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The Lord is our greatest gift-giver
pastor corner

With the holiday season comes the idea of giving gifts. Children love this time of year.

In days long gone every young person waited for the arrival of the “Sears and Roebuck” Christmas, catalog. While parents looked at shoes and clothes many a page was “dog eared” at a certain doll, toy train, perhaps a baseball mitt or a bicycle.

Today kids go to the webpage to do their wishing. The gifts children look at are not for others, but for themselves. They then have to make sure the parents accidently hear what the items are.

Then there is always one person who tries to out give everyone else. They love to give and they most of the time have the means to try and give bigger presents or more presents.

This is a great way to be, but what does all this have to do with a faith page article?

First of all, God gave the ultimate gift, Jesus. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life “(Jno. 3:16).

This gift was and is one that saves the soul of all who will study and obey the gospel of Christ. Not one person can give a gift worth more for it is worth more than silver and gold.

However, one can give the knowledge of God’s gift to other people. This would be a greater gift than anything that can be bought.

In fact, God wants all his children to take the message of the gospel to all people.

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matt. 28:1820).

The gift of Christ was costly. It meant that Jesus had to leave heaven and come to earth, all the while knowing he would die at Calvary.

He did this willingly “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father” (Jno. 10:17, 18).

God’s love for man is shown in his giving this great gift.

While God can be compared to the one who loves enough to give the greatest gift. If one fails in giving themselves to God and fails in telling others about God’s gift, they are like the children who only thought of themselves and not about others.

Children only thinking of themselves at gift giving time ought to be corrected, but children may not understand this point.

Adults should never act this way. Adults should realize that they need Jesus in their lives based upon what he says and not what they want.

The man in Luke 12:18 only thought of himself. He believed he alone had produced the great crops and had stores for many years.

God showed him that those “things” were not all that important. He had a soul that mattered more than all his possessions.

Every person should realize how great a gift is offered to them and accept it by gospel obedience. The next step would then be to share the gospel message to all.

Gift giving at the holiday is a great thing but accepting God’s gift by obedience surpasses all gifts man can give.

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