Greetings
in the Name of Jesus
Christ!
Christmas is one of my
favorite times of the
year. What a wonderful
opportunity to reflect
on the birth of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ.
Although there is no
proof in the Word of God
that Jesus was born on
December 25, and
according to history, he
wasn't, it is still just
as good a time as any to
remember His birth.
Christmas means
different things to
some. For others, it is
a sad time as they
remember circumstances
that were not so
pleasant or for those
who are lonely and
homeless.
Christmas is known for
its "spirit of
giving" and why is
it that
"giving" is
known more at Christmas?
Shouldn't we as
Christians have the
spirit of giving all the
time? Christians who
have Christ's spirit
have that attitude of
giving all the time. It
is not limited to a
holiday of some sort.
And, of course, there
are different kinds of
giving. There is the
giving of material
things and there is the
giving of oneself. The
greatest gifts are not
the "things"
we buy for others, but
the things we
"do" for
others. The Bible calls
it being a servant.
For parents, we get so
excited when we give a
gift to our children. We
love to see their eyes
sparkle as they open up
a Christmas gift from
us. There is nothing
more beautiful than to
bring joy to a child's
heart.
But, are we teaching our
children to be anxious
to get those Christmas
gifts or are we teaching
them to be anxious to
serve our neighbor?
We can sometimes get
caught up in the
Christmas rush and the
materialism of Christmas
that we forget what
Christmas should really
be about.
What kind of memories
are we leaving for our
children? Do they see
the spirit of giving in
us all year or just at
Christmas? Do they see a
humble heart in us that
they can pattern their
own lives after? Are we
teaching them that joy
comes from material
gifts or that real joy
is in serving Christ? Do
we have a lustful spirit
ourselves as we
anticipate Christmas?
What about an attitude
of thanksgiving? When we
get together with our
families and share that
Christmas meal, are we
thankful to the One who
provided that meal for
us? Or we thankful for
that family the Lord has
blessed us with?
For some, they may not
have a very happy family
and Christmas is filled
with regret instead of
thanksgiving and love.
How sad it is for those
who do not have family
and do not know Christ
as their Savior. What a
lonely time it must be
for them. That is why it
is so important for us
to share the love of
Christ and to spread the
gospel of Jesus Christ.
He is the best gift one
can give to anyone.
Let us all give the
greatest gift to someone
this Christmas. Let us
bring Jesus to a lost
and dying world. Let us
give of ourselves and
think less of those
material gifts. Let us
minister to the
hurting... let us pray
for the sick... let us
feed the homeless... let
the world see Jesus in
you!
Every
man according as he
purposeth in his heart,
so let him give; not
grudgingly, or of
necessity: for God
loveth a cheerful giver.
2
Corinthians 9:6-7
Someone
sent me this story which
I thought was a
beautiful example of
what real giving was all
about. May you be
blessed as you read it.
Also, I will share
Christmas stories and
poems as I get them. So
scroll down and let your
heart feel a little
touch of inspiration.
May the Lord bless
you...
The
Christmas Envelope
It's
just a small, white
envelope stuck among the
branches of our Christmas
tree. No name, no
identification, no
inscription. It has peeked
through the branches of
our tree for the past 10
years or so.
It all began because my
husband Mike hated
Christmas---oh, not the
true meaning of
Christmas,
but the commercial aspects
of it - overspending, the
frantic running around at
the
last minute to get a
tie for Uncle Harry and
the dusting powder for
Grandma - the gifts given
in desperation because you
couldn't think of anything
else.
Knowing he felt this way,
I decided one year to
bypass the usual shirts,
sweaters, ties and so
forth. I reached for
something special just for
Mike. The inspiration came
in an unusual way.
Our son Kevin, who was 12
that year, was
wrestling
at the junior level at the
school he attended; and
shortly before Christmas,
there was a non-league
match against a team
sponsored by an inner-
city church, mostly black.
These youngsters, dressed
in sneakers so ragged that
their shoestrings seemed
to
be the only thing holding
them together,
presented a
sharp contrast to our boys
in their spiffy blue and
gold uniforms and
sparkling new wrestling
shoes.
As the match began, I was
alarmed to see that the
other team was wrestling
without headgear, a
kind
of light helmet designed
to protect a
wrestler's
ears. It was a luxury the
ragtag team obviously
could not afford. Well, we
ended up walloping them.
We took every weight
class. And as each of
their boys got up from the
mat, he swaggered around
in his tatters with false
bravado, a kind of street
pride that couldn't
acknowledge defeat.
Mike, seated beside me,
shook his head sadly,
"I wish just one of
them could have won,"
he said. "They have a
lot of potential, but
losing like this could
take the heart right out
of them."
Mike loved kids-all
kids-and he knew them,
having coached little
league football, baseball
and lacrosse. That's when
the idea for his present
came.
That afternoon, I went to
a local sporting goods
store and bought an
assortment of wrestling
headgear and shoes and
sent them anonymously to
the inner-city church. On
Christmas Eve, I
placed
the envelope on the tree,
the note inside telling
Mike what I had done and
that this was his gift
from me. His smile was the
brightest thing about
Christmas that year and in
succeeding
years.
For each Christmas, I
followed the
tradition---one year
sending a group of
mentally handicapped
youngsters to a hockey
game, another year a check
to a pair of elderly
brothers whose home had
burned to the ground
the
week before Christmas, and
on and on.
The envelope became the
highlight of our
Christmas. It was always
the last thing opened on
Christmas morning and our
children, ignoring their
new toys, would stand with
wide-eyed
anticipation as
their dad lifted the
envelope from the tree to
reveal its contents. As
the children grew, the
toys gave way to more
practical presents, but
the envelope never lost
its allure.
The story
doesn't end there.
You see, we lost Mike last
year due to dreaded
cancer. When Christmas
rolled around, I was still
so wrapped in grief that I
barely got the tree up.
But Christmas Eve found me
placing an envelope on the
tree, and in the morning,
it was joined by three
more.
Each of our children,
unbeknownst to the others,
had placed an envelope on
the tree for their dad.
The tradition has grown
and someday will expand
even further with our
grandchildren standing
around the tree with
wide-eyed anticipation
watching as the envelope
is taken down.
Mike's spirit, like the
Christmas spirit will
always
be with us. May we
all remember Christ, who
is
the reason for the
season, and the true
Christmas spirit this year
and always.
The
Doll and a White Rose
I
hurried into the local
department store to grab
some last minute Christmas
gifts. I looked at all
the
people and grumbled to
myself. I would be in here
forever and I just had so
much to do. Christmas was
beginning to become such a
drag. I kind of wished
that I could just sleep
through Christmas. But I
hurried the best I could
through
all the people to
the toy department. Once
again I kind of mumbled to
myself at the prices of
all
these toys and
wondered if the grand kids
would even play with them.
I found myself in the Doll
aisle. Out of the corner
of my eye I saw a little
boy about 5 holding a
lovely doll. He kept
touching her hair and he
held her so gently. I
could not seem to help
myself. I just kept
looking over at the little
boy and wondered who
the
doll was for. I watched
him turn to a woman and he
called his aunt by name
and said, "Are you
sure I don't have enough
money" She replied a
bit impatiently, "You
know that you don't have
enough money for it. The
aunt told the little boy
not to go anywhere that
she had to go get some
other things and would be
back in a few minutes. And
then she left the aisle.
The boy continued to hold
the doll. After a bit I
asked the boy who the doll
was for.
He said, "It is the
doll my sister wanted so
badly
for Christmas. She
just knew that Santa would
bring it."
I told him that maybe
Santa was going to bring
it.
He said "No, Santa
can't go where my sister
is... I have to give the
doll to my Mama to take to
her".
I asked him where his
sister was.
He looked at me with the
saddest eyes and said
"She has gone to be
with Jesus". My Daddy
says that Mama is going to
have to go be with her.
My heart nearly stopped
beating.
Then the boy looked at me
again and said, "I
told my Daddy to tell Mama
not to go yet. I told him
to tell her to wait till I
got back from the
store". Then he asked
me if I wanted to see his
picture.
I told him I would love
to.
He pulled out some
pictures he'd had taken at
the front of the store. He
said "I want my Mamma
to take this with her so
she don't ever forget me.
I love my Mama so very
much and I wish she did
not have to leave me. But
Daddy says she will
need
to be with my
sister."
I saw that the little boy
had lowered his head and
had grown so very quiet.
While he was not looking
I
reached into my purse and
pulled out a handful
of
bills.
I asked the little boy,
"Shall we count that
money one more time?"
He grew excited and said
"Yes, I just know it
has
to be enough".
So I slipped my money in
with his and we began to
count it. Of course it was
plenty for the doll. He
softly said, "Thank
you Jesus for giving me
enough money."
Then the boy said "I
just asked Jesus to give
me enough money to buy
this doll so Mama can take
it with her to give to my
sister. And he heard my
prayer. I wanted to ask
him for enough to buy my
Mama a white rose, but I
didn't ask him, but he
gave me enough to buy the
doll and a rose for my
Mama. She loves white
roses so very, very
much".
In a few minutes the aunt
came back and I
wheeled my
cart away. I could not
keep from thinking about
the little boy as I
finished my shopping in a
totally different spirit
than when I
had started.
And I kept remembering a
story I had seen in the
newspaper several days
earlier about
a drunk
driver hitting a car and
killing a little girl and
the Mother was in serious
condition. The
family was
deciding on whether to
remove the life support.
Now surely this little boy
did not belong with that
story.
Two days later I read in
the paper where the
family
had disconnected the life
support and the young
woman had died. I could
not forget the little boy
and just kept wondering if
the two were somehow
connected. Later that day,
I could not help myself
and I went out and bought
some white roses and took
them to the funeral home
where
the young woman was.
And there she was holding
a lovely white rose, the
beautiful doll, and the
picture of the little boy
in the store. I left there
in tears, my life changed
forever. The love that
little boy had for his
little sister and his
mother was overwhelming.
And in a split second a
drunk driver had ripped
the life of that little
boy to pieces.
~ Author Unknown ~
'Twas
the Night Before Jesus
Came
'Twas
the night before Jesus
came and all through the
house
Not a creature was
praying, not one in the
house.
Their Bibles were lain on
the shelf without care
In hopes that Jesus would
not come there.
The
children were dressing to
crawl into bed,
Not once ever kneeling or
bowing a head.
And Mom in her rocker with
baby on her lap
Was watching the Late Show
while I took a nap.
When
out of the East there
arose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet to see
what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew
like a flash
Tore open the shutters and
threw up the sash!
When
what to my wondering eyes
should appear
But angels proclaiming
that Jesus was here.
With a light like the sun
sending forth a bright ray
I knew in a moment this
must be The Day!
The
light of His face made me
cover my head
It was Jesus! returning
just like He had said.
And though I possessed
worldly wisdom and wealth
I cried when I saw Him in
spite of myself.
In
the Book of Life which He
held in His hand
Was written the name of
every saved man.
He spoke not a word as He
searched for my name;
When He said "It's
not here" my head
hung in shame.
The
people whose names had
been written with love
He gathered to take to His
Father above.
With those who were ready
He rose without a sound
While all the rest were
left standing around.
I
fell to my knees, but it
was too late;
I had waited too long and
this sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as
they rose out of sight;
Oh, if only I had been
ready tonight.
In
the words of this poem the
meaning is clear;
The coming of Jesus is
drawing near.
There's only one life and
when comes the last call
We'll find that the Bible
was true after all!
Author unknown~
The
Tablecloth
A
pastor and his wife, newly
assigned to their first
ministry, reopened a
church in suburban
Brooklyn. Excitedly
arriving in early October,
they saw the opportunities
to accomplish something
good
before them. When
they first laid eyes upon
the church, they
found it to be very run
down and in need of much
work. They set a goal,
though, to have everything
done in time to have their
first service on Christmas
Eve.
They
worked hard, repairing
pews, plastering
walls,
painting, etc., and on Dec
18 were ahead of schedule
and just about finished.
On December 19 a terrible
tempest hit the area,
lasting two days.
On
the 21st, the pastor went
over to the church. His
heart sank when he saw
that the roof had leaked,
causing a large area of
plaster about 20 feet by 8
feet to fall off the front
wall of the sanctuary just
behind the pulpit,
beginning about head high.
The pastor cleaned up the
mess on the floor, and not
knowing what else to do
but
postpone the Christmas
Eve service, headed
home.
On the way he noticed a
local business having
a flea market type
sale for charity so he
stopped in.
One
of the items was a
beautiful, handmade, ivory
colored, crocheted
tablecloth with exquisite
work, fine colors and a
Cross embroidered right in
the center. It was just
the right size to cover up
the hole in the front
wall. He bought it and
headed
back to the church.
By this time it had
started to snow. An
older woman running from
the opposite direction was
trying to catch the bus.
She missed
it. The pastor
invited her to wait in the
warm
church for the next
bus 45 minutes
later. She sat
in a
pew and paid no
attention to the
pastor while he got a
ladder, hangers, etc., to
put up the
tablecloth as a wall
tapestry. The pastor could
hardly believe how
beautiful it looked
and it covered up the
entire problem area.
Then
he noticed the woman
walking down the center
aisle. Her face was like a
sheet. "Pastor,"
she said, "where did
you get that
tablecloth?" The
pastor explained. The
woman asked him to check
the lower right corner to
see if the initials,
EBG were crocheted into it
there. To his
astonishment, he found
that they were. These
being the initials of the
woman. She had made this
tablecloth 35 years
before, in Austria. The
woman could hardly believe
it, for the pastor told
how he had just acquired
the tablecloth.
The
woman explained that
before the war she and her
husband were well-to-do
people in Austria. When
the Nazis came, she was
forced to leave.
Her
husband was going to
follow her the next
week. She was
captured, sent to prison
and she never saw her
husband or her home again.
The
pastor wanted to give her
the tablecloth; but she
made the pastor keep it
for the church. The
pastor insisted on driving
her home, that was the
least he could do.
She lived on the other
side of Staten Island and
was only in Brooklyn for
the day for a
housecleaning job.
What
a wonderful service they
had on Christmas
Eve. The church was
almost full. The music and
the spirit were
great. At the end of
the service,
the pastor
and his wife greeted
everyone at the door and
many said that they would
return.
One
older man, whom the pastor
recognized from the
neighbourhood, continued
to
sit in one of the pews and
stare at the Tablecloth on
the front wall because it
was identical to the one
that his wife
had made
many years ago in Austria
before the
war and how
could there be two
Tablecloths so much alike?
He
told the pastor how the
Nazis came, how he forced
his wife to flee for her
safety, and he was
supposed to follow her,
but he was arrested and
put in a prison. He never
saw his wife or his home
again all the 35 years in
between.
The
pastor asked him if he
would allow him to take
him for a little ride.
They drove to Staten
Island
and to the same
house where the pastor had
taken the woman three days
earlier. He helped
the man climb the three
flights of stairs to the
woman's apartment, knocked
on the door and he saw the
greatest Christmas reunion
he could ever imagine.
Author unknown~
CHRISTMAS:
1ST CORINTHIANS 13 STYLE
author unknown
If I decorate my house
perfectly with plaid bows,
strands of
twinkling lights and shiny
balls, but do not show
love to my
family, I'm just another
decorator.
If I slave away in the
kitchen, baking dozens of
Christmas
cookies, preparing gourmet
meals and arranging a
beautifully
adorned table at mealtime,
but do not show love to my
family,
I'm just another cook.
If I work at the soup
kitchen, carol in the
nursing home and
give all that I have to
charity, but do not show
love to my
family, it profits me
nothing.
If I trim the spruce with
shimmering angels and
crocheted
snowflakes, attend a
myriad of holiday parties
and sing in
the choir's cantata but do
not focus on Christ, I
have missed
the point.
Love stops the cooking to
hug the child.
Love sets aside the
decorating to kiss the
husband.
Love is kind, though
harried and tired.
Love doesn't envy
another's home that has
coordinated
Christmas china and table
linens.
Love doesn't yell at the
kids to get out of the
way.
Love doesn't give only to
those who are able to give
in
return but rejoices in
giving to those who can't.
Love bears all things,
believes all things, hopes
all things,
endures all things.
Love never fails. Video
games will break, pearl
necklaces
will be lost, golf clubs
will rust. But giving the
gift of love
will endure.
Old
George's Christmas Eve
Visitor
|
The old man sat in
his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve. He hadn't been
any where in years since his wife passed away. He had no
decorations, no tree, no light. It was just another day to
him.
He didn't hate
Christmas, just couldn't find a reason to celebrate. There
were no children in his life. His wife had gone.
He was sitting
there looking at the snow that had been falling for the last hour
and wondering what it was all about when the door opened and a
homeless man stepped through. Instead of throwing the man out,
George, old George as he was known by his customers, told the man to
come and sit by the space heater and warm up.
"Thank you,
but I don't mean to intrude," said the stranger. "I
see you're busy. I'll just go." "Not without
something hot in your bell." George turned and opened a
wide mouth thermos and handed it to the stranger. "It
ain't much, but it's hot and tasty. Stew, made it myself, when
you're done there's coffee and it's fresh.
Just as that moment
he heard the "ding" of the driveway bell. "Excuse me
be right back." George said. There in the driveway
was an old 53 Chevy. Steam was rolling out of the front.
The driver was panicky. "Mister can you help me!"
said the driver with a deep Spanish accent. "My wife is
with child and my car is broken." George open the hood.
It was bad. The block looked cracked from the cold; the car
was dead. "You ain't going in this thing, "George
said as he turned away. "But mister, please help....
The door of the
office closed behind George as he went in. George went to the
office wall and got the keys to his old truck, and went back
outside. He walked around the building and opened the garage,
started the truck and drove it around to where the couple was
waiting. "Here, take my truck, "he said.
"She ain't the best thing you ever looked at, but she runs real
good. "George helped put the woman in the truck and
watched as it sped off into the night.
George turned and
walked back into the office "Glad I give em the truck.
Their tires were shot too. That old truck has brand
new...."George thought he was talking to the stranger, but the
man had gone. The thermos was on the desk, empty with a used
coffee cup beside it. "Well, at least he got something in
his belly, "George thought.
George went back
outside to see if the old Chevy would start. It cranked
slowly, but it started. He pulled it into the garage where the
truck had been. He thought he would tinker with it for
something to do. Christmas Eve meant no customers. He
discovered the block hadn't cracked, it was just the bottom hose on
the radiator. "Well, shoot, I can fix this, "he said
to himself. So he put a new one on. "Those tires
ain't gonna get them through the winter either. "He took
the snow trends off of his wife's old Lincoln. They were like
new and he wasn't gong to drive the car.
As he was working
he heard shots being fired. He ran outside and beside a police
car an officer lay on the cold ground. Bleeding from the left
shoulder, the officer moaned. "Help me.
"George helped the officer inside as he remembered the training
he had received in the army as a medic. He knew the wound
needed attention. "Pressure to stop the bleeding,
"he thought. The uniform company had been there that
morning and had left some clean towels. He used those and duct
tape to bind the wound. "Hey, they say duct tape can fix
anything, "he said, trying to make the police man feel at ease.
"Something for
pain, "George thought. And he had was pills he used for
his back. "These ought to work. "He put some
water in a cup and gave the police officer the pills.
"You hang in there. I'm going to get you an ambulance.
"The phone was dead. "Maybe I can get one of your
buddies on that there talk box out in your car. "He went
out only to find that a bullet had gone into the dashboard
destroying the two way radio.
He went back in to
find the policeman sitting up. "Thanks" said the
officer. "ya could have left me there. The guy that
shot me is still in the area. "George sat down beside
him. "I would never leave an injured man in the army and
I ain't gonna leave you. "George pulled back the bandage
to check for bleeding. "Looks worse that what is is.
Bullet passed right through ya. Good thing it missed the
important stuff though. I think with time your gonna be right
as rain."
The front door of
the office flew open. In burst a young man with a gun.
"Give me all your cash! Do it now!" the young man yelled.
His hand was shaking and George could tell that he had never done
anything like this before. That's the guy that shot me!"
exclaimed the officer. "Son, why are you doing this?
"asked George.
"You need to
put the cannon away. Someone else might get hurt.
"The young man was confused. "Shut up old man, or
I'll shoot you, too. Now give me the cash!
The cop was
reaching for his gun. "Put that thing away, "George
said to the cop. "We got one too many in here now.
"He turned his attention to the young man. "Son,
it's Christmas Eve. If you need money, well then, here.
It ain't much but it's all I got. Now put that pee shooter
away, "George pulled $150 out of his pocket and handed it to
the young man, reaching for the barrel of the gun at the same
time.
The young man
released his grip on the gun, fell to his knees and began to cry.
"I'm not very good at this am I? All I wanted was to buy
something for my wife and son, he went on. "I've lost my
job. My rent is due, my car got repossessed last week....
"George handed the gun to the cop. "Son, we all get
in a bit of squeeze now and then. The road gets hard
sometimes, but we make it through the best we can."
He got the young
man to his fee, and sat down on a chair from the cop.
"Sometimes we do stupid things. "George handed the
young man a cup of coffee. "Being stupid is one of the
things that makes us human. Comin' in here with a gun ain't
the answer. Now sit there and get warm and we'll sort this
thing out.
The young man had
stopped crying. He looked over to the cop. "Sorry I
shot you. I just went off. I'm sorry officer."
"Shut up and drink your coffee, the cop said. George
could hear the sounds of siren outside a police car and an ambulance
skidded to a halt. Two cops came through the door, guns
drawn.
Chuck! You
ok?" one of the cops asked the wounded officer. "Not
bad for a guy who took a bullet. How did you find me?"
"GPS locator in the car. Best thing since sliced bread.
Who did this?" the other cop asked as he approached the young
man. Chuck answered him, "I don't know. The guy ran
off into the dark. Just dropped his gun and ran."
George and the
young man both looked puzzled at each other. "That guy
work here?" the wounded cop continued. "Yep, "George
said. "Just hired him this morning. Boy lost his
job. "The paramedic came in and loaded Chuck onto the
stretcher. The young man leaned over the wounded cope and
whisper, "why?" Chuck just said, "Merry Christmas
boy. And you too, George, and thanks for everything."
"Well, look like you got one doozy of a break there. That
ought to solve some of your problems.
George went into
the backroom and came out with a box. He pulled out a ring
box. "Here you go. Sometime for the little woman.
I don't think Martha would mind. She said it would come in
handy some day. "The young man looked inside to see the
biggest diamond ring he ever saw. "I cant take this, "said
the young man. "It means something to you." "And
not it means something to you," replied George. "I got my
memories. That's all I need. "George reached into the box
again. An airplane, a car and a truck appeared next.
They were toys that the oil company had left for him to sell.
"Here's
something for that little man of yours. "The young man began to
cry again as he handed back the $150 that the old man had handed him
earlier. "And what are you supposed to buy Christmas
dinner with? You keep that too, "George said. "Now
get home to your family." The young man turned with tears
streaming down his face. I'll be here in the morning for work,
if that job offer is till good." "Nope. I'm closed
Christmas day, "George said. "See ya the day after."
George turned
around to find that the stranger had returned. "Where'd
you come from? I though you left? "I have been here. I
have always been here said the stranger. "You say you don't
celebrate Christmas. "Why?" "well, after my wife
passed away I just couldn't see what all the bother was.
Puttin' up a tree and all seemed a waste of a good pine tine.
Baking cookies like I used to with Martha just wasn't the same by
myself and besides I was getting chubby." The stranger put his
hand on George's shoulder. "But you do celebrate the
holiday, George.
You gave me food
and drink and warmed me when I was cold and hungry. The woman
with child will bear a son and he will become a great doctor.
The policeman you helped will go on to save 19 people from being
killed by terrorists. The young man who tried to rob you will
make you a rich man and not take any for himself. That is the
spirit of the season and you keep it as good as any man."
George was taken
aback by all the stranger had said. "And how do you know all
this?" asked the old man. "Trusting me, George. I
have the inside track on this sort of thing. And when your
days are done you will be with Martha again, "the stranger
moved toward the door. "If you will excuse me, George, I
have to go now. I have to go home where there is a big
celebration planned. "George watched as the old leather jacket
and torn pants that the stranger was wearing turned into a white
robe. A golden light began to fill the room. "You
see, George....It's my birthday. Merry Christmas." George
feel to his knees and replied, "Happy Birthday, Lord."
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I hope you have enjoyed
sharing a little Christmas
love here with me.
Now I would like to pray
for
you and present the
greatest gift of all, and
that is Jesus Christ.
Dear
Heavenly Father,
I pray for every person
that you have sent to this
website. I thank you,
Father, for those who have
sent me an encouraging
word and who so kindly
signed my guestbook. I
pray that each person who
visits here will be drawn
to you and your love. I
pray for those who have
not accepted Jesus as
their personal Lord and
Savior and I ask you to
reveal Yourself to them. I
ask you, Father, to pour
out your blessings
abundantly on those who
visit here and bring peace
to their hearts and lives.
Lord, thank you for
allowing me to serve you
and to share with others
of your unfailing love.
Thank you for another
season to remember the
birth of your Son and help
us all to have a servant's
heart. Thank you for your
grace, Lord. I pray a
special blessing on the
reader of this prayer and
may they feel your
presence in a mighty way.
In Jesus' Name I pray.
God's
Gift
Do you know how much Jesus
loves you? He loves you so
much that He gave His life
for you. "For 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.
Is Jesus the
Lord of your life? God's
Holy Word tells us the way
to get to heaven. We
cannot get to heaven by
just being a good person
cause the Bible
says, "As it
is written, There is none
righteous, no, not
one'" Romans
3:10. The Bible
also says "For all
have sinned and come short
of the glory of God."
Romans 3:23.
We are all sinners and
need salvation. God's Word
says there is a price for
sin and that is death. "For
the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is
eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord."
Romans 6:23.
The good news is that
the price for our sin has
already been paid. Jesus
Christ paid the price for
us by dying on a Cross for
us. But, God won't force
us to accept this gift of
love. We have to receive
the gift that God offers,
which is eternal life. We
make the choice to receive
God's gift or reject His
gift.
The first start in
accepting this gift from
God is by confessing our
sins and acknowledging
that we need a Savior. "If
we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and
to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness." 1
John 1:9.
Oh, what a wonderful
thing to be forgiven by
God! But, we don't stop
there! Once we ask the
Lord to forgive us, we
must repent, also.
Repentance means a
complete turn around; a
turning away from our sins
and choosing to live a
holy life. We then
ask Jesus to come into our
hearts and live there. We
make the choice to live
our lives for God and we
make the choice to serve
Him. We ask Jesus to be
the Lord of our lives as
well as our Savior.
Just like when we love our
spouses, we do not simply
do lip service to God. We
must express our love to
our Lord just like we
express our love to our
spouses or someone we
love. If we just said
"I love you" and
never showed it, people
would eventually doubt our
sincerity. How do we show
Jesus we love him? "If
you love me, keep my
commandments." John
14:15
Obedience to God is
proof that we are sincere
in our devotion to Him.
Once we receive this
beautiful gift of God,
then the Holy Spirit comes
to reside in us and begins
to change our way of
thinking and behaving. He
puts a desire in our
hearts to live holy and to
want to please God and
obey Him.
But, the greatest gift of
all is that we will spend
eternity with Jesus in
heaven.
Why not accept God's gift
to you this Christmas...
"Behold I stand at
the door, and knock: if
any man hear my voice, and
open the door, I will come
in to him, and will sup
with him, and he with
me." Revelation 3:20
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