The message of Christmas carries power for salvation that can change your life! скачать в хорошем качестве

The message of Christmas carries power for salvation that can change your life!

The message of Christmas carries power for salvation that can change your life! By George E Markakis, Pallini Hellas (Greece), Dec. 25, 2025 The message of Christmas is joyful news, but it also contains an announcement that does not sound so pleasant to our feelings; still, it is for our good! Luke 2:8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 “And this [will be] the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” New King James’ translation “on earth peace, goodwill toward men” is not accurate. Below are two other translations that accurately convey the message of the angel, which in the original Greek text reads: «δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις θεῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκίας» NET “on earth peace among people with whom he is pleased” HCSB “peace on earth to people He favors” The New King James Version’s “goodwill toward men” in terms of rendering the original, as well as in terms of accurately conveying the message of the Scriptures, fails to show that the peace of God is not available to all men. That is because “there is no peace for the wicked” says Isaiah (48:22, 57:21) and is also shown throughout the Scriptures. They also reveal that God’s peace is available only to those people of his goodwill, i.e. with whom He is pleased (e.g. Matthew 10:12-13). The same message is seen in the Gospel of John, but with different words: John 3:14 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. John’s words are consistent and explain the same message – God loved the world in a particular and specific way; that is through the only path that He set, so that we could pass from Death to Eternal Life. “Christmas” is not for everyone! It is for those who believe and accept God’s gift in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. It is the same as a baker’s announcement that he is distributing bread for free to everyone. The bread if free and available but there is condition; I must go to His Bakery and ask for this free bread from the baker. If I do not go to the baker to claim my free gift, the announcement of free bread is not enough for me to also obtain it. The joyful message of Christmas is that God gives us the opportunity to be saved if we believe in His Son, whom He sent to the Earth for this purpose. The question is, from what are we to be saved? God wants us to be saved from the day of wrath when everyone will be judged based on our works. Romans 2:5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who “will render to each one according to his deeds” Revelation 6:16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”    • The message of Christmas carries power for...