12/22/2017
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For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. – John 3:16
While
looking through a coloring book of Nativity scenes one Christmas, I was
struck by the contrast in the lives of the people to whom God chose to
announce the birth of His Son.
On one page were the
shepherds dressed in plain robes, sleeping in a field next to their
sheep. I had read before that in those days, shepherds were
the poor, despised, and often criminal outcasts of society. In
contrast to them, on another page were the Wise Men, dressed in all the
finery of
a distant Eastern country and carrying expensive gifts. They
were wealthy and educated, and had been granted an audience with King
Herod to discuss
astronomy.
On a different page of
the coloring book was the baby, John the Baptist, who leapt in his
mother’s womb at the good news of the coming Messiah. Across
from him was Anna, a woman nearly a century old, giving thanks
to the Lord as the Christ Child was dedicated in the Temple.
Looking at the Nativity
pictures, it became clear to me that in announcing the birth of His
Son, God was demonstrating that the Gospel is for everyone.
It is for the poor, like the shepherds; it is for the wealthy,
like the Wise Men. It is for the young, like John the Baptist; it is for
the aged,
like Anna. It is for criminals and it is for diplomats. It is
for the uneducated and it is for the learned. It is for everyone!
In my own life, I have
also observed that God’s call goes out to all. When my son was five
years old, he told me that he wanted to ask Jesus to come
into his heart, as I had recently done. I thought he was too
young, but I decided to humor him and we prayed. Over the next six
months, there was
such a change in his behavior that I realized the Gospel is for
the young.
When my grandmother’s
health began to decline at age eighty-nine, I knew she was not ready for
Heaven. Yet, I had no intention of talking to her about
the Gospel again, because I thought it was too late. Then, a few
days before she died, my grandmother called my name. I went to her
bedside and
she said she wanted to pray to go to Heaven. We prayed, and
later two nurses and my mother came into the room and asked, “Why is she
suddenly so
peaceful?” I knew that the Gospel is for the aged.
Other testimonies could
be told about the sick and the strong, the timid and the extrovert, the
popular and the outcast—God meant the Gospel
to be for everyone. There is hope for each person to receive
salvation. We can do our part by following His example: share the Good
News with one
and all!
More from The Apostolic Faith Church, here
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