The Greatest Gift of All - Jesus!

I want to take a moment to wish all those readers out there a very Merry Christmas. Today in Guam is Christmas Eve. Tonight, my family and I will be joining up with friends and family and enjoying a wonderful meal in celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Interestingly enough, the Bible does not command us to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The way I SEE it is that we celebrate the birth of Jesus because God came to earth in the flesh through Jesus, and that was the part of the process of bringing us salvation through Him. However, if we stop celebrating at the birth of Jesus, we miss the whole reason for His coming. Jesus came, not only to be born, but to live and minister to the world, then be sacrificed on a cross, taking our punishment for sin. It still doesn't stop there...if you celebrate the death of Jesus, but the not the resurrection, then you are still missing the point.

In order for God to save us from our sins, He was born a human (in full deity and divinity), fulfilled prophecies regarding Himself scattered throughout the Old Testament, was condemned to hang on a cross (crucifixion), was forsaken by His father (bearing our sin's punishment) and be resurrected to eternal life at the right hand of God. He went through all this, so that you could pray in faith for salvation through Him and receive eternal life.

We definitely got the easier end of this deal. Yet, so many refuse to accept His sacrifice. WHY?

1.) Their own PRIDE tells them they do not need a Savior.
2.) They figure they can live life their own way, accepting Jesus at the last moment for salvation.
3.) They believe science and Christianity are at opposite ends of the spectrum (and have become wise in their own eyes) - when really the two correspond.
4.) They do not believe that anything, or anyone, can save them from the hellish life which they are living.
5.) They are deceived.
6.) The idea of following God's commandments is abhorrent to them. They do not want restriction on their lives. They want to live in FREEDOM from authority in their lives.


I am sure there are many more reasons why people do not accept Christ as the perfect sacrifice for their sins, and believe in Him for salvation of their souls. I am sure that I came up with a thousand excuses (at least) as to why I DID NOT accept Him. Yet, like 90% of America, I grew up telling people I was a Christian who believed in Jesus. It was all "lip-service," with no heart attached.

It was not until I realized that the gospel of the Bible was TRUE and that I needed Christ to save me that I really began to live. Since then, my life has been full and rich, and exceedingly abundant. Did I get rich overnight? Not in the sense of money, some would say we are quite poor. But I received a greater wealth than I could ever imagine the moment I accepted Christ for salvation. Things turned on a dime, and I suddenly found everything going in my favor rather than feeling the whole world against me. I became RICH!

Today, I would once again like to challenge you to think about where you are in relationship to Christ's sacrifice for you on the cross. Have you accepted Him yet? Have you moved past your feeble ways that never seem to pan out, and decided you want more for your life? Or will this Christmas pass in your life like any other. Will you open some presents, eat some food, look at some Christmas decorations, and move into another dismal year. It doesn't have to be that way. God gave us something amazing to celebrate EVERY day of the year! His Son Jesus! And through Jesus, He gave us abundant and (eventually eternal) life.

May God bless you this season with the Truth of His salvation, and may He open your eyes and ears to all He has for you in the coming new year. If you already know Jesus, remember to focus this holiday season on Him, and not the gifts you will be receiving. You already know you have received the greatest gift of all!

In God's amazing love,

Sarah



ps....I would like to bring to your attention something that is going on here in Guam. The Lord has gathered a small group of Christians here on Guam who have a heart for reaching people with the gospel of Jesus Christ, and He is leading us to plant a church here on Guam. We are already in the process of finding a space (building) and God is already providing funds for His work through us. If you would like to part of an amazing opportunity to reach Guamanians and military families with the gospel of Jesus Christ, you can donate to our cause through our parent organization, United Christian Minister's Association, website:

Here is the link if you are led to donate to the Guam Mission:
http://www.ucmaonlinestore.org/category.sc;jsessionid=427CF1D7089117D3AA644899A52F1FB6.qscstrfrnt04?categoryId=19

The donations are in $1 increments, so you can select the quantity that you would like to donate and fill out your billing information. All money goes into an account set aside for our Guam Mission, and will be available directly to our group for the funding needs of this project. We are under the guidance and leadership of this organization, with whom my pastor has been affiliated with in church planting in the past. I thank you for your time and consideration of this wonderful work of God!