Christmas-time is ALREADY here again... And I (Troy), am writing this a little behind schedule again, but, ‘just in time.’ I’m so thankful that our Lord Jesus has promised to be our strength, peace, joy, and provision. We’ve just come through a season of BIG change in our family - our son is recovering from Neuro-surgery in October, I’ve just accepted the ‘call’ to Lead Pastor our church in Pacifica, Pam just resigned from her full-time job (to a part-time one) at our campus school, and we may be moving sometime this spring. Even though many ‘swirls’ have been all around us, our gracious God and Savior has held us close and ‘at ease’ in and through each ‘patience-growing’ situation.
I realize, as I write this, that our family is not alone in the big and little changes of life. I’m sure your family has gone through your own share of difficulties and blessings this year as well (if we haven’t heard from you yet, drop us a call, email, or note to bring us up to date on things 8*D). It’s our prayer, that you will be given the ability, from God, to ‘seek and find’ The Savior Jesus Christ during the busyness and mundaneness of life in this coming year.
The Truth of the Bible continues to be lived out all around us, whether we have come to believe in Jesus and follow Him or whether we are still ‘seeking to find’ Him.
God has created us, in His image, to know and love Him forever. Yet, each of us, has tried to live without Him and has ‘missed the mark’ of His holiness. Our sin has separated us from the loving friendship that He created us for. And there’s nothing we can do about the situation ourselves. We’re doomed!
Thankfully, God, in His BIG love for us, sent His only begotten Son, Jesus of Nazareth - born of a virgin by the Holy Spirit - to walk among us. Jesus lived fully as a person and fully as the Eternal God, yet did not try to live on His own or miss the mark of God’s Holiness - He lived without sin! He lived, ate, laughed & cried, ached, and loved, just like us, so that He could really understand our situation. But He also obeyed the will of God our Father and willingly paid the penalty of our sin & rebellion by dying in our place - His shed blood cleared our ‘bad credit’ before a Holy God. And then, He raised Himself from the dead - after being in a sealed tomb for three days - to prove to the whole world (and the ‘underworld,’ as well) that only He is worthy of our worship, because only He is Truly God. Our Triune God was careful to reveal this Truth to us through the inspiration and the careful translation of the Bible into our own language - to be read and understood by each of us - in real time & space history.
As we’ve lived in the San Francisco Bay-Area for the past nine years, I’ve become familiar with all kinds of interesting thoughts about life, love, politics, & family, etc. But none of these interesting ways of thinking are as credible as the Truths I’ve come to learn, experience, and be changed by as found in the life and teachings of Jesus in the Bible. I believe exclusively in Jesus, because there are no others like Him. I believe He is the only way to the Father because HE SAID He was the only way to the Father. His life and teaching are exclusive because He was revealed to real people in real history as the Real God sent to really rescue us. All other teachings and belief systems fall short of Him, not because I believe in Him, but because of who He is and how He lived.
It’s our prayer, as a family, that you will consider Jesus this Christmas. Read the story of his life and think about it deeply with a curious mind and an open heart. And perhaps the Lord will ‘let you find Him as you look for Him’ as He did for us. Or perhaps He’ll surprise you with His love even if you refuse to look, as He has also done at times for us. Either way, may you grow in the knowledge of God this year. May you look for the God, Who is there, and find that He is not silent, but silently waiting for you to hear His voice, and turn to follow Him.
We love all of you (sounds trite, I know), and look forward to hearing from you this coming year. Please visit us - we live only 15 minutes from the San Fran airport and can see the Nor-Cal Beach from our front balcony! Blessings to you and your family as you celebrate Christmas together...
Troy, Pam, Caleb & Emily
