The Greatest Gift

Well, this year, just like every year, millions of people, both children and adults, will open millions of gifts. Some won’t fit. Some will be the wrong color. Many will be returned or exchanged. But there’s one gift that meets everyone’s need, one gift that will never wear out, never break or need repairing. A gift that is appropriate for a small child, or a teenager, or an adult, or a senior adult. Boy or girl, man or woman, it makes no difference. The gift we all need, the most valuable gift of all, is that Baby in the manger. The One that this whole season is about. On Christmas, we celebrate the fact that God gave us the gift of His own Son, Jesus Christ, so that through faith in Him we could be forgiven of our sins and have eternal life.

+ John.3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Three points about this gift, this incredible, priceless gift.

+ John.15:15: [Jesus: ] “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you.”

+ John.17:3: “Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.”

Have you received this gift? Do you have this kind of relationship with Jesus Christ? Do you know Him as a friend? Is He someone you can talk with, confide in, seek counsel from? Do you feel at ease in His presence, like you would with a close friend, or do you feel like you have to rush around cleaning up your spiritual “house” before you can welcome Him in? If the answer is “no,” if you don’t have this kind of relationship with Christ, the good news is that you can. All you have to do is ask. Come to Him in prayer; confess your sins, ask His forgiveness, ask Him into your heart. That’s all you have to do. (Romans.10:9-10; John.1:12).

Maybe you’ve never heard the Christian life described in this way before. Perhaps it sounds a little strange to talk about spending time with Jesus Christ, as if He were a flesh and blood person, someone you could see and hear and touch. Well, no it isn’t like that. We don’t claim to see visions or hear voices. But that doesn’t make our fellowship with Him any less real. Christ is present with us. His Spirit lives in us. He speaks to us through the Bible. And we speak with Him through prayer.

+ 1.John1:3: “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.”

People sometimes think of Christianity as nothing but a set of burdensome responsibilities. Doing things you’d rather not do. Like going to church, when you’d rather be home reading the Sunday paper. Some people see the Christian life as a lot of rules, a lot of “do’s” and “don’ts” (mainly “don’ts”). Or if they view Christianity more positively, they might see it primarily in terms of the benefits it can bring – improved relationships; stronger marriages; guidance in raising children; emotional strength to deal with difficult circumstances. And that’s true, but even this misses the mark. The essence of Christianity isn’t rules, or “do’s and don’t’s”, or even blessings. The essence of Christianity is a relationship with Jesus Christ. Yes, the Christian life brings many benefits – joy, peace, hope. But they all come through Christ, they all flow from our relationship with Him.

+ John 6:35: Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty."

Your greatest gift to your children isn’t a few boxes wrapped in colored paper, on Christmas or their birthday. The most valuable thing you can offer them is a relationship; your love and care, your time and attention, your commitment to always be there when they need you. Right? Everything else flows from that. In the same way, God’s greatest gift to us is a relationship with Jesus Christ, and a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.

+ Matthew.13:44-46: "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

Knowing Christ is worth more than anything else in this world; in fact, knowing Christ is worth more than everything else in this world. We will never be disappointed by Him. He is that treasure; He’s that pearl of great value. God’s gift to us, this Child in the manger, is worth more than anything else we could ever possess. Does your life reflect that truth? Do you know Him? Are you seeking Him?

+ Isaiah.55:6-7: "6 Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon."

+ Revelation.3:20: "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me."

+ 2 Corinthians 9:15: "Thanks be to God for His indescribable Gift!"

+ John.1:12-13: “12 Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God – 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

Not all who heard about Him, or agreed with His teachings. Not all who attended church. Not all who tried to follow the golden rule (Mat.7:12: Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you). But all who received Him. Some people imagine that God’s love has to be earned; that we have to do something to deserve His forgiveness, that we have to somehow be good enough to merit His acceptance. But a gift you have to pay for is no gift at all. [Imagine your family trying to pay for their gifts.]

+ Romans 10:9-10: "9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

Now, maybe you opened that Gift years ago, but lately it’s been sitting on the shelf. You’ve been too busy, or too distracted, or too hurting to give Christ the time and attention you know He deserves. Or maybe for you that Gift is still under the tree, wrapped and ready to be opened. Please, "Be reconciled to God" (2Cor.5:20), don’t leave Christ on the shelf; don’t leave Him under the tree. Take Him into your heart and into your life, even today. That Gift from God has a tag with your name on it. What better day than Christmas to renew your commitment to Christ; or what better day than Christmas to begin a New Life of fellowship with Jesus Christ, a New Life of joy and peace and love?

--- Alan Perkins

+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

-- Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death,
but the Gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

-- 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old has gone, the new has come!



It was not the angel's message
That gave the Christmas thought
Nor yet the gold and incense
Which the wise men had brought.

It was not the star that led them
Upon the unknown way;
It was the Birth of Jesus
That makes the Christmas day!

-- Annie Johnson Flint

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-- Luke 2:13-14
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of
the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 "Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth Peace, Goodwill toward men!"

+*+*+*+

"The Celebration"

The Father sent an invitation
To the rich and to the poor;
"Come attend a celebration
Like one never held before."

He had made a proclamation:
"I will send My Son in love,
To be your friend and Savior;
The Gift - One perfect -
From above."

The joyous shouting of the angels,
"Praise to God and peace to men,"
Rings throughout
The endless ages,
And we hear it now as then.

Jesus came to bring salvation
To the rich and to the poor
Within our hearts a celebration -
Like we'd never known before.

Let us sing out with the angels,
"Praise to God and peace to men,"
For throughout eternal ages,
Celebrations will not end.

-- Jeanne M. Roth

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-- Romans 10:9-10
9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

+*+*+*+

You can never truly enjoy Christmas
until you can look up into the Father's face
and tell Him you have received His Christmas Gift.
-- John R. Rice

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-- Matthew 2:11
On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

+*+*+*+

What can I give Him?
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd,
I would bring a lamb.
If I were a wise man,
I would do my part.
Yet what can I give Him,
Give Him my heart.
-- C.Rossetti

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-- Hebrews 12:2
Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our Faith,
Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

+*+*+*+

"If You Look for Me at Christmas"

You won't need a special Star --
I'm no longer just in Bethlehem,
I'm right there where you are.

You may not be aware of Me
amid the celebrations --
You'll have to look beyond the stores
and all the decorations.

But if you take a moment
from your list of things to do
And listen to your heart, you'll find
I'm waiting there for you.

You're the one I want to be with,
you're the reason that I came,
And you'll find Me in the stiffness
as I'm whispering your name.

Love,

Jesus Christ

+*+*+*+

-- Isaiah 45:22
Look to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.



The Bible Christmas Story
(Matthew 1-2; Luke 1-2)

+ Matthew 1 -- (The Genealogy of Jesus)
+ Matthew.1: -- 1 A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, 4 Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife, 7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, 8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, 9 Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. 12 After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud, 15 Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob,

+ 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. 17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.

(The Birth of Jesus Christ)
+ 18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with Child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

+ 21 She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins." 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 "The virgin will be with Child and will give birth to a Son, and they will call Him Immanuel" -- which means, "God with us." 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave Him the name Jesus.

+ Luke 2:1-40 -- (The Birth of Jesus)
[1] In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. [2]  (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) [3] And everyone went to his own town to register. [4] So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. [5] He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a Child. [6] While they were there, the time came for the Baby to be born, [7] and she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

(The Shepherds and the Angels)
[8] And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. [9] An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. [10] But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you Good News of great joy that will be for all the people. [11] Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ* the Lord. [12] This will be a sign to you: You will find a Baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” [13] Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, [14] “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” [15] When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” [16] So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby, who was lying in the manger. [17] When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this Child, [18] and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. [19] But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. [20] The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

(Jesus Presented in the Temple)
[21] On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise Him, He was named Jesus, the name the angel had given Him before He had been conceived. [22] When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord [23]  (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”*), [24] and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”*

(Simeon Praise the Lord)
[25] Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. [26] It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. [27] Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the Child Jesus to do for Him what the custom of the Law required, [28] Simeon took Him in his arms and praised God, saying: [29] “Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You now dismiss Your servant in peace. [30] For my eyes have seen Your salvation, [31] which You have prepared in the sight of all people, [32] a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to Your people Israel.” [33] The Child's father and mother marveled at what was said about Him. [34] Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, His mother: “This Child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, [35] so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

(Anna Speak about the Child Jesus)
[36] There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, [37] and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.* She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. [38] Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the Child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

[39] When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. [40] And the Child grew and became strong; He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.

+ Matthew 2 -- (The Visit of the Magi)
+ 1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the One who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 6 "'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a Ruler who will be the Shepherd of My people Israel.'"

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the Child. As soon as you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him." 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

(The Escape to Egypt)
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the Child and His mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him." 14 So he got up, took the Child and His mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."

(The Killing of the Children)
16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18 "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."

(The Return to Nazareth)
19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, "Get up, take the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the Child's life are dead." 21 So he got up, took the Child and His mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."



-- Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

-- Matthew 1:23
"Behold, the virgin shall be with Child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14), which is translated, "God with us."

-- John 1:1-2,14
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.
+ 14 The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, Who came from the Father, full of Grace and Truth.

-- 1 John 4:9-10
9 This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His One and Only Son into the world that we might live through Him.
10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

-- Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For it is by Grace you have been Saved, through Faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the Gift of God -- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. .

-- James 1:17-18
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all He created.

-- John 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have Eternal Life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

*+*_*+*_*+*_*+*

-- 2 Corinthians 13:14
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

May the Joyful Blessings   and   the Holy Spirit of "Christmas"
Always be with you and family!