A new beginning...

"She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."--Matthew 1:21.  The birth of Christ. Outside of Christmas time, it is not too often we return to take a look at the significance of an event such as the birth of Christ, the one who to this day can still save us from our sins. But before He would be crucified, before He would die, before He would be buried, and before He would be resurrected so that we might have hope, naturally He had to be born.  It is the birth of Christ that is the start of a new beginning.

A new beginning.  I begin this series of devotionals here because I decided to return to the roots of this series of blogs.  As you know, this blog series is titled "Quality Time with Christ."  When we spend quality time with someone, it is not because we have to but because we want to and because we want to get to know them simply because we want to.  I would like to take us on a journey through the gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and glean some beautiful truths found in none other than the Messiah Himself, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  As it is for me, I pray this is for you, a new beginning.

A new beginning.  The birth of Christ, one of the most, if not the most significant event in recorded human history.  His name is Jesus.  The name given to this newborn was no accident.  In Jewish culture, your very name spoke volumes about who you are.  Jesus' name would be no different.  His name is Jesus. Not because it was a name picked out of a long list of baby names or because it was a common name at the time. No, His name is Jesus which was the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua which means Savior.  His name is Jesus because He would indeed save His people from their sins offering to all would follow Him and obey His commands a solid hope of spending eternity in heaven.  Jesus offers us a new beginning.

A new beginning.  The birth of Christ would kick start God's redemptive plan which was in effect since the creation account of Genesis 1. A new beginning was in God's plan since the beginning.

A new beginning. 1 Peter 1:20 tells us that Christ was foreknown before the foundation of the world. Do you realize the significance of this passage? This means that God had you and me in mind even before He created the world.  God had a plan for a new beginning in mind even before the beginning!!! If that's not awesome, I don't know what is!

A new beginning.  John 3:16, a familiar verse which tells us that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  God loved us all so much that His creation was second to His redemptive plan for you and me.  God offers us a new beginning no matter who we are or where we come from!

A new beginning. Today God still offers that new beginning.  Will you take that opportunity that God is offering you?  Will you do it tonight and not delay in your decision to obey the gospel of Jesus Christ if you have not done so already? And if you have but have gotten off track, God is still offering that new beginning to come back home.  But again, this could not have been possible if Christ had never been born.  Without His birth, we would never have the chance of a new beginning.  Will you take advantage of that new beginning offered ONLY through Christ?

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!