For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah wrote this over 2700 years ago. Over 2000 years ago it came to pass. God sent his son. Emmanuel. He died to pay our ransom and now he sits at the right hand of the Father. He reigns.
I hope we all had time to quietly reflect on the magic of Christ-mas. The hustle and bustle of what the season has become today can be mind numbing. My wife and I have a tradition of watching a few of our favorite Christmas movies every year during the Christmas season. Yes, they are in black and white! Our favorite is the 1951 version of Scrooge based on Charles Dickens book A Christmas Carol. Written in 1843, it captures the “reclamation” of Scrooge wonderfully.
Scrooge is not in the habit of keeping Christmas. The Savior’s birth means nothing to him. It is nothing but a humbug! Scrooge is a man of business and has become consumed by his wealth, his idol, and has no concern for anything but. Sin. His deceased business partner, Jacob Marley returns from the grave to warn him of his impending doom unless he repents. A witness. Scrooge will be visited by three spirits as part of the cure. The first, of Christmas past, shows him how he came to this point in his life. Conviction. The second spirit, of Christmas present, questions him. Has anything the first spirit revealed about his past changed him? Scrooge, scared and confused, wants the spirit to leave him be and go redeem some younger person, leaving him to “keep” Christmas as he always has. And then the spirit reveals the problem. “Mortal, we spirits of Christmas don’t live but one day a year. We live the whole 365 days of the year. So it is with the child born in Bethle-hem. He does not live in the hearts of men one day a year but in all the days of the year. You have chosen not to seek him in your heart.” Truth. Scrooge of course repents and becomes “…. as good a man as the good old city ever knew”. A new creation. Wonderful movie.
This is an exciting time at ACEFC. The youth will be going to districts on the first weekend in January so keep them and the leaders in your prayers. This has been a great event for the kids in the past and we hope this year is no different. We will be having our congregational meeting on January 19th and welcoming two new elders so please plan on attending. We will be bringing Marshall and Desmond on as new members of the elder board and trust you are as excited as we are as we confirm them. And…..we will be welcoming our new Associate Pastor, Blake, who will be starting in early February. Please keep Blake and Kayleen in your prayers as they begin this new journey. Let us be fer-vent in prayer for all that will be happening at ACEFC. There is no doubt the enemy will be in opposition as we move forward to advance God’s kingdom.
Ted