Category: Happy New Year!

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Truly a New Year!

For January 1, 2025
Around the world, people gather each New Year to celebrate with dazzling fireworks, breathtaking light shows, and joyful festivities. From the iconic Times Square Ball drop in New York to the stunning displays at Sydney’s Harbour Bridge and the shores of Copacabana Beach in Rio, these celebrations capture our universal longing for hope and new beginnings.

But what if the renewal we long for goes deeper than resolutions and celebrations? What if the true promise of the New Year lies not in turning the page of a calendar, but in experiencing the life-changing power of spiritual rebirth through Jesus Christ?

Every New Year reminds us of how we mark time itself: the years are numbered since the birth of Jesus Christ, the most important person in human history.

His birth was so significant it became the dividing line of history, ushering in what we call Anno Domini or “the Year of our Lord.” Although scholars place Jesus’ actual birth around 4 B.C., today we commemorate 2,025 years since His coming into the world.

His advent isn’t just a historical footnote; it’s a moment for reflection. Jesus didn’t come merely to split history into before and after. He came to transform sin-broken, human lives, by offering us a fresh start that only He can provide, as He promises in John 3:3 (NLT):

I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.

What does it mean to be born again? It’s not just a metaphor. It’s a complete spiritual transformation. Through Christ, we become new persons—literally. Because He takes away our sin, and gives us a new, holy beginning, as 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT) declares:

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun.

While many approach the New Year by setting resolutions; seeking wealth, fame, or success; Jesus offers us something far greater: eternal life, hope, peace, and a relationship with God that satisfies the deepest longings of our hearts. Because external success will never fully satisfy us; only Jesus Christ can transform us from the inside out and give us the joy, purpose, and fulfillment God created us to experience.

This is the heart of the Gospel message: God’s love for us. In John 3:16-17 (NLT), Jesus declares:

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

This incredible gift of salvation is freely offered to you today. When you hear the Gospel and understand that God loves you and longs for a relationship with you, everything changes.

By turning from sin and turning to Christ by faith as your Lord and Savior, you can receive the new and abundant life He promises. Moreover, His Spirit will live in you, preserving, guiding, and empowering you to live the life He created you to live … one day at a time closer to His glorious return!

This new life doesn’t guarantee wealth or fame, but it brings something far greater: a complete renewal of the heart. When Jesus transforms you, the old life, with all its guilt, shame, and brokenness, is replaced by a new life filled with peace, joy, and purpose.

It’s a transformation the world cannot offer but that God promises to everyone who believes in Him.

As we embark on this New Year 2025, I pray that you will know the love of God and the new life found in Christ. Won’t you trust Him today and let this mark the start of your new life? The new beginning you’ve been searching for is found in 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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Jesus Christ: Son of Man and Son of God

For January 15, 2023
To think of Jesus Christ as Son of Man is not much of a stretch because historical records verify His life, ministry, and existence. We can know that He walked the earth for about thirty-three years with the same human wants, needs, and aspirations we all share. He slept, ate, drank, wept, and was tempted. He experienced joy, anger, sadness, pain, hunger, thirst, anger, and love. He became grief stricken, fatigued, and was lonely.

What set Him apart was that He did not succumb to the temptations that arise from sin, the self, or Satan. Instead, He lived a completely balanced life of moral and spiritual excellence at all times. He submitted Himself to the will of His Father and satisfied all the requirements of God’s Law—He was perfect!

Understanding Jesus as Son of God becomes less of a problem when we acknowledge His being morally and spiritually perfect as an attribute of deity or as a reflection of God’s holiness. In this context, the “perfection” and “mastery” components of His life and ministry make perfect sense. Because Jesus embodied God in human flesh,

Thus, He could impose His will over His creation by silencing the raging storm, walking on the turbulent sea, turning water into wine, feeding the multitudes with two small fish and five loaves of bread, healing the sick, raising the dead, and performing countless other miraculous works that verified His claims to be God in human flesh.

John the Apostle addresses the deity of Christ in the first chapter of his gospel,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 (NIV)

Then he further adds,

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 (NIV)

God became human and made His home among us. It is humanly impossible to understand and explain the mysteries of God, including the intricacies of His Incarnation. God has the authority to conceal or disclose anything He so chooses (Proverbs 25:2).

Yet He revealed His divine, redemptive plan through Jesus Christ, the only Son of God. All that God requires is our faith in Christ to receive His gracious gift. Today, we can acknowledge Christ as Savior and Lord and receive the blessings associated with God’s promises to save all those who believe and confess Jesus Christ,

But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Romans 10:6-10 (NIV)

Jesus Christ is both the Son of God and the Son of Man. He is the perfect Mediator between God and humanity to reconcile anyone anywhere with God.

Through His reconciliation, we can have complete forgiveness of sin, spiritual transformation, and eternal life. All He requires is our faith in His perfect work on the cross. Won’t you trust in Christ today and let Him change your life forever?

What a Wonderful Savior!

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Abiding Under in Complete Surrender

For January 8, 2023
Through our tribulations, God invigorates our spiritual depth, and His almighty power preserves our spiritual well-being. Just as fire refines precious metals, God uses tribulation to refine our patient endurance so that we face our challenges with bravery and fortitude as the Word of God teaches us,

But we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:3-5 (NKJV)

The Greek word “hupomone,” (Strong-G5281),1 translated as patience, combines two Greek words “hupo,” under, and “meno,“ to abide to convey remaining patient, enduring, being steadfast in our resolve, particularly in our Christian faith.

To “abide under” means to surrender our will to Christ while we humbly and patiently endure by remaining steadfast in our service to Him. It must be pointed out that God never intends us to “abide under” the threat of danger or physical harm. We must address those circumstances carefully, with prayer, counseling, and appropriate intervention(s) on a case-by-case basis.

We are priceless commodities made in His image, and He wants us to practice self-care by seeking proper guidance when there is a threat of violence, exploitation, and/or abuse. Here, it may be best to seek out a qualified professional, Christian counselor, social/community service agency, or law enforcement for appropriate referral and/or crisis intervention.

Yet, we can trust the Lord to give us the wisdom and discernment to avoid situations that would imperil others or us as we grow into the level of Christ-likeness He advocates in His Word,

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. Philippians 2:5-8 (NKJV)

Patient endurance requires our complete surrender to the Lord. This is most difficult since it forces us to overcome our greatest internal enemy—pride. One author explores the freedom we have as we submit ourselves to Christ,

What freedom corresponds to submission? It is the ability to lay down the terrible burden of always needing to get our own way. The obsession to demand that things go the way we want them to go is one of the greatest bondages in human society today. … In the discipline of submission we are released to drop the matter, to forget it. … Only submission can free us sufficiently to enable us to distinguish between genuine issues and stubborn self-will.2

It is the Lord’s job to lead us. It is our job to follow Him by trusting His leadership and obeying His sovereignty, as this hymn conveys,

Trust and Obey3

John H. Sammis (1846-1919)

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies, But His smile quickly drives it away; Not a doubt nor a fear, not a sigh nor a tear, Can abide while we trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, but our toil He doth richly repay; not a grief nor a loss, not a frown nor a cross, But is blest if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove the delights of His love Until all on the altar we lay; For the favor He shows and the joy He bestows Are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet, Or we’ll walk by His side in the way; what He says we will do, where He sends we will go, never fear, only trust and obey.

Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Won’t you trust the Lord with your life and with your circumstances today?

What a Wonderful Savior!

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