It’s the last week of Advent. Let’s look at the least phrase of our verse:
Luke 2:10 (NLV)
The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. See! I bring you good news of great joy which is for all people.
All people:
That’s all.
Have you read about the Chinese government’s efforts to control its citizens? Asia Harvest reports that thousands of Christian leaders have gone missing:
“Each person in China must have an ID card. It is impossible for a person to catch a flight or train, open a bank account, get a job, or rent an apartment without using their card. Each ID card contains a computer chip which is also used to track people’s movements. Many Christian leaders, before they go into hiding, have placed their cards inside a microwave oven for a few seconds, which ruins the chips and renders them useless.”
Christians are persecuted, yes. But the government is going beyond persecution. They are “re-interpreting” Scripture; that is, rewriting Bible passages to change the very nature of the Gospel.
You see all, Lord God. You see the leaders who have gone into hiding–shelter them. You see the motives and goals of the Communist leaders–may the very Scripture they try to distort speak to their souls and transform their hearts. In Your power, use what they mean for harm to grow Your kingdom.
Start simple.
“Our hope is that the elementary reading of comics will lead to the joy of reading good books.”
Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)
And there’s no better book than the Bible.
Looking ahead to eternal joy:
Isaiah 65:17-19 (TPT)
Look! I am creating
entirely new heavens and a new earth!
They will be so wonderful
that no one will even think about the old ones anymore!
As you wait for the reality of what I am creating,
be filled with joy and unending gladness!
Look! I am ready to create Jerusalem
as a source of sheer joy,
and her people, an absolute delight!
Sheer joy, absolute delight– 
John 16:22 (NET)
So also you have sorrow now,
but I will see you again,
and your hearts will rejoice,
and no one will take your joy
away from you.
God makes the difference!
Turn us, O Lord, from glum to glad. Change our despair into delight–now and forever.
“Ah Christians, ring the bells of your hearts, fire the salute of your most joyous songs, ‘Unto us a child is born, and unto us a Son is given.’ Dance, O my heart, and ring out peals of gladness! Ye drops of blood within my veins, dance every one of you! Oh! all my nerves become harp strings, and let gratitude touch you with angelic fingers.”
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)
Spurgeon, prince of preachers, had a way with words!
Advent week 3:
Luke 2:19 (NASB)
And so the angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid; for behold,
I bring you good news of great joy.”
What would bring you great joy?
Great joy.
In Greek, megas chara–abundant (in the widest sense) awareness of favor and grace.
Great joy. Abundant favor. Amazing grace.
The UN currently defines “extreme poverty” as living on less that $1.90 a day. 700 million people (10% of the world’s population) now live in extreme poverty.
The good news: Extreme poverty have been on the decline for decades–from 36% in 1990 to 10% in 2015 to 7% in 2019.
The bad news: according to the World Institute for Development Economics Research,
“the economic fallout from the global pandemic could increase global poverty by as much as half a billion people, or 8% of the total human population. This would be the first time that poverty has increased globally in thirty years.”
We tend to be caught up in our own struggles with COVID-19 and the changes to our lifestyles. We don’t notice what’s happening elsewhere.
Lord, You see every person who’s living in extreme poverty. We pray for an end to the pandemic for their sakes as much as our own. Show us how to help, in Jesus’ name.
It’s simple.
Students are falling behind.
Renaissance, an organization known for preK-12 education technology, evaluated 5 million students from all 50 states to assess the impact of COVID-19. They compared student achievement from Fall 2019 to Fall 202o. Results were fairly consistent across economic, social and racial lines. Students will need four or more weeks to catch up in reading, even more for math.
The disruption continues. The gap will grow.
Let us pray for a quick end to the virus with long and careful effort to make up for lost time.
“The core and essence of the Gospel is its tremendous and glorious revelation of how deadly is God’s hatred of sin, so that He cannot stand having it in the same universe as Himself, and will go any length, and will pay any price, and will make any sacrifice, to master and abolish it.”
A. J. Gossip (1874-1954)
Scottish pastor A. J. Gossip served as a chaplain in World War I. A hundred young men he knew were buried in a single grave. Their sacrifice reminded him of Christ’s. He knew the horrors of war, and it showed in the passion of his preaching.
