The Glory and Power of the gospel is NOT ever going to be taken away by the scrupulous guardians of human power, human achievement or even human weakness. The Glory and Power of the Gospel is Gods Total victory over evil and His unchanging Love for you and me!

In a world distracted overwhelmed and even sinking towards hopelessness the Hope of the Gospel has not changed - repentance is our invitation to surrender to the Love of the Father.

To a people left in the dark by their sin and the sin of others - Jesus has come not to conduct a legal inquiry to assign blame and to prove who is right and who is wrong.

Jesus has come - jumping into the dead of night and layed down His life to save life, to redeem and restore life! This is Authority gives life and freedom

Repentance is Good News To a world and people stuck in the echo chambers of religion, power, status and success. This is a defining moment - not another shift of power as you have known it but an invitation to Repent. Repent meaning not to just stop sinning to change the way you think. To find freedom in life as He has always intended in the wide open freedom of Gods Love - its called the Kingdom of God.

In the desert Jesus reveals life that is not found in human ability, achievement or empire. Jesus goes into the desert to be tempted and tested in His humanity to reveal life in the Promise of the Father!

A Promise that He has give us.

In a world asking will anything be the same - Mark locates the good news not in a political savoir or the hope of personal security ( something most followers of Jesus had no real hope for ). Mark locates the Good News not in empire or emperor but in a the Good News of Jesus Christ the Messiah.

Beloved today we locate the Good News here of our life in a man Jesus Christ the Messiah.

The Good News we celebrate this season is the most magnificent of all is nothing less than Outrageous Love. Love that defies boundary and limit but given for you and me. Even more that God has invited us into this story of outrageous love! That this day we live in the benefits of love not because of anything we have done or earned but what He has freely given in His Son. - we can live loved!

The One who made us did not give Presents but His Presence. He came to what He formed who would never be able to come into His presence because of their brokenness and Became ‘God with us’ the greatest gift for all of humanity the opportunity to be restored to His Presence in their life. He gave it all, His life His love to restore love to all to Himself.

Jesus came not reveal a better method of doing Christmas but to restore and reconnect man to Life. Life as God intended from the beginning - Life with God. His name will be called Emmanuel God with us!

Love has always been the invitation and destination.