Christmas
The Real Meaning of Christmas
by John MacArthur, gty.org
Download MP3 (42mb)
The story’s told of a little girl who’s passing out the presents to her family on Christmas morning. After finding gifts for each member of her family, she was puzzled that there wasn’t a gift for the One whose birth was being commemorated. “I guess everyone forgot about Jesus,” she said.
If you want a truly meaningful Christmas season, it stands to reason you need to grasp the true meaning of Christmas. Forget about Jesus and you’ve missed the entire, glorious point of the celebration.
John MacArthur’s study The Real Meaning of Christmas helps you think of Christmas in a whole new way—in part because it looks at Bible passages you probably don’t associate with Christmas truth. This study can set the tone for a Christmas of real worship—one like you’ve never known.
For more information about gty.org, Dr. John MacArthur, or to puchase the recording on Audio CD, visit: http://www.gty.org/products/audio-series/3
Christmas is a time for sharing with family and friends. It is a time to show our gratitude by sharing our blessings with others. For those who know Jesus Christ as Savior, it is a time to remember the “Reason for the Season,” and the gift that God gave. The Christmas Story comes alive! As we gather together, we reflect upon the importance of the meaning of that day so long ago.
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 – (KJV)
Skylar, an eight year old boy who was born blind, had a life long desire: he simply longed to read the Word of God!
Last December, Skylar and other visually impaired individuals were guests at a local Lions Club Meeting. There were informed of the various programs and services available to them. Skylar was particularly interested when the presentation was made for Audio Bibles for the Blind.
Skylar got really excited when he heard that Audio Bibles were available for people just like him! Skylar exclaimed, “That’s what I want for Christmas!”
His family, pleased that their son wanted to read the Word of God, inquired as to how they might get a free Children’s Audio Bible. Knowing the time was short, we assured them that Skylar’s gift would be on its way the next day.
What a joy it was for us when we heard it did arrive in time for Christmas!
A child with a Christmas wish is not unusual. When a child’s wish is for their own Audio Bible, it reminds us of why we celebrate this joyous season, and makes the work we do worthwhile.
For boys and girls like Skylar, Christmas will come alive, because you cared enough to give. On their behalf, we thank you, and wish you a blessed Christmas Season.
Luke 2:1-14 (King James Version)
1. And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5. To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 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 Savior, 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.
download as PDF | donate
“It was just like Christmas morning for them.”
That’s what the director of a special needs facility told me recently when the men and women under her care received their very own Audio Bibles.
Christmas morning isn’t far off from us now. And I’m praying you’ll help us give the most special Christmas gift to the blind and print handicapped––the Christmas story, spoken directly to them from their own Audio Bible.
Right now, I have more than 500 requests from people like Sonia who is blind and longs to have an Audio Bible.
Sonia can’t sit around the fire with her loved ones, open the Bible, and read out loud the miracle of Christ’s birth. But when you give Sonia her very own Audio Bible, she will be able to personally experience the Christmas story and all its significance. She will join with “a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’” (Luke 2:13-14, NKJV)
Please, send in your most generous Christmas gift. I’d like nothing more than to fulfill each and every one of the unfulfilled requests I have sitting on my desk, but the truth is, we simply don’t have the resources to meet the growing need. That’s why we’re asking for your help today.
Imagine how much your gift will mean to someone like Sonia. I can promise you that your support will touch a heart and change a life this holiday season.
This Christmas, I don’t want you to give because I asked you to. I don’t even want you to give because you like the ministry of Audio Bibles For The Blind. This time, I want you to give your most generous gift because hundreds of people like Sonia are waiting to share in their very own Christmas story. You can help grant their wish.
While we need your financial support now more than ever, there are other ways you can help ensure friends like Sonia receive their very own Audio Bible this Christmas and beyond. As we approach the end of the year, now is a good time to remember Audio Bibles For The Blind in your year-end gifts of stocks and bonds.
When you support Audio Bibles For The Blind, you bring independence to the blind, you provide companionship to the elderly, and you give encouragement to wounded soldiers. Through the gift of an Audio Bible, men, women, boys, and girls––no matter their age or disability––are able to share in God’s spoken word and hear a message of love, acceptance, and redemption.
Thank you for making this possible. I count it a great blessing to serve the blind and print handicapped alongside friends like you, and I look forward to serving with you throughout the holiday season and the new year.
May your home be filled with the joy of the Christmas season and the hope of the year to come.
Remember, all gifts post-marked by December 31 are tax-deductible. I know it’s not why you give, but it’s a nice reward for your faithfulness and generosity.
http://AudioBiblesfortheBlind.org/donate
Christmas Gift by Petr Kratochvil
Recently, I was blown away by the generosity and ingenuity of an Audio Bibles For The Blind supporter, and I wanted to tell you about her. Allison felt called to get involved with Audio Bibles For The Blind, but she wondered what she could do with her own limited resources. And that’s when the idea came to her: Allison wouldn’t just give to support our ministry, she would organize her own fundraiser.
Allison gathered her friends and members of their church. Together, they organized two yard sales. The proceeds went to buy Audio Bibles for the blind and print handicapped. Not only were the yard sales a success, but Allison’s group raised more money than they expected! The pastor of their church was so moved by the initiative that he got the entire church involved, and they sent another donation to buy even more Audio Bibles.
Allison knows that we can’t all be on the front lines helping those who have lost their sight and need encouragement, but she also knows that each and every one of us has something to contribute to this ministry. Every single one of us must do our part.
That’s why I’m writing to you today. I’m asking you to help us provide Audio Bibles to those who cannot pick up a Bible and read for themselves the promises of God’s unending faithfulness.
When you send in a gift, you help us meet an immediate need for God’s Spoken Word. Your gift goes directly to providing Audio Bibles for children who were born blind, for the elderly who have lost their sight, or for accident victims who can no longer read from a book.
In addition to giving today, I’d like to invite you to get involved in a different way. I’m inviting you to find inspiration in Allison’s story and organize your own event to raise funds for even more Audio Bibles.
You see, we’re nearing the end of the year and we have more requests than we can fill. If we don’t raise more support now, we will have to turn down requests for Audio Bibles. We will have to say no to someone like Michael who recently lost his sight and wrote to us seeking encouragement and peace in God’s Spoken Word. I don’t want that to happen, and I don’t think you do, either.
That’s why I was so excited when I learned about what Allison is doing. She’s not just raising money to provide Audio Bibles, she’s also helping to spread the word about this ministry and get new people involved. Would you help us spread the Word, too?
We’re heading into the holiday season, and if you’re like me, you’ll be involved in several holiday parties, events, and gatherings. Why not use that opportunity to not only celebrate, but also to share the beauty of the Christmas story with those who cannot read it for themselves? How beautiful that your Christmas party would allow someone like Michael to sit by the fire and listen to the story of Christ’s birth!
Picture by Petr Kratochvil
Here are some simple ways you can give a lasting gift this Christmas:
• Organize a fall yard sale with your neighbors. Send the proceeds to buy Audio BIbles.
• Share the ministry of Audio Bibles For The Blind with your friends at a holiday party. Put a special basket under the Christmas tree where they can leave a donation to buy Audio Bibles.
• Go Christmas caroling in the neighborhood with your friends, and tell your neighbors that you’re collecting donations to give Audio Bibles to the blind and print handicapped this Christmas.
• Take up a collection at work and encourage your co-workers to participate instead of buying gifts for each other.
• Host a holiday bake sale to give the sweetest gift of all––the gift of God’s Spoken Word.
• Use your gifts to be creative, and let us know what you do!
The best part is that you don’t have to do this alone. By working together with friends from your Sunday School Class, Bible Study, Book Club, or any other social group you attend, you can put together a simple fundraiser doing what you’d do anyway for the holidays. But the results will last a lifetime when people like Michael have their spirits lifted and their souls enriched by listening to God’s Word.
Especially for Christians like Michael who go blind later in life, the loss is excruciating. When they lose the ability to read the Scriptures for themselves, they tell me that they feel they have lost a lifelong friend. And when people like Michael hear their favorite verses spoken aloud to them on their very own Audio Bible, it’s as if their friend has come back from the dead. Their smiles say more than their letters and thank you cards ever could. They are uplifted, encouraged, and so deeply moved.
This Christmas, I want to give away as many Audio Bibles as we possible can. But our financial support is especially low right now, and it’s going to take a Christmas miracle to meet all the requests piled on my desk, with more arriving each day.
You can be that Christmas miracle.
When you send in your support today, and when you organize a special event for Audio Bibles For The Blind, you give so much more than a few MP3 disks or audio cassettes––you give the gift of God’s eternal promises. Your support of Audio Bibles For The Blind brings back the lost friend, uplifts the down trodden, and offers peace to people like Michael.
Thank you for your faithfulness and generosity. Thank you for getting involved and making an eternal difference in countless lives.
“Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness” (2 Thessalonians 1:11, NKJV).
http://AudioBiblesfortheBlind.org/donate