“whatever you eat, drink, whatever you do, do ALL to the glory of God” 1 Cor. 10:31
About 6 years ago when our boys were still little, God put it on my heart to create this special book. I wrote it with them in mind, and they each helped illustrate with their personal drawings. I sat with each one to aid them in the process as needed. They were just about ages 9 and 7. At that time in their lives, I wanted a visual way they could easily understand the full gospel message. I wanted them to see Jesus woven through all times. I wanted something they could look back on, hopefully one day with their own children (unless Jesus returns before then, which would be so amazing). I wanted to point them to Jesus daily in all that pertains to life. I wanted to point them to truth and the Word of God. I wanted them to have a blessed life in receiving the Savior. In repentance, obedience, encouragement and hope in Christ alone.
We are sharing this story with you today. We have seen the Lord’s faithfulness and it is a joy to my heart to see how God has done above and beyond what we could imagine for His glory. We hope you are blessed in some way by it, and thankful we can share. We apologize some of the pictures are blurry on here. God bless you and your family.
HERE WE GO:
OUR CHRISTMAS TREE
My bro and I want to tell you an amazing story and we will do this using our Christmas tree. I love my brother and we do a lot of life together. We are grateful we can share this story with you, because it is not like any other.
Our tree points upward to God the Creator. In the beginning, He created the heavens and the earth. He created this tree, most importantly, He created you and me!
Our tree points to heaven. A reminder to us, someday we will be with God forever, all because of Jesus!
“in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” Genesis 1:1
The star reminds us Jesus is the Light. He’s the Savior that was born on that holy night. For as God provided the way for the Magi to see and worship the King, God provided the way (Jesus) to conquer the darkness of sin, and show us the way to be with Him.
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made…The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent….but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-3, 5, 12-14
The trunk of this tree reminds us, that out of a trunk of another, came to be, a cross that Jesus would die, on a hill called Calvary. You see sin entered in, to the perfect world He made. Just one tree, God told man not to eat of, for he gave freedom to choose because of love. Obedience is always the right choice, as Father knows best. Man chose to follow the voice of another, went his own way and did not obey. No longer perfect, all of creation was infected with sin, but God had a plan to reconcile man to Him.
“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned…But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!” Romans 5:12 & 15
“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:24-25
Jesus loves my bro and I so much, He knew us before we were born. He thought of us, as He hung on that cross, knowing without Him we would be lost. He gave such a gift taking the punishment for our sin, so that we could have eternal life with Him.
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Cor. 5:21
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Ps. 139:13
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23
“and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 Jn. 1:9
JESUS WAS BURIED, AND HE WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD ON THE THIRD DAY.
Without Jesus the Savior, it would mean death to my soul, because of the cross I am on my way to my forever home.
Jesus said: “and these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” Matthew 25:46
Flip that candy cane upside down and what have we found? “J” for Jesus, oh how He loves us. Oh how He loves you and me. I am reminded of this looking at the red and white striped treat on our Christmas tree. Red for the blood he shed on the cross, white for my heart once lost, now clean and free for all eternity.
The lights aglow are as beautiful as can be. For Jesus came, died, rose again victoriously. His glorious beautiful Light in eternity will be like no other. I think I mentioned this once, but I’ll say it again, this place I will live in forever with my wonderful Savior, my mom, dad, and brother.
And HOPE reminds me of all that I have because of Him. For today I know God is with me and will never leave. He will help me each and every day. He’ll hear me when I pray. I have a relationship with the Savior, Who has blotted out my sin.
“the city has no need for sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light” Revelation 21:23
So I stand on this mountain top shouting THANK YOU GOD FOR ALL THAT YOU’VE DONE! THANK YOU FOR CHRISTMAS AND SENDING YOUR SON! Because as the song goes…
Go, tell it on the mountain, over the hills, and everywhere; Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.
Do you know this Savior? Have you received God’s gift? For today you can have your life made new, sins washed away, live each day knowing what God says is true. Forgiven, loved, and now a child of His. His great gift of grace knowing for sure one day you will see this awesome God face to face and spend forever with Him.
“for God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever, believes in Him, will not perish, but have everlasting life” John 3:16
This is our tree, that reminds our family of God’s perfect love, through the best Christmas gift, His only Son. The Holy Spirit within will help us to keep walking with Him and help us daily to turn from sin. We have HOPE, strength, and help, and we read God’s Word and pray…. all that we need to get us through every day. One day we’ll live with Him forever. It will be the most amazing thing. God’s family together, where we will live, play, feast, with the King.
Until that day comes, may I sing, sing, sing and go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere that Jesus Christ the Savior is born, died, rose again, to save all those who will receive Him in.
Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1:14-15
