Category: Christmas

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Happy New Year!

For January 1, 2026
A wide range of emotions surrounds the New Year. As the clock strikes midnight, many celebrate with joy and anticipation. For these individuals, a new year feels full of promise. But others carry sorrow, regret, or uncertainty into the days ahead. For them, the turning of the calendar is a reminder of what was lost or left unfinished.

The New Year is more than a change in dates—it is an invitation to turn our hearts toward the One who makes all things new. Each passing year reminds us of this extraordinary truth: history itself is centered on one Person—Jesus Christ. The Scriptures declare:

And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
Colossians 1:17 (NKJV)

Our calendar reflects this reality. The Gregorian Calendar, adopted in 1582 to correct the drift of the earlier Julian Calendar, numbers each year from the birth of Jesus Christ.

The designation B.C. marks the time before His birth, while the years since are known as Anno Domini (A.D.), meaning “in the year of our Lord.” Today this is also called the Common Era (C.E.), but regardless of the name, the reference point remains the same—Jesus Christ stands at the center of human history.

As we enter 2026, we acknowledge that more than two thousand years have passed since the birth of Jesus (though many scholars place His actual birth around 4 B.C.). No other human figure has shaped the world so profoundly. No other life has transformed so many hearts, and no other name provides what every human soul urgently needs: forgiveness, peace, purpose, and eternal life.

Only Jesus Christ can reconcile a sinful humanity to a holy God. We cannot fix ourselves, erase our guilt, or earn God’s favor through good intentions and moral effort. But God, in His mercy, has done for us what we could never do for ourselves.

      • Jesus perfectly obeyed God’s Law for us, something we couldn’t do ourselves.
      • By dying on the cross, he made the ultimate sacrifice, suffering the penalty we deserved for our sins.
      • His resurrection showed a complete victory over sin and death.
      • Upon His ascension to heaven, He intercedes on our behalf and promises a glorious return.

Salvation is not achieved by our works—it is received by our faith in His works. When we turn from trusting ourselves and place our trust in Jesus Christ alone, God forgives us, makes us new creatures, and gives us eternal life.

Here is what the Word of God declares:

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.    Ephesians 2:4—10 (NKJV)

Jesus extends this invitation to every weary heart:

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.      Matthew 11:28 (NKJV)

The year 2025 was hard for many. Perhaps you were disappointed by others. Or your plans fell apart. Maybe you feel tired, empty, or uncertain about the future. If so, hear this clearly: Jesus Christ is not finished with you.

      • People may disappoint, but He will not.
      • You can weaken, but His strength is eternal.
      • The past can trouble you, but His grace is greater than your past.

This new year can be more than a change on the calendar. It can mark the dawn of a new life where the Lord will never abandon or forsake you.

I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:20b (NKJV)

If you will turn to Jesus Christ, by repenting of your sin and trusting Him fully, He promises forgiveness, freedom, purpose, and a joy that no power on earth can steal, and He guarantees an eternal life of peace with God.

When our New Year’s resolutions begin not with self-effort but with surrender to Christ, God does a work in us that no resolution ever could. Only then can we truly experience a very Happy New Year.

Jesus Christ is calling you today. Won’t you give Him your heart and experience new life forever?

What a Wonderful Savior!                                                                   

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Our Savior’s Birthday!

For December 25, 2025
God created us as social creatures who desire companionship. For when He created man, God Himself observed:

“It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”                     Genesis 2:18 (NKJV)

Scripture continues:

And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man . . . “She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”                  Genesis 2:21–22, 23b (NKJV)

This God-given yearning for relationship is a reflection of our amazing Creator who, moved by His boundless love, longed to restore the fellowship with humanity that was broken in the Garden. When Adam and Eve fell from perfection, the world seemed to tilt, and humanity has been sliding down that slope ever since. No amount of kindness, technology, wealth, or influence can reverse this decline.

Our greatest loss was separation from God—just as the Bible declares:

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 3:23 (NKJV)

But God, rich in mercy, refused to leave us in this fallen condition. At just the right moment, in the fullness of time, He bridged the impossible gap Himself. He stepped into our world to demonstrate His matchless love in the most unmistakable way. Luke 2:8–14 (NKJV) captures this glorious moment:

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

On that holy night, Jesus’ birth ushered in a brand-new relationship between God and humanity—a relationship built on peace, goodwill, and divine reconciliation. Everything God had promised through prophets, priests, Scripture, and sacred tradition—once directed only to His Chosen People by birth and ancestry—became available to all: men, women, boys, and girls everywhere, by faith in Christ.

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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.        John 3:16–17 (NKJV)

Now, every person has the opportunity to confess Jesus as Lord and Savior and receive the abundant life He offers today and eternal life with Him forever. Scripture proclaims this clearly in Romans 10:6–13 (NKJV):

But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, “ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10–11). How much better it is to bow now—freely, willingly, and lovingly—so that the result is eternal fellowship with Him. For those who refuse, that confession comes by compulsion, before an eternity separated from Him in torment.

So yes, we rejoice in celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day. His earthly life began in an obscure Bethlehem manger, yet it would end publicly on Calvary’s cross.

There, Love Himself stretched out His arms to redeem us!

Yet, the story does not end there. When He rose from the dead, our Lord won us back to God and opened the door to everlasting fellowship with Him. Won’t you give Him your heart today?

What a wonderful Savior!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

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Remembering Jesus on His Birthday

For December 25, 2024
As social creatures, nearness to our loved ones is a dominant human characteristic we express particularly around the holidays. Over the Thanksgiving Holiday last year, the Transportation Security Administration reported over 2.9 million travelers screened on November 26, 2023, which was the busiest day of the year in the US, to illustrate this longing.1

In the same way we yearn to be with our loved ones, God also desires to have a personal relationship with each of us. Immediately after Creation, God demonstrated His longing for our companionship by walking with Adam and Eve in the tranquil Garden of Eden.

Although sin broke our bond with God, His love for us has remained unchanged. However, it extended beyond mere emotional feelings as He actively sought to restore our vital connection and recover a lost humanity personally.

Our Holy God, in an act of unimaginable grace, bridged the vastness of a  universe so enormous as NASA describes,

Based on the deepest images obtained so far, it’s one of about 2 trillion galaxies in the observable universe. Groups of them are bound into clusters of galaxies, and these into superclusters; the superclusters are arranged in immense sheets stretching across the universe, interspersed with dark voids and lending the whole a kind of spiderweb structure. Our galaxy probably contains 100 to 400 billion stars, and is about 100,000 light-years across.2

Yet He set His heart on reaching you and me, by entering our world as a human being. The Gospel of Luke records this magnificent event in Luke 2:8-14 (NKJV):

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’

Beneath a wide expanse of stars, the love of God came to a serene Bethlehem stable. Imagine those shepherds, men working in the fields, unaccustomed to visions and miracles, watching the night sky as the heavens open above them, with angels proclaiming the birth of our Savior. Their world was changed forever that night, just as yours can be as well.

There lay Jesus, God in human flesh, on a bed of straw, offered as a precious gift for every one of us.

You’ve Been Invited to New Life
Beyond a mere historical event, Jesus birth symbolized the start of a new era that invites all of humanity to come to God. Before Christ, access to God’s promises was attained through rituals, laws, prophets, and priests.

Now, through faith in Christ, God’s love and forgiveness are accessible to everyone, regardless of their past.

Choosing the Lord Jesus as our Savior opens the door to a life of purpose, hope. Yet it also restores our personal, direct relationship with our loving God; a connection that transforms our lives in profound ways, unlike anything else we could ever experience in this world, as Revelation 3:20 (NKJV) declares:

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

Come and experience God’s forgiveness, peace, and the joy that derives from  His presence. Philippians 2:5-11 (NKJV) describes what the Lord did for us:

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

A Personal Choice with Eternal Implications
There will be a day when all knees will bow and all tongues will confess Jesus Christ as Lord. The choice we make out of love rather than compulsion makes a tremendous difference.

By accepting Jesus as our Savior, we begin a heart-changing relationship with God that fills us with His love, hope, and peace. Each day there is a reason to live because we have the the assurance of eternal life with Him.

This Christmas, don’t just honor the story, welcome the opportunity. Welcome the Savior, who was born to save you and me, who walked on this earth and gave His life for us, and who is now eager to bring us into a close connection with God forever.

Open your heart and let this season be a time to discover the love,  peace, and joy that can only come from knowing the true meaning of Christmas: Jesus Christ. Won’t you welcome Him into your life today and make this Christmas a celebration of new beginnings and everlasting hope?

Happy Birthday Jesus.

What a Wonderful Savior!

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Still Counting … Still Waiting!

For January 1, 2024
The captivating message of Jesus Christ, delivered over two thousand years ago, continues to touch hearts and transform lives today:

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest!” Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

Our faith in the Lord leads to fulfillment and complete satisfaction, as we are forever reconciled with God.

The Scriptures attest to our obstinacy, pride, and disobedience—often with impunity. Yet God, who is rich in mercy, with His great love for us … while we were yet sinners, sent Christ to die for us. (See: Ephesians 2:1-5)

We can begin 2024 with a fresh start by putting our faith in Jesus Christ. For only He can make “all things new,” and supply us with everlasting peace and total freedom, which our sin-cursed world cannot offer (See: 2 Corinthians 5:17, John 8:36; 14:27)

Jesus creates new hearts inside His new people who are still counting the days until the glorious return He promised us:

Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. John 14:1-3 (NLT)

Won’t you begin 2024 with Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, and let Him change your life forever?

What a Wonderful Savior!

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Glory to God in the Highest!

For December 25, 2023
Nothing out of the ordinary happened on that particular evening when the shepherds were preparing for the long night ahead of them. But as they were settling into the quiet of that silent, starry night, while watching over their flock—it happened.

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:9-14 (NKJV)

The shepherds rushed to Bethlehem and found Jesus with Mary and Joseph in the manger, just as the angels had said. With great excitement, they went about spreading the news that the long awaited Messiah; Christ our Savior and Lord had been born. Truly, now will be a time for peace on earth and goodwill toward men; glory to God in the highest!

God so loved the world that He gave us the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, so that “whosoever will” can have the forgiveness of sin, peace with God, and eternal life by virtue of our faith in His death and resurrection. In addition, now that we are certain of our peace with God, we can also manifest peace and goodwill towards one another. In other words, since God forgives us, shouldn’t we forgive others too?

Psalm 118:22-23 (NKJV) reads, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.”

If human beings were responsible for our salvation, only a privileged few would obtain it. I’m glad that it’s incumbent upon God’s grace and our faith in Christ redeeming work on our behalf to secure it forever.

Won’t you give the Lord your heart and experience His glory, peace, and forgiveness today? He can change your life forever.

Glory to God in the highest. Let there be peace on earth and goodwill toward all humans everywhere through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen!

What a Wonderful Savior!   

And Happy Birthday, Jesus!

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