both surprised and startled, an swering, "Be it unto me according to thy word" (Luke 1:38). What an act of obedience to God. The Lord wants the same obedience from each of us, too. The angel said, "I bring you good tidings of great joy." The ex uberance referred to here is the joy that becomes ours as the result of knowing Christ as Saviour (Gal atians 5:22). Paul tells us, "For the kingdom of Cod is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Rom ans 14:17). Surely when joy fills our hearts we are stronger in our testimony and in our service for Him. Christmas also means peace for the Lord is indeed the Prince of Peace. In this troubled and rest less world how comforting to have first of all the peace of God in Christ which is our salvation and a right standing before Cod (Rom ans 5:1). The result of that peace can be a daily experience in our walk with the Lord (Philippians 4:6, 7). We are not to worry about anything, trusting Christ for every thing. In this way, His peace will fill our minds and hearts. This is the peace of God. Christmas also means love which has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. In this way we, too, can love as Jesus did. It is su pernatural, the gift of God to His own redeemed ones. "Hope" is another big word in our Christian vocabulary. It means confidence (II Timothy 1:12). The humility of Christ further amplifies the meaning of Christ mas. Our attitude should be the kind that He showed to us. As Cod He laid aside His mighty glory and Page 43
enced. In this way you can say with the Apostle Paul, “Thanks be unto Cod for his unspeakable gift." Rev. Peterson is Pastor of Calvary Bible Church in Wichita, Kansas. Good Tidings of Great Joy By REV. MELVIN STONE At this season, Christians are giv en an unparalleled opportunity to present the true meaning of the Lord's birth. Christ came to His own and they were busy shopping, hurrying to and fro without ceas ing. Soon the season of remember ing will have past. Time marches on and meaning is missed. Some hearts may be happy but most are sad. The real meaning is God coming to earth in human form (Philippians 2:5-11). The message proclaimed to the shepherds was not only to them and the whole world, but also to me personally. In Jesus Christ we can be blessed with all spiritual blessings in Him with the privileges and promises found in the Word of Cod. They are my source of spiritual power for daily Christian living. There fore let me give you several related truths in the Christmas message that are deeply meaningful to my own heart. Consider that we have been pro vided the Redeemer who was born of a virgin. The accurate and literal fulfillment of prophecy gives me confidence and assurance in all the Scriptures. There is a marvelous message in the response of Mary when she was informed of her be ing the mother of Jesus. She was
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