Secret of the Cities, a 1500-year-old Pilgrim Hotel & Megiddos Daughters.
…. Jesus/Yeshua Had Not Come… there would be no New Year according to the Gregorian calendar. 
It is 2018 only because of Jesus! 
Remembering that in Israel, the fall appointed time of Rosh Hashanah means “head of the year” and that’s why it’s called The Jewish New Year (also known as Yom Teruah and often translated as Feast of Trumpets.) 
A very interesting point is, the Hebrew year 5778 coincides with 2018 on the Gregorian calendar and is significant because it was in the year 2018 BC (or AM) that God made the first covenant with Abraham. (This was 70 years after Abraham’s birth in 1948 BC (AM). 
Just imagine, if Jesus had not come, the Bible would end at Malachi or if read in chronological order it would stop after 2 Chronicles.
It would probably only be available in the Hebrew language and maybe still only on kosher scrolls.
The complete set Hebrew Scrolls Tanakh
No ‘communion’ (as in bread and wine celebration) outside of Passover, Pesach.
This was celebrated as part of the commemoration of their liberation by God from slavery in ancient Egypt and their freedom and rebirth as a nation under the leadership of Moses.
There would however still be the Holy Land and the children of Israel, the tribes and their descendants and the Jewish people. 
The term having come from the tribe of Judah – Yehudi – Judahite and shortened to Jew. It is written that all tribes will want to say they are from Judah collectively and not so much as individual tribes an example is Mordecai in the book of Esther, he was from the tribe of Benjamin but was known as Yehudi.
That Hebrew language would be still intact as it is today and so is their faith that one day Messiah will come as promised in prophecy.
there would still be
Torah, Prophetic, Poetic and Historical Writings.
So what are we doing? Have we disregarded the Old Testament foundation in favor of ‘Penthouse’ believing? Are we guilty of thinking that somehow we are more ‘entitled’ by our new Testament faith in Jesus? 
A world without Jesus/Yeshua would be a world without born again believers, both Messianic Jews and Christian believers. No Christmas holiday or carols, no Turkey’s, presents or all the worlds commercialized accessories and distractions.
The biggest obvious consideration is that our sins have to be paid for and that by a blood sacrifice.
A life for a life. And the life is in the blood, so an innocent must die for each and every individual.
And by His life and death and resurrection, He fulfilled the promises in the bible of a coming Redeemer. One man’s life blood – God Himself, paid the price for our sins. Once for all and no more individual sacrifice is necessary.
Do we have a deep remorse and hatred of the way we were before He graciously accepted us into the beloved. We are grafted in by His compassion He is calling the Goyim, the heathen, to be His own.
Is living for our self the way we show Him our love? Is building our own reputation and kingdom/empire really part of His plan for us?
Self-deception is subtle and is an easy slippery slope, the biggest problem being we don’t believe we are deceived or that we can be.
We use the tools of the world and its commerce to fulfill desires based on covetous, selfish ambition and aspire to a comfortable way of life.
We are to preach the good news, make disciples, visit the prisoners and the sick, bring healing to them, deliver the oppressed, set spiritual captives free, feed the hungry, give to the poor, house the homeless, which of these did we do today? Which of these did we do this Christmas
We are to bind up the brokenhearted, raise the dead, calm storms.
If Jesus had not come we may have something of a legitimate excuse, that we don’t know any better but He did come and so we are without excuse.
Time is one of the greatest gifts we have been given. What we do with it will have a huge impact on our final destination. 
It is a phrase that has the connotations of ‘satisfaction.’ Abraham died as a man at peace with himself, at peace with God and at peace with the world. He was contented with all that God had done with him and in him, at an old age that was good and mature and content. In verse7 ‘Now these are the days of the years of Abraham which he lived.’ For it implies that he had lived every day to the full in the will of God not one day was wasted of the days that had been given him.
According to The JPS Torah Commentary on Genesis, the meaning of this phrase in Genesis 25:8 is “old and contented.” The commentary continues, “Such a summation of a life is found with no other personality in biblical literature. The phrase describes not his longevity, which is otherwise mentioned, but the quality of his earthly existence.”
As we go forward into ‘2018’ and continue in 5778, let any resolution we make begin with a grateful heart of thanks that HE CAME; and let the number of this year reminds us how long ago that was.
Let’s try to remember that, ‘New Beginnings’ come from the Grace of God, not from dates or resolutions. 
It’s an alarm bell to wake up the sleeping ‘ecclesia’, we are the ‘called out ones.’
His presence is now, believing in faith is for now.
The treasures revealed from His Word, are not simply for information but include messages to be lived and ways to develop a relationship with the Father. 
Amazingly Luke is the only one who records the details of His coming.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
If he had not written it down we would not have known about any of the details including the angels that appeared to the shepherds.
Isaiah 11:1 Joseph and Mary went from Nazareth to Bethlehem.
2:8,9 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/ they feared a great fear. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
(Verse 13) Then suddenly there are with the angel, a great number of the heavenly hosts. 
Literally the soldiers of heaven referring to the army that Elisha saw at Dothan. 2 Kings 6:16, 17 
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ (Literal translation ‘peace to people of good will.’)
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.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
The angel said, ‘DON”T BE AFRAID’, because it was obvious they were VERY afraid. They were men of the outdoors and not given to being afraid or fearful.
However they were unexpectedly confronted with supernatural beings and Luke’s account records a very real reaction. That of seeing angels of God, how much more would they be in reverent fear of God, should He have revealed Himself.
Hebrew word for AWE is PACHAD and it also means FEAR. God is awesome and we need to have a sense of the holy reverential, awesomeness of God.
The same or that caused Isaiah to say ‘woe is me.’ The same AWE that causes strong men to fall on their faces. The same AWE that changes lives of the mighty men and women of God who have made a difference in this world. Those who truly know him of those who will walk in his Holy AWE.
There is a modern vernacular that calls anything and everything ‘awesome’ and it has developed a wrong meaning of AWE/FEAR and now refers to something spectacular or special in a fun, light-hearted way and not at all serious. Let us not lose our respectful and honorable reverence of a Holy God and remember that awe is fear – and we are to give the creator of the universe His rightful place.
The new lambs would, according to some sources, even be wrapped in special swaddling clothes once certified.
The phrase come from the angel’s announcement of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds in the field. 
The significance of Jesus’ swaddling clothes is often overlooked.
The shepherds would take the firstborn of the flock for the sin sacrifice offering. To stop the newborn lamb from injuring itself so it would be without blemish they would wrap them in swaddling clothes and usually lay them in a manger until they were stronger ready to go to the mother. Thus the sign of the firstborn son wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger was of special significance to the shepherds, who would share this incredible sign with others who could understand it! 
May He continue to have a significant place in everyone’s heart especially on this AWEsome day of celebration.
Because He came, may Christmas Peace and the fullness of His presence be with every one.
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