The Greatest Gift of All

Jesus.


That's what it's all about. Christmas, that is.


On December 25th, Christians celebrate the birth of no ordinary child, but a king like no other king in history. On this day each year, believers in Christ celebrate one of history's greatest moments.

For me personally, the Christmas story took on a whole new meaning after I confessed faith in Jesus as my personal Savior. It's different now when we celebrate it with our church family and as we raise our kids to embrace faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

As a kid, I generally experienced a more secular and commercialized Christmas through books and TV. There was some focus on "faith" as our family celebrated, but it was mostly commercial to me, and I thought more about the magic of Santa Claus. As an adult, with a different kind of "faith" - a new personal faith in Jesus as Savior- I can read the facts about Jesus' birth from the Bible. I once again experience the magical spirit of Christmas that I held dear as child, only now I see that it isn't magic, but the awesome power of the one, true, very personal God who loves each of us intimately.

Take a moment to read about the birthday of Jesus in Matthew 1, Matthew 2 , and Luke 2 .

Make it your own direct encounter with the God who created you. A faithful friend of mine suggested that as we read God's Word it's helpful to set aside preconceptions or former teaching about Jesus and try to read it as a biography of someone you are hearing of for the first time. God will help you take it in from there. For me, this made the difference in my pursuit of God.
(If you want to know more, please ask me!)

God invites us to have a personal relationship with Him through Jesus His son, whom He sent to take away our sin. We can only understand this more clearly as we stay connected to God. He will help us build that personal relationship through prayer (talking to God) and reading about His attributes and His plan in the Bible.

Even if you aren't used to reading the Bible on your own, you can easily start today, and consider how God is personally speaking to YOU. You don't have to understand it all, just go to God, and keep reading His Word daily. Start with John's gospel, for example, and ask for help to hear and understand what God is saying to you personally. God will be faithful to lead you the rest of the way. Say a prayer by just talking honestly to God. He wants to hear from you and can handle anything you say to Him. See what John's gospel reveals to you, and be amazed by God's faithfulness as you acknowledge His call.

The holiday bustle can certainly be full of things that distract us away from the true reason for celebrating Christmas. As you celebrate, don't forget to focus on the greatest gift of all - Jesus.

Even if you haven't made Jesus the focus of this celebration- or your life- up to now, it isn't too late to discover and experience the gift that God has for us in Jesus and a personal relationship with Him.

We wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Love,
Amanda and family :)