Date: 12/05/2022

Greetings to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and to Him be the Glory and to the Holy Ghost. This month’s key phrase is: THE WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD.

Saints and friends, God realized that the only way we could be reconciled back to Him was with a perfect unblemished sacrifice that would atone for our sins (take our place). So, He gave us a gift, He gave us Jesus! The Bible is not distorted, it is very clear! Jesus was born into this world to save you and to save me. In 1 Timothy 1:15 the Apostle Paul tells us “This is a faithful saying, that is worthy of all acceptations, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief”. The true message of Christmas which is worth celebrating is that Jesus was born to fulfill God’s mission, to save sinners. The gift of Jesus is the most wonderful gift we will ever receive, so, as you read this message just pause for a few seconds and tell yourself: Jesus is God’s gift to me.

The scripture that sums up the whole essence of Christmas is John 3:16 “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”. God ‘gave’; meaning that Jesus is a gift to us from Almighty God Himself! But it doesn’t stop there; God also gave “His One and only son”. If we have one of something and we give it away, then we have given everything we have. God therefore gave us everything He had! So why did He do that, He is God almighty, He didn’t have to give anything? The answer can be found at the very beginning of John 3:16 “For God so loved the world……’This is how much God loves us!

Saints and friends, our God is a Holy God. He is perfect, but we as humans are imperfect and Holiness is an attribute of God that distinguishes Himself and His creation. Leviticus 11:44-45 “For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy”. Saints and friends, God was aware that because of our sinful nature we are not capable of being holy in the way He deserves, so what did He do? He realized that the only way we could be reconciled back to Him was with a perfect unblemished sacrifice that would atone for our sins. So, He gave us a gift, He gave us Jesus! Until next week, think about what did the gift of Jesus give us? And know in receiving the wonderful gift from God that “…with God all things are possible”. (Matthew 19:26)

In His Service,

Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem

General Chief Overseer/Senior Bishop