“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, And in Him Amen, to the glory of God” (2 Cor 1:20; NKJV). Through Christs death and resurrection, He paid the price for our sins, sins that caused us to die spiritually and separated us from God, jesus won forgiveness for us for all of our sin’s past, present and future (Rom 6:23; John 1:6-7; Eph 2:1; Col 1:14). As we believe in Jesus and ask Him into our lives as Lord and Saviour (Rom 10:9-10), we are born again spiritually (saved) and come back into fellowship with God (John 14:23). The Greek word for salvation (soterion) encompasses forgiveness, deliverance from all of the effects of sin, healing, prosperity, preservation, happiness and general well-being, or in other words, an abundant life as God lives (John 10:10b). God no longer sees us as sinners but as His children with right standing with Him (1 John 3:1). The apostle Paul gave us a glimpse of the depth of God’s unconditional love for us, he wrote: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor 2:9, NKJV). God provides all of our needs from: “His glorious riches” (Phil 4:19; NLT), in other words by His standard not ours and He uses His power to give us all things we need for life and godly living (2 Peter 1: 2-4). He will never leave or forsake us (Hebr 13:5b). As we enter 2025, let’s reflect on God’s goodness but also remember that as we focus on God and make His ways our priority, we open His hands to be able to bless us (Mall 6:33).

Pic: Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada.

I grew up going to church, a choir boy and priests assistant but my life was never truly changed by all of this. At university I gave up going to church. When I got my PhD, I worked for 2 years in the USA. Invited to attend a church, Jean and I met a Methodist pastor. There was something about this man, a love of God, knowledge of the word, love of people and a genuine desire for us to know Jesus as he did. This started me on my journey to believe in Jesus and ask Him into my life as Lord and Saviour (Rom 10:9-10). We all need to ask ourselves, “Do our lives impact people for Jesus, as our Methodist friend did us? Do people look at us and desire what we have as Christians?” How should people see us as Christians? The early church saw thousands of new Christians added to their numbers (Acts 2:41; 47b). What did people see in the lives of these early Christians? These Christians told others about Jesus, they emphasized prayer, the teaching of the apostles (God’s Word), communion, praising God and a unity and spiritual fellowship with God and each other (Acts 2:41-47). Caring for one another was a cardinal virtue of the early church (Acts 4:32-35). The apostle John exhorted us not to love the things of the world around us but to do God’s will (1 John 2:15-17). The apostle Paul wrote a wonderful description of Christian character; we are to be holy, merciful, kind, compassionate, humble gentle, patient, forgiving and people at peace in God’s unconditional love (Col 3:12-15). Let’s shine for God in 2025!

“You will forget your misery; it will be like water flowing away” (Job 11:16; NLT). This verse should be an encouragement to anyone going through a “miserable” phase of life. It certainly was to me when my husband shared this verse with me as I was just starting into chemo. I confessed this verse so much I almost wore it out! Verse 17 is equally encouraging, “Your life will be brighter than the noonday; its darkness will be as bright as morning” (NLT). We all go through difficult seasons of life but the Bible tells us to expect that (Ps 34:19), God encourages us that they are temporary and won’t last forever. (2 Cor 4:18). The apostle Paul had something to say about this too, that whatever we may be dealing with on earth is far outweighed by future glory, “yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later” (Rom 8:18; NLT). Jesus also had something to say about this, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the World” (John 16:33). So be encouraged today, remember that what you are going through has an expiry date and even as you deal with affliction, God goes with you because He has promised that He will never leave us (Heb 13:5) and is always with us. (Matt 28:20).

Christmas or “Christmass” is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Amidst all the giving, and receiving, it is good for us at Christmas to stop and think about the life, of our saviour. The World and many Christians, have lost site of the real meaning of Christmas. God the father sent His son Jesus to be born a human baby (Luke 1:26-38). Born of a lowly virgin called Mary in a stable, laid in a feed trough amongst the farm animals (Luke 2:7). Angels announced His birth, not to kings but to Shepherds out in the fields guarding their sheep (Luke 2:8-20). Jesus put aside His deity and all the benefits of Heaven (Phil 2:5-8) to walk this earth in selfless humility, teaching and modeling the righteous, holy and sin free life God has for us (Luke 8:1). Jesus used no chariots, or costly hotels. His followers provided for Him as He stayed in homes (Luke 8: 1-3; Luke 19:5) and often out under the stars (Luke 22:39). He walked in unconditional love, healing and bringing new life to those oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38). He confronted sin, even in the leaders of the day (Matt 23). Eventually those leaders arrested, scourged and crucified Him (Luke 22:47-23:49); he was betrayed by one of his own Disciples (John 13:21-30). Christ died as a sacrifice for our sins that separated us from God, so we could be forgiven (Col 1:14). Through Christs death and resurrection, He defeated satan and stripped him of all power and authority in our lives (Col 2:15). Through faith in that baby born in a stable and as we make Him Lord of our lives (Rom 10:9-10), we can enjoy all the abundant life he has for us (John 10:10).

As Christians we are still be tempted to sin by desires that satan can bring into our minds (James 1:14-15; 2 Cor 11:3) Satan tempted Eve to disobey God (Gen 3:1-6), he tempted Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus (John 13:21-27), and Jesus, at the start of His Ministry on earth, resisted satans temptations three times with the Word of God (Matt 4:1-11). Jesus sympathizes with our temptations as He was very God but also very man (John 1:14) in His time on the earth, tempted to sin but sinless (Hebr 4:15). Jesus, through His death and resurrection stripped satan of all power and authority over our lives and won forgiveness for us (Col 2:15; Eph 1:7). The apostle Paul confessed that as a born-again Christian his spiritually renewed inner man or heart (spirit) desired to do right but his flesh or unregenerated mind, will and emotions wanted to follow the temptations to sin. (Rom 7:21-25). We share this struggle. However, as Paul also taught us, with the power of the Holy Spirit in us, we can direct our flesh, overcome temptations’ and walk in the victory Christ has for us (Rom 8:1-2). God told us that we are not tempted any differently than anyone else, that He won’t allow us to be tempted in any way we can’t handle and He will always show us how to escape every temptation with His Word (1 Cor 10:13). Get in the word grow your faith (Rom 10:17), pray and allow the Holy Spirt to have His way in your life.