The Message of Hope and the Light for Today’s World Full of Darkness: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

The Message of Hope and the Light for Today’s World Full of Darkness: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

 

MESSAGE SUMMARY: In this Christmas Message video from the Chairman of Gafcon and the Archbishop of North America, Foley Beach, he reminds us how, in the midst of this most unusual year, we still celebrate Christmas because God has chosen to dwell among us. We can be confident God walks with us and will walk with us as we recall the fulfillment of his prophecy. We can be assured God is acquainted with the sorrows and routines of our lives because we know His Son, Jesus Christ, was obedient to the cross and rose again. And we can be comforted by the Holy Spirit whom we can call on, even in the darkest and strangest of times.

We hope you find encouragement through this video as you go into your Christmas celebrations, however different they may be this year. May you know the true gift and joy found in Christ and in turn, join us in proclaiming him faithfully in your family, your neighborhood and throughout all the nations. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

 

Christmas Message By Archbishop Foley Beach:

“I bring you Christmas greetings from Atlanta, Georgia!

As someone who grew up on the streets of Atlanta for part of my childhood, I thought it would be good for you to see what’s happening here now.

I know that so many of us have had a crazy year with the Covid pandemic. Many of us have lost friends and family members. Some of us have been sick with the virus ourselves. Many of us have lost our jobs. Many of us have lost our homes and places to live. A lot of people are suffering.

Businesses have had to close down. There’s social unrest. People are having difficulty. And here in the midst of this you can see that people have tried to express it in so many different ways. It’s an unusual time, but in the midst of this we celebrate Christmas.

We’re taken back to Bethlehem where God entered the world through His Son, Jesus Christ, where He brought hope to a world that was suffering in sin and suffering in loneliness and suffering in isolation. This incredible message that we have to proclaim, I want to proclaim to you again, that God loves you so much, He loves me so much, that He sent His Son into the world.

As the apostle John said in John 1:14, ‘And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory of the only begotten Son of the Father.’

‘The Word became flesh.’ J.B. Phillips translates that, ‘and the Word pitched His tent among us.’ The Message translates that, ‘the Word became flesh and blood and moved into our neighborhood.’ In other words, God came to be with us! And not only did He live with us in the person of Jesus Christ and to His death and resurrection opened for us the way to have an eternal relationship with Him through the forgiveness of our sins, but also through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For those who come to Him in faith, for those who believe in Him, He gives this incredible gift, the gift of the Holy Spirit – which means God literally tabernacles with us. He dwells in us. He pitches His tent in our life. We are never alone.

Now, some of you are feeling lonely. Some of you are feeling isolated. But because of what God has done for you, you are not alone. He’s with you, and He cares for you, and He will help you.

Sometimes all we can do is call on His name: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. When we do that, His presence becomes real to us.

So, during this Christmas time, whatever it is you might be facing, remember that God wants you to have hope. He wants you to have life. He wants you to have His forgiveness. And, above all, He wants you to have Love.

So, as you celebrate Christmas in your own way, ‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing and by the power of the Holy Spirit give you hope.’ (Romans 15:13).”

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,

was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,

and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered death and was buried.

 On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

 He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,

and his kingdom will have no end.

 

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, because of I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Procrastination. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit’s fruit of Self-Control. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f).

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  John 1:1-18; Luke 2:1-21.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “In this Fourth Sunday of Advent, the Focus Is More on the First Coming of Jesus: “and shall call his name Immanuel {God with Us}”", at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S SERMON VIDEO – “We All Need “Hope” in Today’s World of Fear, Doubt in Our Faith, and Feelings of “Hopelessness”; and God Is this “Hope””:  www.AWFTL.org/watch

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