The Gift of LoveOpening the Gifts of Advent Series

On this fourth Sunday in Advent, we are less than a week away from the celebration of Christ’s birth.  It is fitting that we reflect upon God’s great love for us.  Our Maker, the Creator of the heavens and earth, could have left us to our own designs and suffering, but because of His love for us, He created a way for us to be in communion with Him forever.  Rather than being separated by a chasm of sin and evil, He bridged the gap between our brokenness and His holiness with the gift of His Son.

“God showed how much he loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him” (1 John 4:9).

There has never been a greater gift!  Emmanuel – God with us. When Jesus was born twenty centuries ago, true Love came down to earth in the body of an infant.  He lived, died and rose again to set us free.  Through His sacrifice on the cross, we now know the incredible love of God.  He desires that not one of us should perish, but rather that we all would find everlasting life through Him.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Now is the time to end our exile and welcome Him into our hearts!  Let us rejoice in the gift of God’s true Love – Emmanuel, our God who came near!

Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to you, O Israel!

-John Neal (1818 – 1866)

Rejoicing in His Gift,

Please join me each Sunday between now and Christmas as we open the gifts of Advent. I'll also be opening special daily gifts on my Instagram and Facebook pages as we count down the days until December 25.

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