This is Part 2 of Pastor Chuck Bernal's 2015 Christmas message series titled, "The GHOSTs Of Christmas Past". "GHOSTs" is an acronym for: GUILT, HOPELESSNESS, OFFENSE, SORROWS, THREATS. This message deals exposes the "darkness" of hopelessness that can often pervade our lives and how Christmas changes everything because the "Light of the World" Jesus Christ has come. And His coming dispels the darkness of hopelessness and fills our lives with HOPE - because He Offers Powerful Encouragement. This message was delivered on Sunday, December 6, 2015.

5. LIVING IN THE SHADOW
OF HOPELESSNESS

7. They don’t know,
they don’t understand,
they wander about
in darkness . . .
(Psalm 82:5 – Complete Jewish Bible)

8. We expectantly hope for light,
but only see darkness;
We hope for gleam of light,
but we walk in darkness
and gloom.
(Isaiah 59:9 – The Amplified Bible)

9. The darkness of
discouragement

10. We experience a
loss of joy

11. The darkness of
depression

12. We experience a
loss of peace

13. The darkness of
despair

14. We experience a
loss of hope

15. When you lose joy, peace and hope
you feel sad,
lost and abandoned –
this was the historical context in
which Jesus
was born

16. 400 SILENT YEARS
ISRAEL LIVED 166,400 DAYS
WITHOUT HEARING
A WORD FROM GOD

17. BUT CHRISTMAS
CHANGES
EVERYTHING

18. Those who walked in the dark have
seen a bright light. And it shines upon
everyone who lives in the land of
darkest shadows . . .

19. A child has been born for us. We have
been given
a son who will be our ruler.

20. His names will be Wonderful Advisor
and Mighty God, Eternal Father and
Prince of Peace. His power will never
end; peace will last forever.
(Isaiah 9:2. 6 – Contemporary English Version)

21. I will lead blind Israel down a new path,
guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I
will brighten the darkness before them
and smooth out the road ahead of them.

22. Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will
not forsake them.
(Isaiah 42:16 – New Living Translation)

23. All this will be because the mercy of our
God is very tender, and heaven’s dawn is
about to break upon us,

24. to give light to those who sit in darkness
and death’s shadow, and to guide us to
the
path of peace.
(Luke 1:78-79 – Living Bible)

25. Before anything else existed there was
Christ, with God. He has always been
alive and is himself God.

26. He created everything there
is—nothing exists that he didn’t make.
Eternal life
is in him, and this life gives light to all
mankind.

27. His life is the light that shines through
the darkness—and the darkness can
never extinguish it . . . Later on, the
one who is the true Light arrived to
shine on everyone coming
into the world . . .

28. Christ became a human being and lived
here on earth among us and was full of
loving forgiveness and truth.

29. And some of us have seen his glory—
the glory of the only Son of the
heavenly Father! (John 1:1-5, 9, 14 –
Living Bible)

30. To regain hope, you must focus on
who God is — his unchanging nature.
Regardless of circumstances and
how you feel, you must hang on to
God's unchanging character.

31. Remind yourself what you know to be
eternally true about God: He is good,
he loves me, he is with me, he knows
what I'm going through, he cares, and
he has a good plan for my life.

32. Never doubt in the dark
what God told you
in the light.
(Raymond Edman)

33. May the God of hope
fill you with all joy and peace as you
trust in him.
(Romans 15:13 – New International Version)

34. H O P E

35. He

36. Offers

37. Powerful

38. Encouragement

39. Yet hope returns when I remember this
one thing:
The Lord's unfailing love
and mercy still continue, fresh as the
morning as sure as the sunrise.

40. The Lord is all I have,
and so in him I put my hope.
(Lamentations 3:21-24 – Good News Bible)

41. Stop your crying and wipe away your
tears . . . there is hope for your future.
(Jeremiah 31:16-17 – Good News Bible)

42. When you’re at a dead-end,
Jesus can take that
hopeless end and turn it
into an endless hope.

43. You’ll never know that God is all
you need until he’s all you have.

44. Let’s Pray