At this time of year, we often think the blessing of family and friends.

We must never forget, however, that the greatest blessing of Christmas is Christ himself.

Today, we look with Scott Pauli at the eternal

blessings found in the Word of God.

Fear is such a paraly thing. It ro you. Instead of giving to you what you need, it literally

drains a life out of you. It takes from you the things that you so desperately need.

We are studying what the Bible says in this Christmas story about fear. Because it's the one emotion, God says, I don't want this.

I want love, joy, peace.

Those are all evidences of the work of the Holy Spirit.

But fear, now that's rooted in the flesh.

And so repeatedly, God says to his people, fear not.

We studied the first occasion of that in Matthew chapter number one with Joseph,

fear not when difficulties and dilemmas arise.

And now we turn our attention to Luke chapter one,

because this story surrounding the coming of Christ continues in the gospel according to Luke,

and guess what principle comes up again, not once but twice in Luke chapter one. The same two words,

Fear not. You find it in verse number 13 to Zacharias. Zacharias, you remember, was the father of John

the Baptist and Elizabeth's husband. And the Bible says in verse 13, but the angel said unto him,

Fear not, Zacharias, for thy

prayers heard and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son and thou shall call his name John.

And then in the same chapter in verse number 30 in relationship to Mary, Joseph's wife, the mother

of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Bible says in verse 30, and the angel said

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