While the birth of Christ may mean nothing to some or offend others, I, for one, am grateful that God loved us so much that He sent us the most precious gift ever given. Through Christ, we can have forgiveness of our sins, a friend that sticks closer than a brother, and a right relationship with our Heavenly Father.
I have always said that when I stand before Jesus, the first thing out of my mouth will be “How could you have loved me so much?” Being a child of God is life’s greatest blessing. Like an old deacon said one time, “I had rather be a Christian even if there were no Heaven because of the people we are privileged to fellowship with.” It is my prayer that Jesus is, indeed, your Lord and Savior.
“The Almighty appeared on earth as a helpless human baby, needing to be fed and changed and taught to talk like any other child. The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets. Nothing in fiction is so fantastic as this truth of the Incarnation.” (J.I. Packer)
Prayer Requested
Be in prayer as the Advisory Committee and I will be meeting with our next potential missionary candidate on Jan. 11.
This week, we will have another candidate coming to our state to consider joining our State Missions’ team. More information will be available later. Also, pray for our current missionaries.
From Our Missionaries
Misión Creciendo en Cristo (Growing in Christ), North Little Rock: Juan Carlos Posadas writes, “I thank God for the life of my son, Jose Carlos. He is a faithful servant of God and has been in the church band since its foundation, playing drums and guitar. He contributes a lot to the group and has become fundamental. I love listening when he practices his musical instruments at home. The atmosphere fills me with joy and peace; it is a rest for my soul. He goes from guitar to piano, and it is a beautiful experience that I enjoy to the fullest. He is getting excellent grades in school. He also has a good group of
friends who are very well-behaved young adults; and he has managed to integrate his friends from church with those from school, which tells me that he does not hide his faith in the different social environments in which he participates. Besides being a musician, he is a good athlete who loves to play soccer. On Dec. 10, he turned 18 years old. Please pray for him and the future that God has prepared for his life.
“We began our series of Christmas studies this Sunday, with the theme “The Incarnation of our Savior,” based on Phil. 2:6-11. We talked about the divine nature of Him, the human incarnation of Him and the supreme exaltation of Him.
“I am really enjoying the praise, as we sing various Christmas hymns. Thank you for supporting this ministry.”
Life Journey, Fort Smith: Darrin Smith writes, “It is exciting to see how our mission is growing. Our people are learning what it means to be a follower of Christ and applying it to their life. We are seeing more people in the Word on a regular basis, attending our services more faithfully than ever, inviting their friends and family to come out for worship, praying for each other, spending time together outside the church and encouraging one another.
“In 2022, we will be giving people opportunities to step up and do the work of the ministry. We are looking forward to a great year. Thanks for all your prayers and support.”
Ebenezer, West Little Rock: Ruben Isturiz writes, “We continue to adapt to our new schedule — 10:30 a.m.-noon. It has been a blessing for those who attend. Only two families have not been able to attend, and we are praying for them. “Last Sunday, we had a meeting for our members to ratify our board of directors and appoint a new treasurer.
“The youth will have their Christmas dinner this Thursday. It is one of the more recently created ministries in Ebenezer, and it is going well. For the Berean Groups (cells), it is their final week for this year.
“Our children’s Christmas holidays are coming, and all the activities change. Some are preparing for a trip, so the assistance to Ebenezer during this time is normally low because of those who go to their countries or those who go to visit families out of state.
“Thank you for your prayers. We live in difficult times, but our God is greater. To God be the glory!”
Faith Chapel, Flippin: Johnny Shew writes, “Things seem to be slowly (very slowly) returning to normal if there is such a thing. People want to get out and come to church, though some are still not ready to do that.
“We observed the Lord’s Supper at our Sunday evening service, and we had several more than we did at the morning service. That tells me that people do want to remember Jesus and what He did for us. He is our Almighty God, and our Savior, and no matter what we go through — pandemic, tornados, any other hardship or whatever the world and Satan can throw at us — He is faithful in control, and He is our God and wants us to be His people. We are here to tell people that, and show forth His love.
“Thank you for your prayers. Please continue; God is answering them!”
The Table, Springdale: Clinton Morris writes, “We had a great and busy two weeks. We had meetings with many people in the area and at our house. We have officially started a Monday Night Gathering at our house, and we had 14 people attend. Two of those people are interested in checking out the church. We love building the community.
“I had a meeting with Jake McCandless and Eliezer Semedo about some ideas that can be very helpful. It is always encouraging to talk with people who have a love for God and for people. We are so blessed to have some amazing people in this association.
“I met with Stuart Estes on some ways to get onto the college campus and some ways to help the college students. We are excited to be more involved there in the coming year.
“Chris Driver, from Texas, visited our church service on Sunday. It was a time of sharing what God has done and is doing.
“We have a Christmas party planned for this Saturday and look forward to having several of the people from The Table plan this event.
“We have 67 contacts that we made from the TableCon that we are praying over and are trying to see how God wants us to get involved in their lives.
“Keep your eyes on Him who is the Author and Finisher of our faith.”
