{"id":7595,"date":"2020-12-21T08:00:16","date_gmt":"2020-12-21T14:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/?p=7595"},"modified":"2020-12-17T10:26:34","modified_gmt":"2020-12-17T16:26:34","slug":"gods-cure-for-loneliness-at-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2020\/12\/21\/gods-cure-for-loneliness-at-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"God’s Cure for Loneliness at Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It is always hard to release a loved one in death, especially at Christmas. This season is one of joy and celebration; yet, it is incredibly lonely for many, especially for those who have had a loved one die close to or during the holidays.<\/h3>\n

As I have thought long and hard about this, I have taken comfort in the fact that Immanuel is God\u2019s cure for loneliness at Christmas. I\u2019m referring to the Christ-child as referenced in Isaiah\u2019s prophecy and subsequently quoted in Matthew\u2019s narrative of the Savior\u2019s birth.<\/p>\n

Isaiah 7:14 (NIV) 14<\/sup>Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.<\/em><\/h4>\n

Matthew 1:22-23 (NIV) 22<\/sup>All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23<\/sup>\"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel\"--which means, \"God with us.\"<\/em><\/h4>\n

Luke, a physician, provides significant insight and detail about the birth of Jesus not mentioned elsewhere. <\/em>\u201cShe brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger . . .\u201d (Luke 2:7).<\/h4>\n

Luke\u2019s detail in this seventh verse is explicitly concerned with a lonely birth. There are no midwives, no assistance to Mary at all. The Bible doesn\u2019t even mention that Joseph was present.\u00a0 Perhaps he was, but if he was typical of first-time fathers, he would have been of little help to Mary. She was basically on her own.<\/p>\n

Campbell Morgan wrote, \u201cIt is very beautiful, but oh, the pity of it, the tragedy of it, the loneliness of it; that in that hour of all hours when womanhood should be surrounded by the tenderest care, she was alone.\u201d<\/h3>\n

But, the question on my mind is, \u201cWas she really alone?\u201d The very child she cradled in the loneliness of this moment was none other than Immanuel, \u201cGod with us.\u201d Hence, it may have been a lonely birth, but she was never alone!<\/p>\n

Loneliness speaks of inner emptiness, a preoccupation with \u201cPoor me. I am all alone and so blue.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0Aloneness, in contrast, refers to an inner fulfillment; \u201cI am now alone with Jesus; I can recover, repair, and regroup.\u201d<\/p>\n

We walk many roads in life, surrounded by those we love, and sometimes by destiny\u2019s choice, we must take a step alone. In that vacant spot, there is God. An old gospel song reminds us, \u201cNo, never alone. Alone, no, never alone. He promised never to leave me, never to leave me, alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hebrews 13:5-6 (GW) records this great promise. 5<\/sup>God has said, \"I will never abandon you or leave you.\" 6<\/sup>So we can confidently say, \"The Lord is my helper. I will not be afraid . . .\u201d<\/h4>\n

When my Dad died 44 years ago at the young age of 37, I remember someone saying to my mother, who was only 34 at the time, \u201cEverywhere you look for Albert, God will be there.\u201d As a twelve-year-old boy, it seemed somewhat elusive to me. Years later, I discovered that one of God\u2019s compound names is Jehovah-Shammah, which means \u201cThe Lord Is There.\u201d Since my late wife's passing on April 26, 2016, this revelation means more to me now than ever before.<\/p>\n

Immanuel is with us now, even in our grief. The shortest verse in the English Bible reminds us that Jesus understands our grief and sorrow when a loved one passes. That verse found in John 11:35 says, \u201cJesus wept.\u201d He wept outside the grave of his friend Lazarus.\u00a0 He wept with his sisters Mary and Martha just as He weeps with you today.<\/p>\n

You may be lonely this Christmas, but I promise you, on the authority of God\u2019s Word, \u201cYou are never alone.\u201d May you discover Immanuel this Christmas in a fresh, new dimension that will fortify your faith and strengthen you for the journey ahead.<\/h4>\n

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  1. Campbell Morgan, The Gospel According to Luke<\/em> (Old Tappan, N.J.: Revell, 1929), 36.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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    The Rev. Mr. W. A. Mills, Jr. served for 32 years as a pastor in the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, including 12 years in North Carolina and 21 years in Buena Vista, Virginia. W. A. has preached in camp meetings, revivals, men\u2019s conferences, and pastors\u2019 conferences within and outside the IPHC. He is as a member of the Appalachian Conference where he served one term as an executive council member. W. A. serves as vice-chairman of the Board of Trustees of Holmes Bible College in Greenville, SC.<\/p>\n

    Having served 12 years on the General Men\u2019s Ministries Board, prior to his appointment as General Director of Men\u2019s Ministries in February 2018, W. A. assumed office on July 1, 2018 following the retirement of Rev. Bill C. Terry. He now makes his home in Oklahoma City. W. A.\u2019s passion is to lead men in becoming authentic men who in the words of Robert Lewis, \u201creject passivity, accept responsibility, lead courageously, and expect the greater reward, God\u2019s reward.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Widowed in April of 2016, W. A. is the proud father of three young adult children, Rachel, married to David Wilson, Tre married to Megan Amato Mills, and Hannah Nicole Mills. W. A. is the grandfather of two very special grandchildren, Gabriel David Wilson and Calla Ruth Wilson.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"excerpt","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":7596,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","slim_seo":{"title":"God's Cure for Loneliness at Christmas - IPHC Discipleship Ministries","description":"It is always hard to release a loved one in death, especially at Christmas. This season is one of joy and celebration; yet, it is incredibly lonely for many, es"},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"_slim_seo_primary_term_category":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_post_tag":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[25,4,1,15,26],"tags":[1260,193,946],"class_list":["post-7595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-boys-ministries","category-discipleship-ministries","category-general","category-mens-ministries","category-royal-rangers","tag-1260","tag-christmas","tag-iphc-mens-ministries","entry"],"title_es":"","content_es":"","author_name":"W.A. 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