Christmas 2022
Well, good morning. Merry Christmas.
This is a day that we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And to be here, together, this morning to celebrate, we got some birthday cake in the back after the service this morning. I listen, you hear you say? It's 10 in the morning too early for cake. It's like saying it's too early for ice cream. There's no ice cream that I know of, but there is cake. So if you don't want to eat cake at 11, take it home with you please. Cuz there's a lot of cake back there. Have you noticed and either that you're going to get a Big Slice. Okay? But no, take some cake with you. And in the celebrate, the birth of Jesus had a great celebration last night for our Christmas Eve service weather. Pretty much a packed house, so always a good time together together. Today, we're going to be looking at the birth of Jesus Christ in Matthew chapter one. So if you have your Bibles good to have the Kellogg's. What does all the way from cold Tennessee? Brought the warm weather with them, I guess. It's good to have them with this busy with this a day and back in the area with family. So keep some folks in our church and prayer. Danny Bailey is with us, continue to keep him in prayer as he heals up from his lung surgery. He's got reserved seating this morning Ron Ron. Almost stole that seat from you then you got to you and Ron got to do that with. No. But they're good to have Danny with us. Keep Leslie Sanders son in prayer as she is headed to her father's this morning, maybe already be there. I don't know. But the going to visit with her father and Chris Aldi is with his family. This morning, keep him in prayer. Diane's azzaro, in prayer, and also continue to pray for Sandy rivenburgh. I heard yesterday, she's back in the hospital in Florida. She's got a an abscess from surgery, she had so keep them in prayer and Ron delameter son, Eric in prayer as he's dealing with some cancer as well. So there's a lot of things in this world that we pray about it and pray for and I'm sure I miss some things out there that maybe I should know if I forgot it. God knows but we'll remind me and I'll continue to keep them in prayer but the things that this time of year brings to mind for many of those of you who don't have a loved one with you, this Christmas or whatever's been for many years that that loved ones not been a part of your Christmas celebration. And I'm not saying this to Pat myself on the back, I just had a few free days. I could do this. I I drove the rivenburgh car to Florida for them earlier in the week Monday. And Tuesday, I drove down to Florida and flew back and it was cold down there just so, you know, okay. It was a man On the very front of the airplane, Southwest. I got that little more legroom that the bulkhead, and I'm walking in and there was this older gentleman, this young kid in the seat in between and I just happened is that seat available. They don't give you seating on Southwest, you just go in and get a seat where you want, unless you have pre-arranged that and then gentleman says, go right ahead, come right in and sit down next to him. He began to talk with me and share with me a little bit of his life. He was flying from Tampa back to going to Arlington into we flew into Baltimore. He was going to Arlington to spend some time with his wife. His wife died a year ago. She's buried in Arlington Cemetery. He was the military person. She was not but they allowed her to be buried there because of his service to our country. Not anybody gets buried in Arlington. I know that. So this guy had some high-class position In our country. Nicest guy in the world 92 years of age sharing with me. His life sharing with me, some things going on that he himself. Had kidney failure and, you know, he's going to Arlington spend time with his wife and I'm thinking, wow. That this is my first intuition sitting in this chair. Don't really know the guy he's getting me his whole life story. And yet the whole flight from Tampa to Baltimore. We we talked and we chatted Who's the what, what about the kid on the other side? Yeah, we talked with him too. And the only answer we got from the kid next to us, he was looking out the window. He was flying from Tampa to Baltimore. His mom is picking him up. She lived in, Hanover Pennsylvania. She was coming to pick him up. So we would talk to this kid me and my new friend on my right and the answer that we would always get from this guy. When we asked him a question was maybe
You have siblings, Maybe. Are you the oldest Maybe?
so this guy speaks across looks over, is that the only word, you know, maybe You got an answer, maybe.
So I'm thinking that maybe his family told him. If you get on the airplane and somebody's trying to talk to you just don't give him any information. Just say maybe he was good at it. By the end of the flight. However, we got him to talk. His name is Ian. You did have some siblings. He was living in Florida with his dad and his grandparents going to visit his mom for Christmas. And I said, well, how long have you lived in Florida and only a year? He's lived in Florida and he's not sure whether he likes it there or not. He wants to be back with my I'm not sure. So we're communicating with this guy. You can just get trying to encourage him. And I'm sitting in the middle of these two and having a conversation. Both ways. And the guy on my right, the older gentleman and he's listening to everything we have to say he's chiming in as well. This guy is going to visit his wife in the cemetery. This disc is from a broken home and going to visit with Mom for a few weeks. And I'm going and coming back to a wife family and grandkids and wonderful church. And I'm thinking to myself,
I've got a pretty good. Life is good for me but not everybody has it good. some people are dealing with some trials, and tribulations this Christmas season that some of us have no clue about
And that's where I wanted to go to, with this passage this morning that we find in Matthew chapter 1, the story. Of our Lord and savior and back verse 18, 2 verse 25. So now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. A mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Saint Joseph, her husband being a just man was not wanting to make her a public example.
Was minded to put her away secretly, but while you thought about these things, we hold an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. Sing Joseph, son of David do not be afraid to take to you. Marry your wife for that, which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a son and you will call his name Jesus. For, he will save his people. From their sins. So all of this was done that, it might be fulfilled with your spoken by the Lord, through the prophet saying, behold the Virgin shall be with child and bear a son and they shall call his name Immanuel, which is translated God With Us. Then Joseph being aroused, some sleep. That is the Angel of the Lord commanded him and talk to him. His wife and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn son. And he called his name. Jesus, let's pray this morning. Father we thank you we thank you for the opportunity that we have together together here. This day of the celebration of your birth. For some that they don't recognize, this is the birthday of Jesus. It's just in time to give gifts and get gifts, and not really thinking about, what it's really all about, not really thinking about the gift of Jesus Christ, that was given to each and everyone of us. His presence amongst us is a greatest gift that we could ever have. And father today, I ask that you help us put away, put aside the busyness of our lives and all that's going on around us and just focus on this day. Upon Jesus Christ, upon Emmanuel. God with us and we'll give you the praise in Jesus name. Amen. We've heard that saying God With Us. He manual over and over and over again. And as much as in X we think that God is not near us. And God does not really care about is, he's not present with us. He is. Will you see in this passage, we read this morning week. We see the birth of a special child. The birth of Jesus Christ. Was different from any other bird though. He was born in the natural way but how it all came about was different. Where scripture tells is that Mary had not been with a man. So there's no way that she could have conceived. Other than God works through her life. Jesus was conceived by the holy spirit in Mary's womb. He was born with a sinless nature. He is God With Us. Think about that for a second? God In the Flesh came down, you say, well, do you know Pastor Clyde that's a far-fetched story? I'm not sure. I believe it. I'm not sure. It's really the way it happened. So let's back up a little bit to God. if and I believe there is, if there is a God and if that God created the universe, as scripture says, Why could this God not also? Touch a young girl by the name of Mary and allow her to conceive of the Holy Spirit to bring forth Jesus Emmanuel God, In the Flesh. So that the world. Could know him.
It's an amazing thing, isn't it? When we really think about it, so it will pass like that, that takes a lot of faith in this whole thing about this book takes a lot of faith does not. It is a Faith Life. And you've heard me say this for thirty years. I've been saying I'll say it again you all practice Faith this morning on your way to church. Did you not Some of you may have practice Pages, my walking outside of the icy conditions around your house that you're not going to hit the deck. Some of you practice at Faith as you're driving down the road and other cars are coming from the opposite direction that they're going to stay in their Lane. You probably really didn't think about it.
We practice Faith all the time in other areas and other ways we put our faith in other people. We put our faith in other things. We put our faith in those. Things are around us. And yet when God is with us, It's hard. Sometimes for our us to put our faith in him. Why is it? Because of all the other things that are going on around us? There's a lot of death in this world. There's a lot of cancer in this world sickness paying sorrow suffering, whatever it is, you might want to call it. There's a lot of things that takes our Focus off of God. And puts our focus on the world. The things around us. And as we look at the things around us, we lose sight of who God truly is, and what God is truly done for us. We're at throughout scripture, he talks about the world worshipping, A savior. Now, not everybody believes that, not everybody worships the Savior, some people worship themselves, some people worship their possessions, but when we have a Jesus as a baby that was born in a manger, a baby that from his very birth did not have it easy, Jesus. The son of God, Had trials and tribulations all throughout his life. I made mention of it. Last night, we had a little baby here last night with us just a few weeks old. Can a Rita's grandbaby that was with us and I have that baby. I had MOM stand up with that baby little Austin and show him off to the crowd as it listen. Can you believe that a little baby? Like this? Would cause grown men don't want to murder him. And not just him, but many other children around the age. That Jesus might have been from 2 years of age down, why not? Because of that baby that baby was not scary. We know that when when babies, they're not scary, it's when they get older, they get scary. Am I right? You got to deal with that but that little baby Jesus laid in. That major was not a scary flight was not a scary thing except for the fact that Herod was afraid of losing his position in the world. Losing his control of all the things he fought. He had control of.
What we find here that God is with us.
Not only is god with us but God, Jesus Christ in the flesh, Emmanuel is like us, think about that for a second except for one thing, one thing he is without sin. He came into this world in this world received him not. He is sinless in this world. He went through this world, going through the trials and tribulations Of Heartache. People treating him mistreating him. And yet. When he got to be 32 years of age thereabouts. What did he do? He lay down his life. for you and for me, and for whomever Those people were that mistreated him as well and we have to admit in our life, we've mistreated him. Have we not we've used and we've abused him. We've taken this relationship with that. We have with him and Miss use that, in a way that it would benefit us.
Instead of using this relationship that God has given us to help benefit others. All we do that sometimes in our lives, we help others around us. But we need to understand, is he took on our nature?
And entered into human life, so that he could know what you and I go through. that baby Jesus was not immune from trial and tribulation, because God with his father, You're here this morning and you know, Christ as your lord and savior thing, God has your father as well. And listen, you and I are not immune from trials and tribulations either, are we We have heart attacks. We have hardships, we have things that happened to us. We may be going and spending some time with our loved ones at a cemetery. Because of Christmas being together. Are you maybe going somewhere else traveling somewhere else to be with family in a separated family so that you can have that relationship with the other part as well as the other side as well. Figuring out those relationships are always a difficult thing but God figured it out for us a long time ago. God is the almighty one? When he sent Jesus Emmanuel to be with us. He's the almighty one but he also is Emmanuel. So if you want to balance picture of God, you got to look at those two names. He is God, most high. And he is God, most Nye. Is that awesome? Because when you need him, what do we do? Call out to him and he always hears. He might not answer the way we want. But he always hears his children when they call. He is God most high. He is God. Most knife. He exists outside of time and space. He always wants. And you always will be if God is God. And if Jesus Is God, In the Flesh, Emmanuel God With Us. Then he is that force in this life that we all need to bow to. That force in this life that we need to accept and worship. If God is God, and in my life, he is
it's easier for us to accept that Jesus was fully God, then that he was fully human many times. At any moment. Anytime if you and I were in the position that Jesus was in, How many of us when we got into a rough spot would call out to God the Father say okay and let's change is now let's fix this. Things are getting a little rough. If you got to change it up for me so I I have a little easier life. Because we do that in our lives, when we have trial and tribulation, do we not? We, we stopped at. Okay? God, let this go away. So we'll didn't Jesus. Do the same thing he did, but he didn't stop with that. He went on to say but not my will. Father Vine be done. I don't like what's going on. I don't like the direction. I don't want to be here. But this is where you place me. And if this is where I need to be, that your will father God I'm ready and willing to do in to be what you called me to do and what you called me to be. Holy God.
He was human just like you, he went through the trials and tribulations. I think we underestimated human this as well. As well as that Divinity of Jesus. I had these weird thoughts, sometimes. And here's one of them.
For more than 30 years will be better than 30 is coming as birth. The right before his Earthly Ministry, Jesus worked as a carpenter.
I wonder if you ever missed the nail in his thumb. I have.
Anybody else? I wonder if we ever got a splinter or being where he was raised up, there wasn't a whole lot of which we might not have been a wood Carpenter. He might have been a Mason Carpenter. I wonder if he got Mason dust in his eyes.
I Think Jesus got bumps and bruises, just like you and I Well, why would you say that? Well, look what took place with him. At his crucifixion, the days before his crucifixion, how those around him, even during his three years of Earthly Ministry, were clamoring around to find him in to put him to death and how is disciples each. And every time we say, no Lord, don't go there, they want to kill you. They want to do away with you. and yet Jesus says, you know what, I'll go there because now is not the time for me to be put to death, he was in charge Now's, not the time. Until that moment in his life when he said to them, listen guys, here's the time you go, do what you need to do, you know, do what you've been directed to do? I'm going to the Garden to pray as I normally would.
Judas knew that Judas knew where Jesus would be and he went and sold Jesus for the silver. That did not bring him any happiness, he tried to turn it back into the buyback Jesus life and they didn't want any part of that pilot said, no way. I, that's blood money. We're not going to touch that. What's been done has been done. You go do your thing. We're going to go get Jesus.
And as Judas kissed him on the cheek, to prove to those soldiers. Who he was that this is Jesus. Jesus didn't deny who we was. The pandas are on the suffering for the next. Few hours of this punishment went on and on which would probably kill most of us. And yet he took that punishment on for you and for me
Not only. Do. I wonder did he hit his thumb with a hammer and miss the nail? We know that in a few days nails and a hammer would be involved in his life of nailing that baby Jesus born into this world, Emmanuel God With Us to that cross to do away with him to remove him from Humanity. So The world wouldn't have to deal with them.
The cancel culture is nothing. New a man. Still going on. We see it around as we see it in the world that we live in. You don't do it my way. We're not going to have anything to do with you. They tried to get rid of rid of Jesus and for the last two thousand years, he's still been around. In fact, we celebrate his birthday. Every Christmas. All we want to get rid of that Christmas name and just call it holiday. I got a lot of that yesterday when I was out shopping at the last moment for my wife. Happy holiday and that's fine. And I would say Merry Christmas. It's his birthday right? Merry Christmas. Rights to ignore. That this is my thought. Another one of my thought she ready for this one? To ignore the birthday of Jesus. Is. Akin to me to ignore my wife and my anniversary.
July 26th, July 26th.
1980. What was the day that my wife? And I said I do to each other.
I might forget the date, but I usually know when the anniversary is I might forget how many years we've been married, but it gets easier when you get on these even years. 42 years of marriage. I don't know that I've ever forgotten her anniversary and I hope I never do. So why would I not want to say to her happy anniversary?
In fact, I think I woke up this morning, probably around between 3 and 4 this morning and she stirred and turned and looked at me and I said Merry Christmas.
Clock in the morning. Bad breath and everything, right? Merry Christmas. Why? Because that's what it is. It's the birth of our Lord and savior God With Us.
Jesus went through a lot. He got bomb, she got bruises, you got toothaches, I think you got stomachaches. He got headaches, he he went through what you and I go through. We know that he got tired, we know that he got hungry.
I'm sure he got sad and we have a picture of him getting mad at one point in time. Apache. Bruce 4:15 says he was tempted, just like we are, but he never gave into that temptation.
What about when he turned over the tables in the temple? When he got mad at them? He gave in that. No, he know what he did. He chased those Wicked people out of the Temple. Don't be doing this in my father's house. Don't be ripping off my people. In My Father's House. We call that righteous indignation.
His point was not the hurt them, his point was to get them out of a place of worship, a place of service. He suffered like we do.
But then I see him in his life. Beginning to downsize. Have you ever done that? When lady you guys are done that, right? You sold your house and still water, you begin to downsize, you been living in a camper for how long now, Sounds like it was a long year and a half, right? I'll ask you, how long is a year-and-a-half with letting a year-and-a-half as a builder house in Tennessee. Wright began to downsize, get rid of things that we've accumulated, things, that might be important to us and have some significance. We, we want to give to somebody that would appreciate it.
My wife, every Christmas, mizar granddaughter's, a little pendants to put on this necklace. That she is purchasing every year at a pendant. One of our granddaughter's last night. Lost their pendants. So lazy now you know which granddaughter Lacey call Xavier find this pendant, you know? Let us know. She can't and I can't find it. She says it's here. She says it there. Might have got thrown in the garbage. so, last night about 10 1030 my wife's digging through the garbage, You know, what's in the garbage?
The food that we had yesterday afternoon with the whole family there pieces and parts of this and that There was Lobster in there so it didn't smell the greatest right. Some steak some chewed food. A lot of chocolate candy that somebody took a bite out and didn't like it and threw it. Threw it in the garbage. She got down to the the nastiest part of it. And she said, I'm going to finish this off tomorrow. Once I find some rubber gloves.
And so, she starts. Getting ready to go off the bed and I said, you know what, I'll give it one more shot. I'll I'll go look in the other garbage can. That's right there. It's got most of paper products so I did. I looked through that stuff. And I come up with little box and then that little box. That's been crumpled a little bit. There's a lot of that piece of paper. And then that water the piece of paper in that crumpled up box. There's a pendant
I said, woohoo. I found this for Anna. I'm not going to tell my wife.
That was the first thought that went through my head. All right. Sit back and watch your route through there. That garbage.
Guys, anybody else would have thought of that. Is that just me?
So, I went upstairs with that pendant that box and everything in my hand. Cuz it look what I found. Well, where to find it and I wanted to say bye, Rudy through all that nasty garbage for you.
Is it? No, it's in the other trash can. We're just mostly paper products were Why did I do that? Why did I tell her? I found it. You know why? I love her. And I told her I love you, you know, I know.
Jesus does the same thing for you. And for me, you know why? He loves us. All we, we go ahead sometimes and we route through the garbage anyway knowing what he's done for us. Am I right? And we go. Why am I doing this? It's stinks. It's terrible. And we get mad at God because we're rooting through our own garbage. And God said yes, Hey, listen in there's life. There will be some trouble. There will be some tribulation the reason Hearts if hardly hardly understand that, but be of good cheer I have overcome the world.
He wants us to put our faith in our trust in him. He's downsized some things in his life.
For us. What do you mean he came from Heaven to Earth? And there's a downsize right there, a man. Big time. He made himself as Philippians. 2:6 says, he made himself as nothing. He didn't think he did. Look him in the shop, has something special made himself as one of us. He humbled himself, he became obedient to death, even the death of the Cross, which started in that Manger. When there is no room for him in the end. And Joseph and Mary found a spot in the stable where Jesus could be born. I said this over the years, I'll say it again, if you and I were in charge of Bringing Jesus into the world. That's not the way we would have done it. Is it? Man, we would have found the nicest hospital, at least a nicest hotel room in and got the, the nicest doctors to come in and take care of the Christ child.
But their Mary and Joseph. In that room in that stable brought forth the Christ child. Into a world where he would have to deal with for the next 32 years that tried to do away with him.
God made himself human. He became touchable. He became approachable. Think about this. the omnipresent when they always present one downsize to the confines of human womb, the omnipotent, the all-powerful one became a helpless Baby that had to be fed and nursed and burped. Diapers changed the baby Jesus.
The omniscient one. The all-knowing one. Had to learn how to read, learn how to write learn arithmetic. Learn some basic things that you and I Jesus had to learn that when he was brought into this world to keep downside from being God, the Father
To God is with us. He knows what you go through. He knows what I go through. 50 knows our trials and tribulations, he loves us so much. That he died on the cross.
For you and me. In fact, he became nothing so we could become something. Think of that. Turn to the person next to say, hey, you're something now. Say it in the right way because if you said the wrong way,
Your something.
I like it. When my wife tells me, I'm something the right way. I don't like it when she says, you're really something.
We understand those things. Jesus became nothing. To make us something special. It's all about trading places or Trading Spaces if you want because in 2nd Corinthians 5:21, he says, is he who knew no sin became sin for us that we could become the righteousness of God? No, no sin became sin for us that we could become the righteousness of God in other words. Jesus makes us a deal. We can't refuse. He's given us so much. Why would we turn down eternal life with him forever and ever? to gain something that in this world, none of us will be able to keep
I have a house up on Fry Road will have lived in that house over 25 years, guess what? One of these days somebody else is going to be in that house. I can't keep it. I can't keep it one of these days, I will no longer be on the face of this Earth. It will be in somebody else's hands. My friend on the airplane, he's talking about his wife, all the things that he's in all the places he's been.
And yet when his wife passed away a year or so ago, he promised her. He promised her that he would spend Christmas with her, every time he can.
So, where did you spend Christmas? Where is he going today? Arlington Cemetery, to be, with his wife, or where she's buried. He understands that we talked about faithy, he talked about his faith in God. I'm like, wow, who, you know, sometimes you get on those airplanes, you got people that don't want to say a word. then when you look at you, This guy will pretty much wouldn't be quiet in the other kid over here. But once he started perking up, realize I can have fun with kids. I got grandkids, you know, I know how to treat him or beat him, I mean act around them. But you realize that even in that, there's a Ministry going on. Plenty of room in that front Royal to God. You bless me with a great spot. And I had two great guys to talk with. Now, that flight from Baltimore to Albany is a little different. Now, you got to deal with some New Yorkers. Have you ever dealt with any of those New Yorkers? But actually the guy by the window on the very, I went from the front of Southwest plane, to the very back, the back wall of the Southwest plane, because our plane was an hour late leaving the runway in Tampa. So I barely had time to get on the the plane and Baltimore to get home on time and back, I got in as they were shutting the door. I got there and they let me in. And I went and sat on the back roll. Between why actually there's a seat between us? So this guy from Kentucky's over there big Burly guy and I'm sitting by the aisle, there's a seat between us Then I see a husband and wife team that were on the plane from Tampa with me, and I beat them a little younger than they were so little faster. I guess I beat them to the airplane, and there were no two seats together.
And the wife sits down in front of me and the husband's were to look in that the seat between us. And I said, let let me move over. Nice thing to do stupid idea. Cuz for the next hour, I'm sitting like this big Burly guy are big Burly guy there. And I'm not small myself, but I'm like, wow, I had it so much better up front. Those seats were taken. Why would I choose the backseat? When I knew there was plenty of room up front while because in this scenario, those seats were taken listen up. There's always seats available with God. And the seats have plenty of Elbow Room. Do all the people doing. Well, I hope you're going because I want to see you there. Thank God has given us something, she's taking care of some things. He he makes us a deal, we can't refuse. It says, listen believe in me and you'll have everlasting life. Who doesn't want? That will know if my life's going to be like this with our life is not going to be like this because when we get to heaven, we get a new body, all things are new. And we worship Emmanuel forever and ever and ever, yes, he came to the Earth to be with us. So that we could believe and accept and be with him for eternity. What's the other side of not accepting that when Jesus downsize? What's the other side will be either spend eternity with God in heaven. Are eternity in hell. And that choice is ours.
Choices hours. I made some choices last night. I made some choices to go look in the other garbage can to save my dear wife sometime of rooting through the garbage today as funny as that might have been
I made a choice. A tell her, I found the pendant. That was lost. it once was lost, but now, It's found a whole that a breach, you know, I'm saying? Because why? Because somebody decided to leave the confines of Heaven. Eternity with God, the Father to come down into this mess with us and make a way for us to escape this mess so that we could have a home in heaven. The greatest present anybody could give to anyone of us. The greatest gift a parent can give to a child, is the present present of presents presence.
Kid kids crave, their parents presence being there with them. We live in a world today where would that presence is lost by social media? Many times we're on our devices more than we were talking with our kids, a tabby towels or says this The most Christians. He said that most Christians are ideological Christians. He said they are attempting The Impossible. They're trying to be happy with. That has a sense of presence presence. How sad their greatest gift. God gives us is the present of his presence. Where Jesus said. I will be with you always even to the end of the age. The Holy Spirit. Is our 24/7 counselor? He's always on call. before you got up this morning and after you go to bed tonight, Kilby interceding, for you.
I've got a doctor's appointment, I get to go to this week. I got a phone call. When I was in Florida about this doctor's appointment, it our text in the text at 8. And yes, you if you're coming or and if you're not, yes, I'm coming. I'll be there. And then I needed to know. Okay, well what do I need to do? I need any preparation. What do I need to do for this meeting? For this doctor's appointment? So, I called the office. Or the number that was left with me. And guess what? I got. Some robotic person talking to me. If you need to talk to somebody press and dakotan have intercourse if it's it's an emergency call 911, they always tell you that right. First and foremost if you know the extension number, I just got to wait going through all that. I don't really know who I need to talk to. None of it made sense that the listing that it gave me. So I texted back on that text page that they gave me a said, hey I need to know what do I need to do for this test? I didn't hear anything for a couple of days. Finally, they called me and said Mr. MacAskill. Yes, you got this doctor's visit? No, you just need to show up. You don't really need to do anything. Good, it's good to know. Now, I just got to get there, right?
God is better than that. when we call him he hears a although we may feel the same way sometimes that he's not listening to what we have to say, but he is The thing is he's listening and he already knows the end result of how it needs to end up. And what we are Desiring, may not be his perfect will for us. That's why as Jesus Emmanuel with us in that Garden, pray. Father, if it be, your will let this cup pass from me. But father, not my will. I'm be done. Why is it? Because God's will is, always perfect secret seek Him and you'll have the greatest present that you never get the greatest gift of all time. Was that baby given to us in a Manger some two thousand years ago? Who went to that cross? 32 years later, lay down his life that whosoever believes in him, more than I had knowledge of the relationship. Who's who ever believes in Him? Should not perish, but have everlasting life. Let's pray. Father this morning. I pray that each and everyone here. This morning knows the gift. Oh, that everlasting life. That Jesus has given to us. and as in any gift, it's given But it's not really a gift until we take it. So evident last night with our grandkids, when we gave them their gifts, they couldn't pay to rip the packets open and see what was inside. Father, help us to have that same attitude as a child of this gift that you have given us each and every day when we wake up to know that you've given us another gift of Life, help us rip the packet open and get on with the life that you have given us for that day. For not one of us here today, knows when The end of our life will be. You know. What we do know is we have this moment, we have this time, we have this day right now. Help us to make the best of it in the best that we can do with. It is put you in the right place and proper position in our lives. Trusting you to guide us and rectus, father, once again, you know, the birds, you know, the need to know all about each and every one that you had this morning, I asked that you supply those burdens take care of those needs as you see fit and help us to trust you. And yes Lord this day of your celebrated birth. We meet may we give praise and thanks for all that you have done and all that you will do. And let's not forget the reason of the season. Is Jesus. In Jesus name, we pray.