Trey’s Christmas Message For You
In terms of a gift, might it actually be better to receive than to give? I’ll give you my answer in less than eight minutes if you read on.....and as your fishing rod supplier, you might also learn a lot about who I am as a person.
Every year around Christmas I have a burden to share with my customers what is on my heart, from a spiritual perspective. As a Christian, I am instructed in the great commission, by Jesus my Lord, in the Holy Bible from Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.....teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you....” also Jesus spoke in Luke 9:26 “Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him...” and again in Matthew 10:33 “But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before my Father in heaven.”
At the very least, God has put me in a position so that someone might read and benefit from this message. I don’t always obey but this year, I want to honor God's command so that others may too grasp a deeper understanding of the real reason for the season.
Let’s start with this...
What is all the fuss about surrounding this baby’s birthday over 2,000 years ago? Why does the majority of the world’s population still recognize and celebrate this holiday? Kind of amazing after so many years, huh? Must be a good reason for it if you ask me.
Many of us have our own reasons for celebrating, some just do it out of tradition and others interpret the writings from the holy bible differently or some don’t even celebrate at all. My family and I enjoy all the presents, lights, Santa, food and wine, gatherings, candlelight church service and other fun things throughout December.
For me personally, I love to see my kids’ and grandkids’ smiling faces as they wake up to unwrap packages on Christmas morning. Deep down in my soul, when the festivities are done, all this does not compare to the peace and joy I feel when I contemplate the greatest gift ever given to me even while I was unlovable and undeserving.
Over 700 years before Christ was born, a prophet of the Lord, named Isaiah, spoke to His people in Israel and Jerusalem. These rebellious people were being scattered, enslaved, overtaken and were downright detestable to God as they worshipped other idols and gods. After all the woes, Isaiah gave them a glimpse of the beautiful gift of hope coming for all.
Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 7:14 The Lord God spoke to his people of Judah, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel.” which means, ‘God is with us’
700 years later just as it was prophesied about, The gift of hope was born.
Luke 2:10
And the angel said to shepherds out in the field; “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For unto you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: You will find the baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
So it is true a baby was born of the virgin Mary who God sent to give us all a hope of an everlasting life with Him in heaven after death. We have all heard of the Bible verse John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only son so that whoever believes in him shall have eternal life”.
There’s so much more to the story of Jesus that I have learned over the past 30 years while attending a good bible believing church and studying on my own or with other men. There is one thing I know and believe without a doubt, deep down in my heart. I have chosen to receive the gift of salvation by trusting in God’s son Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross which paid the penalty for my sins.
Romans 5:8 “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”
Because of the love Jesus showed me over 2,000 years ago, this love makes me want to love others as much as humanly possible. The receiving of His gift prompts me to give unto others however I am able. This is why I believe it is much better to receive God's gift first, then I can begin to give gifts to others with a joyful heart of gratitude.
My life is not a bowl of cherries just because I get to do what I love while fishing, designing and testing rods for a living. I believe I am much like most men out there just trying to do my best in this world while falling on my face all too often. I hate my daily sins, I wish it were easier to get along better with the other political party. Also, probably like you, I have had hard times in life, many regrets and skeletons in the closet. To name a few heartaches, my dad has disowned me and my kids. My first granddaughter was born with a birth defect and later passed away at the age of 6 months. I almost gave up on life while dealing with my mysterious illness. I have personal problems, struggles, and failures like every other man. God forgives and Jesus made the way for us to to have a life beyond our problems. All these heartaches would not have been manageable without my faith in Jesus, which has got me through them all. I trust God works everything together for good in my life even when I don’t enjoy it.
I do love my life and how God has blessed my family and my marriage as our faith in Him has remained steady through it all. Even as our business grows steadily after 21 years, no amount of money that comes from more fishing rod sales is going to make me need God less nor will it bring me more happiness. Only by accepting the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ will I ever know the real meaning and feeling of joy, peace, and happiness here on earth. Now, I can share the gift of hope with my family, friends, employees, and customers which creates a circle of giving.
I encourage you to test my theory out over the next year and beyond. Pray and ask God to show you what you want to know and learn. FYI, it’s a relationship, not a religion you want. I promise you from one angler to another, Fishing has Never Felt So Good since I invited Jesus into my lifeboat as my fishing guide. Give it a try, allow God to show you His truths every day. What do you have to lose that you can’t replace, besides time and your soul? My new favorite bible to read is the CSB Day by Day Chronological Bible by Holman. I highly recommend it to everyone if you want a more clear understanding of the entire history of God’s word in the order that it happened. The CSB translation which stands for Christian Standard Bible is easy to read and is respected among scholars as authoritative.
Merry Christmas from my family, our employees, and our pro-staff team. We appreciate your loyal business more than you know and hope to hear your story too. We wish you success both on and off the water as we all share in the precious gift of hope this Christmas season.
Your fellow fisherman and a Fisher of Men,
Trey Kistler
