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This is almost a live message. That is to say, I am recording it while I am driving to church on Christmas Eve morning, 2023.

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I'm thinking today of Mary's response to the angel when she's told that she is about to have a child,

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and that it will be a child not born to her from Joseph, and that God will father that child, and that amazing things will happen to her.

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And she says back to him, after a moment's hesitation perhaps, but she says back to him,

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Behold, the bond servant of the Lord, or maid servant of the Lord, let it be done unto me as you have said.

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And I'm thinking that that ought to be our response to God, whatever it is that we're going through.

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In fact, if we would learn to respond that way, I think we would go through things with more grace and more peace.

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She would lose virtually everything, all her treasures in life, even her virginity and the society that she was in.

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She would lose everything, and she would lose it all for God, and then God would do an amazing thing through her,

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and really through Jesus would be born of her to save the world from their sins.

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And he would eventually break her heart as she saw her son hang on the cross to pay for sins.

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It would be a tough journey, but she said to God, Lord, behold your maid servant, do as you have said.

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This Christmas Eve, be grateful for all the blessings you have, and know that we're praying for you in the midst of your hardships.

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I know some of you are in the hospital, some of you are sick, some of you are hurting, relationship difficulties, job difficulties, finance difficulties.

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God bless you all. In Jesus' name, Amen.