Gifts from God, Forgiveness,

Life everlasting

As we enter into the holiday season, we start to think about gifts. What gifts we want, and what gifts we want to give to others. Our kids write letters and whisper in ears, "I want this and that." Then we see the holiday movies and tv specials come on. We see an increase in church attendance. Yes, we are in the holiday season.

The last time we got together, we discussed the second-best gift you will ever receive. Some of you are still contemplating how anything could even possibly be better than your very existence. That's right, your very life is the second greatest gift you could ever receive. After all, if you were never born, you could receive no other gifts. Although this is true, there is a gift even better than your natural-born life.

You see, everyone who has ever walked on this earth can lay claim to the fact that they received this most precious gift called life. All the saints, and all the sinners alike. After all, we were all created out of love.

God created everything that is, was, or ever will be. Then He created mankind and gave us dominion over everything God created. He gave Adam domination over all things, however, this did not sit well with Lucifer, now known as Satan so he came to Adam and tempted him with the same temptation that he fell to.

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths." Genesis 3:1-7

Adam fell for the same sin the devil did. The desire to be God. He gave his God-given authority over to the devil and has been in charge of this world ever since. Just simply being born after Adam, causes us to be subject to death, which is controlled and powered by?

"Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil," Hebrews 2:14

The devil is real. He does have the power of death. Meaning he can end human life on earth. However, he is NOT what you may think. Yes, he is real. Yes, he is powerful. Look at this warning.

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world." 1 Peter 5:8-9

However, he is not a red wrinkly-faced, horned-head, tail-waging, pitchfork-yielding, demon from hell. The Bible calls him an "angel of light." 2 Corinthians 11:14 and the "prince of the power of the air" Ephesians 2:2 and the "Day Star, son of Dawn" Isaiah 14:12 Truth is if the devil himself was to open those doors and walk down the aisle, many people would fall to his feet thinking he was Jesus Himself. Or they would think he was some sort of angel, which is true. He IS an angel. He is the first angel. The fairest of all the angels.

Here is another very important part to remember also. He is not a god. He does control the physical realm. He does have the power of sickness and disease. He does have the power of death. He can and most definitely does tempt you. Whisper in your ear. Yet? He can not make you do anything.

Here is the thing though, he does not have to. I will say that another way. The devil does not have to do anything, for you to go to hell. Were you born into this world? Then you are on your way to hell. I know I know. I can hear some of you now. "Wait! I never killed anyone." It just doesn't matter. "I do not worship the devil!" It just doesn't matter. "Wait a second. I do good stuff all the time. I try to always be good to others." Have you accepted Jesus? "I do not believe you have to." Then it just doesn't matter.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." John 3:16-18

In case you still have doubts?

"This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1 John 5:6–13

Jesus put it plainly to us when He said this.

"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

And here, for which they tried to stone Him.

"Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." John 8:58

We just talked about how life comes about. Romans 8. God foreknows you. He creates you to fulfill a purpose and plan for your life, and then He calls you. This is when things change. Yes or no? The answer is yours to give. The gift is yours to receive. No? Ok. Live on. Yes? Ok, NOW God can bless you. He can and will justify you, and in the end, He will glorify you. Not all will just stroll into heaven. Look how Jesus tells us these things will come to pass. First He gives us a warning. 

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Matthew 7: 21

What is "The will of my Father?" We could always start here?

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Matthew 25:31-46

Jesus is the greatest gift of all. Accept Him, and have forgiveness for all the sins you have, and will still, commit. Your life here on earth is good. Great. But it is temporal. It is brief. And in a mere second, you could find yourself standing before God almighty, and He will say what? Enter in? Or depart from me? Without Jesus? Nobody stands a chance. He is the forgiveness, key, door, gate, way, truth, and life. He is the Word of God, who became flesh and dwelt among us. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the great I Am. God did not put Him under the tree for us. He hung Him on the tree for us. Jesus IS the Lord of Lords and the King of kings. Do you know Him? Have you accepted Him? Say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

Spend time getting to know Him. Read the Word of God. Pray. Learn what He has planned for you and your life. Go about doing the will of our Father in Heaven. There is no greater gift you will ever receive, than the one you did when you said that prayer.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!