Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Jesus!

We have had a great Christmas time.  I could preach at a Baptist church on
Christmas Eve, we had a few guests for dinner and fellowship in the evening,
the children really enjoyed the present giving, and Jesus was at the centre
of our celebrations, which I am sure made Him happy.

We celebrated Christmas in the same spirit as Esther and the Jews celebrate
the Feast of Purim:

Esther 9: 20-22
20 Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews
throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far,
21 to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the
month of Adar [the 12th month]
22 as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month
when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of
celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy
and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

The digging into the Christmas message again has re-inspired me in my
Christian living.  Jesus is our Saviour, He saves us from our very real
enemies.  And when He comes back, it will all be over and a HEALED and WHOLE
universe will be fully unveiled.  And all who believe in Him, who trust in
Him, who have received and opened His present of the forgiveness of sins,
will be there and a part of it.

This is the message I am living for.  May it be your message, too!

God bless you,

Peter and Family!