Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s Christmas Eve, and my Heart is more focused on the Greatest Gift than anything else in this world. If not for the birth of my Savior, He never would have died for me…and without that sacrifice, there would be no Hope at all. There are no words to describe my love for Him and no way to express my Gratitude for the Greatest Gift of all. When it comes to my Reason for Living, sometimes I’m left speechless. This morning, as I sat before the Throne of the Living God, I thanked Him for it ALL – His birth, His death, the Reason for my Hope, the Purpose of my Life, and for Eternity that is possible ONLY because of the Greatest Gift and the Greatest Price that was paid for you and me. Isn’t that the way you see Jesus, too?

It’s hard for me to comprehend how people can still deny that Jesus Christ is Lord, especially when His Life…from birth to resurrection… was predicted hundreds of years before it ever came to be. It’s almost as if the earth knew a Savior would be born, but mankind STILL can’t fully comprehend it. It’s not easy to accept that the Son of God could be born to a virgin, but with God all things are possible, and that’s what happened as surely as I breathe. It’s hard to imagine that God could “become flesh” and that He could “dwell among us” so that He could Teach the world about Love and Redemption and everything else in between…but that’s what happened as surely as I breathe. It’s not easy to wrap your head around the fact that a total “stranger” would be willing to Pay the price for every wrong we ever even thought about doing long before we were ever born to do it…but that’s what happened as surely as I breathe. It’s almost impossible to imagine how a dead person can come to Life and be transfigured for others to see what’s possible after death for those who Believe…but that’s what happened as surely as I breathe. Leave it to Jesus to go above and beyond! He even had a fish fry with His friends to drive home the Truth about what is in store for those who Believe. Had that “little baby lying in a manger” never been born to the virgin, none of these things would have been possible. It all began with the Birth of our Savior, and without Him, we’d have no Hope at all.

It’s so sad to think that there are still lots and lots of people who don’t believe that a Redeemer was ever born and then died for them…and it’s even sadder to consider their Destiny because they don’t. Some people convince themselves that when the body dies, it’s all over for them because they don’t understand what’s Possible for those who Believe. Some people think it’s ridiculous to believe that a baby could ever be born to a virgin or that a woman could give birth to the Son of God, but that’s because their heart is closed to the Truth. Plenty of people share the story of Christ when Easter rolls around, but it’s Christmas that marks the day of a Promised Future…the birth of a Savior…a Redeemer to dwell among us to share the Truth…our ONLY Hope. I wonder how many people take the time in the middle of a “hectic” Christmas schedule (and endless celebrations) to share the Gospel with the lost world? Had He never been born, He couldn’t have died for you and for me. That’s an all-year-long, no matter what’s going on kind of Message, and sharing it is what we’re ALL commanded to do…every day…including…especially…at Christmas.

I’m excited to see most of my family tomorrow, and I’ll miss the ones who can’t be with us this year. We’ll “eat, drink, and be merry,” that’s for sure…and we’ve got some gifts to share to express our love for one another. But more than anything else we’ll be celebrating the Greatest Gift the world has ever known, and the Message of the Gift won’t get dimmed for the festivities…EVER. He’s the Reason for our existence. He’s the Head of our family. He’s the Source of our Joy. He’s our ONLY Hope…our Savior…our Redeemer…the reason we Live. And THAT’S what Christmas is all about, amen?

Merry Christmas, world!