December, 2009
by Pastor Dave Speicher

Happy Thanksgiving… Merry Christmas! That’s about how fast the Thanksgiving season seems to go and how quickly the Advent and Christmas season arrives. It is essential that we live with a spirit of thanks as we prepare to celebrate Christmas. Psalm 100:4 tells us to “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.” Verse 5 explains why we are able to live with a spirit of thanks as it says ‘For the Lord is good and His love endures forever. His faithfulness continues through all generations.”

The bottom line reason why we can develop a lifestyle of thanksgiving, and as some have said, have an “attitude of gratitude”, is because over 2,000 years ago God sent his Son, Jesus to be the Savior of the world. After centuries of prophecies and announcements and waiting for the Messiah to come, the BIG ANNOUNCEMENT was made to a young virgin named Mary. The startling announcement came form the angel Gabriel who said “Mary, do not be afraid. You have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus.” (Luke 1:30-31) Mary was somewhat stunned and did not understand all that was happening, but I marvel at her response as, with amazing faith and total surrender, she simply said in Luke 1:38, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” Her response upon hearing the news that she, a virgin, would give birth to the Savior of the world was incredible. How could a young girl say what was about to happen to her was okay? SHE BELIEVED! She believed God and surrendered her lift to Him. God asks us to believe in Him through Jesus; to believe…

  • that God loves us unconditionally,
  • that He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness,
  • that He has brought us into the Kingdom of the Son He Loves,
  • that in Him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins,
  • that He has a plan for our life,
  • that in Jesus we have all we need for life and godliness,
  • that He will never leave us or forsake us,
  • that He has set His seal upon us,
  • that He gave us His Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come.

    • A.W. Tozer once wrote, “What you believe about God is the most important thing about you.” How true that is! If we will believe right things about God, we can respond as Mary did, not matter what the circumstances and challenges are that face us from day to day. Have you chosen to believe? If so, praise God! Keep saying with Mary, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” If you have not yet chosen to believe, I pray that you will. There is no better time of year than the Advent Season to believe God and put your trust in Him.

    I pray that this year, during the Advent and Christmas season, we will all choose to believe in a whole new way, confident that Jesus is who He said He was and that because Jesus came to the world, our faith, hope and love will grow so much that our daily living will clearly announce “JOY TO THE WORLD, THE LORD IS COME.” I look forward to celebrating that reality with you every Sunday throughout Advent!