This is a message of a few years ago, but is as fresh and alive today.                                    
                                     
                                        The Gift Exchange
 
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish,
but have eternal life."
 
"God so loved He...gave!" His gift to us is His only begotten (unique) Son
who came to this earth to save us from our sins and reconcile us to God
through His death on the cross.  For a gift to be a gift it must be
received, therefore "...that whosoever believes" is a necessary response for
this gift to result in newness of life (eternal life).
 
Gifts most often come wrapped and God's gift did also.  Jesus, born in a
stable, was wrapped in swaddling clothes when He first came to earth, but
about thirty-three years later He was covered as darkness enveloped the
whole earth.  This was the time that He endured the agony of the cross as
He paid the penalty for all sin and opened the heavens for all who would
believe.
 
What then is our side of the gift exchange?  Nothing less than our lives.
Not that old life, for when we are born again that old life goes into death.
No, it is the new life that is born of the Spirit that we give to our Lord
for Him to have full control of, to rule and guide, as we trust and obey 
Him.  And how is it wrapped?  With grateful hearts, it is wrapped in songs 
of praise honoring and worshipping the Lord God Almighty who has done 
great things.  He alone is to be honored, praised and worshipped.
 
Blessings to you this Christmas Day and may the coming year be filled
with a greater knowledge of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus.
 
In His love,
Beverly