Words of Encouragement for December 22, 2010

Advent Meditation

“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them, who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage … Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” Hebrews 2:14,15,17

Here is an amazing thing, that the only begotten Son of God would take on human flesh and blood and become true man in order to redeem us from sin, death and the power of the devil! Yet this is what was necessary for our salvation. Jesus Christ, who is true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, took on human flesh and blood in the Virgin Mary and became true man that He might take our place under God’s Law and fulfill it for us, and that He might also bear the curse and condemnation of God’s Law upon our sins.

In the Garden of Eden, the devil tempted Eve and then used the curse of God’s Law – “in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” – to condemn Adam and Eve and all mankind. He continued to use the threats of God’s Law to enslave mankind; “for the wages of sin is death” – spiritual death, as well as temporal death, and eternal death and torment in hell (Romans 6:23). Since the Law of God condemns sinners, the devil only needed to get man to break the Law to bring him under the wrath and condemnation of God. Thus, as sinners, we were afraid of God and of His just punishment upon sin. We could not love God or gladly and willingly obey His commandments, for we were guilty of sin and deserving of His wrath and the eternal tortures of hell.

Jesus Christ, God’s Son, came into the world that He might destroy (καταργηση – annul or make of no effect) the devil and his evil work, and that He might set us free from bondage and the fear of death (cf. 1 John 3:8). In order to accomplish this work, it was necessary that He take on human flesh and blood and become true man – “to be made like unto His brethren” – that He might take our place under God’s Law and suffer and die for the sins of all mankind (cf. John 1:1,14; Galatians 4:4-5). And, because Jesus Christ is true God, His holy life and innocent sufferings and death upon the cross are a sufficient ransom for the sins of the whole world (Romans 3:23-24; 5:10,18-19; 1 John 2:1-2; Galatians 3:13). He made “reconciliation for the sins of the people”; and now, “the accuser of our brethren is cast down”; he is overcome “by the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 12:10,11). Since the holy Son of God took on flesh and blood and redeemed us, the devil can no longer successfully accuse us; our sins are covered and washed away in Christ’s blood!

“Amazing love! how can it be that Thou, my God, shouldst die for me!” (Charles Wesley).

Dear Lord Jesus, we thank Thee for taking on human flesh and blood and becoming true man, like us, that Thou might redeem us from sin and the power of the devil and grant unto us everlasting life with Thee in Thy heavenly kingdom. Amen.

Meditations in Genesis

“And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac….” Genesis 28:12, 13 (Read Genesis 28).

As children, many of us sang a song called, “I am climbing Jacob’s ladder.” Jacob’s ladder wasn’t, however, a means for Jacob to climb to God. Rather, it was God reaching down and making Himself and His presence known to Jacob.

When Jacob left his father and mother and began his journey away from the land promised to Abraham and Isaac, he stopped at a certain place for the night, set up stones for his pillow and dreamed of a ladder reaching from earth to heaven with angels of God ascending and descending upon it and the LORD God Himself standing above it.

In his dream, the LORD appeared to Jacob, telling him, “I am the LORD [Jehovah] God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac…” And the LORD Himself promised Jacob all the blessings already promised to Abraham and Isaac. God promised to Jacob and his descendants the land of Canaan. He promised to make his descendants as many in number as the dust of the earth so that they would fill the land. And, God promised Jacob: “In thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed” – the promise that the Messiah who would bring redemption and salvation to all nations would come of his descendants! (v. 14; cf. Genesis 12:3 and 22:18, where this same promise was spoken to Abraham).

God also promised to this young man who was fleeing for his life: “And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of” (v. 15). Even though Jacob was leaving his father and mother and his homeland, God was not leaving Jacob. God was with him, watching over him, and would bring him back again and fulfill all that He had promised.

What a comfort this dream must have been for Jacob as he traveled away from his home to a strange land! God revealed His very presence to Jacob and renewed His promises, already passed on to him by Isaac, his father. As God the Son, the pre-incarnate Christ, appeared to Abraham and assured him of the divine promises (Genesis 18), so He now also appeared to Jacob to strengthen his faith and assure him of these same promises.

But what is the significance of this event for you and me today? How can we take comfort in what God did for Jacob as he journeyed toward Padan-aram?

Consider the words of Jesus to Nathanael in the last verse of John, chapter 1: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man” (v. 51). As the angels of God ascended and descended upon the ladder to Jacob, to watch over him and keep him in all his ways (cf. Psalm 91:11), so the angels of God ascend and descend upon the Lord Jesus, the promised seed of Jacob and the Messiah and Savior of the nations. For Jesus’ sake, they watch over us and keep us in all our ways.

When Jesus prayed in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane before going to the cross to suffer and die for our sins, an angel of God appeared to Him out of heaven, strengthening Him (Luke 22:41ff.). When Jesus returns on the Last Day to judge the living and the dead, His mighty angels will be with Him (2 Thessalonians 1:7).

As God revealed Himself to Jacob in a dream, comforting and strengthening him on the way, God has appeared and made Himself known to us in His own dear Son. As John writes, “No man hath seen God at any time: the only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him” (John 1:18). In Jesus, we see the LORD God, for Jesus is God Himself in human flesh. And Jesus has fulfilled the divine promise given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Jesus, descendant of Jacob, suffered and died upon the cross for the sins of the world and rose again from the dead. In Jesus, forgiveness of sins and life everlasting is won for all! The gates of heaven are open to all through faith in Christ Jesus. He is “the way, the truth, and the life” – the only way to God the Father (John 14:6).

Jesus also sends us out into the world to disciple the nations – to preach the saving Gospel of forgiveness and life in Jesus to all the world – but He doesn’t send us alone. He assures us, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20). He is with us; He intercedes for us before the Father’s throne; and He gives His angels charge over us to keep us in all our ways (Psalm 91:11).

We have the assurance that He will deliver us from every evil work and preserve us unto His heavenly kingdom – that land of promise made sure to us by the shed blood of Jesus! (cf. 2 Timothy 4:18).

O dearest Jesus, thank You for coming to me and making Yourself known to me as my merciful Savior. As You have promised, graciously abide with me, keep me and send Your holy angels to strengthen and keep me until I am safely with You forever in the heavenly home You have prepared for me. I ask this for the sake of Your holy and precious blood, shed for me upon the cross. Amen.

The Augsburg Confession

Article XXV: Of Confession

Confession in the churches is not abolished among us; for it is not usual to give the body of the Lord, except to them that have been previously examined and absolved. And the people are most carefully taught concerning faith in the absolution, about which formerly there was profound silence. Our people are taught that they should highly prize the absolution, as being the voice of God, and pronounced by God’s command. The power of the Keys is set forth in its beauty and they are reminded what great consolation it brings to anxious consciences, also, that God requires faith to believe such absolution as a voice sounding from heaven, and that such faith in Christ truly obtains and receives the forgiveness of sins. Aforetime satisfactions were immoderately extolled; of faith and the merit of Christ and the righteousness of faith no mention was made; wherefore, on this point, our churches are by no means to be blamed. For this even our adversaries must needs concede to us that the doctrine concerning repentance has been most diligently treated and laid open by our teachers.

But of Confession they teach that an enumeration of sins is not necessary, and that consciences be not burdened with anxiety to enumerate all sins, for it is impossible to recount all sins, as the Psalm 19:13 testifies: Who can understand his errors? Also Jeremiah 17:9: The heart is deceitful; who can know it? But if no sins were forgiven, except those that are recounted, consciences could never find peace; for very many sins they neither see nor can remember. The ancient writers also testify that an enumeration is not necessary. For in the Decrees, Chrysostom is quoted, who says thus: I say not to you that you should disclose yourself in public, nor that you accuse yourself before others, but I would have you obey the prophet who says: “Disclose thy way before God.” Therefore confess your sins before God, the true Judge, with prayer. Tell your errors, not with the tongue, but with the memory of your conscience, etc. And the Gloss (Of Repentance, Distinct. V, Cap. Consideret) admits that Confession is of human right only [not commanded by Scripture, but ordained by the Church]. Nevertheless, on account of the great benefit of absolution, and because it is otherwise useful to the conscience, Confession is retained among us.

(To Be Continued….)

How Must God’s Word Be Preached

In Order to Produce Faith in the Hearts of the Hearers?

By Franz Pieper

Luther-Hour Lectures presented to the Seminary Students

(From Concordia Theological Monthly)

THIRD LECTURE

(C.T.M. September,1933. pp. 653-659)

In the last lecture I showed that faith in Christ stands in no man’s hand, neither in the hand of the hearer nor in that of the preacher. Faith in Christ stands only and alone in God’s hand. As regards the origin of faith (origo fidei), it is a miracle of God, like the creation of the world, as Luther rightly remarked. Men come into consideration in the production of faith merely as instruments, in so far as according to God’s order men shall speak and preach the Gospel to one another. Through this preaching of men God then works faith in the hearers “where and when it pleases Him.”

But now we turn our attention to the question: Of what sort must the preaching be through which God the Holy Ghost works justifying and saving faith in the hearts? Or, otherwise expressed: How must we preach in order that we may instrumentally preach faith into the hearts? The answer to this question is not complicated, but very simple, as theoretically everything is very simple in the Christian religion, so long as one simply holds to God’s Word. May God grant you grace not to forget this simple answer, but always to apply it in the practice of preaching! You must preach the Gospel, the Gospel pure and simple, the Gospel of Christ the crucified as it stands revealed in Holy Scripture; or, concretely expressed, you must preach that in consequence of the redemption which took place through Christ nothing whatever any more stands between God and the sinner, that for every sinner there is full grace with God at hand. You must preach that reconciliation with God is not first to be established on man’s part, but that God is fully reconciled through Christ with the whole world of sinners and with every individual member of human society, hence that God receives sinners just as they are, out of the midst of their sinful wretchedness and filth. God does not wait with his grace, with the forgiveness of sins, until men have first improved themselves, but before all betterment on their part, before all contrition, before all faith, He is perfectly reconciled through Christ with every man.

Is that true? Yes indeed, that is the doctrine of the entire Holy Scripture ever since the first Gospel, which God Himself proclaimed after the Fall. And that is the Gospel of Christ the crucified. According to the Christian religion which is revealed in Holy Scripture, the matter stands thus: God Himself brought the account which He held against men according to His righteousness and which men could not pay into order through Christ, balanced it Himself, paid it Himself. Now in the preaching of the Gospel He brings to all men to whom the preaching of the Gospel comes, the paid and receipted account for their acceptance. This the Apostle Paul teaches clearly and plainly in 2 Cor. 5:19, when he writes: “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” You see, God has done what no secular judge can do or may do without becoming unjust.

A secular judge may not pronounce an innocent person guilty, and he may not let an innocent person suffer for a guilty one. But what a secular judge cannot do and must not do, that is what God has done according to His divine fullness of power and according to His incomprehensible and eternal mercy for us poor sinners. He has declared the only Man who knew no sin, His incarnate Son, to be guilty and has punished Him as guilty, and so has reconciled the world unto Himself. Now the situation is this: Since Christ has suffered to pay for the sins of men, the just for the unjust, there is for no man anything left to suffer in payment for his own sins. Since Christ has paid our debt of sin with His divine blood there is nothing more left for us men to pay. Since God has placed His incarnate Son under the Law and has now accepted His righteousness as performed for all men, men have need of no righteousness of their own in order to be accepted of God. Now God receives sinners just as they are, or, as the Apostle Paul expresses it, Rom 4:5 God justifies the ungodly. To express it theologically, you must preach the objective reconciliation, or objective justification. That is the fact that God through the work of Christ, before all contrition, before all faith, before all betterment of life, is perfectly reconciled with all men, that God on His part has already in His heart forgiven all men for Christ’s sake, that the Gospel is therefore a free and full absolution for the whole world of men, an absolution which awaits only the acceptance of faith.

Now mark well, when you so preach that God is perfectly reconciled with all men through Christ, is favorably inclined in His heart to every man for Christ’s sake, then you bring forth in the hearts of the hearers who are smitten by the Law this thought: Then God is also gracious to me, then God receives also me, poor sinner that I am. And behold, this thought, this motion of the heart, wrought by the Holy Ghost, is faith in Christ. It is justifying and saving faith. Thus you preach faith into the hearts when you preach the Gospel in its undiluted purity.

On the other hand, you hinder faith, as far as in you lies, when you preach in such a way as though the hearers must first show an inner or outward improvement in themselves before they might comfort themselves with the grace of God, or when you place faith itself or sanctification into contrition. For what is the effect of such preaching? The effect can be none other than this: While you are preaching, the thoughts of the hearers will not be directed to Christ crucified, not to the absolution which He has gained for us, but the hearers will be impelled to search in themselves for the inner change which must take place before they can comfort themselves with the grace of God. Thus you do not let them come to faith. You thrust works between the sinner and the righteous God and thereby all possibility of faith goes by the board. It is exceedingly difficult to comfort a conscience that is truly smitten by the Law. When the Law of God has penetrated into our hearts, when we feel the judgment of God upon our sins in our heart and conscience, then it makes no difference in the world to us whether we are healthy or sick, whether we are rich or poor, whether we see life or death before us; only one thing we wish, and that is the assurance that God is gracious to us, that we shall not come into judgment when we depart this life. And such a conscience, gripped by the Judgment of God, can be brought to rest through no human work, be it called contrition or faith, or be it called sanctification; the judgment of God, executed upon the heart through the Law, consumes all human works, eats up all human works like a prairie fire that burns down all the dry grass before it. The conscience smitten by the Law is to be brought to rest only by one thing; only one factor calls God’s judgment to a halt: the blood of Jesus Christ which flowed for the payment of our sins. Therefore you must preach pure free grace if you want to bring a conscience to rest. Therefore Luther always said: If the forgiveness of sins, the absolution, were dependent upon one believing Lord’s Prayer, then the forgiveness would always remain entirely uncertain, since, because of his innate evil flesh, a person could not pray a single believing Lord’s prayer. Therefore preach the objective reconciliation, the objective justification, which is at hand before faith and before any change in man. Then you will bring forth faith and give faith its right foundation.

In this respect the Pietists were mistaken. They meant well with their way and manner of salvation. They wanted to withdraw all ground and basis from empty faith of the head and mouth. But how did they treat the sinner who came to them asking for the grace of God? Instead of directing him to the Gospel and the means of grace, they directed him to the requirement that one must first have had certain experiences, and have attained to a certain degree of contrition, before one can comfort himself with grace. But what was the consequence? The consequence was that they could never bring a conscience which had really been smitten by the Law of God to rest. They mistreated the soul. Thus the sainted Dr. Walther fell into the hands of Pietists in Leipzig. He had a similar experience to that of Luther. As a student in Leipzig he was earnestly concerned about his soul’s salvation. The Law of God did its work upon him and in him. He visited meetings of students and candidates, but in these meetings Pietism ruled. A man to whom Walther especially entrusted the care of his soul told him that he must not yet take comfort; for it seemed as though he had not yet had sufficient experience with respect to sin and grace. Finally this counselor said that Walther was now in the right condition to lay hold on grace and take comfort in it. Walther left with joy in his heart; but already on the next day the thought came to him that perhaps the counselor had given him a false diagnosis. And so he was again uncertain of the grace of God, because it was grounded upon something in man and not upon Christ’s merit alone, upon the forgiveness of sins which Christ gained for us.

Now, concerning this, that the forgiveness of sins which is proclaimed in the Gospel must not be grounded upon anything in man but upon Christ’s work alone, let me give you Luther’s exposition in his writing “Concerning the Keys.” (St. Louis Ed. XIX, 946) Luther here writes: “Here then we have a definition of what the keys are; namely, an office, power, or command given by God through Christ to Christendom, to retain and to forgive sins to men. For so Christ speaks, Matt. 9: 6. ‘But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins,’ He said to the sick of the palsy: Arise, etc.’ And shortly thereafter: ‘The multitude praised God which had given such power unto men. ‘Do not be deceived by the Pharisaic babble whereby some make fools of themselves, as to how a man can forgive sin when he cannot give grace nor the Holy Spirit. You just stick to the words of Christ, and be sure that God has no other way to forgive sin than through the oral word which He has committed unto us men. If you do not seek forgiveness in the Word you will vainly gape toward heaven for grace, or (as they say) for inner forgiveness.”

The Pope makes absolution dependent upon three human works in which the Pope lets penitence consist: contritio cordis, confessio oris, satisfactio operis. The contrition must be right, the confession must be right, and the satisfaction, which the priest imposes, must be right. Hence the Papists say: If you have the right penitence then you have the forgiveness of sins; if you do not have it, then you have no forgiveness. Thereby the Pope has overthrown the entire Gospel, denied Christ’s atonement, and leaves the consciences in continual doubt. With regard to this Luther says, “These keys (namely, the Pope’s) destroy faith in Christ, take away all comfort and counsel of our conscience and erect the self-righteousness of works against God, and teach men to forget and deny Christ, as we have heard…. Accordingly, consider that the keys or forgiveness of sins does not depend on our contrition or worthiness, as they perversely teach, for that is entirely Pelagian, Turkish, heathenish, Jewish, Anabaptistic, fanatical, and Antichristian.” Pay particular attention to this judgment of Luther’s concerning the teaching according to which human worthiness is necessary to the attainment of the forgiveness of sins. Luther calls this Turkish and Antichristian.

There are only two religions in the world. According to the one religion, the forgiveness of sins is based upon God’s grace in Christ, and the works of men do not come into consideration. According to the other religion the forgiveness of sins is entirely or partially obtained by the deed of men, whether this deed be called contrition, or renewal, or sanctification in general. And this latter is the heathen, the former is the Christian religion. The Apostle Paul speaks very definitely: “If by grace, then it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.” Luther says further: “But on the other hand, our contrition work, heart, and whatever we are, should build upon the keys, and we should confidently rely upon the keys with entire boldness, as upon the Word of God, and at peril of losing body and soul do not doubt that what the keys say and give to you is as certain as though God Himself spoke it, as He does indeed most certainly speak it, for it is His command and Word, not a man’s word or command. But if you doubt, then you call God a liar, pervert His ordinance, and build His keys upon your own contrition and worthiness.”

There are two things which you have to preach with regard to the grace which Christ has gained for us if you want to preach faith into the hearts: The universal grace and the full (unconditioned) grace. Universal grace is the grace which excludes not a single man in the whole world, but is as universal and free as the light of the sun. In the State, in the secular tribunal, everyone receives what his deeds deserve. There the word is: To each his own. And this is God’s ordinance. It would be impossible to maintain any order in the world if justice were not observed here. The wickedness of men would make civil society impossible. Therefore we read with respect to secular government, in Rom. 13:4: “If thou do that which is evil, be afraid.” Grace is exercised in the secular tribunal, in civil life, only in exceptional cases, specifically by the highest officials, usually the governor of the State or the president of the United States. But give good heed to the distinction between Church and State. What is exceptional in the State is the rule in the Church’ and such a rule as, in distinction from other rules, admits of no exception. Grace through Christ is at hand for every man. To be sure, you have to put men in mind that they are all guilty before God, deserving of everlasting death and damnation; that, however, is not the proper theme of your preaching, but just the introduction to it. Christian preaching is a preaching of grace; not according to justice, what men have deserved, but grace shall be offered to all men without exception for Christ’s sake, universal grace, and also full grace, the grace which receives the sinner just as he is, and demands no improvement.

Whence comes such grace? It comes from the fact that Christ hung upon the cross for all. Therefore He receives sinners. And it is this free grace in which all who have a really awakened conscience take comfort. It is in this grace that Paul takes comfort when he says that he is the chief of sinners. It is in this grace that Copernicus takes comfort when he says in his epitaph that he does not claim the grace with which God forgave a Peter and a John, but that he is content with the grace which Christ extended to the malefactor on the cross. And this yearning for free, unconditioned grace, which receives the sinner as he is and draws him out of his sinful wretchedness and filth, is the whole desire of an awakened conscience. And with such preaching you preach faith into the hearts. To this end may God grant you His grace when you enter the active ministry.

(To Be Continued….)

Bible Study in Preparation for Sunday

Scripture Readings appointed for Sunday are: Psalm 2; Galatians 4:4-7; Acts 21:1-26; John 1:1-14. Please read them in their context as you prepare for worship on Sunday.

The Adult Bible Class will continue in the Gospel of John at chapter 14:18ff. What promise did Jesus make His disciples in verse 18? How would He fulfill this? How does this apply to believers yet today? Cf. Acts 2:38-39; Titus 3:3-7; Matt. 28:18-20. What promise did Jesus make in verse 19? What act of Jesus gave this verse real meaning for us? What would Jesus’ disciples come to know when Jesus poured out His Spirit upon them? Who is it who truly loves Jesus? How does Jesus manifest Himself to those who love and trust in Him? How does all this apply to us today? How does Jesus reveal Himself to us and not to the world? What will a person who loves Jesus do? Why will a person love Jesus? Cf. 1 John 4:7-21. Who is it who comes and dwells in the believer’s heart? Will those who do not love Jesus keep His words? Who sends the Holy Spirit? In whose name is the Spirit sent? Cf. v. 26; 15:26; 16:7. How was the visible church divided over this issue? What creeds in our hymnal (and the Lutheran Confessions) address this very issue? What does the Holy Spirit do for us according to v. 26? To whom does the Spirit testify (15:26)? What does the Spirit use to reveal to us Christ Jesus? What kind of peace does Jesus leave with His disciples? Cf. Eph. 2:11-17; Rom. 5:1-2; 2 Cor. 5:19-21. Why were Jesus’ disciples not to let their hearts be troubled or afraid? How does this apply to you and me? Why could Jesus’ disciples rejoice? Why can we rejoice that Jesus is at the right hand of God the Father? Who is the prince of this world? Did he have anything against Jesus? What did Jesus mean by His words in v. 31? How can we rejoice in His love and obedience to the Father? What can we learn in regard to our love and obedience to Jesus?

Remember to Pray

Remember to pray for our church and for all our members, that none be lost to Christ’s kingdom but that all continue in repentance and be strengthened and built up in the true and saving faith in Christ Jesus through the hearing and study of His Word. We pray for God’s healing and strengthening of our congregation, as well as for God’s help with our church’s financial needs. We continue to pray for all who have been sick or who are suffering among us – especially for Bill Schoepf, who is recovering from hernia surgery; Dick Stueland, recovering from a second knee surgery; for Harley Woods, following surgery; for Sam Rusch, who has had repeated stays in the hospital; the mother of Dick Rusch; for Dick Rusch who is recovering from shoulder surgery; and for Regina Wood (the sister of Lonnie Moll), who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy – for those who have been absent from us, for our extended families and for Christians who are alone and have no congregation. Continue to pray for Lutheran congregations which desire to remain faithful to Christ and His Word, for the Lutheran churches in the Philippines, for Christians in Nigeria, Haiti and Chile, and for believers around the world who are persecuted or suffering for their faith in Christ Jesus.

Events and Announcements

Anyone wishing to help with costs involved for Sam Rusch to visit the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota may place a gift in the offering with the designation: Sam Rusch.

Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve services are planned for 7 p.m. on each night.

The choir continues to practice after church services on Sundays. More voices are welcome.

Information for bulletins or newsletters may be sent to Pastor Moll by calling him at 479-233-0081 or by e-mail at goodshepherdrogers@yahoo.com.

Online video of church services is available by following the link at the top of the page.

Pastor and Lonnie Moll wish the members and friends of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church a very blessed Christmas and new year of God’s grace and mercy in Christ Jesus, our Savior! In Jesus – for the sake of His blood shed for us upon the cross – we have forgiveness for all our sins, peace with God and a place in His eternal kingdom. What could be better than that! Rejoice in God’s gift of salvation!

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7

[Scripture in this Newsletter is taken from the King James Version of the Bible.]