Tomorrow is the beginning of a new year. What does 2025 hold in store for us? Given the activity of 2024 I can say that the climate for Christians is going to dramatically get worse. But the thing about that statement is that for Christians in many parts of our world it couldn’t get much worse. So a better question for us to ask would be, what can I do with this coming year?

As far as Christianity goes China is considered to be one of the most oppressive, restrictive, persecuting nations in the world and within the borders of that anti-Christian country lives a lady whose life bears testimony to what one Christian can do with one year. I heard this from her friend.

This Chinese Christian lady went to her doctor for a checkup and was told she had only one year to live. She immediately asked herself, “What can I possibly do for the Lord in one year?” Here’s what happened:

In the course of the next three months she led fifty people to Christ. She goes to a Christian leader and tells him what has happened. She said, “I don’t know what to do with fifty new Christians”, her friend told her to start a house church and she did which, by the way, is illegal in China. In one year this lady started five house churches. Now her one year is up and she’s still alive and well. She goes to another doctor and tells him that one year ago she was told she had one year to live and here she is still very much alive. This doctor sends her to the hospital for tests and she is told there is nothing wrong, that she is fine. In thanksgiving she tells the Lord, “I gave you one year, now the rest of my life is yours.”

The striking note of her testimony was she never ask for healing, she never questioned why me? Why did this have to happen but rather what can I do for the Lord in one year.

What can we do with this coming year? Jesus gave us the answer: “He said therefore, a certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.” Luke 19:12-13

Occupy means to employ, busy or engage oneself, one’s mind, one’s attention, one’s heart to the Lord’s work. If we would choose to follow this lady’s testimony there would need to be a certain foundation laid in our lives which is simple but absolutely necessary.

We must be born again. The only way we can acceptably serve the Lord is with a new heart. There is no good thing living in our old heart. When we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, God gives us a new heart. John 1:12-13

This new heart then is to find its delight in doing the will of the Father. Pleasing Him is simple and pleasant: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” Heb 13:15

One more thing: the Bible is God’s word; decide to prayerfully read through your Bible this year, from cover to cover. If you do, you will be occupying your mind with God’s thoughts, you will be feeding on His promises and faithfulness, you will be warming yourself by the fires of His love, and in so doing you will grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord. Inevitably, being a witness for Jesus will become your chief occupation.

How will you occupy 2025? Happy New Year! Brother Bill

“God is love…We love because He first loved us” 1 John 4:16-19

The first 30 years of my life the Christmas season was a mixture of several enjoyable things. While in school it brought two weeks of relief and on the job it brought several days of vacation time. I liked Christmas trees and lights, opening presents, the outdoor nativity scene at the church, Christmas candy, the traditional homemade fruitcake and downtown Sapulpa being so alive. There was only one thing wrong with all of that; Jesus Christ, the One whom it was all about, was just one thing among the many that had my attention and proportionately, He had very little of that.

I thank God as a child I was taught the truth about Jesus: His virgin birth, His crucifixion, resurrection, seated at God’s right hand and coming again with power and glory. However, for the first 20 years of my life I never heard the most important truth of all: God loves me; Jesus loves me.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it. There is no judgment awaiting those who trust him.” John 3:16-18

Are you the world’s worst sinner?  Then it was precisely for you that God sent His Son into this world and it was for you that Christ died on the cross.

Here is love: Jesus came into this world to redeem us from Hell and to bring us to become sons of glory that God might pour out His riches on us.

Jesus Christ is God’s priceless gift to fallen, sinful man. In Him, God offers us full pardon of all our sins, and everlasting life. His gift is for everyone who believes in Him. The simplicity of receiving God’s gift is best expressed by the Apostle Paul: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13

God loves you unconditionally. When you receive His Son, you receive His love; when you reject His Son, you turn your back on the greatest love ever given to man. Because I am in Christ, I am a child of God and the Lord is my Shepherd.

That dear friends is the ultimate Christmas gift, more costly than silver and gold.

To all of my faithful readers, thank you and Merry Christmas, Brother Bill.

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to it. The gift of Jesus to us is priceless. Jesus is like a multi-faceted diamond; so many sides of beauty to look at. When we take a good look at Jesus, there are so many priceless things He is to us. Isaiah gives us four names for Jesus that are beyond compare, but I’m going to look at a few others.

Savior. “There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior…” Luke 2:11 God so loved the world that He sent His Son into this world to save us. Save us from condemnation and judgment by washing away all our sin with His own precious blood; and making us clean and acceptable before our God.

Shepherd. “I am the good shepherd…My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish…” John 10:11, 27-28 David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote the 23^rd Psalm. The first verse says it all: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” The remaining five verses are a commentary on why that is true. The total care, their provision and protection, of God’s people is laid totally on the shoulders of Jesus, until He safely ushers us into our Father’s eternal home

Elder Brother. “…Those whom God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.” Romans 8:29 Through His death, burial and resurrection, Jesus was given all power. It is the power of God that brings us to life through the new birth. In that new birth we are born into the family of God as His sons and daughters.

High Priest. “…Jesus is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25 In our Christian walk, we falter and fail, and sometimes we wander off and sin. But thank God, we have One who is always present to intercede for us, pray for us, and restore us back to where we need to be.

Friend. “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you.” John 15:13-14 “…There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24 “What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear…can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness, take it to the Lord in prayer.” Great is His faithfulness!

King. “…On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING of kings, and LORD of lords.” Revelation 19:16 The end plans of God for this age and the age to come are plainly inscribed upon the pages of God’s holy word. Jesus Christ left this world with the marks of the spikes and spear. He will return to this earth with those marks and with a crown on His head.

As THE KING, He will gather His people to Himself and will destroy all the enemies of God. He will sit in judgment on the wicked at the great white-throned judgment. Heaven and earth will pass away. A new heaven and earth will appear, along with New Jerusalem. And King Jesus, with His saints, shall rule and reign forevermore.

THANKS BE UNTO GOD FOR HIS UNSPEAKABLE GIFT!