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It is interesting to look up famous people who grew up in little towns. My husband grew up in a town of about 3,000 people in eastern Colorado. His pastor moved there when my husband Lynn was just 7 years old, and began a church in his community. The church grew to reach over 10% of the community, and at their 25 year anniversary, there were 29 full time ministers around the world from that wonderful church in that very small town. Some of them have international ministries that have impacted the world, from that very little dot on the map in eastern Colorado. The Bible tells us not to despise small beginnings, and we should never underestimate what God can do through people who are committed to reaching the lost for the kingdom of God, even from an unlikely place on our globe. Someone very special come from the little town of Bethlehem, the city of David. He was the gift of God, and though His birthplace was a little town, his influence has circled the globe, and has carried on for centuries. No one on earth deserves the praises that we bring to Him, the Son of God, born to a virgin, in the place that was prophesied long before, the little town of Bethlehem.

Don’t you hate to be the last to know some important news? You feel like you were left out of the loop and missed out. There were some unusual people on God’s list to be in the loop when some amazing news needed to be announced! The birth announcement of Jesus coming to earth was sent to shepherds on the hillside, caring for their sheep in the middle of the night. It is interesting that God would tell them first. It proves in a beautiful way that no one is insignificant. If ever we think we are insignificant, think back to the night when Jesus was born. The people who were important in government or culture were not the ones who got the inside scoop about a new king being born. It was people who the world may think are insignificant, that not only heard the news first, but were the first ones to come and find the sweet babe who was lying in a manger. Ordinary people were on top of God’s list, and we still are. He loves each of us individually, even those of us without high rank, or many degrees after our name. What a beautiful gift was given on the night Jesus was born. We don’t have to feel left out of the loop, or in the dark, because the Jesus was born to bring joy to the world. God calls us into His Presence. The shepherds heard it first, and now we can be the first to enter into God’s presence because now we are His sheep and we know His voice.

What is your favorite Christmas Carol? I was asked that recently, and I have so many favorites, it is hard to nail it down. Near the top of the list is Oh Holy Night. We sing that every Christmas Eve at the Candle light service at our church. I love to hear my husband’s beautiful voice sing out…..”fall on your knees, oh hear the angel voices, o night divine, which Christ was born, o night divine, o night divine”. It was a divine night, when heaven bent low and kissed the earth. Jesus was the kiss of heaven! He was God’s love delivered to the earth. The angels sang out and the heavens rang with praise to the newborn king. As you sing or listen to your favorite carols this season, like Silent Night, Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, Away in the Manger, The First Noel, Oh Come All Ye Faithful, and Joy to the World, remember the awesome gift that came to earth, and was serenaded by a host of angels singing glory to God in the highest. Thank God for the precious gift of Jesus, our Lord, our Savior, our Redeemer and our friend. Lets make a big deal of his coming just like the angels did. Lets sing, Glory to God in the Highest! How great our joy!

Intro:
During this week we are concentrating on the word joy. We know Jesus brought joy to the world, but he also brings joy to us individually. Hi, this is Dorette Schaal with your daily eword. Joy resonates through believers, because we know that whatever the circumstances we face, we don’t face them alone. Emmanuel, God is with us. He walks wiith us, lives in us, and lives through us. We can live a life filled to the brim with the joy of the Lord. Here is your dailyeword.

What is the favorite gift you have ever received? You’re answer might include everything from family, to faith, to actual toys and gifts. What was the best gift you ever received? Let me give you a hint! It wasn’t ice skates, Legos or a cabbage patch kid, that you asked Santa for as a child. It isn’t your mate, or even your children, although they probably rate up very high on the list. The best gift we have ever received came from heaven to earth, and was born in a manger. Jesus was the best gift, and the most precious gift that we could ever receive. The Bible says, that every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of Lights. This first gift from God is the reason all the other gifts in our lives feel like such a blessing. God gave His very best, all because He wanted us in His family. Heaven came down to us. Once we are in the family, every thing just gets better. Even if life has it bumps, and even though our earth has a curse, we still get to experience the very best life! Not only do we get to experience life abundant on this planet, we have the hope of heaven when we die. When we receive The Gift from heaven, we have received Hope, Peace, JOY, and Love. Nothing is better than that. That kind of news is news of great joy!

Matt 1:18-21 And she will bring forth a Son
How do you think the world awaited the arrival of the baby in a manger? It is truly amazing that from Genesis 3:15, it was made know that Jesus would be the offspring of a woman that would crush Satan’s head. In Isaiah 9:7 it was revealed that Jesus would be heir to the throne of David. His place of birth was clearly spoken of in Micah 5:2, and Isaiah 7:14 revealed that Jesus would be born of a virgin and that His name would be Immanuel.

Do you think anyone really expected the Son of God to be born of a virgin, in the little town of Bethlehem, and that He would come to save the world? As unusual as it was, that was the plan that God established. God was bringing heaven to earth. We know of at least two who were waiting expectantly and were in the temple on the day when Jesus, who at eight days old, was presented before the priest. Simeon took Jesus in his arms and prophesied that He would be a light for the Gentiles, and the glory of Israel. The prophetess Anna approached Mary and Joseph holding baby Jesus and gave thanks saying that this child would be the redemption of Jerusalem. All that patient waiting paid off……Jesus was born to save the world. What is ironic is that patience is something that we don’t see demonstrated very often this time of year. Since Advent is a good time for introspection, it might be good to ask this question. Are you good at waiting? Is your life at peace? Hebrews 10:36 tells us to be patient as we do the will of God, and we will receive the promise. Would you like to see more of the promises of God manifested in your life? Could a little more peace and patience in your life make that possible? Maybe today is the day to start. Heaven Came down to do just that!

New International Version
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
New Living Translation
“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

You and I are used to hearing these verses from Luke 2:14 in the KJV which says, Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. When I looked at many different translations of this verse, it became pretty obvious that all men, is not everyone on earth. It says specifically that peace will be to all men and women on earth who please God. So that old saying
No Jesus, No Peace,
Know Jesus, Know Peace
is really true! Without the Son of God living on the inside of our hearts, we will not know the peace of God. But that is exactly why Heaven Came Down in the form of a baby, to reestablish relationship between God and man. We have the avenue for peace in our world. Peace doesn’t happen without Jesus being in the center of our life. As much as we would like the unrest in the Middle East to dissolve, without Jesus, it will not happen. As much as we would like violent inner cities to experience peace, it won’t happen without Jesus. As much as we want relationships of all kinds, to experience peace, it won’t happen without Jesus. So as believers, we need to know our mission, we are to bring peace to our earth. That means we bring Jesus with us everywhere we go. What an awesome assignment this holy Christmas season. Heaven Came Down, so we can deliver a taste of heaven wherever we go.

Intro:
We are celebrating the Advent season and I am loving every minute of the holiday season. Hi this is Dorette Schaal with your dailyeword. At AGF we not only will have the traditional lighting of the advent candle and advent reading, we will continue including communion during each service. We want to remember Heaven coming Down as a babe in a manger, and then remember why He came. His purpose was to destroy the work of the enemy, and to restore our union and fellowship with God. This week I hope you continue to read along with the Advent Devotional available online at agf.org. Let’s continue the story of Jesus coming to earth. Here is your daily eword…..Jesus is our Prince of Peace

The unveiling of this story began back near the beginning of time. The need for a Savior became evident soon after the arrival of Adam and Eve who walked on the earth after creation. Sin entered by disobedience, so a Savior was needed. Union and fellowship with God was destroyed. What would be the plan that God would use to save His people from their sins? How would the story of salvation unfold? It was quite an unusual scenario. God had chosen a cast of characters that would surprise everyone involved. By human standards, we probably would have chosen a triumphal entry for the Savior, a nursery in a majestic palace, to a royal family, to live in opulence and luxury presiding over a grand cathedral. God on the other hand, proved once again as he did with Samuel (in I Samuel 16:7) that he is more concerned with the heart than the outward appearance.

In fact, God found a young teenage woman whose youth, marital status, and maternal experience would have made us look right past her. What qualifications did she have? But God found exactly what He was looking for. She was selected to bear His son, to be the Savior of the world.

I hope that starts you thinking about your own life. God has an amazing plan and purpose for you. Do you feel qualified? Does your age, marital status or experience make you feel disqualified for God’s plan for your life? Mary had all of those same disqualifications, yet she decided to go for all that God had for her. She told God that she was willing to do whatever He asked. I hope that is your answer to God as well. Lets’ be hope bringers, and peace makers, joy infusers, and love displayers where ever we go. This week lets bring more peace to the earth.

When we look at the Lord’s prayer, we can see that Jesus prayed that God’s will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. So are you experiencing heaven in your house this holy Christmas season? When we hear the word house, we normally think of the place where we live, or your physical address. Really there are three kinds of “houses”. My body is a house. My family is a house. My Church is a house.

I am a spirit, I have a soul/mind, I live in a body
We each have a house or apartment that we live in
We come together as the House of God in your church local fellowship.

How can we know during this Christmas season if heaven is in each house? Does Jesus live at each address? The best answer to that would be the evidence of the character of Jesus in us, demonstrated through the fruit of the spirit. That is where, as we follow God with all of our heart, the Spirit of God leads us, we train our soul/mind is renewed, and our body gets in line. When we line our life up with the Word of God, we make the choice to live like Jesus is with us all the time, because He is! When we operate in the fruit of the spirit, we make sure that our walk matches our talk. We make sure our actions match the life of God that dwells on the inside of us. Since we are “in Christ” we have heaven living in our house. If we want heaven to be in us, in our body, in our homes, and in our churches, we have to recognize and operate in the fruit of the Spirit that God established. Is heaven in each of your houses? Let’s make it our goal this Christmas!

One of the best things that Jesus brought us through His birth was the hope of a relationship with our God, who is such a good Father. We get a relationship with God that tops all earthy relationships. We even get divine connections to other believers who encourage us, and help us grow in our walk with the Lord.
Christmas is a season about family and relationships. It can be a hard season if you’ve lost a loved one recently, or if you have had conflict in your relationships. God is the great restorer, and part of heaven coming down to us through a tiny baby was so that we could have restored relationship with God, who is the best relationship mender. God’s desire is for sons and fathers to get along, mothers and daughters to live in harmony, siblings to not only love each other, but care for each other and their parents. That sounds like heaven on earth! Of course life on earth will have challenges, but you already know that! There will be things that we can’t control or fully comprehend, but when we put it all in perspective, earth for the believer can be a little taste of heaven, and makes us even more hungry for our eternal home. Let’s let the world know what heaven will be like…by giving them a taste of what we have experienced. This Christmas, if you need some relationships restored, my prayer is that you would take the first step. You can bring the hope of better relationships in your sphere of influence. Jesus brings that hope – on earth as He is in heaven!

It sounds like Jesus’ model prayer gives place for the original design to be re-established on the earth through the birth of Jesus. “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” A thought hit me one time that really is astounding….for the believer, earth is as close to hell as we will ever be, but for the unbeliever, earth is as close to heaven as they will ever be. Wow! So for the believer, earth can be really good, plus we have heaven to look forward to, so the best is yet to come. For the unbeliever, without the hope in their life, earth can be ok or pretty bad, and there is nothing good past their final breath. For them, this life is as good as it gets. It puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?

What does heaven manifested on earth it look like? What did Jesus really come to bring us. When I think of what heaven is like, I think of wonderful communion with the Father, a place of rest and peace, hope and joy that is too amazing to explain, worship around the throne all the time, and beautiful ways of communicating our love for God all around, with absolutely no need for anything else. Wow, if heaven is even half of that, it will be abundantly above all we could ever ask or think. Since Jesus came, what should heaven on earth look like? Probably a lot of the same things! There would be:
Divine relationships,
Supernatural peace,
Joy overflowing,
Glorious Worship
Open and loving communication,
and every need supplied.

Amazing, those are all things that we have access here on the earth because of Jesus!
Heaven came down, and life is so much better with Jesus in it! What hope He brings.