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Wednesday, the fourth week of Advent: The Promise of Christmas

It's just two days until Christmas, and in our house, little ones are getting excited about what is soon to come.  For me, this morning I thought about the Promise of Christmas.

The story of Christmas is a story of the BEGINNING of the fulfilling of God's promise. 

Luke 2:1-14 (NIV) 
2:1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.
2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)
3 And everyone went to his own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.
5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,
7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." 

The Vision of Christmas in our minds must not be limited to a December date once a year...it is the promise fulfillment of "good news of great joy that is for all people...A Savior is born, he is Christ the Lord."

The coming of Jesus is the beginning of the fulfillment of Hope for a world ruined in the Fall by Sin’s entrance into the world. We don't even know how different it is supposed to be. We don't have any idea of how different life would have been if only Adam had not disbelieved.

BUT, The Promise of Christmas is of New Life - our lives.  

What if we determined to live with His Hope, Love, Grace in our lives every day?

> let's welcome the coming of Jesus into our life, our marriage, our relationships, our jobs, neighbors, resources, finances, entertainment, everthing.

> let's allow Jesus to do what he came to do, to transform us into the creatures that reflect the glory and image of God in beauty and truth.

> let's live in grace, in mercy, in peace, in forgiveness, in hope and refuse to partake of the fruits of bitterness and complaint and cynicism all around us.

> let's allow Jesus to enter in and heal all that needs to be restored, and keep persisting in that as long as we have life on the earth.

> let's hear the words personally: "Today...To YOU...a Savior...is born".

Jesus is God's Christmas gift to US, the beginning and the end of all that God dreams for us to become.

Peace


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