A Gift That Means Something

Kevin Simington

Have you considered giving a Christmas gift that actually means something this year? After all, Christmas is meant to be a celebration of the birth of our Saviour. Have you considered giving your friends and relatives a gift that points them to Christ? I realise that doing so involves stepping outside of your comfort zone, and probably theirs as well, but aren’t we called to be His witnesses? Aren’t we called to put God’s Kingdom first and to do all we can to point people to the Saviour? That is, after all, our primary purpose; our mission on earth. And what more appropriate time than Christmas? The season actually invites us to share the message of the Saviour.

How many years have you given those friends and relatives socks and undies, tee shirts and shorts, books on their favourite hobbies, itunes or movie vouchers, or gadets and gidgets? How many years have you returned home from your family Christmas gathering without having made any significant Christian contribution, either through what you’ve said or what you’ve given?

I’m not trying to make you feel guilty. But I want to make you aware of what an incredible opportunity the Christmas season presents us with. It’s the one time in the year when no one can accuse us of being overly-religious for acknowledging the greatest gift of all; God’s Saviour, given to mankind.

But how can we do this sensitively, without getting all “preachy”? Can I suggest giving a book that points people to Christ in some way?  You could include some socks and undies with it as well!  Giving a Christ-focused book allows you to follow it up with a few comments about why you have given it.

You may be aware that, about 6 months ago, I published a book that is aimed directly at those who are not yet Christians (but which is also very helpful for Christians as well). It is called “Finding God When He Seems To Be Hiding.”

The book answers the 12 most common questions and objections raised against Christianity by seekers and sceptics:

1. There is no clear evidence for God’s existence.
2. If God exists, why isn’t He more obvious?
3. How can an all-powerful, loving God exist when there is so much suffering and evil in the world?
4. Jesus is a myth and His resurrection is a complete fabrication.
5. The Bible is historically unreliable, and full of embellishments and fabrications.
6. Hypocrisy and sexual abuse has turned me off Christianity for good!
7. Religion promotes hatred, bigotry and violence, and your God has ordained a lot of killing in the Bible!
8. Hasn’t science and evolution disproved the existence of God?
9. How can a loving God torture people for eternity in Hell?
10. If we are incapable of not sinning (as the Bible says) why does God still punish us for something we can’t help?
11. If sin will no longer be possible in Heaven, yet people will still have free wills, why didn’t God create a world like this in the first place?
12. What kind of narcissistic God creates us and demands that we love Him, then tortures those who refuse? What sort of insecurity must God have, that He cannot tolerate people not loving Him?

The chances are that every non-Christian family member at your Christmas gathering this year has asked some of these questions and used some of these objections as a reason for not believing. My book is written with those people in mind. It provides detailed, intelligent answers to these questions. It is chock-full of substantiated facts and quotes from scientists and historians that provide overwhelming evidence for the existence of God and the truth of the Gospel.

So why not step out in faith and give them a gift that counts? Why not give them something that actually addresses the very issues that are keeping them from believing? The Christmas season invites us to do this!

If you have a moral objection to me “flogging” my book like this, then buy someone else’s book! Timothy Keller, William Lane Craig and Josh McDowell all have decent books aimed at answering people’s questions (although the reason I wrote my book is that my publisher and I couldn’t find any other book that deals with all 12 of these objections in a single volume). Timothy Keller’s, “The Reason For God” is probably the best of them, although some people may find it a little intimidating because of its length. But however you go about it, don’t let this Christmas season pass without taking the opportunity to give a gift that means something!

My book, “Finding God When He Seems To Be Hiding” is available from all major book sellers and online outlets, but the best and cheapest place to purchase it is from my website, where you can pay securely using PayPal, credit card or direct deposit. You can click on the link below and your book(s) will be delivered within 3 working days:

Smartfaith.net

Recently, someone purchased 10 copies to give as gifts to friends and relatives, after reading the book for herself, and another person purchased 6 copies for the same reason.  A review of the book on Koorong’s website states:

“This book does what it claims – provides intelligent answers to profound questions. In fact, it is the best book on apologetics I have ever read. It offers sound, rational, evidence-based answers to the common questions and objections raised by sceptics and seekers. It deals with the problem of suffering, science and evolution, abuse in the church, the historicity of Jesus, the reliability of the Bible, religious violence, God-ordained killing in the Old Testament, and other issues that are stumbling blocks for many non-Christians. Kevin Simington manages to deal with these topics with great clarity and insight, while addressing the reader in a warm, personal manner. It is an excellent book to give to people who are asking questions about Christianity. I have already given several to friends and relatives. The inclusion of Reflection Questions at the end of each chapter also makes it an excellent book for Bible Study groups to study. Our group is currently using it and we are finding it inspiring and faith-building.”

This Christmas, give a gift that means something.