I Asked God For Christmas Gifts, He Said: No !!

By: Elias Bejjani*
What does Christmas mean to believers? Simply it means love, because Almighty God, Our Beloved Father wanted to save us, we, His children, from the slavery of the original sin. For this fundamental fatherhood reason: "He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead." (The Creed)
Yes, He wanted for us to be free and back to His heavenly mansions that He built specially for us. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him". (John 03/16-17).
God become a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ because He loves us, we, His children, and decided to save us. One might wonder why God would do all this? The answer, simply is because He is love

itself. "But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 05/08).
This year I decided to speak directly to God, as I do each day through my prayers, yet somehow in a very different way. I set down and after saying my regular prayers I started asking Him for certain and very specific gifts and favors for myself and others and at the same vividly contemplate His answers based on all that I have learned all through my 67 years of age and grasped from the Holy Bible.

I asked Almighty God to kill my pride, He said: No, I do not have to do so, you should tame it yourself because I do not have mercy on the wicked and proud. “For, behold, the day comes, it burns as a furnace; and all the proud, and all who work wickedness, will be stubble; and the day that comes will burn them up,” says Yahweh of Armies, “that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. (Malachi 04/1-2).

I asked Almighty God for a cure for a beloved person who is very sick and cannot control what he does. He said: No, his spirit is what matters and his spirit is perfect. Meanwhile, his body is inevitably mortal. "For dust you are and to dust you will return". (Genesis 3:19)
I asked Almighty God to grant me patience in a bid to maintain my faith and solidify my hope in the face of the hardships that I am encountering, He said: No, patience comes from tribulations. Patience is not granted but earned. You have to challenge your instincts and defeat them, especially those of hatred, grudges, envy and selfishness.
I asked Almighty God if the greater love is loving ourselves as the psychologists and therapists teach these days? . He said No, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (John 15/13)

I asked Almighty God to grant me happiness, He said: No, I shall shower you with blessings and graces if you ask and long for them, while happiness is to be made by you and not by any body else.

I asked Almighty God to spare me pain, He said: No, pain keeps you away from earthly concerns and brings you closer to me.
I asked Almighty God to make my soul grow and thrive. He said: No, your soul's growth and prosperity is your own responsibility, but I will pull you towards Me so you might abundantly bear fruits.
I asked Almighty God to make me rich and powerful and at the same time solidify my faith. He said: No, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money". (Matthew 6:24).
I asked Almighty God to help me lay earthly treasures. He said No, “Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 06/19-22)
I asked Almighty God to help me take acts of revenge against those who harmed me badly and inflicted pain, misery and ineradicable hardships on me. He said: No, "Do not take revenge, but leave room for My wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," (Romans 12:19)
I asked Almighty God to allow me hate those who hate me. He said: No," Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. (Luke 6:28).
I asked Almighty God to spare me from temptation. He said: No, "Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and He Himself tempts no one. But each one is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death. (James 01/13-15)
I asked Almighty God if He forgives those who are evil and cause others to stumble. He said: No, "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him that a huge millstone should be hung around his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depths of the sea." (Matthew 18/06)

I asked Almighty God to love me, He said: Yes I do, I have sacrificed My only begotten son so you can live forever, if you believe in Me.

By the end, I found that all these above answers came from within me, from my conscience, which is in fact the sound of God Himself.

Thanks to God for keeping my conscience alive, sensitive, and full with fear of You all the time. Thank You for loving me and enlightening my life modesty, love, faith and hope. Thank you for all the generous graces that You shower continuously on me, on my family, on my country and on all the people and countries. Thank You for the gift of life.

Merry Christmas.
Elias Bejjani
*Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political commentator
*Email phoenicia@hotmail.com
*Web sites http://www.10452lccc.com & http://www.clhrf.com
*Mailing phoenicia group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Phoenicia/
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