This year, you may find this Christmas different than every other in your life, but Christmas has NOT changed. It still reflects and marks the miraculous birth and incarnation of Jesus Christ.

For me, I experienced this last year. I had traveled a thousand miles with my dog Leo so he could receive life saving treatments in Colorado. It would be the first time I spent this holiday away, but I knew I was not alone. God was with me, Leo was with me. And to be honest, it was the very first Christmas period of time where I felt at absolute PEACE. There was no drama to deal with my family, no pressure, nothing other than a comforting peace from God. A perfect time to reflect on Jesus Christ’s perfect work, and the blessings He just gave us, as Leo sat by me on the couch while I ate a Domino’s pizza. We had just went to a tiny church for a Christmas service, where Leo in the condition he was in easily navigated a dark stairwell and sat quietly next to me through the service. The peace God promised without total understanding, just enveloped me!

So do not worry! I suspect many will come to realize what I did last year and too will have a peace and stress-free Christmas. And like I did, discover maybe somethings you desire through this time were not providing this peace. You will find the simplicity of being content, and appreciate all the things God has gave you. Those you are able to spend this Christmas with, those you may have taken for granted, and even those who should be discarded.

On a special personal note, this Christmas I would like to thank all those who rose up during this time last year and unconditionally supported Leo and myself. Many looked beyond themselves, and provided what they could. The prayers came and they were ALL answered. Talk about adding more PEACE through Christmas! May God bless each and everyone who even by a simple FB comment provided comfort. It wasn’t the size of your gifts, it was the try! And I will be eternally grateful to those who did so, with MANY I would have never expected, but God sent you! Believe me, I wasn’t the only one who noticed, God did so as well! The awesome kindness of Leo’s heart was encapsulated by all these kind hearted people, too many to list. Some who never met Leo, helped without the slightest of questions or condition.

So my Christmas wish to all of those supporters is that you TOO will experience the peace and rest that God granted me last year through a perilous scary and very difficult time. If just for a few minutes, you do so! May God bestow His grace and mercy, may He give you comfort and peace, may He bring you much joy and happiness, and above all HOPE! And this is my solemn prayer that I ask through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Merry Christmas!

In the course of your witnessing the Gospel, and if you share this Gospel in truth with conviction and boldness, you will quickly see a manipulative tactic of the devil. This tactic will come in the form of “you aren’t being a Christian here”, or “Jesus would not approve of what you said” or “you can’t judge me”.

More than likely the hearer will use this tactic as a way to throw you off. They do this to put you on the defensive for the Gospel you will not budge from. Another reason is the hearer has a distorted view of what Christianity is and who Jesus is. In their mind, Jesus was basically a pushover and Christians should be as well. “How dare you challenge me, don’t use realize Christians don’t do this?” is their basic sentiment.

How should a Christian talk? Well I propose there is NOT one uniform way of speech for all Christians. If we study Scripture carefully, some Apostles were more direct than others, prophets as well didn’t try to mirror other prophets. They didn’t lose their identities, while sharing the SAME Gospel message. John the Baptist took no prisoners in his way of speech, and was urgent in his approach. Whereas Peter, an Apostle, was more inquisitive and careful in his speech. The Apostle Paul could be brutally direct and compassionate while speaking to same group of people. God didn’t cast them as cookies cut as the same, they were individuals who shared the same message.

So don’t ever buy an argument from and unbeliever who tries to cast doubt on your individuality as a Christian. Some prefer only the docile sheepish type, because they are easy to dismiss and sins then can be hidden as well. Don’t get me wrong, the docile sheepish type also have their place in the church and will connect with whomever God has tasked them with. But we are not ALL that type is the point.

There is also this perception that Jesus was basically a pushover. That He loved all sin as well as the sinners. Whereas He HATES sin and all those who are dead set against His Kingdom. Read Matthew 23 to get an understanding of how Jesus actually spoke to these people. Jesus pulled NO punches! He was brutally direct when He needed to be, and compassionate when necessary. Being God, He was always perfect in this respect.

And yes, names at the times were called. When one was behaving as a fool, they were told they were fools. Now we aren’t to call saved/justified children of God “fools”, and this mainly comes from unbelievers who Jesus warned are in danger of hell fire for doing so. So if an unbeliever is behaving a certain degenerate way, there is no call for a Christian to bite their tongue. We need to be honest!

Don’t allow unbelievers use that devil tactic. Explain as I did, that they have a distorted view of Christianity and Jesus Christ to believe there is just one uniform spineless way of speech they expect.