Invidious

Dear Partner and Friend:
There is nothing quite like the Christmas season to usher in a sense of peace and good will to our often-uncertain world. From the warmth of Christmas carols in the atmosphere and the twinkling of festive ornaments adorning everything in sight, to the special moments spent with family and friends — Christmas is, as one holiday classic reminds us, “the most wonderful time of the year.”
However, there is a profound reality that far surpasses the most life-enriching and joyous of our Christmas traditions: the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When the Christ Child arrived in tiny Bethlehem on that starlit night some two thousand years ago, He was, as Scripture declares, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23), whose death and resurrection just 33 years later brought the inexpressible gift of salvation and eternal life to all who will put their simple faith in Him (John 3:16). No wonder we love Christmas!
In his timeless devotional My Utmost for His Highest, read by generations of believers, Oswald Chambers reminds us that Jesus Christ “is not man becoming God, but God Incarnate — God coming into human flesh from outside it. His life is the highest and the holiest entering through the most humble of doors. Our Lord’s birth was an advent— the appearance of God in human form.”
Centuries earlier the prophet Isaiah beautifully foretold this moment and the majesty of that tiny baby lying in a rustic Bethlehem stable, worshiped by shepherds and magi: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given ... And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6, NKJV).
This Christmas season Laurie and I want to invite you to join us as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, our King of kings and Lord of lords. We also want to take this opportunity to express our deep gratitude for your prayer and financial support over the past year, as together we spread the good news of Jesus around the world. Your partnership is invaluable to this global outreach of God’s love. Thank you for standing with us in these crucial times.
Wishing you and yours a blessed Christmas and prosperous New Year.
Matt and Laurie Crouch