Da Bauz's Take: December 2023

Mary's Boy Child, Jesus Christ, Was Born On Christmas Day And Man Can Live Forevermore Because Of Christmas Day

The year, 1978. T'was just a few days after the U.S. Thanksgiving when Boney M released their cover of the 1956 song by Jester Hairston:

“Mary's Boy Child”

And though I was not raised in a Christian home ( this is not to say it was a pagan, heathen or satanic home, it just wasn't a Christian home) I did hear, as far back as I can remember about G-d the Father, the creation of Adam and Eve. The flood of Noah's day, Jonah, and the big Fish, and perhaps the grandest of all Biblical stories - G-d's Son, Jesus, was born. And born of a virgin, at that!

I grew up hearing, believing ( really never actually doubting, not even a little ) that Jesus lived and ministered to people for three / three and a half years; that He died for us, and our sins ( although I had no idea what that meant ); that He was buried, and on the third day He was Raised from the dead ( He IS Risen ); and that He will come again.

This cover by Boney M, of the 1956 song by Jester Hairston, was released when I was 16, just after the US Thanksgiving, in 1978. From the moment I first heard the song, I found these lyrics profoundly intriguing:

“Oh my Lord, You sent Your son to save us

Oh my Lord, Your very self You gave us

Oh my Lord, That sin may not enslave us

And love may reign once more”

My eldest sister was either in the midst of being or had just freshly been – “kicked out of the Kingdom¹ ” - because, at least in part because, my two nephews 13-ish and 15, weren't “living the lives of good JW's in their community”. My sister, a single mother, was given an ultimatum, “get those boys under control, or you're excommunicated!”

My sister chose freedom and ultimately life too and left the JW's. Now, if you're wondering what the lines from the song, I quote above, have to do with my late sister, her sons, and her departure from the JW religious machine, the answer is simple - JW's deny the Holy Trinity. I grew up hearing tidbits from my sister about Christ Jesus, our Lord, all based upon the JW perspective. And when I first heard the lines:

Oh my Lord, You sent Your son to save us

Oh my Lord, Your very self You gave us

Something, I can explain it, but something jumped inside of me. I can recall talking to my sister at Christmas, about those words, and she was a tad distant, and didn't really say much. I do recall several Christmases past, where my folks and I, a couple of my older brothers, and their families, along with my eldest sister and her family would share time at Christmas, and my sister's JW views oftentimes made celebrating December 25th... a challenge. I do not share this disparage my late sister, or otherwise sully her good memory, rather I share this to say that - along with growing up hearing about creation, the flood of Noah's day, Jonah and the big Fish, and perhaps the grandest of all Biblical stories - G-d's Son, Jesus, being born of a virgin, I also grew up hearing ( with great frequency ) that Jesus was NOT born on December 25^th.

That point is significant, especially to me in this day-and-age, as religious, elitist, Groups are placing increased emphasis on - Jesus was NOT born on December 25^th - while ignoring the far, far more salient point:

G-d became Incarnate, G-d became a man!

Anyways, I digress... as time rolled forward, over the next four years, from November 1978 through December 1982, that song had an increasingly profound impact on me. It was for Christmas, 1982, that my eldest sister ( no longer a prisoner of the JW' cult, Hallelu-Yah!!! but also not yet had she surrendered her life to Christ ) gave me a Holy Bible. My sister knew that I was seeking, and gave me a Bible for Christmas, 1982, how cool is ^^^ that?

Then, very, very late on December 31^st, almost midnight, 1982, I began crying out to G-d, desperately seeking G-d's ( Christ's ) presence in my life. A fleeting, very few short seconds after Midnight New Years Eve, a.k.a. less than a full minute even, I was suddenly flooded with doubts. Doubts I've shared a couple of times at a Thursday Night Biker's Group @ 2911 Church in Tempe, AZ. Doubts about the Great flood of Noah's day, the story of Jonah, David and Goliath, the virgin birth and yes, even the Resurrection.

Those doubts were bizarrely profound to me, largely because I'd never had any doubts about any of those various Biblical accounts, ever, before. The agony of the doubts weighed on me for 45 to perhaps 90 seconds, and then BAM ( as Chef Emeril John Lagassé III, would say ) like a flood², driven by the Ruach HaKodesh, Adonai's comfort came over me like a rushing stream², and I began to laugh.

Now, remember, I'd never doubted any of this, even for a moment for nearly 21 years, and all of a sudden, I was burdened with agonizing doubts. And then, just as suddenly, by the power G-d the Holy Ghost, I was comforted with a peace that, to this very day, is beyond all descriptions³, and yes... I began to laugh, and laugh as I shouted ( moments past Midnight, New Years Day, 1983 ) – “Hallelu-Yah, G-d my saviour!” - and – “Ha! Satan you think you’re so clever, you liar, you. Funny, how for nearly 21 years, I'd never doubted, and now suddenly after giving my heart Jesus, your very creator, I become flooded with doubts? Ha!”

So, there I sat... some 40 odd days shy of my 21^st birthday ( I'd never considered the 40 days thing before just now... hmmm. Significant? I don't know... interesting? You bet! ) alone, less than five minutes after midnight New Years Day, 1983, and I just knew, that I knew, that I *KNEW* Jesus had become Lord of my life, Master of my heart, and Saviour of my soul.

Oh, and my eldest sister... elder by 25 full years, in 1986, some three and a bit years after I became a Christian, surrendered her life to Yeshua's Lordship, thus becoming my "little sister" in Christ! I am also excited to share that my eldest sister continued her walk with Christ for 30+ years, until she passed away in October 2016. Although she's no longer with us, in this earthly realm, she is, undoubtedly, with our Lord, Maker and Saviour right now, in Paradise⁴!

Shalom, and thank you to my friends Jack, Jacob, Bradley, Jadin who've heard me share of my "never doubted, even for a moment" story. Thank you to Shepherd, my President and in many ways, my Pastor, for encouraging me. While I continue to struggle with the process of finding ways to share things, such as what I wrote out above, I celebrate the fact that I have the opportunity to write the above out and share it across numerous Social Media platforms. Shalom, Shalom!!

Please remember folks that, there's just absolutely #noKnowledgeAbsentGd!

#RAD #Rms1vs19to21 #IIChr714

Shalom to you all

“No Jesus, NO peace” and yet, “Know Jesus, KNOW peace.”

How does one get to “know” Jesus? Simple, invite Him into your heart, as Jesus says: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” [Revelation 3:20 NIV] How can be assured that this Jesus stuff means anything? Well because the Bible tells us so, as the Apostle Paul wrote:

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” [Romans 10:9-10 NIV]

And for those of you who say to me, I can’t be bothered reading the Bible, “it’s confusing” or “it’s a waste of my time”, may I draw your attention to what the Bible says about wisdom: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” [Proverbs 9:10 NIV]

If nothing else, PLEASE read two chapters from the Bible – ( You don’t own one? Sorry NO excuse, if you’re reading this, you can access this: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%203:16&version=NIV ) John 3 and John 14!

John 3:16 says: “For 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.”

And John 14:6 says: “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Well that’s it, that’s Da Bauz’s Take on the transition “Mary’s Boy Child, Jesus the Christ” – this 24^th day of December 2023 © 2023, All Rights Reserved. wr ( Da Bauz, Christian Zionist “creationist” too! )

Just sayin’...

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem...

What is #RAD? #RAD is:

R epent of rejecting Christ

A ccept Christ as your Lord

D evelop your relationship with G-d

#RAD your relationship with the Living Almighty G-d Himself, as your personal Lord and Saviour, because your eternal future depends on it!

What is #ATEND G-d (Christ)? Ask me!

What is #IIC714?

II 2nd

C hronicles

7:14