Greeting Pastors and RZUA Church Families:
It is Christmas AGAIN! But not like Christmas 2022. I pray you are leaning forward to enjoying it this year in a way you could not last year! May your joy this year be multiplied, your longing for an abiding Savior be satisfied and the God we worship be Glorified.
I encourage you to think past the birth of the Christ Child this Christmas. Oh, no, don’t forget it! Just think beyond it. Remember all that it started and changed in our world.
Remember the eighth day after his birth, how he was taken to the temple by his parents and was blessed prophetically by two people who WERE NOT high priest?
Remember how travelers came a long distance following a star of prophesy to the city of his birth.
Remember how regularly Joseph received guidance from God on how to care for him, even to being told to take the Child and go to Egypt because the King was going to try to kill him.
Remember him being left behind in Jerusalem and was found in the Temple inspiring the religious leaders and then reminded his parents he was about his father’s business.
Remember his miracles, preaching, teaching, parables, and so on.
Remember his crucifixion, death, resurrection, ascension and his watching over you from his seat at his father’s right side and even sustaining you today!
Remembering all of that, do you remember when his word began to “abide” in you? Rejoice if his word abide in you and you in him! If you remember when he became your Savior and he brought Holy Spirit into you. If you do remember, then, “Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born; and in you! If you do not remember that, then I encourage you to hear him knocking at the door of your heart this Christmas and open the door and let him come in. He has promised to dine with you and you with him. Enjoy Jesus this Christmas!
Last year we were tarrying while God worked his plan with the virus. We were on teleconference, zoom, facebook, youtube, and maybe some other social media. But thank God we can do our worship together, in person this year. We are aware that there are still health challenges out there but I rejoice that we have an awesome, vigilant God.
It is always advisable to be cautious as to what we expose ourselves to. Yes, I encourage you to take precautions during the Holiday season, but trusting God all the way. This year, as in all other years, God reigns supreme. He sent His son to us, not for us to simply celebrate His birth, but to show us how to trust in the Father through the Son by the empowerment of Holy Spirit.
Let us continue to rejoice this Christmas that while all things in our homes or communities or nation are not like we might want them to be, but we are not in a declared war zone with another nation, we are not experiencing volcanic action, we have not had significant flooding, mudslides, collapsing of highways, toranados and so on. So, we do have a lot to thank God for, and to celebrate His son for.
Don’t forget Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father, though we never heard him speak nor Mary, his mother who gave birth to God and man at the same time because she was faithful and faith filled. And let us not forget that our great gift through it all was redemption. Within that gift is everything. Remember to be a blessing to someone.
My best wishes to you and yours for a joyous, Spirit-filled Christmas celebration!
Bishop John L. Ghee
