December 24, 2005

THE REAL (ESTATE) STORY
By Larry Underhill

CHRISTMAS EVE. I don’t usually get to say Hello to you on the day before my Boss’s birthday. This year the party falls on a Sunday! Our church (Horizon in Galt) is celebrating the special day with “Church In A Box”, a DVD that families can enjoy together as they relax in their jammies on Christmas morning. A little Christmas music, a dose of humor here and there, and a short Christmas message from Pastor Tim.

I’VE HEARD of other churches that will enjoy rousing Christmas Day services tomorrow morning! That’s great, too. As long as His birthday gets celebrated, the method doesn’t much matter.

OVERSEAS, many of our sons and daughters in the military will celebrate what will probably prove to be one of the strangest Christmases of their lives. Catching a little cheer as they find it in the midst of carrying out their mission, these men and women are far from the family living room on this day. To each of them: Thank you for your gift to us.

The Maker’s Manual has a lot to say about gifts. The Wise Men brought gifts for the baby Jesus, gifts they had carried from their homes far away. Another passage regarding gifts is found in the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23).

Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends…” (John 15:13) Now there’s a gift.

That verse reminds me of another, this one in Paul’s letter to the Philippian church. Paul writes, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, Who although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

It seems there’s a whole lot more to Jesus than the cuddly babe in the manger, wouldn’t you agree?

I’m very much aware that I’ve been ransomed, “bought with a price” as the Bible sez. Being rescued by Jesus Christ after royally screwing up your life has a distinct advantage: You never have any illusions about your own “goodness”. You KNOW you deserve “the wages of sin” mentioned above. You KNOW that the “free gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus” is your only hope (and all the hope you need). You know that every breath you take is a gift from the God Who loves you, warts and all.

“RELIGION”? Hardly. Religion has been described as man’s attempt to reach God. RELATIONSHIP: That’s what I’m talkin’ about. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). And that Son, Whose birthday we celebrate tomorrow, wants to build a relationship with you. I’d be happy to introduce you! Merry CHRISTmas.

Statesman Realty

(209) 333 2380
1-800-407-SOLD (7653)

Website: www.larrysellslodi.com
Website: www.larryunderhill.com

Email: Larry@LarryUnderhill.com