8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 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. 10 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. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
15 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.”
Ephesians 5-6, Titus 1-3: Fear. We see it all around us these days. It is marketed by the media, it is pushed by men and women who choose to do evil, and it is what keeps humans bound. Evil comes from one source ultimately. Ephesians 6 tells us, 2 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” The root of all evil starts here, but it is manifest in so many ways. God’s remedy and His word to us is the same as it has been since before time began, “Fear not.” It was what the angels told the shepherds. Fear not because the good tiding was that a Savior had been born to them. He would save people from their sin. Then as forgiven children of God we are to trust in Him! (Believe) Taking on the knowledge of our salvation, living in the truth of God’s word, being faithful and knowing God’s faithfulness, choosing right living and sharing the good news of Christ. Praying would be our power cord to knowing and doing God’s will and over all of this to know Love that comes from One source. Perfect love indeed does cast out all fear. God is love and when His love radiates through us even the darkness must flee. What strong truths. What power! What a Holy, Wonderful Mighty God! Fear not!
My friend Howard had this as his status this morning and it goes right along with my thoughts today.
“Evil will hunt you. And so a fellowship must protect you. We simply cannot win this battle alone. We need our friends. We must not go it alone. From the beginning, right there in Eden, the enemy’s strategy has relied on one simple aim: Divide and conquer. Get them isolated, and take them out.”
Are you fearful today? If so, here is an encouraging excerpt from an Advent booklet,”For God so Loved” published by Our Daily Bread:
Although we don’t usually identify Christmas as a time of fear, there was plenty of it on the night of Christ’s birth. Luke says, “Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified.” The sight of the angelic messenger was more than the shepherds could process. But the angel reassured them, “Don’t be afraid!…I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. (v.10)
As we face difficulty and fears, we need to remember that Jesus came to be Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6) We desperately need peace. As we look to Him, He will ease our fears and calm our hearts. The best possible Christmas gift is the forgiveness and peace of Christ.
written by Bill Crowder
Almost three years ago, I moved into a very transient neighborhood with many rental houses. None of my neighbors came to introduce themselves to me; they did not even acknowledge me when we passed on the street. Last Christmas I decided that someone had to make the first move and God decided that it would be me! So, off to the Dollar Tree I went and purchased little plastic Christmas buckets to use as candy containers. I made crockpot candy and filled the buckets and took them to three of my neighbors. I had a tag that said “Merry Christmas” and included my name and address. I knocked on the first door, the lady of the house came out and I introduced myself and offered the candy. She said “thanks” and went back in the house. I still don’t know her name! The next neighbor was home because I could hear her inside the house but she did not answer my persistent knocking. So I left the bucket on her doorknob. Later that day I found a thank-you note in my mailbox from the family, just the last name, no first names. The last neighbor was outside as I walked over with the candy and we exchanged names! I finally “knew” one of my neighbors! Tina and I have become better friends in the past year and my hope is that the friendship will grow. She is rough around the edges and I doubt she is a believer. I don’t think any of my immediate neighbors are believers. So, I am slowly planting seeds. My mission field has moved from the classroom to the neighborhood. This year I will be giving out the following candy:
WORLD’S EASIEST CHRISTMAS CANDY
1 sleeve Saltine crackers
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups chocolate chips (or butterscotch chips)
On a baking sheet, spread out Saltine crackers. Melt butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until gooey. Pour over crackers and bake at 350 degrees for five minutes, or until bubbly.
Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Let sit for a few minutes until chocolate chips begin to melt. Then spread over crackers evenly with a spatula.
Stick in the freezer for an hour, or until chocolate hardens. Break into small pieces and put into gift containers or baggies. Store in the freezer until ready to eat or give away.
I am so proud of you and what a challenge to all of us to go and meet our neighbors. I am working on that this week too. Thank you for sharing all of the yummy recipes! They have been a blessing. We are working on a button to put recipes under so when we get it we will place them there. Thank you for encouraging all of us with your story.