A FREE GIFT FOR YOU!

There's a special gift waiting for you from someone that loves you. You don't have to wait for tomorrow morning, go ahead and open it... shake the box if you'd like - it won't break, but it won't wait.  

This is a limited time offer, you don't know where or when it will expire, it may not even last until Christmas morning. But the gift is here for you now. No shipping, no handling, no catches, no internet scams, just the best gift you'll ever receive.

Go ahead... open it...

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. (James 1:17)

Once upon a time and a very long time ago we were cursed by our common ancestors to live in sin, surviving by clawing at the earth for our sustenance. For a long, long time our only hope of escaping this existence was to follow a long, hard, complex series of rules and commandments known collectively as The Law. For us humans there's one little problem with the law...

For my iniquities are gone over my head; as a heavy burden they weigh too much for me. (Psalm 38:4)

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. (James 2:10)

To gain salvation through the law we must follow it 100% perfectly, which the creator of the law Himself said was impossible to do. Following the law perfectly can only be accomplished by the perfect being, something we are not, nor are we close to becoming here on earth 

25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?" 26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:25-26)

So if the law is impossible to follow, why did God give it to us? First of all, it wasn't given to "us", it was given to the children of Israel because of their transgressions. "Us", meaning Gentiles were invited a bit later, but not having the background of a Jewish upbringing could we have even been able to imagine following the law? Probably not even close. But here's where our wonderful gift comes in

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him (John 3:16-17)

“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:40)

Here is our free gift, the most Glorious of all Christmas gifts: Salvation through Jesus Christ, Eternal Life, deliverance from the punishment of sin. This can never be purchased with mere money but only with our faith and love. Jesus has paid the price for our sins before we even commit them and to pay him back all you have to do is believe in Jesus Christ, ask for forgiveness and the free gift of God's love and forgiveness is yours forever. 

Please don't leave it under the tree unopened, unappreciated. Go ahead, shake the box, tear the paper, and bask in God's love.

You can even keep the ribbon.

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Here's one of the most beautiful Christmas adagios ever written, L'adieu des bergers - The Shepherd's Farewell. The movement is about Joseph and Mary leaving for Egypt with the infant Jesus to escape the slaughter that Herod had decreed on the baby boys of Judea. You can even hear the sheep bleating sadly as the little family leaves