December 2015 Monthly Letter

Dear Reconciler Family,

One magazine I saw recently had in bold letters “What is the real meaning of Christmas?” For many Christmas means parties, shopping, vacations, and giving and receiving gifts. While all of this may be wonderful and fun it is very easy to overlook the real meaning of the Event called Christmas. And that is the celebration of the Birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who came to save the world.

We read in the Biblical book of John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

“John 3:16 has been called the most famous bible verse, one of the most widely quoted verses, it has been called the ‘gospel in a nutshell,’ because it is considered a summary of the central theme of Traditional Christianity. Some scholars state that the word “so” in the Greek expresses the mode, intensity, extent and greatness of the gift God has given.” –Wikipedia

Wow! What a powerful example of the great love of God which he showers down upon us His children! And the blessing and joy of knowing that He came that we might live an abundant, joyful and peaceful life on this earth. And to know that when we leave this earth an even more wonderful life awaits us!

He came as the Reconciler that was needed to bring about reconciliation between broken humanity and God the Father, Himself and the Holy Spirit: The Great Triune God.

As Jesus dwells in us today, he is building His Body, the Church, reconciling us and uniting us so that the world may know who he is. Notice what the Apostle Paul wrote: “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:16-20

As we look at the world we live in I believe we all can appreciate these powerful messages from God Himself. The broken relationships such as the ongoing strife in Paris, France, and other nations around the world. We still have police and community issues that seem to never go away.

I gain a lot of encouragement and strength in knowing God is on His throne and He has the answer for all these issues. We can walk out of our doors knowing that He is always with us “through thick and thin,” as we say.

Thank you for being ambassadors of Christ! He will not forget our good deeds as we seek to be His salt and light for others to see.

Blessings to you all,