The Joyous Kingdom (Luke 2:8-14)

Advent Week 3—A Season of Preparation

After reading Psalm 126 during worship our hearts were focused on the joy that is characteristic of the kingdom of God—where God is reigning there is great joy!

In our series on Advent, we have considered “Hope” in the prophetic longing of Israel for their deliverer who came to them that first Christmas long ago. We next contemplated “Perfect Peace” using Isaiah 26:1-15 and realized that our definition of peace is too small and too puny to capture the holistic blessing and completeness of shalom much less “shalom shalom” (perfect peace) that is brought to us by the Prince of Peace himself. This week we will consider the third topic of Advent, joy!

 “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.” (Romans 14:17 NIV)

Joy is one of the signs of the kingdom of God, but what is joy? What synonyms might we use for joy if we were to list them? Perhaps words like cheerfulness, gladness, and happiness might be suggested.

Many kinds of joy are reported in the Bible. This makes it difficult to give a simple definition of joy. Many levels of joy are also described, including gladness, contentment, and cheerfulness.

1.       Natural Joy in the Kingdom of God:

“The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!” (Psalm 97:1)

Natural Joy is a delight of the mind, a positive attitude or pleasant emotion arising from the consideration of a present or assured possession of a future good (i.e., you have received it already or you are going to get it.). It is this natural joy that uses most of our synonyms:

• When this joy is moderate it is called gladness.
• When raised suddenly to the highest degree it is exultation or transport.
• When our desires are limited by our possessions it is contentment. (When our desires are not limited it is not joy but rather ambition, greed, or envy).
• The joy that comes when high desires are accomplished is satisfaction.
• The joy that comes from vanquished opposition we call triumph.
• When joy has so long possessed our mind that it is our temperament, we call it cheerfulness.

This all is natural joy. However, that is not the only kind of joy in the kingdom.

2.     Moral Joy in the Kingdom of God:

“Well done good and faithful servant, ...enter into the joy of your master” (Matt. 25:21, 23)

There is a moral joy, which is a sense of self‑acceptance or approval, or that which arises from serving well. C.S. Lewis wrote,

"Pleasure in being praised is not Pride. The child who is patted on the back for doing a lesson well, ...the saved soul to whom Christ says "Well done," is pleased and ought to be.  For here the pleasure is not in what you are but in the fact that you pleased someone you wanted (and rightly wanted) to please.  The trouble begins when you pass from thinking, 'I have pleased him; all is well," to thinking, "What a fine person I must be to have done it.'"[1]

The movie, The Nativity, for all its historical inaccuracies does do some things very well and one of them is capturing the sense of how great a gift it was for the shepherds to be included in the plan of God—to know they were not forgotten or excluded! They mattered to God though no one considered them. The shepherds could find satisfaction if not sleep, for they did as they had been told! Yet beyond natural and moral joy, there is an essential spiritual joy in God’s kingdom.

3.     Spiritual joy in the Kingdom of God:

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy...” (Psa. 16:11)

There is a joy that only comes from the Lord and it strengthens us. One example in the Bible is in Nehemiah 8:9-11 where the exiles who had returned to the land were enabled to complete (lit. shalom) building the wall around Jerusalem and then called for the Law of God to be read to them, but when it was read they were overwhelmed by the love of God and by their own shortcomings. However, Nehemiah was instructed to encourage them for “the Joy of the Lord is your strength!”

And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.”

Psalm 16:7-11 makes it clear that it is in God’s presence that there is fullness of joy

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
    in the night also my heart instructs me.
I have set the Lord always before me;
    because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
    my flesh also dwells secure.
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,    
 or let your holy one see corruption.

You make known to me the path of life;
    in your presence there is fullness of joy;
    at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

A.    Spiritual joy is a "fruit of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22-23)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

What are some of the antonyms or opposites of joy? We listed words such as... sorrow, grief, anger, frustration, depression, bitterness, envy, perfectionism, etc.

Why are so many Christians not joyful considering that they have been saved from their sins and made alive towards God, not to mention being adopted into God’s family and invited to enter into the heavenly relationship of divine love. Sherwood Elliot Wirt explained,

“The reason so many earnest, sincere believers are failing to find joy in their Christian life is that they are not filled with the Holy Spirit. And the reason they are not filled with the Holy Spirit is that they are occupied with all the unholy spirits–that is to say, the negative attitudes– and these spirits monopolize the believer’s time and effort: hostility, resentment, fear, bitterness, envy, revenge, antagonism, arrogance, self-love . . .  The list goes on and on. How can one enjoy the fullness of the Holy Spirit, who is God, when one is filled with everything else?

To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be filled with love. Love is the first fruit of the Spirit, and the second fruit is joy. Jesus taught that for us to feel that love and have that joy, we have to become poor in spirit.”[2] 

Some British speaker once said, “Joy is the flag that flies over the castle of our hearts announcing that the king is in residence today.” [A reference to the practice at Buckingham Palace]. We must remember that this joy is relational and is tied to the presence of the Lord Jesus himself!

B.    Joy is not merely an emotion, but a characteristic of the Christian.

 Bruce Larson writes,

“Joy is the surest sign of the presence of God.” Pierre Teilhard de Chardin…The bottom line is simply this: grimness is not a Christian virtue. There are no sad saints. If God is really the center of one’s life and being, joy is inevitable. If we have no joy, we have missed the heart of the Good News and our bodies as much as our souls suffer the consequences. [3]

I love Larson's reminder about grimness! It is time that we remember, or learn for the first time, the reasons we have for joy! Years ago I wrote a poem that contained the lines,

"Joy is too bright with Heaven’s light to be dimmed

with discouragement.

Peace is too filled with quietness and confidence to be broken

with contentiousness."

C.    This joy is permanent, commanded, and mind-blowing (John 16:22; Phil. 4:4; 1 Pet. 1:8).

• No one will take you joy. John 16:22 says, “So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”
• We are commanded to rejoice in God and not just when things are going as we desire. Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice… the Lord is at hand!
• The joy of the Lord is humanly inexpressible! 1 Peter 1:8-9 reads, “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

  So, if joy can’t be taken away, then what must be the object of our joy? Here are several:

a.     God Himself (Ps. 43:3-4; Isa. 61:10);

b.     God’s promises (Phil. 3:3; 1 Pet. 1:8);

c.     The Gospel message & Forgiveness (1 John 1:9; Acts 8:8);

d.     The prosperity of Christ's kingdom (Acts 15:3; Rev. 11:15,17);

e.     The happiness of a future state (Ps. 16:9‑11; Rom. 5:2; 15:13

D. Spiritual joy is holy and pure for it focuses on the very character of God.

But the joy which the people of God should have is holy and pure. This joy rises above circumstances and focuses on the very character of God. In the Psalms, for example, the psalmist rejoices over God's righteousness (71:14‑16), salvation (21:1; 71:23), mercy (31:7), creation (148:5), word (119:14, 162), and faithfulness (33:1‑6). God's characteristics as well as His acts are the cause of rejoicing. This kind of joy is distinct from mere happiness. Joy like this is possible, even during sorrow (2 Cor. 7:4). It is not affected by circumstances no matter how painful they may be. In fact, joy may be the outcome of suffering for Christ’s sake (Col. 1:24).

“The fact is, joy is an attribute of God himself. It has the authentic stamp of the ultimate. It brings with it–pleasure, gladness, and delight. Joy is merriment without frivolity, hilarity without raucousness, and mirth without being tasteless. Joy radiates animation, sparkle, and buoyancy. It is more than fun, yet it has fun. It expresses itself in laughter and elation, yet it draws from a deep spring that keeps flowing long after the laughter has died and the tears have come. Even while it joins those who mourn, it remains cheerful in a world that has gone gray with grief and worry.”[4]

Now let’s look at our major text for today, Luke 2:8-18

And in the same region, there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,

    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another,

“Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

How quickly joy broke forth once fear was banished. There is an old J-O-Y outline that helps remind us of the response of the shepherds to the angel’s message of Good News!

• J: Jesus. Without hesitation, the shepherds went to see their newborn Savior. We too need to put Jesus first this Christmas season (and always) by giving of our time and our worship. His love changes us.
• O: Others. What did the shepherds do with the good news? They shared it! A person who has been changed by Jesus puts the needs of others above their own.
• Y: You. Have you allowed the love of Jesus to change you? He wants to fill your life with his joy, the fullness of joy that comes from his presence in our lives!

May you experience the peace of knowing Jesus as your Savior this Christmas. May you spend this season in a spirit of joy and anticipation of Jesus’ return. As it is written,

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,

so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Rom. 15:13)

Other verses about joy for you to study:

• Philippians 1:25-26; 2:1-2; 2:17; 3:1; 4:4
• Romans 5:2-3; 12:12, 15
• 2 Corinthians 7:13
• 1 Thessalonians 5:16
• 1 Peter 1:8; 4:13
• Acts 5:41
• James 1:2,12; 5:11
• Matthew 5:11‑12
• Hebrews 12:2

---

           [1] C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, [New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1943], 112.

[2] Sherwood Elliot Wirt, Jesus Man of Joy, [Thomas Nelson Pub. 1991], 70.

     [3] Bruce Larson, in There’s a lot more to being healthy than not being Sick.

[4] Wirt, Jesus Man of Joy, 74.

The Holy Family Inconvenienced by Love @ Christmas (Colossians 3:18-21)

Last Week: Do you remember what three things we were to check for?

• The peace of Christ ruling…
• The Word of Christ dwelling…
• The Name of Jesus doing…

This week’s texts: Colossians 3:18-21; and Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2,

This passage is usually taught as a guide to healthy family relationships, and it is that, in both the short version here and the long version in Ephesians 5. However, I wonder if we have ever applied this passage to the Holy Family, that of Jesus himself. 

¹⁸ Wives,

      submit to your husbands,

             as is fitting in the Lord. 

¹⁹ Husbands,

      love your wives,

           and do not be harsh with them. 

²⁰ Children,

      obey your parents in everything,

           for this pleases the Lord. 

²¹ Fathers,

               do not provoke your children,

         lest they become discouraged. 

Let’s be honest. This passage pushes everyone’s buttons, doesn’t it? I think that was in fact part of what Paul was doing. Talking about putting on the attributes of the “new man” in Christ, letting the peace of Christ keep ruling and the word of Christ keep dwelling, is all hypothetical until we ground it in the daily nuts and bolts of our own family. Paul gives the Colossians and us a starting place for having a holy family. Let’s take a brief look at what this passage means and then see how it played out in THE Holy Family—Mary, Joseph, Jesus, and God the Father at that first Christmas.

Wives, submit: (hüpotä'ssō) is a military term which means to arrange under, subordinate, the picture of an orderly system designed for mission. In essence Paul is saying You-all keep being submissive to your husbands.” While this verse pushes the buttons of many women who have heard this verse used too often to relegate them to a marginalized position, it comes in the larger Christian context of mutual submission (Eph. 5:21) as part of our submission of ourselves to God (James 4:7) as modeled by Jesus himself.  Kittle writes that, “The general rule in [New Testament] exhortation is that there should be mutual readiness to renounce one’s own will for others.” (Kittle 1160)

Why should we submit? Because “It is fitting (anēkō) in the Lord.” It is the way God himself works within the Trinitarian community of the God-head. If we were to state this nnegatively, we might say that if we are not hupotasso, our lives are not fitting to God. Such willing submission becomes possible because of Christmas.

Husbands, Love (agapao)

If there is only one Greek word we know, chances are god it is this one, the word for the sacrificial, serving love that Jesus shares with us the church. This directive to husbands to sacrificial and serving love was further qualified as to the way it should be done. Husbands were not to be “harsh” or “embittered” (pikrainō) towards their wives. This is not talking about fits of anger and name-calling but dealing with the heart and minds. We should not be bitter, angry, irritated, or indignant with our spouses. We should not treat them in such a way that they might feel that way about us either. This love, is described so well in 1 Corinthians 13, ^“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful…” (v. 4-5). Warren Wiersbe comments that, “bitterness in your hearts will produce trouble in the home” for bitterness will produce no sacrifice, no submission.

Children, Obey (hüpäkü'ō), 

The button-pushing doesn’t stop with husbands and wives, but being a holy family involves obedience. If children don’t learn to obey their parents they are ruined for they will not easily obey any kind of authority. As a result they will not dwell long in the land. But Why should children obey? Because it is pleasing to God or as the KJV translates, well-pleasing (yüärestos) Its right there in the Greek word…if you don’t obey “you arrest us”!

All kidding aside, we all need to obey the Lord if we are members of his family. Jesus made a point of this once when his family was trying to get past the crowd to see him.

While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matt. 12:46-50)

Fathers (or Parents see Heb. 11:23), do not exasperate /provoke (erethē'zō): 

The word translated “provoke” can be either good, or bad, depending on the context; either to excite or infuriate. Dads are especially good at getting their kids wound up at the wrong times. Perhaps some of you have heard a warning like this, “Don’t you dare get them all riled up before bed time!” You know who you are! Well thankfully this command is not that! Paul warns us to avoid living in such a way that our children experience the side effects of “losing heart” (äthüme'ō). What can we do that causes them to be discouraged, disheartened, or more literally, dispirited? Such internal defeat comes from the long-term frustration parents cause by:

§  Asking them to do something which we won’t or don’t do ourselves.

§  saying “No” or “Yes” without really listening to them or considering their feelings, interests, and unique God-given gifts. Both extremes often produce the same result.

§  Not being a good relational role model.

The holy family which God calls us to become will involve all four of these elements. So how did this all work out that first Christmas?

Inconvenienced by Love

As much as we love Christmas, sometimes the things that go with the season are neither easy nor convenient—landslides (twice this last week), traffic jams, crazy drivers, and crowded shopping malls, bad weather, perhaps hanging up the outdoor lights in the bad weather, topped off by and trying to please all our relatives. In fact, some things about the Christmas season might be, for us, downright uncomfortable. Such trials pale in comparison to those faced on Christmas 2000+ years ago.

If you are like me, you like to feel warm, cozy, and comfortably at ease and call it being in the Christmas spirit. However, the first Christmas was neither comfortable nor convenient for any of the main characters (the Holy Family) or the supporting characters (inn keeper, shepherds, Magi, and even Herod). In fact, why do we want comfort and convenience at Christmas? 

In all actuality, the peace and joy of the season are rooted in discomfort and inconvenience. In fact they depend upon it. That first Christmas wasn't convenient either.

1)    Christmas submission wasn't convenient for Mary (v.18; Luke 1:26-38; 2:1-7). Why?

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)

She was the one who was pregnant—very pregnant—likely riding on a donkey for the nearly 80 mile journey, then giving birth in a dirty barn, or more likely, the living room floor in a stranger’s house in a strange city.

Mary submitted to the Lord’s plan for her life, to her husband’s decision in response to her pregnancy, to his plan to go to Bethlehem, then the new plan to go to Egypt in the middle of the night [do you believe that God can talk to your husband like that?]. Later she went along with the plan to come home to Bethlehem…and the new-new plan to move back to Nazareth instead.

2)    Christmas loving wasn't convenient for Joseph (Matt. 1:18-25). Why?

His reputation was at stake as a result of her unwed pregnancy and the certain rumors that would spread, yet he chose not to defend his honor publicly. Joseph was getting an instant family…and not the way he would have planned. However, he chose to love her—first in deciding to put her away quietly (instead of stoning her) secondly in taking her as his wife…and treating her gently. After deciding to take the angelic message to heart he and Mary began the long trip to Bethlehem for some stupid government census declared by a foreign emperor. She rode the donkey (tradition), while he had to walk. She would not give birth in the home he would have built in preparation for their marriage, but somewhere else depending of the hospitality of others.

3)    Christmas obedience wasn't comfortable for Jesus the Son of God (Gospels)

It was the Father’s counter-intuitive pleasure that the Son, the Creator of the Universe, would take time perhaps on a cold winter night, some 2000 years ago—

·         to be born as a baby, in a humble house with a feeding trough for a cradle,

·         to spend a number of years as a refugee in Egypt,

·         to live as a carpenter's son in Nazareth until He was thirty,

·         to spend the next three years on the road trying to teach stubborn and hard-hearted people

·         before spending 33 days in the grave to set us free from sin and death

—but He did it joyfully. He recapitulated all of human life in his own, assuming our sin, sorrow, and shame so that we might be healed. It wasn't comfortable for the Son to come to earth as a man--but He did it willingly. It was not convenient nor was it comfortable that He should be rejected, abused, tortured and crucified for those same people--for us, and then to spend three days in the grave--but He did it obediently and completed his mission.

Certainly that first Christmas for Christ Jesus was not about convenience, nor was it about comfort. It was about doing the Father’s business. Thus it was about compassion for lost souls and a commitment to do something about it by the only One who could. It is about an incomparable love.

As I consider the selfless, loving attitude of our Lord I am convicted of my lack of Christ-likeness and challenged to let his attitude, his very Spirit, dwell in me—even this Christmas—so that my focus would not center around my comfort and my convenience, but on that of others.

How ironic it is that in sacrificing our own expectations for God's best in the lives of others, that we receive God's best for us!

4)    Christmas news wasn't convenient for the supporting cast:

·  Shepherds (Luke 2:8-20). Why? They were badly frightened by the angels, then they left their flocks and their watch-fires to find this new-born king. They worshiped and witnessed to others…“You won’t believe what I saw tonight!”

·  Wise men from the east (Matthew 2:1-12). Why? They studied long and hard, they left behind their families and careers to travel a long way, worship the child Jesus, give gifts, and then they had to take the long way home. They worshiped and then were warned to go home a different way with perhaps “a price on their heads.”

·  King Herod (Matt. 2:3-8, 16-19) Why? A messianic king in fulfillment of the prophecies would ruin everything for Herod, whose power was founded on fear and oppression like that of the White witch in Lewis’ Narnia book, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. He ruled a kingdom with his own power which led to an amazing amount of paranoia. He was troubled and caused grief…thinking better that others should die in order to preserve his faux kingdom.

5)    Christmas was the eternal plan born of the Father’s love

Jesus was sent by the Father, directed by the Father, and fully revealed the Father to us. The incarnation wasn’t without a price for the Father either He chose to give his Son for a bunch of stubborn people who continue to spit in the face of their maker. It couldn’t have been easy to watch events unfold as you knew they would, but in his love he was determined to rescue people oppressed by their slavery to sin and the fear of death.

Our Heavenly Father doesn’t provoke us! What did he say to that holy family?

To Mary (Luke 1:30) And the angel [messenger] said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”

To Joseph: described as a just man was not kept in the dark. He had four angelic dream warnings, “And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:19-21; 2:13, 19-20, 22)

To Jesus: “…and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22)

Matthew 17:5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” [Also John 2:5 when Mary said, “Do whatever he tells you.”]

2 Peter 1:16-18 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.

Don't we all want that kind of encouragement and love from our fathers?

To the Supporting Cast: Lowly shepherds were included in the special moment, the angelic choir and all; Simeon got to seen the baby born before he died, wise men joined the prophets and provided for the refugees. Herod…well, his fear consumed him.

What About Us? What does Christmas do in our lives? How does it shape us?

A)   Christmas tests our Relationship with Christ. (Proverbs 14:14).

"The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways,

        But a good man will be satisfied from above."

   At Christmas, we get to see…

·         Whether we are full of selfishness or if we are satisfied from above.

·         Whether we have the kind of love that indicates a growing relationship with Jesus Christ or if we are shrinking do to self-focus. [How many selfies do we take?]

·         How submissive are we in arranging ourselves under his authority? (James 4:7)

·         How willing are we to postpone our own gratification for the purpose of his kingdom? [They were chaste until after Jesus was born.]

·         How passionate are we in responding to his love for us?

Do we trust him as we should?

B)     Christmas reassures us that God will meet our needs (Romans 8:32; Phil. 4:19).

"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" With such a hefty down-payment—no mortgage insurance is needed. (Romans 8:32)

"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."  (Phil. 4:19) I have found that it is human nature that submission is easier when we trust the one to whom we submit.

   The gift of Jesus, and all the gift giving that goes on at Christmas, should remind us…

C)   Christmas reminds us to look out for others in love (Philippians 2:4).

"Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."

D)   Christmas reproves us regarding our priorities (Mark 10:45).

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

   What an amazing role model we have in Jesus!

E)      Christmas reproduces itself in the hearts of Believers (Phil. 2:5-8; Matt. 10:7-8)

Phil. 2:5-8 "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."

Matthew 10:7-8 "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give."

John 15:8 "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples."

2 Timothy 2:1-2 "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."

Mary, Joseph, Jesus, God, as well as the shepherds and the wise men, were willing to be inconvenienced. The great inconvenience of Christ led to great blessings for us.

Let's turn our seasonal inconveniences into blessings for others. How?

• Pray for others while we are going through delays and extra effort this season.
• Go out of your way to bless others, and it may open up a door for us to share what God has been doing in our lives this year with them. We also benefit from,
1. The joy of giving/serving unto the Lord. He deserves it even if they don’t
2. It may open the door for us to share what God is doing in our own lives.
• Believe that nothing is wasted…God’s plan redeems our inconveniences
• Others?

May your Christmas season be truly blessed by the goodness of God, and if the blessing comes in disguise, may we have the eyes of faith to recognize them!