CCCI

“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise” (Hebrews 10:23, NLT).

“But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you” (Psalm 39:7, NIV).

“‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him’” (Lamentations 3:24, ESV).

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3, NIV).

“But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more” (Psalm 71:14, ESV).

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13, NLT).

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant.” (Phil 2:5-7, NIV).

Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life” (John 4:13-14, NLT).

As you come out of Christmas into a New Year, remember that the thing you are waiting to happen, longing for, can be found in the Messiah, the Christ, your Savior. “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him” (Psalm 62:5, NIV).

In Matthew 28:18-20, the command to "Go" still stands today. Your part hasn’t changed, and God continues to fulfill His plan through you. His promise to be with us until the end remains the same.

“Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father, has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else” (John 10:27-29, NLT).

“So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son” (John 1:14, NLT).

As you consider the significance of Christmas, think about what Jesus said in John 18:37. "You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth” (NIV).

“After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. When the disciples saw the Lord, they were filled with joy. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.” (John 20: 20-22, NIV).

"This is what is written: the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and a change of heart and life for the forgiveness of sins must be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things” (Luke 24: 46-48, NIV).

“He said to [the disciples], “Go into the whole world and proclaim the good news to every creature” (Mark 16: 15, NIV).

“And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. 11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit” (Mark 13:10-11, NIV).

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8, NIV).

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20, NIV).

These verses — Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, Mark 13:10-11, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:46-48, and John 20:19-23 — show that God hasn’t changed, and His plan for the nations remains unchanged; we are still called to go to the nations.