Dr. Dan Coflin, Pastor
River of Life Church
Do you love Christmas? I don’t know how it is at your house, but my wife absolutely loves Christmas. She loves to give gifts and usually begins as early as January looking for that unique gift that perfectly fits the needs and personality of the one who will receive it months later.
Giving and receiving gifts is one reason so many people love Christmas. Children are wide-eyed about the beautifully wrapped gifts under the tree while the young man so in love with his girl wants to wow her with his thoughtfulness. Grandparents now focus on those precious grandkids, and spending time with family around a dinner table is their greatest delight. While the merchandisers are hoping for record-breaking bottom-lines, parents are willingly helping them out, frantically tracking down that must-have toy at any cost.
Trees and candles, decorations that fill every horizontal surface in the house, and outdoor adornments with themed lights that bring animated camels or cartoon characters floating across the front door compete for the winning admiration of the neighborhood. Christmas is truly the most wonderful time of the year.
As we celebrate with parties and presents, let us not forget that a very long time ago and in a very faraway place, there was a young woman who gave birth to God’s gift for all of us. It was not with tinsel and trifles or lavish celebrations where this woman gave birth, but in a place where lambs were born that would become ceremonial offerings for the sin of man. What a seemingly strange place for God’s most valuable possession to arrive.
But like any proud father celebrating the birth of his firstborn son, the celebration in heaven spilled over into the earth’s atmosphere as the sky was illuminated with an innumerable host of angels worshiping this baby in a manger, God’s Son, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world was born.
He is God’s gift to the world. Wrapped in humanity, He brings life eternal and abundant to all who receive Him. The lonely beggars on the streets or kings in their lavish palaces alike are pursued by this unquenchable love of God who wants to present to them His gift, who was born in a manger and died on a cross but arose in victory defeating death.
His gift is not offered in fancy wrappings or trapping but comes frequently in a still small voice that tugs at the heart of every sinner to say, “Receive what only I can give. You don’t need to struggle with your own sweaty works to earn as a favor this most wonderful gift, but in humility bow before the one who loves you with His dying breath and His victorious resurrected shout declaring that Jesus Christ is Lord.”
Dr. Dan Coflin and his wife Dianne co-pastor River of Life Church at 410 E. Chapman Rd. in Lutz, FL. 33549, (813) 949-9931, www.roltampa.org. We would love to invite you to visit River of Life Church. Our lively worship begins at 10:30am on Sunday. We are a non-denominational, spirit-filled ministry. Please honor us with your visit. We would love to have you!