Since 2001, Jane and I have been serving and ministering with the East Faulkner Church of Christ, which traces its roots in El Dorado, Arkansas to the 1920s. In 2013, we decided at the Spirit’s urging to move our residence a short distance from Jane’s family farm in Louisiana across the state line to El Dorado. We left a beautiful historic farm setting and moved into a 1930s historic home close to our church on East Faulkner Street to better serve the needs of our congregation. At the same time, I approached the El Dorado News-Times to convince the editor that a weekly Bible column would be a good thing for our town and for southern Arkansas. The column would be known as “Ancient Words” and would share biblical truths about various topics in a weekly, serial format. Wanting to give more time and attention to the Christmas season, I began a Christmas series of “Ancient Words” in 2012 and have continued to publish Christmas-themed articles in the column every year since between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. This book, Miracles of Christmas, is a collection of those articles published over the past seven years and organized here according to different Christmas themes.

For over fifty years, Jane and I have collaborated in studying Scripture,

and the wonderful topic of Christmas was no different. In sharing these Christmas thoughts with our community through the newspaper and teaching them in our church, Jane and I have studied together, discussed at length, and enjoyed the excitement while allowing the Spirit of the living God to open our eyes to the wonder and joy of His hidden treasures (the secret message) surrounding the birth of Jesus!

The Bible passages regarding the Christmas season have unfortunately been diluted over time by many well-meaning preachers and teachers, and the glorious, exact reality of what happened over 2,000 years ago has been missed. The importance of a speaking donkey, the timeline of a royal caravan in search of a King, the dates of December 25 and January 1, the number or magnitude of angels—these topics and many more are addressed in Miracles of Christmas from a biblical perspective that shows the reader the great and powerful plan of God from the first step, the coming of the Messiah, to the last step, the ultimate judgment and redemption of the human race. We pray you are blessed as you reach into the depths of glory and majesty surrounding Christmas Day!

 

Scott and Jane Johnson

BRG Bible Ministries

El Dorado, Arkansas