58 lines
3.1 KiB
Plaintext
58 lines
3.1 KiB
Plaintext
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He Gave the Very Best
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. A magazine article recently described the shopping spree of a
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extremely rich man buying gifts for his family. Among the things he
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bought were nineteen Cadillacs, for which he paid extra to have them
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lengthened. Then he purchased two Porsches and six Mercedes, a
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$40,000 speedboat and a truck to haul it in, sixteen refrigerators and
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a stack of luggage. For good measure he added two Florida grapefruit
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trees, two reclining chairs and a slot machine. The total bill was
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$1,500,000 -- plus $194,000 to have it all delivered.
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. There are only a few people in the world as rich, or richer, than
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that man. When they give gifts, they can afford to give the best.
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. But all their possessions combined are nothing compared to the
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vast wealth owned by Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
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. Jesus is the Creator of the Universe. He said a word and
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galaxies were born. "For by Him were all things created, that are in
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Heaven, and that are in earth ... all things were created by Him, and
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for Him." (Colossians 1:16)
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. Christ is rich in power and position for He said, "All authority
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is given unto Me in Heaven and in earth." (Matthew 28:18) He knows
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that true riches -- love, joy, peace -- cannot be purchased with a
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credit card or check. God knew that no amount of material wealth
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could raise man out of his spiritual poverty. So almost 2,000 years
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ago He gave the best gift. God sent His Son to be our Savior. "For
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ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich,
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yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might
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be rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9)
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. "He became poor." While Jesus was on earth, He was poor in
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possessions for He had no real home. Even the tomb in which His
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followers laid His body was borrowed.
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. But more than that, Jesus Christ, the Creator of the Universe,
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took on the form and limitations of His creatures. He became poor in
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position, The first became last; the Sovereign became the Servant.
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(Philippians 2:7) Lepers came to Him and were made clean; the blind
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asked for sight and received it. Harlots came to His feet and were
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forgiven.
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. But Jesus' greatest sacrifice was when He gave His life on the
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Cross for you and me. Salvation for our sins cost us nothing; it cost
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Him everything.
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. How can Jesus make you rich? By giving you Himself. When you
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receive the Savior, you have forgiveness of sins because of His death
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for you. (Colossians 1:14) Because He was raised from the dead and
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now sits at the Father's right hand in Heaven, He gives you eternal
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life and you are adopted into God's family. (John 5:24) By God's
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grace you become a "joint heir" with Christ. (Romans 8:17) And daily
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He Gives you power for living. (Philippians 4:13)
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. God gave the very best. Are you spiritually poor? You can be
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rich. The Bible says "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
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Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from
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the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9) Receive Him and the
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Riches He died to give you can be yours.
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-- Robin Sheffield
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Computers for Christ - Chicago
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