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[ "Joy To the World" begins ]
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[ "Hark! The Herald
Angels Sing" begins ]
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[ "What Child Is This?" begins ]
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>> This is not a
news flash, alright?
00:13:39.71\00:13:43.92
But we are all selfish.
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I'm selfish.
00:13:49.06\00:13:50.79
And I'm looking at your
beautiful faces behind those
00:13:51.93\00:13:54.73
masks, and I can't tell you're
not -- you're not as selfish as
00:13:54.73\00:13:58.20
I am, but there might be a
little bit of selfishness in
00:13:58.20\00:14:01.57
you.
00:14:01.57\00:14:03.14
You know why I know? Because
we all look out for numero uno.
00:14:03.17\00:14:08.78
We're always
looking out for number one.
00:14:08.78\00:14:10.88
Take the now former coach of
Notre Dame University's Fighting
Irish football team.
00:14:11.75\00:14:17.89
Mnh-mnh. Had an incredible
winning season this fall with
00:14:17.89\00:14:24.16
his boys, who played their
hearts out for coach. In fact,
they were just hours
00:14:24.16\00:14:28.23
away from finding out whether
they're going to be playing for
the national championship.
00:14:28.23\00:14:32.93
What are those playoff games
gonna be like? When the word
00:14:32.93\00:14:38.41
leaked out after the fact
that their coach had boarded a
00:14:38.41\00:14:44.05
private jet. Shh. And flew to a
clandestine meeting with the
officials of LSU, one of their
00:14:44.05\00:14:51.12
great football rivals,
Louisiana State University.
00:14:51.12\00:14:54.52
Yep. And there he signed a
deal, before the season is over,
00:14:56.56\00:15:01.90
before they've even been placed
in playoff contention, he signed
a deal to become the new head
00:15:01.90\00:15:08.07
coach for the LSU football team.
Ostensibly because he didn't
want to risk losing this job
00:15:08.07\00:15:13.48
offer. Well, what was
the job off for, Dwight?
00:15:13.48\00:15:16.38
Well, it was for $100 million.
Over 10 years. If I do my
arithmetic correctly,
00:15:16.38\00:15:24.12
that's $10 million a year. The
highest, the largest college
football contract for a coach in
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the history of the game.
00:15:30.36\00:15:31.96
And some of his boys found out
about it on the news. Like I
say, we're all selfish.
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I'm not talking just about
the coach. I'm talking about me.
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I'm talking about you.
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We are faced with a pandemic of
selfishness, and everybody here
has been bitten by the deadly
00:15:46.07\00:15:52.11
virus of self worship. Numero
uno. Which is why we're going to
00:15:52.11\00:15:59.65
have a hard time with what we're
about to plunge into, I just
know, because of our bent, huh?
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We're going to try to grasp what
we are about to read. It is
stunning in both its
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clarity and depth, but we're
going to need to open up our
minds to the Holy Spirit right
00:16:07.76\00:16:12.87
now, and so I'm going to pray
with you now. Father, send the
00:16:12.87\00:16:17.51
spirit, open our very selves to
what we're about to see in this
unusual Christmas story.
00:16:17.51\00:16:26.11
We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
I say it's unusual because for
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this advent season, we're
tracking three of Paul's
retelling the Christmas story.
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Galatians 4 last time. Today,
Philippians 2, if you want to
00:16:36.26\00:16:40.00
find it. Philippians 2. And next
Sabbath, on Christmas day, the
best comes last, and
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I'll let you find out next
Sabbath. Alright, Philippians 2.
00:16:43.60\00:16:46.60
So open you Bible, please, right
now, Philippians 2. A little
00:16:46.60\00:16:51.71
prison epistle. And these are
not new words. You've read them
before, but maybe they'll have a
00:16:51.71\00:16:57.71
different hue and a glow about
them by sharing them together in
00:16:57.71\00:17:04.65
this season. Alright,
Philippians 2. Paul sets the
table for the Christmas story by
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beginning in verse 3, alright?
So I'm gonna be in the New
International version.
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Philippians 2, we're
gonna begin in verse 3.
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"Do nothing," Paul writes. Keep
in mind what we've just been
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talking about. "Do nothing out
of selfish ambition or vain
conceit. Rather, in humility
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value others above yourselves.
Not looking to your own
interests but each of you to the
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interests of the others." Wow.
"In your relationships with one
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another, have the same mind-set
as Christ Jesus." And what
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mind-set is that? Here is comes.
"Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with
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God something to be used to his
own advantage. Rather, he made
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himself..." What's that word?
"He made himself nothing." Not
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numero uno. He made himself
zero. He made himself nothing.
The New King James actually
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renders that line, "He made
himself of no reputation." Oh,
that's hard for you and me,
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isn't it? Come on.
Whenever we do something, and
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again, I'm talking about myself
and I risk talking about you.
But whenever we do something,
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whether we give something or say
something or think something or
decide something or grab
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something or gossip something,
we do it always to our own
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advantage. Don't we? Which,
by the way, would be a classic
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definition of selfishness. Doing
things for my own advantage.
00:18:39.71\00:18:42.75
I'm numero uno. We can all
speak Spanish, and we know the
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meaning. We do it academically.
We do it professionally. Come
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on. Yeah, we got a colleague we
work with, we teach with,
whatever. He, she puts out a bit
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of research, and we, "Mm-hmm,
yeah, not bad." We take it apart
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a little bit just to show that
it's not that perfect. We just
give a little hint now
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and then. Why do I do it? By
making you smaller, I'm gonna
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make myself bigger. Yeah.
Mm-hmm. And we do it with social
00:19:17.45\00:19:23.06
media. Mm-hmm. We get on
social media, and we find this
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malicious, this delicious piece
of gossip about somebody else.
Shoo -- we hit "forward."
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And there it goes. Hopefully it
makes me feel better than I do.
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Come on, we do it financially.
Sure, we do. All of us doing out
00:19:42.01\00:19:46.72
best to accumulate, in this
season of pandemic, too, we
accumulate as much as we can
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with seemingly total disregard
of those who need our money. Get
00:19:51.62\00:19:54.92
this. Who need our money more
than we do. Do you understand
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that? They need our money
more than we need it. Oh! That's
00:19:59.16\00:20:04.93
mine. I'm protecting this.
Numero uno. So where do we get
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this sickness, huh? Where
do we get this sickness called
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selfishness? Selfishness is just
a code word for self worship.
Where did it come from?
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Oh, that's not rocket science.
You can figure that one out real
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quickly. There's been somebody
that's spent his entire life
training you and me, teaching
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you and me, infecting you and me
to look out for number one.
Somebody has been at it the
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whole time we've been
alive on this planet. Yep.
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So when Paul describes Christ,
who did not consider equality
with God something to used --
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the old King James puts it this
way -- "Christ, who did not
consider equality with God
00:20:39.80\00:20:45.41
something to be grasped." Jesus
didn't grasp this business of
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being numero uno. But there was
somebody in the courts above
that grasped for that.
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Said, "I want that for me." I
will be like the most high. I
will set my throne above the
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stars of God. Who's
that somebody? Lucifer.
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Of course it is. He spent a
lifetime, a very long lifetime,
honing the virus of
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the pandemic of selfishness.
Lucifer. Of course, we should
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have known it by his name. Isn't
that right? Look at his name.
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What's the middle letter in
Lucifer's name? I mean, is this
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a coincidence or what? Of course
you can you can only do this in
00:21:25.91\00:21:29.35
English. What's the middle --
I hear some children. Boys and
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girls, what's the middle letter
in Lucifer's name? >> I! >>
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Alright, good. Let me put
another word up. What's the
middle letter in "pride"?
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What is it, boys
and girls? >> I! >> I.
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What's the middle
letter in "sin"? >> I!
00:21:46.97\00:21:51.41
>> I. We have "I"
trouble. All of us.
00:21:51.41\00:21:57.05
We knew that.
00:21:57.05\00:21:58.68
Yeah, that's how we got
infected from the get-go.
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By the way, here in the United
States, we are on our way to a
million cases of COVID-19,
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in America alone. But I got
another stat for you, even more
00:22:10.03\00:22:15.26
stunning. Here's the other stat.
We are on our way on this planet
to 8 billion cases of the deadly
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virus of selfishness infected.
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The numero uno. Wow.
For that very reason, Paul
00:22:27.91\00:22:34.75
introduced us, what scholars say
is probably the first -- well,
if not the first, one of the
00:22:34.75\00:22:42.16
first Christian hymns sung
during the time of the Book of
Acts in those little house
00:22:42.16\00:22:46.59
churches. What we just read
is the beginning of that hymn.
00:22:46.59\00:22:50.07
Why does he introduce the hymn?
Because it contains the antidote
to the deadly virus that is
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killing all of us. That's
why. And by the way, this little
00:22:56.74\00:23:00.58
Christmas story is actually a
Christmas carol. That makes it a
00:23:00.58\00:23:05.01
Christmas carol. It's the first
Christmas carol. It's singing
about the birth of Jesus.
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Let's read it again. So this
is the preamble. "In all your
00:23:08.38\00:23:15.42
relationships with one another,
have the same mind-set as Christ
Jesus." Now starts the hymn.
00:23:15.42\00:23:20.23
Here it goes. "Who, being in
very nature God, did not
consider equality with
00:23:20.23\00:23:25.37
God something to be used to his
own advantage." Rather, he made
00:23:25.37\00:23:31.74
himself nothing by taking the
very nature of a slave." That's
00:23:31.74\00:23:35.18
the word there. "Nature of a
slave being made in human
likeness. And being found in
00:23:35.18\00:23:41.42
appearance as a man --" as a
human -- "He humbled himself by
becoming obedient to death."
00:23:41.42\00:23:47.39
And it goes even lower
now. "Even death on a cross!"
00:23:47.39\00:23:53.86
Somewhere there in verse 7,
somewhere in the heart of verse
7 is this capital "I" word that
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we speak. "Incarnation."
It's a Latin word.
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"Carnal" in Latin means flesh.
So enfleshment, incarnation. The
enfleshment of God.
00:24:07.14\00:24:14.42
The word became flesh. The
American writer Madeleine
L'Engle, in her piece
00:24:14.42\00:24:21.12
"A Sky Full of Children",
describes the mystery of the
mystery of the incarnation this
00:24:21.12\00:24:25.43
way. It's a single
sentence all the way through.
00:24:25.43\00:24:28.63
It ends with a question mark.
It's a long sentence. But this
very skillful writer,
00:24:28.63\00:24:33.67
here's how she asks the
question. "Was there a moment,
00:24:33.67\00:24:39.47
known only to God, when all the
stars held their breath, when
the galaxies paused in their
00:24:39.47\00:24:45.65
dance for a fraction of a
second, and the Word, who had
called it all into being, went
00:24:45.65\00:24:52.52
with all his love into the womb
of a young girl, and the
universe started to breathe
00:24:52.52\00:24:59.23
again, and the ancient harmonies
resumed their song, and the
angels clapped for joy?" Was
00:24:59.23\00:25:07.80
there a moment like that? Wow,
what did we just read? "He made
himself nothing. There's that
00:25:07.80\00:25:13.21
moment. "He made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a
slave, being made in human
00:25:13.21\00:25:20.92
likeness." Oh, holy night,
the stars are brightly shining.
00:25:20.92\00:25:26.76
Shining where? On a hill. Not on
a hill far away, but on a hill
outside a little town of
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Bethlehem.
00:25:33.40\00:25:35.13
And not only were the angels
clapping for joy that night.
They were singing for joy.
00:25:38.03\00:25:42.30
Are you kidding? And guess what.
They did that whole pantomime
00:25:42.30\00:25:50.91
for a rag tag bunch of lowly,
humble shepherds. There's got to
00:25:50.91\00:25:59.65
be lesson in there somewhere. I
mean, we're talking about lowly
00:25:59.65\00:26:03.76
shepherds. Do you know that in
the society of that day, the
only rung in the social ladder
00:26:03.76\00:26:10.50
lower than shepherd is leper.
00:26:10.50\00:26:12.50
They're that low.
00:26:13.80\00:26:16.24
And they're squatting around
this spark strewn fire. Starry,
00:26:16.97\00:26:29.75
starry night. And they're
wondering, "When will messiah
come and deliver us from the
00:26:29.75\00:26:38.63
bottom rung of life?" And, boom,
the heavens explode in light and
song, and we know the song --
00:26:38.63\00:26:46.23
"Glory to God in the Highest."
And on earth, peace, good will
00:26:46.23\00:26:50.64
to all. "Desire of Ages"
actually describes this moment
as the brightest picture ever
00:26:50.64\00:26:58.41
beheld by human eyes. Woke up
this morning at 4:15. Our power
went out last night.
00:26:58.41\00:27:03.55
You're lucky yours didn't. 10 to
10:00, it went out. 'Cause the
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clock was stopped. 10 to 10:00.
Woke up at 4:15. As dark as dark
00:27:09.52\00:27:14.10
can be. I went down to have
worship. Darker than dark. No
light from stereo, no light
00:27:14.10\00:27:18.23
from the computer, no light from
the printer. No light at all.
00:27:18.23\00:27:24.41
Can you imagine going from a
starry, starry night. Dark that
00:27:24.41\00:27:29.11
would be. To the brightest
picture ever beheld by human
eyes. There will only be one
00:27:29.11\00:27:34.52
picture yet to come that will
be brighter. And what do you
00:27:34.52\00:27:37.25
suppose that will be? When the
same angels return with the same
00:27:37.25\00:27:43.46
Christ child. It will be the
brightest. It'll be brighter
than that one. Every angel in
00:27:43.46\00:27:48.73
the universe will
be on hand. Oh, my.
00:27:48.73\00:27:50.83
All of that for a rag tag
band of earthy humble shepherds.
00:27:50.87\00:27:54.24
Persons of a low station being
granted such a high calling.
00:27:54.24\00:27:57.77
There must be a
lesson in this somewhere.
00:27:57.77\00:28:00.94
Because maybe in its own
sort of way that is the truth of
00:28:00.94\00:28:05.28
Christmas that
Paul is capturing here.
00:28:05.28\00:28:08.35
The high calling
of a low station.
00:28:08.35\00:28:11.55
The high calling of a low
station, when men of a low
00:28:11.55\00:28:15.59
station receive
the highest calling.
00:28:15.59\00:28:18.16
Or flip it around.
When the God of the highest
00:28:18.16\00:28:21.93
station moves to
the lowest station.
00:28:21.93\00:28:25.47
Either way, unbelievable.
00:28:25.50\00:28:29.84
Wesley Hill, in a wonderful
piece, short piece titled "What
It Means To Be God", writes that
00:28:30.84\00:28:35.84
there are two ways to read the
Christmas carol, alright? There
are two ways to read it.
00:28:35.84\00:28:40.52
Now, the first way is the way we
all read it, and there's nothing
wrong with the way we all read
00:28:40.52\00:28:45.59
it. And how is the
way we all read it?
00:28:45.59\00:28:47.39
So let me put Wesley Hill on the
screen. Here's the way we read
00:28:47.39\00:28:50.36
it. We just did. "The mighty Son
of God, who, together with his
00:28:50.36\00:28:54.40
Father, brought creation into
being, subsequently deigned --"
he stooped -- "to become a lowly
00:28:54.40\00:28:59.83
human being." Yes, sir,
that's the way we read it.
00:28:59.83\00:29:02.67
"The equivalent of a powerful
monarch being reduced to a
00:29:02.67\00:29:07.84
scuttling beetle." Wow! That's
the right way to read it. In
other words, he says,
00:29:07.84\00:29:13.05
"Despite sharing --" This is
how we read it. Despite sharing
00:29:13.05\00:29:17.22
equality with God the Father,
nevertheless Jesus the Son chose
to give up that status for us."
00:29:17.22\00:29:23.12
Is that a correct way to read
Philippians 2? It absolutely is.
00:29:23.12\00:29:26.19
We do it all the time. But
Wesley Hill says there's another
way to read this, and
00:29:26.19\00:29:31.00
I'd never seen this before. Let
me share it with you. "But the
original language is
00:29:31.00\00:29:36.87
ambiguous, and it's possible
Paul might easily have meant
something subtly different."
00:29:36.87\00:29:43.61
And you got to catch this.
"Because Christ was in the form
of God, therefore, he emptied
00:29:43.61\00:29:52.69
himself because God's character
is self giving love all the way
down, so to speak."
00:29:52.69\00:30:01.03
Now, what's he telling us?
Here's what he's telling us.
Christ shows the self emptying
00:30:01.03\00:30:06.00
because self emptying humility
is the natural response of self
sacrificing love, and God has
00:30:06.00\00:30:13.38
been self sacrificing love from
stem to stern. He has always
00:30:13.38\00:30:18.91
been self sacrificing love, has
he not? >> Yes. >> That is why
00:30:18.91\00:30:26.02
God today is the most humble
being in this universe. He is
the most humble being
00:30:26.02\00:30:31.33
alive. Phillip Yancey
calls him "the shy God."
00:30:31.33\00:30:35.96
Oh, I like that. The
humblest of all Gods is our God.
00:30:35.96\00:30:43.74
Jesus wanted to be close to us,
and this was the only way his
self emptying love could find.
00:30:43.74\00:30:53.08
So he comes this way. Highest
calling of all, lowliest station
00:30:53.08\00:31:02.82
of all. And by the way, that's
not only true at the cradle.
That's true at the cross.
00:31:02.82\00:31:09.63
Because it gets even lowlier
at Calvary. Makes you wonder,
00:31:09.63\00:31:17.57
doesn't it? Could it be we have
been called to the same self
giving humility and love?
00:31:17.57\00:31:22.74
Could that be? Maybe that's
Paul's point. Maybe this is what
00:31:22.74\00:31:29.62
Paul is hoping we'll catch.
Our high calling is to his low
00:31:29.62\00:31:37.46
station. Meaning our highest
calling is to seek his lowliest
station, just like Jesus.
00:31:37.46\00:31:43.30
That's it. Learn from me, come
on. Boy, in this season of the
00:31:43.30\00:31:48.64
pandemic, this semester has
ended and we're all -- we're
just -- yeah, really.
00:31:48.64\00:31:55.58
Out tongues are hanging out.
How do we even make it? We don't
00:31:55.58\00:32:00.42
know. We're worn, we're worn
out. We need to hear the words
of Jesus in Matthew 11:28.
00:32:00.42\00:32:04.49
And everybody knows Matthew
11:28. Come unto me, all you who
00:32:04.49\00:32:07.76
labor and are heavy laden, and
I'll give you what? I'll give
00:32:07.76\00:32:11.06
you rest. But notice the next
line. It's the next line. We
00:32:11.06\00:32:14.50
need that rest. Wonder if this
is how to get that rest. Read
00:32:14.50\00:32:18.10
this. "Lean of Me," Jesus says,
"For I am gentle and humble in
heart, and you will find rest
00:32:18.10\00:32:25.31
for your souls." My, my, my, my,
my. Our high calling is to seek
00:32:25.31\00:32:32.45
his low station, meaning our
highest calling is his lowliest
station, just like Jesus.
00:32:32.45\00:32:39.35
That's it. That's how
you get rest, by the way.
00:32:39.35\00:32:43.39
You take the lowliest station.
That's how you get rest. You
00:32:43.39\00:32:48.50
want rest? Worn as we are after
this pandemic, two semesters.
00:32:48.50\00:32:53.20
Oh, please. That's how you get
it. That's the secret to inner
quiet, to inner peace, to this
00:32:53.20\00:33:02.14
inside rest in the
midst of this turbulent storm.
00:33:02.14\00:33:07.35
"Learn of Me, for I am gentle
--" What is it? "I am gentle and
00:33:09.68\00:33:13.69
humble in heart." I want you to
listen now to a psychologically
00:33:13.69\00:33:21.03
inspiring observation. The
classic on the life of Jesus,
00:33:21.03\00:33:26.07
"Desire of Ages." This is
something else. "In the heart of
Christ, where reigned perfect
00:33:26.07\00:33:32.17
harmony with God, there was
perfect peace." How do we know
that? Well, just watch.
00:33:32.17\00:33:38.98
"He was never elated by
applause, not dejected by
censure or disappointment."
00:33:38.98\00:33:46.09
Guess what. We are the
exact opposite of Jesus.
00:33:46.09\00:33:51.39
We are pumped when we have
applause. We are elated with
00:33:51.39\00:33:57.70
applause. Of course we feign
humility. "No, no, no, no,
please, please, please, don't
00:33:57.70\00:34:02.50
clap. Just throw money instead."
00:34:02.50\00:34:03.87
We are pumped by applause. And
we are dejected by criticism.
00:34:05.91\00:34:09.94
Somebody comes along and
challenges you, somebody comes
along and speaks a word.
00:34:09.94\00:34:13.98
"That's not good what you did."
"I disagree with you." That cuts
us to the core. Why?
00:34:13.98\00:34:18.35
Because you touched numero uno!
And my life is spent defending
00:34:18.35\00:34:23.43
numero uno. And I'll not receive
that from you. No, I will not.
00:34:23.43\00:34:25.79
Many marriages break up
right there. Right there.
00:34:25.79\00:34:29.16
Neither one will
back down, neither one.
00:34:29.16\00:34:33.57
Yep, numero uno wins.
00:34:34.37\00:34:37.04
And both numero unos are broken.
You can't win. You cannot win
00:34:38.21\00:34:46.72
with numero uno. You see, self
is our bottom line. That's what
00:34:46.72\00:34:51.72
keeps us going. And if self gets
ruffled, oh, man, we get knots
in our stomach, we get fear in
00:34:51.72\00:34:57.89
our hearts, we get pain in our
thinking processes. Self is our
00:34:57.89\00:35:04.33
bottom line. Jesus wasn't. Hey,
he was never elated by applause.
00:35:04.33\00:35:07.74
I don't know what you're
applauding about. This isn't me.
00:35:07.74\00:35:10.77
I do everything for my father.
You want to thank somebody,
00:35:10.77\00:35:15.31
thank him. Oh, a demoniac is
racing -- you remember this? The
demoniac is racing at him.
00:35:16.95\00:35:21.58
This demoniac is gonna tear him
to pieces, and Jesus has perfect
00:35:21.58\00:35:26.92
peace. Why? Because if
it's my time to go, go ahead.
00:35:26.92\00:35:30.76
God will stop. God
will stop this. Stop.
00:35:30.76\00:35:36.00
Pfft. That was it. Never
elated by applause, dejected by
00:35:36.00\00:35:41.50
disappointment, danger. We don't
have to live a life of fear.
00:35:41.50\00:35:46.11
We don't live a life of
apprehension. We don't have to
00:35:46.11\00:35:50.85
live a life with a knot in the
stomach. We can be just like
Jesus. "Learn from Me," he says,
00:35:50.85\00:35:56.75
boys and girls. "Learn from Me,
for I am gentle and humble in
00:35:56.75\00:36:01.89
heart." Yep. Oh, and boy, here
comes the psychological stinger
00:36:01.89\00:36:08.23
now. This is where the wisdom
follows us, the next line. I'll
put it on the screen for
00:36:08.23\00:36:12.33
you. "It is the love of
self that brings unrest."
00:36:12.33\00:36:17.24
Now, you can get your PhD
in psychology, and eventually
00:36:17.24\00:36:21.91
discover that. But it'll still
be true if you believe it right
00:36:21.91\00:36:26.15
now. The reason we have unrest
is because we're defending
00:36:26.98\00:36:32.29
something. My reputation. "I am
somebody! Don't you ever treat
00:36:32.29\00:36:36.66
me like I'm a nobody." We have
to have that. But it is a love
00:36:36.66\00:36:45.10
of self that brings that unrest.
Get off your high horse, get
00:36:45.10\00:36:52.64
off. Just walk. Like everybody
else. Just walk with me.
00:36:52.64\00:36:57.75
"Learn from Me." I'm gentle and
humble in heart. You'll be fine.
00:36:57.75\00:37:03.28
It isn't about you anyway.
"Everything's about me." That's
00:37:03.28\00:37:08.76
why I called you. That's why I
gave you the gifts you have,
because it's all about me.
00:37:08.76\00:37:12.93
And I knew your gifts would tell
me the story of me the best.
That's why I need you.
00:37:12.93\00:37:20.64
Once I step out of that "it's
about numero uno" and into
nothing, then I'm suddenly
00:37:20.64\00:37:28.21
something. When I get to
nothing, I become something.
00:37:28.21\00:37:32.98
But when I try to protect
my something, I end up with
00:37:32.98\00:37:38.22
nothing. It's upside down.
That's what we're being told.
Oh, but if ended right there,
00:37:38.22\00:37:44.66
I'd be sad. But no, no, no.
Except I do need to say this.
00:37:44.66\00:37:48.50
That love of self stuff, that's
why this self-driven culture of
politics and entertainment and
00:37:48.50\00:37:54.54
competition is so ferociously
deadly to our souls, because we
watch it, we imbibe it, we feast
00:37:54.54\00:38:00.28
on it, and then the devil says,
"Good, I want you to be just
like that, you understand that,
00:38:00.28\00:38:05.88
boy? You just be like
that, and you'll be fine.
00:38:05.88\00:38:08.32
Stick up for yourself, don't let
them walk on you. Come on, get
00:38:08.32\00:38:13.76
'em back." The love of self is
why we have such unrest. If we
feed on the narcissism of
00:38:14.92\00:38:22.10
politics and the self-adulation
and self-worship of the
entertainment and sports worlds,
00:38:22.10\00:38:27.40
we will become as dysfunctional
as they. It is the love of self
00:38:27.40\00:38:32.94
that brings unrest. Is
there any hope? Yes, there is.
00:38:32.94\00:38:36.48
Next line. "When we are born
from above, the same mind will
00:38:36.48\00:38:42.58
be in us..." Oh, I love this.
"The same mind will be in us
that was in Jesus, the mind that
00:38:42.58\00:38:48.19
led him to humble himself
that we might be saved." Keep
00:38:48.19\00:38:51.56
reading. "Then we shall not be
seeking the highest place. We
shall desire to sit at the
00:38:51.56\00:38:57.20
feet of Jesus and learn of Him."
Begin you day at the feet of
Jesus, and that's about the best
00:38:57.20\00:39:03.44
posture there is. Every day
just begin at the feet of Jesus.
00:39:03.44\00:39:08.71
You have nothing to prove.
00:39:08.71\00:39:10.35
We already believe you are
of great worth. Doing one more
00:39:12.58\00:39:18.32
thing will not change our minds.
Doing one less thing will not
make us think less of you.
00:39:18.32\00:39:23.49
And it's the same with heaven.
You just live for me, girl, boy.
You just live for me.
00:39:23.49\00:39:31.80
You'll be fine. Yeah.
"Learn from Me, for I am gentle
00:39:31.80\00:39:36.64
and humble in heart, and you
will find rest for your souls."
How did Paul put it in the old
00:39:36.64\00:39:40.64
King James? "Let this mind be in
you which was also in Christ."
00:39:40.64\00:39:46.95
That's what we want. If the
highest calling of life is to
take the lowliest station
00:39:46.95\00:39:51.92
of life, then what do we have to
fret, what do we have to fear,
for we have chosen Jesus?
00:39:51.92\00:39:58.33
Mind to be our own. >> Let's
read it one more time, this hymn
-- this great hymn,
00:39:58.33\00:40:05.80
that's -- it's introduced with
one line -- "In your
relationships with one another,
00:40:05.80\00:40:09.94
have the same mind-set as Christ
Jesus." Now, here comes that
00:40:09.94\00:40:13.54
Christmas carol -- "Who, being
in very nature God, did not
consider equality with God
00:40:13.54\00:40:18.95
something to be used to his own
advantage." No, he did not.
"Rather, he made himself nothing
00:40:18.95\00:40:24.32
by taking the very nature of
a servant, being made in human
00:40:24.32\00:40:28.26
likeness. And being found in
appearance as a man, he humbled
himself by becoming obedient to
00:40:28.26\00:40:35.13
death even all the way down to
death on a cross." You see,
ladies and gentlemen,
00:40:35.13\00:40:41.27
brothers and sisters, it's not
only necessary to kneel at his
00:40:41.27\00:40:45.81
cradle. We must kneel at his
cross. The cradle's not enough.
The cradle only exists for the
00:40:45.81\00:40:53.15
cross. And the cross
exists because of the cradle.
00:40:53.15\00:40:56.92
That's why the both of them go
together. And by the way, He was
00:40:56.92\00:41:01.66
not only -- He was not only...
in the lowliest station of life
at his birth and at his death,
00:41:01.66\00:41:08.66
but everything in between,
he was at that same lowliest
00:41:08.66\00:41:12.43
station. He never changed.
Perfect peace. Rest in His soul.
00:41:12.43\00:41:18.77
No love of self. What's the
solution for us? A few pages
later, same book --
00:41:18.77\00:41:25.81
I love this -- "Pride and
self-worship cannot flourish in
the heart that keeps fresh in
00:41:25.81\00:41:32.42
memory the scenes of Calvary."
Isn't that good? That's worth
00:41:32.42\00:41:40.00
taking home. Yeah. It cannot
flourish -- not pride, not
00:41:40.00\00:41:43.87
self-worship -- in a heart that
keeps fresh in memory the scenes
of Calvary. Guess what?
00:41:43.87\00:41:46.94
You have come to the perfect
place and time today... to let
this antidote pour over
00:41:46.94\00:41:54.81
your soul, and bring you that
peace that only Jesus can give.
00:41:54.81\00:41:59.85
Why? Why today? Be
today we go to the cross.
00:41:59.85\00:42:02.28
Never done this before. The
cross at Christmastime? Yep.
00:42:02.28\00:42:04.92
The cross at Christmas.
Why not? Cradle and cross.
00:42:04.92\00:42:08.49
Same truth.
00:42:08.49\00:42:10.06
He who is the highest station
of all came down to the lowliest
00:42:10.09\00:42:15.06
station for the
likes of you and me.
00:42:15.06\00:42:18.97
Wow.
00:42:19.00\00:42:19.97
It doesn't get any
better than that, really.
00:42:20.00\00:42:22.97
This Christmas, what I want
most is that peace of Jesus.
00:42:22.97\00:42:25.67
I want that rest. This
has been a ragged semester
00:42:25.67\00:42:28.21
for all of us. I want that rest.
00:42:28.21\00:42:31.38
I want that perfect peace.
The deliverance of Jesus from
00:42:31.38\00:42:34.95
the unrest of the love of self.
00:42:34.95\00:42:39.95
And if that's what you want, may
I be the first to welcome you to
00:42:39.99\00:42:45.53
the Lord' table.
There it is, ready to go.
00:42:45.53\00:42:47.96
By the way, the Lord's table was
made out of the wooden cradle.
It is constructed out of the
00:42:50.43\00:42:54.54
wooden cradle.
00:42:54.54\00:42:55.44
It is also fashioned out of the
wooden cross. So, in the wooden
00:42:57.17\00:43:02.61
Lord's table, you have the
cradle and the cross together in
00:43:02.61\00:43:09.55
Christ. Yeah. Oh, come, let
us adore him. Oh, come. Let us
00:43:09.55\00:43:15.16
adore him. Oh, come, let us
adore him -- Christ. I just love
00:43:15.16\00:43:19.59
that carol. Christ our
Lord. Sing for us, now, please.
00:43:19.59\00:43:22.66
[ "O Come, All
Ye Faithful" plays]
00:43:24.07\00:43:26.70
¤¤ ¤¤
00:43:26.70\00:43:38.51
¤¤ >> Both: ¤ O come,
00:43:38.51\00:43:46.69
all ye faithful ¤ ¤
Joyful and triumphant
00:43:46.69\00:43:54.93
¤ O come ye, o
come ye ¤ To Bethlehem
00:43:54.93\00:44:05.37
¤ Come and behold Him ¤
Born the King of A-a-angels
00:44:05.37\00:44:17.12
>> ¤ O come, let us adore Him
>> ¤ O come, let us adore Him
00:44:17.12\00:44:27.13
>> Both: ¤ O come, let us
adore Him, Christ the Loooord ¤
00:44:27.13\00:44:37.71
¤¤ ¤ Sing, choirs of angels
00:44:37.71\00:44:48.32
¤ Sing in exultation
¤ Sing, all ye citizens
00:44:48.32\00:44:57.19
¤ of heaven above ¤ Glory to God
00:44:57.19\00:45:07.47
¤ Glory in the hi-i-ighest
00:45:07.47\00:45:12.31
¤ O come, let us adoooore
Him ¤ O come, let us adore Him
00:45:14.04\00:45:26.62
¤ Chri-ist the Loooord ¤¤
00:45:26.62\00:45:36.40
¤ Yea, Lord, we greet
thee ¤ Born this happy morning
00:45:36.40\00:45:46.64
¤ Jesus, to thee
¤ be glo-ory given
00:45:46.64\00:45:56.35
¤ Woooord of the Faaaather
¤ Now in flesh appearing
00:45:59.05\00:46:18.94
>> ¤ O come, let us adore Him
>> ¤ O come, let us adore Him
00:46:18.94\00:46:29.35
>> Both: ¤ O
come, let us adore Him ¤
00:46:29.35\00:46:35.29
¤ Chrii-ist the Looord ¤¤
00:46:35.29\00:46:46.70
¤ Amen ¤ Ameeeeeen
00:46:46.70\00:46:54.58
¤¤ ¤¤
00:47:03.28\00:47:16.83
¤¤ >> Jesus had looked forward
00:47:16.83\00:47:25.11
eagerly to share the Passover
meal with his disciples.
00:47:25.11\00:47:29.48
So, here they
are, in the upper room.
00:47:29.48\00:47:33.38
But the disciples
didn't understand what we now
00:47:33.38\00:47:37.05
understand.
00:47:37.05\00:47:37.59
You see, Jesus had not yet given
his flesh for the life of the
00:47:37.62\00:47:42.06
world. And they
didn't quite understand
00:47:42.06\00:47:45.13
everything he said.
But they knew there was
00:47:45.13\00:47:48.73
something
special about the moment.
00:47:48.73\00:47:51.80
It felt intimate and close.
00:47:51.80\00:47:54.84
And so, today, let's listen
to Jesus himself speak to us
00:47:56.54\00:48:01.91
his words at the
table to his disciples,
00:48:01.91\00:48:05.15
as Elder Lynell de Wind.
will read for us some of the
00:48:05.15\00:48:08.95
Gospel of Mark -- after
which, Elder Mordekai Ongo
00:48:08.95\00:48:12.95
will pray for us, giving God
thanks for the emblems which we
00:48:12.95\00:48:16.89
will partake of today.
00:48:16.89\00:48:18.33
>> The reading today is
from Mark 14, verse 22-26.
00:48:20.06\00:48:25.63
"While they were eating,
Jesus took bread, gave thanks,
00:48:25.63\00:48:29.74
and broke it, and
gave it to his disciples,
00:48:29.74\00:48:32.81
saying, 'Take
it. This is my body.'
00:48:32.81\00:48:37.58
Then, he took cup, gave
thanks, and offered it to them,
00:48:37.61\00:48:41.58
and they all drank from
it. 'This is my blood of
00:48:41.58\00:48:45.85
the Covenant, which is poured
out for many', he said to them.
00:48:45.85\00:48:49.62
'I tell you the truth -- I
will not drink again of the
00:48:49.62\00:48:53.26
fruit of the vine until
the day when I drink it anew
00:48:53.26\00:48:56.33
in the Kingdom of God.'
When they had sung a hymn,
00:48:56.33\00:49:00.57
they went out to
the Mount of Olives."
00:49:00.57\00:49:02.40
>> Let us -- Let us pray.
00:49:04.37\00:49:07.84
Oh, Father, here we come to
the table at your invitation.
00:49:07.88\00:49:14.92
We confess our sins. Oh,
God, we have been engulfed
00:49:14.95\00:49:20.26
in the sinful scene of
self-worship and pride.
00:49:20.26\00:49:25.79
We cannot overcome this on our
own, but because of your love,
00:49:25.79\00:49:31.43
you were born, and you
were willing -- took humility,
00:49:31.43\00:49:37.41
stooped so low to
die for us sinners.
00:49:37.41\00:49:42.61
And so, here we come. We
want to thank you, oh God,
00:49:42.61\00:49:46.48
for that majestic love. And
as we come to the table this
00:49:46.48\00:49:50.75
morning, there is
room for everyone.
00:49:50.75\00:49:54.92
And we pray and thank you
that you will forgive us for our
00:49:54.92\00:49:59.73
sins, that you create in us
clean hearts, oh, God, that,
00:49:59.73\00:50:04.23
when we leave here,
we may be renewed...
00:50:04.23\00:50:07.97
go forth in faith,
and trust in you, always,
00:50:07.97\00:50:11.47
forever praising your
name. So, as we partake of these
00:50:11.47\00:50:14.61
emblems that
symbolize your body and blood...
00:50:14.61\00:50:20.72
may you, alone, be lifted
up. For we ask all this in the
00:50:20.72\00:50:25.05
loving name of
Jesus Christ, our savior.
00:50:25.05\00:50:28.16
Amen.
00:50:28.16\00:50:29.32
¤¤ ¤¤
00:50:29.36\00:50:44.27
¤¤ ¤¤
00:50:44.27\00:50:59.25
¤¤ ¤¤
00:50:59.25\00:51:14.27
>> And so, Jesus took the bread,
and he invited them to partake
00:51:14.30\00:51:19.57
of its life-giving power.
Life-giving power because it
00:51:19.57\00:51:23.48
represented his broken
body. And He said, "Take. Eat.
00:51:23.48\00:51:28.55
This is my body."
00:51:28.55\00:51:30.89
¤¤ ¤¤
00:51:30.92\00:51:42.36
And in the same
manner... He took the cup.
00:51:42.40\00:51:47.37
And He said, "This is my
blood of the Covenant, which is
00:51:47.37\00:51:52.61
poured out for many,
for the forgiveness of sin.
00:51:52.61\00:51:57.41
Drink, all of you."
00:51:57.41\00:51:59.95
¤¤ ¤¤
00:52:00.05\00:52:09.69
As we have united
around the table today...
00:52:14.73\00:52:19.70
we are reminded that we are
brothers and sisters in Christ,
00:52:19.70\00:52:25.07
that we are members of one body.
And so, I invite you to stand as
00:52:25.07\00:52:30.18
we sing stanzas one, four,
and five of hymn number 140,
00:52:30.18\00:52:35.38
which will be on the screen.
00:52:35.38\00:52:36.75
¤¤ ¤¤
00:52:38.02\00:52:52.77
¤¤ ¤¤
00:52:52.77\00:53:07.92
¤¤
00:53:07.92\00:53:11.85
>> And now for the Benediction.
May the God of Peace, who called
00:55:11.14\00:55:16.91
up from the dead our Lord Jesus,
the Great Shepherd of the Sheep,
00:55:16.91\00:55:22.05
through the blood of
the Everlasting Covenant,
00:55:22.05\00:55:25.09
equip you with ever good thing
to do His will, working in you
00:55:25.09\00:55:30.19
that which is pleasing in His
sight, through Jesus, to whom be
00:55:30.19\00:55:34.93
glory forever and ever. Amen.
00:55:34.93\00:55:38.70
>> What is it about the holiday
season that has given you the
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greatest joy? Is it
the time spent cutting
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down the family Christmas
tree at the local farm,
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or maybe a special ornament
placed on that lighted bough?
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Or do you find joy in
contemplating the profound
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meaning of the carols we sing?
Maybe Christmas joy is found in
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the memories you make together
with friends and family,
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or the spirit of giving
that surrounds this season.
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As we reflect on these joys,
let's always remember the great
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light who guides us -- the one
who brings joy and meaning to
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life -- a loving father who
is at the heart of all treasured
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relationships, and the wonderful
God who gave the ultimate gift
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in newborn child.
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Some of my joy this season
comes in part from your letters,
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your prayers, and your faithful
giving of support to this
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ministry, which reaches
literally around the world.
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If you've been blessed this
year, I'd like to ask you to
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join the many people who
financially support this global
00:56:37.66\00:56:40.50
New Perceptions Ministry.
00:56:40.50\00:56:42.56
It's simple to do.
Just call our free-number --
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877 -- two words - His Will.
One of our friendly operators
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will be happy to help you.
You can also click the "donate"
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link at the top of our website.
Trust me, no gift is too small
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for God to use to spread
the good news of His love,
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His sacrifice, and His
future plans for our happiness.
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Every gift, by the way,
is entirely invested in our
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mission to communicate God's
good news to a generation who
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needs the hope found in Jesus,
which will bring them to joy
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in life. So, once
again, the number to
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call is 877-HIS-WILL.
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This season, my wish for
you is that the Mighty God,
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the Everlasting
Father, the Prince of Peace,
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will be at the heart of the
very best memories made together
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with your family and friends.
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