Christmas: Presents & Presence

Christmas - For me It's all about PRESENTS & PRESENCE:
The Coming of Jesus Foretold
• Micah 5:2
• Isaiah 9:6-7
• Isaiah 7:14

The Coming of Jesus Fulfilled
• Luke 1:26-38
• Matthew 1:18-23
• Luke 2:1-14
• Matthew 2:1-12
• Luke 2:15-20

Whenever I think of Christmas, I think of the word Presents/Presence. It’s actually two words because it’s a homophone (a word that has the same sound as another word, but is spelled differently and has a different meaning). So actually I think of two words: Presents & Presence

PRESENTS: As in gifts – This is the essence, the center of God’s Story of His Son. God is the bestest of givers!~
GOD GAVE:
- EVERYONE His Son John 3:16
- MARY a miraculous child Luke 1:26-37
- JOSEPH Understanding & Peace Matthew 1:18-25
- SHEPHERDS the Good News Luke 2:8-20
- MAGI a Star & A Warning Matthew 2:1-2, 12
- HEROD to be outwitted Matthew 2:16
- HIMSELF: Immanuel Matthew 1:23
AND because He gave....
MARY GAVE Praise to God Luke 1:46-55
JOSEPH GAVE his Reputation Matthew 1:24-25
ZECHARIAH GAVE Praise to God Luke 1:67-79
SHEPHERDS GAVE Good News & Praise Luke 2:17-20
MAGI GAVE Worship & Gifts Matthew 2:9-11

PRESENCE: As in being here, seen, noticed. The second essence of Christmas is that God wants to be “with us”, Immanuel! (Matthew 1:23) God created us to be WITH Him – to have a relationship WITH Him! His intent was never to be distant from us. It is OUR SIN that separates us from Him. But because God so loved us, HE GAVE His Son Jesus, at Christmas, to be born, to live a perfect life so that He could become the perfect sacrifice in His death in order that WE could once again be WITH God and He be WITH us!~
- Acts 1:8 HS will come upon you!
- John 15 I remain in you (Vine & Branches)
- John 16:13 HS will guide me
- Hebrews 13:5 Never leave your, never forsake you!

Have YOU ever, by grace thru faith, put your trust in Jesus so you can be forgiven of your sins, adopted into God's family and given the power to live a life that matters? If not, ask God to do that right now! If you have, be sure to share this GREATEST GIFT ever this Christmas!
GOD Never meant for us to walk alone in this life!~ HE (and others) are with us! He IS Imannuel!~
"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means “God with us”).