Christmas Rising

Having hope is not so much a matter of drumming up a cheerful feeling as it is a conclusion based on good news. We can tell a child who is being bullied on their walk to school to stop being afraid, but that will not generate as much hope as an older brother or sister saying they will walk with the child. Hope is not ethereal or elusive; it has a foundation. As the foundation grows, so does one's hope. And a strong, realistic hope cannot be defeated. Christmas Rising explains the prophecies of Christ's birth to build our confidence in the overwhelming trust we should have in Jesus Christ. He didn't just pop up in AD 30; his birth fulfilled over two-thousand years of prophecy. They reach back into the ancient kingdom of Babylon, into a troubled and turbulent Middle East, and cut through the heart of the Roman Empire. Understanding these Scriptures and bringing them to our heart is what Dickinson has accomplished in his book. A true understanding of the wonder of Christmas will dispel any darkness or confusion that might be gripping us, because Jesus Christ is greater than anything we will ever face.