Pastor’s Perspective

Pastors Perspective

Let me be one of those who say, Happy New Year; but before I start talking about 2009 I want to ask you a question: Did you open all your Christmas presents? I know that was a couple of weeks ago, but a few years ago my Bride got me a big compressor for Christmas. It was really cold and my garage/shop is not heated so I put the gift in a back room and didn’t set it up until late May. I still remember using a small old compressor to put air in a flat tire, when I realized that I had this brand new one in the house. Well, to make a long story short,

I plugged it in and it worked, but the shut-off switch didn’t work and the 90 day warranty was over before I ever found out it needed work. (I’m still using it and it still doesn’t shut off properly).

There is a gift that many of us got for Christmas, but we too have opened it and put into another room without much thought because we don’t really think that we need it now. That gift is the greatest gift ever given; the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is God’s “love gift” to a fallen world. “By this the love of God was manifested in us , that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9).

I have had a lot of people say that they love me. God has even said: “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3). How do I know that God really loves ME? I know that God so loved the world…..but what about ME? “By this the love of God was manifested…” That word in the Greek means: ‘to render apparent, to appear, to make known”. The reason that I know that I know that God loves me and YOU is that God proved that love by sending His one and only Son. Isn’t that what the angels said: “There has been born for you a Savior”.

Isn’t that what Isaiah the Prophet said: “For a child will be born to us, a SON will be given to us.” (Isaiah9:6)

The Bible also says of Jesus: “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15). So have you really taken the time to ‘check out this great gift? The good news is that this gift does not have a warranty! The problem is not with the warranty. To be honest the problem is we forget about the gift or think that God really doesn’t care (or love us). The historical reality of Jesus Christ is proof positive that God does love you with an everlasting love. Go back before you go forward. Go back and pick up that ‘indescribable gift again’. I promise you by the word of God…..”I sought the Lord and I was not disappointed”. That is exactly why I always finish these articles and my letters with the same words……

In Awe of Him……….

Sonny