[Faith-talk] FW: [MastersList] Christmas Encouragement by Greg Laurie

Mon Dec 11 03:34:39 UTC 2017

Original Message: 
From: "Bonnie Ainsworth" <cedarwoman1965 at gmail.com>
To: MastersList at groups.io
Subject: [MastersList] Christmas Encouragement by Greg Laurie
Date: 
Sun, 10 Dec 2017 04:13:26 -0700

Are You Prepared?

When the first Christmas came, when Jesus was born, most people missed
it.
Of course, there were no telltale signs like reindeer on front lawns. No
Christmas songs had been written. There were no colorful, twinkling lights
or sales at the downtown market. Children did not find it hard to sleep
that night, because it was a night like any other night.

But the first Christmas was not without its signs, which dated back a few
centuries. The Hebrew prophets had predicted the Messiah was coming, and
they were very specific in pointing out that he would be born of a virgin
in the little village of Bethlehem: " 'But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though
you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come
forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of
old, from everlasting' " (Micah 5:2).

On the first Christmas, it was pretty much business as usual. Things had
been bleak for the Jewish people for some time. There had been an icy
silence from heaven. Four hundred years had passed, and there had not been
a single prophet to speak for God. There had been no miracles performed.
They were under the tyranny of Rome. Things were very dark. It was time
for
the Messiah.

Yet when He finally arrived, so many missed it: The innkeeper. The people
of Bethlehem. The scholars. Herod. All of Rome. Only a handful of people
got it and were ready.

Jesus Christ is coming back to this earth again. The question is, have we
done more to prepare for the celebration of a past event than we have for
a
future one? We may all be ready for Christmas, but are we ready for the
return of Christ?

-- 
Sent from my iPad