Merry Christmas Albuquerque Youth Detention Center!

Tonight was totally awesome! Krystal and I had the opportunity to go down to Albuquerque and hang out at a Christmas party for about 20 girls who are incarcerated in Albuquerque's YDDC. I led us all in a time of worship and music, which was received by the girls as a blessing. Then a group of flamenco dancers entertained for a little while... then I was asked to share from the scriptures! This was an answer to a prayer I had prayed earlier, that the Lord would give me an opportunity to communicate the gospel! I taught them from Isaiah 53 of the fact that Jesus did not come only to be born, but to take upon Himself God's wrath toward our sins. God was so graceful in allowing me to be used to articulate His wonderful good news to these girls... my hope is that Jesus would be glorified through their salvation in light of hearing this good news. Then another divine appointment came when I met a brother named Joe and was able to encourage him in his ministry... God is awesome! All praise, honor, and glory, to Him alone!

The following is something that I wrote this Christmas Season that shares the connection between the birth of Jesus, His death upon the cross, and His Resurrection. To look at any of these things alone is to see a very incomplete story.



The Purpose of His Coming
The Christmas story is truly beautiful. However, when we
view the coming of Christ apart from His death on the
cross, the story doesn't really make much sense. To
be referred to as a "Savior" one must possess the ability
to "save", not just merely "be born".
Jesus not only claimed that He had the ability to save, He
said He was the only one who could save. "I am the
Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the
Father but through Me" (John 14:6)
Jesus' saving power was shown forth when He suffered
on the cross for the sins of all who would believe in Him
and find forgiveness. He then rose again the third day
after His death verifying that His claims were true. The
bible presents the troubling fact in the very words of
Christ that very few will actually trust in Him and be saved
from the coming judgement of God upon sin.
But that most, in seeking to avoid the difficulty of the
Christian life will travel the wide road which Jesus says,
will lead to destruction. Most people at this time of
year will take part in the celebration of the coming of
this wonderful Savior. Yet, the tragedy, is that so few are
truly affected by the purpose of His coming. May the
purpose of His coming be your reason for
rejoicing this season. Because just as the Christmas
story does not make much sense without the cross,
a person rejoicing in the coming of the Savior
without trusting in Him for their own salvation, doesn't
seem to make much sense either.