The Hillsboro Christian

The Hillsboro Christian Volume 63 - December 2023

Psalms 95:2

In This Issue of The Hillsboro Christian

By Brad Clouse

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

(Isaiah 7:14, NIV)

“Unfaithful friends abandon you, and the most faithful ones die.

Someone who is physically present is sometimes emotionally and spiritually absent. And even those who care and come to you in love are limited in their ability to understand or aid you. Jesus, however, is the believer’s forever-present, always-engaged, infinite-in-understanding, limitless-in-power, boundless-in-love, and gracious-to-save God.” (Rubel Shelly)

Isaiah 7-12 has been called “the Book of Immanuel.” Within these chapters, we find what Delitzsch calls “the great trilogy of Messianic prophecies.” In chapter 7, the Messiah is about to be born. In chapter 9, He is depicted as already having been born. In chapter 11, He is pictured reigning over His kingdom. As we approach this Christmas season, let us focus on the prophecy found in chapter 7.

This prophecy was delivered during perilous times for the nation of Judah. Ahaz was king and had made a political alliance with the Assyrians. God sent Isaiah to encourage the king to break his alliance and place his trust in God. But the king refused to do so. In 722 BC, the Assyrians invaded Israel and led them into captivity. In the midst of perilous times, God brings this message of hope = the birth of Jesus Christ, Immanuel.

Immanuel means “God with us.” As John Trapp writes: “Christ, indeed, was not called by this name Immanuel that we anywhere read of… but the import of this name is most truly affirmed and acknowledged to be fully made good in him.” Immanuel was true of Jesus, in fact, not only as a title.

There are three things this title affirms to us regarding the Messiah: 1.) A Validation of His Deity: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son.” The virgin birth cannot be understood apart from the deity of Jesus: “Without the virgin birth, Christ is not God. If Christ was not conceived by the Holy Spirit, then he must have a human father, and thus he is not divine” (Albert Mohler). In the Gospel of Matthew, we read these words: “This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18 NIV). Through the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary would miraculously conceive and give birth to Immanuel, God with us.

2.) A Means for Our Redemption: Jesus’ birth was a unique birth involving only one human parent and producing an offspring who was both fully human and fully divine. What a thought that the God of the universe wrapped Himself in the frailty of human flesh. It is the apostle John who writes that “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). He made his dwelling among us in this dark and broken world so that He would save us from our sins (Matthew 1:21). The humanity of Jesus is just as essential to our redemption as His deity: “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6-8) 3.) A Reminder of His Presence: Immanuel means “God with us.” Isaiah 7:14 was a prophecy delivered during perilous times for the nation of Judah. Over 2,000 years ago, in the little town of Bethlehem, this prophecy was fulfilled; and to this day, we are never without hope knowing that Jesus is God with us.

Mark Moore writes: “We know God and experience God because God came to us. He revealed Him-

self to us through the life and love of Jesus Christ. No other religion teaches this… The concept of Christianity is decidedly different. We’re taught that God came to us in the person of Jesus so we could know God through our experience with Jesus.” Immanuel is not distant nor aloof nor inaccessible. He is with us! He is near us! He cares for us! Let us take to heart what Jesus tells us at the end of Matthew’s Gospel: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Amen!

Merry Christmas!

In Christian love, Brad

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Brad Clouse, a Louisville, Kentucky native, graduated from Louisville Bible College in 2010 with a Master's Degree in Sacred Literature after earning his former degrees at the same university. Brad served at smaller churches in Adair County Kentucky while in college before being called to Ohio in 2009. Brad ministered to the New Vienna Church of Christ congregation for 12 years before being called to the Hillsboro Church of Christ as the Senior Minister.

Through Operation Christmas Child, Samaritan’s Purse is sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with millions of boys and girls in more than 100 countries each year. Many of these children have never before received a present or heard the true meaning of Christmas—until they open a gift-filled shoebox from a person like you.

This year you helped support the filling of 527 boxes and helped with the suggested donation of $10 per box, to help ship these boxes around the world delivering the Gospel and helping to "bring salvation to the ends of the earth" (Acts 13:47, ESV).

With coded scan bars on the boxes, we will be able to identify the countries the boxes from this church have gone into, and will give updated reports throughout the year. Pray for these boxes, GOD knows the children, families, and communities that will be blessed by the box.

These boxes have to travel long distances, go through customs, then travel to an inland site, arriving at different times throughout the year, not just Christmas. Since the ministry began 30 years ago in Christmas decorated boxes, it has continued in this manner. Over 10,000 boxes were collected in this area.

The shoebox ministry team will always be looking for items for next year's boxes, and also for team members. Contact the church office with any ideas, or desire to help.

The team would like to give a big shout out, THANKS for your support!

Shoebox Ministry Team

Health and Other: Barbara Ashley Chuck Chaney Bill Clouse Evelyn Kisling Wava Labig Ohio Mission Bible Training Center Janet Pence Shalom Orphanage Linda Smith Don Watson Wayne Wiedenbein Jim Williams Shut Ins: Ruth Adams Kim Adams Jewel Calmes Eloise Ludwick John Porter Carol Setty Sharon Webb Cancer: Jeffery Aurigema Jeff Beam Rob Butler Vicki Butler Kari Crafton Judy Roush Mark Sears

Family Loss:

Missions: The Brittons, The Millers, The Newmans

HCC Leadership: Steve Allen Brad Clouse Roger Epley Dan Fauber Jeff Griffith Micah Herrick Mike Labig Richard VanZant

Military: Tyler Amos Ryan Burns Mark Conover Thadeus Conover Corey Hughes Alex Klein Phillip Mycroft

Prayer Requests 12/01/23 Average attendance for the month of November 346 Average weekly giving for the month of November $11,987.00 Our weekly need is: $11,229.13

All Church Christmas Caroling December 10, 2023 Sunday, December 10, 2023, we will go Christmas Caroling to the nursing homes and a few church members' homes. We will meet at the church at

3:30 p.m. and will return around 5:30 for some hot chocolate and cookies.

CHRISTMAS E X T R AVA G A N Z A DECEMBER 17, 2023, 6 : 0 0 P. M .

If you have a talent (singing, reading a poem or short story, etc.), we would

love to have you join the program. Let's celebrate Christmas together!

Go to: hillsborochurch.net/events and fill out the form to let us know you wish to share your talent

On November 12, the Roark family (John, Amy, Raine, and Charlie) along with Russell Pollard (not pictured) placed their membership with us. We are so excited for their commitment to our church family. God is good!

A BIRTH UNLIKE ANY OTHER “Some people have made transformational changes in one department of human learning or in one aspect of human life, and their names are forever enshrined in the annals of human history. But Jesus Christ, the greatest man who ever lived, changed virtually every aspect of human life – and most people don’t know it. The greatest tragedy of the Christmas holiday each year is not so much its commercialization (gross as that is), but its trivialization. How tragic it is that people have forgotten Him to whom they owe so very much.” (What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? Dr. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe) As we enter this Christmas season, we are beginning a new series entitled A BIRTH UNLIKE ANY OTHER. While we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we must recognize that His influence on this world is immeasurable. In this series, we will take a closer look at some of the ways that His arrival over 2,000 years ago has impacted our lives on this earth.

12/3: “The Value of Human Life”

12/10: “Charity in Jesus’ Name” 12/17: “What We Ought to Do” 12/24: “Amazing Grace” During each message, we will be looking at Old Testament prophecy regarding Jesus. We will also see how Jesus fulfilled that prophecy during His earthly ministry. Then we will recognize the impact that Christians have had and continue to have in this world by following after the example of Jesus.

The birth of Jesus truly was a birth unlike any other.

“I search in vain in history to find the similar to Jesus Christ, or anything which can approach the gospel… Nations pass away, thrones crumble, but the Church remains.” (Napoleon)

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6 PM

Caroling 3:30-5:30

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10 All church Christmas 11

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3

T.H.E.O. LUNCHEON

Mon

Sun

26

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5

Tue

27

20

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6 Last Backpack Club

Wed

December 2023

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14

7

Thu

Missions Meeting Café 6:30

Faith In Action wrapping Angel Tree gifts

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Little Lamb Christmas Program 7 PM

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1 Worship Night 6 PM

Sat

Fri

Private Party Café & Kitchen

Wonder “O holy night! the stars are brightly shining; It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining, Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope- the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born!

O night, O holy night, O night divine!”

By Micah Herrick There is something special about the Christmas season. We surround ourselves with beauty (lights and decorations everywhere). We find reasons to celebrate (holiday parties, special services, and the special rituals of Christmas morning). There is even a particular spirit of generosity that is seemingly unique to this time of year.

Something extra special arrives in the first snowfalls of December that we call the spirit of Christmas, where we experience love and generosity and joy.

And there is a deep danger in this. It is possible to be so caught up in the Spirit of Christmas that we begin to worship at the altar of Christmas.

We can make the mistake of thinking that those experiences we have at this time of year are from Christmas itself.

The other day my kindergartener was working on her homework assignment. Each kid writes a letter to Santa that gets published in the paper.

As we helped her, we had to make a major correction. She began asking for Santa to “help us have a good day and be nice to each other and…”

Rebecca and I had to redirect her entirely, pointing out that those things are what we pray to Jesus.

This is a mostly innocent anecdote, but it is the essence of how Christmas can become idolatry.

In Exodus 32, the Israelite people create the golden calf for themselves to worship before while Moses is on the mountain with God. When Aaron finished creating it “they said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” (Exodus 32:4 (ESV)). In this

moment they have broken the first commandment by beginning to create a new pantheon of gods. They broke the second commandment by creating a golden idol that they could physically behold that paled in comparison to the one true God. Then, they broke the third by taking the name and words reserved for Yahweh alone and attributing it to the calf they had created.

If we are not careful, Christmas can become the same. The image of the baby Jesus can become a part of a pantheon of Christmas heroes (like Santa, and Frosty, and others) that we celebrate. We can get so caught up in Christmas imagery that we look to the imagery itself for inspiration. And if we are not careful we can even fall prey to giving Christmas the ‘name’ and attributes of Christ.

This is a warning, but also an encouragement.

This season when we remember the coming of Jesus should be full of Wonder. Not because Christmas itself is particularly special but because the incarnation of deity in the person of Jesus is something truly awe-inspiring to behold.

Paul puts it this way: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count

equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”

(Philippians 2:5-7 (ESV)).

When we experience love, generosity, and joy during the Christmas season, it should not be because of some mysterious “vibe” called the Christmas Spirit but instead come from the person of Jesus. We experience love because he first loved us. We experience generosity because he poured himself out for us. We experience joy because ultimate contentment comes from being submitted to Jesus.

Ultimately we experience wonder because Godthe Son, in his deep love for his creation, stepped down from his throne. He took on the confines of human flesh and frailty. He lived a perfect, sinless life all the while teaching us how to come to God. Then he sacrificed that life, looked death in the eye and conquered it, which allows us the opportunity to live with him in the eternity of his return.

All this is made possible because he took on flesh. That is a mystery that should leave us in wonder.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Micah is currently serving HCC as Worship Minister, as well as leading our Evangelism team and coordinating our online presence.

He is pictured here with his wife, Rebecca.

12-03-23

T.H.E.O. will meet right after 2nd service

12-06-23

Last Back Pack Club for the year (see you in 2024!)

Last Kids Choir practice for the year (see you in 2024!)

12-07-23

Faith in Action will meet in the Café from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

12-08-23

Little Lamb Christian Preschool Christmas Program at 7:00 p.m.

(Little Lamb off for the rest of the year, will return Jan 3, 2024)

12-10-23

Christmas Caroling (check hillsborochurch.net/events for more information)

12-17-23

Extravaganza (check hillsborochurch.net/events for more information or to sign up)

12-21-23

Missions Team meeting in the Café at 6:30 p.m.

No meeting this month for MomConnect

12-24-23 Our Christmas Eve schedule is as follows: 9:00 a.m. is 1st service 10:30 a.m. is 2nd service (all nursery, preschool and elementary classes will be available)

6:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Candlelight service Church office closed 12-25-23 and will have light office hours the rest of the week

AREA 937 IS COLLECTING PANCAKE MIX