Gifts.
At Christmas time there are those who feel alone and lonely. To each one Jesus brings His gifts of love and acceptance. Jesus brings His gift of comfort. He gently says: Blessed are you who mourn, for you shall be comforted. As I walked the streets of Jerusalem, where Jesus once walked, I was reminded of how He reached out to the poor and needy, those who lived on the edge of their communities. Jesus reached out to all in need – and He does that for all of us today. At Christmas time there are those who feel alone and lonely. To each one Jesus brings His gifts of love and acceptance. As I talked with Jesus in the serenity of the Garden of Gethsemane, the words of an old hymn came to mind:
I come to the Garden alone, While the dew is still on the roses And He walks with me, And He talks with me And He tells me I am His own The words of the contemporary Christian song, Servant King, also capture the pathos of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane as He awaited His arrest and pending crucifixion. It speaks of the garden of tears where Christ chose to bear our heavy load, where His heart was torn with sorrow, but in obedience to His Father, He declared: “Not My will, but Yours be done.” At Christmas time there are those who are carrying heavy loads. To all, Jesus offers His gifts of empathy, kindness, care and compassion. He
invites everyone to give Him that heavy load, and receive from Him His love, joy and peace. Christmas is a time to reflect upon the love of God, demonstrated to us through the birth of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ – our Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace – the One who knows us intimately, loves us deeply, and who offers us Life with a capital “L”. At Christmas time, may each one of us accept His gift and embrace it in all its fullness. The love of God – a wonderful gift that He has given for all of us to know and experience. CW Irene Frances is a freelance writer and blogger. Visit her at www.irenefrances.wordpress.com
www.morlingcollege.com
Study Tour to
Israel & Jordan Develop a greater understanding of the Scriptures and deepen your relationship with Jesus by joining the upcoming Morling College Study Tour to Israel and Jordan in January 2015.
Destinations include: 3 Amman 3 Petra 3 The Dead Sea 3 Jerusalem 3 Mt Carmel 3 Megiddo 3 The Sea of Galilee
Equipping the whole believer to take the whole gospel to the whole world 120 Herring Rd, Macquarie Park NSW 2113 P (02) 9878 0201 F (02) 9878 2175 enquiries@morling.edu.au www.morlingcollege.com
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