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O Lord, make us like John in the wilderness, with our gaze, hearts, and lives consumed by Jesus, your glorious Son.

The following message by Michael Reeves was given at the Serious Joy: The 36th Bethlehem Conference for Pastors: “I Will Build My Church: Christ’s Promises for his People.”

May we delight in our Saviour and ever look forward to the day when we will see him face to face. In the meantime, let us rejoice, for he is with us even now.

Eat this bread, for there are no benefits apart from him. He is good: eat of him. He is rich: delight yourself in him. For Christ is the true bread of heaven.

God intends that we become conformed to the image of Jesus. Why? So that Jesus will have many brothers. And what does that conformity look like? It’s relational through and through.

As my husband held our daughter, and she leaned against his chest, he softly said, “This is why Jesus came.” In that moment, though tears dripped down our cheeks, the gospel washed over our hearts. Never had we felt more desperate for a Saviour. Never had we loved Jesus more.

There is more love, more life, more light in our God than there is hate, death, and darkness in us. Jesus is full of grace and truth, and he is everything we need.

Unless the Light came to blaze with a love that is full of forgiveness and a life that we can live in his righteousness rather than our own. Unless the Light came not to shine for his own glory but to be put out in the darkness for our salvation.

Where does her help come from? You, Lord, are her Kinsman Redeemer, her Savior, and her King. There is no one else that help comes from. You turned bitterness into wine and included an excluded nation in your genealogy. You woo and pursue to reconcile and restore. You, Lord, are where our help comes from.

“This is my brother, all that is mine is his. Let’s celebrate. For this brother of mine was lost, but now is found.” Christ is not ashamed to call you brother. To call you sister. To call you family. He has joined you to himself and brought you into the same affectionate embrace that he enjoys with the Father.