Nothing in The Word of God is ABOUT us. It's all ABOUT JESUS.
Everything in The Word of God is FOR us. JESUS CHRIST IS The Word of God.
It is for us He came. It is for us He was sent. Christmas is not about the gifts the wise men brought. It is about The Gift God gave to the world we live in. And it was His most valuable gift: He gave of Himself, God gave us Jesus, His only begotten Son.
Wrapped in flesh, placed within a virgin's womb, born in a dark place, God's gift to you and I is His Son. The Son who helped His Father create the world from the very beginning would now help His Father create salvation for the people who lived in darkness on the surface of the world. The Son who would one day be nailed to one of the trees He created, was wrapped in warm cloths and laid in a manger, a simple feeding trough filled with straw. Our Bread of Life, Bread of Heaven.
Luke 1:10, 11 "And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ The Lord."
John 3:16, 17 "For God so loved the world, that He sent His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Prince of Peace."
Luke 1:14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
1 John 4:9 "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God had sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him."
1 John 5:11, 12 "And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that has The Son has life; he that has not The Son has not life."
John 1:1, 14 "In the beginning was The Word, and The Word was with God, and The Word was God. ... And The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of The Father,) full of grace and truth."
This is why we celebrate Christmas. This is why we celebrate Jesus. The spirit that fills a person with permanent joy is the spirit of love. This love only comes from God. Christmas spirit dissipates once Christmas is passed, but the love of God is eternal for God is love. Other spirits only imitate God's love; they soon leave the person's heart, leaving it feeling empty, alone, fearful, confused. These, too, are spirits, but not good ones. Only God is Good.
1 John 4:15, 16 "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is The Son of God, God dwells in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has to us. God is love; and he that dwells in love, dwells in God, and God in him."
Romans 5:8 "But God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." See, God did not wait for us to get ourselves cleaned up 'good enough' before He sent His Son to die for us. Otherwise, we would never have needed a Savior. But our righteousness is self-righteousness. It is only through the righteousness of Christ that we are made clean. It is only through the blood of His sacrifice on the cross that we are washed 'whiter than snow'. It is only through the sins of the world since before time and until time's reign ends being laid on Him, thereby making Him pay the penalty for our sins, that we have escaped death.
Romans 5:18 "Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life."
Romans 6:4 "Therefore we are buried with Him in baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of The Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
What a gift God has given us in His Son! But what a price that had to be paid for us to receive this gift. Have you received this precious gift of life which God has made available to us? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God? Have you asked Him to come into your heart, be The Lord of your life, The Savior of your soul?
How can you not accept God's gift? Yet, many do. It is not a light thing to dismiss God's outstretched hand. The day will come when those who refused this gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ will perish for ever and be heard from no more. Please do not let their fate be yours. Kneel before The only begotten Son of God, acknowledge Him as such, believe on His Name for salvation and repent of your sins to God. Ask God's forgiveness, turn from your wicked ways and turn to God in Christ Jesus for a renewing of your heart and mind and soul. Praise His Name. For Joy is in the world now, the joy unspeakable, which is Christ The Savior lives in you now. If you believe.
Unto us was given the ultimate gift, the extreme gift, if you wish. For now, having received Jesus Christ into our hearts, we have become the sons and daughters of God. In Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). Without Him we are nothing, but with Him we are everything.
Before we came to Christ, we lived in the darkness of this world. Now, having received the Light of God's Love Jesus Christ into our hearts, we live in this Light and Love; this Light and Love lives in us. Before we received God's Gift to us, we did unspeakable things and misbehaved in unseemly ways. Our hearts and minds and willfulness was all about us: what's in it for me? how do i look? i can do anything i want to do and you can't stop me attitudes. Before we repented of our sins, our sins had to be exposed to the Light of God's Word, revealing the blackness, the darkness, of our hearts and minds. Disobedience to God and God's Word is punishable by death.
"But God so Loved the world." To be saved is to be saved from death and destruction. To be saved is to live in Jesus Christ and have Him live in us. But He is holy and the holiness of God cannot be present where sin exists. Therefore the blood of Christ must be applied to the heart first that He might cleanse us from all unrighteousness and make a place for Himself. Though He is God He cannot do it forcefully. Jesus waits for us to ask Him to live in us. But we must first believe that He Is, and surrender to Him all that is within us, that He might reign fully within our hearts, within our minds. Our will must be surrendered to Him on a daily basis. You know how it is. We start to get caught up in our lives, and God's Gift tends to get pushed aside, ignored by the one who had first received Him.
It's all about Jesus. But He's all for you. Are you all for Him?
Everything in The Word of God is FOR us. JESUS CHRIST IS The Word of God.
Wrapped in flesh, placed within a virgin's womb, born in a dark place, God's gift to you and I is His Son. The Son who helped His Father create the world from the very beginning would now help His Father create salvation for the people who lived in darkness on the surface of the world. The Son who would one day be nailed to one of the trees He created, was wrapped in warm cloths and laid in a manger, a simple feeding trough filled with straw. Our Bread of Life, Bread of Heaven.
Luke 1:10, 11 "And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ The Lord."
John 3:16, 17 "For God so loved the world, that He sent His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Prince of Peace."
Luke 1:14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
1 John 4:9 "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God had sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him."
1 John 5:11, 12 "And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that has The Son has life; he that has not The Son has not life."
John 1:1, 14 "In the beginning was The Word, and The Word was with God, and The Word was God. ... And The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of The Father,) full of grace and truth."
This is why we celebrate Christmas. This is why we celebrate Jesus. The spirit that fills a person with permanent joy is the spirit of love. This love only comes from God. Christmas spirit dissipates once Christmas is passed, but the love of God is eternal for God is love. Other spirits only imitate God's love; they soon leave the person's heart, leaving it feeling empty, alone, fearful, confused. These, too, are spirits, but not good ones. Only God is Good.
1 John 4:15, 16 "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is The Son of God, God dwells in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has to us. God is love; and he that dwells in love, dwells in God, and God in him."
Romans 5:8 "But God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." See, God did not wait for us to get ourselves cleaned up 'good enough' before He sent His Son to die for us. Otherwise, we would never have needed a Savior. But our righteousness is self-righteousness. It is only through the righteousness of Christ that we are made clean. It is only through the blood of His sacrifice on the cross that we are washed 'whiter than snow'. It is only through the sins of the world since before time and until time's reign ends being laid on Him, thereby making Him pay the penalty for our sins, that we have escaped death.
Romans 5:18 "Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life."
Romans 6:4 "Therefore we are buried with Him in baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of The Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
What a gift God has given us in His Son! But what a price that had to be paid for us to receive this gift. Have you received this precious gift of life which God has made available to us? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God? Have you asked Him to come into your heart, be The Lord of your life, The Savior of your soul?
How can you not accept God's gift? Yet, many do. It is not a light thing to dismiss God's outstretched hand. The day will come when those who refused this gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ will perish for ever and be heard from no more. Please do not let their fate be yours. Kneel before The only begotten Son of God, acknowledge Him as such, believe on His Name for salvation and repent of your sins to God. Ask God's forgiveness, turn from your wicked ways and turn to God in Christ Jesus for a renewing of your heart and mind and soul. Praise His Name. For Joy is in the world now, the joy unspeakable, which is Christ The Savior lives in you now. If you believe.
Unto us was given the ultimate gift, the extreme gift, if you wish. For now, having received Jesus Christ into our hearts, we have become the sons and daughters of God. In Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). Without Him we are nothing, but with Him we are everything.
Before we came to Christ, we lived in the darkness of this world. Now, having received the Light of God's Love Jesus Christ into our hearts, we live in this Light and Love; this Light and Love lives in us. Before we received God's Gift to us, we did unspeakable things and misbehaved in unseemly ways. Our hearts and minds and willfulness was all about us: what's in it for me? how do i look? i can do anything i want to do and you can't stop me attitudes. Before we repented of our sins, our sins had to be exposed to the Light of God's Word, revealing the blackness, the darkness, of our hearts and minds. Disobedience to God and God's Word is punishable by death.
"But God so Loved the world." To be saved is to be saved from death and destruction. To be saved is to live in Jesus Christ and have Him live in us. But He is holy and the holiness of God cannot be present where sin exists. Therefore the blood of Christ must be applied to the heart first that He might cleanse us from all unrighteousness and make a place for Himself. Though He is God He cannot do it forcefully. Jesus waits for us to ask Him to live in us. But we must first believe that He Is, and surrender to Him all that is within us, that He might reign fully within our hearts, within our minds. Our will must be surrendered to Him on a daily basis. You know how it is. We start to get caught up in our lives, and God's Gift tends to get pushed aside, ignored by the one who had first received Him.
It's all about Jesus. But He's all for you. Are you all for Him?
