Emmanuel

Sunday December 7^th Isaiah 40: ¹ Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. ² Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. Comfort my people.  This is the message of the Lord to a people living in the depths of darkness.  When the angels came to the shepherds to announce the birth of the Christ Child, their first words were fear not.  When the angel came to Mary to announce that she would be carrying the Christ child into this world, the first words were, fear not.  This message of Isaiah, which comes not only to the people of his day, but to you and I is do not live in fear, but know of God’s love for you, and live in the comfort of knowing God’s love for you will never die.  Often we hear the message of the Lord’s second coming as one of fear.  Will you be ready?  Two going up a hill and one’s left standing still, I wish we had all been ready.  Will you be left behind?  These are all messages of fear and control, not assurance and comfort.  They are used more to build churches and media empires than to convey the message of God.  What will it be like when Christ returns?  I don’t know, no one does.  The first coming was predicted with the words Comfort Ye, and was announced as the babe in Bethlehem with the words fear not.  So in the midst of your dark days, hear the words, Comfort Ye and Fear Not and know that Emmanuel is with you.