Thinking of my family and friends, as we enter a new year.

A Thought worth considering…….

A Promise worth sharing…….

     Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)

A  Prayer worth hearing …...

      ²⁴‘May the LORD bless you and protect you. ²⁵ May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. ²⁶ May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.’ Numbers 6:24-26 (NLT)

Have a blessed new year all year!!!

JOY

May You Have the Joy Of the Shepherd’s Christmas

Luke 2:10 & 20 (ESV)
     ¹⁰  …. great joy that will be for all the people.  ²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God….”  

     Even though we have not seen him personally we still have the joy of the Shepherds as spoken of in 1 Peter 1:8:  ^“You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.”

God bless you abundantly with overflowing JOY this Christmas season.

Mercy Christmas

One of the words that reveal the necessity of Christmas is mercy. Within the meaning of this wonderful word is the revelation God gave of himself to Moses: “The LORD passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The LORD! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. ⁷ I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin…..” Exodus 34:6-7 (NLT)

The Apostle Paul shared this glorious truth with his friend Titus: “When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, ⁵ he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy…..”. Titus 3:4-5 (NLT)

We rejoice in the reality of God's mercy and join the Psalmist in saying: “The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love…. ¹⁰ He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.” Psalm 103:8 & 10 (NLT)

As we investigate the necessity of Christmas we come to a clear and compelling understanding that without mercy there can be no Christmas and without Christmas there can be no forgiveness.

Thanks to our Father for the joys of Christmas experienced in the gift of his mercy.

Yes, thank you Father, that in your grace you gave us want we don’t deserve and in your mercy you don’t give us what we do deserve. Indeed we can proclaim Merry Christmas because it was a Mercy Christmas.