The Reason for it All

None of us can really grasp how great God our Father is. He's so beyond our comprehension that He had to make Someone who could show us His love, Someone who was within our realm, Someone we could see, Someone we could feel, Someone we could experience, Someone who would bring God down to the level of our comprehension, one Man who was like Himself, whom He called His Son.

God shared His love with the whole world, but He also loves you so much that He gave His most priceless possession, the most cherished thing He had, "His only begotten Son," so that you could have everlasting life (John 3:16). He loves you dearly, more dearly than the spoken word can tell. You can never understand the love of God. It's too great; it passes all understanding (Ephesians 3:19). You just have to receive it and feel it with your heart.

This is why Jesus came that first Christmas Day, so you could know His Father's love. This is the reason for it all!  - D.B. Berg

“O Holy Night” is my favorite Christmas carol—and in fact, my all-time favorite song.1 It is so powerful in both melody and word, and drives home the overall message of hope available to all who believe in Jesus and the effect He has on the lives of those who come to know Him. Here are a few excerpts:

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
‘Til He appear’d and the soul felt its worth. …

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.

This additional verse, which is seldom sung, contains a touching word picture about comfort in difficult times.

The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our Friend.
He knows our need; our weakness is no stranger.
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!

Jesus is always there for us. Through the journey of our lives, through each of our tests and trials, He is there. As the carol says, He’s born to be our Friend. He’s no stranger to our weaknesses and frailties. He knows all about us—the good, the bad, and the ugly—and loves us in spite of how we are. He wants to be part of our lives, to share not just in our difficulties when we cry out to Him in need, but also in our times of joy and happiness, when we celebrate our achievements and those of our family and friends.

At Christmas, we are reminded about Jesus’ birth, and it’s a wonderful time of year to think about Him and all that He has done for us, which goes way beyond the Christmas season. He is an integral part of our lives and wants to be part of all we do—and He can be, as much as we’ll let Him. – Peter Amsterdam

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. —John 3:16 NIV

He was created of a mother whom He created. He was carried by hands that He formed. He cried in the manger in wordless infancy. He, the Word, without whom all human eloquence is mute. —St. Augustine (354–430)

We look for the glory of the life of Jesus in His manhood’s years. Then He wrought great miracles, revealing His divine power. Then He spoke His wonderful words which have touched the world with their influence of blessing. Then He went about doing good, showing the love of God in all His common life and on His cross. …

Yet in no portion of the life of Jesus Christ is there really greater glory than His birth. Nothing showed more love for the world than His condescending to be born. We should say that the heart of the gospel was the cross, but the first act of redemption was the Incarnation, when the Son of God emptied Himself of His divine attributes and entered human life in all the feebleness and helplessness of infancy. In its revealing of love and grace, the cradle of Jesus is as marvelous as His cross. —J. R. Miller (1840–1912)

God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. —1 John 5:11 NIV

"Who Will Take the Son?"

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.

When war broke out, the son went to fight. He was very courageous, and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the father's door. He opened to find a young man with a large package in his hands.

"Sir, you don't know me," the young man said, "but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you and your love for art." The young man held out his package. "I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this."

The package contained a portrait of the son, painted by the young man. The father stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured his son's personality in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.

"Oh, no sir. It's a gift, though I know I could never begin to repay what your son did for me."

The father hung the portrait over his mantle, and whenever he had visitors he showed them the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the masterpieces in his collection.

When the father died, there was an announcement that his art collection was to be auctioned off. Many wealthy and influential people came to the auction, each hoping to go away with one of the great paintings.

On an easel next to the platform was the portrait of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?"

Silence. Then a shout came from the back of the room. "We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one!"

But the auctioneer persisted. "Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding at $100?"

Another impatient voice shouted, "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs and Rembrandts. Get on with the real auction!"

The auctioneer was unmoved. "The son. Who will take the son?"

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the family's longtime gardener. "I'll give $10 for the painting." He felt embarrassed offering so little, but it was all the poor gardener could afford.

"We have $10. Who will bid $20?"

"Give it to him for $10! Let's see the masters!"

"The bid is at $10. Won't someone bid $20?"

The crowd grew more annoyed and restless. They hadn't come for that painting.

"Going once, going twice, sold for $10!" The auctioneer pounded his gavel.

"Now let's get on with the collection!" shouted a man in the second row.

But the auctioneer laid down his gavel. "The auction is ended," he announced.

"What about the paintings?"

"I'm sorry," said the auctioneer, "but the auction is ended. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the man's will, which I was not allowed to reveal until this time: Only the painting of the son would be auctioned, and whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the other paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!"

God's Son died for us 2,000 years ago. Like the auctioneer, God's question today is, "Who'll take the son?" Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.—Author unknown

The Baby who Changed the World

Some people cannot understand how God could have come down and been wrapped in human flesh. That isn’t strange to me, though. In fact it is quite easy for me to believe, because I see Jesus born in human hearts every day. He comes and lives in hearts and transforms lives, and to me that’s a great miracle.

God’s Word says that part of one of Jesus’ titles is “wonderful.” “A child has been born for us. We have been given a son who will be our ruler. His names will be Wonderful Advisor and Mighty God, Eternal Father and Prince of Peace.”1

He was wonderful in life, going about everywhere doing good and healing all that were oppressed.2 He was wonderful in His death: because He died for you and me, we can have eternal life.3 He was wonderful in His resurrection: because He rose from the dead, we will also be resurrected.4 And now He’s wonderful in His life after death, because He lives to intercede for us.5

But it is not enough that Christ, the King of kings, was born in Bethlehem beneath the star that heralded His coming; He must be born within our hearts.

Perhaps you’ve seen the famous painting by William Holman Hunt in which Jesus is seen standing before a closed door, with a lantern in hand. It is said that some time after Hunt had finished what was to become his most famous work, someone told him that he’d made a mistake; there was no doorknob.

“I didn’t make a mistake,” Hunt answered. “The door is the door to a heart, and it can only be opened from the inside.”

Jesus can never enter a door unless it is opened from the inside. God’s Word says, “To all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.”6 Welcome Him into your heart. He will transform your life! - Virginia Brandt Berg (1886–1968)

1. Isaiah 9:6 CEV
2. See Acts 10:38.
3. See Romans 6:23; 1 Peter 2:24.
4. See 1 Corinthians 15:20–21.
5. See Hebrews 7:25.
6. John 1:12 NLT

If you haven’t yet received God’s most wonderful gift, Jesus, you can right now by praying the following prayer:

Thank You, Jesus, for coming to our world and living like one of us. Thank You for dying for me, so I can have eternal life in heaven. Please forgive me for all the wrongs I’ve done, and fill my life with Your love.

Christmas Prequel

The Gospel of John doesn’t tell the story of Jesus’ birth, but it tells us the prequel—the story that precedes what we are told in the birth narratives. This Gospel takes us back to the beginning, before our world existed, and tells us something about our Savior that was true well in advance of His earthly birth in Bethlehem two millennia ago. Understanding this part of the story is what brings clarity to who Jesus was, why He came, and what He accomplished.

The story begins like this: “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.”1

This Gospel begins by telling us that before anything was created, the Word existed, was with God, and was God. John looks back beyond the beginning of the creation of the universe, before time existed, and tells us that the Word was preexistent. The opening line of this Gospel repeats the first words of the Bible in Genesis: “In the beginning…”2 This expresses that the Word existed before creation and is eternal, that there was never a time when the Word was not. The Word was not part of what was created, meaning that the Word is greater than all things that were created.

We’re told that “the Word was with God,” and then it’s repeated a second time, “He existed in the beginning with God.” The emphasis here is that the Word exists in intimate relationship with God. That oneness is expressed in the phrase “and the Word was God.” Everything that can be said about God can also be said about the Word.

This is what we celebrate at Christmas—that the Word, who existed with God before creation, who lived in face-to-face fellowship with His Father, who participated in the creation of all things, who is self-existent, and who is God the Son, was born as a human being and lived among humanity.

All that Jesus did during His time on earth—the words He spoke, the parables He told, His interaction with people, His confrontations with the religious leaders of the day, the miracles He performed—all of it revealed His Father’s love, care, and concern for humanity. It is through the Incarnate Word, Jesus, that we gain a deeper understanding of God, as well as of His desire to reconcile humanity to Himself. At Christmas, we celebrate that God entered our world for the purpose of making it possible for us to live with Him eternally.

The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us! What a wonderful thing to celebrate. – Peter Amsterdam

1. John 1:1–3 NLT
2. Genesis 1:1

Those Dirty Shepherds

“There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.”—Luke 2:8 NIV

When I was a child, one of my favorite pictures of Jesus depicted Him as the Good Shepherd, carrying a lamb around His shoulders. If you’re like me, you might have expected that those shepherds watching their flocks on the hillside the night He was born would have been respected members of society, considered honest, dependable, believable witnesses, trustworthy and upright. Why else would the angels have entrusted them with such an important message as testifying of the coming of God’s Son?

The facts seem to be a little different: According to some historians, shepherds in first-century Palestine were considered the lowest of the low. The term used for them by the Pharisees is sometimes translated as “sinners”—a derogatory term meaning vile and ritually unclean. Their lives were spent handling animals, often sleeping outdoors surrounded by dung and possible disease. It seems they were not even considered worthy to offer a sacrifice to God.

From man’s limited perspective, God was sending a band of outcasts to be the greeting party for His Son and to spread the good news of salvation to all who would listen. By today’s standards, that might equate to an angelic choir appearing to a group of garbage dump scroungers. Yet God looks at the heart. It doesn’t matter to Him what someone’s occupation is or how they’re dressed. – Marie Fontaine

Christmas Peace

Two thousand years ago, over the town of Bethlehem, a new star shone and an angel of God proclaimed to a group of shepherds, "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11).

On that special night, God gave us the greatest gift anyone could give—His Son, Jesus. Though Jesus came into the world as a tiny baby, He brought with Him all of God's wonderful gifts. As He grew older, He unwrapped these gifts for us, one by one, as He taught us how to love God and each other. Then, when Jesus died for us, He gave us the greatest gift of all—the promise of eternal life in Heaven when our time on Earth is done.

Jesus wants to bring His peace to the hearts of all men everywhere. He sees the misery and grief and pain of the heavy-hearted. He sees the weak and the weary. He sees those who struggle with fear—fear of the past, and fear of the future. He sees the persecuted and war-torn, those who have been robbed of hope and a chance to live in peace.

He hears our cries and reaches out to us in love. He offers us a way out, an escape route from our inner conflicts, fears, and sense of hopelessness.

"Let not your heart be troubled," He tells us. "You believe in God, believe also in Me" (John 14:1). "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you" (John 14:27). "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

If you will reach out your hand to Him now, He will lead you through the darkness and into the light. Jesus came into this world to offer you life and love and peace that know no boundaries. These gifts are not limited by race or religious background or color or creed. They are for now and forever.

He wants to be with you always, through every disappointment and every hardship. He wants to protect you from harm. He wants to be a light when darkness surrounds you. No matter how dismal the conditions, He will always be there to pull you through.

He will always be by your side, always ready to answer your questions, always ready to guide and instruct, always ready to comfort and encourage.

Even when there is trouble on every side, you won't need to worry or fear. If you have His love in your heart, no matter what happens, He will take care of you. No matter how dark the night, His light will shine for you.

Jesus will be your closest and dearest friend. You will be able to talk to Him anywhere, anytime, and He will answer. He will speak to your heart and guide you through the storms of life.

Jesus, the Prince of Peace, will not only give you peace in your heart here and now, but when this life is over, He will bring you to His haven of rest. In His heavenly Kingdom there will be no more oppression or war or poverty or pain or sickness or suffering or sorrow or death, but only peace and plenty for all. There evil and darkness dare not go!

Jesus is reaching out to you now. Won't you take His love? – Author unknown

I was standing in the doorway of a department store a few Christmases ago, enjoying a lovely Nativity scene in a store window, when a mother and her little girl came hurrying by. Catching a glimpse of the beautiful scene, the child grabbed her mother's hand and exclaimed, "Mama! Mama! Please let me stop for a minute and look at Jesus!" But her mother replied wearily that they weren't even half through with their shopping list and didn't have time to stop—and walked on, dragging her disappointed daughter behind her.

The child's words rang in my heart for a long time after that. "Please let me stop for a minute and look at Jesus." I thought of all the minutes that had sped by me that busy Christmas in the mad rush of life that is accelerated at the height of the shopping season. How many minutes had I spent shopping and buying presents and preparing decorations and food in the great wind-up to Christmas, and how many had I spent with the One whose birth and life is the true meaning of this celebrative season?

Jesus is always so very close to us. He is "at our right hand" and "closer than a brother" (Psalm 16:8; Proverbs 18:24). He is within speaking distance. His birth is the essence of Christmas. His gifts to all—peace, love, and joy of heart—are the essential magic of Christmas. With arms outstretched He holds out these gifts to us and says, "Come to Me. I will give you rest. Learn from Me, and you will find rest for your souls" (Mathew 11:28-30). But these we will never receive if we forge on, endless shopping and to-do lists in hand, too busy to stop and even notice He's right there.

Like the old saying, "Dew never falls on a stormy night," we rarely experience the sweetness and joy of time spent with Jesus while in an anxious and feverish rush of accomplishment. But the dew of Heaven and the blessings of Christmas fall peacefully on our hearts and lives when we stop for a moment to get quiet and remember Him. To go on without Him is forfeiting the only real, lasting joy and perfect love that can be experienced in this life and shared forever.

Why don't we stop and enjoy—really enjoy—what Christmas means? Cut down our task lists. Enjoy the beauty. There are so many wonderful things about Christmas and so many beautiful things to see. It would be a shame to miss it all, wrapping this and wrapping that, rushing for this last thing and that, cooking and preparing so much for a feast, cluttering our Christmas with so many unnecessary things. And should we not stop to enjoy anything of life until after Christmas, the fury with which we proceed will send us reeling into the New Year sighing, "I just survived Christmas!"

Jesus came to bless our lives. That is why we have Christmas. He said He came to bring us life, and that we might have it more abundantly (John 10:10). And the apostle Paul tells us, "We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). Peace and life in all their fullness need not elude us. They are ours to enjoy this Christmas if we'll give Jesus a chance in our lives and a place in our hearts.

Let me take a minute with Jesus. The true presence of Christmas is found with Him. Let the celebration of His birth touch my heart in a new way this year. Let me learn more about the gifts He gave me so long ago on Christmas. Let me be a part of Christmas itself by being more like Him. Let me stop and look at Jesus. – Virginia Brant Berg

Dear Jesus, I want each day that comes
To share some part with You,
Where I can sit, receive Your peace,
And hear You speak to me.

A place where I can turn aside
And leave the cares of life,
Where I can get the strength I need
To banish storm and strife.

A quiet, serene, and trusting place
Where You alone can give
The very blessing that I need—
Here would I rest and live.

"Lord, Forgive!"

The day before Christmas had been full of incidents, some of them unpleasant. Father seemed to be burdened with worries as well as bundles. Mother's anxiety had reached the breaking point on many occasions throughout the day. Wherever the little girl went, she seemed to be in the way. Finally she was hustled off to bed. The feverish excitement of the Christmas planning had completely unnerved her. As she knelt by her bed to pray the Lord's Prayer, she got all mixed up and prayed, "Forgive us our Christmases, as we forgive those who Christmas against us."

As we watch the tense, nervous shoppers this season, we might feel like praying as the little girl did, "Forgive us our Christmases." —Author unknown

It is Christmas
on the highway,
In the thronging
busy mart;
But the dearest
truest Christmas,
Is the Christmas
in the heart.
—Author unknown

Your Christmas Gift

What Will You Give Me?

From Jesus with love

What can you give Me, the King of kings and Lord of lords, whose throne is Heaven and whose footstool is Earth? (1 Timothy 6:15; Isaiah 66:1) What could you possibly give Me, the One who has everything? What more could I possibly need?—Gifts from the heart. Any gift from the heart is a gift that I will treasure.

Each person is created with a unique blend of gifts, talents, and abilities. Some appear to be natural abilities—a quick or inquisitive mind, or an aptitude for a certain skill or type of work, for example. Some are gifts of the spirit that are clearly manifested in the physical, such as charisma, captivating eyes, or a beautiful smile. Others are gifts of the spirit that often go unnoticed but can actually go even further, such as the gifts of humility, optimism, compassion, and self-sacrifice. And then there is one of the greatest gifts of all: the ability to give and receive love. This is a gift that everyone receives a measure of, and it's a big part of what makes you godlike; it's part of having been created in God's own image. Whatever your gifts, they work together to make you special to Me.

All of these precious gifts have been given to enrich your life and the lives of others, but what you do with them and how much you do with them is up to you. Nothing makes Me happier than to see you use them to benefit others and make them happy. When you do, you are giving back to Me and the most wonderful thing happens: Your gifts and talents grow, they are multiplied, and that love that was your motivation spreads from heart to heart and comes back to you.

What can you give Me this Christmas and in the coming year? Use what you have, what you've already been gifted with, to the full. That will be the perfect present for Me.

The Most Important Thing

—A Christmas adaptation of 1 Corinthians 13

If I decorate my house perfectly with holly, strands of twinkling lights, and shiny balls, but do not show love, I’m just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals, and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love, I’m just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, sing carols in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the tree with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties, and sing in the choir’s cantata, but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband. Love is kind, though harried and tired. Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way. Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. DVDs will get scratched, toys will be forgotten, scarves and hats will be lost, a new PC will become outdated, but the gift of love will endure. – Author unknown

Give a gift of laughter,
Give a gift of song,
Give a gift of sympathy
To last a whole life long.
Give a cheerful message,
Give a helping hand,
Tell your weary neighbor,
“Jesus understands!”
Give a newsy letter
To a far-off friend;
Give a garden flower
With the book you lend.
Wash the supper dishes,
Help to dust the room;
Give a prayer to leaven
Someone’s hour of gloom!
Give a gift of sharing,
Give a gift of hope;
Light faith’s gleaming candle
For the ones who grope
Slowly through the shadow.
Sweeten dreary days
For the lost and lonely.
Give yourself, ALWAYS.
—Margaret E. Sangster (1838–1912)

A Christmas Prayer

Loving God, help us to remember the birth of Jesus that we may share in the songs of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the wise men. Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings. May our minds be filled with grateful thoughts and our hearts with forgiveness, for Jesus’ sake. Amen. - Attributed to Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894)

Christmas is not made special by presents, decorations, and parties, but by what we give to Jesus and to others from our hearts. Giving from our hearts demonstrates true gratitude and appreciation for all God has given us.—Alex Peterson

In it for the Long Haul

It’s wonderful to think about the manger, the angels, and that night when Jesus came to earth. It’s a thought that we focus on for a few weeks over the Christmas season, and we might even ponder it from time to time throughout the year.

But that was only part of a much bigger picture. Jesus didn’t just pop down to earth so the angels could cheer Him on. That was a starting point in the immensity of eternity. Since those few short years that Jesus lived on earth, He and the Holy Spirit have been with every person that is seeking to draw closer to Him; He is working day in and day out, life by life, to answer our heart cries.

God’s patience never wears thin when we fumble and stumble or wander off into troubles. He is attuned to every detail of your life and my life, and He’s committed to us forever. Jesus is in it for the long haul.

One of the greatest gifts we can give to Jesus in return is our sharing the good news of His salvation with those who are struggling and lost. We can anticipate the joys of heaven and experience the comfort of His Holy Spirit in times of struggle, while so many do not know of or feel confident in God’s love and face endless striving to find purpose and to know that this life is worth living.

Even if what we can do to help others find God’s beautiful love seems small compared to the need, the results can expand beyond what we can even imagine. After all, part of the wonder of Christmas is the magnitude of what resulted from such small beginnings. What began with a tiny little babe in a tiny little manger, in a tiny little town in a tiny little country, became a vast and unending gift to a countless number of people for an immeasurable length of time.

God committed Himself to us without end and without limit. Anyone who opens their heart to Him is assured of security forever in the arms of the One who sets no boundaries to the immensity of His love. Suddenly, even the spectacle of the heavens filled with angels that night seems minuscule compared to the wonders God Himself came to earth to personally deliver to you and me. – Maria Fontaine

A Prayer for Christmas

Jesus, You are God and man, King and servant of all. You left Your eternal throne in Heaven and took on mortality. You encased Yourself in human flesh and became one of us, so that You could save us. I am overwhelmed with emotion when I think of how You humbly and quietly came into our world and changed it forever.

When You were born among us, You brought us the greatest gifts imaginable—salvation, peace, hope, love. Who would ever have thought such things would come in the form of a tiny baby, born to commoners, wrapped in rags, and laid to sleep in a feeding trough?

Thank You that because of Christmas, I'm never alone. Whether or not I am blessed with family and friends, whether I face good times or hard times, I always have You and Your love. Thank You for choosing to experience both the joys and sorrows of Earth. Thank You for enduring the tears, pain, frustration, loneliness, exhaustion, and death so that You could truly say that You understand us. Never has there been a more perfect love than Yours! – Author unknown

The Eternal Chain of Love—A Message from Jesus

I came to Earth because I love you. I gave up everything I had—all the power, glory, and splendor of Heaven—to come and make the precious treasures of salvation and eternal life available to you. I had the whole universe in My possession, but I was incomplete without giving you My love and receiving your love. By choosing to come and live and die for you, I knew I could look forward to the most precious of all gifts—your love.

Long, long ago, on that first Christmas, I started an eternal chain of love, which I am depending on you to continue. My gift of salvation is for anyone who will receive it, and I long for every soul on Earth to come to know Me and My love for them. Yet I have chosen to work through other human souls. My message has always been and will always be passed on through the mouths and hands and feet and deeds of those who have chosen to be My friends and followers.

Throughout the ages, hundreds of thousands of My followers have given of themselves to continue this chain of love. Some have given little, some have given much, and some have given all. Yet all gave something, as much as they would, as much as I led them to, and as much as they had the faith and desire to in order to continue this chain of love. Some spread My message to thousands or millions. Some taught the truth to just one or two. But all were a part, all were needed, and My great worldwide chain of love would not have been complete without each one playing a part.

There have been times when I looked back and thought about how things might have been had I not chosen to come and live and die as one of you, but never once have I looked back with regret or wished I had done anything differently. Even that first night, when I was born in that lowly manger, when the angels sang and the Christmas star beamed its message across the sky, I knew beyond any doubt that it was going to be worth it all.

Winning your love was worth sacrificing everything else. My Father and I could have created you to automatically love Me, or to be sinless and perfect so you would be guaranteed a place in Heaven. Yet I knew the deep truth all along that love that is forced and not freely given is no love at all.

Love is all about giving. Giving is not merely an act of love; it is the essence of love. There is no true love without giving. There is no true love without sacrifice. This is what I taught you on the day I came down from Heaven. This is the true spirit of Christmas—giving, caring, sharing.

Giving always costs, but giving is always richly rewarded. Those who sacrificially give of themselves find the greatest fulfillment—here and now, and in the heavenly realm beyond.

Jesus was God’s gift to the whole world, and not just for Christmas, but for every day, our whole lives through and beyond, for all eternity. It was the perfect gift, because Jesus can meet every need and make every dream come true.

The Christmas story tells us that it’s okay to start small. Jesus started as a tiny baby born in a stable, but He ended up at the right hand of the throne of God. And because of Him, our small beginnings will have greater ends in His eternal kingdom.

Christmas is a state of mind. It’s happiness‚ thankfulness, love, giving. Do those things, and every day can feel like Christmas.

Christmas comes and goes, but Jesus never leaves the heart.

Copyright www.spiritualibrary.com

Verses marked (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Text courtesy of Activated magazine. Used by permission.

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