Christmas Reality

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.   (Jn 3:16–17  NIV).

The verse above is one that’s very familiar to many followers of Jesus.  It’s referred to as “the Gospel in a nutshell” and is the reason why God sent Jesus into the world and what Jesus would do.   It’s not your typical Christmas Scripture passage that proclaims the birth of Jesus.  However, it is still an appropriate verse if not an essential verse for Christmas.

This was made evident at the community of Kingfisher Lake this past summer.   This community had been without a LAMP VBS team since 2015.  We were blessed this year to have a new team from the Buffalo, New York area to start going to Kingfisher.  The community was glad that a LAMP team was back and the team was excited as ever to go.

The Kingfisher Lake team conducting VBS

While I was there, the team had prepared a game for the children to play.  It was a modified version of “T” ball baseball game.   After the children hit the ball, they advanced around the bases, but there was a catch.  At each base, they had to answer a question related to the Bible.  I was on 1st base.   As the children ran up to me, my question to them was this: “Whose birthday do we celebrate on Christmas Day?”.   What surprised me was that 2 out of every 3 children didn’t know the answer to that question, that Jesus’ birth is the reason we celebrate Christmas.

At that moment, the full realization of the importance of taking the Gospel of Jesus to these northern communities became a huge “Ah Ha” moment.   Yes, of course, that’s the reason LAMP goes into these remote communities.  And yes, as a missionary pastor, I know that’s the reason I go into these communities and why the teams go there.  But this particular situation just put an explanation point on it.

Imagine that this is the reality in each of the northern communities LAMP serves.  Imagine the tens of thousands of children (and adults for that matter) who still don’t know about Jesus as their Savior.  Imagine the work necessary to keep proclaiming the Good News that Christ the Savior is born… that Jesus came to die on the cross to suffer the punishment for our sins… That Jesus rose from the dead in victory over Satan and death… that Jesus ascended into heaven to take His place on His throne… that Jesus will return to take all his followers to be with Him forever. 

Jesus is the reason, not just for the season of Christmas, but for all seasons and times so that people in these northern communities can experience the same mercy, hope, and joy in a Savior who loves them, who desires to live in them, and to adopt them all as his children.  This makes LAMP of vital importance to the children and their families by taking the Gospel of Jesus to them all.

Romans 10:16-17 reminds us of the importance of taking the Good News of Jesus to others.  It says, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?  And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” 

Because of your support in both prayers and financial gifts, you are also the “beautiful feet” that walk along side of me and the other LAMP missionaries and volunteers bringing the good news of Jesus to those who still need to hear about the one they can believe in.  

Again, I wish to thank you for your support and pray that you will continue to partner with me so that I will be able continue this work of serving the people of northern Canada with the Good News of Jesus Christ our Lord.

May you have a very blessed Christmas.