You're Eligible for the Gift Too.

Just about everyone at one time or another has heard about the birth of Jesus or maybe even had the chance to see a play about his birth. What is so special about this gift for those who don’t know? God sent his very best gift to us so that our spirit man could be brought back to him. We know this is true from John 3:16, which says, “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.”

God even made an announcement about how well pleased He was about his gift to us. Mat 3:16-17 says, 16) “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17) And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Then God does it again when Peter, James, and John were up in the high part of the mountain and saw the transfiguration of Jesus. Mat 17:5, “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” Hopefully by the time you get done reading this you will know that the Father sees you in the same way and you can receive this gift, too.

I would like to point out something very interesting; we didn’t get to see the birth, baptism, or the resurrection of Jesus. We didn’t even get to walk with him the way his disciples did, but we’re not the only ones. Yes, some got to see one part or another from being in that time frame. Even in that time frame some heard about his coming while others heard about his events after everything had taken place. Others may have caught a glimpse of what was about to come, but didn’t realize it.
Always remember that we have a choice to receive or to reject this gift we’re about to learn. We’re going to see two biblical people who started off on the wrong track and then both turning to God. One received the gift by crying out to the Lord and seeing God’s mercy pour out before him. The other was by a bright light and a voice sounding from Heaven. Remember both of them ended up receiving the ultimate gift of a lifetime. Now, the question is, are you ready to receive it, too?  I’m sharing this because there are many who will in some way or another relate to one of these two people or situations.

Let’s talk about Paul and his conversion from being Saul.  While on his way to Damascus, a light and the voice of Jesus had come down on him. Act 9:3-6 says, 3) “And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4) And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5) And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6) And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.” We also know his reputation wasn’t very pleasant either. Let’s talk about Paul’s conversion and what took place in receiving the greatest gift of all.

So, later, we see that Paul receives the gift from inquiring of the Lord and even gets told what his mission for the Lord will be. Act 9:10-16 says, 16) “And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 11) And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,12) And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. 13) Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 14) And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. 15) But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16) For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.” Now that Paul truly accepted the gift, he was healed from his blindness and went and did what the Lord asked of him. That was sharing the Good News about the greatest gift we could ever receive. We do see a lot of grace taking place from this picture, but we also see God’s mercy, too.

Now, what I would like to talk about is a king from the Old Testament and his name was King Manasseh from 2 Chronicles 33:1. This king had a different story that just stuck with me as I have been reading through the whole bible this past 8 weeks. This king began his reign when he was twelve years old, but he was able to hold it for fifty five years. The major difference is this one not only started off on the wrong foot like some of the other kings did, but you will see how much further he went than the others. Now, I know that we can’t weigh sin, but again just pay attention to verse 2. 2Ch 33:1-2 says, 1) “Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem: 2) But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.”
When you read all the things that King Manasseh did, you just wonder how he even got to live. Now, it even gets worse, he didn’t just build alters in high places and serve them there, but he built them right there in God’s house. Yes, the one that the Lord claimed for himself. 2Ch 33:3-5 3) “For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. 4) Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever. 5) And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.” We all know what this means for this king.

What he did was just absolutely crazy. Let’s look at the continuing of his evil being poured out through verse 6 and the beginning of verse 7. 2Ch 33:6-7 says, 6) “And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. 7) And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God,…”

This king didn’t just displease God himself, but enforced a major strain for the rest of God’s children. That meant that he put the tribe of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem in a position that was worse than any of God’s enemies in their time.  Here’s the thing, even in our time we have some leaders and others in authority that put a strain on people and even new believers. They do this by turning them from God with false doctrines. There are even those who just don’t even believe in God or any other god, which we call atheists. They will even convince you to not to believe and finally we have the evolutionist who believes in the big bang theory. All of this is extremely bad for God’s people. What we need to really look at here is where all this evil took them, because we don’t want to fall into that same place. 2Ch 33:9 says, “So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.” They even rejected the Lord when he spoke to them. 2Ch 33:10, “And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.” He put them into a bondage that wasn’t pleasant. 2Ch 33:1 says, “Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.”

Then when the King Manasseh got taken up into this bondage he then cried out to the Lord and changes began to take place. 2Ch 33:12-13 says, 12) “And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, 13) And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God.”  We may not be quite as bad as King Manasseh, but we can cry out to the Lord, too, just as King Manasseh did. Now, when King Manasseh prayed unto the Lord and when the Lord intreated him, King Manasseh then became one who received God’s gift and changes began to happen. 2Ch 33:14-16 says, 14) “Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah. 15) And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city. 16) And he repaired the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.”

Remember when I said we have a choice to receive or to reject? Here’s your answer 2Ch 33:17-19 says, 17) “Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high  places, yet unto the LORD their God only. 18) Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and the words of the seers that spake to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel.19) His prayer also, and how God was intreated of him, and all his sin, and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places, and set up groves and graven images, before he was humbled: behold, they are written among the sayings of the seers.”

Here’s the thing.  We are no different than Paul or King Manasseh, we all have sinned. We can find this in Rom 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the  glory of God;” The good news is that we’re never too far away either. That means we do have a choice to receive the gift and to be able to return back to the Father. How is this done?  By going to God and giving a full repentance of our sins. Here’s how we would do this. Rom 10:9-11says, 9) “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord   Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11) For the  scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

​We even see Jesus pointing out to everyone that we need to repent and believe the gospel. Mark 1:14-15 says, “14) “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15) And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” I want you to understand the importance of the last phrase in this verse “repent ye, and believe the gospel.” That’s the same as saying come and receive the gift. So, please, never think you are too far away from receiving the gift.  Just take the time to receive his gift and get the best gift you will ever receive in your life.

---