When I was a little girl, my mom handed me the big Sears catalog, and told me to circle the doll I wanted Santa to bring me for Christmas.  So, I took time looking through all the pages, and circled the doll I wanted.  Lo and behold, that exact doll was given to me on Christmas day.  It was amazing!!   I still have that doll—she is pretty old, and has lost all her hair, and one of her eyes is a bit lazy—but she has been dressed and rocked by myself, my daughters and now my granddaughters.

When my boys were much younger, they wanted the latest gaming system for video games.  They did not even dream they would receive it—so when they opened that system for Christmas—there was leaping and yelling and screams of delight.  It was delightful to behold their excitement!!

My girls had gifts that they were especially excited about—gifts that were difficult for their parents to find—gifts that we searched for—for months—like the Baby Alive doll that for some reason was the hot doll that season—and the only thing for which our little girl asked.

Gifts—they can represent so much—the knowledge that the giver of the gift thinks the receiver is loved, belongs, is valuable.

At Christmas time we celebrate God’s gift to us:  Jesus.  Jesus, the Immanuel—God is with us—came to earth, to give us the gift of a relationship with God, which according to John 17:3 is eternal life.

Jesus—the visual image of the invisible God—demonstrates God’s love to us;  demonstrates God’s sacrificial love to us—for Jesus laid down His life for us—to give us life—life eternally and life abundantly.

“For by grace, you have been saved by grace, and it is not of yourselves, it is a gift of God…..”  Ephesians 2:8

….the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.  Romans 6:23

Eternal life is this….Knowing God and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent.  Jn 17:3

This is what it is all about—Jesus came to give us a relationship with God.   It is a GIFT—that means we just need to accept the gift.  That’s it—we just need to accept the gift.

When I was a little girl, I opened my present of the doll, and received it joyfully.

My sons received the gift of the gaming system—with great jubilation. 

Our daughters received their gifts with the assurance that their parents loved them.

God has given us the gift of a relationship with Him.   Each person has been given this gift—“for God so loved the World, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever receives Him, will have everlasting life.” John 3:16   Each person, is apart of this world—therefore, God has given the gift of His Son to each person.

“And the witness is this, God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son, has the life….”  1 John 5:11-12

If you have received the gift of Jesus, you have also received the gift of eternal life.

How can you receive this gift?   This gift is received by faith—faith is trusting God.  Prayer is a way to express one’s faith.  Here is a suggested prayer:

Lord Jesus, I need you.  Thank you for coming to this earth.  Thank you for dying for my sins and giving me a relationship with You.  Please come into my life, be my Savior and my Lord.  Amen.

If you expressed your faith and asked Jesus to come into your life—Jesus did come in!!  He never lies.  You don’t need to keep asking Him in, as He tells us in Hebrews 13:5 that He will never leave us or desert us. You received eternal life—a relationship with God that has no end.

Rejoice—this gift never grows old—never breaks down—and bestows upon you all the privileges of being a child of the Living and Holy God!!   If you want to learn more about growing in this relationship with God, you can click on this link.    Merry Christmas Everyone—this is what it is all about—That God loved us so much that He sent His Son!!  This is worth celebrating!!!!

So Be Encouraged!!