The following is a message written by Bishop Jack C. Decker, Former State Overseer and printed in the White Wing Messenger on December 17, 1977. As a side note, Bishop Decker went on to be the with Lord after keeping the faith on September 21, 1977.
There lay the Greatest Gift. No man had ever given to anyone a greater gift than this. Kings of great nations had given gifts equal to half their kingdoms; multi-millionaires had given very expensive and luxurious gifts, such as beautiful homes, yachts, autos, and precious jewels, but lying in a little manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lay the greatest Gift ever given to human beings.
The Gift was delivered to earth in a very unusual way. It was accompanied by one of God’s chosen angels and a large host of heavenly beings. The angel had a very important message to deliver concerning the Gift, and after he gave the message, then the heavenly host seemed to give the announcement emphasis by saying in the tongues of their distinguished audience, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14).
The humble but elated shepherds stood around the manger looking at a little helpless Babe with mixed feelings and puzzled thoughts, wondering, “Is this really the Saviour of whom the angel spoke when he said, ‘…unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord’?” (Luke 2:11).
We, too, sometimes seem to have mixed feelings and puzzled thoughts about this Gift, but we have today the same reassurance that God gave to Peter when He said, “This is my beloved Son, hear ye him.”
Here in the manger lay the lovely Gift sent to earth directly by God. God had given to mankind His only begotten Son, Here He lay, wrapped in swaddling clothes—the WORD OF GOD. He had taken on the form of man. He was now a living, breathing, feeling human being. That manger had lying within its frail bars of wood the Power that had created the trees from which the manger was built and the ground upon which it stood. The oxen and other living creatures that happened to be there had been created by the living Word of God which had taken on the form of a human being.
Mankind had departed so far from his God, and was so evil and wicked, that God was willing to offer for him a Redeemer—a Saviour—a Way to escape His wrath; and here He lay—this Babe in the manger. The shepherds were given the message that here in this manger was joy to the world and on earth peace, good will toward men. How could this joy, peace, and good will come about?
Friend, are we, too, as puzzled concerning this message as the shepherds probably were? If so, maybe we can find our answer in the Lord’s message to Nicodemus: “…Except a man be born of water [natural birth] and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” (John 3:5, 7).
This wonderful Gift is received by an act of faith. First, we must realize that we are transgressors of the laws of God; we must become sorry, confess, and repent of our sins. When we ask Him to forgive us, He is glad to do so because this is why He gave His Son. All we need to do is believe. When we do this, we will be born again and will have accepted that most Holy Gift into our lives and will become new creatures in Christ Jesus.
From this time on, if we will only obey God, and walk in all the light of His Word, we will be perfected and be like Him. Then we will become a living part of the great Gift to the world and the message given to the shepherds, “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10, 11).
That great Gift has been transferred from one generation to another until this day. By becoming a true son of God, you, too, can give the BEST GIFT.