Christmas Letter 2021
The kingdom of the world has become
the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
and he will reign for ever and ever.
Revelation 11:15
the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
and he will reign for ever and ever.
Revelation 11:15
In Luke chapter 1, as the angel comes to Mary to give to her a series of announcements concerning her divine conception and the son to be born to her and Joseph, there is an often over-looked phrase in the angelic message. Luke 1:33 says of Jesus…he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.
To appreciate the fulness of the Christmas story, we have to look beyond the baby of Bethlehem, beyond Calvary, beyond Christ’s ascension and even beyond His promised return. He came to redeem lost mankind and to restore all that was lost in the fall AND to establish His rule and reign for all eternity.
Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, Satan has usurped man’s rule in this world. He has set up a counter-kingdom to the kingdom of God. The cosmic battle between good and evil continues and will continue until the final overthrow of Satan and the Lord Jesus ushers in His eternal kingdom. On the cross, it looked like Christ had been defeated but in reality His death not only secured for us a way to be reconciled to God, to find forgiveness and eternal life, it also dealt a fatal blow to the Evil One. By His death and resurrection, Jesus has triumphed over Satan, once and for all and forever. The battle still continues today, but one day Jesus will reign supreme and his kingdom will never end.
In a world filled with uncertainty, that is deeply divided, where evil, violence and hatred seems to have the upper hand, the message of the angel, the story of Christmas reminds us that in the end Christ wins!
There is coming a day, it might not be today and it might not be tomorrow, but there is coming a day when good will triumph over evil, when all the wrongs of this world will be made right and Christ will reign victorious!
Therefore, we can say with the Psalmist…The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1) This Christmas we can find peace and rest and joy, knowing we serve the King of kings and Lord of lords!
Janice and I want to thank you for sharing the journey with us this past year; for all your love and encouragement to us and our family; especially for all your prayers for Noah and Luke. We are blessed to be part of such a loving, caring church family!
From our home to yours, Merry Christmas!
Pastor Ken
To appreciate the fulness of the Christmas story, we have to look beyond the baby of Bethlehem, beyond Calvary, beyond Christ’s ascension and even beyond His promised return. He came to redeem lost mankind and to restore all that was lost in the fall AND to establish His rule and reign for all eternity.
Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, Satan has usurped man’s rule in this world. He has set up a counter-kingdom to the kingdom of God. The cosmic battle between good and evil continues and will continue until the final overthrow of Satan and the Lord Jesus ushers in His eternal kingdom. On the cross, it looked like Christ had been defeated but in reality His death not only secured for us a way to be reconciled to God, to find forgiveness and eternal life, it also dealt a fatal blow to the Evil One. By His death and resurrection, Jesus has triumphed over Satan, once and for all and forever. The battle still continues today, but one day Jesus will reign supreme and his kingdom will never end.
In a world filled with uncertainty, that is deeply divided, where evil, violence and hatred seems to have the upper hand, the message of the angel, the story of Christmas reminds us that in the end Christ wins!
There is coming a day, it might not be today and it might not be tomorrow, but there is coming a day when good will triumph over evil, when all the wrongs of this world will be made right and Christ will reign victorious!
Therefore, we can say with the Psalmist…The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1) This Christmas we can find peace and rest and joy, knowing we serve the King of kings and Lord of lords!
Janice and I want to thank you for sharing the journey with us this past year; for all your love and encouragement to us and our family; especially for all your prayers for Noah and Luke. We are blessed to be part of such a loving, caring church family!
From our home to yours, Merry Christmas!
Pastor Ken