His Grace Magazine

Grace His

"...saying,'Where

Magazine WOOD Ministries

Matthew 2:2

is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.'"

It's the most wonderful time of the year... words from a popular Christmas song. It's true; it is a wonderful time to be with the people you love, hot chocolate, and just having fun with family and friends, a time of gift giving, turkey dinners, movies and just relaxing. It can also be very stressful for some people; maybe they live alone, or don't have money for gifts, never mind money for food. Unfortunately during this time of year, alot of families are impacted this way... too much stress and not enough joy. Don't let satan steal your joy this Christmas; go to the Lord and let Him know what is going on in your life and tell

Immanuel! God with Us!

Him why you are so stressed. Lay it all out for Him; ask Him to take it from you; He can help you through it.

As we grow, let's rely on Him more; let's learn to surrender a little more each day, each week, each month. Sometimes, we don't actually realize what God is doing until later on. Then we see and understand, just like in this story, A delayed Christmas Present.

A ten year old boy named Jeff wanted to buy his first ten speed bike, and he worked out a deal where his dad would help him buy it. Even though it was not a new bike, he was still excited to have a bike. He started to cut grass and shovel snow to make money, and his dad would put in the other half. He would pay his dad back in monthly payments for the next six months. He spent that summer and fall riding his

bike everywhere. His sister, Liz, with her old five speed and a banana seat just couldn't keep up with his bike. He would ride all over town, even as far as the beach on some days.

It was just before Christmas and his deadline was coming up to pay back his dad. It really helped that they had a few snowstorms back to back so with his shoveling money, he had more than enough to pay it all back. Now Jeff was a very happy bike owner.

Christmas was finally here and they gathered by the tree to receive their presents. Jeff remembered receiving a portable record player, which was a blessing because he didn't have to share the family stereo anymore.

Then his dad called his sister Liz to the kitchen, "We have one more gift for you," he said to her as he opened the door that led to the garage.

There in front of her on the stairs, was a brand new ten speed Schwinn bike! All Jeff could think about at that very moment was he had to endure all the scraping of his shovel on driveways and pushing the lawnmower to cut grass in order to buy his used bike, and less than a week later, his sister had a brand new shiny bike.

He didn't want to feel ungrateful, but he was feeling a little hurt.

Jeff's sister with joy said to him, "Let's go for a ride, Jeff!" as their dad held the bike upright for her.

Jeff muttered to her, "It's too snowy to ride today."

After a few weeks had gone by, Jeff's dad asked him, "Is everything okay Jeff?"

"It's not fair," he said. "I worked so hard for my bike, and it's not even new. Then Liz was given a brand new bike and she didn't have to do anything for her new

Owner/Publisher: Rob Wood

bike."

His dad then just looked at him and smiled. He said, "She didn't have to do anything for it because it's not really for her." After he said that, he left the room.

Jeff stood there, thinking to himself, 'What did that mean? I don't want her bike, it had girls' bars that sloped to the frame, and had a big white basket in the front." He pondered that for a long time; eventually he simply got over it and moved on.

By the spring, Jeff and Liz were riding their bikes all over town together, now that she could finally keep up with him. They were the two youngest of seven children and they formed a bond that would last forever.

As Liz and Jeff grew up, they became very close, best of friends.They rode their bikes to the pond and went for a nice swim together. Afterwards, they would bike for seven miles to take free tennis lessons. They even ended up at the same college and

graduated the same year.

It wasn't until many years later that Jeff finally realized what his dad meant. That brand new 10 speed bike was actually not a gift for his sister, Liz; it was a gift for him. His dad had given him the gift of his sister's company, the ability to become so close that they would stay together and never drift apart, even in the midst of adversity or stress of daily life. Jeff's dad gave him his best friend.

In a way, our lives can be just like Jeff's was; we pray for things that we think we need, or want. But when we don't receive them, we get upset. We get mad at times, don't we? But we don't see the whole picture; God sees everything and we don't. Jeff's dad is like our Heavenly Father. God knows and wants the best for us, so next time something doesn't work out the way we thought it should, thank God for looking out for us, and know that something way better is on its way, in

Immanuel!

God's perfect timing. Speaking of the best gifts that have been given to us, how about the gift that God gave us on that night two thousand years ago in a town called Bethlehem...the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; they shall call Him Immanuel meaning, "God is with us." Matthew 1:22-23 says, "So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, "God with us."

What a perfect gift that is! Just think about it; Jesus was born to die on the cross for our sins.

He came as the light of the world. John 8:12 says, "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of Life." And also, John 9:5 says, "As long as I am in the world, I am the

light of the world."

The day that we are celebrating is the birth of Jesus Christ. We are now in the Advent season, as it usually starts four weeks before Christmas and it finishes on Christmas Day. Advent which means "Arrival," refers to the arrival of Jesus Christ into the world.

Why is the birth of Jesus so important? Well, the reason is because over 2,000 years ago, God came down from heaven and became a human being without the sin nature. Jesus Christ was born God in the flesh, as John 1:14 says, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

A baby who was born in a manger could have come down as the powerful God that He is. But no; instead, God became a man in Jesus. This is called the "Incarnation", which is from the Latin meaning, 'in flesh.' This isn't a biblical word, but it is a biblical truth

Immanuel!

because Jesus is God who became flesh. The incarnation means that, while He remained God, Jesus also took on human nature. This means that the incarnation was the uniting part of the divine and human into one Person, because Jesus Christ was fully God and fully human. Why did Jesus come down to be among us?

The first reason why God came down was to give us a revelation of what God is really like. If you truly want to know God, then you don't have to look any further than Jesus. Without knowing Jesus, you cannot know God and without accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you cannot gain eternal life. We need to focus more on Jesus by reading scripture. John 1:18 says, "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him." Jesus Himself tells us about God's humanity. So we already know what

God is like, as Jesus shows us and He says in John 14:9: "... Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father, so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?" Colossians 1:15 tells us that, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation."

Secondly, when sin entered the world and Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden, God then brought in a concept of a substitute sacrifice. But the sacrifice of animals wasn't a long term answer because it couldn't take away the sin, much the same thing with an ordinary person; that person is simply not able to remove sin from anyone. What had to happen and what was needed was the perfect sacrifice to take away everyone's sin. This could only be accomplished by God coming down, becoming a human being, by being born

as a baby. God was born in the flesh, and came down to be with us, so we could go up, to be with Him. This was God's plan, even before the beginning of time, to provide a way for us to be forgiven of our sins. Before we even existed, God the Father and the Word, who is Jesus Christ, were willing to pay the ultimate price - to have Jesus, the beloved Son of the Father, sacrificed in suffering and death as a substitute for our sins. In Titus 1:12, we read: "... the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began." Also, 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 says: "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew, for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."

Jesus Christ was born to die for us on the cross. All of the sins of the world were put on Him; He sacrificed Himself.

Matthew 20:28 says, "Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Jesus died and paid the penalty for us, for our sins. He died in our place, so that our sins would be covered by His blood.

Also, God became a man to fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament. Luke 24:44 says, "Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." When Jesus referred to the Law of Moses, the prophets and the Psalms, He was including all of the Old Testament prophesies of Him fulfilling God's promise by coming

to this world. Jesus spoke to His disciples as He stood in their midst and said, "Peace to you," because He knew, that in that day, the disciples would have perceived Him as a spirit and it would be frightening to them. Luke 24:38 says, " Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have."

The fourth reason why God became a man was to identify with our weaknesses. God chose the least of cities to be born in (Bethlehem) for the birth place of His Son. Also, God chose the least in people (shepherds) as first witnesses of the birth of Jesus. Back in the day, shepherds were considered ceremonially unclean, because they had contact with Gentiles during financial transactions. Because of this uncleanliness, they were not allowed

to enter the Temple to worship. This was all done so that God could show His love for us; not as a powerful God that He is, but as flesh and blood. He humbled Himself as a baby... God born in the flesh. Jesus is God, always has been God and always will be God. Jesus gave up His position in heaven, before He came down to earth as a child.

Philippians 2:5-7 says: "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men."

Hebrews 4:15 says, "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin."

We can take all of our burdens and pains to our Lord in prayer because we know that He understands and relates to us because

Immanuel!

He experienced all of our temptations, even more so because He was tested in ways that we could not even comprehend. Jesus' name is 'Emmanuel', and it means 'God with us.' God is with us, He understands us. Apart from Christ, where do we go when we need help? There are times in our lives when we need grace and we will find it in Him. We can boldly go to Him in our time of need. He bore the marks of evil that we deserve so that we can be forgiven; He made Himself approachable, reachable and touchable.

Everything in the Old

Testament on the first coming of Christ is true and accurate and is fulfilled in the New Testament. You can rest assured that everything you read in the Bible about the second coming of Christ is just as real and just as true. Jesus came, and Jesus will come again! The message of Christmas is that the Prince of Peace is knocking on your door, desiring to be your Lord and Savior. Won't you invite Him into your life today? From everyone here at Wood Ministries, we wish you a Merry Christmas!

Discovering God's Presence and Purpose

Book by: Dr. David Jeremiah

Written by: Lynne Wood

Idon't

know how Dr. David Jeremiah does it, but obviously his writing and teachings are definitely a gift from God. Forward is the title of his latest book, just an incredible read. This would make a wonderful Christmas gift.

In his book Forward, David Jeremiah will take you through ten steps. Each chapter is a step to dream, pray, choose, focus, risk, pursue, believe, invest, finish and finally to celebrate. Inside the chapters, you'll find many interesting people who have followed God's plan for moving forward.

It doesn't matter what you're going through or where you are right now in your life; it doesn't even matter how old you are. God has a plan to move you forward. Through this book, you will find God's presence and His plans for your tomorrows as you begin to move forward in your life.

Musician, Tommy Walker, wrote and performed his song called, Forward, on Sunday, April 14, 2019 at Shadow Mountain Church. The lyrics to that song are:

It's been a long, long road;

It's been a crooked path with many twists and turns. But I'm not looking back; I'm walking straight ahead, Believing what you've said, Lord,

That you're gonna be with me no matter what life brings. Forward, I'm going forward to the plans you have for me, To horizons yet unseen, Forward to your new mercies, I will find as I'm pressing toward the prize, I'm going forward. When David Jeremiah heard

him sing those lyrics, they tugged at his heart and that's what inspired him to write this book.

This is a very powerful book that will open your eyes to new possibilities, that you may never have thought possible.

As David Jeremiah always says, your car's rear view mirror was designed small for a reason, for you to just glance at from time to time, not to dwell there. Your windshield, on the other hand, is large for you to look forward to your future and everything God has to offer.

Just remember, there is no going forward without Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, in our lives. He is the ultimate goal to begin moving forward.

Philippians 3:12-14 says, "12. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

"Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established ."

No Room in the Inn

Dear Heavenly Father,

As we ponder in awe and wonder how there could be no room in the inn for the Christ Child, we pray that we will always have room in our hearts for our Lord and Savior, who became lower than the angels to take our place on Calvary's cross. We thank You for the precious gift of everlasting life with You for all who believe and help us to focus this day on Your ultimate gift to us... Your love.

In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Luke2:7: "And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."

The image of baby Jesus laid in a manger in a stable has been used to promote the typical Christmas nativity scene for generations. Originally, the New Testament was written in Greek and the Greek word, kataluma, actually means a place of rest, as in a 'guest room.' The same Greek word was used in Luke 22:11, where Jesus said to His disciples, "Then you shall say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room {kataluma] where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?""

The Arabic and Syriac versions of the New Testament have never translated kataluma as meaning an 'inn,' but instead as a 'guest room.' The translation of this Greek word as an

'The Nativity' Luke 2:7

'inn' is a product of our Western heritage. We have to keep in mind that even inns of Jesus' time often did not have individual rooms. They were far from anything like typical motels we have today. And because inns usually were found along major roads for commercial reasons,

the benefit of strangers. In Christ's day, hospitality was essential; denial of hospitality was an outrage. Even today, hospitality toward visitors is still important throughout the Middle East. Joseph would have been returning to his ancestral home for the census. He probably had

it's doubtful that an inn even existed in a small town such as Bethlehem.

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus mentions that the injured man in the story was taken to an 'inn,' using the Greek word, pandokheion, the normal word for an 'inn.'

The Semitic spirit of hospitality led the Jews and early Christians to keep an open house for

relatives there, and being a descendant of King David, he would have been highly respected upon his arrival.

Luke 2:4-6 reads: "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. He went there to register with Mary,

who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born." Mary and Joseph must have already been lodging somewhere in Bethlehem when her birth pangs began. More than likely, they found a house in which to stay in Bethlehem, probably that of Joseph's relatives. And a manger could very well have been found within a first-century home. A typical Judean house of that day consisted of an area near the door, often with a dirt floor, where the family's animals were kept at night so that they wouldn't be stolen and they would also be kept warm. The family lived and slept in a raised part of the same room set back from the door. There was usually a guest room, either upstairs on a second floor or adjoining the family common room on the lower floor. Typically, the lower area near the door had a manger for food and water for the animals. This scene of an ox or donkey in the house at night might

go against our Western ideals, yet it is us in the West who have decided that life with these great gentle beasts is culturally unacceptable. The raised terrace, where the family ate, slept and lived, was not soiled by the animals, which were taken out each day and during that time, the lower level was cleaned. According to Eric F.F. Bishop, an expert in Middle East culture, the birth of Christ probably took place in one of the Bethlehem houses with the lower section provided for the animals, with immovable mangers filled with crush straw, serving well as a cradle. Considering all the women who would be going in and out of the room during the birth,

The Nativity

there probably wouldn't have been enough room in the guest room; it would only make sense to move Mary into the main room for all the activity at birth.

Another authority on Middle Eastern life, Gustaf Dalmann, stated that the dwelling place of man and beast is often in one and the same room. It is quite normal among peasants for the family to live, eat and sleep in the one room of the house, while the cattle, particularly donkeys and oxen, have their place below on the actual floor, near the door. On this floor the mangers are fixed, either to the floor, or to the wall.

This translation now gives us a better understanding to the

story of Jesus' birth. It is more realistic to view Christ's birth of that in a manger, in a house, and not in a stable. Joseph and Mary arrive in Bethlehem. They find shelter with a family whose separate guest room is full, and are accommodated amongst the family in acceptable village style. The birth takes place there on the raised terrace of the family home, and the baby is laid in a manger. Another interesting point is the announcement of the birth of the Savior to the shepherds. As men of lower ranks in society, the shepherds may not have felt they would be received well in visiting a king, but the angel told them they would find the Christ child lying in a

manger. Upon arriving, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child, and when they left, they left praising God for all they had heard and seen. Obviously, they found the holy family in perfectly acceptable accommodations.

Even though Jesus was conceived of God the Father through the Holy Spirit, His birth was a typical birth for the common man of His day. Begotten by God, He truly came as one of us. The Bethlehem shepherds and the City of David welcomed Him with great joy and the village community provided for Him. He was born among them, surrounded by helping hands and caring people.

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Whodoesn't get excited about what they can expect to find under the tree Christmas morning? Does it excite you to watch your loved ones open that special gift that you agonized over, hoping to 'Wow!' them? It is definitely the most exciting time of the year for kids and adults alike as they share with one another gifts to bless and show their love for them.

I know there will be some people this Christmas who will not have gifts under a tree; they may not even have a tree, or a turkey dinner to enjoy. It is sad to see those who do not have anyone that cares about them.

There is One, however, who loves purely and gives freely.

The Best of Christmas The Gift of Love

Our heavenly Father has given to all of mankind the gift of eternal life through His Son, our Savior, Christ Jesus. Christmas is the celebration of God's gift to this world and it is available for all to receive. You see, God's love wasn't based on how deep our love was for

Him. God is the author of Love, and He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Once you come to that realization, it changes everything... your identity, your future, your eternity, and your relationships with all the people around you. Because God loved us first, He provided a way

of Salvation through His Son, but to have this gift, mankind must come and take it into their possession. The Bible tells us in Revelation 3:20: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with Me."

This is the greatest gift, for it is for all of eternity; but unfortunately, many have not yet received this gift and ultimately, are not receiving the benefits that this love gift brings.

If you have not yet received this precious gift, I invite you this Christmas to open the door of your heart and let Jesus in. It will definitely be the best gift that you will ever receive. Merry Christmas everyone, and Happy Birthday, Jesus!

“But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Written by: Donna Wood

Photo by: Stock

A Good Night Sleep!

Sleep is good for your Heart, here are some tips for a better Sleep and a Healthier You

Idon't think there is anyone who questions the fact that sleep is very important for our health and well being. The American Heart Association is saying that it is also the most important thing to our heart health. That said alone should be worth our attention to this matter, because heart disease kills more than any other cause of death.

There is a strong connection between sleep and a healthy heart. Sleep is an overall key to our health. Sleep joins diet, nicotine exposure, exercise, body mass index, blood lipids, blood glucose, and blood pressure.

Most of the health experts recommend adults to get around seven to nine hours of sleep every night. This is with preferably few or no interruptions in your sleep.

Our bodies need the time to repair and reset itself every night and doctors say that without the right amount of sleep, our hearts will

pay the price of not sleeping properly.

Research has shown that people who regularly get less than six hours sleep every night will triple their risk of heart disease. This concern is that it's not enough sleep spent in the deepest time of sleep, when the blood pressure and heart rate drops as much as 20 percent, this reduces stress on the heart.

Also, what happens is the brain releases growth hormones, which helps the heart recover from all the demands that we place on it during the day.

A cardiologist with the Sentara Healthcare, Dr. Deepak R. Talreja, said, "Sleep is very important to our heart health, but today more than half of adults in the United States don't get enough sleep; they are sleep deprived. It's more common now than any of the past generations.

Dr. Talreja also said, "As our society has gotten busier and busier and we're all available 24/7 with devices that

connect us all the time, most Americans don't get enough sleep."

He sees it all the time as it takes a toll. He said, "When someone is sleep deprived, it affects their overall functional status, their mental state; they tend to have more problems with depression, pessimism, anxiety. Then there are direct effects on inflammation, on heart rhythm issues, and on the presence of heart disease."

Dr. Talreja has told his patients that the best path to sleep better begins with the right environment.

The bedroom is better if it is dark, not cold, but cool, and quiet, although a white noise machine helps to cover up some of the environmental or outside noise.

Also, find what your best bed time is and try really hard to stick with it. He said, "Set an alarm to remind you, just like you have a wake up alarm, a go to sleep alarm can be very helpful."

Also it's best to

stay away from all electronics long before bedtime and turn them off so that you can avoid interruptions during the night.

If you do wake up, stay off of the smartphone. He said, "We're tempted to pull out our smartphones, especially if we are having a hard time sleeping and look at things on Social Media, or do things, games, that adds light to our environment, and then revs us up instead of calming us."

Another way of helping us have a good night sleep is exercise. Dr. Talreja said, "That way, when it comes time for sleep, your body's ready for it. Someone who doesn't do anything physical during the day hasn't really worn out their body so they're not ready to sleep."

Begin eating a good diet by eating lots of fruit and vegetables, fish and poultry. Give up fast foods, pop, fried foods, all the junk food. A healthier diet will definitely help you sleep better.

Why the Nativity?

Why the Nativity? Dr.

Jeremiah Brings Jesus Christ's Birth to Life

Nowwith the Christmas season just around the corner, billions of people worldwide are getting ready to celebrate the season. But what about Jesus' birth?

Dr. David Jeremiah's new docudrama called, Why the Nativity? shows us what the true reason for the season is.

This docudrama was produced by Dr. David Jeremiah and his Turning Point Studios production company. The docudrama tells us of the story of the nativity, pulling information from the

old and new Testaments.

Dr. David Jeremiah said, "It's a story that's just begging to be shown. Obviously, there's no way you can show it and have it be everything it should be, but we came close and I'm really excited about it."

The script is narrated by Dr. David Jeremiah; he then answers a lot of heavy questions, such as:

• Why the virgin Mary?

• Why a carpenter named Joseph?

• Why did poor shepherds and wealthy kings bow down to

David

worship a newborn king?

And maybe more importantly:

• Why should we care some 2,000 years later and what should the baby in the manger mean to us as we prepare to celebrate Christmas?

Dr. David Jeremiah is hoping that the viewers will learn about the nativity story from the docudrama. Dr. David Jeremiah said, "So many people who watched it in the early stages told me that this movie puts the story together so that all of the things make sense... the timing of the

Wise Men, the anxiety of Joseph during the period when he didn't know what was going on."

The docudrama is about 80 minutes long and is already a big hit. Around 5 million people have watched the docudrama already on YouTube.

The docudrama will also be shown at the Museum of the Bible through the first part of January. Dr. David Jeremiah has also made the docudrama available to churches that would like to stream it from his website.

Abraham Accords

A Turning Point in the Middle East as Rome gathering of Abraham Accords

When the signing of the Abraham Accords happened in 2020, it marked a historic turning point in the Middle East. Last week in Rome, the leaders all gathered from several different nations and started working to spread the truth of the Accords to all the other nations.

The Rome event was officially called the Abraham Accords Global Leadership Summit; this was the first time everyone gathered together. It has been built upon the strength of the accords. They were signed at the White House on September 15, 2020.

The Abraham Accords brought ambassadors, diplomats, religious leaders and policy makers together. Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, was the gatherings host. Danny said, "It's an amazing event where we have dozens of leaders from all around the world coming together to learn from us, the country within the

region who achieved peace, how we did it, and what we can do to help them."

The director of the European Coalition of Israel, Tomas Sandell, said the summit is very important for two reasons; "One is that the Abraham Accords has been for two years, and everyone is asking what is next, and I think this conference will try to address that question."

Tomas Sandell also said, that the second reason of the summit is location. "I think it's significant that this conference is taking place in Europe, in Rome, and I think that we need to look and see how we can get the European countries

more involved so that Europe could play a constructive role in the Middle East."

One of the major topics of the conference was the importance on traditional family values of the Abrahamic religions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Imam Mohammad Tawhidi, Vice President of the Global Imams Council said, "Traditional family values are the core of whatever peace efforts we want to make. Without basing our main common goals on family values, then we can't actually aim to protect this family."

The senior Rabbi of the United Arab Emirates, Dr. Elis Abadie, has

expressed concern for all the deterioration of culture in the West. He said, "Unfortunately, I have to say that in the West, the traditional family values have been eroding for the last 60 years more and more. And now, after having now moved to live in the UAE for the last two and a half years since the Abraham Accords, have kind of reminded us again of these cherished values, values of the ages in millennia."

Economic peace also played a huge part in the gathering as the leaders shared on how prosperity among the countries can bring peace. All the geopolitics surrounding the regions are still shifting as China is now courting Saudi Arabia. But Ambassador Danon said that the Saudis may be the next country to join the Abraham Accords.

The summit ended with signing of the Abrahamic Values Pledge, as well as getting more nations to join the Abraham Accords.

Missiles to Ukraine?

The United States are poised to approve the Patriot Missiles Battery for Ukraine

The United States are poised to approve sending a Patriot missile battery to Ukraine. They're finally agreeing to an urgent request from the Ukrainian leaders who have been desperate for more powerful weapons to shoot down incoming Russian missiles.

The approval for the missiles will likely come later in the next few days. The Patriots will come from the Pentagon stocks and be taken to another country overseas.

Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has been pressing the Western leaders to provide more of the advanced weapons to start helping his country in its war with Russia. The Patriot will be the most advanced surface to air missile system the West had provided to Ukraine to help them stop Russian aerial attacks.

At a video conference, President Zelenskyy told the host Germany and other leaders of

the Group of Seven industrial powers that his country needed long range missiles, modern tanks, artillery, missiles batteries and other high tech air defense systems to stop Russian attacks that have severely damaged electricity and water supplies for millions of Ukrainians. He said, "Unfortunately, Russia still has an advantage in artillery and missiles. Protecting Ukraine's energy facilities from Russian missiles and Iranian drones will be the protection of the whole of Europe, since with these strikes

Russia is provoking a humanitarian and migration catastrophe not only for Ukraine, but also for the entire EU."

The White House and the Pentagon leaders have said frequently that providing Ukraine with any additional air defenses is a priority, and the Patriot missiles have been under consideration for quite awhile now. Many officials have said that as winter has closed in and the Russian bombardment of civilian infrastructure has picked up, that consideration too has become a higher

priority.

The Pentagon and State Department officials at briefings would not confirm that play to give Patriots to Ukraine, as they continued to say they had nothing to announce.

U.S. officials have stopped short of providing the weapons to the Ukraine because they could be considered an escalation that would start a response from Moscow. The Patriot also requires significant training and there were many concerns that U.S. soldiers would have been required to operate it. President Biden has said no to sending any U.S. combat soldiers to Ukraine.

Patriot Missiles system includes a phased array radar, a control station, computers and generators. This typically requires around 90 soldiers to operate and take care of the maintance, although only three soldiers are needed to fire the weapon, according to the Army.

Jesse Bradley

Over 18,000 World Cup Fans have come to Jesus after Pro Soccer Player/Pastor preaches Gospel

Jesse Bradley is a retired professional soccer player who is now a pastor on a mission to reach out to World Cup fans with the Gospel digitally.

Jesse Bradley is a pastor at the Grace Community Church in Auburn, Washington. He has seen thousands of soccer fans come to Jesus Christ since he started his effort. Jesse said, "We're able to create content where we share the Gospel. I share my story, and people are making decisions to follow Jesus. We're reaching millions of people. We're seeing over 18,000 already make first time decisions."

But this is not just limited to a simple counting of decisions made. This effort also has a discipleship element, Jesse Bradley is partnering with Global Media Outreach, a company leveraging technology to spread the Gospel. This will ensure the people are connected to a Christian community. Jesse said,

"They follow up, and we help those people find a church. So it's not just decisions, it's disciples."

Jesse Bradley said that these amazing results from his campaign are expressive for a "massive hunger across the world not for God, for hope, faith, for Jesus." He went on to say the interest is extremely high.

That is why Jesse Bradley and his team are talking about his story and using his testimonia to bring interest in Jesus and soccer together in very special ways.

Jesse said, "We all know there's something much more significant than soccer that we need. And I discovered it myself later in life, but our souls are content,

and we have joy in peace when we discover a relationship with God."

Jesse Bradley's digital campaign creates content that "leads to conversations on top of conversations," that delivers all of these messages to mobile phones, and on other personal locations.

He has less than 60 second videos. They speak about the World Cup, then they go into his story.

Jesse Bradley was a professional soccer goalkeeper who had a tragedy; this is what creates some interest with the viewers. Jesse had reached his childhood dream of playing soccer in Scotland and Africa, but as he was taking

medication that he was prescribed for Malaria, it almost killed him.

Jesse said, "I literally was fighting for my life for a year. He faced phycological effects in addition to serious physical ailments. In the middle of the pain, God birthed a new purpose and passion."

Jesse Bradley then entered into the ministry to become a Pastor, and he has never looked back. Jesse said, "Stories are powerful; everyone has a significant story. You have a powerful story, and when you share it, we learn more about God, we appreciate God, we see how God works and how He transforms lives." He also said, "We really go from the secular to the spiritual and then to the Gospel in Jesus."

Jesse Bradley is so encouraged for the huge reaction to the Gospel. He said, "It's so fulfilling. I've been in ministry now for two decades, and we've never seen more fruit than we have in the last two years."

Heaven is NOT earned!

Over a third of Evangelical pastors believe that 'good people' can earn their way into Heaven

This is so crazy, how can Evangelical pastors actually believe that a person can earn their place in Heaven, when scripture is clear about this? One of the scriptures that tells us this is Ephesians 2:8-9. It says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." The only true way into Heaven is to have a relationship with Jesus. John 14:6 says, "Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me." Otherwise, you are saying that we don't need Jesus.

At least a third of senior pastors in the United States are believing a person can earn a place in Heaven just by being a good person, according to a nationwide survey. These findings were very surprising responses as part of a survey this year by the Cultural Research

Center at Arizona Christian University.

This survey examined dozens of different beliefs held by their pastors. The research found that in addition to believing, humans can actually get salvation and get into heaven based on their own good works, one third or more of the senior pastors surveyed believe that the Holy Spirit is not a person, but is "a symbol of God's power, moral truth is subjective, sexual relations between two unmarried people who love each other is morally acceptable." Also, biblical teaching on abortion is "ambiguous."

At least a third of the pastors surveyed also said they believe "socialism is preferable to capitalism and that allowing property ownership facilitates economic injustice."

The researchers said that could point to an "increase of cultural and political influence into the church."

Other data said earlier this year that

they found just 37% of Christian pastors have a biblical worldview.

The latest CRC report said that research across all the major United States denominations had shown that a "loss of biblical belief is prevalent among pastors in all denominational churches."

The survey focused on roughly half of those beliefs, said that a large percentage shockingly had rejected biblical teachings on some of the most basic Christian beliefs.

Evangelical pastors, 43% said they do not believe that the personal assembly of money is provided by God for the individual to manage those resources for God's purposes.

Also 39% of surveyed Evangelical pastors said there is truly no moral truth and that "each individual must determine their own truth." Around the same percentage of 38% said that human life is sacred, while 37% said having faith, in general, is more important than

what you have faith in or more correctly, who one has faith in.

I find this statistic significantly sad that three in ten Evangelical pastors do not believe that their salvation is based on having confessed their sins and accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

George Barna from the CRC Director of Research, said that the results could be connected to another trend that he had observed in the data. He said, "While studying the spiritual behavioral patterns of pastors, it became evident that a large share of them does not have a regular spiritual routine. There was a correlation between possessing biblical beliefs and a consistent regimen of Bible reading, prayer, worship, and confession." He also said, "In some of the denominational groupings, a majority of pastors do not engage in those foundational spiritual practices on a regular basis."

Found Jesus, playing in Atlanta Athletes for Christ... Jean Pronovost

e was the eleventh of twelve children. Jean Joseph Denis Pronovost was born on December 18, 1945, in Shawinigan Falls, Quebec. Jean's older brother, Marcel, was playing in the NHL in a successful pro hockey career before Jean had even put on a pair of skates. But even though Jean was younger than Marcel, he was still Jean's idol growing up, as he wasn't around when Jean was in his hockey development Jean, having a brother that was an All Star defenseman, really helped to persuade him to play a well rounded style of hockey. With defense as his strength, it was his best bet to guarantee a successful

career.

In 1968, the Boston Bruins made a significant mistake when, on May 21, they sold Jean for cash to the Pittsburgh Penguins. While playing for the Penguins, Jean's full potential came out and he started to shine. During the next ten years in Pittsburgh, Jean became a player of consistency and stability, gliding on the right wing with his speed and resolve, defending against other teams' top forwards. Digging the puck out of the corners, he also made great passes and could score the big goals.

In the 1975-1976 season, with Syl Apps Jr. and Lowell McDonald on his line, Jean reached the height of his career when he scored 52 goals in 80 games. But in the 1978 season, Jean was traded to the Atlanta Flames for Greg Sheppard. In Atlanta, Jean played his kind of hockey, solid two-way game. But the team broke down and couldn't compete for the Stanley Cup...the one piece of hardware that he had not won in his career. The Atlanta Flames had talent to win, but they couldn't get to that next level of winning consistently.

Jean's last two seasons were played with the Washington Capitals. The difference between them and Atlanta was that they had so much desire to win, but they didn't have enough talent to get the job done. After those two seasons, he played 69 games in the AHL with the Hershey Bears and after that in 1982, Jean retired from hockey.

Athletes for Christ... Jean Pronovost

After Jean returned from road trips, he liked to just sleep in a bit, but that was a hard thing for him to do in his house. His wife Diane would put the vaccum on early, in hopes of getting him up to watch their two boys. This was Jean's wake up call every morning when he was back home.

But this one morning was different. Jean had noticed something weird; it was strangely quiet. Diane didn't have the vaccum going and the boys were eating breakfast without make noise. Jean decided to get up and as he walked into the kitchen, he asked Diane what was going on. Diane then told him that she had become a Christian and gave her life to Jesus; then she told him that He had changed her life, everything is different now. When Jean was traded from Pittsburgh to Atlanta, he told Diane not to go near Mrs. Kea and her Bible study group. Jean was warned about the large Atlanta defenseman named Ed Kea, who was a Christian. However, Diane still went to a few Bible studies that the other Flames' and NFL Falcons' wives attended.

Now what was captain Jean going to do? This was a big problem for him. God was now working on Jean; he was shocked by all the changes in Diane and his two sons, Erick and Marty. Even though his teammates warned

him to stay away from Ed Kea, he had been very shocked on how much peace he had in his life, a peace that Jean didn't have, even with hockey success. With Diane suggesting that Jean should pick up the Bible and read it for himself, he decided to sit down and read

Christ into his heart, bringing joy and peace upon him.

Jean was then traded to the Washington Capitals, where he continued to live his faith in and out of the rink. He was always concerned about his teammates; this would show when he would take them under his wing. By helping players like Mike Gartner, Mike would become one of the great right wingers to play in the NHL. Jean was very passionate about sharing Jesus with the other players and their families. Jean and Diane opened their house for Bible study and they felt the joy of having other teammates also feel that same joy and peace of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, such as: Wes Jarvis, Ryan Walter and Mike Gartner to name a few of them. Just think of the impact that Jean and Diane had on players and their families over the past 30 years! John 15:16 says, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you."

it. Soon after reading the Bible, he realized that he would have to trust God or go separate ways with his wife Diane. When Jean realized he was a sinner, and God loved him and wanted him saved, through His loving grace, Jean made the decision to accept Jesus

Jean, after retiring from hockey, worked at Emmanuel Christian School in Dollard des Ormeaux in West Island of Montreal, Quebec. Jean is now retired and he is living in Calgary with Diane where they attend Rocky Mountain Calvary Chapel.

Christmas! Merry

Keep warm in oven until ready to serve. Makes 12 servings (Can be prepared a day ahead; in that case, heat just before serving)

Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, God with us.

“A Story for All Time” Movie in Review...The Nativity Story

angel Gabriel. He told her that God had chosen her to become pregnant with God's Son and His name will be called JESUS. He tells Mary that God has also blessed her cousin Elizabeth with a child, despite her age. So before the harvest, Mary goes to visit Elizabeth. She witnesses the birth of John the Baptist to Elizabeth and Zachariah. A few days after John's birth, Zachariah regains his voice and speech.

across the Palestine's rocky grounds from Nazareth to Bethlehem, the place of his birth. After traveling four weeks by donkey, they reach the town of Bethlehem.

The movie begins in the Roman province of Judea with the massacre of the Innocents (children).

One year before the massacre, Zachariah, a Rabbi in Jerusalem is in the temple making an offering to the Lord. When he is visited by the angel Gabriel, he is told that his wife, Elizabeth, will have a son. Zachariah. Knowing his wife is up in age, doubts Gabriel and wants proof; saying they are too old to have a child.

Because Zachariah didn't believe, Gabriel told him that he would be unable to speak until after the birth of his child. In Nazareth, Mary is helping with the chores when the Roman soldiers enter the village looking to collect taxes. One of the men in the village is unable to pay his taxes so the soldiers took his daughter away to be used as a slave to pay his debt. Mary is told by her family that she is to marry Joseph. Mary was visited by the

Mary returns home in time for the harvest visibly pregnant, to the shock of Joseph and her parents, who are scared Joseph will accuse her of adultery, a sin punishable by death, usually by stoning according to the Torah (The Jewish Bible).

At first, Joseph doesn't believe Mary's explanation but he decides not to accuse her. Afterwards, he is visited by the angel Gabriel who tells him of God's plan for Mary's Son.

At that time, Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus demands every man across the Roman Empire to return to their place of birth for the census.

A direct descendant of King David, Joseph is forced to travel 110 kilometers (68 miles)

When they reach the town, Mary goes into labor. Joseph frantically seeks a place for her to deliver the baby. There is, however, no room available due to all the people arriving because of the census, but an innkeeper offers his stable for Jesus’ birth.

Meanwhile, three Magi travel towards Judaea after having discovered the three planets aligning to form a great star. This Star of Bethlehem appears to the Magi.

After a visit from the angel Gabriel, the Magi visits Herod and reveals to him that the Messiah is just a child and He will be a Messiah, "For the lowest of men to the highest of Kings.” The Magi arrive at the stables where Mary has already given birth to Jesus. They bow down and present Jesus with gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.

Watching this movie has been our family tradition on Christmas Eve every year since it came out on DVD.

JESUS