We have enjoyed this time of year when many sing “Joy To The World.” It is a time for joy for some, but not for everyone; in fact, Christmas can be a difficult time for some people. I am one of those people; I was the youngest in an Immigrant household of 10.
While the holiday season is meant to be a time of joy, some people may experience heartache, broken relationships, or loss, making it a difficult time. Paul David Tripp says, “So much of our fear, discouragement, anxiety, and worry is the result of underestimating what God is able and willing to do.”
So I double-down on the Christ of Christmas. The hymn “Joy to the World” by Isaac Watts was written in 1719. It is a favorite of mine at Christmas, but it was not written as a Christmas carol. Watts's poem was originally part of a collection of poems that interpreted the Old Testament from a Christological perspective (the study of the person and work of Jesus Christ) . The poem is based on Psalm 98 and Genesis 3 and celebrates Christ's second coming rather than his birth. Christmas can be celebrated from so many different angles, but the word that sums up Christmas more than any other is “Emmanuel,” which means “God with us.” This is the beauty and truth of Christmas, and we know that underlying the truth of Christmas is God's boundless love.
Prayer requests
Safety and health for Kevin in his travels for ministry and pastor training courses in Mexico.
Ministry with Keystone Baptist Church. Please join us in prayer as we continue to do outreach to the more than 80,000 Latinos in the Dayton area with the goal of planting a Spanish-speaking congregation into an existing church body.
Praise God for the offering from Renew Bible Church (Perkasie, PA) for relief to the residents of Urubichá, Bolivia, which is in the South American Amazon. Urubichá was hit by drought and forest fires in such a way that many people were affected not only economically but also in their physical health (they lost crops and had health complications caused by the smoke). Israel and Eliana Quispe were able to bring aid as they continue to minister the Gospel to the people of Urubichá.
We want to thank all of you who have prayed for and given to national pastoral needs this past year.
With faith in Him,
Comments