You've all heard that it's better to give than to receive, but with the gift of eternal salvation through Jesus Christ that isn't the case.
Most people have shared their stories about finding Christ but my story is how Christ found me and how I came to have a stronger relationship with Him. You see like all Christians, I strive to live for Christ but sometimes my sin and my doubts get in the way.
For one of my favorite Christmas movies is Miracle on 34th Street and there's a line in that movie that talks about how faith is believing in something when common sense tells you not to. After all, common sense doesn't tell you that a man could heal the sick, cause the blind to see, and raise the dead including Himself.
However, there's this old sermon that I saw (that unfortunately is no longer on YouTube for some strange reason way beyond the realm of my understanding) of comparing the creation of the universe to baking bread from scratch.
For let me ask you all a question. Don't you think that if you could bake bread from scratch that you could easily pop a Pop Tart? I bet that all of you could figure that out. So if God could create the whole entire universe, how easy would it be for Him to raise from the dead? Pretty darn easy when you think of it like that.
So that's the analogy that I use that helps me with my doubt but that isn't my main message of my testimony. My testimony is about not letting other people define who God is for you. Don't make the same mistake that I did.
You see, when I was a little kid, I went to church with my grandparents every Sunday but to me it was about spending time with them, it wasn't about Jesus because I didn't really understand why He died on the cross for me even though I know that He did and God seemed incredibly scary to me as a kid.
For they portrayed God as a meanie who is just angry at you and wants to punish you and I didn't feel a lot of love coming from Him and I always felt judged by the other people at church. So, I backslid for many years until I became an adult and it hit me, if God is so angry at me and wants to punish me then why did He send His only begotten Son to earth to die for my sins?
What's Christmas and Easter truly about if He doesn't love me and doesn't want a relationship with me? Then several years ago I just felt a soft and gentle voice saying that He was right here with me. He always has been and He always will be.
At that point I was a bit scared to actually form a relationship with Him because I was taught from a little kid what He was actually like. My fiancée has also been on an emotional roller coaster when it comes to his faith too.
So we had both reached a point in our lives where we just called out to God wanting to know where He was and to reveal Himself to us and that's when I felt God telling me that He wanted me to tell him that He's heard his cries and felt his pain, but He's always been there for him as well.
That's when my fiancée looked as he had just seen a ghost and wanted to know how I could have possibly known that he had been praying for answers. The answer was simple, God revealed Himself to us like we had asked Him to and He wants to reveal Himself to all of His children, but the problem is that not everybody will let Him.
He wants to have a relationship with everybody though and He loves us all. John 3:16 proves that. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son for who so ever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."
The Bible also warns of false preachers and anybody not preaching of God's love for all of humanity is a false preacher. You see, if God didn't love us then there would be no Christmas. He wouldn't have send Jesus into the world.
Yes I love all those Christmas movies about Santa Claus just as much as the next person but people tend to forget about what Christmas is truly about and who Jesus was and what He taught.
For He gave us everything when He gave us His life. He loved us before we even loved Him. Before we even came into existence. So Christmas is about giving onto others and loving them just as much as it's about the birth of Christ because that's Christ's message onto us.
I hope that you were all touched by my message and testimony and always keep the true meaning of Christmas in your hearts. It was truly a gift when Christ found me and He and my fiancée found each other and now having a special relationship and connection with Him I now know why I can hear His voice.
So I can share His true message with all of you and remind you of His love for you and the fact that if you're struggling right now and in a place of just not knowing where God is then I'm here to tell you that you're not alone. As I've been there too, believe me. Even though it might seem like He isn't there though, He is there and He is waiting for you to accept His free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.
You will never have a better Christmas present. Stay safe and warm and wherever you are and wherever you will be this Christmas season, Merry Christmas and have a wonderful new year!!
Most people have shared their stories about finding Christ but my story is how Christ found me and how I came to have a stronger relationship with Him. You see like all Christians, I strive to live for Christ but sometimes my sin and my doubts get in the way.
For one of my favorite Christmas movies is Miracle on 34th Street and there's a line in that movie that talks about how faith is believing in something when common sense tells you not to. After all, common sense doesn't tell you that a man could heal the sick, cause the blind to see, and raise the dead including Himself.
However, there's this old sermon that I saw (that unfortunately is no longer on YouTube for some strange reason way beyond the realm of my understanding) of comparing the creation of the universe to baking bread from scratch.
For let me ask you all a question. Don't you think that if you could bake bread from scratch that you could easily pop a Pop Tart? I bet that all of you could figure that out. So if God could create the whole entire universe, how easy would it be for Him to raise from the dead? Pretty darn easy when you think of it like that.
So that's the analogy that I use that helps me with my doubt but that isn't my main message of my testimony. My testimony is about not letting other people define who God is for you. Don't make the same mistake that I did.
You see, when I was a little kid, I went to church with my grandparents every Sunday but to me it was about spending time with them, it wasn't about Jesus because I didn't really understand why He died on the cross for me even though I know that He did and God seemed incredibly scary to me as a kid.
For they portrayed God as a meanie who is just angry at you and wants to punish you and I didn't feel a lot of love coming from Him and I always felt judged by the other people at church. So, I backslid for many years until I became an adult and it hit me, if God is so angry at me and wants to punish me then why did He send His only begotten Son to earth to die for my sins?
What's Christmas and Easter truly about if He doesn't love me and doesn't want a relationship with me? Then several years ago I just felt a soft and gentle voice saying that He was right here with me. He always has been and He always will be.
At that point I was a bit scared to actually form a relationship with Him because I was taught from a little kid what He was actually like. My fiancée has also been on an emotional roller coaster when it comes to his faith too.
So we had both reached a point in our lives where we just called out to God wanting to know where He was and to reveal Himself to us and that's when I felt God telling me that He wanted me to tell him that He's heard his cries and felt his pain, but He's always been there for him as well.
That's when my fiancée looked as he had just seen a ghost and wanted to know how I could have possibly known that he had been praying for answers. The answer was simple, God revealed Himself to us like we had asked Him to and He wants to reveal Himself to all of His children, but the problem is that not everybody will let Him.
He wants to have a relationship with everybody though and He loves us all. John 3:16 proves that. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son for who so ever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."
The Bible also warns of false preachers and anybody not preaching of God's love for all of humanity is a false preacher. You see, if God didn't love us then there would be no Christmas. He wouldn't have send Jesus into the world.
Yes I love all those Christmas movies about Santa Claus just as much as the next person but people tend to forget about what Christmas is truly about and who Jesus was and what He taught.
For He gave us everything when He gave us His life. He loved us before we even loved Him. Before we even came into existence. So Christmas is about giving onto others and loving them just as much as it's about the birth of Christ because that's Christ's message onto us.
I hope that you were all touched by my message and testimony and always keep the true meaning of Christmas in your hearts. It was truly a gift when Christ found me and He and my fiancée found each other and now having a special relationship and connection with Him I now know why I can hear His voice.
So I can share His true message with all of you and remind you of His love for you and the fact that if you're struggling right now and in a place of just not knowing where God is then I'm here to tell you that you're not alone. As I've been there too, believe me. Even though it might seem like He isn't there though, He is there and He is waiting for you to accept His free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.
You will never have a better Christmas present. Stay safe and warm and wherever you are and wherever you will be this Christmas season, Merry Christmas and have a wonderful new year!!
