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If you missed this weekend at TheChurch on Strayer…

All of us who are followers of Jesus Christ should be able to give a “Reason for the hope that is within us.”
 
Our hope comes from God’s inspired and Holy Word - the Bible.
 
Our hope is in what God has spoken to us in His Word.

Science is simply the process of discovering the mechanisms of nature which God has put in place to make our universe work as it does.  Science opens up the secrets and meaning of nature.
 
Science has five basic fundamentals: time, force, action, space and matter. (Herbert Spencer, British philosopher 1820-1903)
 
Moses knew this 3,000 years prior to this discovery.
 
Genesis 1:1 - In the beginning (time), God (force) created (action) the heavens (space) and the earth (matter).
 
There is no other book in any of the world’s religions that contains scientific truth - only the Bible. 

Look at these scientific facts in the Bible:

• Genesis 3:15 - Both man and woman possess the seed of life - 17^th century.
• Job 26:7 - There is a place void of stars in the North - 19^th century.
• Job 26:7 - Earth is held in place by invisible forces - 1650.
• Psalm 8:8 - Oceans have natural paths in them - 1854.
• Job 8:16 - Plants use sunlight to manufacture food - 1920.
• Archaeology continues to prove the Bible trustworthy and no archaeological find has ever disproved any fact of scripture.  Archaeology has proven the existence of a city called Nazareth, a race of people called Hittites, the Dead Sea scrolls and hundreds of other discoveries thought to be non-existent.
• Then we have more than 300 Messianic prophecies that have been fulfilled.

What man discovered, in some cases hundreds of years later, never negated the Biblical fact. 

The Bible is 100% God produced!

The Unopened Gift

2 Corinthians 9:15 
Now thanks be to God for His Gift, [precious] beyond telling [His indescribable, inexpressible, free Gift]!

Among all the seasons of the year, Christmas is distinctively one of gift-giving.  A gift is something given voluntarily to show favor toward someone, something bestowed or acquired without any particular effort by the recipient or without its being earned.

A gift is never something forced upon the intended receiver, or it ceases to be a gift in the real sense of the word.

Paul calls Jesus God’s “unspeakable” gift. 

Some today obviously take the word “unspeakable” in the opposite sense of Paul’s meaning.  Thus “Happy Holidays” has replaces “Merry Christmas” in many places. 

Which leads to this thought – The Unopened Gift.  

Many people cannot see Christ for Christmas.   They forget the Savior in the season.  Their thoughts are more concerned with what is on the dinner table than the events of the stable.

Since Jesus is a gift, He can be refused.  God never violates our human will.

This message of “The Unopened Gift” actually goes back 2000+ years to a monarch named Herod. In Matthew 2, King Herod is greatly concerned that some baby is to be born who will become king. When his attempts to find this baby failed, he ordered all male children in Bethlehem under 2 years of age to be put to death. Herod, because of jealousy, never opened God’s gift of love to him.  Eventually he suffered an emotional disturbance and died an untimely death. Others such as Pilate, King Agrippa, Scribes and Pharisees (the religious leaders) all left unopened this precious gift of love, forgiveness, and acceptance.

Around the world during this season, this gift of Jesus Christ is being celebrated, cursed, honored, dishonored, accepted, and rejected.

Right here in Toledo, many who know about this gift will continue on in their sins, lost in their troubled world of doubt, fear, guilt, and sadness.   But to as many as receive this gift and open their heart to experience Him, to them He offers love, joy, peace, pardon, cleansing, and freedom.

For every Christian struggling with any challenge in life, Christ offers His gift which means trouble has an end.

God does not cease to give because we refuse to accept, and He does not cease to give even if His gifts are not used to the best advantage.

The gift of Jesus is better than all the other celebrations of Christmas.

What gift of His to you have you failed to open? …His love, acceptance, forgiveness, peace, healing, deliverance, or salvation?

If you missed this weekend at TheChurch on Strayer…

The REASON!

The focus of this season of the year is the birth of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus. 

Isaiah 9:6 (AMP)  ⁶For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given: …and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Identity has always been important to God.  Just as identity defined Jesus’ purpose, so also does identity define His purpose for you.

• “Adam” means “earthy or of the earth” revealing God’s purpose for him to rule, dominate the earth.
• “Eve” means “life spring” indicating her purpose as mother of life.
• “Jesus” means “Savior,” the very purpose of His birth, life, death, resurrection, and second coming.

The reason Jesus came was to give us back our identity so that we could live the life He designed us to live.  Jesus knew who He was and is.  In Acts 9, Paul asks Him, who are you, Lord?  And He said, I am Jesus…Jesus knew the reason of His life.

Nothing is more critical to a life of significance than knowing our God-given identity.  Do you know the “Reason” God put you on earth?  Do you know your “true God-assigned identity?”

Revelation 2:17 says God will give a white stone to everyone who overcomes.  On that stone is a new name.  It is new in the sense that it is different than how the world sees us.

On that stone you won’t find names such as stupid, idiot, liar, thief, prostitute, adulterer, failure, alcoholic, etc.

It is His name for you – a white stone not colored by our past, our sins, our failures, our mistakes.

It is “pure you” as God designed you to be, fully alive and living your purpose.  It is your “Reason” for living.

So when you look at the manger during the Christmas season and see the Christ-child, you can truly have a Merry Christ[mas] because of who He made YOU to be.