COMING

Do you get excited when a friend is coming to visit you? How about when your very best friend is having a birthday, do you get excited and throw them a party? Do you buy them presents?

Wouldn’t it be great if this Christmas, we threw a party for Jesus and gave Him presents? After all, isn’t Christmas the celebration of His birthday?

What can you give the King of kings as a present? How about…

Your love

Your attention

Your devotion to His Word

What about a renewed commitment to…

Seek His will even in the little things

Give a portion of your income to His work

Be used by Him no matter what it is

We have turned the celebration of Christ’s birthday into something for ourselves. We buy presents for other people and expect presents from them. We decorate our houses with lights, tinsel, plastic reindeer, Santa and an occasional Nativity Scene. And, more often than not, it turns out to be a competition to see who can put up the most lights, or the fanciest tree.

This year, let's thank and worship the Almighty God for the awesome gift of His Son. Let us rejoice at the birth of Jesus, not as a baby who came into the world, but as God who came down to earth in the flesh so that we might have life eternal.

Finally, let us celebrate with eager anticipation of His return. Jesus is coming back for his people. He is coming to take those of us who call Him, Lord and Savior, to live with Him in heaven.

Do you know the Christ of Christmas? Do your friends know Him? Give Christ a present this Christmas. Pick out something special for His birthday. He is coming again…it could even be today.

John 1:29 (NLT) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD…

GIVE

Christmas is all about giving. God gave His only Son so that whoever believed in him shouldn’t perish but have eternal life. We give presents to others. We give money to charities. Christmas is all about giving.

Do you remember the story of the “Widow’s Mite”? Jesus was with His disciples and watching as people gave…

⁴¹And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. ⁴²A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. ⁴³Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; ⁴⁴for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:41 - 44 (NASB)

There’s an individual in our community that is like that widow. They spend most of their time helping others and giving of their very meager income to the church and to charities. Wow! What an inspiration, what a blessing. They are living the life that Jesus talked about when He told the story of the “Widow’s Mite.”

He also told a rich man…

“…If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Matthew 19:21 (NASB)

Obviously, Jesus didn’t say we all needed to lead a life of poverty. He did know how important this man’s possessions were to him.

Jesus wants us all to remember that we’re on this earth together; we’re all His creation. Take care of each other, love one another, help one another…in these things is the true spirit of Christmas.

God gave His Son so you would have life. Now, give your life to helping others see His Son.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD