Jude 1 To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ
Christmas day is almost here! Merry Christmas everyone! As a spiritual family, we rejoice in God’s great gift of His Son. When man was so selfish and rebellious against him, God acted in mercy and grace to rescue us from our sins. He saw beyond our faults, saw our desperate need for forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with him, and did something so radical and so sacrificial. He gave his one and only Son to become a human being like us and to die for sins on our behalf. He was punished for all the sins of all humanity so that God’s justice will be satisfied and his holy anger against sin will be averted. To celebrate Christmas is to celebrate God’s love. To celebrate Christmas is to celebrate salvation through Jesus Christ. Christmas is such a happy season because, finally, the great unsolvable problem of man’s sins against a holy & just God who punishes sins and sinners is solved. “It is finished”, Jesus declared, and man can now find peace with God and favor with him. Now death is a friend, not an enemy, and the future is assured. There’s peace inside one’s self and peace with other people. All because of Jesus Christ. We can and should enjoy the parties, reunions, shopping, vacations, various dining experiences, and more. But let us not and never forget the reason for the season: Jesus Christ. If you have already surrendered your life to Christ as the Lord (leader and owner) of your life and trusted him as the Savior (instead of religion or good works), then thank him for his great mercy and grace toward you. But if you have not yet made Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of your life, Christmas would ultimately be meaningless if you will not recognize your need for him and not give back to him the life he gave you. Offer your whole life to him, and begin today live for his purposes and according to his values. He gives you the Holy Spirit to empower you so you can a truly abundant life. Today’s theme is Keeping Yourself Safe in God’s Love! May you and I enjoy God’s great love for us, and may we kept safe in his love as we also love him back & do our part. Enjoy a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends! God bless you richly! Lathur Badoy