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The Gift
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We earned “death”. We’ve worked for it. It’s what we deserve. It’s what we are owed. Hopeless, with no chance of earning life. We can’t, we can’t do enough good; feed enough hungry people, buy enough toms to help the shoeless, donate enough clothes, build enough houses, save enough trees, recycle enough of our junk (all great things that we should do). Simply we can’t fix our mess. Our wages, what we are owed, what we deserve is death. DEATH.
But, then there is Christmas… Emanuel… The Christ, the Son of the Living God. There is Jesus Christ the great gift to the planet, and although we’ve earned death, Jesus in His sacrifice offers eternal life. Hope, Grace, Salvation, Life, Purpose!
The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord…
Have you received His gift of salvation?
Romans 6:23
a gate called Beautiful
a man crippled from birth was being
carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day
to beg from those going into the temple courts.3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Acts 3:2-3
Every find yourself wanting, wishing, hoping for something more or just something else. Maybe it was a middle school crush that went south, or finishing up high school, hoping for a higher SAT or ACT score to get into your dream college. Maybe in exiting college there were hopes of 6 figured salaries, or a God made mate for you to start your family with. Maybe your there right now. Wanting… Wishing… Hoping for…
It’s very possible that you are at the gate of Beautiful, and have no idea about the beautiful encounter you are about to have. More than you could ever have dreamed, more than you could ever have wished, and higher than you could of ever hoped for. That moment when the blurry becomes crystal clear, when ahhh turns into an ahh-ha!, when the purposeless loses the less and your life becomes full of purpose. It’s that moment when for you Jesus goes from being a religion to a relationship, from ritual to romance, from avoidance to adventurous. Jesus becomes TRUTH, SALVATION, HOPE, PURPOSE, PASSION, LIFE, YOUR WAY, LIFE
When you encounter Christ at the Gate of Beautiful EVERYTHING changes!
6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God,10 they
recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple
gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement
at what had happened to him.
Acts 3:6-10
EVERYTHING changes!
Jesus Moved into our Neighborhood
The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish. John 1:14
John Chapter 1, is one of my very favorite Chapters in all the Bible. I could spend weeks
right here.
In the Beginning was The Word…
1 The Word was first,
the Word present to God,
God present to the Word.
The Word was God,2 in readiness for God from day one.
3 Everything was created through him;
nothing—not one thing!—
came into being without him.
4 What came into existence was Life,
The thought of not existing
outside of God, of Jesus.
Life – Jesus = nothing
Jesus + nothing = Life… REAL LIFE
12 But whoever did want him,
who believed he was who he claimed
and would do what he said,
He made to be their true selves,
their child-of-God selves.
Jesus + Faith in Christ = true self life.
Child of God self.
God-begotten self.
I love how John in his most clear and authentic voice says… “That’s
exactly what I saw happen, and I’m telling you, there’s no question
about it: This is the Son of God.”
I Have this thought so often about those around me:
Come See For Yourself…
You have to experience Him to understand. You must come see for
yourself, you’ve just gotta… I think those thoughts all the time. I
get it. I understand. I’ve seen Him, felt His presence, experienced His
love, calmed by His grace. Known Him to do the impossible. He’s real…
He’s Messiah… Savior… our Savior… Your Savior. You’ve gotta come
check Him out for yourself?
What I can’t figure out is how few come to check Him out for
themselves. He is HOPE… He is JESUS!
Come see for yourself!
