Tis the Season to Remember...Presents

Yep...I've been thinking about Christmas' past....and presents (as in gifts). 

What's the best Christmas present you ever pulled out from under your Christmas tree?

How about the most useless? 

Nothing beats the morning I woke up to a brand new Schwinn bicycle! 

I was 10...so, of course, pink ruled the best of colors, and, it wouldn't have been complete without basket, streamers on the handles, and a bell - to let everyone know I was in the neighborhood (I think that was the year everyone within a block of Ocean Drive voted for us to move). 

I also remember the most useless gift.

All 16-year-olds NEED music, right?

I happened to grow up in the radio-and-turntable era (yep 45's with a song on each side and 33.3's with at least 6 songs/side)...

There came a day, though, when transistor radios took over and I could go almost anywhere with the week's countdown. 

THEN, it was 8-track tapes (oh, my!)...

But, did you know that for a very few short weeks, between transistors and 8-tracks, someone invented a 4-track player?

I couldn't even find one on the internet to show you. 

My dad frequently took advantage of these 15-day-free-trial offers that came through the mail (an advantage of being postmaster? I don't know). 

So, one Christmas, thinking this little four track could take over the music world, he bought me one for Christmas. 

It came with two tapes (the BeeGee's and a Classical Variety). 

I loved it! Thought it the best thing EVER...

Until within a month, 8-tracks became the rage, and you couldn't even buy other tapes for the tape player I now owned. 

What I'd enjoyed for a few weeks, no doubt, eventually went in the trash. 

Useless!

But, that's the thing. 

Almost all gifts have a life span. 

Some certainly longer than others, but, at some point they all go into the trash bin.

EXCEPT FOR ONE! 

That is the gift we'll celebrate over the coming weekend. 

A gift that sometimes gets shoved to the back of the tree, instead of standing front and center. 

The gift God gave us in His only Son!

The reason for the season.

The gift that gives and gives and gives and will continue to give until eternity.

The gift that fills us with HOPE, PEACE, JOY, LOVE all year...

JESUS!

The cross has always overshadowed the manger.

We can't have one without the other.

So, my pondering has shifted this Advent from all that might one day end up in the garbage to the gift that has no expiration date: salvation by none other than the Son of God, who:

Humbled Himself to be born as a man

Lived a servant's life

Died a vicious criminal death

Bore my sins upon the cross

Borrowed a tomb for His temporary burial

Visited hell

Released prisoners

Reminded the devil of his demise

Then victoriously rose 

Ascended to heaven

Paved the way for His followers to join Him 

And, is currently preparing our eternity with Him

What a Christmas gift! 

No other compares!!!

There's only One Way to receive that gift...

It's only found in that One Babe, who gave ALL so generously and sacrificially...

FOR EVERY ONE OF US... 

Good News! Great Joy! All People!

There is only one response to that gift. 

It's the response of every one who came to the manger:

"...and going in...they fell down and worshipped Him (Matthew 2:11)."

Worship 

Christ

the 

New

Born

King!

How do we worship Him? 

With whole hearts surrendered to Him - holding back nothing!