Recipe for a Simple Christmas:
1 Dash of no dashing
2 Moments of sitting still
3 Minutes enjoying the tree that took three hours to decorate
To have a simple Christmas, eliminate things that are making the season hectic rather than bright. And then shift the focus back to where it belongs: on the Saviour. If Christmas includes everything but spending time with Christ, press pause.
The One person that often gets squeezed out of Christmas is Christ. That TUG you've been feeling on your heart is coming from The Ultimate Gift (T.U.G.). The Birthday Guest of Honor is waiting to have some of our time. He would like to minister to the needs of our hearts, and He is still offering Himself as a ransom for those who need salvation. "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Matthew 21:28)
Have we crowded Christ out for Christmas? We can put Him back anytime.
Have we crowded Christ out for Christmas? We can put Him back anytime.
If you are searching for God, find Him in Christ:
1. Understand that we are all sinners. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)
2. There is a penalty for sin, but Jesus paid it all. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
3. God sent His only begotten Son to save us. "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." (John 3:17)
4. Realize that we all need a second birth. "...Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3)
5. Salvation is The Ultimate Gift. "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (Acts 16:31)
Sincerely pray, asking the Lord to forgive you for the wrongs you've done, as well as the right that you've left undone. Ask Him for His free gift of salvation. And then find a good place to call your very own church home so that you can have help as you grow in your new relationship with Christ. Go ahead. You can speak to the Lord from your heart. He already knows what you need anyway.
If Christ is your Saviour, share The Ultimate Gift with friends and loved ones:
"And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world." (1 John 4:14) The gifts under the tree are temporal. The gift of God is eternal. Bibles make excellent gifts for those who are searching and trying to satisfy that TUG in their hearts. Help others find The Ultimate Gift. Christ wants to spend time with us this Christmas and beyond. How amazing is that?
Christmas is the gift given to us by God through Jesus Christ. "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." (John 1:17)
Happy Christmas.
"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." (1 John 4:11)
We will be offline from December 13, 2014 until January 5, 2015. God bless your Christmas, and may He guide your footsteps in the New Year. Gratefully in Christ,
ReplyDeleteNorman H., Francie, and the crew at Keep the Heart