GOD SO LOVED
Dear Friend in Christ:
By the power, wisdom, and vision of the Holy Spirit, the Old Testament prophets saw the coming Messiah hundreds of years before His birth. They saw and rebuked Israel’s sin and waywardness; they saw and proclaimed God’s judgment; and they saw God’s redemptive purpose and restoration through the Messiah.
For their faithfulness to God and to His people they were reviled, rejected, persecuted, and killed. As my dad often said, “The only popular prophets are either false or dead.” Thank God there were true prophets who persevered to deliver the Divine message, whether in warning or in promise.
One true man of God who prophesied regarding the coming Messiah was Micah. His name means, “Who is like Yahweh?” Micah lived in tumultuous times in Judah around 715 BC. His own village was invaded by the Assyrians. It is likely that he witnessed the destruction of his town and the capture or death of his own family.
In the middle of these difficult times, God spoke to Him and through Him concerning what was to come. Not surprisingly, Micah saw many difficulties ahead for God’s people. But in chapter 5, the Lord gave Micah a word of hope concerning the salvation to come.
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting. Therefore He shall give them up, until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; then the remnant of His brethren shall return to the children of Israel. And He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD His God; and they shall abide, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth; and this One shall be peace” (Micah 5:2-5).
This verse parallels Isaiah 9:6-7. There are many who will say “Peace, peace” when there is no peace (see Jeremiah 6:14). But in the Holy Spirit, Micah saw beyond the circumstances. He saw One who would not only bring peace but would BE peace.
The Spirit led Micah to give a specific word about where the Messiah would be born. In this passage, he refers to Bethlehem by its ancient name, Ephrathah, to distinguish it from a village in northern Israel that was also called Bethlehem. The Judean town of Bethlehem is five miles from Jerusalem.
The tomb of Rachel is nearby. Bethlehem had been the home of Boaz and Ruth. It was where David grew up. Micah saw that Bethlehem would also be where the Messiah would be born. It is interesting to remember that neither Joseph nor Mary were from Bethlehem. But God Sovereignly ordained that Caesar Augustus would order a census, which caused Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem.
The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem fulfilled yet another prophecy, further confirming His identity as Messiah. In his written commentary on the Bible, Matthew Henry wrote this regarding the Messiah as prophesied in Micah 5:
“Christ is our Peace as a Priest, making atonement for sin, and reconciling us to God; and He is our Peace as a King, conquering our enemies: hence our souls may dwell at ease in Him. Christ will find instruments to protect and deliver.”
Jesus’ first order of business was to bring peace between God and man. Mankind had experienced painful and devastating separation from Father God because of our sin. I love this lyric from “O Holy Night” (by Placide Cappeau and John Sullivan Dwight) which spells out our need and God’s Provision in Christ:
“Long lay the word in sin and error pining, ‘til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.”
The condition of bondage to sin and death condemned us to misery on earth and throughout eternity. We were blinded, unaware of both our own sinful depravity and our great worth to a Heavenly Father Who would give His all to ransom and redeem us. Jesus came to reconcile us to our Father, our Creator, thereby revealing to us our purpose in life. Indeed, He brings us life abundantly.
The lyrics from “Amazing Grace” by John Newton and William Cowper in 1773 paint the picture of our deliverance. “Grace taught my heart to fear” – it was God’s grace which revealed my own sinful condition to me. Grace showed me the great price that was paid to set me free. Should anyone doubt the seriousness and awfulness of sin, consider the price that God paid to deliver us from it!
It seems strange to talk about sin during such a festive season of celebrating Christmas. But apart from a revelation from God concerning the corrosive effects of sin, the depraved and hopeless state of lost mankind, and the miraculous and gracious promise of deliverance, the birth of Jesus has no meaning to us.
Christ came to a weary world, lost and oppressed, and without hope. He remains the hope and peace for those looking for truth, deliverance, and joy. On Christmas Day, we do not merely celebrate the “little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay” … though that was how it all began. We remember and celebrate His birth because …
His law is love and His Gospel is peace
And in His name, all oppression shall cease
This is why the angels sang on that Holy night and this is why we sing today; it’s why we will sing and shout throughout all eternity…
Christ is the Lord, O praise His name forever
His power and glory, forever more proclaim!
One of the most precious passages for any believer is, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
“Everlasting life” doesn’t only mean after we die and go to Heaven. It is the desire of God that we might have the life of Christ and His Kingdom now in this life, not only at Christmas, but each day. We must make the choice to prepare the way of the Lord; to make room in our hearts for Christ to be born in us, abide with us and direct our steps. By His grace, we can choose to take up our own crosses daily, die to self and lose our own lives so that we receive His.
God so loved the world, that He gave. Giving is a tangible act of love. He loved us before we loved Him; before we were lovely or lovable. We can never repay the gift He gave to us, but we can give it to someone else. This Christmas, receive afresh the gift that God so freely gives to you in Jesus Christ. And let us commit to share that Good News with others always.
Here at CSM, we have some encouraging news. Our team has continued to develop our new app for “The Covenant and the Kingdom.” This cutting-edge, mobile and desktop app is all about equipping emerging leaders. It’s a handy tool for next gen disciples, offering biblical truths to influence the world around us. This app is being built for you: the rising voices, the change-makers, the ones who refuse to settle for superficial faith. Stay tuned for more updates!
These 2025 monthly Pastoral Letters are now all available in audio format, read by yours truly. If you are sight-impaired or wish to get your Gospel “on the go,” we want to serve you. I’m having a great time recording them. We are also recording and streaming previous Pastoral Letters as we are able.
LOOK FOR OUR STREAM ON SPOTIFY! We have two podcast channels now, with messages being added regularly. One is a channel featuring the messages of Charles Simpson, my father; the other features messages from me. The quality and convenience of this streaming platform is much more user-friendly! Check it out via the Spotify app, and tell your friends.
Financially, this has been our toughest year in decades, even as we expand our outreach. Did you know our social media accounts such as X Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have more than 11,000 followers now? We are reaching many people we’ve never reached before, all over the world! Would you prayerfully consider a year-end, tax-deductible gift to continue to support the work of the ministry?
Thank you for your friendship and prayers throughout 2025. I’ll have more personal updates soon. Meanwhile, please let us know how you are doing and how we can stand with you in prayer. We love you. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
In Jesus,
Stephen Simpson
President
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EQUIP EMERGING LEADERS AND NEXT GEN DISCIPLES?
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