IJIMAKINWA WORD 4 EVERY ONE CELEBRATING XMAS AND NEW YEAR ALL OVER THE WORLD.

26 Dec 11, 07:27 PM, Africa/Lagos

As many of us are rushing around getting ready for the big Christmas push, let’s hit the brakes for just a moment: Make time for re-gifting!
John 3:16 describes Christmas in one sentence: “For God so loved the world he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The Message version of the Bible expresses it this way, “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.”
Christ really became the ultimate gift. He is the only gift that really keeps on giving. In the hustle and bustle of the season, be reminded of the heart of Christmas and of the Good News.
God so loved you and me … and the murderer, the thief, and all types of people rejected by society and even the church. For them He gave his only Son. You see we are all equally in need of this gift. We can’t earn it, buy it, work for it or deserve it. We can only believe and receive it because it has already been purchased by Jesus Christ. He purchased life for us so that we can experience life to the fullest, an eternal life – a deeper and better life than we could ever dream of.
Once you receive this gift from your heavenly Father, you now become His gift to the world. What God wrote about His Son, he writes about every one of those who claim to be His: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased” (Matt. 3:17). Although the idea of re-gifting (passing on a gift you have already received), is usually perceived negatively, in this sense it is positive in every way. You are sharing the best gift you have ever received.
You could paraphrase John 1:14 this way: “The Word (Jesus Christ) became flesh and blood (in us), and moved into the neighborhood. They (the world) saw the glory with their own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish.”
We can also become this ultimate gift in the flesh and then, like Christ, take Him to the neighborhood.
So my challenge for you in this wonderful season is for you to become part of the reason for the season. When you are buying your toys, clothes or doodads or gobbling down a meal at a local restaurant, remember the average checker and waitress is a single mother struggling to find meaning in the season. So, when you are rushing around trying to get your shopping done, consider slowing down enough to give a helping hand, a smile and a warm greeting. For most people, these words of grace may be the only true gift they will receive this Christmas season.
Become the ultimate gift in the flesh and take Him to the neighborhood and imagine the possibilities!