Merry Christmas

From Heidi...

I'm squeezing in just one more Christmas card to share before the holiday is over. We hope that you've been enjoying all the festivities of the season with family and friends, and we hope that you have a wonderful Christmas celebration.

As I'm thinking about the Christmas story of Jesus being born in a manger as a baby, I have been thinking about a phrase Paul Harvey used to say..."and now, the rest of the story," and I thought I'd break out of our "blog norm" and share the rest of the story about Jesus' birth and this wonderful moment in history. The Bible tells us who Jesus, come to earth as a babe, really was - and still is today. The rest of the story tells us that He didn't stay a baby. A passage in the book of Isaiah 53 tells a lot about who Christ would be, who He was, and who He is. As a man, He had no stately form or majesty, His appearance wasn't something we'd be attracted to. He was despised and forsaken of men, He knew sorrows, He was acquainted with grief. He was despised by those He came to save. He came to bear the griefs and sorrows of man. He was pierced through for man's sins. He was crushed for the iniquities of man. He took our punishment and chastening upon Himself, so that we could have peace with God. By His scourging we are healed. The Lord caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. He was like a lamb that is led to slaughter. He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of the people, to whom the stroke was due. His grave was assigned with wicked men. The Lord was pleased to crush Him. If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He would see His offspring. By the Righteous One, He will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities. He Himself bore the sin of many and interceded for the transgressors.

God gave us the ultimate gift through His Son, who being God came in the form of man as a baby. Through His death and resurrection He conquered the power of sin and death and purchased all men with His blood. His blood and overcoming life means freedom from sin and death for all who would believe in Him for salvation and who would trust Him as the Lord of their lives..."for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...but to those who believe in Jesus Christ, God justifies as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus."-Romans 3:21-26. During this season of gift-giving, I am most thankful for the gift of eternal life that Jesus purchased through with His own life. The greatest gift someone could give another is life...and that's the rest of the story :-) Merry Christmas!