On this Giving Tuesday, I think about so many friends who work in ministries for the hurting and the broken. I think of how God, through them, pursues the hearts of those who often feel unworthy.

Unworthy, like those shepherds so long ago….

THE SHEPHERDS

They were the ones not invited to the party.

But they were invited to be eyewitnesses to the greatest moment of all.

The ones who had dirty hands, the tattered, smelly shepherds—too unclean to worship at the temple…were specifically chosen to come and see the Lamb who would make them forever clean. Forever accepted.

It seems no small thing that God picked those who felt most unworthy, the outcasts, those with dirty hands, to behold His coming to earth….

His way was unexpected but, oh, so intentional.

Because God deliberately, intentionally, invited the shepherds we can know He invites us all—the dirty, the ashamed, the mess-ups, the broken, the hurting and those who have failed by earthly standards…HE CAME FOR US.

He came for you and me!

Christmas is profoundly more than our culture has made it to be.

CHRISTmas is a supernatural rescue proclamation!

The One True King left a throne in Heaven to set the captives free!

“Salvation is found in no one else!” (Acts 4:12)

Those words were first uttered by men who the religious leaders called untrained and uneducated. (Acts 4:13)

But they had been with Jesus. And THAT changed everything.

Because He is perfect, we don’t have to be. (Rom 3:23, Rom 5:8, Rom 6:23, Rom 10:9-10)

No matter what our sin, no matter what we’ve done, we can run to Him. And we can and shoulf tell others about Him!

He is the way, the truth and the life! (John 14:6) He made the way for all of us who were dead in our transgressions.

Death to life.
Enemy to friend.
Rejected to accepted.
Captive to free!

Oh, may those who have called upon His Name, and been rescued by His amazing grace, truly celebrate what the shepherds heard, the angels sung, and the wise men found!

“For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upond his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
Christ the Lord!
The CHRIST of CHRISTmas!

Do you know Him?

Are you helping others find Him? You can do that today by giving to a local ministry.

Some of my favorites include-

https://www.livinglegacyinternational.org/donate/ (This covers solid, biblical counseling for those in need who are often legitimately unable to pay.)

http://www.cedarbrookoutreach.org (Work with at-risk families in the Knoxville area)

http://www.Godeeperstill.org (work with men and women suffering the wounds of abortion)

aweandwonder

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