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Health & Fitness

Advent Bethlehem Bound

Today I am knee deep in Bethlehem Bound.  There are cotton balls, paper guitars, scripts, and foam harps packed up in boxes all around me.  Why?  Because I love the story of the first Christmas and I want other people to love it as much as I do (and it’s part of my job).  I am so excited for our church to be working on this production of the Christmas story together tonight, and I can’t wait to see how God is going to use it to do great things!

The story of Christmas is the amazing, wonderful, awesome, awe-filled, glorious and whatever other wonderful awe-inspiring words you can think of.  It is the story of God coming to earth.  God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to live our life.  He walked the dusty roads, he felt hunger and thirst, he felt tired and sleepy.  Jesus knew what it was like to lose loved ones, to feel sorrow and pain.  He knew how wonderful it was to celebrate birthdays and the birth of a child.  God is not just a deity out there who has no idea what my life is like, but He knows exactly what it is like because He lived it!

Not only did he know what it is like to live my life, but more importantly, he died for me.  He suffered the death of the criminal on a cross after being betrayed by one of his closest friends.  He was crucified, dead, and buried to pay the penalty for my sins.  But that is not the end of the story!  On the third day he rose from the dead and ascended into heave to sit on the right hand of God, and all of the wonderful things we have talked about before.

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The story of Christmas shows that Christ came not just for a few people who earned it or deserved it, but He came for everyone.  It doesn’t matter how much money you have or don’t have.  It doesn’t matter where you live, what you do, or what you drive.  You can’t earn the gift of Christmas; it is a free gift of grace.

I want to encourage you to take some time in this week before Christmas to think about how truly wonderful and amazing the Christmas story really is.  Reread the birth stories in Matthew and Luke.  Pray about how much the gift of Christmas has changed your life and the lives of people around you.  Spend some time to preparing yourself to be Bethlehem bound in these last few days in order to help truly appreciate the wonder of Christmas.  Christmas is not just about the details, it is about the most amazing and wonderful gift we could have ever been given in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

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God bless, Rev. Liz Arakelian, www.LivingHopeEC.org

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