Sunday, December 20, 2009

The Gift to Die For

Designer handbags and jewelry. An iPod Nano with built-in camera. The Stress Eraser. And super, soft pajama pants with adjustable length and drawstring, elastic waist. What do these items have in common? Well, they made it to the top of the 2009 Women's Christmas Wish List! Gifts to die for. According to some sources. Did any of these things make your list? For me, not really. Except the pj's. With the drawstring waist. Because based on the way I've been eating during this Christmas season, I'm going to need something special around my waist in January. And I'm thinking that it won't be my jeans. But anyway, getting back to the Wish List. What I so want for Christmas is a new blog design. Yeah, like with a cute little button. And the "E-mail me" thing. And a Subscribe by E-mail thingy. And of course, a cool header and background page. Something kinda curly, swirly. And blue. My favorite color. Oh, I can see it now. A fabulous gift. To die for, right? Actually, none of these gifts merits that kind of response. But there is a gift worth dying for. And someone has already died in order to make this great gift available to us. The gift is salvation. The One who died is Jesus. I know. This sounds incredible. Unbelievable. But friend, it's true. Our Creator God loves us so much He offers us the most wonderful gift ever given. Salvation through His precious Son. The baby born in a manger. The Promised Messiah. Jesus Christ. No other way has been given for salvation. Only Jesus--Emanuel--God with us--can save us. Now, I know that current culture teaches that you're ok and I'm ok. All on our own. But that teaching just isn't true. The Bible, God's word to us, states clearly that we're sinners. And our sin separates us from the true, living, holy God. And only Jesus can connect us to God again. Without Jesus Christ and the salvation that He has provided, we will die in our sins and be condemned to hell to spend eternity without our loving God. Yes, these are tough words. Uncomfortable. So, let's go ahead and celebrate Christmas. Forget sin. Forget dying. Forget hell. We can't do that. If we do, then we're denying the true meaning of Christmas. We are sinners. We aren't ok by ourselves. We need a Savior. We need salvation. The gift that Jesus died to give. It is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV). Salvation. We can't work for it. Can't earn it. We don't deserve it. It's a gift. From the Father to us. I hope that you get everything that's on your Wish List. Most of all, I hope that you receive the greatest gift ever given. The gift that Jesus died for. Salvation. Sweet dreams, Deb

15 comments:

  1. Thankful to have JESUS CHRIST...HE is all I need.
    Blessings, andrea

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  2. I read church marquees a lot when we're out and about. The best one I saw this year said, "Mary wrapped the first Christmas gift". What a gift He was and is! Wishing you a blessed Christmas.

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  3. Thanks for sharing what the biggest gift on our wish list should be!

    Off to bed and dreamland, and the rush the next 3 days to make sure I have everything for everyone.... but I wish there were a way to "wrap" the greatest Gift in a way that they each could receive... what a Christmas that would be!!!!!!!

    Love,
    Heather

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  4. Wonderful Deb! I needed to read this tonight. I need to be reminded of God's grace over and over. Ephesians 2:8-9, I need to read that again. Thanks!!

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  5. You had me at designer handbags, Deb. Just kidding (maybe).

    You're right none of these things are to die for. Our pastor preached on Romans 3 tonight. Salvation is Jesus + nothing else. Nothing we can do or say will add to it. He paid the price for our sins. It's a free gift. Free but not cheap.

    Thanks for stopping by my neck of the woods. Have a blessed Christmas week!

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  6. I love this post. I love your writing...how you put things. Have a safe and happy day. Sarah

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  7. For me, these words brought excitement and gratitude!

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  8. BTW, here is my favorite Christian quote regarding the imagination.

    "Rather than ignore our imagination, I believe we should fuel it with Scripture, allowing it to step through the doors that Scripture opens." - Randy Alcorn

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  9. Gel pens and Jesus; that's what I want for Christmas, not in that order!

    I keep it pretty simple over here; I'm just hoping for laughter and peace and love to be around our tree and at my table. Everything else is just extra.

    Let me know if I can be of any help to you regarding blog design and/or Jesus!

    peace~elaine

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  10. We've really scaled back our Christmas, Deb. Intentionally. He's all we need.

    Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas.

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  11. His heavenly gift is everything. All my other wishes become as nothing. Thanks, a good post. Merry Christmas.

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  12. Dear friend,
    Blue is also my favorite color.

    And to know Jesus more, and the have a deeper relationship with Him is also the gift I want above all!

    Thank you for the way you have put this precious gift in the right perspective.

    Have a blessed Christmas!

    Love
    Lidj

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  13. Right you are! But I do agree a blog button & an email me dodad would be pretty cool :) I am with you all the way on this post!
    Merry Christmas!

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  14. The most important thing I've learned this year is that Jesus is my everything and that I wouldn't be where I am today without his resurrection. Gifts have lost their significance!

    Merry Christmas!

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  15. Yup. Definitely want to do life with Him. Don't want to even imagine existence without Him.

    And so need to remember sometimes that it is a gift and not an expectation we hold over Him. Adoration comes so much easier from that perspective.

    Enjoy Him over this interuption of the usual.

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