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Celebrating Christmas with Hope

BETHANY BELUE | CONTRIBUTOR Christmas is my favorite season with children, with all the lights, decorated yards, Christmas festivities, and the awe they experience as they soak in each fun holiday activity.  It’s a sweet time of joy and celebration and I make every effort to enjoy each moment with them and let go of my stress and anxiety that sits just below the surface. That’s because, in the midst of all the celebrations and joy, the hard parts of this life still exist. In my community, there are broken relationships, marriage hardships, the first Christmas without a parent, another Christmas with empty arms, and the longing to celebrate this holiday with a spouse. The pain I see all around me is real and deep, and yet Christmas is coming. All those sorrows will not disappear in the middle of feasts and festivities. I often wonder what it looks like to hold both joy and sorrow as we approach this special holiday.  During a recent conversation with a friend, I was reminded of something Tim Keller said while I sat under his teaching, “Christmas means that you will never be alone.” I remember that season of life when I heard those words and how they filled my heart with peace. No matter what my life may look like, no matter what sorrows I’m sitting in, or unmet desires I’m waiting for, I am not alone. Jesus was born so that I may never be alone...  

Celebrating Christmas with Hope2024-12-05T15:02:53+00:00

The Way Prepared

SHARON ROCKWELL | CONTRIBUTOR In California, we are constantly admonished to prepare for earthquakes. They can happen at any time, and the threat hangs over our heads. The “big one” can happen tomorrow, or a thousand years from now. Most of us don’t take the preparation warnings as seriously as we should – like collecting flashlights, medications, and water and food for several days use (plus a can opener!). Those who live in California know the feeling of unexpectedly having the ground shake beneath their feet. We immediately turn on the TV to check for the epicenter. We text our loved ones to see if they are safe. We survey our house for damage. And likely regret not preparing despite all the warnings to do so. The Call to Prepare Seven hundred years before the coming of Christ, the prophet Isaiah records a call for preparedness, for deliverance of the Jewish people and the redemption of mankind by Christ. He warned God’s people to prepare themselves by making their ways straight, that is by repenting of evil inclinations and believing in the promised Messiah to come. “A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Is. 40:3-5)...

The Way Prepared2024-12-05T14:41:23+00:00

Come All the Not So Faithful

MARYBETH MCGEE | GUEST I wept quietly, hoping no one would notice, as I sat among our church family at the annual Christmas concert. I had never heard the song before, but the first line was like a sucker punch after many years of trials. This is the time of year when the old familiar songs begin to echo through the air and you hear the call “O come, all ye faithful, joyful, and triumphant.” But what if you are entering this Advent season feeling more like the lyrics of a not as well-known Christmas song by Sovereign Grace Music, O Come, All You Unfaithful? “O come, all you unfaithful Come, weak and unstable Come, know you are not alone O come, barren and waiting ones Weary of praying, come” [1] I had experienced much of what those lyrics described. I felt unfaithful, weak, and unstable. Especially after nearly a decade of infertility genetic testing confirmed that God had knit a forever barren womb into my DNA. I was also weary of praying for a foster care placement that would result in adoption. This was followed by more waiting, only to then become even more weary of praying for an answer that would solve the many challenges that come with raising children with ever increasing special needs. Trials of so many kinds had washed over the bow of our family’s little boat of life, like waves on an unpredictable sea. And yet, James had the audacity to tell us that our trials should be counted as joy? “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-4)...

Come All the Not So Faithful2024-11-22T17:00:56+00:00

The Gift God Gave Before Christmas

JAMYE DOERFLER | CONTRIBUTOR “In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord’….So Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.” Luke 1:39-45, 56 Though it’s not specified in this passage, the baby that leapt in Elizabeth’s womb was John the Baptist. Every single gospel account connects the conceptions and births of John the Baptist and Jesus, stating that John’s ministry was to prepare people for Jesus’s ministry. How much more special is it that the two were related! In fact, as I reflect on this passage, I see a merciful thing God did by making them in the same family: he gave the beautiful gift of mutual support to these mothers. Miraculous Pregnancies Both Elizabeth and Mary became pregnant in miraculous ways. Prior to this passage, Luke tells Elizabeth’s story: her husband, Zechariah, was a priest, and he and Elizabeth were “both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statues of the Lord” (Luke 1:6). However, they had no children, and Elizabeth was now too old to conceive naturally. An angel visited Zechariah and told him that his wife would become pregnant with a special child. This son, whom he was told to name John, would bring the people of Israel back to the Lord (Luke 1:13-17). Mary, on the other hand, was a teenage virgin. The angel Gabriel also foretold of her pregnancy with a special child—the Messiah they had been awaiting. The son, whom she was to name Jesus, would be given the throne of David, and “His kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:26-28)....

The Gift God Gave Before Christmas2024-11-22T16:55:20+00:00

The Good Portion of Christmas

MEAGHAN MAY | CONTRIBUTOR As a child, I was fascinated by the tiny nativity set at my grandmother’s home. These little figures told me a big story. But as an adult, I ponder if these sets are realistic.  Mary is fresh-faced, neatly pressed, and beautifully dressed. She doesn’t seem uncomfortable with her flapping stomach after her recent labor. The baby Jesus is giggling while placed in the animals’ snack bowl and dear Joseph doesn’t seem overwhelmed by the task of caring for his betrothed and new child. Does the pristine nativity scene set unrealistic expectations for our own celebrations? I have found that some of my own Christmases have been more of a mess than they have been merry. Each Christmas I have a list of key elements that I think, if I can just pull all this together, we will have a Merry Christmas. But I can tell a lot about what I long for at Christmas when I start to name what I am worried about. I am tempted to think that because things have gone awry, God is holding out on me. I fail to consider that God is offering me something more than what I am requesting....

The Good Portion of Christmas2024-11-22T16:44:40+00:00

Grief in this Holiday Season: Gospel Comfort for Every Loss

ELIZABETH TURNAGE | CONTRIBUTOR Grief is as old as the Fall. Ever since Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, eating of the one tree denied them, loss has plagued the cosmos. This loss leads to grief. As the holidays arrive this year, grief will be fresh for many, raw for some. In the Middle East, Ukraine, Turkey, the Southeastern United States, and many other places throughout the world, disaster has struck, and the holiday season threatens to swallow its victims in a sea of grief. This year, your neighbor or friend, your co-worker or cousin, or perhaps you yourself, weep deeply and often as you mourn the loss of a loved one, a job, a relationship, a home, or a pet. How can we help? How can we grieve with hope if we are the ones who have suffered loss? By understanding grief and by looking to Christ, our grief may lead to the hope of restoration this holiday season. We can grieve all sorts of losses. As Christians we sometimes feel guilty for grieving something like a lost home or pet, a lost job, or even a lost relationship. Somehow, we got the idea that grief should be reserved for death. Somehow, we got the idea that when we grieve a loved one who died, we should be “happy” because the person is in heaven. That’s simply not the way grief works, not in life, and not in Scripture. As we look at Scripture, we see reasons to grieve all sorts of losses. Surely, we may grieve death, because our Lord himself grieved the death of his dear friend Lazarus, despite knowing he would soon raise him from the dead (see John 11:1-44). Because God created the heavens and the earth and everything in it, and because he gave humans the responsibility of working the land and making it fruitful, it is natural to grieve the loss of land and work. Job, who lost everything — family, livestock, and land — to enemies and natural disasters (see Job 1:13-19), grieved deeply but was not rebuked for his grief. The Israelites wept for their homeland when they were in exile: “By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion” (Psalm 137:1). Because the Lord cares for all creatures great and small, it is also appropriate to grieve the loss of a pet who brought us a taste of the Lord’s delight. All of creation has the potential to show us the goodness of the Lord; for this reason, we may grieve the loss of any good gift from God. Grief really is worse during the holiday season...

Grief in this Holiday Season: Gospel Comfort for Every Loss2024-11-11T20:18:57+00:00

Merry Christmas!

CHRISTINA FOX | EDITOR Merry Christmas to you and yours from all of us at enCourage! "And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger'” (Luke 2:10-12). Photo by Laura Nyhuis on Unsplash

Merry Christmas!2023-12-01T14:56:36+00:00

Advent Devotional: Isaiah 9:2

STEPHANIE FORMENTI | CONTRIBUTOR Christmas is a season of light. We have lights on our houses, lights wrapped around our trees, candles in our windows, and fires in the hearth. It makes sense when we consider how the days are short and the nights are long and cold during winter (at least in the Northern Hemisphere). Imagine Christmas without lights. It would be so dark and cold. This is especially true when darkness seems particularly overwhelming, deep, and oppressive. The beauty of light is most noticeable in years marked by significant loss or disappointment. The brightness of a flame is most poignant in moments of sadness, despair, hopelessness, and worry. Often, it is when we understand the oppression of darkness that we truly understand the power of light. This was true for the Old Testament people of God. In Isaiah 9:2 we read, “The people who walked in darkness     have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,     on them has light shone.” The prophet is referring to Israel’s history of exile and homelessness. Their own disobedience landed them in a place of oppression by their enemies, enshrouded in spiritual darkness. Notice the verbs: “walked” and “dwelt.” This was no passing darkness and no temporary shadow. They were existing in darkness. It was their home. But Isaiah’s prophecy is one of hope; they will not wander around in darkness forever. Rather, a great light will burst onto the scene and make the darkness flee. And this light will bring joy (Isaiah 9:3), peace (9:4), and righteousness (9:7)....

Advent Devotional: Isaiah 9:22023-12-04T14:30:28+00:00

Advent Devotional: Micah 5:2

BARBARANNE KELLY | CONTRIBUTOR But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,     who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me     one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old,     from ancient days. — Micah 5:2 Do you ever get lost while traveling, and need to stop to ask for directions? It’s tempting to read the journey of the wise men in the Gospel of Matthew in terms of the logistics of pre-modern travel. The wise men’s astronomical GPS (the star) led them to the region of Judea, but to find their specific destination they needed to ask the local folks—road signs and maps to the birthplace of the Messiah not yet in existence. However, when Micah prophesied the birthplace of the Messiah centuries before the fact, the Lord was revealing far more than a location on a map for the sake of future travelers. Micah 5:2, speaks a word of hope to despairing people lost in their sins. This word of hope is a single signpost among many for lost and weary sinners, pointing the way to the birth of Christ. And the road to Bethlehem, joining other roads to become a highway of God’s covenant faithfulness, began in God’s covenant promise to David, a promise of peace and rest that would be achieved by the son of David whose kingdom would be established forever (2 Sam. 7:12–13). Though there were good kings among the sons of David, even the best of them were only fallen men. The few who were faithful could not undo the wickedness of those who had been unfaithful. Of all the kings of Judah, not one lived up to the promise of David’s greater son (1 Chron. 17:1–14). By Micah’s day, the judgment of the Lord was poised to strike because of the faithlessness of God’s people; they would soon be overcome by their enemies and hauled off to exile in a foreign country. And yet, even as prophecies of fearsome destruction flow from his lips, Micah breaks to speak of one who will be born in Bethlehem “who is to be ruler in Israel.” Who could this be but the promised son of David? When he says this ruler’s “coming forth is from of old, from ancient days,” he is certainly recalling the multitude of prophecies already made concerning David’s greater son, for this ruler “shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,” (4; cf. 2 Sam. 5:2)...

Advent Devotional: Micah 5:22023-12-01T14:34:57+00:00

Advent Devotional: Isaiah 7:14

SARAH IVILL | CONTRIBUTOR With all the bells and bows, presents and programs, musicals and melodies of the Christmas season, there is no truth more comforting than the promise that God is with us. For many of us, the season can spark sorrow that seems to threaten our joy. How wonderful, then, that we can focus on the truth of God’s presence. One of the many passages of Scripture in which this truth is revealed is Isaiah 7:14, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [God is with us].” In the broader context of this verse (Isa. 6:1-7:17) we learn several important truths about the God we celebrate during Advent. First, He is great, glorious, and holy. Second, as the holy God, He is completely different than anyone or anything else. Third, He reigns over the entire world. There is no king like Him in all the earth. Fourth, no one can stand before Him apart from His Son, Jesus Christ. Finally, God’s Son will atone for the sins of God’s people. In the more immediate context of Isaiah 7:14, the Lord sent the prophet Isaiah to King Ahaz, who reigned over Judah at the time, with a difficult message: Israel and Syria would be destroyed. However, the Lord would preserve a remnant of true worshipers. Furthermore, the Lord gave Ahaz a sign. A virgin would conceive and bear a son who would be named “Immanuel [God is with us]” (Isa. 7:14). He would refuse to do evil and only choose to do good. This sign served as a guarantee that the king of Assyria would shatter both Israel and Syria, but in the midst of the darkness, God’s presence and God’s people would prevail...

Advent Devotional: Isaiah 7:142023-11-25T16:29:58+00:00
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