rejoice

Happy New Year

by William Stewart
January 2, 2011March 2, 2026
Holidays, Rejoice

One of the most common greetings this time of year is “Happy New Year!” This sentiment has been shared from home to home through greeting cards, telephone messages, facebook and e-mail posts, etc.. Complete strangers passing each other by at the door of the bank or the grocery story will wish one another a “Happy New Year!” How great would it be if this same measure of friendliness were present the whole year round!

A few nights ago, a variety of New Year celebrations took place across the globe: the annual ball drop in Time Square, fireworks displays in China, local media sponsored concerts, etc.. We enjoyed a night of games, treats and a pre-midnight devotional with fellow Christians – a great way to begin a new year!

You Children of God – Rejoice In The Lord Always

by William Stewart
November 28, 2010February 22, 2026
Rejoice

It’s a good practice when we study a book of the Bible, to focus on key words. Recurring words will help us understand the theme of a book. For instance, in John’s gospel, the word “Father” is found over 100 times. Jesus’ relationship to the heavenly Father is a major theme of John’s writing. In John’s first epistle, we see “know” over 25 times. His purpose – to establish the true knowledge we have in Jesus Christ. In the book of Philippians, the words “joy” and “rejoice” appear more than 15 times. There are certainly other topics addressed throughout, but the need for us to rejoice permeates the epistle.