When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. (Luke 2:17,18, NIV)
There are a few experiences in our lives that we cannot help but share with others. When I lived in southern California, earthquakes were like that. Each time there was an earthquake we all shared our “earthquake experience” with everyone else, even though we all experienced it. It was just something that we could not keep to ourselves.
Imagine how the shepherds must have felt on the night Jesus was born. It was probably a night like any other for the shepherds, until without warning an angel appeared “and the glory of the Lord shone around them” (Luke 2:9). The angel told them that the Messiah had been born. Israel had been waiting for the Messiah for generations, and now these shepherds received the birth announcement directly from an angel. To top it off, a great company of the heavenly host appeared, glorifying and praising God! What a night! After the angels returned to heaven the shepherds went to Bethlehem to see Jesus, and they saw for themselves everything that the angel had told them. This was an experience which they could not keep to themselves. They shared the story about the baby Jesus and everyone was amazed.
The story of Jesus’ birth and the shepherds’ experience that night has been passed on from generation to generation and has made its way to each of us. We have also had our own experiences with God – amazing, unbelievable stories of grace, mercy and miracles, stories which we must share. We share them with those who have had similar experiences, and of course we share with those who have never heard the story.
It is the desire to share our “God experiences” with those who have never heard that motivates us to come together as the World Mission Prayer League. It is why we work and pray together, and why we send and go to unfamiliar cultures. We have all been motivated and called to this task, but in our day-to-day lives even these heavenly experiences can tend to fade a little, so it is good to remember again how wonderfully amazing the birth of Jesus was. It is good to celebrate the goodness of God and praise him together, reminding ourselves of the unforgettable things that God has done, and in so doing reignite the irrepressible desire to tell others.
In October donations to missionary support funds paid for 53.6 percent of all support expenses; $38,726 was used from the General Fund to supplement missionary allowances and $32,812 was used from the Estate Fund to supplement benefit expenses for the month.
Thank you for your ongoing support!