CHRISTMAS 2015 – PASKO PA MORE – PTR ALVIN GUITERREZ – 4PM AFTERNOON SERVICE

LUKE 2:4-20

4 So Joseph also went up from the townof Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, toBethlehem the town of David, becausehe belonged to the house and line ofDavid. 5 He went there to register withMary, who was pledged to be married tohim and was expecting a child. 6 Whilethey were there, the time came for thebaby to be born,

LUKE 2:4-20

7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, ason. She wrapped him in cloths andplaced him in a manger, because therewas no guest room available for them. 8

And there were shepherds living out inthe fields nearby, keeping watch overtheir flocks at night. 9 An angel of theLord appeared to them, and the glory ofthe Lord shone around them, and theywere terrified.

LUKE 2:4-20

10 But the angel said to them, “Do not beafraid. I bring you good news that willcause great joy for all the people. 11

Today in the town of David a Savior hasbeen born to you; he is the Messiah, theLord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You willfind a baby wrapped in cloths and lyingin a manger.”

LUKE 2:4-20

13 Suddenly a great company of theheavenly host appeared with the angel,praising God and saying, 14 “Glory toGod in the highest heaven, and on earthpeace to those on whom his favor rests.”15 When the angels had left them andgone into heaven, the shepherds said toone another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem andsee this thing that has happened, whichthe Lord has told us about.”

LUKE 2:4-20

16 So they hurried off and found Maryand Joseph, and the baby, who waslying in the manger. 17 When they hadseen him, they spread the wordconcerning what had been told themabout this child, 18 and all who heard itwere amazed at what the shepherdssaid to them. 19 But Mary treasured up allthese things and pondered them in herheart.

LUKE 2:4-20

20 The shepherds returned, glorifyingand praising God for all the things theyhad heard and seen, which were just asthey had been told.

LUKE 2:4-7

4 So Joseph also went up from the townof Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, toBethlehem the town of David, becausehe belonged to the house and line ofDavid. 5 He went there to register withMary, who was pledged to be married tohim and was expecting a child. 6 Whilethey were there, the time came for thebaby to be born,

LUKE 2:4-7

7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, ason. She wrapped him in cloths andplaced him in a manger, because therewas no guest room available for them.

JOHN 10:10

10 The thief comes only to steal and killand destroy; I have come that they mayhave life, and have it to the full.

LUKE 2:8-14

8 And there were shepherds living out inthe fields nearby, keeping watch overtheir flocks at night. 9 An angel of theLord appeared to them, and the glory ofthe Lord shone around them, and theywere terrified. 10 But the angel said tothem, “Do not be afraid. I bring you goodnews that will cause great joy for all thepeople.

LUKE 2:8-14

11 Today in the town of David a Savior hasbeen born to you; he is the Messiah, theLord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You willfind a baby wrapped in cloths and lyingin a manger.” 13 Suddenly a greatcompany of the heavenly hostappeared with the angel, praising Godand saying, 14 “Glory to God in thehighest heaven, and on earth peace tothose on whom his favor rests.”

JOHN 3:16

16 For God so loved the world that hegave his one and only Son, that whoeverbelieves in him shall not perish but haveeternal life.

LUKE 2:15-20

15 When the angels had left them andgone into heaven, the shepherds said toone another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem andsee this thing that has happened, whichthe Lord has told us about.” 16 So theyhurried off and found Mary and Joseph,and the baby, who was lying in themanger. 17 When they had seen him, theyspread the word concerning what hadbeen told them about this child,

LUKE 2:15-20

18 and all who heard it were amazed atwhat the shepherds said to them. 19 ButMary treasured up all these things andpondered them in her heart. 20 Theshepherds returned, glorifying andpraising God for all the things they hadheard and seen, which were just as theyhad been told.

1 PETER 1:3-6

3Praise be to the God and Father of ourLord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy hehas given us new birth into a living hopethrough the resurrection of Jesus Christfrom the dead, 4 and into an inheritancethat can never perish, spoil or fade. Thisinheritance is kept in heaven for you,

1 PETER 1:3-6

5 who through faith are shielded byGod’s power until the coming of thesalvation that is ready to be revealed inthe last time. 6 In all this you greatlyrejoice, though now for a little while youmay have had to suffer grief in all kindsof trials.

1 PETER 1:3-4

3Praise be to the God and Father of ourLord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy hehas given us new birth into a living hopethrough the resurrection of Jesus Christfrom the dead, 4 and into an inheritancethat can never perish, spoil or fade. Thisinheritance is kept in heaven for you,

1 PETER 1:5

5 who through faith are shielded byGod’s power until the coming of thesalvation that is ready to be revealed inthe last time.

1 PETER 1:6

6 In all this you greatly rejoice, thoughnow for a little while you may have hadto suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

“ON BIRTHDAYS & EASTER”

Last night, I criedmy eyes out.

A young mom passed away, after herthree year long bout with cancer. Idoubly cried when I found out that sheleft this earth on the day of her eldestdaughter’s, 18th birthday. She had threeyoung girls.


Sad things happen to good people . . .and we are left with question marks inour thought bubbles.

Why???


At the memorial service, all three of hersweet young daughters spoke. Laughtermingling with tears, aching pauses, atthe memories and beautiful photos oftheir mom and family times together.Then her husband spoke. The man wholoved her, who aside from his work,became her constant partner, confidant,cheerleader, chef, driver, injection-giver,stress reliever . . .


He shared how, on his first night alone,he opened his wife’s Ipad and foundinstructions and a password. His sweetwife had left letters. Lots of letters for himand for each of the three girls to read atdifferent stages. She had also left herfavorite quotes and songs to be sung.All worship songs for her wake andfuneral.


He talked about the vows they hadshared as husband and wife on theirwedding day.“. . . Knowing that it isGod’s will for me tomarry you, I make a commitment to youtoday, to love you with an everlastinglove . . . to live with you in anunderstanding way . . . ” He talked aboutthe joy of having her as his wife.


Then he did something very brave andinspiring. In the midst of his tears, headdressed each daughter, one by one,and spoke words of blessing over eachone. He also told the eldest, never tothink of her birthdate with sadness as adate marred by the death of her mother.Instead, to regard that day as a veryspecial day.


A day of two combined celebrations, twobirthdays. Her birthday on earth and hermom’s birthday in heaven. Two reasonsto celebrate.

He then proceeded to give eachdaughter a ring. I was wondering why.

Then he spoke.


Just as he and his wife had committedthrough these same rings to love eachother unconditionally, many, many yearsago on their wedding day, he began tospeak these words of affirmation now tohis daughters.


“. . . I make a commitment to you, ourdaughters . . . To love you with an eternallove . . . to live with you in anunderstanding way. Never leaving youor forsaking you . . .” He then gave hisdaughters, their rings as a sign of hisunconditional fatherly love for them.


(Two were the wedding rings he and hiswife had worn, one was the ring his wifealso wore which came from his parents.)

By this time all the Kleenex in my bag, allthe Kleenex in the room, perhaps, all theKleenex in the universe was gone, afterhe finished speaking.


Needless to say, I was in a reflectivemood when I arrived home that night. Iwas supposed to write a blog on Easterfor Joey’s website, but all I could think ofwas that scene. How the father, in themidst of his own pain, grief andmourning at his own loss, chose to blessthe children that he loved.


And I thought of our Heavenly Fatherand of Jesus, who at the expense of hisown trials, extreme pain and cruel death,chose to pay the price we couldn’t pay,to win a prize we couldn’t win.


And how Easter, to me, is somehow,another birthday of Jesus.

Christmas, we celebrate his birth onearth, as a man.

Easter, we celebrate his freedom fromhis earthly body and his life reunitedwith his father in heaven.


Most of all, we celebrate HIS WIN. Hepunched death in the face and renderedit powerless. He rendered sin toothlessin its efforts to bite us and hold uscaptive in its grip. And all I could saywas thank you.


Thank you Jesus, for your “heavenbirthday” and thank you for my friend’s.We think so much of this life on earth,when we really should think of where weare spending our “other” birthday.

Do you know where you’re spendingyour “eternity” birthday?

JOHN 11:25-26

“ Jesus said to her, “I am theresurrection and the life. Whoeverbelieves in me, though he die, yet shallhe live, and everyone who lives andbelieves in me shall never die. Do youbelieve this?”

Spiritual

CHRISTMAS 2015 – PASKO PA MORE – PTR ALVIN GUITERREZ – 4PM AFTERNOON SERVICE