An Unexpected Gift

Beloved,

For those who were with us on Sunday, you will recognize the title of this email as being the same as the title for our current Advent/Christmas season preaching series, "An Unexpected Gift". We began with a focus on Mary, the mother of Jesus. I will not give away too much more but strongly suggest you watch it on Facebook Live if you missed it and encourage others to do the same as we prepare for next Sunday.

As was preached on Sunday, we all can participate in similar experiences but all have different stories.

During this season, my hope and prayer is that you will have and share different stories about a similar experience with Jesus.

2020 has brought many things into our lives - COVID-19, cancer, illness, death, job loss, diminished pay, layoffs, separation, divorce, dysfunction, brokenness.

You might be wondering, "Pastor, why did you have to go so dark so quick?" I did so because I want you to know that the dark places that you retreat to in your life are also places of hope if you will recognize that for all that 2020 has brought into your life, God continues to show up with the same thing in your life, Jesus, an unexpected gift in your times of trial, tribulation, situation, issue and circumstance.

Revelation 1:4-6 reads, "Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come...and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."

Beloved, what the Apostle John, the apostle who Jesus loved, wrote in the book of Revelation are words that should inspire praise for God in times of problems, honor for God in times of heaviness, and glory for God in times of grief.

In this time of COVID-19, we still have Jesus. So, there is hope of a vaccine. It is on the way.

In this time of cancer, we still have Jesus. So, there is hope of early identification, removal or remission. It is on the way.

In this time of illness, we still have Jesus. So, there is hope of a cure. It is on the way.

In this time of death, we still have Jesus. So, there is hope for believers on the other side of glory. It is on the way.

In this time of job loss, we still have Jesus. So, there is hope of another job. It is on the way.

In this time of diminished pay, we still have Jesus. So, there is a hope of recovery and raises for what was lost. It is on the way.

In this time of layoffs, we still have Jesus. So, there is hope for hiring. It is on the way.

In this time of separation, we still have Jesus. So, there is hope for connection. It is on the way.

In this time of divorce, we still have Jesus. So, there is hope for new and better relationships. It is on the way.

In this time of dysfunction, we still have Jesus. So, there is hope for reconciliation. It is on the way.

In this time of brokenness, we still have Jesus. So, there is hope for healing. It is on the way.

Beloved, whenever your story is told, you can choose to dwell on the bad, the negative, the evil. That is your decision; but, you have another choice available to you. You can choose to seek and to serve our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, and then dwell on the good in spite of the bad, the positive instead of the negative, the love of God instead of the evil of the world.

You have an unexpected gift in Jesus. You have just got to choose to accept it and not reject it. And to the world, you have just got to choose to reject it and not accept it.

Christmas time is a time of receiving and accepting the unexpected gift of Jesus Christ. Embrace and celebrate this moment and dare to continue to embrace and celebrate this moment throughout your life. This unexpected gift is the best gift that you will ever receive.

I encourage you to celebrate your unexpected gift with us at Noonday prayer. I encourage you to celebrate your unexpected gift in listening to ZMMBC's sermon broadcast at 3pm on The Light radio or on the internet lightthetriad.com. I encourage you to celebrate your unexpected gift by sharing the Good News, the Gospel, of Jesus of Christ whenever, wherever and with whoever you can. It is a gift that keeps on giving. So, give it away.

And, in all of your giving, you will also be getting because God loves you and I love you too!

Be blessed,

Rev. Cain