The Best Gift Ever Given! 

What is the best gift ever given?

Who gave the best gift?

To whom was the best gift given?

What are the benefits of receiving that gift?

What are the consequences of rejecting that gift?

 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, 

that whoever believes in Him should not perish 

but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

Everyone has a choice to make - 

To receive or reject that Gift!

Benefits of Receiving that Gift:

 Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. 

And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, 

"Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; 

and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."

Mark 9:36-37

• GOD the Father!

 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit 

that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 

So he came by the Spirit into the temple. 

And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, 

to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 

he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: 

"Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, 

According to Your word; 

For my eyes have seen Your salvation 

Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 

A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, 

And the glory of Your people Israel."

Luke 2:26-32

Simeon saw the Gift,

took the Gift in his arms

and blessed GOD!

• Salvation of the soul through the LORD JESUS CHRIST!

But as many as received Him, 

to them He gave the right to become children of God, 

to those who believe in His name:

John 1:12

• Birth-certificate stating that I am a child of the Most High GOD!

 And this is eternal life, 

that they may know You, the only true God, 

and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

John 17:3

• Eternal Life

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, 

let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, 

and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 

looking unto Jesus, 

the author and finisher of our faith, 

who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, 

despising the shame, 

and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2

As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, 

so walk in Him, 

 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, 

as you have been taught, 

abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Colossians 2:6-7

Just as we would receive any gift and say, "Thank You"!

• Faith

 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: 

that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 

  and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 

"Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; 

do this in remembrance of Me." 

  In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, 

"This cup is the new covenant in My blood. 

This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." 

  For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, 

you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

• Covenant Relationship of Blood with GOD!

And when He had said this, He breathed on them, 

and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

John 20:22

 "If you love Me, keep My commandments. 

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, 

that He may abide with you forever-

- the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, 

because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; 

but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 

I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

John 14:15-18

• The Holy Spirit - the Helper, The Spirit of Truth

 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, 

and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. 

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, 

who has shone in our hearts 

to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God 

in the face of Jesus Christ. 

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, 

that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
2 Corinthians 4:5-7

• Glory of GOD in our Hearts!

 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, 

which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, 

until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;

2 Peter 1:19

• The Morning Star Rising in our Hearts!

 And in that day you will ask Me nothing. 

Most assuredly, I say to you, 

whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 

 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. 

Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

John 16:23-24

• Fullness of Joy!

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, 

who gives to all liberally and without reproach, 

and it will be given to him. 

  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, 

for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea 

driven and tossed by the wind. 

  For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 

  he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

James 1:5-8

• Wisdom!

 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing 

in the heavenly places in Christ,

Ephesians 1:3

• Every Spiritual Blessing in the Heavenly Places!

 "Let not your heart be troubled; 

you believe in God, believe also in Me. 

 In My Father's house are many mansions; 

if it were not so, I would have told you. 

I go to prepare a place for you. 

  And if I go and prepare a place for you, 

I will come again and receive you to Myself; 

that where I am, there you may be also.

John 14:1-3

• Mansions!

Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, 

to be well pleasing to Him. 

 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, 

that each one may receive the things done in the body, 

according to what he has done, 

whether good or bad.

2 Corinthians 5:9-10

 By faith Moses, when he became of age, 

refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 

choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God 

than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 

esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; 

for he looked to the reward.

Hebrews 11:24-26

 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again 

to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 

  to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, 

reserved in heaven for you, 

  who are kept by the power of God through faith 

for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 

  In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, 

you have been grieved by various trials, 

  that the genuineness of your faith, 

being much more precious than gold that perishes, 

though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory 

at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 

  whom having not seen you love. 

Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, 

you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 

  receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:3-9

 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, 

"Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."
Genesis 15:1

 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 

  For you have need of endurance, 

so that after you have done the will of God, 

you may receive the promise:
Hebrews 10:35-36

"He who receives you receives Me,

and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet

shall receive a prophet's reward.

And he who receives a righteous man

in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.

And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water

in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you,

he shall by no means lose his reward."

Matthew 10:40-42

• Rewards!

  
  

 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, 

but that the world through Him might be saved. 

He who believes in Him is not condemned; 

but he who does not believe is condemned already, 

because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 

And this is the condemnation, 

that the light has come into the world, 

and men loved darkness rather than light, 

because their deeds were evil.
John 3:17-19

 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

2 Corinthians 9:15