The Birth of Jesus

Luke 2: 1 About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire.2 This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria.3 Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for.4 So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there.5 He went with Mary, his fiancŽe, who was pregnant.

6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth.7 She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel. 8 There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep.9 Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified.10 The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: 11 A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master.12 This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

13 At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:14 Glory to God in the heavenly heights, Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

Disturb us, Lord

Disturb us, Lord, when

We are too well pleased with ourselves,

When our dreams have come true

Because we have dreamed too little,

When we arrived safely

Because we sailed too close to the shore.

 Disturb us, Lord, when

With the abundance of things we possess

We have lost our thirst

 For the waters of life;

Having fallen in love with life

We have ceased to dream of eternity

And in our efforts to build a new earth,

We have allowed our vision

Of the new heaven to dim.

 Disturbs us, Lord, to dare more boldly,

To venture on wider seas

Where storms will show your mastery;

Where losing sight of land,

We shall find the stars.

 We ask You to push back

The horizons of our hopes;

And to push into the future

In strength, courage, hope and love.

Sir Francis Drake-1577

This Wednesday night at 7pm, we are kicking off a new Life Group at Harvest, and there is still room for you! This group is called Starting Point. Here is a little background info on the group:

What is Starting Point?
Starting Point is a conversational environment where people can explore faith and experience community. Starting Point groups are a safe place for people with questions about faith, as well as those who want to learn about the Bible and Christianity. Groups meet for about 10 weeks and together explore the grand story of the Bible. One of the goals of Starting Point is to help participants find their places in the story.

Who is it for?
Seekers – those who are curious about God, Jesus, the Bible, or Christianity
Starters – those who have just begun a relationship with Jesus Christ
Returners – those who have some church experience, but have been away for a while

Check out the video by clicking here.

If you are interested in taking advantage of this group you can sign up by clicking here.

I read this prayer from Mother Teresa this morning and thought it was to good not to pass it along.

“Dear Jesus, Help us to spread your fragrance everywhere we go, flood our souls with your Spirit and life. Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly that our lives may only be a radiance of yours. Shine through us and be so in us that every soul we come in contact with may feel your presence in our soul. Let them look up and see no longer us but only Jesus. Stay with us and then we begin to shine as you shine, so to shine as to be the light to others. The light, O Jesus, will be all from you. None of it will be ours. It will be your shining on others through us. Let us thus praise you in the way you love best by shining on those around us. Let us preach you without preaching not by words but by our example by the catching force the sympathetic influence of what we do the evident fullness of the love our heart bear to you.”

Lord, let it be so in me!

Where does your security lie? Is God your refuge, your hiding place, your stronghold, your shepherd, your counselor, your friend, your redeemer, your saviour, your guide? If He is, you don’t need to search any further for security. — Elisabeth Elliot

Have you ever wanted to pray, but didn’t where to start? I remember many times having the desire to talk with God, but not knowing what I should say. Sadly, when I felt like this, I usually gave up and moved on to something else. At this stage of my life, I have worked through some of those feelings, but if you struggle with this like I did maybe this quote will encourage you:

“Tell God all that is in your heart, as one unloads one’s heart, its pleasures and its pains, to a dear friend. Tell Him your troubles, that He may comfort you; tell Him your joys, that He may sober them; tell Him your longings, that He may purify them; tell Him your dislikes, that He may help you to conquer them; talk to Him of your temptations, that He may shield you from them; show Him the wounds of your heart that He may heal them…. Tell Him how self-love makes you unjust to others, how vanity tempts you to be insincere, how pride disguises you to yourself and others.

These words were expressed by Francois Fenelon, and I think he is right on. Let me encourage you to keep pressing on in your prayer life. God loves when you spend time with Him in prayer.

Col. 4.2   Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

This past Thursday was the National Day of Prayer, and we had a great gathering of people come and pray for our nation, our leaders, families and so much more.

We ended the time together with a prayer written by Joni Eareckson Tada, that has really been resonating with my heart, and I wanted to pass it along….

Almighty God,
You are our Mighty Fortress, our refuge and the God in whom we place our trust. As our nation faces great distress and uncertainty, we ask your Holy Spirit to fall afresh upon your people — convict us of sin and inflame within us a passion to pray for our land and its people.

Grant leaders of our country an awareness of their desperate need of wisdom and salvation in You until sin becomes a reproach to all and righteousness exalts this nation.

Protect and defend us against our enemies and may the cause of Christ always prevail in our schools, courts, homes, and churches. Lord God, send a spirit of revival and may it begin in our own hearts.

Remember America, we pray. Remember the foundations on which this country was built. Remember the prayers of our nation’s fathers and mothers, and do not forget us in our time of need. In the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

A Portrait of Christ from Jeremy Cowart on Vimeo.