Joy, Hope, and Help

The past few months, as I have observed all the anger, angst and fear in our nation, I have often found myself wondering where would I be without Jesus? I don’t know about you, but I can’t even begin to imag- ine what it would be like to live on this planet, had He not come! For- tunately, He did come and it is my hope that later this month you will be celebrating His birth, His incarnation, and His incredible love for you!

When I was a kid I never want- ed Christmas to end. If I could have had my way, every day would have been Christmas. I bet some of you felt the same way!

In Luke 2:8-10 we read: “In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the elds and keeping watch over their ock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people”

These verses remind us that the announcement of Jesus Christ’s birth was good news. In fact this announcement that the Messiah and Savior had been born was good news for all of mankind and it was intended to produce tremendous joy. His coming brought hope and help to our fallen and broken world!

The good news is that what was true at the time of the angels’ an- nouncement is just as true, just as signi cant today. Moreover, this re- ality can and should be producing great joy in the life of every believer! In a very real sense everyday can be Christmas, because the heart of Christmas is the fact that a Savior has been born. My friends, we shouldn’t need a holiday to remind us of God’s great gift, especially when we recog- nize that this is a never-ending gift. If we live in the reality of God’s gift and His love we can nd great joy wherever we are and in whatever we do.  Read more...