I was a young pastor when a couple asked me to marry them. The young lady was hesitant, as to whether he was the right man, but he was absolutely convinced that he could not live without her. I inquired whether they felt a spark of love and she indicated that she could love him. And of course, he assured her and me that he had unimpeachable love for her. I, the fool-hearted preacher with a wonderful marriage, told them that love would resolve their uncertainty. This marriage resolved in a heartbreaking divorce for two families, at a time when divorce, in their religious circle, was a disgrace. For the last, nearly sixty years, I have and I still ask young lovers with noble intentions whether they have bread on the table. While we live here on earth, I have been convinced, over and over again, that love does not fill an empty stomach. It is true that man does not live by bread alone, but without bread, man cannot live at all (Luke 4:4). It is not love or the wheel, but it is bread, which turns the world. Love and the wheel should be used to produce bread.

Christmas represents women as God’s favored creatures. Think of this: “To save the world, God could do without a man, but not without a woman!” Mark Twain was asked, “What would the world be without women?” He replied with one word, “Scares!” Friends, salvation would not exist! Without women, Jesus could not have come, grace would not be available, and man would forever be separated from God. The Jewish culture, in Jesus day, had an ill taste for Eve and her kind. The Apostle Paul, whom we revere as the father of Gentile Christianity, said this about women:

Until the days of Noah, the "Spirit of God" was constantly with man, but man’s tendency to sin, ended that relationship. “Then the Lord said, ‘My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh’” (Genesis 6:3). Hereinafter, the "Spirit of God" came to those whom the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob adopted as his servants and as his children. The "Spirit of God" is on the side of those who do right and on those who do better than his own chosen people. God blessed Pharaoh when he did what was right with Joseph. God was against Pharaoh when he did wrong with Abraham’s children. God does not interfere with the will of man. Yet, God always will be on the side of those who do what is right. We must not be surprised to see is that the lesser of the two evils will succeed. It is a lesson, which man continues to ignore.

Moses was a man with the spirit God used to fulfill His promises to Abraham. The promise was that Moses was to form the tribes into a nation, and give the nation a Law that they could live by. God put all the necessary power in Moses’ words and Moses' staff. Hence, there is no mention of any time when Moses was not under the influence of God’s Spirit. And when Israel became subject and obedient to the Law, the Law took the place of the Spirit because the words of the Law were Spirit. Jesus told his listeners, “The words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and Life” (John 6:63). Jesus, Himself, was “... the Word was with God and the Word was God” (John 1:1). And, God is Spirit (John 4:24). And not a dot can be changed in God's Commandments (Matthew 5:18). The prophet, Isaiah 55:10-11 was instructed to relay this message: “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return not thither but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

Until the days of Noah, the "Spirit of God" was constantly with man, but man’s tendency to sin, ended that relationship. “Then the Lord said, ‘My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh’” (Genesis 6:3). Hereinafter, the "Spirit of God" came to those whom the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob adopted as his servants and as his children. The "Spirit of God" is on the side of those who do right and on those who do better than his own chosen people. God blessed Pharaoh when he did what was right with Joseph. God was against Pharaoh when he did wrong with Abraham’s children. God does not interfere with the will of man. Yet, God always will be on the side of those who do what is right. We must not be surprised to see is that the lesser of the two evils will succeed. It is a lesson, which man continues to ignore.

The ultimate purpose of grace is to heal, to reconcile, and to restore God’s image and likeness in man, so that man can live in grace. Grace provides the basis for repairing and restoring relationships on earth. People, on earth, must mend their ways and reconnect with each other before they face a judge in this life, which also determines the life in the hereafter. Jesus linked “grace” with mercy and with forgiveness. Grace is not without serious compromises and sacrifices. Grace demands restitution and remunerations for damages and transgressions. It is an endless repetitious healing process for man. Man commits --- transgresses endlessly; and therefore, man requires endless forgiveness and endless healing. Grace is a lifelong process! We must and we can resolve the transgressions against us by releasing ourselves, by canceling their obligations to us, and by reaching satisfactory settlements. In doing so, we secure our own freedom and our own redemption. Our redemption cannot take place until we set free those who have transgressed against us; for, as long as we find fault or assign guilt to others, we are bound to guilt ourselves; and therefore, we remain unsaved. Jesus said this and He has the final word on our redemption, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15).

Shepherds are leaders, pastors, and teachers who can lead us to or away from God and from each other. The Lord God, Himself, wants to be known to His own as a “Shepherd” (Isaiah 40:11). There is no closer relationship and harmony in the Bible than that between a shepherd and his sheep. Moses, David, and Jesus the Christ fostered and enjoyed such an intimate presence between shepherd and sheep. The first to greet the “Baby King Jesus” were shepherds. Their visit was brief because they had to returned to care for their sheep (Luke 2:8-20). Jesus, Himself, gave us an example how important a single sheep was to a good shepherd.

“Grace” is by far the most important word and concept in the Bible! Therefore, grace is very important to everyone who believes in it. However, grace is just not a gift, that the Lord God drops into man’s laps, at a time, when he becomes a believer in the Creator; nor is grace an injection of God’s Spirit at man's conversion to Christianity. Grace is inherent and dormant in human nature, and grace only can come alive and be active by accepting the messages of Moses, the Prophets, the Psalms, Jesus, and Paul. Grace is part of the "image and likeness of God" in man! Therefore, it is up to man to choose and to live graciously.

Christmas has been converted into a lasting gold mine for the world. It has been turned into “a jolly holiday” of extravagance of pleasure, entertainment, and into a display of human endeavor of accomplishments. Our Western Culture has Mary sit on the donkey and Joseph leading the animal. When in reality the culture, at that time, would call it an insult for a man leading an animal with his wife sitting on the donkey. Not so very long time ago, an American travelled south and observed a man riding the mule and the woman carrying two heavy bags after him; therefore, the American remarked his displeasure vocally and the man on the mule replied in colloquial English, “She ain’t got no mule.”

Grace is the oil of life! And without grace we cannot function. Grace is also like a crop that has to be seeded and harvested before it is ready to be used. The great wonderful truth is that the Creator has filled his creation with overabundance of grace. It is unfortunate that so many of us do not make sufficient use of grace.