CHRISTMAS
- Jesus - The Unspeakable Gift
2
Cor. 9:15
“Thanks
be unto God for His unspeakable gift.”
(2 Cor. 9:15)
Almost everyone
enjoys receiving gifts; and not just at
Christmas. The wealthy, as well as the poor,
are intrigued by receiving gifts from someone
they love or respect!
Children love
receiving gifts from their parents and grandparents.
They also like giving gifts like little
notes, cards and other artistic creations
they have made!
Giving is
important because of the effort, love and
time it takes to make or purchase an appropriate
gift. And in wrapping, mailing or delivering
it!
There is usually
a lot of love wrapped up with gift giving!
It’s easy for children to express their
love, but harder for some adults. That’s
where the gift giving helps them!
Some of us
enjoy giving even more than receiving. We
rejoice in our ability to create little
blessings in people’s lives, by the
things we are able to do for them!
Unfortunately,
there are those who are selfish, greedy
and envious of others! How sad! Some of
the most envious people I have met, are
those who seemingly have everything. Yet
they envy what little someone has!
WHY IS
THIS? WHAT MAKES PEOPLE ACT SO DIFFERENTLY?
The Bible
speaks about the old nature and the new
nature; the old man and the new man; the
old lifestyle and the new lifestyle!
The prophet
gets to the heart of the matter: “The
heart is deceitful above all things, and
desperately wicked: who can know it?”
(Jer. 17:9)
Jesus spoke
about the sinfulness of the “heart
of man” and identified the corrupt
fruit emanating from such a heart. It’s
not very pretty!
“For
out of the heart proceed evil thoughts,
murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts,
false witness, blasphemies.” (Matt.
15:19)
But the heart
can be changed by the Word of God and the
Holy Spirit. The Bible says: “A new
heart also will I give you, and a new spirit
will I put within you: and I will take away
the stony heart out of your flesh, and I
will give you an heart of flesh.
“And
I will put My Spirit within you, and cause
you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall
keep My judgments, and do them.” (Ezek.
36:26-27)
The Bible
states: “Therefore if any man (person)
be in Christ, he is a new creation: old
things are passed away behold all things
become new”. (2 Cor. 5:17)
St. Paul was
referring to Jesus Christ - the world’s
only Saviour - when he stated, “Thanks
be unto God for His unspeakable gift”.
Jesus Christ
is the “desire of all nations”,
that Haggai prophesied should come! (Hag.
2:7)
The Bible
says, “For God so loved the world
that HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN - ONE AND
ONLY - SON, that whosoever believeth in
Him should not perish, but have everlasting
life”. (John 3:16)
Our gracious
Heavenly Father has given us so much. After
giving His Son to die for our sins, HE
GAVE US THE HOLY SPIRIT to empower the Church.
And the “gifts of the Spirit”
are still available for us today!
OH, HALLELUJAH!
PRAISE THE LORD!
In closing,
allow me to put everything in perspective.
St. Paul’s statement thanking God “for
His unspeakable gift” was the conclusion
of a powerful discourse regarding, “GIVING
ECONOMIC HELP” to the saints of
God!
“But
this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall
reap also sparingly; and he which soweth
bountifully shall also reap bountifully.
“Every
man according as he purposeth in his heart,
so let him give; not grudgingly or of necessity:
for God loveth a cheerful giver.
“And
God is able to make all grace abound toward
you; that ye always having all sufficiency
in all things, may abound to every good
work.” (2 Cor. 9:6-8)
Let us remember
the poor, sick, sinful, orphaned and disadvantaged,
with our prayers and financial gifts. Help
support this ministry and others, which
proclaim “the gospel of Jesus Christ”!
There is also
an added bonus. The ‘Law of Reciprocity’
kicks in when we give!
Jesus said:
“Give, and it shall be given unto you;
good measure, pressed down, and shaken together,
and running over, shall men give unto your
bosom. For with the same measure that ye
mete withal it shall be measured to you
again”. (Luke 6:38)
Have a joyous
Christmas and remember “it is more
blessed to give than to receive”.
(Acts 20:35)
Finally, may
we all take time to give thanks to the Lord
for His great mercy and blessing in our
lives, as well as to others who have touched
our lives with their love!
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