Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this last day of November. We will gather for our Mid-Week gathering at 6 PM for fellowship and Bible Study followed by the choir practice at 7.30PM. During Advent and the Christmas season we are reminded vividly that the Lord orchestrated on His own the event of Christmas. It was His doing. Because God made all the arrangements that first Christmas, Jesus came at the right time, in the right way, to do the right thing. His love never fails! The good news of Christmas is that OUR LORD STILL MAKES ALL THE ARRANGEMENTS TODAY! He always comes at the right time, in the right way, to do the right thing. His love never fails!
1 Corinthians 13:8-13 says this: "Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away…now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known…And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (NIV) When we look at our lives today, we see things only as a poor reflection. We know only in part. It's hard, if not impossible, to understand what happens to us, when it happens, and why it happens. We struggle, we doubt, we question, we ask our "Why?", but amid the dimness and the darkness shines the resounding promise of Christmas that God still makes all the arrangements today! That baby who was sleeping in a manger in Bethlehem is now the King of Kings and Lord of Lords reigning upon a throne in Heaven. He rules in perfect wisdom, perfect power, and perfect love. He is always working on behalf of His followers, always bringing good even from the darkest and most difficult of circumstances in His children's lives. This is our faith, this is our hope, this is our love, and His love never fails!
All the people, the presents, the productions, the products of Christmas as the world knows it will sooner or later fade away and fail you. If you put your faith, your hope, and your love in these things, you will end up greatly disappointed.
There is a story of a 90-year-old grandmother who was struggling with the hectic pace of Christmas shopping and made a decision. She would no longer send presents to her family and friends. Instead she would send Christmas cards and include a check with each one so that they could purchase their own presents. So she carefully prepared the card and wrote in each one: "Buy your own present." Then she sent the cards off in the mail well before Christmas. Strangely, no one ever made any mention of having received a card. When some of her family visited her, she asked them if they had received her cards. They were polite, but not enthusiastic. They barely even thanked her. A year later, as she was preparing to send her cards again, she made a rather disturbing discovery. Underneath the pile of Christmas paper, she found all of the checks. She had failed to include any of the checks in the cards. Instead, each of her family and friends received a card with nothing inside it but these words, "Buy your own present."
Yes, the people, the presents, the productions, the products, the arrangements of Christmas as most people know it sooner or later will fail. Let us not put our faith, our hope, our love in these things. Instead, let us put our faith, our hope, and our love in Jesus Christ! He still makes all the arrangements today. Though now we see things in a mirror dimly, the day will come when we will see things face to face. Though we now know in part, the day will come when we know fully even as we are fully known. Then we will see then that even in our darkest and most difficult moments, Jesus always came at the right time, in the right way, to do the right thing. His love never fails!
In Christ,
Brown
The St. Petersburg (Russian) Men's Ensemble will be in concert onSaturday, December 3, 2011 at 6:30 PM
Location: First United Methodist Church,53 McKinley Avenue, Endicott, NY
Sponsored by the Union Center UMC
128 Maple Drive, Endicott, NY
More Information available at (607) 748-6329
Sponsored by the Union Center UMC
128 Maple Drive, Endicott, NY
More Information available at (607) 748-6329
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