for most... it seems like less...
festivities begin this Christmas Eve...
Still so much to do...
unsure how it will happen...
looking forward with anticipation to what will get done...
Feeling the same about these twenty-five days...
He did... does... so much...
He is... so great... more than we can fathom... discover...
John wrote...
Now there are also many other things that Jesus did.
Were every one of them to be written, I suppose
that the world itself could not contain the books
that would be written.
John 21:25 ESV
With all that He is...
what we've seen... what we haven't...
we end the twenty-five days...
with Him as Gift...
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish but
have eternal life. For God did not send his Son
into the world to condemn the world, but in order
that the world might be saved through him.
John 3:16-17 ESV
A gift is given...
and God gave His Son...
as a gift of grace... mercy... redemption...
gift... something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation
---Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (11th Ed.)Gifts given... are given freely...
no compensation...
no payment required...
no strings attached...
that's a real gift...
But with freely given gifts...
we also have the right to refuse...
Or... we can receive...
but never unwrap it...
never open it up...
The same is true of Jesus...
Through Him... God offers...
the free gift of salvation... grace... mercy...
For by grace you have been saved through faith.
And this is not your own doing: it is the gift of God,
not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:8 ESV
The gift of Jesus... comes to us... completely undeserved...
a gift of grace... unearned... unmerited...
When received... by faith...
the gift of Jesus... opens for us...
the way of freedom... peace... joy...
There is therefore now no condemnation for those
who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life
has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh,
could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful
flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
in order that the righteous requirement of the law might
be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh
but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:1-4 ESV
Freedom from sin... death... fear...
The Word says... sin holds us in a death grip...
and the root of fear is punishment...
because we have become God's enemies...
But by receiving the gift of grace Jesus offers...
we are freed up from all that binds...
Jesus is a gift given... to the whole world...
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise
as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,
not wishing that any should perish,
but that all should reach repentance.
2 Peter 3:9 ESV
Yet there are those who refuse to receive...
Then there are those who receive...
however... they refuse to trust the Gift...
with difficulties... or wealth... or worry...
They continue living as if still bound...
when chains have been broken...
cell doors flung open...
death-sentence repealed...
The Gift of Jesus...
receive...
unwrap...
trust...
He is the Greatest Gift ever given...
to a dark... cold... broken... lost... world...
And the angel said to them,
"Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news
of great joy that will be for all the people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David
a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:10-11 ESV
Have you received Him...? do you trust Him...? do you live freely by His grace...?
Father God... continue to grow me...
in the joy... freedom... grace... and love...
of the Greatest Gift... You've ever given...
Bless me with the time to unwrap...
as much of Him as possible...
Note to email subscribers... If you only read via email... know you are one day behind... to read the actual post for Christmas Day... go to Jeremiah's Menu... today...
No comments:
Post a Comment