I grew up going to church, a choir boy and priests assistant but my life was never truly changed by all of this. At university I gave up going to church. When I got my PhD, I worked for 2 years in the USA. Invited to attend a church, Jean and I met a Methodist pastor. There was something about this man, a love of God, knowledge of the word, love of people and a genuine desire for us to know Jesus as he did. This started me on my journey to believe in Jesus and ask Him into my life as Lord and Saviour (Rom 10:9-10). We all need to ask ourselves, “Do our lives impact people for Jesus, as our Methodist friend did us? Do people look at us and desire what we have as Christians?” How should people see us as Christians? The early church saw thousands of new Christians added to their numbers (Acts 2:41; 47b). What did people see in the lives of these early Christians? These Christians told others about Jesus, they emphasized prayer, the teaching of the apostles (God’s Word), communion, praising God and a unity and spiritual fellowship with God and each other (Acts 2:41-47). Caring for one another was a cardinal virtue of the early church (Acts 4:32-35). The apostle John exhorted us not to love the things of the world around us but to do God’s will (1 John 2:15-17). The apostle Paul wrote a wonderful description of Christian character; we are to be holy, merciful, kind, compassionate, humble gentle, patient, forgiving and people at peace in God’s unconditional love (Col 3:12-15). Let’s shine for God in 2025!

“You will forget your misery; it will be like water flowing away” (Job 11:16; NLT). This verse should be an encouragement to anyone going through a “miserable” phase of life. It certainly was to me when my husband shared this verse with me as I was just starting into chemo. I confessed this verse so much I almost wore it out! Verse 17 is equally encouraging, “Your life will be brighter than the noonday; its darkness will be as bright as morning” (NLT). We all go through difficult seasons of life but the Bible tells us to expect that (Ps 34:19), God encourages us that they are temporary and won’t last forever. (2 Cor 4:18). The apostle Paul had something to say about this too, that whatever we may be dealing with on earth is far outweighed by future glory, “yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later” (Rom 8:18; NLT). Jesus also had something to say about this, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the World” (John 16:33). So be encouraged today, remember that what you are going through has an expiry date and even as you deal with affliction, God goes with you because He has promised that He will never leave us (Heb 13:5) and is always with us. (Matt 28:20).

Christmas or “Christmass” is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Amidst all the giving, and receiving, it is good for us at Christmas to stop and think about the life, of our saviour. The World and many Christians, have lost site of the real meaning of Christmas. God the father sent His son Jesus to be born a human baby (Luke 1:26-38). Born of a lowly virgin called Mary in a stable, laid in a feed trough amongst the farm animals (Luke 2:7). Angels announced His birth, not to kings but to Shepherds out in the fields guarding their sheep (Luke 2:8-20). Jesus put aside His deity and all the benefits of Heaven (Phil 2:5-8) to walk this earth in selfless humility, teaching and modeling the righteous, holy and sin free life God has for us (Luke 8:1). Jesus used no chariots, or costly hotels. His followers provided for Him as He stayed in homes (Luke 8: 1-3; Luke 19:5) and often out under the stars (Luke 22:39). He walked in unconditional love, healing and bringing new life to those oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38). He confronted sin, even in the leaders of the day (Matt 23). Eventually those leaders arrested, scourged and crucified Him (Luke 22:47-23:49); he was betrayed by one of his own Disciples (John 13:21-30). Christ died as a sacrifice for our sins that separated us from God, so we could be forgiven (Col 1:14). Through Christs death and resurrection, He defeated satan and stripped him of all power and authority in our lives (Col 2:15). Through faith in that baby born in a stable and as we make Him Lord of our lives (Rom 10:9-10), we can enjoy all the abundant life he has for us (John 10:10).

As Christians we are still be tempted to sin by desires that satan can bring into our minds (James 1:14-15; 2 Cor 11:3) Satan tempted Eve to disobey God (Gen 3:1-6), he tempted Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus (John 13:21-27), and Jesus, at the start of His Ministry on earth, resisted satans temptations three times with the Word of God (Matt 4:1-11). Jesus sympathizes with our temptations as He was very God but also very man (John 1:14) in His time on the earth, tempted to sin but sinless (Hebr 4:15). Jesus, through His death and resurrection stripped satan of all power and authority over our lives and won forgiveness for us (Col 2:15; Eph 1:7). The apostle Paul confessed that as a born-again Christian his spiritually renewed inner man or heart (spirit) desired to do right but his flesh or unregenerated mind, will and emotions wanted to follow the temptations to sin. (Rom 7:21-25). We share this struggle. However, as Paul also taught us, with the power of the Holy Spirit in us, we can direct our flesh, overcome temptations’ and walk in the victory Christ has for us (Rom 8:1-2). God told us that we are not tempted any differently than anyone else, that He won’t allow us to be tempted in any way we can’t handle and He will always show us how to escape every temptation with His Word (1 Cor 10:13). Get in the word grow your faith (Rom 10:17), pray and allow the Holy Spirt to have His way in your life.

Jesus said: “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10b; NKJV). The apostle Paul wrote that the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead lives in us as Christians and brings life to our physical bodies (Rom 8:11). Therefore, sickness and disease are not of God, they are brought against us by the attacks of satan (John 10:10a; Acts 10:38). God told His people in Old Testament times that: “I am the Lord who heals you” (Ex 15:26; NLT) and King David wrote that God is the one: “who heals all your diseases” (Ps 103:3b; NKJV). In His time on this earth Jesus ministered healing to many people. Luke reported in his Gospel (Luke 4:40) that Jesus heled every sick person that came to Him and the apostle Matthew wrote (Matt 4:23) that Jesus healed many different diseases and sicknesses. Jesus sent out His disciples to preach and heal the sick (Matt 10:8). By the stripes and wounds Jesus suffered, prior to His crucifixion, He won healing for all of us (1 Peter 2:24). In His great commission to all Christians to go and preach the Gospel, Jesus commanded us to: “lay hands on the sick and they will recover” (Mark 16:18b; NKJV). Miracles of healing were frequently seen in the early Church (Acts 9:36-42; 8:6-8; 5:12). We all live in the continuance of the early Church and God never changes (Mal 3:6), healing is ours today!