For Unto You Was Born on the Distant Christmas Day A Savior

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow” (James 12:17).

Dear family, friends and neighbors, as we near that day set by man that we celebrate the birthday of our Lord, that you will take some time alone and give thanks for the gifts that God gave to us through His Son Jesus Christ.  Keep in mind that when Jesus came to earth as a man and suffered and died on the cross so that you could be reconciled to God, He had you in mind, even though you had not been created yet.  

Luke put it this way: “And human hands can’t minister to His needs, for He has no needs!  He Himself gives life and breath to everything, and satisfies every need there is” (17:25 Living New Testament). 

The most memorized verse in the Bible lays the very foundation for God’s love for His creation and His desire that none should perish but have everlasting life with Him, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). It is also the most profound verse in the Bible.

The greatest gift – He gave Himself.  Our greatest gift  – to give ourselves to Him and those He sends our way.  He gave us life so that we would have something very precious to give to Him. And He gives us abundantly, more than we need, so that we can share those blessings with others who are not as blessed as we are.

I have learned that when I give to others the presence of God flows through the giver in compassion, which is love in action.    And I have also found that the greatest of all gifts is not purchased at Macy’s but rather words of comfort to those in stress, a casserole dish to someone who is too ill to prepare dinner, or shoveling the walk of the shut in next door.

And a neat promise of God, is the giver is always blessed more than the receiver. 

When you give, expecting nothing in return blessings are sent from the throne room of heaven.  The first blessing will be the joy of the Lord saying ‘thank you.’   Matthew put it this way, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.” (25:40). 

The year has truly been one of blessing on top of blessing.  When you reach  that eighth decade plateau and you can cut, split and stack twelve cord of wood and go to the Arava of Israel and work for two weeks, plus do the multitude of things necessary to keep the ship afloat, you realize how very blessed you have been.  Our prayer is that you too  had a great year and that Abba Father has blessed your sox off.   Take a minute or two and look for those Jesus moments that He blesses us with.

So my family, friends and neighbors, I pray you will take a few minutes each day and thank the Father for the blessings that we so often take for granted and as you prepare for the sharing of gifts on Christmas morning, keep in mind the greatest of all gifts was not made with human hands, but comes from the Father of Lights, THE GIFT OF SALVATION and eternity with the Lord.

Our Christmas Card to you with our love and prayers,

Gramps and Gma