Dear Weekly Readers!
There is only a little more than a week before we celebrate
the best and most precious gift ever given to anyone in the history of the
world. A precious baby was born, for
the express purpose of redeeming falling mankind. To save you and me! To save us for all eternity. Nothing can compare to the Love of God that
we have in Christ Jesus!
Oh, that God would reveal ever more this great act of Love
that was given to us in the person of Jesus Christ. If we could see the full extent of this, we
could not contain the joy that we would have.
So today we pray that the Lord will fill us to overflowing with the Joy
of the season, which comes through faith in the completed work of His Son Jesus
Christ!
Enjoy this article by Pastor Ron Holmgren. Also, please pray for this dear pastor as he
has liver cancer. He is the head pastor
of a very large congregation in WA, USA.
THE DAYSPRING
And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied,
saying... And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou
shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of
salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy
of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light
to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into
the way of peace. Luke 1:67, 76-79T HIS NAME OF OUR LORD is descriptive. Without much stretching we can grasp some of the meaning. We can see the dark night with all its questions, fears and mystery passing away as the sun rises to its zenith and all of darkness flees. The sun is not slowed down. Darkness must yield. As the Apostle of love explains, darkness could not apprehend, attain, nor overtake it.
Shadows
of the night are replaced with full revelation. All living things reach for the
warmth of the rays and their colors are radiant as they are seen reflecting the
sun. When Paul wrote of the whole of creation groaning and suffering in pain together,
it was waiting for the deliverance from corruption as we all do. And now is
come salvation, now is the revelation of all things which were hidden when
darkness prevailed. Rejoice my friend, and sing of the Light that has come to
us who sat in darkness.
Jesus
is born in Bethlehem and He has brought salvation with Him. He will lead us out
of the darkness into His marvelous light. The father of John the Baptist
preached the words, "the Dayspring from on high hath visited us." He knew
that his son would precede the great deliverer Jesus
Christ. John would prepare the way of the Lord and point Him out to those who
looked for deliverance.
This
is the beauty of Christmas. Light has come and we can walk in the light as He
is in the light. When
I was a boy, our family had many traditions. We made preparations for the
season of Christmas with decorations, gifts and special food. The Norwegian heritage
included so many things like sweets, sausage, fish and meat balls. I well
remember those days with fondness. Grandparents
and other relatives gathered together and a festive atmosphere filled the
house. Lights and candy, snow hoped for even if it seldom came in our area.
And with
all this the church sang and talked of the incarnation of Jesus. Many times we
worry that the meaning of Christmas is lost in all the festivities. It may be
so, but we still can celebrate and share with one another the joy of His coming
in our traditional ways. I believe just the fact that the world puts up all the
lights and decorations is a testimony to the great effect Jesus has and
continues to have on the whole world.
We
continue to have traditions at home with our family. I pray our children
remember these days as special and full of love, sharing and joyfully
remembering the coming of the Lord Jesus in the manger.
God
bless you this Christmas and through the coming year with the revelation of His
love. Jesus came for you and for me to give us light and salvation through His ultimate
gift on the cross of Calvary.
~ Pastor Ron Holmgren
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