Hello Friends and Family
I would love the opportunity to encourage and hopefully inspire you in the best part of the year; CHRISTMAS.
This is such a miraculous time for Christian believers as
we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior.
Even our peers, colleagues or friends, who we may not actually call Christian
believers, recognize deep down inside what a special time of year this is. They may not fully understand their feelings of Christmas, with it being shrouded with the long hours of work and all the commercialism, yet for each of us it is an opportunity to share our gifts.
Our friend Luke recalls a time to celebrate a special birth and gift to the world in the city of David, which is called Bethlehem. Mary gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manager because there was no room for him in their life, I mean in The Inn. In the same area there were some workers (shepherds) staying and keeping their work place open. Then suddenly an angel stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terribly frightened. That reminds me; ever been so excited about your relationship with the Lord, that it frightened a few of your friends and family members? That's for another issue and back to the story with the angel saying,
"Do not be afraid for behold I bring you good news of great Joy which shall be for All the people. For today in the city there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And there will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger"
Luke 2; 10-12
Lets bring this story 2000 years forward and for today. The same gift that was presented back then is the same gift that is presented today. A Savior was born into the world for each person to have. Here is the problem, we keep pointing to the church for people to find the gift. Jesus wasn't born in a church...
He was born in the midst of the world because He was
meant to be found by All people of the world.
We want our four color church brochures and invitations to bring the Good News of Joy. Here is the bottom line; we are called to be the angels that stand before people with the GLORY of the LORD shone around us. This may scare a few people and that is ok, but we are to shine for the Lord not just in church, but where people live and do life. Plus the sign isn't a baby wrapped in clothes in the manger, it is the Savior wrapped in our hearts. As the shepherds looked upon Jesus in that manger they saw a difference in Him unlike other babies. In the same way people will see a difference in each of us because of Jesus in our lives.
This is the very heart of Be the Gift, to take the love of Jesus and His Gift to a hurting world especially among single parents, those people struggling and of course our orphans. I pray you will be inspired to join us as we set in motion a ministry that strives to bring Hope, Restoration and Life.
