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Monday, December 29, 2008
This week we start a new year. We also start meeting in a new place. What is new in
your life? This year has ended and now we begin another year- for some they are glad the year ended - others think this was
a good year. In ancient times the year began in March in the Spring but the Romans changed it so it began in January. Now
instead of beginning in a season that represents life we begin a season that represents death and out of that season of death
we celebrate Christmas and new beginnings, looking forward to the life that comes from the resurrection and the bright light
of Summer then we see our Harvest. Truly our Harvest is approaching and God
is truly with us Is he with you? Do you feel His presence in your life? Do you see His hand working or do you feel that
God is not listening? Know that God has heard you and that He loves you so much that he thinks you are worth his only Son!
HE will not leave you and He will provide for you regardless of how big your need is. The bigger your need the bigger your
God is! God is all you need so trust in Him and trust that He will provide for you. HE has not forgotten you- the only
thing he forgot in your life is your sins - that he does not remember! God forgets the things that brought separation and
remembers what brings unity so trust Him today! I encourage you to not get
so caught up in your blessing that you forget God. God loves you and always is working on your behalf whether it appears to
you that He is or not. God is for you and God will always keep you so trust the God that is in you.- the Holy Spirt of God
lives in you so trust Him and He will direct your paths and lead you into joy!
Pastor Don Carson Word of Grace Fellowship
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Dear Friends,
God is with you and God will keep you. Too often we look at our bank account or listen to the creditors for we owe them money.
God is to be our source. Rely on what He provided. I want to encourage you that God must become bigger to you then your problems.
God must be the source. You may have a job and that job might provide some finances but it is not your source. Your source
is Jesus. This holiday of Christmas did not always celebrate Jesus. Christmas
was added in the 4th century and replaced the celebration of Mishra which enabled slaves and masters to switch places for
one day. There was always freedom associated with this day but today we find those that try to say, well Christmas is a pagan
day. They do not see it in the Bible so they say well it should not be celebrated and do not really look at what happened
with this day. People bring in Santa Clause and say you do good you get presents but if do bad you get coal. Yet we never
give our kids coal, we always make excuses to give them gifts. This is a holiday
of giving where you have a chance to bless others and sow into their lives Gods love. Sow love. Sow peace.Sow gladness and
joy. Give gifts from the heart and love all men so that God can open a door to produce peace in them This is a day where
you have a chance to give without having a reason. Don't let the commericialization of Christmas prevent you from celebrating
the glory of Christ and sharing his love with others. His glory is in you so share with others what He put within you.
Pastor Don Carson Word of Grace Fellowship
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Dear Friends,
Christmas is coming and when we think of Christmas sometimes we think of Santa and all the commercialism, but some focus on
Jesus. The first time that Jesus came people were eagerly expecting the Messiah. Jesus is coming again and we call this appearance
the rapture. This is just as important as it was the first time Jesus came. Jesus came the first time because he was coming
to remove sin. Now he is coming back for those that He removed their sin. The 1st coming was to restore men; this coming is
to take back those that were restored and to bring the final restoration to all things. Christmas
is not just another holiday for it the celebration of the birth of Jesus, it does not matter if it is the right day or not.
What matters is that Christ is coming and whether we belong to Him or not. God is coming for us and this time the angels will
not be singing in a choir to announce it, but they will blow a trumpet and the dead will rise when he comes. Only those that
belong to Him will hear his voice. This time when you celebrate Christmas do not forget you are also celebrating all that
God did for you in Jesus Christ Don't focus on Santa Clause but focus on
Jesus Christ! Focus on what He brought you and the gifts that God has given to you and gives to you daily in Him. Focus on
who you are and the love that God has for you. See the glory that God has for you because of the first coming of Jesus
Next week we will celebrate Christmas Sunday and celebrate Communion. Wherever you
are I pray that you will be blessed.
Pastor
Don Carson
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Our former Pastor loved Christmas time for it was such a special time and looked forward to it every
year. I believe that the more that you are in love in with Jesus the more special Christmas becomes to you. God loves you
not because you of your deeds but because He loves you sicne He made you. He is not out to get you or find wrong with you
but He is out to bless you! Do you love Christmas? Do you just get caught up in the commercialization of Christmas or
do you focus on the Jesus of Christmas. WHich Christmas is the one who see- the Jesus of marketing or the Jesus of the
Bible? There is so much about Christmas to love. Christmas is a time when we celebrate
the coming of Jesus. I want you to also consider that we are not just celebrating that Jesus came but that we are also celebrating
that Jesus is coming again. We are celebrating that we will soon be in Heaven for we are celebrating that God is with us soon.
We are celebrating all that we have because of Jesus. We know that because
Jesus came the first time that we can trust him to keep Him his word. He did the work so we can have assurance that He will
return. God can and will do the impossible. HE did it before when Jesus came. Jesus God in flesh, came to take our place and
the impossible was witnessed. God was manifested in a fleshly body. The eternal body was concentrated in the body of a fallen
man without sin so that we can be made right with God. God did what we could not because of his love and God will do what
we so desperately need because God loves us just as much now as He did then. Time has not changed his love for us.
Pastor Don Carson
12:53 pm est
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