Activated December 2003

8/14/2019 Activated December 2003

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CHANGE YOUR LIFE. CHANGE YOUR WORLD.

THE TRUECHRISTMASThis door opens from the

inside

CHRISTMASANGELSAll you need is love

A CHRISTMASPROMISEHope takes an unexpected

form

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Personally speaking

For a wide range of books and audio

and video productions to feed your soul,

lift your spirit, strengthen your family,

and provide fun learning times for your

children, please contact one of our

distributors below, or visit our Web site

at www.activated.org

Activated Ministries

P.O. Box 462805

Escondido, CA 920462805

USA

[email protected]

(877) 8623228

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Bramingham Pk. Business Ctr.

Enterprise Way

Luton, Beds. LU3 4BU

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(07801) 442317

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Westville 3630

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[email protected]

083 55 68 213

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G.P.O.

Bangalore 560 001

India

[email protected]

EDITOR

Keith Phillips

DESIGN

Giselle LeFavre

ILLUSTRATIONS

Etienne Morel

PRODUCTION

Francisco Lopez

VOL 4, ISSUE 12

December 2003 2003 Aurora Production AG

All Rights Reserved. Printed in Thailand.

www.auroraproduction.com

Unless otherwise indicated, all

Scripture quotations inActivated are

from the New King James Version of the

Bible 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc.

When other versions are quoted, some

typographical changes have been made

for the sake of clarity and uniformity.

As I was selecting material for this Christmas issue, I cameacross the following story by an unknown author. It conveys a woderful truth: God often deputizes people to help answer prayers.

lLate December is cold in New York City, but this day was

exceptionally so. A boy about ten years old stood in front of a shstore on Broadway, barefoot, peering through the window and

shivering with cold.What are you looking at so intently? asked a woman who

hadnt taken her eyes off of him since she had rst noticed himwhen she was still half a block away.

I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes, the boy repliThe lady led the boy into the store, and rst asked the clerk fo

half a dozen pairs of socks the boys size, then for a basin of wawater, some soap, and a towel.

The clerk had never had such a request, but he soon foundeverything the woman had asked for.

She found a spot in the rear of the store, knelt down, andwashed and dried the boys feet. By this time, the clerk had returwith the socks.

When the boy had pulled on a pair, she bought him a pair oshoes. Then she helped the clerk put the other socks in a bag, pafor the socks and shoes, handed the bag to the boy, and gave hia smile and a pat on the head. You will stay warmer now was she said.

As the woman turned to go, the astonished boy caught her bthe hand, looked into her face, and with tears in his eyes asked,Are you Gods wife?

lMay you and yours share such joys with others this Christmas

season.

Keith Phillips

For the ActivatedFamily

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MOMMY, I THINK YOU LIKE THOSE

TOYS MORE THAN WE DO, I remembersaying to my mom as we shopped at

a discount store. The way she wouldinspect each toy, carefully read througheach book, count puzzle pieces, andput together toy sets (discount items tendto miss pieces), I was sure she lovedthose toys every bit as much as we kidsdid. She was always on the lookout forsales so she and my hard-working fathercould put presents under the Christmastree for us kids.

But my parents giving wasnt limitedto things. Sometimes their gifts werehands on, like when they took us to apark to play a favorite game together,or trekked by our sides through thewoods, or took us to visit some historicalsite.

Looking back I can clearly see thatmy parents didnt love the toys andall the rest as much as I thought theydidthey just loved giving. They were

always giving. Whether it was their timeand attention, help with our schoolworkor projects, or lending a listening ear,they never ceased to give from theirhearts.

As Christmas approaches, I canthelp but think back and marvel at thosesimple, love-lled gifts. They still standout to me, many years later. Their givinghelped set my standards of what Christ-

mas is all about. The Christmas presenthemselves I hardly remember, but Moand Dads enthusiastic love for giving will never forget!

Of course, gift giving is a timelesstradition and a wonderful way of showing love. And gifts are always especiathrilling for children. Perhaps that iswhat our heavenly Father had in mindlong ago on that rst Christmas, whenHe gave us His love in the fashion Heknew we would understand best. Hegave us the most precious and endurin

gift ever given in such a simple, humbwayHis love and Spirit in the formof a gentle baby. Jesus was and still isGods great Christmas gift to us all.

Modern marketers have found somany holidays to celebrate with giftgiving, and they come around so fastthat its sometimes hard to rememberwhich one were shopping for or whyBut stop for a moment, wont you, andrecall the most memorable gifts you

have ever received and why you stillhold them dear. Were they the thingsyou could see and hold, or the lovethose gifts were wrapped in?

This Christmas and always, mayour heavenly Fathers example be youguide to giving. h

LINDA SALAZAR IS A FULL-TIME VOLUNTEER

WITH THE FAMILY IN THE USA.

BY LINDA SALAZAR

givingThe guideto giving

Stop for a

moment, and

recall the most

memorable

gifts you have

ever received

and why you

still hold them

dear.

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The true ChrSOME PEOPLE CANNOT UNDERSTANDhow God could have come down andbeen wrapped in human flesh, butHe came. That isnt strange to me. Infact, it is quite easy for me to believebecause I see Jesus born in human

hearts every day. He comes and lives

in hearts and transforms lives, and tome thats a great miraclethat He canbe born in your heart and my heart

and live there in our hearts, identify-ing Himself with us that way.

Gods Word says that Jesus shall becalled wonderful. Unto us a Child

is born, unto us a Son is given; andthe government will be upon His

shoulder. And His name will be callwonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

everlasting Father, Prince of Peace(Isaiah 9:6).

Wonderful His name because Hewas wonderful in His life, going abo

everywhere doing good and healing

all that were oppressed (Acts 10:38)Wonderful His death because He difor you and me, that we might have

eternal life (1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 4:9)Wonderful His resurrection becausHe rose from the dead, that we mayalso be resurrected (1 Corinthians

15:2021). And wonderful now inHis life after death because He

lives to intercede for u

(Hebrews 7:25).But it is not enou

that Christ, the Kinof kings, was born

Bethlehem beneathe star that her-alded His comingHe must be born

within your hearbefore He finds H

throne. Wont yolet Him come int

your heart?Perhaps youv

seen the famouspainting by Willi

Holman Hunt inwhich Jesus is sestanding before a

THE TRUE CHRISTMASBY VIRGINIA BRANDT BERG

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tmas

CHRISTMAS PRAISESAs you and your loved ones gather this Christmas,

you may want to take the opportunity to thank the Lordfor all He gave us when He came to earth as a baby solong ago.

Here are some short prayers of thanksgiving that canbe read privately or in a group, taking turns.

May God bless you with a praise-lled Christmas!

closed door, with a lantern in hand.Some time after Hunt had finished

what was to become his most famouswork, someone came to him and toldhim that hed made a mistake: Therewas no doorknob. I didnt make a

mistake, Hunt answered. The door

must be opened from the inside. Thedoorknob is on the inside.

Jesus, the Savior, can never enter

a door unless it is opened from theinside. Gods Word says, As many asreceivedHim, to them He gave theright to become children of God

(John 1:12). Receive Him this Christ-mas! He will transform your life.Welcome Him into your heart!

If you havent yet received Godsmost wonderful gift, Jesus, you canright now by praying the following

prayer:

Thank You, Jesus, for coming to

earth and living like one of us, for

suffering all the things that we go

through so that I could know my

heavenly Fathers love. Thank You fordying for me, so I can be reconciled

with Him and have eternal life in

Heaven. I receive You as my Savior

now. Please forgive me for all the

wrongs Ive ever committed, and help

me to get to know and love You in a

deep and personal way. Amen.h

Christmas!How specialthis time is! Thank You,Jesus, for giving us thisspecial occasion to loveand enjoy You and eachother.

It was the song of angelsthat led the shepherds toYour side. So may we, bythe sounds of Christmas,be led to fall on our kneesin praiseful worship ofYou.

The wonder of Your love,

the treasure of Your Spirit,the warmth of Your touch,the joy of Your presence,salvation, happiness, pur-pose, peace of mind, andso much morethankYou for freely giving us somany gifts!

Happy birthday, Jesus!We love and praise You

for all You have donefor us, and for being ourspecial friend.

You are the sweetest Onewe know. Help us to loveYou not only on Christ-mas Day, but every daythroughout the year.

Thank You for leavingHeaven to bring a bit ofHeaven down to us.

You are more beautifulthan any Christmas tree,

more wonderful than anypresent, more excitingthan any Christmas party!You give meaning to ourlives.

Just look what Youstarted, Jesus, by sayingyes to Your Father whenHe asked You to come

here for our sakes! Helpme to always say yes toYou in return.

With You in our hearts,Christmas takes on a newand wonderful meaning.Help us to give Your loveto others so they canenjoy Christmas like wedo.

Thank You for Christmas.Thank You for giving usthis special day to enjoyYou and each other.Thank You for living anddying for us. Thank Youfor the unending gift oflife that we can sharewith others.



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the message of Jesus, and a 16-year-girl named Dale, who became one oour dearest helpers and closest friend

Dale had come to us one night,desperate and in tears. She was pregnant. Her father was demanding thatshe have an abortion, and had throwher out of the house. We took her in,and while she was with us Dale camto know Jesus and His love for her. S

decided to keep her baby, and soonher father had a change of heart andaccepted her back home.

Then our daughter was born. Wethanked God for how good He hadbeen to us to bless us with such a beatiful family.

Several months earlier, the Lordhad told us, Through this baby you agoing to learn how real My promisesare! We were to give her that name

Promise. Little did we know how dra-matically or how quickly the Lord wokeep His word.

The other missionaries we had beliving, working, and sharing expensewith had to leave unexpectedly, andit soon became clear that we couldncontinue on our own. We would needclose our fl edgling missionary work. we faced this large task alone, sicknestruck. Michael came down with suchhigh fever that he was constantly on verge of seizures. Then Promise and became ill. I was too weak to lift a hato help Bill with the children or anythelse that needed to get done.

Eventually Michael and I began trecover, but Promise got worse. Wetook her to the hospital for a checkupbut after an examination and hearing

A Christmas PromiseBY TERRI MOORE

SHE CAME TO US IN THE FALL OF 1976,

not long before Christmas. It was won-derful to have a baby girl! We alreadyhad a little boy, Michael, who at one

and a half was the joy of our hearts.But now, a little girl too! It seemed likethings couldnt get any better. The Lordwas truly blessing our lives!

My husband Bill and I are Chris-tian volunteers with The Family. Shortlybefore our daughter was born we hadset out on our first overseas mission. Wehad moved from our native U.S. to theeastern coast of Australia, to the smallcity of Newcastle. Things were aboutto become very difficult for us. Perhapsthe Lord was testing our level of commit-ment to His service. Perhaps He wantedto draw us closer to Him. Perhaps Hewanted to teach us about His miraculousways. Perhaps all three.

Our small fl ock of believers was amotley crew, including a middle-agedpoet, a drag queen who was drawn to

LEFT: PROMISE

UPPER RIGHT:

BILL AND TERRI

LOWER RIGHT:

PROMISE

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about what Michael and I had beenthrough, the doctor concluded that Prom-ise had simply caught the u that wasgoing around and was going to be ne.

We took her home, but her illnessworsened. A couple of nights later a red

rash appeared on her neck and movedslowly down her back as her fever roseto 103 F (39.5 C). Our six-week-oldbaby was in excruciating pain. Some-thing was very, very wrong! We rushedher back to the hospital.

The doctor on duty in the ER tookone look at Promise and summoned twoother doctors for their opinions. Throughthe medical screen that separated us

from the doctors, Bill and I made outone terrifying word: meningitis.The rst doctor appeared from

behind the screen and callously orderedus to admit Promise to the hospitalimmediately. We asked him to explainthe diagnosis, but he refused. We wereyoung and inexperienced, yes, but wewerent prepared for the harsh treatmentwe received from that particular doctor.

Admit this baby right now, he

ordered, or shell be dead in the morn-ing!

Dead in the morning! The wordsrang in my ears. My body went limpas I released my baby into the doctorsarms and she was whisked away.

Bill and I waited outside on thehospital steps for the test results, staringat each other in shock and disbelief.Our six-week-old Promises life hung inthe balance.

As we held hands and cried out tothe Lord together for His merciful inter-vention, His words came back to us: Hewould use her to teach us how real Hispromises are. We claimed every Bibleverse we had memorized about divinehealing, and begged the Lord to keepeach promise.

We went home and anxiously

awaited news from the hospital. Overthe phone another doctor told usthat Promise had all the symptoms ofbacterial meningitis, and that a spinaltap had conrmed it. There are twotypes of meningitis, and the type that

Promise had was incurable. The doctohad ordered further tests, includinga second spinal tap. Devastated andheartbroken, we could only await theresults with prayer.

An hour later the doctors said theresults from the second round of testswere confusing and possibly contradtory. Suddenly we felt a small ray ofhope: Perhaps the Lord was already

starting to heal her.Because the last tests had beeninconclusive, baby Promise needed athird extremely painful spinal tap. Weprayed all the more desperately for amiracle.

Back at the hospital, the doctorstold us they were positive she hadbacterial meningitis, but the test resultskept coming back vague, cloudy, anddistorted. They couldnt explain it, bu

we could. The minute we had prayed,God had begun a miracle of healinginside her little body. He was fulllingHis promise to us. He was teaching ushow real His promises are.

For the next three weeks I stayed ithe hospital with Promise, who was kein an incubator and fed intravenously.There I read The Hem of His Garmentshort autobiographical book by VirginBrandt Berg, one of Americas rstwoman evangelists, who had experi-enced a miraculous healing herself thaled to a healing ministry to others. Iclung to every word, every promise.

Meanwhile, Bill was busy at homecaring for our son and packing ourbelongings. Because we were closingour missionary outpost, we had given

Dead in the

morning! The

words rang in

my ears. My

body went limpas I released

my baby into

the doctors

arms and she

was whisked

away.

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engulfed in a sea of emptiness; thowho suffer from pain, guilt, bitter-ness, and condemnation; those wh

feel remorse over the past or fear th

future.So many lost and desperatfolks in the world today!

It reminds me of the words to

that old Beatles song, All the lonelypeople, where do they all come fromWell, Ill tell you where they comefromall the lonely people come

from selfish living.All the lonely people, the lost and

the forlorn, come from a society

where people look to their own neeand not to the needs of others. Thatwhere all the lonely people comefromfrom a dog-eat-dog society,from a lot of wrongful living. Theyr

products of the Devils own doctrinof do your own thing and to eachhis own. Thats where all the lonelypeople come from. All those lonely

FOR THE CHRISTIAN, EVERY DAY CAN

BE CHRISTMAS! Jesus showers His lovedown on usevery day of the year.

But sad to say, its not that way forso many poor folks who havent yet

found the real meaning of Christmas.So many people are lost, lonely,

downtrodden, weak, and weary. Someare weak in their bodies, others are

weak in their minds, and yet othersare weak in body, mind, and spirit.

There are those who are trampledon: the poor, the persecuted, the

hungry, victims of war and crime andexploitation; those nobody wants orcares about, those who have so littlein the way of worldly goods, those

who lack eventhe basic neces-sities.

Then there

are others whodo have material

goods and whoappear to have

it together in the eyes of others, butwho are lost and lonely prisoners oftheir own selfish desires. They areweary and heavy laden with prob-

lems, stress, fears, and phobias.There are those who wear a smile,

yet ache inside; those who are

ChristmasAngelsBY DAVID BRANDT B

There are those who wear a

smile, yet ache inside.



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people are the product of a worldthat has forgotten its Creator. Theyrevictims, the sad result of what hap-

pens when peoples lives arent ruled

by love.

Deepening darknessIts getting darker and colder all

the time, and many people can feel

it. They may not understand it, andthey dont always want to admit it, butits happening. The sun is setting, thedarkness is falling, and the world is

looking for hope, for some ray of light.Event after event has left the

nations questioning. Why this andwhy that? Why all the pain and strife

in the world? Why the slaughter ofthe innocents? Why troubles andsorrows? These questions are beingraised in peoples hearts and minds,

and those whose foundations have

been built on the sand, or others whohad no foundations to begin with,

have no answers. Never has the worldbeen hungrier for true love and real

answers than now!Its reminiscent of that famous

Christmas carol O Holy Night: Oholy night, the stars are brightly shin-ing! It is the night of our dear Saviorsbirth. Long lay the world in sin and

[sorrow] pining ...Theres never been a time in all of

history when the world has been in

such sin and

sorrow as it isnow. Theresso much talk

about theadvance-ment andbetterment of mankindadvanced

medicine, modern technology, newinventions, better governments to

Never has the world been

hungrier for true love and real

answers than now!



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make it a better world to live insomuch talk of progress, when in real-

ity things are regressing all the more.Look around! Today people are lyingin sin, sorrowful and pining away on

the inside. Never before has therebeen so much confusion, so manyvoices saying, This is the way to go,

so many false claims deceiving thepeople. Never in all of history has theworld needed to hear the truth likethey do today!

Angels arise!How does the rest of that song

go? A thrill of hope! The weary soul

rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and

glorious morn! Never before has theworld needed a ray of hope like theydo now! Never before have people so

needed to hear about the new andglorious morning that is just aroundthe corner.

The refrain is also very significant:

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear theangels voices! Just like the shepherdsheard the angels announce the birth

of Christ, the Lord wants the people ofthe world to hear those angels voicestoday.

And Ive got news for you: You can

be one of those angels. You can beone of those Christmasangels sentfrom Jesus Himself to proclaim thegood news to the lost and lonely of the

world, to give them the ray of hopethey have been waiting for. Who better

for Him to use than His own childrenwho have the Words of life, who know

His truth, and who Hes made rich infaith!

In this day of hatred and hardnessof hearts, of confusion and deception,

of scheming and sly words, of falsefronts and cover-ups, there is a greatneed for His love to shine through. As

the darkness falls and the cold windblow, you must hold up the light. Yo

must hold it up steady and firm for to see.

If you will shine His light on peop

Hell do all the rest. Hell cause it toaccomplish His purpose in their liveand hearts and minds.

Love in actionNot only does the world need to

hearthe truth today, but never befo

has the world been in such great neofseeingthe truth. People not onlyneed to hearabout true love, theyneed to seeit. They need to see love

put into action!

Its just human nature to sometimby confused by the words you say, btheres no confusion when they see

put into practice. Its like that poemEdgar A. Guest, which says: Id rathsee a sermon, than to hear one anyday. Id rather one would walk with

me than merely tell the way. For mpeople to accept the truth, they notonly need to hearthe sermon, but th

need to seethe sampleas well.Jesus said, By this shall all men

know that you are My disciples, if yohave love one toward another (Joh

13:35). Why do you think He said thWouldnt it have been enough for yoto simplytellothers about the loveof Jesus? Couldnt the Lord just as

well have said, By this shall all menknow that you are My disciples, if yo

preach My message? Wouldnt thathave been enough?

Evidently not, because the Lordsaid that all men would know thatyou are His if you have loveone foranother. And if you have love one

for another, youre certainly going tshow it throughout the day in obviotangible ways that others can see.



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Its not good enough to just talkabout love. Jesus said you have to have

love, you have to livelove. The Lordknew that there would be no denyingthat sample.

What can you give Him?

This Christmas and throughout thecoming year, give the Lord the giftsthat Hes most pleased withgifts oflove! Give your love! Give of yourself!Shine forth the love and sweetness of

Jesus through the light of your eyes,a loving look, kind speech, and kinddeeds. Be like Jesus for others. Bethe living sample of the message, the

living proof that it works!

What better way to live Christmaseach and every day of the year than tocontinually give to those around you,

to truly live as He taught us, to showHis love in all the little ways through-out the day, to show the world living

proof that the love of Jesus works!Back to the carol: Truly He taught

us to love one another; His law islove, and His Gospel is peace! Hes

entrusted you, His child, with His law,which is love. Now Hes trusting you tofollow it, to make it work, and to livein love, that by this all men may know

that you are His disciples.And the next line of the song?

Chains shall He break, for the slaveis our brother, and in His name all

oppression shall cease. Praise theLord! Love is powerful!

So if you want to know what to givethe Lord this Christmas, what to give

the One who has everything, then giveyour love not only to Him, but reachout and give your love to others. HisGospel is love. Will you live it? Will you

give it? You might not feel equal to thetask, but Godis, and Hell help you ifyou try.

Pray and ask the Lord to help youlive Christmas each and every day

of the year by helping you to followHis great commandment to love yourneighbor as yourself. This is the real

meaning of Christmas. This is thereason for it all. This is the reasonJesus came down at Christmas in the

first placeso we could have life eter-nal, yes, but also to teach us to love,so we could turn around and give thatlife to others.

Give of yourself! Give others your

love, your prayers, your time, yourattention, your care. Love God byloving your neighbor! Expand yourlove this Christmas, and together

well all sing the rest of this carol with

our whole hearts, as we proclaim Hispower and glory!

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful

chorus raise we. Let all within uspraise His holy name! Christ is theLord! Oh, praise His name forever! Hispower and glory evermore proclaim!

His power and glory evermore pro-claim!

Will you praise His name forever?

Will you go out and proclaim Hispower and glory forevermore? Howcan you do that? The best way you cantell of His power and glory is by show-ing love to others, by giving love!

Your life will tell it all, becauseyoull be the living proof. As you livein His love, it will bring down Hispower upon you. And as He pours

out His power upon you, His power

and glory will be made known to allthe world forevermorethe powerof love! Christ is the Lord! Oh, praise

His name forever! His power and gloryevermore proclaim!

Let others see Jesus in you! Thatswhat Christmas is all about! Merry

Christmas!h

Give others

your love,

your prayers,

your time,

your attention

your care.

Love God

by loving

your neighbor



12/16

HOME WAS A STONE AND MUD-

BRICK HOUSE on a hill overlooking

Bethlehem. We were a shepherdfamily, and I was the youngest of fivbrothers. We were poor, life was har

and Roman taxes didnt make it anyeasier. But despite the hardships, wnever lost faith in the one true God His promise of a coming Messiah.

One day tragedy struck. A fire broout in our house. I was only sevenat the time, and since my father and

brothers were out in the fields withthe sheep, the fire spread faster thamy mother could put it out. As I trieto run outside, a blazing door fell ome. My mother pulled me out, but

face was badly burned and I couldnsee. In time the burns healed, but Iremained blind.

I felt hopeless and useless. I sat

for hours, staring into the darkness

and asking God why He had let thishappen to me.

My mother tried to encourage m

by finding little things that I coulddo, and sometimes my brothers toome to the fields with them. SomehoI felt closer to God out there, like H

was the shepherd and I was one of sheep, having to be led everywhere

A STORY BY JOHN ROYS

JESUSThe day I saw



13/16

Five years after my acci-

dent, the most wonderfulthing happened. We were atmy favorite spot when thesun began to set. My broth-

ers described it to meevery

color and cloud, the exqui-site whirling and swirlingthat sent iridescent streaks

across the sky.Then it was over. Night

covered the earth as thedarkness covered me. After

the sheep were settled forthe night but before we hadgone to sleep, suddenly a

light shone all around usa light sobright that even I could sense it.

What is it? I cried.We dont know, my brothers

answered. I could tell by the tone of

their voices that they were frightened.Then there came a beautiful

voicea voice that seemed to ema-nate peace. Fear not, for behold, I

bring you good tidings of great joy

which shall be to all people. Onlyangels could speak like that! For untoyou is born in the city of David the

Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Andthis will be a sign for you: You shallfind the babe wrapped in swaddlingclothes and lying in a manger.

Then everyone gasped as a suddenburst of light even brighter thanthe first filled the night sky, and we

heard a multitude of the heavenlyhost praising God. Glory to God inthe highest, peace on earth to menof good will! It was magnificent! The

glory and power of God was in theirvoices! Then, as suddenly as they hadcome, they were gone.

It was several minutes before

anyone uttered a word. My father

broke the silence. Our Savior is born,

and our God has seen fit to declare tous the good news! Come! Let us go to

Bethlehem to see the babe the angelstold us of!

Amos said he would stay with thesheep. It was his watch anyway.

Can he stay with you? fatherasked. I knew they were talking aboutme.

The sound of their footsteps faded

as father and the others rounded thefirst bend down the path. Amos and Imoved closer to the campfire.

Tell me again about the angels,

Amos. My mind was racing. Ourpeople had waited so many years forthe coming of the Messiah. How Iwished I could have gone with them,

but what use would that have been? Ilamented that I would never see the

Savior.When I awoke the next morning,

the sun had warmed my face but thesame sadness filled my heart. Then Iheard excited voices coming up thepathshouts of praise. Someone

called out my name.Did you see Him? Did you see the

Savior?

What is it? I

cried.

We dont

know, my

brothers

answered. I

could tell by

the tone of

their voices

that they were

frightened.



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Yes! they all called out in unison.We found Him just as the angel

said we would, my father said. It was

just a stable, no better than ours, butit was filled with the most wonderfulpresence. Surely it was the Spirit ofthe living God. We were overwhelmed

with joy and awe, and fell to our knees

and worshiped Him.His name is Jesus, my oldestbrother said, and it was just as Father

said. Ive never felt like this before!Although I could not see my brothershappy face, I could tell by the tone ofhis voice that he was changed.

As we started toward home, thatname kept repeating in my mind.Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.

Years passed, but I never forgot thatnight or that name.Father died when I was 20. All of

my brothers married and two of themmoved away in search of better work.

The other two still tended our sheep. Ihelped my mother with the garden.

Many more years passed before

exciting news came from Galilee. Anew prophet was teaching about the

kingdom of God. Multitudes followHimand His name was Jesus. Couit be the sameJesusthe one the

angels had told us of 30 years earliewanted so badly for it to be Him, anwanted so badly to be with Him!

Some months later, one day whe

I was in Bethlehem with my mother

heard shouts and the sound of peoprunning past me. A great crowd wasgathering at the end of the street.

What is it? I called out. Whatshappening?

Out of the way, blind man! Hanthat matched that rough voice push

me to the wall. The prophet iscoming through, Jesus of Nazareth!

Could it really be Him? Jesus!

Jesus! My cries were drowned outby all the other commotion. JESUSJESUS! I cried all the louder.

Then suddenly everyone stoppedyelling and shoving. What was hap-

pening now? JESUS! I called oncemore in desperation.

The next voice came from right i

front of mea voice filled with loveand sympathy. Yes. What do you w

Me to do for you?My Lord! I lifted my head in

amazement. I wish that my eyes whealed, that I might see!

A wonderful feeling came over mentire body as Jesus placed His han

over my eyes and prayed to His Fathin Heaven. Let them be healed.

Even before I opened my eyes, Iknew I was healed. A beautiful feel-

ing of peace and love overwhelmedme. All the sadness, all hopelessnesall the fears of all those years werewashed away in that instant. I fell to

my knees before Him and looked uup into the loving face of my Lord a

Savior.h

JOHN ROYS IS A FULL-TIME VOLUNTEER WITH

THE FAMILY IN INDONESIA.

A wonderful

feeling cameover my entire

body as Jesus

placed His

hands over

my eyes.



15/16

notice on our rented house and neededto move as soon as Promise and Icould leave the hospital. Christmas wasapproaching, and I hadnt even hadtime to think about it. I hadnt even beenhome for three weeks. Our troubles hadpushed aside the usual joys of Christ-

mas, but God was about to give us thesweetest Christmas present we couldhave asked for.

On Christmas Eve our miracle came.Gods promise to us was complete.Promise was released from the hospital.It was ofcial: She was healed! Ourhearts overowed with thankfulness andjoy!

Even while we rejoiced over this

wonderful news, our situation was stillquite desperate. Bill had phoned afriend in Sydney who said he could takeus in. Bill would pick us up at the hospi-tal and we would need to go straight tothe train stationthe four of us and allof our belongings. We wished we didnthave to travel with Promise still in deli-cate condition, but we had no choice.We were solely at the mercy of God.

When Bill arrived for us, he only

had some of our thingsas much as hecould bring by himselfbut told me notto worry.

We arrived at the station just as ourtrain pulled in, and there, walking downthe platform was our dear friend, Daletiny Dale hauling with her the rest of ourbelongings! I will never forget that sight.She was our Christmas angel!

I hugged my little boy all the way toSydney, while Promise slept peacefully.As Bill and I looked into each otherseyes, we knew exactly what the otherwas thinking: We had just witnessed amiracle.

And it wasnt over yet. As wearrived in Sydney that Christmas Eve,one of our dear brothers in Christ waswaiting to receive us with open arms.Yes, we felt the love of Jesus that Christ-

mas. We had been like Joseph andMary on that night long ago, with nohome for our little family, but this dearman made a place for us, as the inn-keeper had for Joseph and Mary.

Michael and Promise and our otherchildren are now grown, but I will

never forget that Christmas when ourlittle family was held up by the handsof God, protected by His love, andtouched by His angelssome of whichwere actually ordinary people who theLord used as instruments of His love.That Christmas and every Christmassince, my prayer has been that I may bethere for others, as others were there forus. God promises are real! h

TERRI MOORE IS A FULL-TIME VOLUNTEER WITH

THE FAMILY IN THE USA.

CONTINUEDFROMPAGE 7

As Bill and I

looked into

each others

eyes, we kne

exactly what

the other

was thinking:

We had just

witnessed a

miracle.

CHRISTMAS ISBY IAN BACH

A mothers love for her baby boy

A sacrifice to bring others joyA fathers care for one not his own

A message sent from a royal throne

A seeming wrong that was turned to right

An angels song in the dark of night

A prophets vision at last fulfilled

A miracle because God had willed

A gift of love from a caring heart

A bringing together of what was apart

A reaching out to comprehendHow another felt by a sincere friend

A seeking soul that journeyed far

To find a dream, to follow a star

A bridegroom claiming a bride as his

All these things are what Christmas is.

IAN BACH IS A FULL-TIME VOLUNTEER WITH THE FAMILY

IN THE MIDEAST.



16/16

Let My love warm your

Christmas.No matter how down you may be, if you are out

of work and have an empty wallet or bank account, if

youre lonely or sick or have suffered personal loss, if war

or hate or injustice or others indifference have chilled

your heart this Christmas, My love can change that. Let

My birth and all that it heralded be remembered today.

Let My love ll you and give you purpose.

Evils also plagued the world at the time of My birth

and throughout My life on earth. Remember the miserable

circumstances into which I was born. Think of the mothers

who mourned the slaughter of their baby boys by apower-crazed king. Remember the oppression of that

time.

In the midst of such great darkness came the brightest

light the world has ever known; amidst great suffering the

greatest gift was given. My Father sent Me in the form of

a weak and helpless baby to grow up and live as one of

you and experience the same hurts you do, and to suffer

at the hands of unjust men. I became one of you in orderto save you.

Let the truth and love that I brought that rst Christmas

Day shine in your heart now. Let Me wipe away your

fears and tears. Let My love warm your Christmas.

FROM JESUS WITH LOVE

Documents

Activated December 2003