As Christmas approaches, people all over the world go in search of that perfect gift for their loved ones. It is always a challenge to find that perfect gift which is exactly what the other person want.
But, that does not mean that a gift which the recipient needed outside of his or her sphere of knowledge and desire is not a perfect gift. A perfect gift yields the best possible outcome for the beneficiary.In this season of Advent as we approach Christmas Day, we remember the first coming our Jesus Christ to be born as baby in the little town of Bethlehem (House of Bread). And, He will come again a second time as the King of kings and Lord of lords at the end of this Age.
A bright shining star heralded the birth of Jesus and guided the three wise men from the East to find Jesus who was destined to save the people of this world from their sinful nature. Jesus grew up and proclaimed the coming of the kingdom of God where God would reign and rule in the hearts of believers, and paid the ultimate price of death when He was crucified on the first Good Friday to take away the sins of the whole world once and for all as the righteous requirement of God's law could only be fulfilled by a perfect sacrifice with the shedding of blood.
When Adam and Eve, the first human beings created by God, disobeyed God, sin crept into their lineage and they were banished from the Garden of Eden. Since then we have all fallen short of the righteous requirement of God, but God instituted a way for us to be reconciled back to Him through His only begotten Son, Jesus.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NIV)" "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NKJV)"
When we have problem with our teeth, we seek a dentist for help. The dentist has undergone vast studies and skills training which are beyond us and we do not have all the details, but we have every confidence that he or she is the answer to our dental problem.
Similarly, a mechanic will be able to take care of our car problems while entrepreneurs have invented so many new stuffs that makes life better by solving our previously unsolvable constraints.
At a national level, we are well aware that a great leader can certainly make a world of difference to the progress and prosperity of a country.
As we can see, the answer to our problems is found in a person. When the issue of the heart is unattended, all kinds of bad things will arise like envy, murder and war.
There is also the issue of attendant evil from Satan (one of God's fallen angel) and his troop of other fallen angels who seek to kill, steal and destroy, and also instigate people and nations to do evil by fighting against God. This can be clearly seen when people come against Israel, where God has promised to the Jews this land (even more then what they have currently) to their forefathers: Abram (later renamed by as "Abraham" -- the father of many nations), Isaac and Jacob; the promise was given way before Israel lost their land temporarily because of sins and the Palestinian squatters came around while the Jews were in exile.
"On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates—" (Genesis 15:18; NKJV)."
Jesus is the answer for the sin of mankind and the evil of the devil in this world. When we confess our faith in Jesus, we receive forgiveness of our sins and help from the Holy Spirit to help us live a live that is good, acceptable and pleasing unto God.
And, this is how the source of evil will be dealt with at the end of this age as referenced from the book of Revelation in chapter 20:-
"Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
The Saints Reign with Christ 1,000 Years
And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
Satanic Rebellion Crushed
Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
The Great White Throne Judgment
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."
God has already given us the perfect Christmas gift when He gave us Jesus Christ.
It is now time for us to prepare for the Second Advent of Jesus when He will come again no longer as a baby, but as the King of kings and Lord of lords.
"Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Revelation 21: 1 - 8; NKJV)”
Get to know Jesus Christ, if not already done so, and have your best Christmas season yet. Christmas without "Christ" in it, is not Christmas at all.
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