Paul Gossman

Our over-familiarity with the story may blind us to the genuinely radical nature of the encouraging yet challenging message it contains. At its heart is the powerful mission heart of God.

Looking at the manger, we see that Jesus came not with divine power and spectacle, nor by human plan or design, but in the lowliest and unlikeliest of earthly conditions, for the sake of those who were themselves lowly and lost sinners.

Jesus didn’t mince words. He was strikingly blunt about the prospects of those who would make it their purpose to represent him.

…by the same Holy Spirit he also appoints some followers of Jesus to be leaders. He gifts and appoints them to carefully and prayerfully “consider” and discern matters, and then to give direction.

As you read this, perhaps some weeks later, the situation in Central Asia will have developed further, for better or for worse, but I’ve no doubt that the need for God’s intervention – and our intercession – will continue for a long time to come.

What does the world need? Certainly food, water and shelter – but even more than that, the people of the world need Jesus, they need “the bread of life.”

Media can stimulate your thinking, touch your heart, inspire your imagination. Media can change your life. It can change the world. And God is the Master of media. Coming from him, it can do amazing things!

He was so passionate about you and me, so passionate about all those separated from God by their sin, that he finished the job! However, there remains an unfinished task on Jesus’ list.

Do we comprehend how much new life means to someone suffering, lost, victimized, or oppressed? To someone spiritually blind or without hope? Indeed, for many of them, new life is worth dying for!

We find a reassuring and even divine rhythm in praising Jesus “for all that is past,” and then trusting him “for all that’s to come.” Before “praying it forward,” we spent some time “praising it backward.”