[Faith-talk] Evening Thought for Sunday, December 29, 2013

[Paul]

Hello and good day to all my readers.  Well, here in eastern North America it's evening, hence the title in the subject line.

Today we have an article written some years ago by the beloved evangelist Billy Graham which he wrote for the American Tract Society entitled "Christmas Begins with Christ," rendered as follows:

Christmas begins with Christ, the virgin-born Christ-child, our Savior.  The Babe of Bethlehem was not merely a remarkable child but the Son of God who, in His intimate grace, was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born into this world as a man, yet one who never ceased to be God.  "Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God" (I John 4:2).

Jesus Christ in His infinite love did not begin when He was born in a stable and laid in a manger; He left Heaven's best to come to this world to be the Savior of mankind.  He was offered as a free gift, for "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16).

God's gift to the world was despised and rejected over 2,000 years ago, and in the life of every person who has rejected Him since that time, there has proved to be a fatal defectiveness.  Only by accepting the free gift of eternal life through Christ can we know the true meaning of Christmas and the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.  Christ said, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20), and, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My word, and believeth on him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24).

Begin this Christmas season with Christ, by accepting the "gift of God (which) is eternal life through Jesus Christ" (Romans 6:23).  "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).

And there you have it.  This article, in a nutshell, is basically what Mr. Graham has preached over a 60-plus year time period of preaching.

And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these last days in which we live.  Lord willing tomorrow there will be another daily thought message for your edification.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul