Yesterday I took a keyboard to Good Shepherd Christian Academy, the school that is associated with our church, for the weekly chapel. The students, especially the little ones, love when I play for them. Their little eyes sparkled as they stared up at me. We sang “Go, Tell It On the Mountain.” My heart overflowed when little voices flowed back to me, high-pitched with excitement. I left that time with a greater desire to be a messenger of joy.
Christmas is the account of how God creates the possibility of joy; "for all the people!" "I bring you good news of great joy," the angel reassured a group of frightened men, shepherds who were seeing the strangest sight ever. An angel in the sky over a field outside of Bethlehem was talking with them! Shepherds of that day were a rough lot, earthy men. They were almost certainly not well versed in the prophetic texts. They were not very observant of the Law. And still God choose to make His announcement to them. Accidentally? Did the angels get lost on their way to the home of the mayor of Bethlehem? No, of course not. God's desire was to bring all people - shepherds from the field - and wise men from the East - to worship the Savior. And in that worship, they found joy.
Even in the middle of my own sorrow (12/29 will be the first anniversary of my wife’s death) I want to carry the Spiritual fruit of joy to others. Oh yes, there will be a little happiness this year that come from sharing gifts with those I love. When I join my children next week we will make merry! But, my mission is to be a messenger of the joy of the Lord.
Every day I encounter those who need much more than a hearty, “Merry Christmas” greeting. Bent under the weight of life, problems, dysfunction, or meaningless existence – only a realization of God's love which was announced by angels and demonstrated by a Baby born in stable will change their sorrow to joy. They won't be 'fixed' by a gift or a happy song. Only in God can we all find the reason for real joy, a hope that is bigger than any set of circumstances in this world.
I invite you to join me in this mission! "Hey, Jerry, we're no angels." Right you are!
But we are ambassadors of the Heavenly Kingdom. God said so. We have the awesome privilege of leading others to Him, sharing with them the Hope we have found.
Give JOY this Christmas.
Christmas is the account of how God creates the possibility of joy; "for all the people!" "I bring you good news of great joy," the angel reassured a group of frightened men, shepherds who were seeing the strangest sight ever. An angel in the sky over a field outside of Bethlehem was talking with them! Shepherds of that day were a rough lot, earthy men. They were almost certainly not well versed in the prophetic texts. They were not very observant of the Law. And still God choose to make His announcement to them. Accidentally? Did the angels get lost on their way to the home of the mayor of Bethlehem? No, of course not. God's desire was to bring all people - shepherds from the field - and wise men from the East - to worship the Savior. And in that worship, they found joy.
Even in the middle of my own sorrow (12/29 will be the first anniversary of my wife’s death) I want to carry the Spiritual fruit of joy to others. Oh yes, there will be a little happiness this year that come from sharing gifts with those I love. When I join my children next week we will make merry! But, my mission is to be a messenger of the joy of the Lord.
Every day I encounter those who need much more than a hearty, “Merry Christmas” greeting. Bent under the weight of life, problems, dysfunction, or meaningless existence – only a realization of God's love which was announced by angels and demonstrated by a Baby born in stable will change their sorrow to joy. They won't be 'fixed' by a gift or a happy song. Only in God can we all find the reason for real joy, a hope that is bigger than any set of circumstances in this world.
I invite you to join me in this mission! "Hey, Jerry, we're no angels." Right you are!
But we are ambassadors of the Heavenly Kingdom. God said so. We have the awesome privilege of leading others to Him, sharing with them the Hope we have found.
Give JOY this Christmas.
A word from the Word, urges us to this high calling.
" God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you. How? you say. In Christ. God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God. " (2 Corinthians 5:18-21, The Message)
" God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you. How? you say. In Christ. God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God. " (2 Corinthians 5:18-21, The Message)
If you're reading this today and you do not have real joy (not to confused with transient happiness), let me point you to Jesus. He came to be our Savior, to close the gap between the Father and ourselves. He came to give us the gift of eternal life, which we can own now, while we wait for the Second Advent of our King. Tell Him your deepest need, yes, in your own words, your own way. Ask Him to help you. His answer may not come in the way you expect, but He will come to you. He promises!
(Want to know more about choosing the joy of Jesus? Click here – Two Ways To Live)
_____________________________
Angels we have heard on high,
Sweetly singing o'er the plains;
And the mountains in reply,
Echoing their joyous strains.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
Say what may the tidings be;
Which inspire your heav'nly song?
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Come to Bethlehem and see,
Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Angels We Have Heard On High
Chadwick, James / Barnes, Edward Shippen
© Public Domain CCLI License No. 810055
Angels we have heard on high,
Sweetly singing o'er the plains;
And the mountains in reply,
Echoing their joyous strains.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
Say what may the tidings be;
Which inspire your heav'nly song?
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Come to Bethlehem and see,
Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Angels We Have Heard On High
Chadwick, James / Barnes, Edward Shippen
© Public Domain CCLI License No. 810055
CWTW will be sporadically sent until Tuesday, 1/3/2017.
I will be taking a break. Thanks for reading along.
I will be taking a break. Thanks for reading along.
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