the empire of light.”
Over the past few messages, we have looked at the specific prayer requests that Paul made for the believers in Colosse. He prayed for them: (1) to have the “knowledge of God’s will”; (2) to walk worthy of their salvation; (3) to be “fruitful in every good work”; (4) to ‘increase in the knowledge of God’; (5) that they would be ‘strengthened with all might according to God’s glorious power’; and (6) that they would use God’s strength to live with patience, long-suffering, joy, and thanksgiving.
As we close out this passage, we have been looking at the reasons why the saints at Colosse (and we ourselves) ought to be able to live and pray with joy and gratitude. Paul does not fail to give us specific reasons in this letter. On last week, we looked at one reason: that the Father has “made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.” The passage goes on to remind us that we ought to be thankful because the Father “hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.”
On last week, we talked about the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. However, Jesus Christ not only delivers us from the physical kingdom of darkness, but from the power of darkness as well. There are many Christians today who claim salvation through Christ, but who are still allowing sin to reign in their mortal bodies. They are still struggling under the “power of darkness” because they are trying to wrestle with the darkness in their own strength or they are trying to hold on to some sin that they enjoy.
Adam Clarke said, “Darkness is here personified, and is represented as having power, authority, and sway; all Jews and Gentiles who have not embraced the Gospel are under this authority and power. And the apostle intimates here that nothing less than the power of God can redeem a man from this darkness, or from the prince of darkness, who, by means of sin and unbelief, keeps men in ignorance, vice, and misery.”
We have to let go of our sin if we want to be delivered from the power of darkness. We have to hand the reins of our life over to God who not only delivers us from darkness but “translates” us into “the kingdom of his dear Son.” The Greek word translated as “translate” means “to transpose, transfer, or remove from one place to another.” It indicates a “change of situation or place.” As a believer in Christ, you can be grateful that you are not what you used to be. You have been transformed into the likeness of Christ, and you are being molded more and more into His image each and every day. On a daily basis, your time of prayer ought to be used to consciously invite God into your life to continue His transforming and translating work.
Charles G. Ames wrote:
Father in Heaven, hear us today;
Hallowed Thy name be; hear us, we pray!
O let Thy kingdom come, O let Thy will be done,
By all beneath the sun, as in the skies.
Father in Heaven, hear us today;
Hallowed Thy name be; hear us, we pray!
Giver of daily food, Fountain of truth and good,
Be all our hearts imbued with love like Thine.
Father in Heaven, hear us today;
Hallowed Thy name be; hear us, we pray!
Lead us in paths of light, save us from sin and blight,
King of all love and might, glorious for aye.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Now, if you are with us today, and you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, your first prayer needs to be what we call the Sinner’s Prayer. First, please understand that you are a sinner, just as I am, and that you have broken God’s laws. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now this is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, I declare to you that based upon the Word of God, you are now saved from Hell and you are on your way to Heaven. Welcome to the family of God! Congratulations on trusting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. You have done the most important thing in life. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door, by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
LISTEN: Daniel Whyte III Preaches 100th Message in Current Segment of the Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign Titled an Unadorned Christmas Celebration on Christmas Day
Daniel Whyte IIITEXT: Luke 2:8-20
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
——-
G.K. Chesterton said, “One of the strangest things about our own topsy-turvy time is that we all hear such a vast amount about Christmas just before it comes, and suddenly hear nothing at all about it afterwards.”
I was raised with the traditional Christmas celebrations like everyone else — Santa, the Grinch, presents, Christmas trees, etc. I never knew what Christmas meant until I got saved on December 19, 1979.
Being saved six days before Christmas made a major impression on me. The church that I was in at the time took me out street preaching with them in New Orleans. The only verse I knew was Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” And I repeated that verse over and over again amid the crowds of people out shopping in preparation for Christmas.
After getting saved, no one told me how to celebrate Christmas. However, I knew that the commercialization and consumerism that I had grown up with was not what Christmas was all about. From that time forward, I never celebrated Christmas in the traditional way.
Even after I married and started a family (of over 30 years now), we never gave or received gifts, put up lights, decorated a tree, told our children about Santa Claus, sung any of the secular Christmas songs, or anything like that.
Instead, on Christmas, we keep the focus on Jesus Christ. We have our regular family devotions, followed by reading the Christmas story from Luke chapter 2. We have a special breakfast (our favorite is an English breakfast). As a minister of the Gospel, I preach a Christmas message. We also pass out Gospel tracts. In the evening, we enjoy a special dinner meal.
——
The colossal annual build-up to Christmas is indeed one of the strangest phenomenons in the Western world. Retailers start selling Christmas supplies and decorations in October. A week before Thanksgiving, Christmas music is playing non-stop in stores and on public transportation. The day after Thanksgiving launches advertisers into an incessant hawking of wares that lasts until midnight on Christmas Eve. And then, for many in the world, Christmas comes. There are family gatherings, parties, opening of presents, Christmas movies, maybe a basketball game. And then the next day, it’s all over. All that build-up for one day of celebration that, when it’s over, can feel hollow and vain. At least most people have the debt to remember it by.
Something is obviously wrong with the popular celebration of Christmas. The reason why so many are left feeling empty at the end of the 50-day ramp-up is because they have missed the entire point of the celebration and have only been engaging in superficial festivity. In her recent article in Church Life Journal, titled “The Sham Practice of Christmas,” Haley Stewart pulls from German philosopher Josef Pieper and Charles Dickens’ “Christmas Carol” to explain what stands at the root of the true festival of Christmas. She writes, “An encounter with the divine is always a necessary element to a true festival. Regardless of religion or cultural traditions, a true festival is founded not by humans but by divinity. It must be rooted in an event in which the supernatural touches the material—it cannot be observed merely in praise of a nebulous idea or a mere memorial. Something real must happen.”
Ask a secular person what Christmas is all about, and they will say something along the lines of: spending time with family, enjoying a good meal, giving gifts to the people you care about. To these persons, I would ask, “Shouldn’t you — don’t you — do those things all year round?” There is no true celebration in the world’s observance of Christmas because it does not acknowledge and embrace an encounter with the divine. The passage we just read records such an encounter.
Several shepherds are out doing the most mundane of duties — watching their sheep at night. Some of them are probably half-sleep, leaning on their staff. The rest are standing around, shooting the breeze, talking about about the news of the day. When, suddenly, “the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them.” In an instant, their world inverted. Night became day. Their focus shifted from the sheep on the ground to the angel in the sky. The mundane became magical. The ordinary became extraordinary. Their ease turned to fear. The glory of God ripped the cosmos to announce “good tidings of great joy.”
The good tidings were that the “Savior, Christ the Lord,” had been born into the world. Christmas is not Christmas — it is not a true celebration or festival — without Jesus at its center. In this day and time, we must heed the words of the angel and the example of the shepherds. If we want to celebrate this holiday correctly and reclaim it for its true purpose in the world, we must seek Christ on Christmas.
Notice, first, the angel’s words: “Ye shall find the babe.” The onus is on the shepherds to capitalize on the news that they had just received. They had to seek Christ on that first Christmas. It was a deliberate act. All they knew was that the Savior was born in a manger in Bethlehem, the City of David. The shepherds set a great example for us with their response to the angels’ announcement. They said to one another, “Let us now go and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.” But that is not all: “They came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.” How many Christians are guilty of getting caught up in the mayhem of Christmas preparations that they completely forget the only reason it is worth celebrating? The babe lying in a manger must be at the heart of all our celebrations this time of year. John 3:16!
However, seeking Christ on Christmas is not all that is required to make our holiday observance worthwhile. Notice, second, what the shepherds did once they found the Christ-child. Verse 17 tells us that what “they had seen, they made known abroad.” They told everybody they met that night, and the next day, and the day after that — no doubt, they were talking about it for weeks on end — “The Savior, Christ the Lord is born! The Messiah is upon the Earth! God is with us! The King has come! Peace and goodwill to all!” We ought to commemorate Christ’s coming each year, but Christmas ought to also be seen as an evangelistic opportunity. What better time is there to tell people that Someone came to save us from our sins?
Finally, look at verse 20. “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen.” This is the basis for our continuing observance of Christmas. While some may feel that December 25th has been hijacked by the world or the devil, that is no excuse for those of us who know its true meaning to grow sour on celebration. This day ought to be spent glorifying and praising God for the gift of His Son. And not only this day, but every day. As Haley Stewart writes in the article I mentioned earlier: “A true festival must reach beyond a historical moment in the past to touch us in the present and it must point to a hope for the future. For a festival to be a true festival it must, in some sense, be always happening, a ‘mysterious contemporizing of the event.’ Easter is not merely the memorial of a historical moment but a celebration of the continuous reality of the Resurrection. With this understanding, it makes sense when Ebenezer Scrooge says, ‘I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, Present, and Future.’
“Because a true festival is always occurring, it must, in some sense, be kept all the year.”
William Chatterton wrote:
What Child is this who, laid to rest
On Mary’s lap is sleeping,
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
Why lies He in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
Come peasant, king to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
——-
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, allow me to show you how you can receive the greatest gift ever given – salvation full and free through Jesus Christ.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
LISTEN: Daniel Whyte III Takes a Break From Reading Jeremiah to Read the Christmas Story Which He Has Read to His Family for 31 Years on Christmas Day; The Scripture & the Sense: Luke 2
Daniel Whyte III reads the Word of God on a daily basis and give the sense of it based on an authoritative commentary source such as Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Bible. This podcast is based upon Nehemiah 8:8 where it says Ezra and the Levites “read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” The aim of this podcast is that through the simple reading of the Word of God and the giving of the sense of it, the church would be revived and the world would be awakened.
Today we are reading Luke 2.
LISTEN: The Scripture & the Sense: Luke 2 (with Daniel Whyte III)
Daniel Whyte III reads the Word of God on a daily basis and give the sense of it based on an authoritative commentary source such as Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Bible. This podcast is based upon Nehemiah 8:8 where it says Ezra and the Levites “read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” The aim of this podcast is that through the simple reading of the Word of God and the giving of the sense of it, the church would be revived and the world would be awakened.
Today we are reading Luke 2.
December 25, 2018
LISTEN: An Unadorned Christmas Celebration with Daniel Whyte III
Daniel Whyte IIITEXT: Luke 2:8-20
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
——-
G.K. Chesterton said, “One of the strangest things about our own topsy-turvy time is that we all hear such a vast amount about Christmas just before it comes, and suddenly hear nothing at all about it afterwards.”
I was raised with the traditional Christmas celebrations like everyone else — Santa, the Grinch, presents, Christmas trees, etc. I never knew what Christmas meant until I got saved on December 19, 1979.
Being saved six days before Christmas made a major impression on me. The church that I was in at the time took me out street preaching with them in New Orleans. The only verse I knew was Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” And I repeated that verse over and over again amid the crowds of people out shopping in preparation for Christmas.
After getting saved, no one told me how to celebrate Christmas. However, I knew that the commercialization and consumerism that I had grown up with was not what Christmas was all about. From that time forward, I never celebrated Christmas in the traditional way.
Even after I married and started a family (of over 30 years now), we never gave or received gifts, put up lights, decorated a tree, told our children about Santa Claus, sung any of the secular Christmas songs, or anything like that.
Instead, on Christmas, we keep the focus on Jesus Christ. We have our regular family devotions, followed by reading the Christmas story from Luke chapter 2. We have a special breakfast (our favorite is an English breakfast). As a minister of the Gospel, I preach a Christmas message. We also pass out Gospel tracts. In the evening, we enjoy a special dinner meal.
——
The colossal annual build-up to Christmas is indeed one of the strangest phenomenons in the Western world. Retailers start selling Christmas supplies and decorations in October. A week before Thanksgiving, Christmas music is playing non-stop in stores and on public transportation. The day after Thanksgiving launches advertisers into an incessant hawking of wares that lasts until midnight on Christmas Eve. And then, for many in the world, Christmas comes. There are family gatherings, parties, opening of presents, Christmas movies, maybe a basketball game. And then the next day, it’s all over. All that build-up for one day of celebration that, when it’s over, can feel hollow and vain. At least most people have the debt to remember it by.
Something is obviously wrong with the popular celebration of Christmas. The reason why so many are left feeling empty at the end of the 50-day ramp-up is because they have missed the entire point of the celebration and have only been engaging in superficial festivity. In her recent article in Church Life Journal, titled “The Sham Practice of Christmas,” Haley Stewart pulls from German philosopher Josef Pieper and Charles Dickens’ “Christmas Carol” to explain what stands at the root of the true festival of Christmas. She writes, “An encounter with the divine is always a necessary element to a true festival. Regardless of religion or cultural traditions, a true festival is founded not by humans but by divinity. It must be rooted in an event in which the supernatural touches the material—it cannot be observed merely in praise of a nebulous idea or a mere memorial. Something real must happen.”
Ask a secular person what Christmas is all about, and they will say something along the lines of: spending time with family, enjoying a good meal, giving gifts to the people you care about. To these persons, I would ask, “Shouldn’t you — don’t you — do those things all year round?” There is no true celebration in the world’s observance of Christmas because it does not acknowledge and embrace an encounter with the divine. The passage we just read records such an encounter.
Several shepherds are out doing the most mundane of duties — watching their sheep at night. Some of them are probably half-sleep, leaning on their staff. The rest are standing around, shooting the breeze, talking about about the news of the day. When, suddenly, “the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them.” In an instant, their world inverted. Night became day. Their focus shifted from the sheep on the ground to the angel in the sky. The mundane became magical. The ordinary became extraordinary. Their ease turned to fear. The glory of God ripped the cosmos to announce “good tidings of great joy.”
The good tidings were that the “Savior, Christ the Lord,” had been born into the world. Christmas is not Christmas — it is not a true celebration or festival — without Jesus at its center. In this day and time, we must heed the words of the angel and the example of the shepherds. If we want to celebrate this holiday correctly and reclaim it for its true purpose in the world, we must seek Christ on Christmas.
Notice, first, the angel’s words: “Ye shall find the babe.” The onus is on the shepherds to capitalize on the news that they had just received. They had to seek Christ on that first Christmas. It was a deliberate act. All they knew was that the Savior was born in a manger in Bethlehem, the City of David. The shepherds set a great example for us with their response to the angels’ announcement. They said to one another, “Let us now go and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.” But that is not all: “They came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.” How many Christians are guilty of getting caught up in the mayhem of Christmas preparations that they completely forget the only reason it is worth celebrating? The babe lying in a manger must be at the heart of all our celebrations this time of year. John 3:16!
However, seeking Christ on Christmas is not all that is required to make our holiday observance worthwhile. Notice, second, what the shepherds did once they found the Christ-child. Verse 17 tells us that what “they had seen, they made known abroad.” They told everybody they met that night, and the next day, and the day after that — no doubt, they were talking about it for weeks on end — “The Savior, Christ the Lord is born! The Messiah is upon the Earth! God is with us! The King has come! Peace and goodwill to all!” We ought to commemorate Christ’s coming each year, but Christmas ought to also be seen as an evangelistic opportunity. What better time is there to tell people that Someone came to save us from our sins?
Finally, look at verse 20. “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen.” This is the basis for our continuing observance of Christmas. While some may feel that December 25th has been hijacked by the world or the devil, that is no excuse for those of us who know its true meaning to grow sour on celebration. This day ought to be spent glorifying and praising God for the gift of His Son. And not only this day, but every day. As Haley Stewart writes in the article I mentioned earlier: “A true festival must reach beyond a historical moment in the past to touch us in the present and it must point to a hope for the future. For a festival to be a true festival it must, in some sense, be always happening, a ‘mysterious contemporizing of the event.’ Easter is not merely the memorial of a historical moment but a celebration of the continuous reality of the Resurrection. With this understanding, it makes sense when Ebenezer Scrooge says, ‘I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, Present, and Future.’
“Because a true festival is always occurring, it must, in some sense, be kept all the year.”
William Chatterton wrote:
What Child is this who, laid to rest
On Mary’s lap is sleeping,
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
Why lies He in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
Come peasant, king to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
——-
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, allow me to show you how you can receive the greatest gift ever given – salvation full and free through Jesus Christ.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
LISTEN: The Scripture & the Sense: Jeremiah 35 (with Daniel Whyte III)
Daniel Whyte III reads the Word of God on a daily basis and give the sense of it based on an authoritative commentary source such as Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Bible. This podcast is based upon Nehemiah 8:8 where it says Ezra and the Levites “read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” The aim of this podcast is that through the simple reading of the Word of God and the giving of the sense of it, the church would be revived and the world would be awakened.
Today we are reading Jeremiah 35.
December 24, 2018
LISTEN: The Story of Jesus and the Depressed and Defeated Paralytic, Part 6 (Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign, Day 640 since Jan. 20, 2017 / Day 1,007 since Jan. 1, 2016 with Daniel Whyte III)
Daniel Whyte IIITEXT: Matthew 9:1-8
1 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.
2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.
4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?
5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?
6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.
7 And he arose, and departed to his house.
8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
——-
Nick Bibile said, “The New Testament church started with family worship. Jesus very often taught in homes — remember how he taught in Mary and Martha’s home and the home he was teaching in when a leper’s friends tore off the roof. He ate and fellowshipped in homes. After the resurrection, believers met at homes to worship God. The true church is the home church. Later on, as the home churches grew they constructed buildings where believers could gather in the name of the Lord. But family worship was not neglected.”
Albert Barnes said, “Healing involves divine power, forgiveness involves divine authority, and neither can be done but by God. One is as easy as the other; and to be able to do the one, involves the right and the power to do the other.”
As we return to this passage, let’s put our feet in the shoes of the paralyzed man for a moment. Let’s lay on his sick bed and look at these events through his eyes. He has, no doubt, been through an uncomfortable ordeal, having been carried through the streets on his bed, taken up to the roof of a house, watched as his friends (probably with tools of some kind) tore a hole in the roof of the house, and then been lowered through the roof into a room full of people and presented to the man teaching them, named Jesus. This sick man, laid out on a stretcher, unable to move a muscle, does not like suddenly being made the center of attention. Sure, he is glad his friends went through the trouble to bring him to Jesus. But, at this point, he is hoping for a quick healing miracle, so he can get up and get out from under the gazes of so many.
Instead, as he lays there, Jesus tells him to “be of good cheer.” A wonderful encouragement, no doubt. Then, Jesus tells him that his sins are forgiven. Certainly, that’s good to hear. But, suddenly, Jesus — this Man who is supposed to heal him — turns his attention to others in the crowd and asks, “Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?” The man, who has no indication that anyone else has caught Jesus’ attention looks around wondering who Jesus is talking to.
You see, in this passage, the sick man and the people gathered to hear Jesus are only seeing things through their physical senses. However, Jesus is dealing with things on a spiritual level. First, we are informed that Jesus “sees” the invisible faith of the man’s friends. Second, we notice that Jesus sees the invisible sins of the paralyzed man and his need for forgiveness. Finally, we see the invisible thoughts of the religious leaders who were accusing him of blasphemy for declaring the man forgiven. Now, Jesus puts the religious leaders to a test. He asks them, “For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?”
The religious leaders had all seen the evidence that Jesus could heal. That was undeniable. But simply because the evidence for one thing can be seen, does that really make it any easier to accomplish than the thing that is not seen? Dr. John MacArthur tells us that Jesus asked “in effect, ‘Do you think it impossible for Me to forgive sins? Is one easier than the other?’ Sin and disease are inseparable, just as are sin and demons, sin and death, sin and disaster, and sin and the devil. The One who brought the kingdom would have to deal with sin or else He could not deal with the rest; and the One who could deal with the rest could also deal with sin. If Jesus could not deal with sin by putting it away, He could not deal with anything else related to sin. But He could deal with both sin and its symptoms.”
The religious leaders did not answer Jesus either way because the answer was obvious. Just as no man could forgive sins, no man could heal disease with a word. And, just as only God could heal disease with a word, only God could forgive sins. If Jesus could do one, He could do the other. And if Jesus did both, then He was God. That is who we are dealing with when we come to God with our prayers, our diseases, our sins, our broken hearts and wounded spirits. He sees beyond the apparent physical lack to the real spiritual need. He digs deeper — sometimes, much deeper than we want Him to; He touches us in the secret places, and heals us as only He can.
Thomas Sullivan wrote:
To the feet of my Savior in trembling and fear,
A penitent sinner I came;
He saw, and in mercy, He bade me draw near;
All glory and praise to His name.
I knew not the tender compassion and love
That Jesus, my Savior, had shown;
Tho’ burdened with grief, His hand brought relief,
He healed me and called me His own.
He touched me and thus made me whole;
Bringing comfort and rest to my soul;
O glad happy day, all my sins rolled away!
For He touched me and thus made me whole.
——-
Now, if you are with us today and you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, allow me to show you how you can place your faith and trust in Him for Salvation from sin and Hell.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
LISTEN: The Scripture & the Sense: Jeremiah 34 (with Daniel Whyte III)
Daniel Whyte III reads the Word of God on a daily basis and give the sense of it based on an authoritative commentary source such as Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Bible. This podcast is based upon Nehemiah 8:8 where it says Ezra and the Levites “read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” The aim of this podcast is that through the simple reading of the Word of God and the giving of the sense of it, the church would be revived and the world would be awakened.
Today we are reading Jeremiah 34.
