Traude Ellert
Christmas means that Everything in the Bible is true. Jesus saved me 10 and a half years ago. The scales fell from my eyes and I was able to see clearly for the first time in my life. I was moved by The Holy Spirit to start going to church. Bill and I attended a number of them in the area but for one reason or another we didn’t return. When driving by the Goshen Christian Reformed Church I always felt a tug to go in. So we did. And who came to greet us? Ed VDM! "Come to cookie hour," he said, so we did, Sunday after Sunday.
Bill and I looked forward to Pastor Sam’s sermons every week and the fellowship afterward. We found a family and met The most wonderful Godly people: Pastor Sam and Ashley and the kids, the Amels, the Barrys, Bast, Bobbys, Browns, Buckbees, Davis’s, DeBlocks, DeBoers, DeVries, Dollers, Dykshoorns, Ecks, Eusers, Falkenas, Francis's, French’s, Gauchers, Goedegeburres, Goyzuetas, Gros’s, Hufcuts, Hu's, Kings, Knapps, LaFrance’s, Larsons, Leenstras, Lords, Martinez, McHugh, Mosers, Nops, Onderlinde, Pellegriti, Persoons, Romankos, Rowes, Schoenmakers, Slager, Staps, Sutters, Trollinger, Valentinos, VanDerHeides, VanDerMolens, Vanders, VanDerWeerts, VanEEuwens, VanPelts, Vellengas, Vitoulis, Vleer, Vogels, Walulik, Wades, White, Wildschuts, and Betsy. And anyone else I may have left out!
Everyone had an impact on me. Pastor Sam’s sermons touched my heart. Janet told me she read the KJV of the Bible, the one from her youth. It’s the Bible version I read today. Anita said “someone must have been praying for you." I now pray for people. I attended Bible study with Ewoud and then Jo. Loved every minute of it.
I learned a lot. I remember the wonderful conversations and fellowship I had with all of you after church services. I love every one of you. What does all this have to do with what Christmas means to me? I’ll tell you. It was Jesus Christ that brought us all together.
The first time I read the entire Bible from beginning to end I started with the New Testament. I read about Jesus’s birth, his life, the apostles, his ministry, his parables, prayer life, betrayal, gruesome death, his resurrection and promises. The Old Testament’s prophecy after prophecy after prophecy pointing to Jesus the Messiah. God speaks to us through the Bible, telling us how much he loves us, where we came from, how we are to live our lives, who we are to live for and give thanks to. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. God tells us in the Old Testament that He was going to send a savior. He did. Today we celebrate His son’s birth on Christmas. Jesus IS the reason for the Season.
John 12:47 “God sent Him that the world through him might be saved.”