THE SHEPHERD’S CORNER

It’s hard to believe that we are already in the first Advent week. As you know, the word “advent” means “coming,” which refers to the coming of Jesus the Son of God to the world. So, beginning from today, we’ll begin the journey to Christmas. To fix our hearts to the first coming of Jesus the Son of God to the world, I have prepared a series of messages, all revolve around Bethlehem. The first one, today, is The Call of Bethlehem. The second is The Journey to Bethlehem. The third is The Glory of Bethlehem. And the fourth is The Blessing of Bethlehem. I hope we shall be blessed.

For some, Christmas is the end; it is after all celebrated toward the end of the year. But the truth is Christmas is not the end; it is the beginning. With Christmas—the coming of the Jesus the Savior of the world—God had just begun His work; it’s finished 33 years later at the cross in Golgotha. Now He is offering His work to us; we who believe in Him will receive forgiveness of sin and be reconciled to Him, so we’ll not be under condemnation anymore.

The first Advent candle is called Hope to signify the coming of Jesus that brings hope to mankind who live in darkness. Jesus is the light of the world; He does not lead us to the light or show us the light; He is the light of the world. In Him and through Him we will be able to see God; more importantly in Him we have hope that life does not end in sin and destruction but rather in the Kingdom of God.

The world we live in can be a terrifying and devastating place; it can leave us live in despair. The coming of Christ brings hope that He is with us, will never forsake us, and in control over everything. His coming reminds us that this world is not our home; it’s a temporary shelter. He who has come, will come again. That’s our hope.

Pastor Paul