Gift(s) of Everlasting Life by Sharon Espeseth

Everlasting and Eternal Gifts

This Christmas I'd like spiritual gifts for myself, my loved ones, and anyone really. . . Using the Bible as our catalogue, we will find an abundance of things free for the asking--God's love, forgiveness, salvation and eternal life. We, created by God, can admit we need help.







Emmanuel: God with Us

God loved us so much He sent His Son to be our Emmanuel,  God living with us. People thought God's Son would be a political king or a man of means. Instead He came as a baby, born of a young virgin, engaged to Joseph, a descendant of David. The angel Gabriel came to Mary and explained the role God wanted her to take in His plan. Mary couldn't know what this meant in the future, but she trusted God and became the vessel to bring God's son to us. Joseph accepted his call to be Jesus' earthly father.


Jesus Begins His Ministry

We don't read much of Jesus' life until the Wedding at Cana, where Mary asked her son to turn water into wine. The hosts had run out of wine. Jesus performed His first miracle--turning water into wine, and He did it for his mother and as a kindness to the wedding party.

Fully human and fully divine, Jesus needed to spend time with His Heavenly Father. While Jesus,  was with us, He taught us how to relate to God and how to relate to our fellow human beings.

In Mark 12:30, we read the New Commandments Jesus gave. First, Jesus says, "Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your strength." Secondly, "Love your neighbour as yourself." Not only did Jesus give us these new commandments, but he also practiced them in daily life.

God's Son was tempted and tested, like we are, but even more so. The Pharisees and Sadducees watched his every move and asked questions to "trick" him into saying he was the Messiah, the Son of God. Admitting his divinity would be considered blasphemous and then they would have reason to kill him.

In the meantime, Jesus walked among ordinary people like us and talked to people of any race, creed, or moral standing. He visited and ate with tax collectors, prostitutes,  lawyers, and common people in all walks of life.

Loving Us As We Are

One example of His acceptance is the story of Jesus asking the Samaritan woman for a drink of water. Jesus stepped over the "rule" that Jews didn't talk to Samaritans. The woman expressed her surprise

"If you knew the gift of God."

at Him, a Jew, asking her, a Samaritan for a drink. (Story in John 4:7-42.)

Jesus replied, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water. Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed the water I give will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

Jesus told this common  woman that He was the Messiah. She believed and went to tell the people of her town what had happened. By her testimony, they also believed. Jesus didn't talk to the leaders of the town, he spoke to a woman he knew had had five husbands and she wasn't married to the man she presently lived with.

The Gift of Eternal Life

When it was God's time, Jesus obedientl took our sins upon Himself and made His way down the streets of Jerusalem. With the help of Simon, a passer-by, Jesus carried the burden of the heavy cross, but Jesus alone carried the sins of the world.

In the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion, Jesus agonized and prayed to His Father, "If it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not my will but Thy will be done." (Luke 22:42)

God loved us so much that He gave us His Son. Jesus loved God and loved us so much that He surrendered to God's will. Through Jesus' death and resurrection, we have the gift of eternal life.

The Fruits of the Holy Spirit

Before ascending to heaven, Jesus promised He would send the Holy Spirit as our Comforter. The
Holy Spirit, as part of the Godhead Three, also comes with a basket full of gifts to make our lives more abundant. By living close to God and listening to the Holy Spirit, we will receive His fruits as listed by Paul in Galatians 5:22--love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. ,

The Gift of Availability

In Revelations 3:20, Jesus reminds us, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with this person, and they with me."

God Answers Prayers

Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." (Matt. 7:7-8)

The Gift of the Eucharist

At the Last Supper, Jesus shared a meal with his disciples. . . "He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way, after the supper he took the cup saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.'"

The Eucharist is spiritual food. By eating it we are giving thanks, remembering Christ, and asking for help in serving God.

The Gift of God's Word

God has entrusted prophets, teachers and writers to record the books and stories that make up the Bible which is God's Word. Paul in his second letter to Timothy says of God's word, "Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another--showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us." (2 Timothy 3:16 The Message)

One More Gift

I stand corrected by God's Word, for there is one more important gift that we may humbly receive. That is grace, God's grace. After receiving all these wonderful gifts, we don't need to think we are something special.

Paul says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not of works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

My Prayer for You at Christmas

Throughout the Christmas Season and through the New Year, may God grant you the Love, Peace

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

and Joy that comes from Faith, Family and Friends. May God season you with large sprinkles of Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness and Self-control. Amen.

I Felt the Love Tonight by Shirley Williams

We're pleased to have Shirley Williams from Barrhead, AB share today as our Guest Blogger.

I really love my church family! We’d never make it without Jesus to guide us together through life’s trials. Sometimes we all struggle accepting trials and their friends called pain and suffering. We may not be aware that trials produce spiritual character growth through cleansing, insightful and maturing experiences, that can’t be duplicated through carefree untested times. It seems that through the trials of His children, God performs His greatest works!

Joseph of the bible is a good example. He suffered many years of trials (beginning through his family), and ended up saving Egypt and the known world at the time! Through God’s almighty, merciful hand, he “Saved Many People Alive!” After Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, he told them: “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good!” Only someone who had endured great trials and their blessings could say something like that! Joseph’s story is a beautiful reflection of undeserved redemption and hope, through obedience, faith and love. A foreshadowing of God’s great mercy and forgiveness to all mankind, through our Savior Jesus Christ.

Joseph’s story came to mind tonight as I pondered my recent trials, through caregiving for two family members. It has become so demanding, that my own life is at a standstill, as I bounce between them every day. Today was almost unbearable. By the afternoon, I was crying and not able to withstand the load any more.

As we joined our bible study group tonight, I hoped that ‘I could keep it all together!’ The actual reverse happened. When we began singing at the beginning of our meeting, the comforting songs of God’s love swept me away. Before I knew it, I began choking up as a flood of tears began to well up inside. God’s great love began to surround and comfort me at the end of a very long and tedious day. Fighting the tears back, I dismissed myself to the nearby washroom. I sat in a cubicle and leaned on the wall, where I sobbed for a seemingly long time.

Between my sobs, I heard our friends’ angelic voices singing hymns of faith that consoled my aching soul. I remembered that through their trials, they fully trusted God. They are truly loving and wise Godly examples, whom we dearly treasure! Tonight, they all seemed so ‘normal’ and things were not ‘falling apart’ for them. I was happy for them. “I Felt the Love Tonight”, as I listened to their beautiful voices, singing hymns of faith; I understood more clearly of God’s love, hope, wisdom, and assurance.

Caregiving stress drove me to a fragile, humbled state where I needed to be alone, collapse and let myself go, and let go of myself. I wept like a child in the church washroom tonight, while God held me up through the singing of faithful friends. As the tears flowed, so did a flood of memories, as I mourned the loss and changes in my parents during their strong and healthy farming years. I longed for those childlike days of less responsibility and I pondered the brevity of life. Suddenly I realized how fully God was the parent to me now. Jesus comforted and hugged my overwhelmed soul when I needed it the most and “I Felt the Love Tonight!”

As Joseph triumphed through his trials with God saying “God had meant it for good”, may I have the same perspective as I go through my own unique trials in life!” (PTL!). Romans 8:28

Written on January 24, 2014

Joseph - The Overlooked Character in the Nativity Story - Sulo Moorthy

Mary, Baby Jesus, angels, shepherds, the Star and the manger mostly stole the spotlight in the Nativity scene while Joseph moved about as a shadowy figure in the picture. We haven't heard of any carol sung about him or a song equivalent to " Mary , do you know your Baby boy," that asked Joseph what he thought about bringing up the Christ Child as his own baby boy.

What a tremendous responsibility and high expectation were placed upon his shoulders,yet no one bothered to write a song pondering about Joseph's situations. I hadn't given much thought to him either until my pastor focused his entire sermon on Joseph on last Sunday.

Joseph was no ordinary man as we assume him to be. According to Gospel of Mathew 1:19, he was a righteous man, meaning he stood right with God. Because he stood right with God, he had the wisdom to do the right thing at the right time.

Any other man in his shoes would have dragged Mary to a public place to be stoned to death no sooner he heard about her pregnancy from Mary's own mouth. But Joseph chose not to do that. That showed how much he must have loved and trusted Mary enough to not to disgrace her publicly. He could have easily cleared his name and protected his reputation by condemning Mary with adultery.

If Joseph chose to marry the pregnant Mary, his community would definitely spit on his face for impregnating a virgin before marriage. No one would have bought Mary's story of angel appearing to her and she becoming pregnant by the power of Holy Spirit. Joseph was sure of facing the scorn of his parents as well as Mary's parents. His also faced the risk of losing his business customers and his livelihood for the sake of his support for Mary. From every angle Joseph must have foreseen the humiliation and rejection from his people.

Gone were the nights, which he spent on dreaming of the wonderful life he was going to have with Mary and the dream house he was planning to build. All those dreams must have got shattered when Mary broke the news of her pregnancy to him. Now, he had to come up with another plan to get out of the marriage without dragging Mary's reputation in the mud. So, he decided to divorce her quietly,

His new plan didn't work either, for an angel of the Lord interrupted his sleep in a dream and told him what he need to do next. It wasn't what Joseph planned to do. Yet, he was willing to change his plans and act according to God's plans. No wonder God chose no other man, but Joseph to bring up His only begotten Son down here on earth. Joseph was a righteous and obedient man of God, a perfect role model for Jesus to grow up under his roof.

The Bible also records that Joseph had no union with his wife Mary until she gave birth to God's Son Jesus. Yes, Joseph honored Mary's hallowed call on her life and let go of his husband right. He put Mary's purity and comfort before his need and pleasure. No husband would want to make that decision on his wedding day. Yet, Joseph did. By doing so, he stood taller than any other man in honor. No wonder, God chose no other man, but Joseph to be the earthly father to love and bring up baby Jesus to manhood.

When the call came to him in a dream to take his wife and baby to Egypt, Joseph raised no question. Later, when he was commanded to go back home, he acted at once. His trust in God must had been so strong and steadfast, he showed no hesitance whenever God asked him to do something. It's no surprise that the eyes of the Lord which are on the righteous chose Joseph to be the perfect father to bring up Jesus on earth.

Mary, the highly favored one was called the blessed one among women, and Joseph was called the righteous man. Both had a high calling in their lives to raise God's Son in a loving and healthy environment and both did their part well in raising boy Jesus to become what His heavenly Father intended Him to be.

What a great couple, what a strong marriage and what a holy family to remember during this Christmas season! Yes, no one wrote or sang a song, " Joseph, did you know that the Baby in the manger would one day raise the dead and make the blind see?" Yet, that doesn't diminish the important role Joseph played in the greatest story ever told on earth-the birth of Jesus.

(Published in Precious Moments on 12/23/2010)

Job Training

In the last few days my Bible reading has taken me back to the story of Joseph. I love that story! Yesterday I noticed something I hadn't seen before. This tale contains a fair bit of repetition, which I suddenly recognized as the repetition of education. During those first years in Egypt, Joseph was in school - and retaking the same subject, just at different levels:

University - Potiphar's house: "Then he made him overseer of his house and all that he had was put under his authority." (Genesis 39:4)

Grad School - Prison: "And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing." (Genesis 39:22)

I wonder if Joseph ever got discouraged all those days of serving, wondering what had become of his boyhood dreams. After he connected with the Butler, asked him to take up his case with Pharaoh, and then nothing happened, did he ever battle discouragement or even depression? Who would have blamed him if he did?

Then one day, with no warning, it came.

Graduation Day and the offer of a Plum Job - Pharaoh's Assistant. And didn't the job description have a familiar ring to it? Pharaoh: "You shall be over my house and all my people shall be ruled according to your word." (Genesis 41:40)

Highlights in Joseph's Life - by Annie Vallotton

What does this have to do with you and me? It tells us to keep being faithful in what we're doing, for God's training takes many guises. We may not feel that it is preparing us for anything. In fact, it may seem we're going around in circles, taking the same subject again and again. But God knows exactly the amount of expertise we need. In due time we'll graduate. Our steadfastness through all the training will ensure that we are ready for the Plum Job that's waiting for us.