Merry Christmas! 2019

Dr. and Mrs. Paul Manuel

Christmas 2019

Dear Family and Friends,

          Many changes in life are temporary; they come and go. Other changes in life are permanent; they represent a ‘new normal,’ the introduction of fresh conditions that fundamentally alter a situation. Sometimes these changes are surprising even when they come with plenty of warning. Jesus’ birth was an event that introduced a ‘new normal,’ negative for those who were not paying attention or looking forward to his advent, like the king and some religious leaders, but positive for those who were paying attention and looking forward to his advent, like the magi and some shepherds:

Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him. (Matt 2:2)

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. (Luke 2:11-12)

Jesus’ advent also came with several pre-indicators for those really paying attention:

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. (Isa 11:1)

To us a child is born…. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isa 9:6)

He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isa 53:5)

So, what ‘new normal’ does Jesus’ advent represent? We often link his birth with his death, and rightly so, but his coming does not provide a new means of atonement. Pardon for sin had been available “from the creation of the world” (Rev 13:8). The ‘new normal’ of Jesus’ advent is, in part, the fundamental change it makes possible for God’s people to understand God’s plan and their role in it: that “by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Heb 10:14). Do you ever think of the holiday this way? Because of Jesus’ advent

you are “being made holy.”

          With all the focus the holiday usually places on the preparations you make to meet with other people, consider also how you are preparing to meet with God and how you will represent Him this season. If Jesus came in part to make you holy, does that show in your various encounters with others, whether shopping, driving, or entertaining? Christmas is not merely about your remembering Jesus, it is about your representing him, as well. Are you paying attention and watching for those opportunities?

          May you experience a joyous holiday as you grasp the holiness of this ‘new normal,’ both this season and this new year. Merry Christmas!

Linda and Pastor

Merry Christmas! 2018

Dr and Mrs Paul Manuel

5351 Church View Road

Loysburg, PA  16659

Dear Family and Friends,

Technology can be eminently frustrating or it can be eminently satisfying. For me, technology has been the former lately, when the letters on my computer keyboard began behaving erratically, sometimes responding and other times not. I often found myself pounding the keyboard in an effort to produce a single character. Fortunately, between my poor typing skills and my laborious thought process, my frustration was limited, as even under optimum conditions what I compose sometimes takes a while to form on a page.

Thankfully, God has no such limitations. Whatever He wishes to appear does so immediately, without delay. When He commanded angels to announce the birth of His son, there was no lag in their coming: "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared" (Luke 2:13).

When Luke used the word 'suddenly,' it was only sudden from man's perspective, not from God's perspective. People were not expecting anything important to happen. For the shepherds, "keeping watch over their flocks" (Luke 2:8), Jesus' birth was a happy occasion, a joyous event that warranted their immediate attention "So, they hurried off and found the baby lying in a manger" (Luke 2:16).

This holiday has become so familiar to us that we sometimes view it as a burden, something to get through. Yet these days should also be a happy occasion because of what God did so many years ago.

God does not rely on technology to get things done. God does not rely on anything outside Himself. Unlike man He is independent, and God's independence will be evident in Jesus' second advent as it was in his first advent. We may think that any sudden action by God is well past by now. Yet, He does have more to come, "So you must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him" (Matt 24:44).

We may become impatient or frustrated when technology fails to provide the instant gratification we expect. There is no impatience or frustration with God. Whatever He plans runs smoothly and on schedule. That was the case with Jesus' first advent—"When the time had fully come, God sent his son" (Gal 4:4)—and it will be the case with Jesus' second advent, which will include some of the same characters:

Immediately after the distress of those days...the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky...and he will send his angels [to] gather his elect...from one end of the heavens to the other. (Matt 24:29-31)

We wish you a very Merry Christmas as well as a happy and healthy New Year, free from the frustration of failing technology. May our great God satisfy you with many blessings as you serve Him.

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Paul and Linda

For a pdf see here.

Merry Christmas! 2017

Dr and Mrs Paul Manuel

5351 Church View Road

Loysburg, PA  16664

Dear Family and Friends,

Christmas is ever an opportunity for both affirmation and anticipation, despite what may have happened in the past or what may be happening in the present, affirmation of what we know about God and anticipation of what we know God is about. It was so on the first Christmas, and it should be so on this Christmas. The first Christmas affirmed that God is deserving of "glory in the highest" (Luke 2:14). The first Christmas affirmed that events were not out of control, despite their appearance, but were very much in control as God was fulfilling His plan "when the time had fully come" (Gal 4:4).

For Jews in the first century, it had been many years since the Lord made Himself known as "the God of Israel" (Exod 24:9; Jer 50:18). The Roman government controlled both the land of Israel and the people of Israel. Most citizens of the Empire, if they had any religious inclination, were polytheists not monotheists. As Jews looked to the future, their national prospects were not especially bright. They lived under the thumb of an oppressive regime with no relief in sight. Many wondered if God had abandoned them, despite the repeated promise of His presence: "I am with you" (Isa 41:10; 43:5; Jer 1:8; 30:11; 42:11; 46:28; Hag 1:13; 2:4).

It is similar in America today for gentile believers and for Jews. A largely secular government controls both the land and its citizens. Most people, if they have any inclination, are increasingly secular. They live under a regime (and in a society) that is often hostile to godly concerns. Christians continue to observe their holidays but with the ever-present denuding of their formerly explicit religious content (despite the president's return to "Merry Christmas"), the same question inevitably rises: "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." (2 Pet 3:4) But God has not changed. His plan is still on track, and He remains committed to His people.

Christmas is an annual reminder that neither God nor His program has changed. He is still concerned for and committed to the best interests of His people. The promise He issued through Jeremiah holds true yet today: "I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord... "plans to give you hope and a future" (29:11). Christmas is the regular confirmation of God's good intentions for His people: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isa 9:6)

May the affirmation and anticipation of this season stay with you throughout the new year as you contemplate the joy of the savior's advent.

Merry Christmas!
Pastor Paul and Linda

For a pdf see here.

The Word became flesh

A TASTE OF ETERNITY (John 1:14, 18)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—Christmas 1996

One of the most conspicuous elements of the holiday season is food, often an abundance of it and in great variety. This poses something of a threat to those who try to regulate what they eat. The temptation to consume that which is too sweet, too high in fat or salt, and invariably too much is often overwhelming. So much so that—for you Star Trek fans—many people take a "Borg" approach to all this food—"Resistance is futile!"—and they just set their diets aside for a few days.

There is another aspect of Christmas that is neither high in calories nor cholesterol, one to which the apostle John alludes in the first chapter of his gospel, because Christmas is a taste of eternity.

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.... 18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

Moses once asked God to reveal Himself, but God replied, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live" (Exod 33:20). Paul calls God the one "who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see" (1 Tim 6:16). In his Revelation, though, John says that those who have a part in the new heaven and new earth God will create for His people will do what no one else has ever done: "They will see his face" (Rev 22:4a; cf. Matt 5:8).

The significance of Christmas is that it gives us a taste of that future reality. John says, "No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known." Jesus has revealed what we would not, what we could not see this side of eternity—the embodiment of the attributes of God, those qualities that describe who and what God is. So what do we see in Jesus?

• Faithfulness to the promise of a Savior
• Compassion to heal the sick
• Wisdom in teaching
• Glory at the transfiguration
• Power to raise the dead
• Love at Calvary

All these and more help us to visualize God. They offer us a partial glimpse now of what no one has ever seen or could see, a flash of what we may see fully later.

"May see" sounds pretty tentative. How can we be sure of securing a place in eternity with God? John tells us that too, as he describes another reason for Christmas.

John 3:16 God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.... 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in... God's one and only Son.

Our sin has separated us from God, and Jesus came to repair that breach by suffering the penalty in our place.

1 John 4:9b [God] sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

The benefit of his sacrifice, though, only comes to those who believe, who appropriate what he has done for them. It is in this way that we ensure what was once impossible will become a reality, forever.

As you contemplate all the extra food this season, remember what else Christmas offers: a taste of eternity—of what it will be like to see God and of what it takes to live with God.

For a pdf see here.

Merry Christmas! 2016

Dr. and Mrs. Paul Manuel 

Christmas 2016

Dear Family and Friends,

I was a good driver. In over forty years on the road I had very few accidents. What mishaps I did have were minor and limited to my earliest experiences behind the wheel. There is a learning curve in operating a motor vehicle. Despite the instruction I received and the literature I read, nothing was as useful as time on the road. Thankfully, moving to the countryside of Pennsylvania did not require major adjustments because driving is a transferable skill. Operating a car in the suburbs and city of New York is similar to operating a car in the countryside of Pennsylvania. To be sure, there are different challenges. Deer replaced pedestrians as a most prominent hazard because on foot neither of them may follow on-the-road etiquette. Still, just as I had managed to avoid hitting pedestrians so I avoided the local fauna (although the latter are often faster and more unpredictable). I was a good driver. That changed when I got my new motorized wheelchair. While I have not taken it outside, the marks on the walls and doorways of the house attest to there being a learning curve in operating that device as well. This is true for many aspects of life, and it was true for those who heard about the birth of Jesus.

Jesus' advent that first Christmas was largely unexpected and challenged the faith of many in the first century. People did not immediately embrace the news of the messiah's birth or grasp the significance of his redemptive mission, yet some had faith in what God would do. Two parties stand out as the extremes of people's initial responses.

• Wise men traveled some distance to see Jesus with only a star to guide them:

Magi from the east came to Jerusalem.... "We saw his star ... and have come to worship him." (Matt 2:1b, 2b)

The learning curve of their faith was probably quite steep at the beginning of their journey, especially as they had so little indication that they would actually find the one they sought. Their quest succeeded, however, for Jesus awaited them in Bethlehem.

Coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. (Matt 2:11)

• Herod the Great reacted violently to the news of Jesus' birth:

He gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under.... (Matt 2:16)

The learning curve of Herod's faith was nonexistent, for he demonstrated only hostility toward the infant king. Herod's plan failed, however, as Jesus escaped to Egypt.

After Herod died.... Joseph took the child and his mother and returned to the land of Israel. (Matt 2:19, 21)

The Magi and Herod were only some of the first respondents to Jesus, but others later were equally varied. Whether common folk or religious leaders, they all had their own learning curve in understanding him.

As the annual commemoration of the savior's birth arrives again, it is appropriate to consider our own learning curve. Is it as steep as it was last year, or has our journey become more level as we draw closer to him? May the joy of this season bring a greater appreciation for what God did in sending Jesus.
Merry Christmas! Pastor and Linda

For a pdf see here.

Merry Chiristmas 2015

Dr. and Mrs. Paul Manuel

Christmas 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

This past year has marked a significant change for us: retirement. Many of the activities that gave life regularity because we did them every week are no longer part of our routine. We have had to develop new patterns. Although we miss some of the old activities (e.g., choir), we realize that such change is inevitable. Nevertheless, it is good that some things do not change, that some things continue to be a regular part of life. If everything changed at once, it would be too unsettling, too confusing. Christmas is one of those things that does not change, and though we may bemoan the “holiday creep” as seasonal music and store decorations seem to manifest earlier every year, we can still appreciate the regularity this day brings as it recurs each December 25. In a way, the regularity of Christmas reflects the immutability of God, that He does not change:

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17)

Yet it was not always so. There was, after all, no Christmas before the first Christmas. God introduced a measure of regularity into the lives of His people by marking significant occasions of His intervention, like Passover, that celebrates the physical redemption of God’s people from slavery. Fifteen hundred years later, He marked another significant occasion of His intervention, with Christmas, that celebrates the spiritual redemption of God’s people from sin. As the angel said to Joseph about Jesus, “he will save his people from their sins” (Matt 1:21).

Some think of regularity as boring, and they wait for a new experience to excite their senses, like Jesus’ return: 

They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:4)

Predictability is not the kind of regularity that God employs. On the contrary, despite appearances He will disrupt the status quo (our schedule) when it suits His purpose. That is what He did when Jesus appeared the first time. It was not according to someone else’s expectations but “when the time had fully come” (Gal 4:4) according to God’s plan. That is also when Jesus will appear the second time. It will not be when people are saying “peace and safety” (1 Thess 5:3) but at a time “the Father has set” (Acts 1:8).

Even though God’s schedule is different from our schedule, and even when time marks significant change for us, His program still possesses a regularity upon which we can depend, and Christmas is an annual reminder of that regularity. May the stability of the season be an ever-present reminder of the love God expressed when He sent Jesus to “save his people from their sins.”

Merry Christmas!

Pastor and Linda

Christmas Letter 2015

Christmas (Heb 2:17)

CHRISTMAS:
From the Crib to the Cross (Heb 2:17)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2005

Gratitude is not always a natural response to generosity, especially among children, who often receive things without giving any thought to their value.

One Christmas, the mother of three children decided that she was no longer going to remind them of their thank-you note duties. As a result, their grandmother never received acknowledgments of the generous checks she had given. Things were different, however, the following year. "The children came over in person to thank me," the grandmother told a friend triumphantly. "How wonderful!" her friend exclaimed. "They must be getting more mature." "I don't think that was the reason." the grandmother replied. "Then what caused the change in their behavior?" "This year...I didn't sign the checks."

Thankfully, when Jesus made atonement for our sin, he did not wait for us to express our appreciation but signed the check immediately, and with his very life.

God could have arranged for Jesus to appear on earth as an adult for the short period it would have taken to die, rise from the dead, then return to heaven. Instead, He had Jesus appear on earth as an infant, grow to manhood, and minister publicly for three years. That span of time From the Crib to the Cross gave us a greater appreciation of the sacrifice he made,¹ as the author of Hebrews explains.

Heb 2:17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

The author of Hebrews says that...

I. Jesus became a mortal like us.

...not by accident but by design. It was for a reason....

• He was purposeful.

Jesus does not wander onto the scene of human history only to wander off again. He was a man on a mission, and it was not just to provide us with a good example, as some have suggested. The mission was clear from the very beginning.

• When the angel informed Joseph about Mary's pregnancy, he explained what the boy would accomplish

Matt 1:21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

• When the disciples were arguing among themselves about which of them was greater, Jesus explained to them how their attitude was out of step with the purpose of his ministry.²

Mark 10:45 [= Matt 20:28] For...the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

This is highly unusual. How many people know the reason for their existence?

Christmas 2014

Dr. and Mrs. Paul Manuel

Christmas 20014

Dear Family and Friends,

All major appliances wear out. You hope the dishwasher or clothes dryer will last several years, and you may even purchase a service agreement to protect against costly repairs. There is a limit, though, to what such a contract will cover, and repeated use will eventually wear out any machine. Usually some clue will alert you when an appliance has reached the limit of its useful lifespan. The dishes are not getting very clean or the clothes are taking forever (it seems) to dry. At that point, you may need to retire the machine and replace it with a new one.

The hunt for a replacement often involves considering several factors: cost, features, and reviews by others who purchased the same unit. Eventually, you decide on the model to get, and you make the purchase, perhaps wondering how long it will last before you need to repeat the process yet again. (As you may guess, the process is what Linda and I went through this year, not just once but three times with three major appliances.)

As we approach the celebration of Christmas, it is with an appreciation that the message of the holiday, no matter how often we repeat it, never wears out. The proclamation of the angel to the shepherds, no matter how often we hear it, remains good news today.

I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;

he is Christ the Lord.

Although we celebrate this commemoration of his birth every year, the author of Hebrews called what the incarnation accomplished a singular event.

He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood,

having obtained eternal redemption.

In other words, we celebrate many times what only happened one time. That, of course, is the nature of birthdays: They mark repeatedly a unique occurrence—a particular person's entry into this world. The difference in Jesus' case, however, is that, unlike other birthdays, his birthday also marks a unique accomplishment—the salvation of that same world. Moreover, this singular accomplishment has had repercussions for people throughout history, even before his advent (as "the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world" Rev 13:8). No one else has ever had such a pervasive and permanent affect.

Unlike major appliances, all of which wear out at some point, Jesus' atonement, which his birthday portends, never wears out. Moreover, "he always lives to intercede for [us]" (Heb 7:25), an additional benefit we can experience all year. May the joy of his advent and the abiding effect of his atonement enhance your appreciation of the season. As the heavenly host declared that evening, "Glory to God in the highest."

Pastor and Linda

Sermon: The Christmas present (John 1:12-14,18)

The Christmas Present (John 1:12-14,18)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2003

Hunting for gifts can be a time-consuming and frustrating experience at this season of the year, especially dealing with the crowds, which can lead to a more creative method.

It was approaching the Christmas holiday, and the judge was in a cheerful mood. "What are you charged with?" he asked the defendant. "Doing my Christmas shopping early, Your Honor," the man answered. "Well, that certainly isn't a crime," the judge said. "How early were you doing this shopping?" ..."Before the store opened."

For those too young to do their own shopping, there is the more traditional method, although even this can be distressing.

As a little girl climbed onto Santa's lap, he asked the usual question, "And what would you like for Christmas?" The child stared at him open-mouthed and horrified for a moment, then gasped... "Didn't you get my e-mail?"

Thankfully, you need not resort to theft or technology to get the most important gift anyone can receive, The Christmas Present God gave long ago.

Most of us are familiar with the carols and Bible readings we use at this time of year, so much so that we do not need the hymnal and could probably recite the Scripture passages from memory. Still, no matter how familiar we are, we come to this season with another year's worth of experience and reflection that may enable us to appreciate some element of our celebration in a new way. One biblical passage, I have read and reread several times, struck me with renewed force because of the contrast it presents. Please turn to John 1, where the apostle explains how...

Christmas 2013

[Dr. Manuel recently provided me with the Christmas letters he and his wife Linda have sent each year since 2001.
One of the annual letters has been posted each day over the last two weeks.]

Dr. and Mrs. Paul Manuel

Christmas 20013

Dear Friends and Family,

Sometimes the ordinary things we experience can help us appreciate the extraordinary things God does. Over the summer, for example, Linda started feeding a stray female cat that appeared in our yard. As far as we could tell, she did not belong to anyone, and we assumed she sought shelter at night in a nearby barn. When fall came and the temperature dropped, Linda was concerned the cat might not survive the winter (succumbing either to the cold or to the coyotes), so she prevailed upon me to adopt the cat and bring her inside. After making that decision, we learned that she came with two kittens. (It was, I discovered, a package deal.) The three of them have since made several trips to the vet for their obligatory checkup and vaccinations. It has become an expensive investment, one that, to protect, requires they now remain inside, away from predators and contagious feline diseases.

We have noticed that adopting them is similar to what God did in adopting us, albeit on a far grander scale, by sending His son at Christmas.

• Similar to but more significant than the situation with the cats, God has taken us in and given us hope for a future better than any we would have on our own.

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.... I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. (John 10:10, 28)

• Similar to but more significant than the situation with the cats, God has paid a considerable price for us, one we could not afford on our own.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 4:10)

• Similar to but more significant than the situation with the cats, God has done for us what we could not do for ourselves.

The Son of Man [came] to give his life as a ransom for many. (Matt 20:28)

• Similar to but more significant than the situation with the cats, God has intervened in our lives for good in ways we do not know.

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. (1 Cor 2:9)

Sometimes the ordinary things we experience can remind us about the extraordinary things God did for us when He sent Jesus that first Christmas.

The cats are providing us with hours of entertainment since we made them part of our family. I do not know if God finds us entertaining since He as made us part of His family. In any case, He does not ask that we entertain Him, only that we serve Him. As Jesus also said, "Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only" (Matt 4:10). May God find you faithful as you worship and serve Him this season and throughout the New Year. Merry Christmas!

Pastor and Linda

Christmas, 2012

[Dr. Manuel recently provided me with the Christmas letters he and his wife Linda have sent each year since 2001.
One of the annual letters has been posted each day over the last two weeks.]

Dr. and Mrs. Paul Manuel

Christmas 2012

Dear Friends and Family,

Are you ready? ...Normally, such a question would refer to Christmas-related activities, like decorating or shopping. This year, though, it implies something dire not festive, an event that will overshadow even the impending, national fiscal cliff and one that is more imminent. It is nothing less than the end of the world.

If one believes the hype, the Mayan calendar has supposedly marked December 21, 2012 when a global catastrophe will destroy life on earth. Actually, most Mayan scholars assert that is not a proper interpretation of the documents, but doomsday is a more sensational story, even if it is not a credible one. This scenario is the latest prediction but is probably not the last. (Previously, the world was to end on October 21, 2011, but that day passed without incident.)

So, as the world will likely continue, even if we do go over the fiscal cliff, what does the Christmas holiday hold? It is an annual reminder, this year as in years past, that God has expressed His concern for us and has demonstrated that concern in a most personal way, by sending His son to live among us and, eventually, to give his life for us.

To be sure, there will be other significant events, including the end of the world. But they will not occur until God's program has run its course, and that program includes an encore appearance of Jesus. As we await that appearance, Jesus' admonition to his followers is "be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him" (Matt 24:44).

The difference between the supposed end of the world and the return of Jesus is that one has a specific date; the other does not, which makes preparing a different process in each case. When there is a specific date, you may wish for more time, but at least you can manage what time remains to your liking, such as eating excessive amounts of ice cream and chocolate cake without concern for cholesterol or weight gain. An unspecified date makes preparing more difficult (and dieting more practical). It means you must be on constant alert, with no opportunity to cram in the final hours.

Jesus' first advent was like his second advent will be, with little advance warning. He entered the world "when the time had fully come" (Gal 4:4). That may be God's preference in such matters. He does not want people rushing around at the last minute to prepare. He does not want them to get ready; He wants them to be ready. (The need for constant preparedness is also Jesus' point in several of his parables.)

As Christmas approaches and as we fall into the routine of decorating and shopping, we should not confuse routine with readiness. Although we do many of the same things this year that we did last year, we must be attentive to whatever role God may have for us to advance His plan. We observe Christmas in appreciation of what God did for us in the past, but it is also an affirmation that we believe He is still involved with us in the present as well as an anticipation that He has more in store for us in the future.

While we do not believe the latest date for the end of the world, it should underscore the difference in what we do believe, that God's plan for history is still on track and that the best is yet to come. May this season of celebration bring you joy as you contemplate what God did by sending His son and what He will yet do by sending him again.

Pastor and Linda

Christmas, 2011

[Dr. Manuel recently provided me with the Christmas letters he and his wife Linda have sent each year since 2001.
One of the annual letters will be posted each day over a two week period.]

Dr. and Mrs. Paul Manuel

Christmas 2011

Dear Friends and Family,

When Linda and I bought a house, we made some minor renovations in keeping with our preferences, mostly simple changes. As time passed, the list of changes we wanted to make grew shorter. One item, though, continued to present a challenge. The family room, where we spent much of our time, was very dark, despite various attempts to introduce more light. We painted the brown paneled walls a brighter color, changed the fireplace façade from dark stones to white wood, hung a large mirror on one wall, added a couple of floor lamps and some track lighting. While such changes improved the situation, the room still felt dark.

Linda wanted to cut a hole in the wall that separated the family room from the living room, which had a large bay window facing the morning sun. She was certain such an alteration would bring natural light into the family room. I was dubious. Besides, having a gaping hole in the wall did not strike me as particularly attractive. (Perhaps we could cover it with a curtain at night.) Then she explained that she wanted to install a window in the wall to allow natural light from the living room into the family room. I was relieved.

My sister and brother-in-law gave us a leaded-glass window they found at an estate sale, just the size Linda wanted. We had it installed before Thanksgiving, and the improvement was remarkable. The family room is now much brighter. Natural light from the sun is far better than artificial light from a lamp.

The theme of light is prominent in scripture, especially as it relates to the advent of Jesus, because he provided a clearer view of God than was available before, a window on His personality and priorities. The author of Hebrews states..,

The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being. (Heb 1:3)

There are many potential sources of information about God, some more helpful than others. The best source, however, is the one who represented Him and said....

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. (John 14:9b)

The apostle Paul also noted this about Jesus.

He is the image of the invisible God. (Col 1:15a)

If we want to know what the Father is like, we need only look at the Son. Moreover, his instruction provides the illumination we need along life's path. Again, Jesus said...

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 8:12b)

Jesus said that illumination was one of the main reasons for his incarnation.

I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. (John 12:46)

Natural light from the Son is far better than artificial light from a lamp.

The theme of light is prominent in scripture, especially as it relates to the advent of Jesus. While you celebrate Christmas, rejoice that he provided a clearer view of God than was available before. May that light illuminate your path this coming year.

Pastor and Linda

Christmas, 2010

[Dr. Manuel recently provided me with the Christmas letters he and his wife Linda have sent each year since 2001.
One of the annual letters will be posted each day over a two week period.]

Dr. and Mrs. Paul Manuel

Christmas 2010

Dear Friends and Family,

As you think back over the past year, much of what you did was probably familiar. You worked at the same job, interacted with the same people, watched the same TV shows. Nevertheless, you may also have rediscovered something you appreciated earlier in life but allowed to lapse at some point. That is, in part, what this past year has held for me. I renewed in earnest an activity that occupied much of my youth but that fell by the wayside during my extended time in graduate school—playing the trombone. While recovering the tone and control I once had has been challenging, it has been well worth the effort. (To my surprise, some in church have actually had positive things to say after I have played, although I suspect their compliments were more for my accompanist, Katrina, than for me.) There can be great satisfaction in reviewing and retrieving the past.

The same may be true for Christmas. Much of what you do is probably familiar. You shop at the same stores, put up the same decorations, eat the same foods. Nevertheless, you may also rediscover something about the holiday you appreciated earlier in life but allowed to lapse at some point, perhaps a favorite recipe or a childhood tradition. Whatever it might be, there can be great satisfaction in reviewing and retrieving the past.

The apostle Paul, writing to believers at Ephesus, reviews for them something about Jesus' advent they may have allowed to fade from their thinking. While not involved in holiday preparation, these Christians might have been preoccupied by the regular activity that attends a major cultural and commercial center like Ephesus. For whatever reason, Paul considers it necessary to remind them about something they appreciated more earlier in life but allowed to lapse at some point, and he brings it to the fore.

Remember that...you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. (Eph 2:12-13)

Whatever else may be happening in their lives at this time, the apostle does not want his readers to forget the fundamental event that changed their lives. Jesus' advent and his eventual sacrifice brought hope to their otherwise hopeless situation, and that is certainly worth remembering.

Because of the familiar things you may be doing this Christmas—shopping, decorating, eating—the fundamental reason for the holiday might lapse from your thinking, something you appreciated more earlier in life. Bring it to the fore: Remember how Jesus' advent and his eventual sacrifice brought hope to your otherwise hopeless situation. There can be great satisfaction in reviewing and retrieving the past. We pray that this season will renew your hope in the great God we serve.

Pastor and Linda

Christmas, 2009

[Dr. Manuel recently provided me with the Christmas letters he and his wife Linda have sent each year since 2001.
One of the annual letters will be posted each day over a two week period.]

Dr. and Mrs. Paul Manuel

Christmas 2009

Dear Friends and Family,

As Christmas approaches and you reflect again upon the savior's birth, the familiarity of the story may cause you to gloss over some of the details. One such element is how the machinations of man in no way hinder the program of God. Several events in Jesus' life followed a divinely appointed schedule and, on various occasions, he referred to that schedule (Matt 26:18; Mark 1:15; John 7:6, 8, 30). The Apostle Paul was also acutely aware of God's timetable (Rom 5:6; 1 Tim 2:6; 6:15; Titus 1:3), and he made specific mention of how Jesus' birth was part of that plan.

When the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman... (Gal 4:4)

God was not the only one on a schedule. At the same time, the emperor of Rome was advancing his own agenda, and on a much larger scale.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (Luke 2:1)

His decree, a prelude to greater taxation, affected everyone. It also required some, like Mary and Joseph, to register in a different part of the country. This massive government program probably made them (and others) feel inconsequential. All they could do was comply.

What is particularly striking is how God was in no way hindered by Caesar's decision. In fact, God used that decision to advance His own program, ensuring that His people were in the right place at the right time, It is doubtful that Mary and Joseph would have left Galilee if not required by the imperial edict. Doing so, however, placed them in Bethlehem at the moment of Jesus' birth, thereby fulfilling the prophet's prediction.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. (Mic 5:2)

We do not know if Jesus' parents saw the providential hand of God in the emperor's decree. Nevertheless, because they were attentive to God's leading (Matt 1:24; Luke 1:38), He did not allow them to miss this important step in His plan, a plan greater and more comprehensive than that of any human government.

Our national leaders seem to be advancing their own agenda, with spending on a scale larger than any previously, a likely prelude to greater taxation, and you too may feel inconsequential. Whatever the outcome of their deliberations, all you may be able to do is comply. Yet, God is still in no way hindered by men's decisions. In fact, God can use those decisions to advance His own program. Moreover, like Mary and Joseph, if you are attentive to God's leading, He will not allow you to miss an important step in His plan, a plan greater and more comprehensive than that of any human government.

As Christmas approaches and you reflect again upon the savior's birth, remember how it followed a divinely appointed schedule. Keep in mind also that this schedule has more to come.

...to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. (Eph 1:10)

May this Christmas remind you how the machinations of man in no way hinder the program of God. May you enter the New Year with a steadfast commitment to and a renewed confidence in the One who is moving all of history, including your own.

Pastor and Linda

Christmas, 2008

[Dr. Manuel recently provided me with the Christmas letters he and his wife Linda have sent each year since 2001.
One of the annual letters will be posted each day over a two week period.]

Dr. and Mrs. Paul Manuel

Christmas 2008

Dear Friends and Family,

One of the hallmarks of our democracy is the way we determine our leaders, not by military coup but by national referendum. That process can be long and, at times, contentious, but the result is a peaceful and orderly transfer of power from one political administration to the next. The method we use to effect that change is called election, where people choose those who will govern them. It is not a unanimous decision, and debate can be spirited as the factions vying for position attempt to win people's vote. Having just completed another cycle of this process, many are glad to see it settled, at least for four more years. Nevertheless, it is cause to celebrate the freedoms we enjoy.

God employs a similar process, which the Bible also calls election. Like the custom here, God uses election to determine the ruler of His kingdom, yet with some significant differences.

• In the secular process, people make the choice and, because we do not know what the future holds, we cannot be certain how our decision will fare. In the sacred process, God makes the choice and, because He holds the future, we can be certain how His decision will fare, that it will be for our good.

• In the secular process, the choice recurs regularly (every few years), because a fallible electorate can make a poor decision and need to change direction. In the sacred process, the choice occurs once, because an infallible God will not make a poor decision or need to change direction.

Unlike the custom here, God also uses election to determine the residents in His kingdom, and with other significant differences.

• In the secular process, the choice is who will be administrators of the country, which often appeals to those wanting to promote their own agenda. In the sacred process, the choice is who will be admitted to the kingdom, which only appeals to those wanting to promote the Lord's agenda.

• In the secular process, the choice is competitive, because the openings for leadership are limited. In the sacred process, the choice is non-competitive, because the openings for citizenship are unlimited.

As important as the secular process is for our national future, it pales in comparison to the sacred process and its importance for our personal future.

One other difference that characterizes God's election is the timing. We decide who will lead the country on Election Day, just two months before that individual takes office. God decided who will rule the kingdom long before that individual takes office. An angel announced it when the messiah was born.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11)

Isaiah predicted it 700 years earlier.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. (Isa 9:6)

God's original selection came earlier still.

He was chosen before the creation of the world. (1 Pet 1:20)

This difference in timing indicates the forethought God gives to His election process. Unlike some people, who postponed their decision about which presidential candidate to support until the week before Election Day, God did not wait to determine the ruler of His kingdom. Likewise, God did not wait to determine the residents of His kingdom.

For he chose us...before the creation of the world (Eph 1:4)

Here is certainly cause for wonder and gratitude, that God chose us when He chose Jesus.

May this Christmas bring you new appreciation for God's election, and may you enter the New Year with renewed confidence in His commitment to provide for you, as He determined so long ago.

Pastor and Linda

Christmas, 2007

[Dr. Manuel recently provided me with the Christmas letters he and his wife Linda have sent each year since 2001.
One of the annual letters will be posted each day over a two week period.]

Dr. and Mrs. Paul Manuel

Christmas 2007

Dear Friends and Family,

What continues to amaze me is the way God oversees events in our lives for good, especially as He takes seemingly small things and arranges them to our advantage. There are probably many more instances than those of which I am aware, but occasionally, when I am paying attention, I notice His sovereign and benevolent hand in what other people might consider random occurrences.

Most of us want life to proceed in a particular direction and at a predictable pace. We have a notion about how events should unfold, and we try to arrange circumstances to ensure the best outcome. Unfortunately, life is not easy to manage. There are many variables, many bumps in the road and unexpected detours that force us to change our plans. Try as we might, we cannot always make arrangements that will benefit us most.

Thankfully, God is willing to help us. He consistently makes good choices, and He is never surprised by how events unfold. He alone is able to ensure the best outcome, He never has to change His plans, and His timing is impeccable. The Apostle Paul mentions two examples of God's perfect timing. One example He demonstrated at Jesus' first advent.

When the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman...that we might receive the full rights of sons. (Gal 4:4-8)

At a specific moment in history, and in a seemingly small thing when very few were paying attention, God took a deliberate and dramatic step to advance His plan. We are not sure what made that moment the right one, but it has worked to our advantage more than anything we might plan, yielding a bevy of amazing benefits:

• While we were once the object of God's wrath and estranged from Him, we have since become the object of His love and enjoy fellowship with Him.

• While we once charted the course of life alone, a course ultimately destined for destruction, we now have His assurance of guidance and His promise of success.

The apostle notes another example of God's perfect timing is what He will demonstrate at Jesus' second advent.

God made known to us the mystery of his will...to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things...under one head, even Christ. (Eph 1:9-10)

This is the point toward which history, including our history, is moving, an event to which everyone will be paying attention. Again, it will work to our advantage more than anything we might plan, yielding other amazing benefits:

• While we were once destined to spend eternity apart from God and in a most unpleasant state, we now look forward to being with Him forever and in a state more delightful than any we have known.

• While we once faced only His condemnation and His terrible wrath, we now have the prospect of His commendation and His unparalleled reward.

Christmas is about God's timing in the past and about how that one event has shaped our lives in wonderful ways. God is not finished, though, for with a similar demonstration of timing in the future, another event will shape our lives in yet more wonderful ways. These are not random occurrences, however they may appear to others. They are evidence of God's sovereign and benevolent hand. May that evidence confirm your faith in Him and inspire your service to Him. May it give you hope and joy this Christmas and throughout the New Year.

Pastor and Linda

Christmas, 2006

[Dr. Manuel recently provided me with the Christmas letters he and his wife Linda have sent each year since 2001.
One of the annual letters will be posted each day over a two week period.]

Dr. and Mrs. Paul Manuel

Christmas 2006

Dear Friends and Family,

For the past few months, Linda and I have been watching Tim, a contractor from the church, replace an aluminum screened porch with a permanent room on the back of our house. While I have neither the time nor the expertise for such a task, I have found the process very interesting, and I have appreciated Tim's workmanship as well as his willingness to explain things along the way. Seeing him lay the foundation, for example, was especially educational. A few cinder blocks on the surface of the ground had supported the original porch floor. For the new room, Tim dug down several feet, poured a concrete footer, laid several rows of block, then used foot-long lag bolts to secure the seal plates, to which the floor joists connect. It is quite an impressive system. He said this provides a solid foundation and prevents the rest of the structure (which is similarly interconnected) from shifting in a heavy wind.

That explanation reminded me of Jesus' parable about two other building projects, one a foolish homeowner erected on sandy soil, the other a wise homeowner built on rock. What I had not realized before, and what any contractor would know, is that both houses, if they were merely resting on sand or stone, would be vulnerable to high winds. The advantage of the second house was that it was connected to the stone, anchored in place, and would not be moved ("dug down deep" Luke 6:48).

Soon after Tim finished the basic structure, there was a storm with such heavy wind that the rain was moving sideways. It was a good test of the roof, yet it also confirmed how securely the building was attached to the foundation.

While Jesus' parable illustrates good building methods, there is a spiritual point as well.

Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. (Matt 7:24)

The wise man had heard about the proper way to build a house. He knew it required a solid foundation, but that information would have done little good if he did not also apply it to his own building project.

As Christmas draws near, and we hear again the familiar rendition of Jesus' birth, we should look beyond the babe in a manger to the teacher he became and to the instruction he left. It is instruction that can make us wise and provide a solid foundation for the decisions we face.

May God grant you peace and joy this season, and may the wisdom of the savior's teaching guide you through the coming New Year.

Pastor and Linda

Christmas, 2005

[Dr. Manuel recently provided me with the Christmas letters he and his wife Linda have sent each year since 2001.
One of the annual letters will be posted each day over the next two weeks.]

Dr. and Mrs. Paul Manuel

Christmas 2005

Dear friends and family,

Having to meet a deadline can be stressful, but it can also be helpful. When Linda decided in January to host the Christmas Tea for the ladies of the church, there was plenty of time to make the necessary preparations, including some repainting of the dining room. What neither she nor I anticipated was that, in addition to repainting, we would have to undertake some major remodeling in the adjoining family room. The heavy stone fireplace facing, which, we discovered was exerting undue stress on the floor joists, had begun to separate from the wall and lean precariously into the room, We decided to remove it and to replace it with a lighter, smaller, wood facade. Like most home improvement projects, this one entailed more work and more time than either of us anticipated. Although we began the renovation in May, it seemed to proceed at a glacially-slow pace. As the date for the Tea drew nearer, we made a determined effort to complete the work on both rooms. Linda wanted the place to look its best for the ladies, and the deadline encouraged us to meet that goal. The night before the event, we put the finishing touches on the project and were pleased with the result.

While we occasionally push to complete a task, hoping to meet a particular deadline, whether with home renovating or Christmas shopping, God is never in a hurry, and He is still always on schedule. The apostle Paul writes,

When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman...that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Gal 4:4-5)

What Old Testament prophets predicted and early saints longed to see, God brought about at just the right moment in history. We do not know why He chose that particular moment—"his ways [are] past finding out" (Rom 11:33)—but it was somehow critical to His plan. Some years later, another event occurred at just the right time, and it was just what we needed.

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Rom 5:6)

Since then, God's plan has continued to move forward on schedule, and there is more to come. The one whose birth we celebrate will return, and not a moment too late,

For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. (Heb 10:37)

We may be concerned when a project takes more time than we planned, perhaps wondering if we will actually complete the task, but God gives no thought to delays. He does not need a deadline to encourage Him to meet His goals. As we contemplate the wonder of Christmas this season and, perhaps, wonder at what He has in store for our future, we can be confident that it will happen on schedule, that it will turn out for our best, and that we will be pleased—very pleased—with the result.

May the joy of Christmas bring you joy this season as you contemplate Jesus' advent and your adoption into God's family. May you also find encouragement in knowing that the God who controls history, who ensures that right things happen at the right moments, will bring other things to pass for your benefit as well.

Pastor and Linda

Christmas, 2004

[Dr. Manuel recently provided me with the Christmas letters he and his wife Linda have sent each year since 2001.
One of the annual letters will be posted each day over the next two weeks.]

Dr. and Mrs. Paul Manuel

Christmas 2004

Dear Friends and Family,

After thirty years of marriage and, between school and ministry, almost as many years of wandering, we are in our new home this holiday season. It is a modest (1860 sq. ft.) three-bedroom ranch, yet with a full basement and attached two-car garage, having a lovely view of the rural Pennsylvania countryside. We have been able to unpack many things that have followed us from place to place but never made it out of boxes. Linda, who had been watching the Home and Garden channel for quite a while, hoping one day to apply some of the program's ideas, has been enjoying the opportunity to paint and decorate. We have even remodeled one of the basement rooms as a gym, eliminating the need to drive thirty miles to the YMCA.

At this time last year, we were looking for a house but (I, at least, was) not very optimistic about finding one that we could afford and that would meet our needs—let alone some of our wants. We looked at several other places, but none was quite right for us. When, through a series of circumstance we could not have orchestrated, we were able to purchase this place, we were thrilled and conscious of God's gracious hand in the process.

As I was selecting the music for our Christmas program this year, a combination of congregational hymns and choir pieces, the familiar "Away in a Manger" caught my attention. One hymnal resource describes it as "the musical equivalent of a child's Christmas card with its quaint nativity scene colored by crayons or markers."

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head;
The stars in the sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

The lilting melody only enhances "the childlike charm" of this lullaby.

Although the contrast between Jesus' situation and our situation has always been evident, it made a particular impression upon me this year. We celebrate our first Christmas in a new home; he celebrated his first Christmas (so to speak) in no home.

[When Mary] gave birth to her firstborn, a son, [s]he wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7)

Our appreciation of the contrast is even greater when we consider what he gave up for us. The apostle Paul writes:

Christ Jesus...being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. (Philippians 2:5-7)

Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)

The wonder of Christmas is that Jesus' sacrifice did not begin at the cross; it began at his birth.

May the love of Jesus, who gave his life for us, encourage you to trust him and inspire you to serve him. And may God grant you His peace and blessing this New Year.

Pastor and Linda

Christmas, 2003

[Dr. Manuel recently provided me with the Christmas letters he and his wife Linda have sent each year since 2001.
One of the annual letters will be posted each day over the next two weeks.]

Dr. and Mrs. Paul Manuel

Christmas 2003

Dear Family and Friends,

Several years ago, Linda and I were doing graduate studies at a small Christian school in Jerusalem, Israel. As November turned into December, she remarked that it did not "feel" like Christmas, and for us it was, indeed, a very different holiday than we had spent before. Circumstances made trimming our own tree impractical. Our lean financial situation, coupled with final exams right to the last minute, meant that we would not exchange presents. The most obvious contrast to previous seasons, however, was that in Israel the merchant community was not geared up for its biggest push of the year, so the streets and shop windows were not creating an atmosphere of expectation. Oh, there were special activities and decorations in the school and in many churches, but for the vast majority of us in Israel, it was "business as usual." Although we certainly missed our family and friends, those different circumstances enabled us to catch a fresh glimpse of the birth of Jesus.

It is this concept of "business as usual" that we often miss in the States. I am not suggesting that our preparation is bad or that the commercialism surrounding Christmas does not in some way focus public attention on the event the holiday commemorates. There is little doubt, though, that the build-up here does obscure to some extent what God has done in history by sending his son, for in those days it was, after all, "business as usual."

• The emperor, Caesar Augustus, in his on-going efforts to streamline Roman administration, ordered an empire-wide census, probably with an eye toward taxation.

• The governor, Herod, after finally realizing his political aspirations, was beginning to reap the fruit of the political intrigue he had sown earlier and was extremely suspicious of anyone he thought might usurp his position.

• The common people, those not traveling to their home towns for the census, were engaged in their normal occupations, like the shepherds tending their flocks.

In general, people operated on the principle that "everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation" (2 Pet 3:4), and their assumption was not without some justification. Many years had passed since the last known instance of divine intervention (when Judah, the Maccabee, defeated the Syrian army of Antiochus Epiphanes in 164 B.C.), and the memory of that event was considerably dimmed by this period of Roman domination. Consequently, few people were ready for what God was about to do. Caesar, Herod, and the people of Israel were understandably conducting "business as usual."

Jesus' incarnation, though, represents God's interruption of human affairs, a disruption in the status quo. His advent was intended to startle men into a recognition and wonder of God at work. Nevertheless, most failed to see it.

• It is doubtful that Caesar even heard of Jesus' birth. Unless there was a direct threat to the security of the empire, the emperor would not concern himself with the affairs of any single Roman province.

• Herod was overwhelmed by his own problem of maintaining the political control for which he had struggled so long to acquire. He viewed the announcement of Jesus' birth solely as a threat to that control and sought to eliminate it as quickly as possible.

• Only a very few, like the shepherds, recognized the birth for what it was—a divine interruption in human affairs—and interrupted their own "business as usual" to wonder at what God had done.

It was in this light that we came to appreciate Christmas in Israel. Around us, life went on; it was "business as usual." There was no visible expectation. It did not "feel" any different, but Jesus came into just such a world, and into the same world he shall return (Matt 24:37-39). I hope that we will be among the few expectant ones at his next advent (Matt 24:44). May this Christmas help us all to prepare for that great event.

Pastor and Linda