Archives for December 2022

Good morning,

Christmas, God’s Love Letter to the World.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

This week we will be looking at four things about the Messiah, Yeshua, Jesus.

God is love.

God tells us of the coming Messiah, where He will be born, when He would come, and why He would come.

God has a book.

Our response to what God has done.

God has a book

It was all about the salvation of men and women. God has a book in which the names of all those who have trusted Christ are written. One day this book will be opened and those names not found in it will be cast into the lake of fire.

“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15)

God expressed His to love to us by sending Jesus.

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

What will we do this Christmas for Him? Step back and take time to remember why Jesus came. What can you do for others during this Christmas season?

Is your name written in the “…book of life…”?

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Christmas, God’s Love Letter to the World.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

This week we will be looking at four things about the Messiah, Yeshua, Jesus.

God is love.

God tells us of the coming Messiah, where He will be born, when He would come, and why He would come.

God has a book.

Our response to what God has done.

God tells us of:

The coming Messiah

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.⁷ Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Where the Messiah will be born

“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2)

When the Messiah would come

“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,⁵ To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5)

Why the Messiah would come

It was God’s love for His creation that caused Him to send Jesus to be the one-time sacrifice for our sin.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

God had a plan!

He laid out the Christmas story in the Old Testament and fulfilled His plan in the New Testament.

Some believed and some did not. Today is no different.

Believe, repent of your sins, and be saved.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

When God blesses, what should our response be? We should immediately thank Him. This week we will look at 5 people in the Bible that did just that.

They exulted, praised, thanked, and honored God.

Le Ann Trees wrote this and I added the complete Bible passages and challenges.

If God has blessed you, thank Him.

10. PAUL

Paul gave thanks to God for the believers in Philippi because of their partnership with him in the gospel (Phil. 1:3-11).

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,⁴ Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,⁵ For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;⁶ Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:⁷ Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.⁸ For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.⁹ And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;¹⁰ That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.¹¹ Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.”

Paul thanked God for those who were ministering the Word of God to others.

Do we thank God for those that minister the Word of God? Pastors, missionaries, Bible study teachers, and church workers. Satan attacks these people because they share with others about Jesus Christ. They need your prayers, thanks, and encouragement.  They are the ones who are on the frontline of the battle for the souls of men and women.

Lift them up!

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskseniors.com

Good morning,

When God blesses, what should our response be? We should immediately thank Him. This week we will look at 5 people in the Bible that did just that.

They exulted, praised, thanked, and honored God.

Le Ann Trees wrote this and I added the complete Bible passages and challenges.

If God has blessed you, thank Him.

9. THE LEPER WHOM JESUS HEALED

Ten lepers came to Jesus and asked him to heal them. Jesus sent them to the priests, and they were all healed along the way. Only one of the ten healed people returned to thank Jesus, and that person was not even a Jew. He was a Samaritan who was considered to be a foreigner in Israel’s sight (Luke 17:11-19).

“And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.¹² And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:¹³ And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.¹⁴ And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. ¹⁵ And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,¹⁶ And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.¹⁷ And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?¹⁸ There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.¹⁹ And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.”

This was the story that precipitated this series.

Ten were healed. Only one gave thanks. The Samaritan.

Do we give God thanks in all things? It really doesn’t mater it is a big thing or small, we need to be thankful.

Are we?

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskseniors.com