Welcome 2026!

Of all persons the Christian should be best prepared for whatever the New Year brings. He has dealt with life at its source. In Christ he has disposed of a thousand enemies that other men must face alone and unprepared. He can face his tomorrow cheerful and unafraid because yesterday he turned his feet into the ways of peace and today he lives in God. The man who has made God his dwelling place will always have a safe habitation. 

[A.W. Tozer]

Psalm 4:8 ... I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.

~ Happy New Year 2026! ~

"Last Day of The Year"

We kneel together, O great God, for the last time in the year, which has now reached its close. May our last united cry be our best the most glowing in fervor the most abased in humility the most fragrant in the reconciling blood the most hallowed by the interceding Spirit. 

We look to ourselves, and we turn to You. Our earthly days roll rapidly away. Our moments vanish while we grasp them. But You change not. Time is not time to You. From everlasting to everlasting Your name is, "I am that I am." 

Glorious Jehovah, we are astounded at Your unspeakable greatness. We marvel more at Your surpassing goodness. Trusting in Your superabounding grace, we thus draw near. It befits us at the end of each day, to bring the tribute of thanksgiving for our daily mercies. What shall we render for all the mercies of all the days of the year now fled? 

Oh, that we could gather all into one mass and meet them with deserving praise! But we cannot count the ocean's sands. How, then, can we calculate Your mercies, which in number are far more! Our thanks are worthless for the least of all Your favors. What are they when weighed against the wondrous whole! 

We know but a part, but that part surpasses praise. But we ardently desire that the concluding year should bear witness that we bring adorations with overflowing hearts. For all Your personal mercies for the measure of health with which we have been favored for the preservation of our frames from fatal sickness and from evil accident for the comforts of a sheltering roof for the sufficiency of food and clothing for the continuance of mental and bodily power.

Good Lord, accept the praises of our inmost souls! For Your goodness to us as a family for mutual support and help for the sweet delights of domestic harmony and peace for seats now filled which might have been a vacant blank. 

Good Lord, accept the praises of our inmost souls! For Your distinguishing favors to us as a nation for the peace which smiles upon our borders for the plenty of our fields for the absence of wasting sickness and destroying plagues for the protection of right laws for the Bible open to our use for the continued light and liberty of our glorious Reformation.

Good Lord, accept the praises of our inmost souls! Enriched with all these blessings, and with countless more, we close this year. We know our privileges. We feel them. We bless Your holy name! But other thoughts oppress us. We blush to lift up our eyes unto You, O God of all grace and love. Shame and confusion of face humble us to the very dust. Wherever You have been boundless in mercy we have been abundant in sin. We cannot measure our ingratitude. We cannot estimate our vileness. We cannot in thought reach to the extent of our transgressions throughout this traversed year. Each day has added to our guilt. Each scene has witnessed our straying feet and our offending tongues. 

What is there in heaven or in earth, above, around, without, within which condemns us not? The sun condemns us, which has seen our misdeeds; the darkness, too, which hides nothing from You. The cruel accuser justly accuses. How often have Your good angels been provoked to leave us! Your righteous law, your holy Word, our sin-soiled consciences, our public and our private hours, our neighbors and ourselves write dark things against us. We make no denial. We frame no excuse. We confess, Father, we have sinned throughout this year against heaven and before You and are no more worthy to be called Your sons. 

But still, we live! We live to fly as contrite penitents to Your extended arms! We know that You will not cast us off for Jesus brings us nearby. You will not condemn us for Your dear Son died in our place. You will not mark the mountains upon mountains of our sins for the Savior has removed them all. His precious blood has washed out every crimson stain! His beauteous righteousness covers all our deformities! 

O God, our God, we bid farewell, then, to this year, clinging to His cross, sheltered by His side, hidden in His wounds, cleansed in His blood, covered by His spotless robe, beautified in His salvation. Thus, we conclude our last united prayer, blessing You for Jesus Christ. All honor, and glory, and might, and majesty, and dominion, be unto You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the God of our salvation, now, henceforth, and ever. Amen. 

[Henry Law]

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"When The Herds Were Watching"

In the midnight chill,
Came a spotless lambkin
From the heavenly hill.

Snow was on the mountains,
And the wind was cold.
When from God's own garden
Dropped a rose of gold.

When it was bitter winter,
Houseless and forlorn
In a star-lit stable
Christ the Babe was born.

Welcome, heavenly lambkin.
Welcome, golden rose.
Alleluia, Baby,
In the swaddling clothes!

[William Canton]

Luke 2:12 ... And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. ❤

Blessedness of Contemplating Jesus

There is no sweeter occupation for the soul than to set its gaze steadily upon the Lord Jesus Christ. He who was once despised and rejected by men, is now exalted in the heavens. The heart that contemplates His beauty, drinks deeply of Heaven's own joy. The world seeks gratification in a thousand fleeting things, but the believer finds his satisfaction in contemplating Jesus. This contemplation is not mere wandering thoughts it is a sanctifying gaze that changes the heart. "I meditate on You through the watches of the night." (Psalm 63:6) 

In the silence of the night, when all earthly distractions fade, the soul communes with its Savior and finds in Him a peace which surpasses all understanding. The Scriptures declare that the man is blessed whose "delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night!" (Psalm 1:2) 

Even more so, what joy is found when the soul meditates upon the living Word Himself, Jesus Christ! To fix our eyes upon Him, is to behold the fountain of mercy, and the King of glory. This world with all its vanities beckons us to fix our minds below. But the Spirit calls us higher: "Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things!" (Colossians 3:1-2) 

True blessedness is not found by looking within or around but by looking upward to the Savior who reigns. 

[Author Unknown] 

Hebrews 12:2 ... Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

✫❤•°*”˜˜”*°•❤✫...•°*”˜˜”*°•.❤✫...•°*”˜˜”*°•.❤✫

If God Feeds His Birds ...

Romans 8:32 ... He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

This glorious promise carries us from Calvary's crimson hill to the spacious plains of God's boundless provision. The Father, having offered His beloved Son as a substitutionary sacrifice for His people, thereby demonstrated that every cost of our redemption was borne in full. If the Sovereign of Heaven did not count the anguish of Golgotha too great to spare His only begotten Son, then will He now withhold from us any good thing? Never! 

The gift of Christ for our salvation, secures every lesser gift. As we behold the infinite compassion manifested in the cross, we trust that such love will daily supply our every need. If God did not spare His beloved Son for us, then He will withhold no needful blessing from those for whom Jesus died. If God has given you Jesus, then He has engaged all the riches of Heaven for your good. He who gave the greater, will not deny the lesser. If God feeds His birds, then surely, He will not starve His babes. 

Free pardon and full forgiveness, grace along the way, and glory at the end all this our Savior has promised to give! Believer, when fear whispers that your burdens exceed your father's care, return to Calvary. There you see the height of His giving and there you find the answer to your every need. Rather than sinking under anxiety, let faith boldly think: "Will my God, who gave His darling Son for my salvation refuse to give me daily bread, comfort in sorrow, or needed strength?" 

No trial can outstrip His upholding grace; no Scriptural request can exceed His generosity. 

Heavenly Father, you did not spare Your own Son but delivered Him up for us. Teach us to rest in that matchless gift. Grant us faith to plead Your promises, courage to cast all our cares on You, and joy in anticipating Your gracious provision. May our lives overflow with gratitude as we receive the riches of Your grace. Amen. 

[Thomas Watson] 

✫❤•°*”˜˜”*°•❤✫...•°*”˜˜”*°•.❤✫...•°*”˜˜”*°•.❤✫

Slumber

 You slept last night. He watched over you. And He woke you up in the morning.

Praise God!

Proverbs 3:24 ...  When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

Psalm 4:8 ...  I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.

Song of Solomon 5:2 ...  I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.

Lamentation 3:22-23 ... It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. ❤

Madness!!

Man by nature is insane! He suffers from a deep-rooted psychosis called sin! An unseen principle of madness permeates his entire being! Fallen man is a stark raving lunatic whose depravity, rebellion, and malice against God literally knows no limit. 

Thoroughly degraded, man is a weak, tiny, insignificant, little dung-beetle yet, in his senseless audacity and brazen insolence, he daily tempts God to destroy him by stubbornly refusing to obey Him.  If it is madness for maggots on a dunghill to oppose the all-powerful boot of man then we worm of the earth dare not oppose the Highest God, whose invisible boot of omnipotent sovereignty could squash our souls into Hell with unthinkable ease! Such unwarranted impudence is not only futile, but completely and utterly insane! 

[Frank Hall] 

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Numbers 32:23 ...  But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.

Isaiah 13:11 ... And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

Revelation 18:5 ...  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

Romans 1:32 ... Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Proverbs 14:9 ... Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.❤

"Christmas Day"

Lord, we will extol You, O God, our King. We will bless Your name forever and ever. But especially on this hallowed morn, we desire to pour forth floods of adoring praise. O our souls, bless the Lord. O every faculty within us, magnify His boundless love. We bring our thanks for the gift of gifts. Your only begotten Son is born into this world. He is made bone of our bones, flesh of our flesh. The least gift from heaven to guilty earth exceeds all praise. 

What shall we render unto You for sending Your own dear Son to take upon Him our nature, and truly to be one of the family of man! Utterance cannot express due gratitude. But accept, we beseech You, the breathings of Your Spirit in our hearts. Mark how fervently we love You, and how we strive to testify thanksgiving. "Wonder of wonders! The Son of God comes down from heaven that to heaven we poor sinners may be raised. Our Lord Jesus Christ takes the manhood into God that we may become partakers of the divine nature. He is born one with us that we may be one with Him forever. 

Herein is love, when we could not rise to Him, He flies down on the wings of grace to raise us to Himself. Herein is power, that when Deity and humanity were infinitely apart, God has joined them in indissoluble oneness. He has united infinite opposites in one Christ. Herein is God's wisdom in the highest, that when we were utterly undone by sin, without will to return, without intellect to devise recovery Jesus appears on earth, able as God to save us to the uttermost, and qualified as man to die our death, to shed sin-atoning blood in our stead, and to work out perfect righteousness in our behalf. 

Father, God most merciful, help us to bless You more. In spirit we take our station by the watching shepherds. So, we strive to expand our contracted hearts. We hear, "Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord!" (Luke 2:10-11)

We hear, we believe, we rejoice, we give thanks, we adore. We bid all fears to flee away. We call upon our consciences to bathe in an ocean of repose. We look up with filial confidence. We see You our reconciled Father. Separation has ceased. We draw near, because You have thus drawn near to us. We love You because we have this proof that You have so loved us. A Redeemer has come! We put all our trust in Him. We believe that we are fully and forever redeemed from sin, and all sin's penalties and woes. You have raised up a horn of salvation for us. We see its all-sufficient might. We embrace it with undoubting faith. We realize that You have saved us. Like Simeon we clasp the new-born Savior to our hearts. 

We exult that He is ours, and we are His. We are one with Him. Therefore, You are our Father because His Father, and His God because our God. Father, again we say, help us to bless You for all the benefits of this wondrous birth. Give us grace, that our lives may praise You better than our lips. Keep our thanksgiving free from every blot. You have given so much for us, that heaven itself could give no more. Here we present ourselves to Your undivided service. Accept us. Preserve us. Rule within us. 

May Your dear Son indeed be born within us. May His continual indwelling sanctify every movement of our minds. May the good tidings of this day have free course and be glorified throughout earth's length and breadth. Wherever man lives, may he rejoice in the Child born, the son given. Hasten the time when He who as at this time came to visit us in great humility, shall come again in His glorious majesty with all His saints. Holy Father, we offer our prayers and praises in the way which You have ordained Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

[Henry Law]

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Merry Christmas!

The True Meaning of Christmas

... as told by Linus.

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~ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.  Luke 2:8-14

Putting Christ Back ...

 Rather than putting Christ back in Christmas, 

I'd settle for putting Christ back in Christians!

[from the Internet]

Matthew 23:13 ...  But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

James 1:26 ...  If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

Joel 2:13 ...  And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

John 13:35 ...  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. ❤

The Great Artist's Chisel!

Jesus taught the disciples humility, by His humility. He taught them gentleness, by His gentleness. He did not point out their defects in words. He did not dwell upon their errors, but He rather let them see their own spots by His purity, and their own defects by His perfection. Oh, the marvelous tenderness of Christ, who so paternally pitied those who feared Him! 

Remember that your brethren and sisters in Christ, with whom you find so much fault, are God's elect. And if He chose them, why do you reject them? They are bought with Christ's blood; why do you think so little of them? Recollect too, that with all their badness, there are some good points in them in which they excel you. They do not know so much; but perhaps they act better than you. It may be that they are faultier in pride; but perhaps they excel you in generosity. Or if perhaps one man is a little quick in temper; yet he is more zealous than you. 

Look at the bright side of your brother, and the black side of yourself; instead of reversing the order as many do. The drift of this lesson is this: as your heavenly Father has pity on you, have pity on one another. Jesus, the Compassionate One, covers our sins with the mantle of His love! Be as tender towards those who sin, as the Master was. He remembers that we are dust; remember this of others. I will not find fault with you, my friend, if I can help it, because you will one day be without fault before the throne of God! 

If God will so soon remove your faults, then why should I take note of them? I will not peevishly complain of the 'rough stone'; for I see it is under the Great Artist's chisel, and I will tarry till I see the beauty which He brings out of it. 

[Charles H. Spurgeon] 

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Psalm 103:13-14 ... Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

Ephesians 4:32 ...  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Colossians 3:12 ... Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; ❤