Welcome to the In touch podcast with Charles Stanley for Christmas December 25th.

Today we are reminded that the Great Joy that was announced to the Shepherd so long ago

is available to you on Christmas Day and every day.

Not only for us, but on that first Christmas night when those shepherds heard a message from the

angels, something happened to them. They never got over. Can you imagine them trying to go home

and go to sleep that night, having had a visitation from God and one of the reasons that it's so very important is you have to remember that for 400 long years there had been no profit of God spoken.

And all of a sudden with no warning whatsoever though

there was some expectation and people were looking for Messiah all of a sudden an

angel appears not to a king or to a queen but to a group of shepherds and if you'll notice

in just the moment we're going to read the second chapter of Luke if you want to turn there.

The second chapter of Luke and let's begin reading in verse 8. And in the same region there was some

shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

An angel the Lord suddenly stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terribly frightened.

And the angels said to them, do not be afraid, but behold I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be to all the people.

For today in the city of David there has been born for you a savior who is

Christ the Lord and this will be a sign for you.

You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased.

And it came about when the angels had gone away from them into heaven

that the shepherds began saying to one another let us go straight to Bethlehem then

and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.

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