–Romans 6:23  (NKJV)
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               “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”  –2 Corinthians 9:15 (NKJV)

How often do we put into words the gift of God of His Son, Jesus?  At Christmas we have a wonderful opportunity to begin to express our thanksgiving.  We can’t fully describe His Gift, and the ESV translates it, “inexpressible”.  It is too marvelous for our comprehension; it is too magnificent for our soul to express our feelings.  We can quote the verse, “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, NKJV).  Look closely and ponder.  Let your heart’s-mind dwell on the giving of the Father; a heavenly Father who did not spare His only Son for the redemption of mankind.
     We give gifts.  We like to give and we like to get, don’t get too pious.  However, most of the gifts we give are material, and really there’s nothing wrong with that as long and it is not manipulative and the motive is right.  The gifts we give tarnish, or tear apart, or break, and even traditions fade away, but the Gift of the Father is eternal.  God, in His goodness and mercy, reached down to give mankind an eternal, personal gift.  A special gift for everyone who has ever taken a breath on this earth.  It is not a gift that can be purchased; it is not a gift that can be won as a door prize.  It is priceless and eternal and it has purchased your eternal soul if you but reach out and take it.
     Look at the last two words:  “indescribable gift.”  How can the birth of Jesus be described?  Put all the prophecies together, then add the situation and circumstances of the time of His birth and describe how it could happen.  It cannot!  Indescribable means that it cannot be fully expounded upon; that is cannot be compared to anything; that it cannot be completely explained, and there is no ending to this Gift. (Whitmire)

               “The half cannot be fancied, this side the golden shore;
               O there He’ll be still sweeter than He ever was before.”
                         –W.C. Martin

We cannot begin to even know even the half of this Gift; we cannot come to know even half of the Father’s love that He has for us.  We accept His grace by faith.
     You want to have a wonderful Christmas?  Then receive the wonderful Gift of the heavenly Father.  If you already have then begin to praise Him for that Gift.  When you receive Jesus, this Gift, you are actually praising God by receiving.  It is not until we receive that we can begin, and I say only begin to understand God’s Gift.  We must love Christ before we can begin to enjoy Christ.  “Christ gives us the right perspective, the right estimate, the right measure of a human being.” (George W. Truett)
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(Note:  I have been blessed with a wonderful Sunday School teacher–Troy Whitmire.  I want to give him credit for stirring the thinking pot of my mind.  Several ideas came from his lesson last Sunday.)

                    –Luke 21:26-27 (NKJV)
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This is a very solemn set of scriptures.  Every person, in their heart of hearts, knows there is a God.  Atheists, ha–fools!  These verses indicate that to some extent God gives people what they want.  They can choose to ignore and reject Him and the result is disaster.  Matthew Henry calls it, “the doom of those that continue obstinate against all these means and methods of grace.”  

       1.24 — Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
       1.25 — Because you disdained all my counsel, and would have none of my rebuke,
       1.26 — I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes,
       1.27 — When your terror comes like a storm, and your destruction comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.
       1.28 — Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
       1.29 — Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD,
       1.30 — They would have none of my counsel and despised my every rebuke.
       1.31 — Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled to the full with their own fancies.  (NKJV)

     There is the promise of life.  God has offered His Son as a gift to mankind to redeem them, but…  Oh, that men would not reject this Gift.  Man should never find himself in the position where he rejects God.  Paul writes, “Do not be haughty, but fear.” (Romans 11:20, NKJV)  The KJV version puts it this way, “be not high-minded.”  Do not think of yourself above God.  In other words, do not reject His offer.  “Because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but they became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Professing to be wise, they became fools…” (Romans 1:21-22, NKJV)  Matthew Henry states, “Those who do not choose the fear of the Lord, show that they have no knowledge.”
     Imagine God laughing at someone’s folly.  “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31, NKJV).  Oh reader, do not invoke the laughter of God.  For “if God laugh, thou hast good cause to cry” (John Trapp).  Choose the right way, walk with God while there is time.  Those who walk the path that Satan and the world offer are stepping on precarious ground and are deprived of the security of the promises of God (Charles Bridges).  Time is short, today is the day of salvation.
     Remember the parable of the wedding feast told by Jesus.  The dinner was ready, but…”They made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business…  The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.”  (Matthew 22:5,8, NKJV)   God is stretching out His hand, who will accept His invitation?  Luke tells us that when the guests are told that things are ready, they all began to make excuses.  The Master after giving instructions declares, “For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste of my supper.” (Luke 14:24, NKJV)   Andrew Fausset writes, “Men are free in choosing destruction, so the blame rests wholly on themselves.”  “Their miserable end is the fruit–not of God’s way, but of their own.  His plan, His device for them, was a plan of salvation.” (Ralph Wardlaw)
     The time is at hand for the return of the Lord for those who look for Him.  The trumpet will soon sound, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb is on the distant horizon.  Those who are ready are looking up.  Others say they are too busy, others may say there is no God and scoffs.  However, as Warren Wiersbe says, “Wisdom sees a storm of judgment coming that will bring distress and anguish to all who reject God’s invitation.”  
     “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth!” (Isaiah 1:2, NKJV)  Do not cause the Lord to laugh, to mock you when you are left behind.  “Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.” (Isaiah 55:6, NKJV)  “Men’s own desires fulfilled are made their sorest plagues” (Fausset).

                    –D.C. Adkisson  (Mal de Ojo)

       “Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”

                    –Psalm 34:14 (NKJV)
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               “For it is an evil time.”

Hear the word of the Lord, in this case the Prophet Amos.  He speaks at the gate–the location of the city court, where justice was to be upheld.  H.A. Ironside gives a good indication at what took place.
               “It is a most common thing to find those walking carelessly, or sinfully, filled with indignation against any who faithfully rebuke their unholy ways.  Easy-going,   man-pleasing preachers and teachers are delighted in, but faithful, God-fearing men are abhorred and despised.  But he who would stand for God must expect the  opposition and evil-speaking of the unspiritual and worldly-minded.  Knowing that he would be hated for rebuking in the gate, Amos nevertheless proclaims his  solemn message without excuse or hesitation.”
You’ve experienced it, you know it to be true.  The faithful person condemns those who practice unrighteousness by their very lifestyle.

          5.10 — They hate the one who rebukes in the gate, and they abhor the one who speaks uprightly.
          5.11 — Therefore, because you tread down the poor and take grain taxes from him, though you have built houses of hewn stone, yet you shall not dwell in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink wine from them.
          5.12 — For I know your manifest transgressions and your mighty sins:  afflicting the just and taking bribes; diverting the poor from justice at the gate.
          5.13 — Therefore the prudent keep silent at that time, for it is an evil time.   (NKJV)

     People hate the truth but will practice their evil ways in abandon.  Amos prophesies that they will not live long enough to enjoy their evil and selfish gain.  Warren Wiersbe says that they are, “Fattening their hearts for the day of slaughter.”  We see James giving out the same warning (James 5:1-6) and we are reminded of the word of God to Moses, “…you shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it; you shall plant a vineyard, but shall not gather its grapes.” (Deuteronomy 28:30, NKJV)  God is reminding and warning the people through the prophet.  “Wait a minute, just look at how blessed we are.  God must be pleased with us,” so think the people, but oh no–proof of God being with us is not extravagance and blessing, but doing His will.  “Religion without righteousness and justice in the land is hypocrisy.” (Wiersbe)  
     This is a dangerous time.  The prophet is warning the people of coming judgment.  Perhaps we should heed his words as well.  Is there injustice in the courts, are the people being exploited, are they being man-handled and put down?  Hmm, when the hour comes it would do us good to think on the words of Albert Garner, “the spiritually wise person will keep silent, have discipline and self-control, when that hour of just judgment falls upon the nation.”  Now is the time to act, the time to speak out, not when the hand of God strikes.

          5.14 — Seek good and not evil, that you may live; so the LORD God of hosts will be with you, as you have spoken.
          5.15 — Hate evil, love good; establish justice in the gate.  It may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.  (NKJV)
 
     There may be hope.  But are the people too far gone?  Will they even consider the words of Amos?  The people of God seem to not want to have anything to do with God and seek to escape Him.  Remember, this is a funeral oration that Amos is giving.  Note that there is little encouragement.  There is nothing good to be said, but he speaks only of the negative and the unrighteous actions and attitudes of the people.  Their lifestyle will bring about the nation’s death. (Ogilvie)  However, there is some hope and remnant is spoken of.
     The people are told of the danger.  Paul writes in Romans, “Let love be without hypocrisy.  Abhor what is evil.  Cling to what is good.” (12:9, NKJV)  We read in Psalm 97:10, “You who love the LORD, hate evil!” (NKJV)  Verse 15, tells us the solution and the possible hope:  1) hate evil; 2) love good; 3) establish justice in the gate.  Guard against those who pronounce evil as good and good as evil for this is a sure way to bring judgment.  “We must love good principles, and adhere to them, love to do good, and abound in it; love good people, and good converse, and good duties; and, whatever good we do, we must do it from a principle of love; do it of choice and with delight.” (Matthew Henry)