Jesus Loves Me

Jesus Loves Me

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21

Jesus loves me , this I know
God sent his Son to earth below.
Leaving Heaven for you and me
He came to die upon a tree.

The Little Lamb who came to die
Paid the debt for you and I.
No room in Bethlehem , except a stable?
No matter, God the Father’s love is able

To conquer sin’s strong grip of death 
And bring to us his Peace and rest.
Weary child, “Be still and know
The God of Heaven loves you so.

by Darla Lewis



Good Tidings

Good Tidings

“And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:10-12

“Good Christian Men, rejoice
Good Christian Men, rejoice,
With heart and soul and voice;
Give ye heed to what we say;
Jesus Christ is born today;
Ox and ass before him bow,"
And he is in the manger now.
Christ is born to-day!
Christ is born to day!” *

Jesus Christ is born. These four words may well be the most powerful and impactful words in the history of man.

I recently saw a picture of a baby in a wooden manger. The caption read…
'A thousand times a baby became a king, but only one time did a King become a baby.'

A helpless, defenseless baby. An Angel announced his coming, yet our Saviour lay in a stable. Heaven came to earth and who saw his birth? A young girl, a carpenter, some farm animals And all of heaven! Joy could not be contained. Heaven’s armies offered resounding praise before an audience of... shepherds.

Humbly, meekly Jesus came. The Gift-giver became the Gift. He was wrapped in swaddling cloth, but from his first breath he came to give us life.

A King became a baby, a virgin bore a child and the angelic chorus lit the night sky with praise. I believe with all I am that nothing is impossible for God.

“And Jesus looked at them and said "What is impossible with man is possible with God." Matthew 19:29

*Dulce Jubilo (In Sweet Rejoicing), attributed to Heinrich Suso
1328 AD

Cherished Memories

Cherished Memories

“I remember the days of old. I ponder all Your great works. I think about what You have done.” Psalm 143:5

This is the season of frenzied shopping, baking breads, and decorating cookies to give as gifts. We look forward to spending time with our families. The ones who are blood relatives and those who are relatives by the blood of the Lamb of God.

It’s the time for us to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ our Saviour!

Today I remembered a time seven years ago when I had the pleasure of watching my granddaughter, Madison, sing at her first Christmas concert. Is there anything more precious than those little ones shouting out the words to Christmas carols?

I watched a little one shout out “Hi Mom!” in the middle of a song. Another tiny girl pulled her dress up over her head, and another got tired and just sat. Madison held the hand of the little girl next to her and, after every song, they would raise their hands as if in victory.

My oldest grandson, Brandon, sat next to me. I couldn’t help remembering his first Christmas show and the performances of my other grandchildren, either at church or school. Oh, the wonderful memories I have.

After Madison’s performance we visited my mom at the care home. We took a little Christmas tree for her room. She was sound asleep, but her Aide assured me Mom had a really good day. We set up the tree then I stroked her head and kissed her. She didn’t even move.

Memories of long ago Christmases with her and Popi filled my mind. They always tried to make Christmas special for the three of us kids. I think my father was just as excited to see us opening our presents as we were in receiving them.

I also remember the time I sang “Hallelujah” so loud that it was mentioned every following Christmas accompanied by tons of laughter. I hated it then, but today I smile. It’s amazing those memories remain vivid after so many years. I can still remember and yearn for both. I miss them!

My parents also treated the coming of the Christ Child with a reverence we don’t often see in this day and age. It was a true time for giving thanks because the Babe in that manager would grow into a Man who would give His life to save us from sin.

“Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:15

Oh, Yes! Our memories are gifts from God. We can take them out and unwrap them one at a time-—savor them over and over again.

Today God gave me that gift and I am beyond thankful for it. I smile as I think of the next generation’s Christmas performances that are coming up. I can’t wait!

by Eve Montano

Not So Silent Night

Not So Silent Night

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:14

Silent night, Holy night!

I don’t think the stable where Mary gave birth was quiet. Instead, I imagine donkeys neighing, pigs oinking and lambs baaing. Add to this noise the moans of a teenage girl and the worried words of her frightened husband. Then, in their midst, a baby’s cry is heard, followed by the relieved laughter of Joseph. The baby is placed in his mother’s outstretched arms and, for a moment, sound and movement cease. The night has become Holy. In that miraculous moment of silence, mother and child gaze into each other’s eyes. A smile forms on Mary's tired face and tears of gratitude fall from her eyes. A prayer of thanksgiving is whispered.

In the distance is the sound of thousands upon thousands of angels singing—announcing the birth of our Savior and King. As the chorus ends, every untethered animal slowly walks toward Mary and Baby JESUS. Mary uncovers His face so they, too, can gaze at their King. Joseph takes the baby and places Him gently in the manger, while shepherds arrive and breathlessly proclaim, “There—he’s in there…”

The first Christmas has come. The gift giver is God the Father. The gift is God the Son—begotten by God the Holy Spirit.

"She will bear a Son, and you shall call his name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:21

Are You Wise?

Are You Wise?

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem.”
Matthew 2:1

Heaven came to Earth. The Son of God became the Son of Man. He came for us.

We needed to be saved from our sins—from our sin nature. Sin separated us from God.

He missed the fellowship we had with him in the Garden before sin entered into the world. Sound overly simplistic? Perhaps, but it is what happened.

“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”
2 Corinthian 5:18-19

There really aren’t adequate words to describe this kind of love and tenderness. The closest that comes to it is the relationship between a loving parent and child. God the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ our Saviour, to draw us back to Him and away from a world that is harsh and wicked. He brings hope and deliverance from the enslavement of sin, fear, brokenness and darkness.

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.”
Matthew 2:10

The Wise men sought him, the King of the Jews. It is said that wise men still seek Him. He is not so hard to find. The Bible is rich with facts of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. There are love letters for you to drink in. There is the HIStory of Jesus and His followers, who turned the world upside down with the simple message of the gospel of truth. Prayer opens your heart to Him. It also opens the eyes of your heart to see Jesus Christ, your Savior.

How wise are you? This Christmas consider the tree that Jesus hung on. Take that first step to gaining wisdom and fall on your knees and worship Him.

‘And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother and they fell down and worshiped Him.” Matthew 2:11