The Greatest Gift You Can Give this Christmas… (Worldwide Evangelistic Outreach)

Click here to listen in 100 languagesDuring this time of year, the thoughts of many people turn toward the matter of gift-giving and receiving. Collectively, we spend a good deal of money and time going from store to store to get the “perfect” gift for people we love or people we simply want to impress.

However, God gave the entire world the greatest gift it would ever receive when He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world in the form of a baby in a manger. Many people at that time — and many people today — overlooked the utter importance of this wonderful gift. This gift, which arrived in the humble town of Bethlehem and was born to two ordinary Jews, was the means by which God intended to deliver the world from the pain, suffering, and death that came about because of sin.

Jesus Christ began His career as a humble preacher, and He only preached for three years, but His words and actions echo down to us today because they have earth-shaking significance. He is the Saviour of the world who died to deliver us from our sins and the punishment of sin. Millions have decided to believe in Him so that they can escape the eternal punishment of sin which is Hell and have an eternal Home in Heaven.

So, while you are thinking about what gifts you can give or what gifts you may receive, allow me to share with you what some of the world’s most noted individuals have said about Jesus Christ — the gift God gave to the world. As you listen, I encourage you to consider giving your life to Jesus Christ, for that will indeed be the greatest you can give to Him.

“With Talent On Loan from God…” — A Thanksgiving Celebration (Worldwide Evangelistic Outreach)

Click here to listen in 100 languages.

On this Thanksgiving, I thank God for the talents and gifts that He has bestowed upon my family and me and that is no doubt the reason why I love to see people do what they are truly talented and gifted by God to do. It is a blessing to see singers, musicians, actors, actresses, athletes in all sports, writers, speakers, business people, doctors, cooks, auto mechanics, lawyers, and leaders of all types seemingly without effort and almost flawlessly doing what they were given by God the talents and the gifts to do.

Our Missionary Mission

Read | Acts 13:1-4

Paul and Barnabas set the standard for the church’s mission work when they obeyed God’s call to go forth. The local body of believers—those left behind to share Christ with neighbors and friends—equipped the men for their journey. They did so for the same reasons that apply today:

1. The spiritual condition of mankind. Romans 1:21-32 describes this sinful world. Unchecked sin leads people down a slippery slope toward a depraved conscience and, ultimately, a darkened mind that cannot perceive what is right. Every unbelieving person is sliding on that treacherous path.

2. God’s spiritual provision. The Father responded to mankind’s plight with grace: He sent His only Son Jesus Christ to save the world. On the cross, Christ bore the sin of every person—living, no longer alive, and yet to be born. The offer of salvation is for all; God’s grace is blind to race, creed, and color (Rom. 10:12). Those who believe in Jesus are forgiven their sin, and they will spend eternity with the Lord.

3. The commission from Jesus Christ. Acts 1:8 says we receive the Holy Spirit so we may bear effective witness to those who need salvation. Notice that we don’t simply begin at home and work steadily outward. People everywhere are waiting for the Good News. The word is to be carried far and fast.

The purpose of the church is to worship and witness. Some will go and some will send, but all are called to the work of spreading the gospel. This is not a suggestion; it is a command (Matt. 28:19). Believers living in God’s will are all to be involved in missionary work.

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