The invitation went out to women across Grenada. "Come. We want to celebrate and honor you." And they came! Young and old and in between—3,000 women attended the Caribbean Ladies Celebration in July!

AS THE WOMEN of this southeast Caribbean island nation stepped onto the red carpet leading into the event venue, they were greeted with applause and adulation. Some didn't know how to respond—their eyes stayed glued to the ground. One woman burst into tears and fell to her knees. The greeters helped her to her feet. No one had ever treated her this way before. For the first time in her life, she felt like royalty.

No one left the two-day event unchanged. Gone were the insecurities. With their heads held high, the women returned home strong, emboldened, and secure. They now know who they are, but also Whose they are. They're stepping into the roles God called them to. They're fearlessly tackling challenges and exploring new opportunities.

// Kenneth E. Hagin

WHY DID JESUS COME? To start a church? To improve humanity or give us a code of conduct? No, He came for one purpose: "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).

The Greek word translated "life" in this verse is zoe, which means the God-kind of life.

The Bible says, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). And, "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:23).

This everlasting, eternal life Jesus came to give us is the nature of God. John 5:26 says, "As the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself."

God's Wonder Women

NEARLY 1,500 WOMEN from all over the world gathered in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, this fall for Lynette Hagin's Kindle the Flame Women's Conference. They left the three-day meeting encouraged, strengthened, and changed.

Those at the conference learned that they can be "wonder women" when they trust in God's strength and keep the attitude of "I cannot be defeated and I will not quit!" Speakers encouraged the ladies to continue developing healthy connections with godly friends, live every moment in their God-given authority, and stay full of the Holy Ghost.

They also had a blast at the Girls Just Wanna Have Fun social and learned practical skills at the workshops. Kindle the Flame 2017 is scheduled for September 28–30 on the Rhema USA campus in Broken Arrow.

// Lynette Hagin

"The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."
—Isaiah 58:11 (NIV)

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, let's not get lost in the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season and lose its real meaning—the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Have you noticed when someone asks, "Are you ready for Christmas?," the reply is often, "No, I don't have all of my shopping done." I think it's time to remember what Christmas is all about.

I love the Christmas story. My aunt helped me to memorize it at the age of four. I recited it at a Christmas program that year in our church. These are the scriptures she taught me.