THANK YOU LORD—THANK YOU WINDSOR

A big thank you to the Lord and to the many members and friends of Windsor Baptist Church and schools for your generous and sacrificial response to the second appeal letter regarding our expansion program.   Not only have you supported the building program, but you have maintained your giving to the church’s operating and mission’s budgets.  Thank you.

Your support is a great encouragement because, as you well know, our nation is heading in the wrong direction very quickly.  The question Jesus asked in Luke 18:8  “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” is real especially in light of the immorality, the disdain for biblical truth and the hostility towards Christians. 

The church of Jesus Christ is the instrument God has ordained to shine His Gospel light into the dark world and to advance His kingdom.  The Gospel of the Kingdom is the only hope to save sinners.  By your giving, praying, worshiping and serving, you are part of the solution that God has ordained to transform souls.  Thank you for your investment in God’s work.

Your commitment to our expansion program confirms that the church and schools are going in the right direction in building a community of faith for all generations along with building of a classroom building.  Thank you.

With the radical moral revolution currently taking place in our nation, the only hope for the next generation is for Christians to proclaim the Gospel in word and deed. Let us continue to obey the Lord’s Great Commission and go and make disciples, teaching them to observe all that Christ has commanded during these difficult times. 

On Sunday evening, Feb. 3^rd, during our concert of prayer, we will be thanking God for how He is moving in Windsor to glorify His name.  Through giving, worshiping, praying, serving, evangelizing and making disciples God will build a community of faith as He promised.  I encourage you to pray with us that evening for God to awaken and strengthen all believers to be faithful witnesses so that when Christ returns, He will find faith on earth.  May God grant us grace to be faithful.

Prayerfully,

Pastor

Dear Co-Laborers in Christ,    

Happy New Year!

When I was growing up, my grandfather always kept his Christmas tree up for weeks, even months after everyone took their Christmas trees down and packed away their decorations. He loved Christmas and wanted to prolong the holiday so he kept his tree and all the decorations up.

I remember one year, Easter came early, at the end of March.  His Christmas tree was still up at Easter.  He would keep the house cool, put aspirin and other things in the water to keep it alive.  That year, the tree actually grew an inch, new growth was on every branch. Every time we walked into his living room, there was the pine fragrance, the tree lit up, the trains and cotton snowed covered village beneath it.  For my grandfather, Christmas was more than a day, more than a week, more than a month.  Although I was not born again at that time, it struck me on that Easter Sunday when I saw my grandfather’s Christmas tree that Christ’s birth and His death and resurrection were connected in some way. 

Since Christ has graciously enlightened my mind and soul to the truth about salvation and about Jesus Christ being my Savior, I now realize that there is a clear connection between Christmas and Easter with regards to my salvation. Luke 2:11-12  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. The great truth I learned is that God is with me every day, not just on Christmas or on Easter.  Immanuel is not seasonal.  We don’t need to try to prolong the Christmas season with trees, nativity scenes and decorations. For believers, we have Immanuel dwelling within us all the time.  The Christmas Spirit is with us all year long, every year.

It is because of the presence of Christ with us that we can have a happy new year every day of 2019.  Joy to the World, the Lord Is Come!  And He does not leave when the season is over.  Amen!

Blessings,

Pastor Chaya        

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;  and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Isaiah 9:6

In 1963 Andy Williams recorded a Christmas song, It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, which has remained popular ever since.  The song speaks of kids jingle belling, people being of good cheer, friends coming to call, much mistletoeing, telling tales of glories of Christmases long ago.  There’ll be parties for hosting, marshmallows for toasting, and caroling out in the snow.  It’s the happiest season of all.  It is the most wonderful time of the year.

For Christians what makes Advent and Christmas the most wonderful time of the year is celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whose name is Wonderful, Wonderful Counselor. Not merely is Jesus wonderful but He is Himself a Wonder through and through.  The Messiah is not merely some one who is extraordinary, but as One who in His very person and being is a Wonder:  He is that which surpasses human thought and power; He is God Himself.  This Child who is born for us is Wonder.

Jesus Christ is a Wonder because He did what nobody else could do.  He left heaven, was born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life and died in order to pay the penalty for our wickedness and to make it possible for us to have blessed fellowship with our Creator.   

Jesus Christ is called Wonderful Counselor.  To sit upon the throne of David as Messianic King requires wisdom such as no mere human being can possess.  The Counselor Himself must for that reason be a Wonder in order that He may establish and administer His kingdom.  This Wonderful Counselor is properly equipped to redeem and to rule over His people.

The Advent and Christmas season is the most wonderful time of the year because Christians celebrate the birth of the Wonderful Counselor, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Redeemer of humankind.  It is the most wonderful time of the year because we acknowledge the fact that the Wonderful Counselor, God Himself, has left His throne in glory and came to be with us.  Immanuel, God with us. It is the most wonderful time of the year because Jesus Christ, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace has come to save His people and to dwell among His people. 

Have a wonderful season of Advent and a Wonderful time at Christmas, celebrating the birth of the Wonderful Counselor.  Joy to the World. The Lord has Come.  Let earth receive her King.

Let every heart prepare Him room.  And heaven and nature sing.

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year,

Pastor and Jean Chaya

 

Dear Members and Friends,

In the midst of all the chaos and confusion in our nation right now, as the rhetoric and personal attacks escalate, as the nation becomes more and more polarized, there is now a great opportunity for the church of Christ to sound the trumpet of truth, to be the salt and the light, and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the only one hope for lost souls. 

The problem for many Christians is they have lost their saltiness, many have put a cover over their light and others are sounding an indistinct note on the trumpet and sound no different from the world in addressing the present day issues.  As a result, the mission and message of the church has been compromised.  People are confused, people are perishing.  1 Cor 14:7-9  If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? 8 And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle?

The Apostle Paul was aware of how the mission and message of the church would be compromised, and he counseled his young pastor Timothy with these words:

 1 Tim 6:20-21  O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. 

2 Tim 2:14-17  Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene.

2 Tim 4:1-5  I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3  For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 

May God grant us the grace to be the salt in this decaying world, to be the light in the darkness and to sound the trumpet with one distinct note – Repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

Thank you,

Pastor Chaya