Back home in Germany we celebrate the 4 Sundays before Christmas, called Advent, by burning a candle for each Sunday on the Advent wreath and by preparing our hearts for Christmas and the good news that came with it. Each of the candle symbolizes something different and we will write about the meanings for the next 4 weeks.
The third candle on the Advent wreath is also called the Shepard Candle or the Candle of Joy. True Joy is something that is really needed in the world we live in today. Many people run after a short term joy which is not able to really fulfill them. Yes we need those short term joys as well, the joy when we have some good food or some special vacation, but without the long-term joy that the angel shared with the shepherds those joys will not bring long-term change.
.. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David. Luke 2: 10-11
When you look at the shepherds that came to see Jesus you see a total transformation in them. They came curious after the angel told them the good news, but after they saw baby Jesus they left praising and thanking God with great joy. That is what Jesus does to people. It was true then, it is true today and it will be true in the future.
To see the world changed we need to be the hand and feet of Jesus and share that true joy with people like the angel did 2000 years ago.
- Spend some time alone this week and think about what brings that true joy to you and how it changes you when you think about it!
- Ask yourself how you can share the gospel with people in your surroundings in a way that they understand and also that they truly see the joy and transformation it brought to you!
- Using the plan you came up with and share the good news with people around you.
Hey our friend
We hope you had a wonderful week. A little bit more than a week and Christmas is here. We can also see that in our calendar by the amount of Christmas celebrations we went to. Last weekend Jen helped to organize one here for our neighborhood and it was a lot of fun. We also started to wrap up the year and get ready for some exciting stuff in the New Year. Make sure to take some time out between now and New years eve to reflect back on this year and set goals for the new one!
Also we want to say thank you to all who support us in our work here through Prayer and finances! You are a huge blessing to us! May god bless you richly!
We have a request for you! To do the work we are doing we depend 100% on support. Over the last few months we lost about $287 in monthly support through changes of circumstances in people’s lives. So at this point we need about $1410 more in monthly support to be fully funded and about $8,950 more to reach our full budget for this year. We want to ask for your help in sharing with people you know that have a heart for missions and would be interested in joining our support team monthly or with a year end donation. Of course if you are not a part of it you are welcome to join as well! When you click on this link you find out more how to do that. All donations are tax deductible. Thank you for all your help in this area.
Spend time this week to bring joy to someone who is going through a hard time or doesn’t have much joy in there life!
Have a blessed week
Markus and Jen