Gift Giving is Not Over

Did you get asked this year “What gift

would you like?” When people ask that

question, they really mean “what can I buy

for you that you would like?” Depending

on who is asking, we edit our gift idea to

match their budget and desire.

Sometimes, people don’t ask what gift

we’d like, but just start paying attention to

our preferences. These are the gift givers

who surprise and please with their intimate

knowledge of us. Then, there are the gift

givers who hope to get inspired by

shopping. These givers will spend more

but delight the receiver less.

Knowing something you love is waiting to

be opened can be a big temptation. This is

the condition God wants to create within

us! He starts by telling us He has

something He wants to give us, He gives

us clues about the usefulness of the Gift.

He reassures us His intention is to give the

Gift. He gives us time for our anticipation

and desire to grow. He brings up the

subject when we talk.

Maybe He is trying to enlarge our desire so

that will seek, appreciate and protect the

Gift? Maybe we have to learn how to

handle it first? Maybe He is afraid the Gift

will replace the Giver, you know like when

parents give a car to a 16 year old. Maybe

we have to wait, like Advent, until the right

time?

Our lesson today is loaded with clues about

this secret Gift that God wants to give us,

intended to grow our anticipation like a

child waiting for Christmas morning.

Luke 11:9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will

be given to you; seek and you will find;

knock and the door will be opened to

you. For everyone who asks receives; the

one who seeks finds; and to the one who

knocks, the door will be opened.”

Do we get excited about something we

already have? Of course not. We might

have been really excited when we bought

our home or car or boat, but after we have

it for a while, the excitement fizzles. In the

same way, the gift God has for us isn’t

what He already has given: Matthew 6:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about

your life, what you will eat or drink; or

about your body, what you will wear. Is not

life more than food, and the body more

than clothes? Wherefore, if God so clothe

the grass of the field, which today is, and

tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not

much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Therefore take no thought, saying, What

shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or,

Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For

after all these things do the Gentiles seek)

for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye

have need of all these things.”

We are reminded to: Matthew 6:33 “But

seek first his kingdom and his

righteousness, and all these things will be

given to you as well.”

If the gift is not tangible like food and

clothes and shelter, then is it an intangible

gift? Is it something to experience, like a

trip or event? The next clue does indicate

traveling for an event. Luke 10 “When you

enter a town and are welcomed, Heal the

sick who are there and tell them, ‘The

kingdom of God has come near to you.’”

Wow! What town would you like to visit

with this ability to demonstrate the

Kingdom of God is near through healing

the sick? Could that include emotionally

sick, mentally sick, and spiritually sick?

What about the disabled, aged, impaired?

Would my power to heal be limited by use

or time or only limited by faith moving by

compassion?

Oh, but here is a caution: Matthew 6: “ But

when you pray, go into your room, close

the door and pray to your Father, who is

unseen. Then your Father, who sees what

is done in secret, will reward you.” My

how quickly I would forget the giver and

become distracted by the gift unless I keep

my gaze upon Jesus. David knew how to

keep himself focused in victory and defeat.

Feast and famine.

Psalm 103 Praise the LORD, my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy

name. 2 Praise the LORD, my soul,

and forget not all his benefits— 3 who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and

compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good

things

so that your youth is renewed like the

eagle’s.

Enough with these clues! What is the gift

that ushers in the Kingdom of God in

power? Luke 11 “Which of you fathers, if

your son asks for a fish, will give him a

snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will

give him a scorpion? If you then, though

you are evil, know how to give good gifts

to your children, how much more will your

Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to

those who ask him!”

We need wait no longer! Those in the

upper room waited until the Holy Spirit

came. Those at Azusa Street waited until

Holy Spirit came. The gift has arrived. We

open it by faith.

It is an intangible gift! You can’t see it,

only evidence of it, like the wind.

We don’t own it, instead He owns us! The

Gift plugs us into supernatural kingdom of

God purposes with the power of God.

Remember the image of a transistor radio

that needed power, reception, and tuning

into the message? We are like God’s

transistor radio. Holy Spirit is the divine

power supply. Our antenna must be

pointed heavenward to pick up the sounds

coming from heaven. And, when that

supernatural Word begins to vibrate within

us to produce the evidence then the

Kingdom is at hand. Signs and wonders

follow.

We are bringing heavenly messages to

earth, with signs and wonders, setting the

captives free from this world system under

the domination of the devil, sin and death.