Good morning,
Praise the Lord for the glorious hope we have in Jesus Christ. Since the dawn of civilization, men have borne the sorrow of suffering, poverty, war, and hatred. Is there a possibility of salvation from this type of day by day existence? Is there no "Balm in Gilead"?
The French artist, Luc Oliver Merson, painted an inspiring work, which he called "Repose in Egypt", in which the Holy Family just arrived at the Banks of Nile, following their flight from King Herod. The painting contains a night scene, when they were sleeping, Joseph resting by a small camp fire, with the donkey nearby.
Sweet and winsome Mary is depicted as holding the infant Jesus in her tender arms, sleeping quietly between the stone paws of a replica of the Sphinx, the light of the fire illuminated the face of the statue. One sees its lips of stone which have never uttered a word yet, there in the arms of the Sphinx rested a child who is the Word of God, in flesh revealed to the world.
Jesus Christ, in the fullness of time, "revealed to mankind the ultimate significance of life. In the Christ Child the questions of the ages find meaning. Because of him life is transformed from an enigma to a glorious affirmation. . . Christmas brings the fulfillment of centuries. For thousands of years men have searching - searching with honest reverence. Amid the fragrance of smoking incense, prayers have been made before stone idols by light of flickering lamps. Prayers uttered in the nighttime, only to have the wind answer. Such prayers have been heartfelt and sincere. There was nothing false, save the object of the incantation. Though the fervent pleading continued through long hours, no answer ever came. They experienced the hopeless waiting for a voice which was never heard - no promise - no answer - vain waiting. Unanswered prayer - unrealized dreams - futile hope." (Warren Thomas Smith - At Christmas)
In the fullness of time, according to the Bible, the Lord has come. "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." It is an exciting time to be alive, and to be a part of the Church of Jesus Christ.
The Bishop, Marcus Matthews, of our new conference has challenged us to win a soul for Jesus Christ over the coming year. We are excited about serving Christ, sharing the good news, and making the love of Christ tangible to those around us.
We have begun to receive Christmas cards from various of our friends. Thank you to each one. My wife has begun to decorate the parsonage, set up trees, and deck them. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere.
Let us get excited about sharing, serving, and witnessing.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZFxG6-WSnI
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