Gtcotr/ss122224
I want to say thank you to everyone who planned and worked so hard to make today’s special Christmas service such a blessing. The combined efforts of so many came together to tell the Christmas story.
Jesus is the reason for the season.
Unfortunately not everyone has heard and not everyone will get to hear this wonderful account of the birth of our Savior this year. In fact:
Let’s join together in prayer right now for our Church Family in Kazan, Russia. Today they had to cancel the special Christmas program they have worked so hard on due to yesterday’s drone attack on residential buildings in the city. More than 550 people were pre-registered to see the Christmas program. For some, this may have been the first time they would have gotten to hear the Christmas message in such a compelling way.
Kazan is the city where Pastor Sergey, Nina, and their daughters lived. Internet videos of the attack show two of the drones hitting a high-rise residential building that is only 7 minutes from their house. Families in Kazan are afraid. The war was real in the minds and hearts of the people in Kazan, but no one expected it to cause such destruction in their own city. Again, let’s join in prayer for our Church Family in Kazan and for all the people in war-torn areas of the world during this Christmas season.
And let’s pray the war ends soon.
The Christmas Story
Luke 2 NKJV
1 ¶ And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.
3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 ¶ Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
11 “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 “And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, 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, goodwill toward men!”
15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”
16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.
18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
