Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! The year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one: 2021! Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
Remembering [by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God—not because of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)] stimulates resolve and renewal as we reflect on the past and embrace new hope for the present. Listening to comments about the New Year, it appears most believe 2021 will be better than 2020. If you are expecting great things or just excited for a New Year; God desires to change us! Jesus meets us this New Year whether we are world-weary grumblers or excited and expectant. Jesus is God’s miracle of salvation and transformed life! Humbly ask Jesus to give the miracle of new life. Receive His new birth, and the indwelling of Christ’s Holy Spirit. We have this confident assurance from his word.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing this that our joy may be complete. (1 John 1:1-4)
The New Year is a wonderful opportunity to embrace new life through faith in Jesus Christ. Entering though the doorway of faith empowers us to say “yes” to God’s presence and purpose for us. It is easy to reflect on the closing of a year and identify all the things that have gone wrong, all the failures and faults. Why not take a few moments and honestly ask God’s Holy Spirit to help you to recall how we have “heard, seen with our eyes, looked upon and touched with our hands, things concerning the eternal life the Father has made manifest to us.”
We are blessed by God drawing near to us in the Person of Jesus the Son of God who in our time of despair, offers hope: Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But he (Jesus) said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” Luke 18:26-27 God gives us joy and blessing, sharing Jesus as we go, so we may have fellowship with others. Live the new life God has for you, today and always. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love undying.
In Jesus,
Paul and Nancy Wier
Nancy and I rejoice and are glad for the new life we have with you all in Fairbury. Thank you for your prayers, ministry, and commitment to Jesus and his Church. Your support, words of encouragement, cards, notes, gifts are a blessing to us. We say, “Thank-you” and God bless you and send you a Happy New Year!
God loves you and we love you, Paul and Nancy Wier