CHRISTMAS/The Life that Changes lives

The Spirit of Christmas can be best understood when we recognise that God out of love gave His Son to come into the world to change humans from rebels to those loved and valued by Him. We cannot appreciate what it cost God until we weigh what it cost a person who lives in a luxury mansion to give it up, become homeless, live on the street in the hope of understanding the plight of the homeless. Even that cannot compare with what God did for us. Having created us knew we would fail and made provision.

I believe the life of Jesus is an example for world leaders that the best way to truly understand the predicament of their people is to exchange position with them.

The story of Christmas brings us to a group of people who at this time of the year, are busy working at destroying lives through scam. Innocent and vulnerable people are defrauded of their hard earned money. They operate heartlessly without care for those they destroy with their evil schemes. What they fail to know is God's love for them and that He is seeking to bring all home.

#No One is Born a Scammer

As I took this matter recently to God in prayer, I was reminded that some of these people have godly and decent parentage. But because of greed; the desire to enjoy what they never worked for scheme and defraud.

The sad thing, however about scammers is how they shut their hearts to the evil they cause, for instance, a pensioner who is defrauded of say, a six figure sum saved to take care of Social Care bills, left heartbroken and despairing of life; while the scammer takes off on holiday, and shamelessly updates on Social Media.

Like most bad habits, people fail to weigh the consequences of their actions, forgetting that it is God who repays human actions, good or bad--the God of justice. The Bible reminds us of the deceitful nature of the heart.

#The Way of the Cross

On the other hand, God's desire is for people to come to the knowledge of the provisions He made for their redemption and claim forgiveness. The Bible warns that easy money soon grow wings and fly away. Their action hides the consequences for future generations who had no hand in the evil.

In 1 Samuel 8:1-3, we read of children who even though they had a father in Samuel who was one of the best Judges in Israel, chose to live like hooligans.

The Bible says of Samuel's two sons, "But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice."

Their action did not just hurt the people, but led to Israel rejecting the Kingship of God which had consequences for humanity, 'the desire to be like other nations.'

The Christmas story is therefore, one of Good News, that even with all our insecurity, insensitivity and greed, Jesus came to redeem us back to God.

John 10:10 says, that the Thief comes to kill, steal and to destroy. The thief being Satan, but Jesus came to give us life that is lived in honesty and godliness.

Christ came, gave His life on the Cross, rose to life again to make us one with Him through His death and resurrection. His life transforms when we accept Him in faith and let Him live in us by His Spirit, empower and enable a changed life.

All people can be changed because our Heavenly Father, created us to be His children but we failed. Instead of the nature of God, humanity became corrupted by Satan's nature, the scamming spirit of the serpent that operates through witchcraft, the spirit of rebellion.

It is not late to ask God for help to turn around; for that is what Christ offers through the Cross; His Death and Resurrection.

A seed planted cannot produce life until it first dies. To become our Redeemer, Jesus had to be born, die and be raised to life, and lives forever.

The Good News: Change is Possible, but only in JESUS.