To incarnate, from which we get the word, incarnation, means: “to embody in flesh; invest with a bodily form.” From a Latin word meaning “to make into flesh.”

Here is some trivia for you. Do you have any guesses about what may have been the first song broadcast from space? The crew of Gemini 6 snuck bells and a harmonica onboard. On December 16, 1965, after reporting a “strange object” moving in the skies from north to south, they played a few lines of Jingle Bells. You can click here to hear the astronauts.(1)

We are only a couple of days from Christmas. Many believers, like myself, are unhappy with much of the commercialization of Christmas. However, it is also true that there is no other time of year when Christ’s name and the glory of His birth fill the airwaves with such frequency. If we allow it, the season can be a great reset for us each year as we consider Christ’s great gift to us. As you listen to the Christmas Carols, here is some interesting information to consider about three of our favor

“Great joy…for all people,” are some of the words spoken by the angel on the night of Christ’s birth. Today’s post is intended to stir up some joy in you.

“Great joy…for all people,” are some of the words spoken by the angel on the night of Christ’s birth. Today’s post is intended to stir up some joy in you.

When Christ came to earth, it was not as most expected. The religious world had overlooked the prophecy regarding a virgin conceiving (Isaiah 7:14); perhaps they simply had a different interpretation of the verse, since it was considered a total impossibility. At any rate, the birth of Christ through a poor, teenage virgin – from the other side of the tracks, Nazareth, of all places – wasn’t on the list of Messianic expectations. Nor was a manger (a feeding trough) for a crib, in a smelly, dung-

When Christ came to earth, it was not as most expected. The religious world had overlooked the prophecy regarding a virgin conceiving (Isaiah 7:14); perhaps they simply had a different interpretation of the verse, since it was considered a total impossibility. At any rate, the birth of Christ through a poor, teenage virgin – from the other side of the tracks, Nazareth, of all places – wasn’t on the list of Messianic expectations. Nor was a manger (a feeding trough) for a crib, in a smelly, dung-

Christmas awakens something deep in us—not just warm memories, but a longing to give the people we love something meaningful. Not another sweater. Not another gadget. Something with weight. Something that lasts.

Christmas awakens something deep in us—not just warm memories, but a longing to give the people we love something meaningful. Not another sweater. Not another gadget. Something with weight. Something that lasts.

I have been hesitant to write this post so close to Christmas, not wanting to weigh you down during this joyous time of year. However, in light of the increase in radical Islamist terrorism of late, I feel it is necessary to do so.