(Returning to the last portion of 1 Thessalonians) Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he who calls you, and he also will bring it to pass. (verses 23-24) - This is a prayer I pray regularly for myself, several times a week. What a powerful prayer for the beginning of a new year. Sanctification is something that has already been ac

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" (Isaiah 43:18-19) At the start of this year, place your whole life afresh in the Lord's hands. Watch for his activity. Trust his direction. Follow with all you've got. - Photo by Aamir Suhail on Unsplash

MATTHEW 2:1-12 When King Herod … had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’” (verses 3-6) - David was born in Bethlehem and grew up to be shepherd

LUKE 2:21-38 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “