Christmas Letter -- 2008

Hark the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the newborn King!

Peace on earth and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled!"

This is one of my favorite Christmas songs. I never really heard the lyrics before I had faith in

Christ. After October 25th, 1987, Christmas meant more to me than ever. The meaning changed from gifts, family, parties and all the trimmings -- to the awe and wonder of Jesus! I had heard the Nativity story all my life and understood that Jesus was God's Son Who came as a little baby to save the world. It was a fantastic story! However, the reality of this Nativity story became mine that day in October when I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I told Him that I had known about Him, but that now I needed Him to become real in my life. I knew about the Savior, but now I NEEDED a Savior.

Romans 10:11-13, says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;
for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." That was one Bible version of that verse. Sometimes when I look up the same verse in different versions, I can better "fit" the meaning to what I want to convey. For instance, in The Message Bible, this verse says simply, "the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. "Everyone who calls, 'Help, God!' gets help."

"Everyone who calls, 'Help, God!' gets help" . . . incredibly simple and incredibly accurate. If we call upon His Name and believe we shall be saved. Simple. I LOVE what Max Lucado, author, calls John 3:16. He says that John 3:16 is the "Hope Diamond" of the Bible. "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." This is Good News and this gives us all great HOPE.

And what is saving faith? What is the difference between just knowing about someone and really BELIEVING IN THEM? This is my best demonstration on what saving faith is: Take a chair. Stand next to that chair. Look at the chair. Do you believe that that chair exists? Most would say, "yes." That is where I was before October 25th, 1987. I knew that Jesus existed. I believed that much. But that wasn't enough faith to be converted, inwardly changed by the Holy Spirit, or born again. Let me go back to the existing chair standing beside you. You believe that the chair is there. You might even believe that that chair can hold you if you chose to sit in it. But true saving faith, real faith, the "believe" that John 3:16 is referring to is this -- sit down in the chair and COMPLETELY RELY UPON IT TO HOLD YOU UP.

When we completely rely upon Jesus as our only way to eternal life. When we rely upon His finished work, His righteousness, knowing that we can never "do good enough" to earn our way to Heaven . . . when we call upon His Name as the answer to our "dilemma," then we receive all that the angels heralded that night . . . reconciliation with God, healing, deliverence, death holding no sting, peace and good will, and . . . a second birth.

"Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!

Hail the Son of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings

Ris'n with healing in His wings

Mild He lays His glory by

Born that man no more may die

Born to raise the sons of earth

Born to give them second birth

Hark! The herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn King!"

The Gospel is Good News. It brings relief to our souls. We need help. And God offers it thru His Son, Jesus. He is the only Way, the only Truth and the only Life.

Quoting Max Lucado, "YOUR GOODNESS CAN'T WIN GOD'S LOVE. NOR CAN YOUR BADNESS LOSE IT. BUT YOU CAN RESIST IT." Let's not resist so great a Gift and so great a love.

Merry Christmas, from our house to yours. And may we all stay fully convinced of this Good News and believe, relying on Christ alone. Amen.