Happy new years

O death, where [is] thy sting?

O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory? The sting of death [is] sin; and the strength of sin [is] the law. But thanks [be] to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:55-58)
Death defeated! The Law stripped of power! No longer crushed beneath the fell weight of the curse! Praise the Lord that the resurrection of Christ has secured your own resurrection, O people of the Almighty! Hell can hold no victory over you, O believer, for you are a child of the Most High, made into a new creation. Perfect! Righteous! Clothed exquisitely and adorned in beauty befitting the bride of Christ Himself! Christ has cleansed you unto righteousness, so go forth in that righteousness, steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the good work that all God's children desire!

My sheep hear my voice,

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:27-28)
If we are truly believers in Christ, then we will also be followers of Him. Because we believe in and follow Jesus, we will live eternally in heaven with Him. Once we have been saved, no one can take away our salvation!

Walking with Jesus .

Walking with Jesus the Way We Received Him As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him…Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? (Colossians 2:6 and Galatians 3:3) In this vital matter of relating rightly to the Lord, one common mistake is attempting to develop our Christian walk in a different manner than we began it. Our present verses point us to the proper outlook. We are to build our life with the Lord upon the very same terms that we began that life. "As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him." We are to walk with Jesus the way we received Him. We received the Lord and His great salvation as gifts of grace. "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!…For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (2 Corinthians 9:15 and Ephesians 2:8). We must, therefore, walk in Him with a "grace-receiving" mentality. "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for [upon] grace" (John 1:16). We must never attempt to treat the Christian life as something we can manufacture or earn. Sinful, earthly fathers were created with a desire to give beneficial gifts to their children. Even more so, our holy, heavenly Father has a heart to give all that is needed to those who are willing to ask and receive. "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:11). Galatians 3:3 reinforces the need to have the same pattern for beginning and developing a walk with God. "Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?" These rhetorical questions warn of the deadly danger of having our approach to Christian growth differ from how we found spiritual birth. The Holy Spirit alone was able to bring us spiritual birth. The flesh of man could avail nothing. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:6). The Holy Spirit must bring us spiritual progress. The flesh can contribute nothing. "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing" (John 6:63). Any change in approach from birth to growth is foolishness. It is doomed to failure. We began by grace, so we must continue by grace. We began by the Spirit, so we must continue by the Spirit. Yes, we are to walk with Jesus the way we received Him. Any changes in approach are unacceptable, ineffective, impossible. Heavenly Father, You are such a generous giver. You gave me Your Son and His salvation as a gift of grace. You gave me new life by a work of Your Holy Spirit. Now, I want to walk in Christ these same ways, in His gracious name, Amen.

GOD IS

[[To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.]] God [is] our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble...Psalms 46:1 Be assured, O believer, that the Lord your God is with you. He shall shelter your spirit in His mighty house forever. Never need you fear, for He is even now your aid against all manner of trouble. Rejoice, therefore, in His love and power!

But I say unto you,

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:44-45


By God's compelling love, we have the honor of sharing kindness and compassion to others—including our enemies. For those who believe, the love of Christ abundantly pours forth and causes overwhelming joy and peace within our hearts. It is by His great compassion that we can love others and know of God's unfathomable adoration for us. How beautiful is salvation! It allows us to share unconditional love for others

For unto us a child is born,

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Reflection As Christ came as a child to live and die for His people, so too will He come again arrayed in victory, charging forth in holy righteousness to announce the final consummation of His heavenly kingdom! Great shall be that day! Great in sorrow! Great in joy! All authority is given Him: to judge and to save. Trust upon the saving lifeblood of the risen Lord and rejoice in His return! Mighty will be His host and unparalleled the joy that shall reign eternal upon all His people!