For those who have a personal relationship with Christ, Christmas is an opportunity to say "thank you" to God for sending us heaven's most precious gift. Many people will miss Christmas. It happened at the first Christmas in Bethlehem.
The innkeeper was too busy caring for his guests. King Herod was afraid somebody was about to steal his throne, and the self-righteous chief priests and scribes were too proud to accept Him.
People miss Christmas because they are no longer touched by it's wonder. Many have never believed
Jesus said: John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life . . .
John wrote: John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.
Don't miss Christmas. Open your heart to Jesus and receive the greatest gift you will ever receive.
Buying gifts can be frustrating. God the Father is an expert gift giver. He gave this world the perfect gift -- Jesus Christ. Seeing us as helpless sinners, His compassion and mercy moved Him to fulfill our greatest need -- forgiveness.
Oh, the thrill when a sinner receives the perfect gift, when God enters their heart by faith, and they learn the depth of His love.
Ephesians 3:17-19 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height: And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.
It has been said that Michelangelo expressed himself in marble; Rembrandt expressed himself in oils; Handel expressed himself in music; Shakespeare expressed himself in prose and verse; and God expressed himself in flesh.
Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Christmas is the celebration of Christ becoming flesh to live among us, to reveal Himself to us, to identify with us, and to give Himself for us. Jesus came for us.
Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save what was lost.
When sinners accept Christ as their Saviour they receive God's gift of eternal life.
I'm so glad He came.
Because Jesus is God, His very nature is higher than the angels. Yet for our redemption, Christ became lower than the angels for thirty-three years.
Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
When we place our faith and trust in Jesus we make an exchange -- our sin for Christ's righteousness. Our sin was poured into Christ at His crucification and His righteousness is poured into us at our conversion. "The Great Exchange" -- What a deal!
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
It is because of God's grace -- God giving us what we do not deserve -- and God's mercy -- God withholding what we do deserve -- that we have salvation.
2 Corinthians 4:16 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
When believers share Jesus with lost sinners, the light begins to shine toward the darkness of their lives.
The apostle Paul compared conversion to Creation. Like the earth of Genesis 1:2, the lost sinner is formless and empty. But when he trusts Christ as his personal Saviour, he becomes a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). As God begins to form and fill his life, he begins to be fruitful for The Lord.
God's "Let there be light" makes everything new.
Walk in the Light, beautiful Light,
Come where the dew drops of mercy shine bright;
Shine all around us by day and by night.
Jesus, the Light of the world.
Christians are in the world to be a good influence, to make things and people better, to flavor the world with Jesus.
Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt have lost his favour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing but to cast out and to be trodden under foot of men.
We are to be salt in the cities where we live. If the salt never leaves the shaker, how will a lost and dying world learn about Jesus?
We are to add the salt of Christlikeness to our speech, our dress, our conduct, our relationships and attitudes.
Adding salt will make a marriage better, a family better, and friendships better. Adding salt will make a church better, a city better.
The salt of Christ softens the heart by melting resentment, bitterness, anger, envy, and unforgiveness.
We must saturate our lives with the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, so we won't lose the flavor that points others to Jesus.
God never promised that life would always be fair. There seems to be more valleys than mountain tops -- more lows than highs.
In his discouragement, the prophet Jeremiah cried out to God.
Jeremiah 20:7 O Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.
God doesn't make mistakes. He has a purpose and plan for every trial we face. Charles Spurgeon said, "God is too good to be unjust, too wise to be mistaken, and when you cannot trace His hand -- you can always trust His heart."
Though Jeremiah wanted to abandon his call as a prophet, he couldn't.
Jeremiah 20:9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
Discouraged and weak, we may want to quit, but that is when God makes us strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9 My grace is suficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
