Author: njbc-editor

Happy New Year! This day marks a new beginning of time. It marks new hopes, dreams, plans (resolutions?), and promises. But the reality is that not everything turns out as we planned or hoped for. The only thing, and the best thing that we can hope for, is that after we discuss those plans with God and if it is His will, He will honor them and bless us. We may have failed in our plans for the last year, but God is always there to pick us up so we can begin again. Revelation 21:5a says “And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.” May He make this “new” year a good one for you, full of hope and blessings as you spend time with Him. God Bless You in 2022!

As we open our presents on Christmas morning, I wonder if we have received the “Gift.” I am talking about the gift of Jesus Christ as our Savior. Many people haven’t received this gift. The gift is only mentioned three times in the bible. In Isaiah 7:14 we are told of this gift – “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” This gift was so important that it was repeated again in Matthew 1:23. Many of us re-gift our presents; this year I encourage you to share your gift with someone who hasn’t received it. Merry Christmas —-and Happy Birthday Jesus.

Most of us have heard the expression “No Jesus, no peace, Know Jesus, know peace. Sadly, for our lost loved ones and a lost world living in sin, it is hard to understand the peace that we as Christians feel. John 14:27a says “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.” During this Christmas season, let’s share the peace of the gospel of Jesus. Amen? God bless you!

It’s almost Christmas and most of us are caught up in the seasonal activities.  We rush around setting up  our outside decorations and searching for the perfect tree. We might get exhausted running from store to store searching for the perfect present or tired from dealing with the crowds and holiday traffic.  We might even be too tired to spend some time with God. So, why not stop and spend a couple of minutes of restful time with our Lord. Stop and listen for his voice, pause and thank him for his blessings.  Psalm 46:10 says “Be still and know that I am God.” Do that and experience rest in the midst of the hustle and bustle. God bless you!

There are a great many gulfs we are aware of: the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of Suez, the Gulf of California; the word gulf is meant to describe a large distance between two places. There is another gulf we should always be aware of: the gulf between ourselves and God. Just like the gulf between two sides of a mountain we need a bridge to get us to the other side, and for us, that bridge is the love Jesus Christ has for man. 1 Timothy 2:5 says “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” I hope each of us is using that bridge to get closer to God each day. God bless you!

It’s morning, and you go alone into your prayer closet, but are you really alone? Things go in with you; things like uncertainty, fear, grief, or maybe joy, peace or excitement. Sometimes, because of the things in there with us, we just don’t know what to say or how to start. Thankfully, in that closet with us is the spirit of Christ. Romans 8:26 says “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” I’m glad I’m not alone in my prayer closet, how about you? God bless!

Have you ever heard the expression “If it sounds too good to be true it probably is,” or  “Beware of a wolf in sheep’s clothing”? As Christians we need to be constantly aware of these phrases. We are living in a time in which we are blasted by false prophets, both on television, radio, and print. We are warned about this in Matthew 7:15 where we are told “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing,  but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” I pray that we are all on guard and are prepared to speak the truth. God bless you all!

One of my least favorite seasons is fall. The leaves drop and make a mess, the spring flowers die, and the lawn I’ve nurtured all year long turns from green to brown. In spite of that seasonal change, we have a hope for all seasons. Isaiah 40:8 tells us: “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever.” I am thankful that I always have that to depend upon, how about you? God bless you!

Do you believe in angels? I know that I do! Angels are mentioned 93 times in the Old Testament and 163 times in the New Testament. Jacob wrestled with one, Isaiah saw them in a vision, John also saw them in his vision of Heaven. Some angels minister to God, others minister to us. Some are messengers (Gabriel), some are warriors (Michael); how many are there? I don’t know, but in Revelation 5:11 John said “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.” I don’t know how many there are, but to quote a popular song: “Oh, I believe there are angels among us, sent down to us from somewhere up above….” How about you? God bless you and may He guard you with a host of angels!

Do you ever think about things that are centered? When we hang a picture we make sure it is centered, when we build a wall we make sure the bubble in the level is centered, in yoga we are told to find our center, some people are “self-centered.” Alexander Maclaren said “The cross is the center of the world’s history.” But do we make Christ the center of our life? He is the Alpha, Omega, Beginning, End, First, Last and everything in the center. Matthew 6:33a tells us “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and all his righteousness…” If we can do that, we will be truly centered. God bless you!