The Roadside Church

So excited to be joining my Roadside family tomorrow afternoon for a special visit. Hope to see you all there!

Blessings!
Pastor Barry

We had a great Easter Service yesterday with our Roadside Family ! Pastor Lafayette had a wonderful message on the resurrection of Christ, great worship and prayer time !

We look forward to hearing how the Lord is working in our family !

Thanks to all of our tremendous volunteers for making this a great time !

Blessings to you all ! Christ has risen !!

”And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”“
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭27‬:‭51‬-‭54‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Matthew 27:51-53 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen aslee | English Standard Version... And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen aslee

Resurrection thoughts from the treasury of my late father; Rev. Bertram J. Card.

“The story of the disciples encounter with Christ along the Emmaus road is a story of hiddenness and revelation, of knowing and unknowing, of fleeting possession and eternal presence. When the risen Christ was walking beside them they were unaware of his presence. They only came to recognize his presence in the breaking of the bread. And once their eyes were opened and they thought they could hold on to his presence, in an instant he vanished from their sight.
.. After 2000 years we can rest in the blessed assurance that the God of Emmaus is still among us and stays with us when our days are almost over and our evenings fast approach. The God of Emmaus who is risen and appeared to Simon continues to appear to us. The God of Emmaus appears along roads of our existence, calling us to recognize his presence among us and to order our days and our deeds around it. The God of Emmaus, who can vanish from our sight, can be found in the scriptures, in the breaking of bread and the prayers, offering us heart burning knowledge of his being and setting before us the gift of life.”

— Bertram J. Card, Excerpt from his sermon entitled: A Chance Encounter on the Road to Emmaus

This is a surreal time for RaNea and I, as we gather for the last time with our Roadside Church family. Eight and a half years ago, we joined with our son to start this ministry, and we’ve had a chance to meet and minister with some incredible people along the way. God has given us a love for each of you, and we’ve been blessed beyond measure.

Most of you weren’t here when we started this ministry, but we got the name “Roadside Church” because we started on the side of the road in front of what is now the Samaritan Inn. Our first day, we had about 10-15 volunteers show up, and two people were curious enough to stop by to see what we were doing. Over the years, we moved to get closer to downtown McKinney so we can reach more people. We’ve been meeting here at Redemption Point for the last six years.

The goal of this ministry is simple: Provide a warm meal in a welcoming environment; have a time of encouragement from the Scriptures, and to pray for the needs of our members. Our commitment to this goal has been unwavering.

Six years ago, my son left the ministry to take care of his wife and family, and God told me it was time to step up. Little did I know where obedience to His calling would take me.

Over the last six years, we have welcomed all who walk through these doors as family. Our commitment to family is based on Hebrews 10:19 which says, “And now we are brothers and sisters in God’s family because of the blood of Jesus, and he welcomes us to come into the most holy sanctuary in the heavenly realm—boldly and without hesitation.” Because of Jesus’ shed blood, we are brothers and sisters. So each week we meet as a family, to eat, worship, study God’s Word, and to pray.

Even those who don’t know Jesus are welcomed as family. We believe that when we the Church, show the Love of Jesus to our friends and neighbors, people will be drawn to Him. They’ll want to know Him and become part of God’s spiritual family. I’ll say it one more time: Each of you are family to RaNea and I, and you will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Over the years, we’ve celebrated how God has answered our prayers.
- We’ve seen people receive physical, emotional, and Spiritual healing.
- We’ve seen God bring sobriety.
- We’ve seen God provide housing.
- We’ve seen God provide jobs.

But we’ve also mourned when God takes one of our sweet family members home. We’ve also prayed over many in the hospital, and visited those in jail.

With all the ups and downs that come with Spiritual family, we’ve held strongly to the following truths about God:
- He is Sovereign. Isaiah 45:7 says, “I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the Lord, am the one who does these things." God has total control
- God promises to never leave us (Multiple verses; Deut. 31:6)
- God loves us more than we’ll ever understand. Ephesians 3:18-19 says, “And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”
- God He wants us to trust Him with every detail of our lives. Psalm 37:3-5 says, “Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. 4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. 5 Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.”

But today signals a new start for this ministry. Today, We pass the reins of this ministry over to Pastor Lafayette and his leadership team of Ron, Sharon, Gary, Lori, and Connie. I know many of you are concerned that everything is going to change since RaNea and I are leaving. I can’t guarantee that nothing will change, but I’m going to challenge you: Is change such a bad thing?

Years ago, I read the book called , “Who Moved My Cheese”, which talks about how we react to change. Sometimes we get too comfortable where we are, so we become resistant to change; we become complacent. We like things just the way they are. What we fail to realize is that embracing change may actually lead to a better place than we are today.

Know that Pastor Lafayette is seeking God’s guidance and direction for how to lead this ministry. So if change comes, my counsel is to embrace it, because God wants to lead you to a better place.
Remember something that will NEVER change is the truth of God’s Word:
- God is STILL Sovereign.
- God STILL promises to NEVER leave us
- God STILL loves us more than we’ll ever know
- God STILL wants us to trust Him with every detail of our lives.

So what is my encouragement to you today? I think back to Joshua when he was getting ready to lead the children of Israel into the Promised land. This was a big change because Moses wouldn’t be leading them; that was now Joshua’s job. God had separate challenges for Joshua and the Israelites.

What God told Joshua, I’ll share as a challenge to Pastor Lafayette: Joshua 1:8-9 says, “8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do." Pastor Lafayette: Know God’s Word and Preach it!

Here’s God’s encouragement to you: “9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” So when in doubt my brother, preach the Word; and know that God will be with you.

To my Roadside family. Joshua gave the people specific commands on how to enter and take the promised land. Their response was total agreement. Joshua 1:16-17 says, “16 They answered Joshua, “We will do whatever you command us, and we will go wherever you send us. 17 We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses. And may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses.”

God is showing Pastor Lafayette how to lead you. Here’s my challenge to you: Pray for this ministry; pray for Pastor Lafayette; and pray for each other. God is getting ready to take you to a special place, and He needs you to be 100% united behind Pastor Lafayette. That’s your challenge today.

It has been an honor for RaNea and I to be a part of this ministry. God has blessed us beyond measure and introduced us to some pretty amazing people. You have given us purpose and meaning.
We’ll miss you, but we’ll be back in the area from time to time. We look forward to stopping by and seeing what amazing things God is doing at Roadside Church.

And now, in c losing, my prayer for you today is “The Lord bless you, and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; 26 The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.” Amen

Have you ever wondered about why you are the way you are?
I’m the youngest of five kids and although we were raised by the same parents, we’re as different from each other as we could be. That’s because every person is uniquely different; even identical twins. While there are certainly genetic difference that make us unique, how we see our selves; our self-perception, plays a huge role in how we do things and interact with others.

I’ve told you this story before, but I am very self-conscious because of something that happened in my childhood. My self-consciousness is so intense, that I don’t even like to look at myself in the mirror.

Here’s why: When I was a kid, I had a huge smile. Every family picture showed me smiling from ear to ear. Then I started losing my baby teeth and getting my adult teeth. They grew in crooked. One of my front teeth even grew in pushing back. People started asking me what was wrong with my mouth? Why were my teeth so crooked? Then the name calling began. I couldn’t help how I looked, but the other kids in school didn’t care. Their teasing made me very self-conscious.

My huge smile went into hiding because I was so tired of being picked on because of my teeth. As I said earlier, outside of when I’m shaving face, I don’t like looking in the mirror. I don’t like the way I look and I don’t like to be reminded of it. And when I do look in the mirror, my mouth is usually closed.

Why am I telling you about my crooked teeth? What does my story have to do with our message today? The point is that our experiences and circumstances greatly influence how we see ourselves. It’s kind of like a mirror that shows us who we are.

These mirrors are formed based on how people see us and react to us. People who influence our self-mirror include parents, siblings, friends, role models, teachers, and people we look up to. Their influence can be either positive or negative.

A parent who tells their child, “You can be anything you want to in life; You’re smart enough and with hard work, you’ll achieve your dreams”, has a profound impact on the child’s self-perception. They grow up believing they can do anything if they’re willing to work hard for it. This positive outlook is engrained in them and it gives a drive or purpose that carries them through life.

But what about the negative influences? Some that come to mind include:
- A mom who always looks at her son with disappointment
- Starting off the new school year thinking you’re looking sharp in your new clothes, only to have other students laugh at you.
- Your boss tells you, “I don’t think this job is for you”
- You’re being told, “You’re worthless and won’t amount to anything.
- Being told you’re fat or ugly.

These are the mirrors that influence our self-perception. The bad mirrors create a distorted view of ourselves, impacting how we live, because we believe the lies.

In his book “Discover Your True Self”, Author Chip Ingram lists the impact of negative mirrors:
1. Feelings of insecurity, inferiority, superiority
2. Performance orientation – “I am what I do”
3. Withdrawal or avoidance to escape rejection
4. Trying to prove our critics wrong – “I’ll show you!”
5. Addictive behavior (Medicating the pain)
6. Unfulfilled longings for significance & acceptance

So where can we find an accurate view of ourselves? There is a mirror that never lies. It is accurate, objective, it tells us who we are, how much we matter, and why we’re here on earth. That mirror is the Bible.

Let’s understand how God sees us:
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” If Jesus is our Lord and Savior, we belong to Him. Our broken and distorted past is gone. We are new people.

Galatians 2:20 says, “20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Our past doesn’t define who we are. We have a new mirror and it reflects Christ living in us.

Galatians 4:5 promises, “5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.” Jesus paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Then God adopted us as His children. As His children, we’ll receive an inheritance; the promise of spending eternity with God our Father.

Ephesians 1:4-5 says, “4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.” Before He created the world, God chose us and brought us to Himself through Jesus. He adopted us because it gave Him great pleasure!

1 Peter 2:9 tells us, “9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”
We are royal priests! We are a holy nation! We belong to God! We are children of the most-high King, and God wants our lives to reflect His goodness!

Finally, God is never too busy for us. He cares about us. Isaiah 49:16 tells us, “I drew a picture of you on my hand. You are always before my eyes.” God is constantly thinking about you and me.

As we move forward into this New Year, can we ask God to change our faulty perceptions of ourselves, and help us to embrace the truth of how God sees us? Can we start living according to the truth of God’s Word?

Remember, the truth of God’s Word promises…
- We’re children of the Most-High King!
- We’re adopted by God and we have an eternal inheritance in Him.
- He loves us and is NEVER too busy for us!
That is the mirror of truth that changes lives. Are you ready to start seeing yourself as God sees you?

Have you ever wondered about why you are the way you are?

I’m the youngest of five kids and although we were raised by the same parents, we’re as different from each other as we could be. That’s because every person is uniquely different; even identical twins. While there are certainly genetic difference that make us unique, how we see our selves; our self-perception, plays a huge role in how we do things and interact with others.

I’ve told you this story before, but I am very self-conscious because of something that happened in my childhood. My self-consciousness is so intense, that I don’t even like to look at myself in the mirror.

Here’s why: When I was a kid, I had a huge smile. Every family picture showed me smiling from ear to ear. Then I started losing my baby teeth and getting my adult teeth. They grew in crooked. One of my front teeth even grew in pushing back. People started asking me what was wrong with my mouth? Why were my teeth so crooked? Then the name calling began. I couldn’t help how I looked, but the other kids in school didn’t care. Their teasing made me very self-conscious.

My huge smile went into hiding because I was so tired of being picked on because of my teeth. As I said earlier, outside of when I’m shaving face, I don’t like looking in the mirror. I don’t like the way I look and I don’t like to be reminded of it. And when I do look in the mirror, my mouth is usually closed.

Why am I telling you about my crooked teeth? What does my story have to do with our message today? The point is that our experiences and circumstances greatly influence how we see ourselves. It’s kind of like a mirror that shows us who we are.
These mirrors are formed based on how people see us and react to us. People who influence our self-mirror include parents, siblings, friends, role models, teachers, and people we look up to. Their influence can be either positive or negative.

A parent who tells their child, “You can be anything you want to in life; You’re smart enough and with hard work, you’ll achieve your dreams”, has a profound impact on the child’s self-perception. They grow up believing they can do anything if they’re willing to work hard for it. This positive outlook is engrained in them and it gives a drive or purpose that carries them through life.

But what about the negative influences? Some that come to mind include:
- A mom who always looks at her son with disappointment
- Starting off the new school year thinking you’re looking sharp in your new clothes, only to have other students laugh at you.
- Your boss tells you, “I don’t think this job is for you”
- You’re being told, “You’re worthless and won’t amount to anything.
- Being told you’re fat or ugly.

These are the mirrors that influence our self-perception. The bad mirrors create a distorted view of ourselves, impacting how we live, because we believe the lies.

In his book “Discover Your True Self”, Author Chip Ingram lists the impact of negative mirrors:
1. Feelings of insecurity, inferiority, superiority
2. Performance orientation – “I am what I do”
3. Withdrawal or avoidance to escape rejection
4. Trying to prove our critics wrong – “I’ll show you!”
5. Addictive behavior (Medicating the pain)
6. Unfulfilled longings for significance & acceptance

So where can we find an accurate view of ourselves? There is a mirror that never lies. It is accurate, objective, it tells us who we are, how much we matter, and why we’re here on earth. That mirror is the Bible.

Let’s understand how God sees us:
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” If Jesus is our Lord and Savior, we belong to Him. Our broken and distorted past is gone. We are new people.

Galatians 2:20 says, “20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Our past doesn’t define who we are. We have a new mirror and it reflects Christ living in us.

Galatians 4:5 promises, “5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.” Jesus paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Then God adopted us as His children. As His children, we’ll receive an inheritance; the promise of spending eternity with God our Father.

Ephesians 1:4-5 says, “4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.” Before He created the world, God chose us and brought us to Himself through Jesus. He adopted us because it gave Him great pleasure!

1 Peter 2:9 tells us, “9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”
We are royal priests! We are a holy nation! We belong to God! We are children of the most-high King, and God wants our lives to reflect His goodness!

Finally, God is never too busy for us. He cares about us. Isaiah 49:16 tells us, “I drew a picture of you on my hand. You are always before my eyes.” God is constantly thinking about you and me.

As we move forward into this New Year, can we ask God to change our faulty perceptions of ourselves, and help us to embrace the truth of how God sees us? Can we start living according to the truth of God’s Word?

Remember, the truth of God’s Word promises…
- We’re children of the Most-High King!
- We’re adopted by God and we have an eternal inheritance in Him.
- He loves us and is NEVER too busy for us!

That is the mirror of truth that changes lives. Are you ready to start seeing yourself as God sees you?

It’s hard to believe that tomorrow starts another New Year. For many, New Years is a time to start fresh, with the promise of new beginnings. According to the website insideoutmastery.com, nearly 40% of Americans make New Years resolutions. Sadly though, only 1/3 of the 40% continue their resolutions after the first month. For those who don’t make resolutions, some try to take small self-improvement steps, while for others, it's just another day. Are you making any resolutions the New Year?

There’s a lot of uncertainty in the world as we look to the New Year. Will there be resolution to the Israeli/Gaza war? Will there be peace between Ukraine and Russia? We have an election in November, and our nation is divided. Even the dynamics are changing in McKinney. As the city continues to grow, tolerance towards those in need diminishes. With all this uncertainty, it’s hard to get excited about a fresh start in 2024.

Yet today, I want us to consider five reasons why we can look forward to the New Year with joy. The reasons begin and end with Jesus!

1. God has good news of great joy for all people. In Luke 2:10, the angel told the Shepherds, “ but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.” All people means that NO ONE is outside the reach of Jesus. It doesn’t matter who you are, or the things you’ve done, or your current circumstances; ALL are welcome to come to Jesus and receive His free gift of salvation. This incredible gift from Jesus gives us joy; Joy in knowing that He loves us; that He’s always with us; and our future is secure in Heaven. We can face the uncertainty of the future with confidence because God is with us.

2. God graciously gives and graciously saves. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16)” God knew that our greatest need would require His greatest gift. So He gave us His only Son; to save us from sin. His greatest gift is priceless; it can never be paid back. But like any other gift, we have a choice. We can graciously accept this gift from the Heart of God or we can reject it. He’s not forcing you to choose but you have to choice. How you choose has eternal implications. Will you let Jesus save you this year or will you separate yourself from Him?

3. God always keeps His promises. In Isaiah, the prophet wrote, “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” God kept His promise, but it took 700 years to see the promise answered.

Do we ever get impatient with God? We live in a world that requires instant access. Our cell phone can tell us what’s going on anywhere in the world. We’re so used to having everything at the tips of our fingers, that we expect instant answers from God. When He doesn’t answer right away, we either don’t believe He heard us, or think He’s ignoring us. II Peter 3:8-9 says, “But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”

God may not answer our prayers according to our timetable or to our expectations. But when He does answer, we can know that His timing will be perfect, and His answer will be better than anything we could have asked for. May we face 2024 with the confidence that God answers our prayers and keep His promises.

4. God is worthy of all praise. Let’s be honest: It’s hard to praise God while going through hard times. We ask God for help and He remains silent. “Why should I praise a God who doesn’t answer prayer?” is a common claim.

But we don’t praise God for what He does; we praise Him for who He is! He is God almighty! He is our creator and He’s our coming King! He’s our Heavenly Father, and we are His! God delights in hearing from His children, and He is worthy to be praised! May we praise God for who He is, even in uncertain times.

Finally, we can look forward to 2024 with joy because Jesus is coming back soon! In Revelation 22:12-13, Jesus promises, “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.” Then in verse 20, Jesus says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Now Revelation was written nearly 2,000 years ago, which kind of makes you wonder what Jesus meant by “soon”. After all, does 2,000 years really count as soon?

In the original scriptures, the word used for “soon” means, “quickly” or “without unnecessary delay.” Notice that “soon” doesn’t mean “immediately”. When Jesus says He's coming “soon”, it means that events have been set in motion that will bring about His arrival without any unnecessary delays. Soon means everything is moving forward according to God’s timetable.

So how can we have joy in these turbulent times while awaiting Christ’s return? Romans 8:18 promises, “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.”

We need to keep pushing forward with our eyes on Jesus. He is coming soon and when He returns, what a day that will be. Revelation 21:1-4 gives us a glimpse of how life will be when Christ returns.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Jesus is coming soon.

What does 2024 hold in store for us? I wish I could tell you, but I really don’t know. But I do know we can face an uncertain future with joy because we have the good news of Jesus and it is for all mankind. We won’t face 2024 alone because God is with us, and we can look forward with joy because He’s coming back soon.

Is your joy in Jesus for 2024?

Our Christmas Eve Message to you

Well tomorrow is Christmas, and to be honest with you, I haven’t been looking forward to it. Yes, I’m excited to open up the church tomorrow and have breakfast with you all, but after that, it gets hard.

Part of my problem is because I’m older and I’ve lost the child-like joy and anticipation of getting to open presents. I have so many good memories of Christmas as a kid. Those were great times!
But times change. I grew up and got married. My sons have grown up and married, and my grandkids have grown up way too fast! Add in broken family relationships, and it’s hard to get excited for Christmas. I don’t mean to be such a wet blanket, but Christmas is hard! I’m sure there are some of you who struggle with Christmas as well.

That was until last Sunday. We sang a song in church that changed my perspective, and I want to share it with you tonight. This is a great song that really boils down the true meaning of Christmas. And that’s something we can all be joyful about regardless of our circumstances. The song is called “Christmas Hallelujah”.
Watch this video done by Bethel (YouTube) and pay close attention to the lyrics and the story it tells.

We celebrate Christmas as the birth day of Jesus. But as this video reminds us, the story of Jesus is so much more than the tiny baby. He came to earth as a little baby to rescue us from the penalty of our sin. In order to rescue us, He paid the ultimate price.

At the appointed time, Jesus hung on the cross, carrying all of our sin, enduring the wrath of God that we deserve, until the punishment for our sin had been paid. Then He cried out, “It is finished”, and gave up His life.

But the story continues:
He was laid in a tomb, and on the third day, the stone rolled away and tomb was empty. As the angel told Mary in Matthew 28:6, “He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.”

But the empty tomb doesn’t mark the end of the Jesus story either. In John 14, Jesus promised He would prepare a place for us, and He’s coming back soon! “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

When we declare these truths and confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we can have joy at Christmas regardless of our current situations.

Today I want to share some truths about Jesus that should encourage us this Christmas and as we head into 2024. Because of Jesus….
..God is with us. In Matthew 1:23 the angel told Joseph, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Think about this: God came to us and He is always with us! In Psalm 139:7 David says, “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!”

Remember, God pursued us through Jesus, and He continues to pursue us. We don’t worship a distant God but rather the God who makes His home with us. He is Immanuel; God with us!
..God has not forgotten us. God remembers His promises. In Luke 1:72-73, Zechariah sings, “He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant— 73 the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham.” God remembered His promise to Abraham that all the world would be blessed through him so He sent Jesus.

Do you ever feel alone? Like God has forgotten you? Our sin creates a barrier between us and God. Perhaps our aloneness comes from our choices that separate us from God. But know this: God has not forgotten you! Isaiah 49:15-16 says, “But the Lord says, “Can a woman forget her baby? Can she forget the child who came from her body? Even if she can forget her children, I cannot forget you. 16 I drew a picture of you on my hand. You are always before my eyes.” We may forget God, but He hasn’t forgotten us! His Word promises time and time again He will never leave us or forsake us!
..God understands what we’re going through. Jesus, the Son of God, became a man. He entered our world with all its brokenness, sin, and suffering. He experienced every human emotion and temptation, yet He didn’t sin. Hebrews 4:15-16 says, “15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testing’s we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

Jesus understands our pain because He’s experienced it Himself. Only Jesus can truthfully say, “I get it. I understand.” So, whatever you’re going through, know that you’re not alone. Jesus understands, and He invites you to come to Him as you are and receive His help.
..God is immeasurably great and unexpectantly humble. I think we struggle to fully understand the magnitude of Jesus coming to us. But consider this quote: “The Creator came to His creation. The God of Heaven came to earth. The infinite God became an infant son. The Lord, whose royal robe filled the temple of heaven (Isaiah 6:1), became a baby who was wrapped in swaddling cloths (Luke 2:7). The God of the universe, who is present everywhere, did not have a room to be born in. The Son of God left His throne in heaven, surrounded by the unceasing praise of angels, to come to earth where He would ultimately receive a crown of thorns and hear crowds shouting, “Crucify him!” (Mark 15:13). – 10 Wonderful Truths of Christmas

This Christmas, can we marvel in awe and gratitude at the lengths God has gone to show us His love and to save us through Jesus?
..God is at work in the darkness. If I ask you why Jesus came to earth, what would you say? To save us from our sins? To show God’s love? But in 1 John 3:8b, the apostle gives an unexpected but concise reason why Jesus came to earth. “8 But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.”

After man sinned in the Garden of Eden, God promised the serpent that one of Eve’s descendants would crush his head. Genesis 3:15 says, “And I will put enmity (hostility) between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Way back in the garden, God promised that Jesus would come to destroy Satan’s work and save us. Jesus destroyed Satan’s work once and for all time on the cross! “It is finished”, He cried out! Darkness is defeated!

In closing, Christmas can be a sad time as we remember Christmases past, and the disappointments of our current circumstances, but when we remember the truths about Jesus, we can have joy.

RaNea and I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and pray that you find joy in Jesus this Christmas!