John 4:31-34 ESV

31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

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31 Samantala, hinimok siya ng kanyang mga alagad, “Rabi, kumain ka.” 32 Subalit sinabi niya sa kanila, “Ako'y may pagkain na hindi ninyo nalalaman.” 33 Kaya't sinabi ng mga alagad sa isa't isa, “May nagdala kaya sa kanya ng pagkain?” 34 Sinabi sa kanila ni Jesus, “Ang pagkain ko ay ang gawin ang kalooban ng nagsugo sa akin at tapusin ang kanyang gawain.

MY FOOD IS TO DO HIS WILL.

Hunger and thirst are involuntary physiological traits that are marks of a healthy individual, are they not? Jesus was exhausted and thirsty. The reason why He asked the Samaritan woman for a drink. He approached her as needy. However, we learned later that He satisfied the spiritual thirst of the Samaritan woman.

The lady forgot her physical thirst. He ran to the city leaving her water pots to tell everyone about Jesus. Likewise, Jesus did not feel hungry anymore. When given food by His disciples, He seemed not to care for the physical food by saying, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” The disciples thought he had eaten already. Thus they asked, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?”

Definitely, Jesus’ sense of fullness or satisfaction isn’t what fills his stomach. Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” In contrast, the false teachers are focused on material gain, are they not? Paul said, “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.”[Phil 3:19] At one time Jesus had pointed out this wrong pursuit of people for physical bread, by saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”[John 6:26-27]

What satisfies you the most today? The things of this world are means for us to serve God. You can’t love both. They are meant for our enjoyment in glorifying God through it’s use. But it’s never meant to be loved. “ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”[1 John 2:15-17]

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John 4:15-30 ESV

15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

27 Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” 28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 30 They went out of the town and were coming to him.

I AM HE

The woman asked Him for the living water. Immediately, he asked her to call her husband? For what reason? This lady had been living in sin for she had hopped from one man unto the fifth she is living with at the moment. Although, she lied but Jesus knew it for He knew all men. Simply said, she must confess of all her sins and forsake them.

And she did by saying, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.” She was aware that she needed to worship God. But, for her God was limited by space. The Jews should only worship in Jerusalem and the Samaritan in Gerizem. How many of us had been ruined by the divisiveness of organized religion? Confused but hopeful, she said, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.”

Thank God for Jesus has clearly declared, “I who speak to you am he.” Her discovery was too good to be kept to herself alone. She left her waterpots and went to town and proclaimed Jesus. Was she not thirsty before. Definitely, her thirst was overruled by joy. She was filled, was she not? Knowing Jesus indeed is enough. As Paul said, “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”[Col 2:9,10]

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John 4:1-15 ESV

Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3 he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4 And he had to pass through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.

7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

THE LIVING WATER

Jesus has to escape from the Pharisees in Judea so that he fled to Galilee. He must passed by Samaria. And at the well at Sychar, he rested at noon time. Was it a coincidence that the Samaritan woman came to fetch water and met Him there?

Wearied and tired, Jesus asked her for a drink. But, he did it to spark a conversation. It’s an amazing truth that in the grander scheme, Jesus took the initiative to become weak in order to reach sinners like us. Nobody has gone up to heaven but He came down. [John 1:1,14]

The Samaritan woman was evasive. But, Jesus had His wits to win by sparking her interest about Himself. He challenged her to ask Him for the living water. She thought Jesus was either bluffing or bragging, so she asked, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.”[v.11,12] It is understandable. Jesus was a stranger to her.

Jesus revealed the truth to her by saying, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” [v.13] Again, He said this on the day of His arrest, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”[John 7:37-38]

There was no way she would know until Jesus told her the truth. And, ‘faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.’[Rom 10:17] She then responded, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”[v.15] The woman may not had understood His statement as yet. But, she acknowledged she was thirsty and tired. Do we? The rigours and challenges of life do cause weariness to our soul, don’t they? Jesus knew that that man is searching for something that can quench his thirst. Until the end of time, Jesus through the Spirit is appealing us, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.”[Rev 22:17]

- Isaiah 43:19

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Narito, ako'y gagawa ng isang bagong bagay;

ngayon iyon ay lalabas; hindi ba ninyo malalaman iyon?

Gagawa ako ng daan sa ilang,

at ng mga ilog sa disyerto.

A NEW THING

A blessed New Year to All!

We do progress because of the promises of God, don’t we? God’s promises are our hope igniters. We left 2021 as one coming out through the door, stepping into the open space unknown – 2022. In our hands is the open book to guide us like a compass in order for us not to wander at the maze of life.

There is a need of leaving. Being stuck in the past can keep us from anticipating the new thing God wants us to experience. If Israel stayed stuck in the familiar and comfort zone, they would never look for the new thing of release from exile. Babylon should be their home in the next 70 years. As God said through Jeremiah, ““Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”[Jer 29:4-7] It would be very hard to leave when things are doing fine at Babylon. Then, they have to start a new start in the Promise Land.

It requires faith to actualize God’s promise. God is making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. However, it may not be perceivable at the beginning. God had divided the Red Sea so that the Jews walked in a dry ground. But, what if the water would only split when the feet are wet as Jordan split when the feet of the priests carrying the ark, touched the water.

Let’s remember this New Year 2022 that the just always walks by faith and not by sight.

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John 3:31-36

31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

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31 Ang nanggagaling sa itaas ay mataas sa lahat, ang galing sa lupa ay taga-lupa nga, at nagsasalita tungkol sa mga bagay sa lupa; ang nanggagaling sa langit ay mataas sa lahat. 32 Nagpapatotoo siya ng kanyang nakita at narinig, ngunit walang taong tumatanggap ng kanyang patotoo. 33 Ang tumatanggap ng kanyang patotoo ay nagpapatunay dito na ang Diyos ay totoo. 34 Sapagkat siya na sinugo ng Diyos ay nagsasalita ng mga salita ng Diyos, sapagkat hindi niya sinusukat ang pagbibigay niya ng Espiritu. 35 Minamahal ng Ama ang Anak at inilagay sa kanyang kamay ang lahat ng mga bagay. 36 Ang sumasampalataya sa Anak ay may buhay na walang hanggan; ngunit ang hindi sumusunod sa Anak ay hindi makakakita ng buhay, kundi ang poot ng Diyos ay nananatili sa kanya.

HE IS ABOVE ALL

Only Jesus has come from Heaven (John 3:13) And, only those who believe His message can be saved (John 3:18). He has the only true testimony. This word translated "testimony" is martureo, which means "to report," or "to affirm," in the same sense that a person's statement in court is called their "testimony." The apostle John uses this term very often, more than 30 times in this gospel, and 40 times overall.

Jesus brought revelation which is far superior than any other teacher, or any other may claim. Sadly, many despised Him and His message. However, those who do accept Jesus are accepting God (John 3:16). This leads to eternal life, as well as spiritual relationship and growth (John 1:12). He even came in the power of the Spirit.[John 16:9,10] A person cannot truly understand spiritual things without this salvation (1 Cor 2:14). Repeatedly, the Bible explains that the only way to be saved is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6; 3:36; 3:18).

Yes, the Father loves the Son as the relationship of the Godhead ever is. Yet, he did not spare but gave Him for us. [Rom 8:32, 5:8] Thus, believing and rejecting Him mean receiving eternal life and eternal wrath from God, respectively.[see v.18]

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John 3:22-30 ESV

22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison).

25 Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

HE MUST INCREASE; I MUST DECREASE

John the Baptist was named for he was baptizing others. However, baptism neither originate with him or with Christians. Jews practiced baptism as a traditional act of purification and the initiation of converts to Judaism long before the coming of the Messiah. The act may not be necessarily called “baptism,” it does highlight how important and holy ceremonial (and practical) cleansing is to God.

John the Baptist’s “baptism of repentance” (Matt 3:11, Luke 3:3; Acts 19:4) has followed this paradigm of cleansing. It was a symbolic representation of changing one’s mind and going a new direction. “Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River” (Matt 3:6). Being baptized by John demonstrated a recognition of one’s sin, a desire for spiritual cleansing, and a commitment to follow God’s law in anticipation of the Messiah’s arrival. For, the ultimate cleansing from sin is only available through Christ.

Thus, John’s baptism was the foreshadowing of Christ and His sacrifice at the cross. The significance of baptism as a New Testament ceremony is that, as believers in Jesus Christ, we are baptized into His death (Rom 6:3) and raised to walk in newness of life (Rom 6:4 KJV). The Lord taught the significance of baptism to the extent that He Himself was baptized by John the Baptist at the start of His ministry (Mark 1:9).

His ministry had bewildered many, especially the religious leaders. Thus, they came to ask and inquire, “"Rabbi, the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River, about whom you testified--see, he is baptizing, and everyone is flocking to him!"[v.26 NET] Probably, this meant He was gaining more than the Baptist was, or that people were leaving the Baptist to follow Jesus instead. And, since this was never about him in the first place, John is happy. As in a wedding, the focus isn’t on him the best man but on Jesus, the bridegroom. His ministry is owed to God. Thus, we shouldn't be angry or frustrated when others seem more successful; God is ultimately the one in control (1 Cor 3:1–9). Peopleshould be moving on from his ministry, and becoming disciples of Jesus. His goal was to lead people to follow Jesus. Likewise the point of ministry is not to make the minister look good, but to help others follow Jesus. At some point, those people should grow and mature in Christ.

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John 3:19-21 ESV

19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

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19 At ito ang kahatulan, na naparito ang ilaw sa sanlibutan, at inibig pa ng mga tao ang kadiliman kaysa ilaw sapagkat ang kanilang mga gawa ay masasama.20 Sapagkat ang bawat isa na gumagawa ng masama ay napopoot sa ilaw, at hindi lumalapit sa ilaw, upang ang kanyang mga gawa ay huwag malantad.21 Subalit ang gumagawa ng katotohanan ay lumalapit sa ilaw, upang malinaw na mahayag na ang kanyang mga gawa ay naaayon sa Diyos.”

COME TO THE LIGHT.

John writes, “In him [Christ] was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” [John 1:4,5] Simply said, Christ the life [John 14:6] is an attractive light.

And, two groups of people are known by his reaction to the light just as there are nocturnaland non-nocturnal animals. Firstly, “everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.” They are like nocturnal animals that hide away from the beam of light. The simple reason is that they loved darkness. They enjoy wickedness in all its forms. They suppress the truth. [Rom 1:18] “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”[Rom 1:21] Light reveals truth, and exposes what was hidden. They look for ways to avoid living as though life has no meaning, but recognize that with no God there is no legitimate meaning to life.

However, the true believers, like the non-nocturnal animals, loves the light. They "practices the truth," or "does what is true," or "lives by truth." This is the product of the Spirit’s transforming power. We loved darkness until His grace has transformed us. As Paul articulated, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” [Eph 2:1-5]

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John 3:17-18 ESV

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

17 Sapagkat hindi sinugo ng Diyos ang Anak sa sanlibutan upang hatulan ang sanlibutan, kundi upang ang sanlibutan ay maligtas sa pamamagitan niya.18 Ang sumasampalataya sa kanya ay hindi hinahatulan; ngunit ang hindi sumasampalataya ay hinatulan na, sapagkat hindi siya sumampalataya sa pangalan ng tanging Anak ng Diyos.

HE CAME TO SAVE AND NOT TO CONDEMN

Contrary to the belief of many, God isn’t like an angry ogre, who needs to be appeased. Yes, everything centers in God but He is neither eccentric nor egotistical. That, God can’t overlook our sins God is so loving so that He doesn’t want to judge sinful men. We deserve to be punished but He saw us also as helpless without His mercy. Thus, He withdrew His judgment upon us and inflict it to His Son, who substituted for us at the cross.

Christ’s primary purpose in His coming is to save us and not to condemn us. Thus, His sacrifice at the cross is the perfect payment for our sins. “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”[1 John 2:2] He endured the fullness of the wrath of God as the appropriate consequence for our sins. As Peter writes, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.” [1 Pet 3:18]

God doesn't want to see anyone destroyed, does He? (Eze18:23–32). Rather, He would prefer that everyone be saved (2 Pet 3:9; 1 Tim 2:4). This salvation is offered to "the world," a phrase this verse uses three times. This Greek word ‘kosmos’ oftentimes refers to the God-hating system of human society. But here, it means "all people." Salvation is through Christ—and nothing else. The offer of salvation is for everyone, but only those who accept it will actually be saved.

However, He won’t override the dignity of our choices as somebody pulling the carabao to the river but couldn’t force the carabao to drink. Under such circumstance, should the carabao die of thirst, the blame is on her. Likewise, those who do not believe Him are "condemned already” by the veritable offer of free salvation. It’s only God's love and patience that cause Him to delay His judgment (2 Peter 3:9)

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John 3:14-16 ESV

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

14 Kung paanong itinaas ni Moises sa ilang ang ahas, kailangan din namang itaas ang Anak ng Tao; 15 upang ang sinumang sumampalataya sa kanya ay magkaroon ng buhay na walang hanggan. 16 Sapagkat gayon na lamang ang pag-ibig ng Diyos sa sanlibutan na ibinigay niya ang kanyang tanging Anak, upang ang sinumang sa kanya'y sumampalataya ay huwag mapahamak kundi magkaroon ng buhay na walang hanggan.

LOOK AND LIVE

Have you noticed that generally people are complainers despite to God’s goodness? We are no different than the Jews, as they travelled towards the Promised land. According to Num 21:4,5, “From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.”

For this, the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. [Num 21:6] The wages of sin is death. [Rom 6:23]

God’s judgment had brought fear. They pleaded for God through Moses in desperation for the consequence to their sins was too great to ignore. “And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.”

So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.” Their deliverance was purely by the grace of God. God has provided the cure. And it was so simple. Those who are bitten by the serpent just needed to look unto the lifted bronze serpent image and they would be healed.

Similarly, all of us, because of the fall, are poisoned by the venom of sin, are we not. “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” [Rom 5:12]. We are hopeless if not for God who loves us unconditionally. Like the bronze serpent, we can receive eternal life by believing Christ. As John declared, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”[John 3:16]

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Isaiah 9:6 ESV

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

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Sapagkat sa atin ay ipinanganak ang isang bata,

sa atin ay ibinigay ang isang anak na lalaki;

at ang pamamahala ay maaatang sa kanyang balikat;

at ang kanyang pangalan ay tatawaging

“Kamanghamanghang Tagapayo, Makapangyarihang Diyos,

Walang hanggang Ama, Prinsipe ng Kapayapaan.”

A SON IS GIVEN

In this Christmas day, we may not be able to celebrate as before. Surely, we miss the physical gatherings with family and friends. The ‘noche buena’, singing and exchanging gifts may exist as memories in the past. Hence, this physical restrictions are new realities we should embrace without rancour.

But, what if God is weaning us from the physical revelry this Christmas. Perhaps we had swerved from the true essence of Christmas so that we are prompted to revisit it once more. Christmas isn’t a holiday that sanctify man’s lust, greed and indulgence.

It is more of a celebration of the birth of Jesus but the giving Him to us as a gift. Is it possible for Jesus to appear before us as incarnate but not presenting unto us as a wonderful gift? He could have appeared as a man, that is a king ruling and judging this world with a sceptre in His hand. As such, Christmas won’t be a blessing but a burden. As sinners, we would be haunted by the judgment of our sin without mercy.

Praise God! He isn’t just as a child born but a son given to us. As Paul articulated, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all.” [Rom 8:32a] Through His unfathomable and unconditional love, Christ can be ours as a gift. More specifically, the sacrifice of Christ at the cross is the gift. “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”[Rom 5:8] For this, we say this Christmas and in all Christmases, “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift![2 Cor 9:15]

Indeed, He is an indescribable gift! Why? It is because;

“The government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Wow! Jesus a perfect gift. As James said, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”[Jas 1:17]

Today, God has offered His Son, Jesus as the Christmas gift to everyone, once for all. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”[John 3:16,17] Have you received Him as yet? He has done His part in the giving of the gift. Our part is receiving it for free. Don’t blame God should He judged you for refusing it someday. As John said, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”[John 3:18]

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