"The Father's Gift"

All For One

When God sent His only Son into the world, little did people know how much the world would rebel and reject this gift of love. You see, God sent His Son into the world to reach out to mankind and spread the news of peace on earth and good will to men. We even sing about it today in our Christmas carols thousands of years later! How have generations managed to keep the memory of this day in history alive? It was a day that had been prophesied and a day that changed the way that man lived his life. People would be able to join together in union for the first time at Christmas and throughout the year in love and adoration for our Lord.

The story goes that there was a young woman who had been living her life as she pleased and this had taken her far away from her father who had loved her so much. As she was growing up he had devoted so much time into her life as a child. He put her into the best school he could find; read to her each evening; took her to the parks on Sunday mornings and had picnics and even told her how much she meant to him every time he had the chance.

One day though, the young woman had decided that she was old enough to make her own decisions and she began to make new friends. These friends taught her to satisfy her flesh and to go for whatever she wanted, whether it was good or bad. She pushed her father away and even cursed him to his face. This hurt the father so much that he felt as though his heart might even burst at times because he loved her so. Although there were others who needed his love, he still would have given his very own life to save the child that had gone astray.

The father continued to pray for her and over the years began to see things change in her life. The decisions she had been making were beginning to add up and the penalties were becoming more than she could bare. It was just a few weeks before Christmas and the father had been without work for some time when the young woman came to him for help. She asked him if he could help her because she had a fine to pay the courts or they might send her to jail and she would be separated from her children all the way through Christmas and longer. After she told him what she had done, the father told her that he had only one way to help her. He told her that the only money that he had for Christmas was going to come from the sale of a small shelter, if he could find a buyer. If God provided a buyer, he could help her pay her fine, but it would take everything he had for Christmas. It was the only way he could afford Christmas presents that year!

She didn't reply with anything except to say, "I don't have anywhere else to turn but to you Father." As the father looked into her eyes, he saw the little girl that he had always loved and he saw the young woman who had gone astray that needed mercy, grace and love. The young woman was ready to receive her father's love now.

Her father sold the shelter to someone who would use it to shelter horses on a farm and took all of the money he had for Christmas that year and went downtown to pay her fine. That was a Christmas to remember as two young children spent it with their mother, the mother gained her freedom by her father's sacrifice and the father's love was renewed as he gave all he had to save one of his children from the bondage and penalty of her crime.

The daughter believed that her father loved her enough that he would accept her back into his life, no matter what she had done. He not only took her back into his life, but he also loved her enough to give her all that he had to give that Christmas! The fact is that he would have done this for any of his children.

The Lord Jesus was our gift from God, given to pay the penalty and free us. We did not deserve to be called a child of God, even if we were adopted children! Man was guilty of making decisions to do wrong to one another and for fulfilling the desires of our body and our selfish imaginations. It is in the fulfillment of our flesh that we find ourselves undeserving of God's grace and mercy; yet God's will was that we be forgiven. By His gift to the whole world, of His only Son, God gave you freedom. It was all for you. It was all for me.

When Jesus gave up His life at the cross, God gave up His Son for you, ALL for ONE and His ONE for ALL!

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The penalty has been paid! Accept God's mercy and believe in His Son, Jesus, and you too will be free!

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.


If you have already received this FREEDOM in Christ, share this message with someone else. It's possible that they are living under the stress of one day being separated from family as the young woman was in the story and most importantly separated from God their Father, who loved them enough to send His only Son to Bethlehem on the very first Christmas.

Maybe they too will receive His payment and receive the freedom to live as a member of the family of God this coming Christmas. Your Father is waiting my friend! Don't wait, come home today!

John 3:17-18
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.


You may use or reproduce the messages written by Rob Bailes with permission, either by email or verbal. These messages are not allowed to be sold or used for advertisement purposes. Contact Rob Bailes by email at: robbailesministries@yahoo.com or call (919)745-1210