THE GIFT

Most people I have talked with through the years know that Jesus has something to do with Christmas. Whether or not they know him as their personal Savior, they are familiar with the "Baby" Jesus, Joseph and Mary, the stable and the wise men. I love Christmas because to me it is the celebration of the first coming of my Lord to bring salvation to this earth. I realize he probably wasn't born in December. However, that is the day most have chosen to celebrate. I love the colors that surround the holiday. Bright and cheery, not dark and gloomy. Yes, Jesus who was and is God himself, came to this earth to be a Gift to Mankind. God came down from Heaven to "connect". We were originally "disconnected" because of rebellion against God. Rebellion because Adam and Eve thought they could do life a better way than what had been offered. They had a lot of help from God's enemy, Lucifer who himself rebelled against God and His authority. The account is in the book of Genesis if you have never read. The Gift of Jesus goes so far beyond the precious pictures and songs we sing at Christmastime about the baby in a manger. Jesus was the actual "I AM" who became man. He was the container of all that "I AM" is. Let me share some of that Truth spoken by Jesus Himself: "Jesus said to him (Peter), 'I AM the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" John 14:6. "I AM the Vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing". John 15:5. "Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM (Jesus was there in the beginning of Creation)." John 8:58. That really made the religious leaders angry in those days that he would say he was, in fact, GOD! They picked up stones to throw at him. Any religion that denies that Jesus is God, is false. Jesus said in another place, "Truly, truly (really emphasizing his words are TRUE) I say, 'whoever believes in me has eternal life. I AM the Bread of Life.'" John 6:47 And, in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, he said to John the Apostle: "It is DONE! I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment." Revelation 21:6. There are so many other aspects to the "Gift" we have been given. He is the Way; He is our Healer; He is our Peace; He is our Rock; He is our Fortress: He is our Deliverer! This list goes on and on. How can we limit our vision of all of this to the confines of the body of a tiny baby? But, we can! That tiny baby was all this! However, that tiny baby grew up and became a man and walked this earth bestowing the gift he was to all those he came in contact with and then gave Himself on a cruel, ugly cross, shedding his precious red blood to give us the most indescribable results of the Gift he was and is, the forgiveness of our sins and the free entrance into His Eternal Kingdom! 
He then rose from the grave so that we could follow him in newness of life for now and forever. What an AMAZING, POWERFUL, WONDERFUL, AWESOME,
INCOMPREHENSIBLE, BEAUTIFUL, ALIVE NOW BY THE HOLY SPIRIT IN US Gift is He?! Lift your eyes above the stable this Christmas and look to the Star, The Bright and Morning Star! Take hold through Belief of all that he is and all he has done because of his great love for you. John1:12&13: "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Love to you all!