From Pastor Todd

O little town of Behlehem,

How still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, 

The silent stary go by.

Yet in thy dark streets shineth

The everlasting light;

The hopes and fears of all the years 

Are met in thee tonight.

.... hymn by Phillips Brooks

Let us think about the thought of Peace this Christmas. The reality of it is I think about "Peace" every Christmas and I think mankind is desiring peace without even realizing that we are in need of peace.

Micah 5:2-5

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,

Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel,

Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting."

Therefore He shall give them up, Until the time that she who is in labor

has given birth; Then the remant of His brethren

Shall return to the children of Israel.

And He shall stand and feed His flock 

In the strength of the LORD, 

In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God;

And they shall abide, 

for Now He shall be great 

To the ends of the earth;

And this One shall be PEACE.

Micah was written some 700 years before Jesus would be born in Bethlehem, during a time of struggle and strife and needing to know that God had not forgotten them.

Allistair Begg writes ... HOPE was coming, Micah announced; but the surprise was where that hope was coming from. The promised ruler, who would
reverse defeats, heal divisions, and bring PEACE, would come not from Jerusalem (the place of worship location of Temple) but from Bethlehem.

Bethlehem was "too little to be among the clans of Judah."

This is how God works! When Goliath taunted the people of Israel, the strong and brave soldiers of Israel fled. Instead, God used a small, insignificant shepherd boy - from Bethlehem, of all places! - with five stones and a sling
to deliver God's people. This is God's way.

Micah announces, once more a Shepherd - King would come from the little town of Bethlehem. He would stand in the place of authority,
shepherd His flock in the strength of Yahweh, and grant security to those
who trust in Him. 

In Him, Micah said, God's people would finally find lasting PEACE
(quoted from Allistair Begg)

Do you need peace this December, this Christmas, this life?
Jesus came to bring "PEACE on Earth".

In Luke chapter two angels announced to the shepherds, the night Jesus was born [vv. 11-14] "

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior,

who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you;

You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloth, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth PEACE, goodwill toward men!"

Our prayer for you this Christmas, is that you will come to know Jesus Christ
as your Savior and have His peace permeate your life.

Merry Christmas and Blessed Peace to you and yours!

O Holy Child of Bethlehem, 

Descend to us, we pray;

Cast out our sin and enter in; Be born in us today.

We hear the Christmas angels

The great glad tidings tell;

O come to us, abide with us,

Our Lord Emmanuel!

(Phillips Brooks)

Pastor Todd Lint