Show CHRISTMAS another christmas day has come and before some of you will read this message it will have passed into history as another day of peaceful contacts or one of uncertainty or of sadness in accord with the conditions that surround you and your loved ones at the present time christmas in later years has resolved into a period of frenzied buying and the giving of gifts one to another thereby losing much of the sacredness that should be a part of the yuletide observance many who believe not in the birth of christ or in the teaching he brought and practiced as an example to all mankind revel in the worldly things of life therefore christmas for them is but another holiday in which to make merry in a booklet called the key to the kingdom prepared by a woman metaphysician we find these questions under the caption jesus master of this planet did any other great teacher voluntarily give up his life for the world did any other ever come back from the grave in resurrected life it was the coming and life of any other world leader foretold hundreds of years before in minutest detail and with amazing accuracy Is the calendar of the greatest nations and practically the entire world based on the birth of anyone but jesus christ although the conditions surrounding many of the world leaders of today have been foretold in the old testament there is much speculation and difference of opinion concerning who they are and when they will enact their final roles this was not the case insofar as the birth of the christ is concerned since the wise men and even the humble shepherds who were tending their flocks by night were given knowledge of the birthplace and the time of birth and they watched in the heavens for the sign they were to receive the planetary bodies are in somewhat the same position again and it foretells the second coming of jesus the christ which many who celebrate his birth at this season of the year also disbelieve among this vast number are many who call themselves christians although they too may doubt that jesus will ever return to the earth to complete his ministry among menas men as the master of this planet just as many failed to recognize him as the promised saviour of the world in those faraway days so will many continue to dispute the second coming as a literal fact too many think the words which foretell this event are symbolical only that it is only the so called presence of the christ in the hearts of men which will bring about the peace on earth that is promised again we quote from this booklet wherein are listed many references to prophecies fulfilled we of today have promises of his return against a background of countless other prophecies already fulfilled the signs are already here famine pestilences earthquakes qu alies false prophets nations against nations lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of god godetz etc even the stars indicate his return for the same conjunctions of planets which appeared before the birth of jesus are again in the skies the astronomer royal of england who always predicted the times of the tides years ahead has observed that the moon is out of gear and it has accordingly been necessary to recalculate the tide tables for the first time in history yes there are signs everywhere that the last days of the old order are upon us while we who do believe in the prophecies because there are so many proofs of the fulfillment thereof up to this time are preparing for the literal fulfillment of all that is recorded in the bible there are also many more who as in the days of noah disbelieved that a flood would put an end to their glamorous way of living will continue to scoff at prophecy until they too shall be caught in the various forms of disaster which are yet to come as forerunner of the real end of the old order when the last of the prophecies will be fulfilled in joel in dan and in ezek 38 39 we find refer and andin in daniel and in ezekiel 38 39 we find references to these days as well as in many chapters of the new testament and also in revelations all of which we should read at this season of the year when we are in the midst of so much of outer world turmoil and uncertainty but over and above all we should remember the words set to music by felix mendelssohn hark the herald angels sing which promises peace on earth goodwill toward men and we must live for that day the basis of christmas is the rock christ jesus its fruits are inspiration and spiritual understanding of joy and rejoicing jo icing not because of tradition usage or corporeal pleasures but because of fundamental and demonstrable truth because of the heaven within us mary baker eddy I 1 |