[1] "In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. [2] (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) [3] And everyone went to his own town to register. [4] So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. [5] He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. [6] While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, [7] and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. [8] And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. [9] An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. [10] But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. [11] Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12] This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." [13] Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, [14] "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." [15] When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." [16] So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. [17] When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, [18] and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. [19] But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. [20] The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told."

Jesus was a child just like you and me, my friend grew intellectually, physically, spiritually, and socially.

"And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."

When Jesus became a man He had an awesome commitment to fulfill, which He did with more love than we can know. God, His Father, had sent Him to us, to save us from our sins. Sin is all the wrong things we do. My friend Jesus willingly gave up his life, suffering much shame, and died on a cross, so you and I could have eternal life. Eternal life means we will live forever with God the Father in heaven, if we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour.

Matthew 27:26 - 54

[26] "Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. [27] Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. [28] They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, [29] and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. [30] They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. [31] After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. [32] As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. [33] They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). [34] There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. [35] When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. [36] And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. [37] Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. [38] Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. [39] Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads [40] and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!" [41] In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. [42] "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. [43] He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" [44] In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him. [45] From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. [46] About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" [47] When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah." [48] Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. [49] The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him." [50] And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. [51] At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. [52] The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. [53] They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. [54] When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"

This sacrifice of my friend, Jesus, the Savior, is not the end of the story, for unlike many who claim to have the power of God, my friend Jesus does have such power, given to Him by His Father. After three days in a tomb, my friend Jesus rose from the dead.

John 20:1 - 18

[1] "Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. [2] So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" [3] So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. [4] Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. [5] He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. [6] Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, [7] as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. [8] Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. [9] (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) [10] Then the disciples went back to their homes, [11] but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb [12] and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. [13] They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." [14] At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. [15] "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him." [16] Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). [17] Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" [18] Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her."

God has a plan for you too, my friend. He desires for you to know Him and His Son Jesus Christ. God's plan for your salvation is a simple one, all you have to do is take God at His Word and accept it.

God loves each and every person He has created. He desires that we come to know His Son, Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. He does not wish to condemn us. God loves us so much that He has created a way of salvation from sin for us.

[16] "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. [18] Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

It has often been said that accepting Christ is as easy as A B C. You must first admit that you are a sinner, that you are eternally lost and undone, and realize that your sins have eternally separated you from God. You must further realize that none of your efforts can bring you back into a right relationship with God. The right church, the right faith, the right denomination, the right offering, the proper procedure or ritual are all meaningless.

Second, you must believe that Jesus is who He says he is, namely the Son of God, and your Savior. You see that Jesus, who was sinless, died to pay the price for your sins, the innocent for the guilty. And when I say believe, I am talking about more than mere mental assent, but the same kind of belief a dying man has that his doctor can cure him. Belief is a total reliance on God.

Finally you must confess Jesus as Lord. This is a simple admission that you can't do it by yourself. Repent. Realize He is right and you are wrong, and that you humbly and graciously accept His free gift of salvation through His Son.

I invite you to come to know my friend Jesus. All you have to do is, accept His sacrifice for your sins and believe in Him and you will be saved.

" That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

If you have just now accepted my friend Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I would love to hear from you. I will pray with you and for you, in your new life as a child of the living God.

If you would like more information on the Christian life, please send e-mail to Leah

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