Saturday, December 24, 2022 [2022 Christmas Eve]
CONNAM CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” – Luke 2:10
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”) – Matthew 1:23
Beloved In The Lord,
We bring you greetings of love, joy and hope in His name who was the Babe of Bethlehem, but now the King of glory, even Jesus the Christ, our Lord.
Every Christmas is a special and blessed time for us as it reminds us of two great truths of our relationship with God, both as Christians in particular, and people created by God in general. Firstly, Christmas reminds us of the truth that, God desires the best for everyone of us, and secondly that He is willing to go to any length, even giving up Himself, to accomplish this desire. In the above texts, Christmas does not bring just good tidings (news), but one of great joy. Today and through the season, we celebrate the fact that we are never alone in our earthly struggles and that we shall be victorious in all our life and missionary struggles through Him to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden.
Therefore, as we celebrate the incarnation of God, let us seek our pleasure in Him. We do not need any additions to what Christ allows to the feast in order to be satisfied. Do not labor to borrow from the tables of Satan to adorn the banquet held in honor of Christ our Savior. For the joy which Christmas brings is not borrowed but blooms in the hearts that love the Lord. We are called to serve the Lord at all times, and serving in difficult times requires supernatural preparation. We live in challenging times across the world. Our mission faces challenges from several fronts, but these challenges are sacrosanct to the mission we have been committed to accomplish. We must remain thankful to God both as a Church and people for His grace which has kept us thus far. We are made strong by these challenges as the battle is the Lord’s. It might take the betrayal of a trusted disciple for the Mission of the Savior to be accomplished. And so, Christmas reminds us that we have the God who intervenes in the affairs of men.
Therefore, as the church, we must renew our resolve to love and serve the Lord with all our strength, soul, and mind and to deal with all men with sincerity and the love of the Lord.
We urge you then to allow the Holy Spirit to guide you so that you will be more effective in your service to the Lord. We must stand tall and committed to our mission against every distraction.
This season so, as you adore the incarnate God, and trust in him. May you enjoy His guidance and protection. May His power lift you up whenever you fall. May the joy of the Lord remain your strength. And May none of your labors, done through the life and ministry of Church Of Nigeria North American Mission (CONNAM), ever be in vain.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL.
And to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you spotless before His throne; to the only wise God be all glory honor and majesty now till the end of the age. Amen.
Your Brother and Bishop,
+Nathan, Aba Ngwa North.
CONNAM Interim Coordinating Bishop Christmas 2022