With Christmas only one week away you would think all my shopping would be done-- Wrong! I'm one of those clueless people who wait until the last minute to buy Christmas gifts often walking away empty handed, seems everyone looks for the same things and by the time I get around to the mall, everything is gone! That gets me thinking, what about God? I wonder what God wants for Christmas? I suppose a fruit cake is out of the question... I am confident what God wants for Christmas is greatly similar to what He asks of us each and everyday. He clearly lays it out in the bible: "Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High." (Psalms 50:14) In Romans 12:1, Paul the apostle of Jesus said, "Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God" He also urges us to keep from sinning with our bodies and avoid the things of this world by constantly imitating Jesus. Throughout the bible, we are told to give our hearts or our lives to God. However, what good is an incomplete gift? If we are to carry out God's will, it will be with our bodies. Every church has members who say, "I won't be attending the service next week, but I'll be there in spirit." Unfortunately, the "spirit" alone cannot contribute to the atmosphere of praise and worship. Our bodies are gifts worthy of God. The bible reads "Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe." (Hebrews 12:28) This Christmas, give God something beautiful. Offer Him not just your heart, but your hands, feet, your body, spirit and mindyour whole being! Do this by volunteering, serving at church, helping a stranger in need but most of all, give God your body as a living sacrifice. I know HE will make better use of our bodies than we will ourselves. Most importantly, don't delay! The kingdom of God is not like Christmas shopping. There is such a things as too little too late when it comes to a relationship with Jesus Christ. The bible warns us of this: "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour." (Matthew 25:13) Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year.. Let's pray! Father God; Lord we thank you for your gift of life in this
world God, we pray for your joyful peace in the days
ahead Lord, we thank you for your forgiveness in our
sins Father bless us with your love and your magnificence Praise God, This message was written by Rev. Daniel St.Pierre
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