One of the all-time favourite Christmas carols is “Noel”; and although it’s widely known that this French word (noël) refers to “Christmas”, its Latin origin (natalis) means “birth”. The Bible declares that Jesus wilfully stepped out of heaven and into this world, one evening, in a little town called, Bethlehem. Jesus was born on this soil called earth, He lived here, died here, was buried here, and rose to life again – right among the human race He had a part of creating. Jesus experienced life as a human being – the highs, the lows and everything else in-between. He showed us how to live life with compassion and power, and in complete obedience to His Father. Today we not only celebrate the newness of His life, but the joyful privilege of experiencing a new birth in and through Him. Let’s make every effort to celebrate His coming to this earth, to offer up His life for us, so we can be born again! He made a way for us to be adopted into His family, and be empowered to live a victorious life – full of His Spirit. Merry Christmas!