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The GREATEST Gift...

LOVE

Unwrapping the gift of Life -

that though he was rich


yet for your sake he became poor,
2 Cor 8:9

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

so that you through His poverty might become rich


My T estimony,

There is so much I could tell you about, but i am going to focus on one aspect of my life. My Insecurities. Growing up in a good home, with great parents, I cant blame them. These were internal lies that I BOUGHT into all on my own. I believed myself to be the least among my friends, the ugly duckling, the incompetent one, weak one, the fearful one. My insecurities, overwhelmed me often, and I would follow the path of least resistance with my friends, which unfortunately led me down some dark alleys. I had a friend that convinced me, because I was always so afraid of things, that we should have scare tactic wars with our sisters...and she being such a good friend was going to help me be less fearful but taking me to movies to desensitize me Well that didnt work! I was always very concerned about my appearance, how I was perceived by others...and yet I could do nothing about it. I refused to be the one to rock the boat, and say that we shouldnt do something. Until I realized it was going down a dead end with certain people. It finally struck me and I determined that I would NO LONGER be subject to the whims of others. I made a very visible stand and started going back to church. I did lose All those friends, but found that my new life, was full of peace, joy and a strength, that was not based on someone else. Instead it was a very real assurance inside my heart and spirit that God loved me and valued me. That my worth was not based even on my own understanding of my abilities but on HIS abilities working through me.

Today, I am a singer/songwriter, lead worship, travel and speak at many events. I am fairly confident when I get up to speak or play, lead a conference or retreat, that it can be accomplished with a certain amount of authority. BUT NOT ALWAYS!!! Years ago - asked by worship leader to put up song transparencies, kept putting up the wrong songs, so embarrassed....stepped down...pouted, turned off machine and sat down - ineffective....because my focus was on me....today I want the focus to be on Christ, His wonder, His power, His transformation, His Authority, HiS GIFT of AMAZING LOVE!!! - Over the course of Time, a Great Exchange has taken place...Christs vantage point for mine. Christ value of me - far greater than I could have sought for myself....value of $100 always the same because, the authority says so.

Love is a VERB, and ACTION not a feeling, not an emotion. IT is a forward giving of oneself to others, regardless of reciprocation. Feelings are waves of emotional involvement resulting from and left in the wake of Love.

Philippians 2:4-8

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Gift

EXCHANGE

Everyone enjoys a gift exchange IF you walk away with something better than what you gave up! In Christ - we have been freely given all things.
You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving. ~Author Unknown God's gifts put man's best dreams to shame. ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning A hug is a great gift - one size fits all, and it's easy to exchange. ~Author Unknown The manner of giving is worth more than the gift. ~Pierre Corneille, Le Menteur The only gift is a portion of thyself. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Every

gift is from above...

Good & Perfect


from theFather of Heavenly Lights.
James 1:17

How many of you have received GREAT gifts? Gifts that YOU COULD NOT give yourself? Something so unimaginable that you have yet to get a grasp of its wonder?
When we unwrap a gift there is an anticipation, a thrill, an excitement, a wonder once unwrapped, a discovery, an investigation, an instructional period and an appropriating its usage. Making use of the gift is important to the appreciation of the gift. the value cannot be understood until utilized, tapped into, exercised. My son got an electronic gift, panel with wires and fuses, a kit that could make 48 different projects. so excited, wanted it so bad, but then sat in his closet until finally was willing to sell it cheaply at a Garage Sale, and when it didnt ended up in trash. We can behave that way with the things God wants to bestow on us, Oh we want it so bad, but arent willing to really investigate it, put our hands to it, and eventually after sitting dormant, we sell it off cheaply for what promises to be a quick exchange. Gods salvation, is from a life of defeat, despair, destruction and death, not just eternal separation from Him...but salvation from our selves, our fears, our failures, our insecurities, our inferiorities. THERE IS NO GREATER EXCHANGE POLICY AVAILABLE!

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 2 Cor 8:9

There is

No Greater Love
than to lay down one's life for one's friends.
John 15:13

Love is the determination to benet another at ones own expense!


Christ offers an exchange, our sin for HIS righteous. What would you feel like if someone walked in here with right now and offered 10 million $$- New Home, New car, New opportunity, New Future, New Hope, New Impact, New Purpose, New Beginning? Thats more than Publishers Clearing House can offer to anyone? Kurt Warners Show The Moment offers people a 2nd chance to make their dreams come true...and opportunity they could not create on their own, a moment when the vast potential of their life can be realized because the cost to accomplish it is at someone elses expense. Extreme Makeover - Ty Pennington - took individuals broken down homes, and completely tore it down, and rebuilt another one for them, all expenses paid... These Shows offer a peek at TRANSFORMATION! Transformation is miraculous, it is a metamophosis a change of DNA, not merely a conforming, but complete transformation- NEW CREATION!

Therefore, if Anyone is in Christ


the old has passed away
2 Cor 5:17

He is a New Creation
Behold, all things have become New

CHRIST HAS LAID DOWN HIS LIFE for mine! What an Exchange!
Christ offers an exchange, our sin for HIS righteous. How many would like a NEW BEGINNING, NEW LIFE - NEW FUTURE - NEW PURPOSE NEW HOPE - NEW IMPACT! I want to be a NEW CREATION - and in CHRIST I am told I will be... Transformation is miraculous, it is a metamorphosis a change of DNA, not merely a conforming, but complete transformation- NEW CREATION! Christ want YOU to willingly exchange your life for HIS! He has done the work, you have to receive the gift and start unwrapping and exercising it! no matter what has happened, no matter what was done, how we lived, who we were....He can make all things New. There is NO greater Exchange policy anywhere in the universe! What do you have to exchange with Christ today?

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