What is the Gift

    What Is the Gift That

        Keeps On Giving?

      
   We see various commercials and shows that make reference to the gift that keeps on giving.  Many of the things that are given that label are indeed gifts that last or are renewable in some way.  But few, if any, are gifts that continue to be a blessing for a very long time, and none are eternal.  So are these gifts truly gifts that keep on giving?  If at some point they cease, then such a label is, at best, only partly true.
       This Christmas, Christians will gather to worship God who came to earth to save us.  We will find the babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.  We will hear about the importance of this gift from God, since He died to forgive our sins.  He conquered death as the first to rise from the dead, promising that we too will rise to the glory of heaven. 
       How is He the gift that keeps on giving?  We sin each day and need forgiveness for those sins.  We daily come in repentance and He daily forgives our sins.  We daily face temptation, and His Spirit helps us do what is right.  We daily face challenges and He supplies the sufficient grace to overcome whatever we face.  We see the temporary nature of the things in this sinful world, and He daily assures us of the eternal glory of heaven.
    We invite you to join us at St. Paul’s to hear the angel speak to the shepherds, and to us, the wondrous words of God’s gift to mankind, “Unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign for you.  You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”  Join us as we behold, receive, and place our faith in, the gift that keeps on giving.