Always the Same

I had two wonderful grandmothers. They were different in a lot of ways but both loved their grandchildren dearly. I miss them both very much. One of the things I miss about my grandmother on my mom’s side – Granny Rowland – was the way she signed off on cards and letters. She always signed off with “Always the Same.” And always the same she was. You could count on her to be consistent.

She had a great sense of humor, although a little cruel. One of the things she found the funniest was watching people trip and fall. That was always incredibly funny to her . . . except of course when she was the one tripping and falling. Then it was serious business. She loved the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, she loved New Year’s Eve with Guy Lomardo. She always was, and is to this day, my favorite fishing partner. Oh, the times we had waiting for a cork to be pulled under by a whopper. And oh, the whoppers that got away . . . from both of us. One of the things she always tried to do was sneak us money. She had very little of it herself, but she wanted to give it to us. Since we would always give it back, she found ways to hide it in suitcases, or sacks, or toys. She sometimes would even toss it in a rolled down window as we backed out of the driveway. She was indeed always the same.

I no longer get to ring in the New Year with Guy or Granny anymore. But I have another who tells me He is always the same – my heavenly Father. Two theological terms are needed to understand this trait in God – immutability and faithfulness. Immutability refers to the truth that God never changes, He is never moves. Faithfulness refers to the truth that God is dependable, trustworthy. You can count on God to always do what is good and right. He will always be there and always be right. His immutability and His faithfulness assure us that He will continue to deal with us with kindness, mercy, fairness, and justice. He said this of Himself in Malachi 3:6:

I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendant of Jacob are not already completely destroyed.

And Jeremiah in Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us:

The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! By His mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin fresh every day.

As I get ready to ring in 2007 and look back on 2006, I can remember disappointments, challenges, trials, hurts. But through it all my Faithful Father has always been the same - He has always been there for me to bring me through it. And in the process of bringing me THROUGH my circumstances, He has brought me closer TO Himself. I have had times this year when I didn’t know what to do, but God always came through for me. Maybe it was a needed word of encouragement, or a special provision, a healing, a help, whatever; He was always the same.

Time took its toll on Granny Rowland. Try as she did she could not always be the same. She couldn’t always go fishing; she couldn’t always go for a drive with me; she couldn’t always sneak me money. But my heavenly Father will never weary, tire, or age with time. He lives above time, He is not subject to it. I will indeed always know His presence, His provision, His power. Just as He has brought me through so much in 2006, I am sure He has quite the plans for us in 2007. More of His mercy, more of His grace, more of Him who is always the same.

Peace, love, and Christ!

What a week this has been! And THAT is an understatement. Last Saturday (the 16^th) we were supposed to have company over for dinner, but Andrea developed a severe cold and a bit of nausea. We thought maybe she was coming down with the flu. By Sunday afternoon she was some better.

Monday night/Tuesday a.m. we spent 4 hours at the ER with Bekah. The verdict was ear infection. After 6 days of twice a day dosages of Amoxicillin, it is still a huge battle to get her to take her medication. Kinda like giving a cat a bath.

Then Tuesday a.m., when I left to go bet Bekah’s prescription filled, I left Andrea lying in the floor, nauseated again and having severe breathing difficulty. So, Tuesday night/Wednesday a.m. we spent 3 hours in the ER with Andrea. The verdict was pneumonia. Of course she is a lot nicer about taking her meds, but then hers is easier, a pill once a day for five days. She finished Sunday. But the antibiotic upset her stomach, and she has been nauseated and eaten very little all week.

So I have played the roles of daddy, sweetie, hubby, darling, nurse, caregiver this week – the week before Christmas. I didn’t go into the office Tuesday or Wednesday, and then Thursday morning I got the message that my secretary also had pneumonia. But through all of this I have learned yet again something new about our Christmas meditation verse for this week:

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 – New Living Translation)

Prince of Peace. I have learned that PEACE is not a product of my circumstances, but it is a GIFT from Jesus Himself often in spite of my circumstances. Jesus came to bring us peace. That was the announcement of the angels to the shepherd: “peace on earth, goodwill to men.” That was the declaration of Jesus: “My peace I leave you, not the peace that the world gives, but my peace.”

Friday I went out to finish our Christmas shopping. Peace was not the word of the day at the Tanger Outlet Mall. Trust me. Granted, most people were nice and polite, but stress was in the air that day. Lots of us had a long way to go and a short time to get there. Shoppers were franticly searching for the perfect gift . . . well actually some of them by Friday had abandoned all hope of the perfect gift and were just desperately seeking any gift that would do. But peace did not abound.

The week was full of exhausting care for my sick darlings, lack of sleep, and general weariness. But somehow through it all, I found peace. I think I know why. I “accidentally” obeyed an Old Testament promise found in Isaiah 26:3, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, whose thoughts are fixed on You.” I kept my attention focused on Jesus, the reason for this season. I did it not because I am such a smart guy – I am not. I did it not because I am super-spiritual – I am certainly not. I simply had no where else to turn. And he GAVE me peace for Christmas – peace in spite of my circumstances.

You see, this week threatened to cap off what has been a very stressful and demanding year for me. But God has taught me through it all, that if I trust Him, if I keep my focus on Him, He will give me peace and bring me through my trials.

The same is true for you. If you are tired, stressed, worried, fearful – whatever may be robbing you of the peace of Christ; turn your attention to HIM. That baby born in the barn came to set you at peace with God, with others, with yourself, and even with your circumstances. Live one day at a time with Him as your focus. Look for ways to please Him, look for what He may be teaching you. Talk to Him, let Him talk to you. He WILL keep you in PERFECT peace because He and He alone is the PRINCE of PEACE.

Merry Christmas. Y’all.

Peace, love, and Christ. (sorry Gap)

Merry Christmas

My Dad Is An Old Man

To me he has always been old. In actuality, when I was born, my dad was 28 and soon thereafter turned 29. But, nonetheless, to me he has always seemed old. As far back as I can remember, my dad’s hair – which now looks like Mt Rainier in the winter – has always been smattered about with at least a fair amount of white. Either that or he painted a lot when I was a kid. I think it is the former. But anyway, as I said, to me he has always been old.

The scary part about all of that is that when Bekah was born I was 37 and soon after turned 38. If my dad was nine years younger when I was born, what in the world will Rebekah think about me? It is a wonder that she doesn’t call me Gramps instead of Daddy. When my dad was the age I am now, I was 15. Boy I REALLY thought he was old at that time. Now, 42 ain’t so old! But I have made Andrea promise me when Bekah graduates from High School, that she will come by and check me out of the home so I can attend, and that she will sit next to me and explain to me what is going on, since surely I will be too old to hear it, much less understand it. Me and my dad BOTH are old men.

But the one thing about my dad that has always been true is that NO MATTER WHAT he never wanted us to worry about stuff. He hid his own health issues so we wouldn’t worry. He always managed to find a way to pay for all the stuff we “needed” even when our definition of need didn’t agree with his. We never had to worry about doing without the basic necessities of life.

In our Christmas meditation passage we read about Jesus that:

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 – New Living Translation)

Everlasting Father. If when we read that all we see is a reference to the oneness of Jesus with the Heavenly Father, if all we understand it to be is another Biblical reference supporting Trinitarianism, then we have missed a very important point. It is that, but so much more. These four titles are representative characteristics of the Messiah. He is no more a literal father begetting children than He is a counselor with a couch and notebook, or a soldier with a weapon. By calling him Father, Isaiah was reminding us that our Messiah, Jesus Christ, is our ultimate PROVIDER, for that is what Fathers do for their children. He is not a sire who donates the necessary genetic matter for a child to be conceived. No, there are many men who have donated sperm and impregnated a woman, but failed to BE a father. Jesus is a father in the real sense of the word – He provides!

My dad was – and still is, even though I am an old man myself – a provider in the greatest sense of the word. Being the master mathematician that he was, somehow everything always “worked out.” He provided materially, emotionally, spiritually . . . everyway possible. But one day, he will no longer be able to provide. He will not be here. But Jesus is the ETERNAL Father. The word “eternal” is actually a preposition in Hebrew meaning “until.” Until when? Until it is no longer needed. Jesus IS the provider of all we need in every facet of life. He is the source of all that is good and beneficial and He withholds nothing from us that is good for us.

Christmas is a time when we focus a lot of our attention on “things” – things we will get, things we will give. Christmas is a time when depression grips many people because sometimes we focus to much on what we do not have . . . the family members we miss, the inability to buy things for those we love, or whatever we may feel we lack. But the good news is that the baby in the barn has grown to be your perfect provider. Ask Him to fill your needs and trust that, if you are in fact His child, He will do just that for you. He will give you just what you need at just the right time. You can depend on Him.

In fact, let me suggest a really good exercise to try when you begin to get down about what you don’t have – count your blessings. Rather than focusing on what you do NOT have, focus on what you DO have. Think about ways you have been blessed. Replace those negative thoughts with positive ones. If I may quote a hymn writer: “it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”

Spiderman, Spiderman, does whatever a spider can.
Spins a web any size. Catches thieves just like flies.
Look-out! Here comes the Spiderman.

So goes the theme song for my favorite superhero when I was a kid. Every afternoon at 4:00 on TBS, I could catch the latest adventures of Peter Parker and his alter-ego, Spiderman. Story goes that when Peter was in college, studying chemistry, he was bitten by a radioactive spider in the science lab and as a result developed spider-like characteristics while remaining human. I wanted to be able to make a web and swing from buildings. I wanted to be able to climb walls. And most of all, I wanted “Spider-sense” – that innately arachnid ability to sense when danger was looming. Imagine the punishments I could have avoided had I been able to “sense” what was going on around me.

There were other superheroes, that I liked, though none as much as I like Spiderman. There was Superman – faster than a speeding bullet, stronger than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. There was Batman – that dark creature who was the alter-ego of millionaire Bruce Wayne. I think most of all I absolutely loved the gadgetry that Batman got to play with. WOW! My favorite of the Japanese imports was Ultraman. Ultraman was just an average member of a Japanese crime fighting force, who with the help of some kind of mysterious wand could morph into Ultraman – a very large yet agile Robotlike creature. And Ultraman only had a limited amount of time before he changed back into his average human self, and that was always the tension in the story. Would he get the job done before changing back into his normal self?

There were some common characteristics about all superheroes:

1. They all had exceptional, superhuman powers.
2. They always used their powers for good and never for evil.
3. They always arrived on the scene just in the nick of time to save the day.
4. They always won.

As I grew older, Spiderman gave way to a different superhero. His name is Jesus. In these Christmas blogs, we are looking at the most famous Old Testament prophecy about the coming Messiah:

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 – New Living Translation)

Mighty God. The word translated “mighty” is the Hebrew gabor. The word refers to warriors who have distinguished themselves in battle due to almost superhuman accomplishments. It does us well to remember we have a Warrior God doing battle for us, One who had distinguished Himself on the spiritual battlefield by not only defeating our biggest enemy – death, but removing any sting death can have on us by providing forgiveness for our sin, the very infraction (or in my case, multiple infrations) that brings the death sentence. The New Testament gives us the picture of a crucified, risen Savior, back on the throne in Heaven being our Advocate. What a superhero. He definitely has superhuman power. All power belongs to Him. No one has any power to do anything unless it is granted from Jesus. He always uses His power for good and NEVER for evil. He is absolutely 100% holy. His timing is impeccably perfect. He gives us what we need at the exact moment we need it – not a moment early, not a nanosecond tardy. And of course, He has a perfect record, never has He, nor ever will He lose. He is the WINNER. Phil Cross so eloquently refers to Him as “the all-time, undefeated, undisputed Champion of Love.”

Jesus Christ is your Mighty God – your Warrior God. What battles do you face? Health, emotions, relationships, financial, past mistakes, besetting sin? You have an undefeated Champion at the ready to step in for you and take over the battle. And He is a proven winner several times over – for all of eternity. He will never lose. Why not turn your battle over to Him right now.

1. In prayer, admit your inadequacy to bring ultimate victory in your life. Admit your need for and utter dependence on Him for life and all that is good.
2. Specifically call out what you are battling right now, and in the name of Jesus transfer responsibility for the battle to Him.
3. Covenant with Jesus to follow His leading in your life. Commit to becoming a man or woman of prayer . . . who listens to God in prayer.
4. Begin reading your Bible and obeying what it says. You will find if you will live in obedience ONE DAY AT A TIME, ONE SITUATION AT A TIME, He will bring victory over the long haul.

Don’t let your enemies win. You have the ultimate Superhero ready to take up the fight for you. That little baby in the manger is your Warrior God!

Mr. and Mrs. Know-It-All

We all have Mr. and Mrs. Know-It-Alls in our lives. You know the people I am talking about, quick to question, sure to suggest, but adverse to action. They can tell you how something should be done, but they are reticent to be the one to do anything about it. No matter the issue, they have the answer, just ask them. Most of the time, in fact, you don’t have to ask them, they are free to volunteer their services whether you want it or not. I am a pastor. For 20 years now of ministry I have had Mr. and Mrs. Know-It-All in my congregation. It seems every time I change churches they change with me.

But there is a true Know-It-All . . . His name is Jesus. Isaiah prophesied about the coming Messiah. In his prophecy he tells us this about the Messiah:

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on
his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty
God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 – New Living Translation)

Wonderful Counselor. Counselors come in all shapes and sizes these days. There are Certified Counselors, Psychologist, Psychiatrists, Therapists, et. al. My personal favorite is Life Coach. Americans spend millions of dollars on counseling and self-help books. My observation is that most of us should spend more . . . we are still in need of help. I praise God for Godly men and women who have entered the counseling profession and who – from a Biblical worldview – try to help others find their way in life. What a great ministry and what an awesome calling. But the best that any earthly counselor can do is to help us hear from and apply the teachings of the Wonderful Counselor – Jesus.

The name Wonderful Counselor is two words in Hebrew pele’ yo`etz. As our Counselor, Jesus is the source of true wisdom. What I don’t understand is why we will listen to the advice of some TV show host – who we do not even know, nor does she know us – but we fail to live the advice of the One who knows us completely and who is known by us. God’s Word goes neglected but the advice of the latest pop icon is considered trustworthy, yea, even gospel truth itself. We will buy the latest recommended book but our Bibles continue to gather dust on our bedside tables.

God alone is all-knowing. No other counselor perfectly knows our past, present, and future. In fact, no other counselor can boast the fact that not only can he advise us about our future, but also he DETERMINES our future. That is why Jesus is such a perfect counselor. He knows exactly what we should do tomorrow because He is the one who will determine what tomorrow will bring. Talk about your insider information. He can counsel us prudently because he knows our future perfectly, because he determines our future precisely. The word “Wonderful” refers to something so amazing that it can only be described as the activity or intervention of God. Jesus’ counsel is miraculous. He has “been there, done that” (Hebrews 4:15), He has wisdom and ways much higher than ours (Isaiah 55:6-9), and He knows us better than we know ourselves (Psalm 139:1-6).

So let me leave you with some practical suggestions:

1. Live what you already know about God. I have learned that much of my spiritual life consists of a battle between what I feel and what I know. My feelings can lie, but if I know truth, then that is exactly what it is . . . truth, not a lie. Don’t let you feelings dictate what you do and how you view life. Back in August a wrote a blog on just this topic. You can read it here.

2. Become a student of God. Read God’s Word regularly with an eye for truth about God. I look for truth about three things as I read the Bible: God’s person, His purposes, and His precepts. As you read, take notes, ask yourself questions. Find a trusted Bible teacher to help you or look for some good tools for Bible study. I have posted some here. Then the more you learn about God’s person, His purposes, and His precepts the more truth you will have in your arsenal for living life.

3. Apply what you learn. As I read the Bible, I try and ask myself 3 questions: what – what is the Bible saying here to the people it was originally written; so what – what is the meaning of this truth, what about God’s person, His purposes, and His precepts can be gained here; and now what – what am I going to do with this . . . how will I put this into action in my life today?

What Will People Think?

What will people think? Have you ever been asked that question, or better yet, have you ever asked yourself that question? One of the values instilled in us as we grow up is the necessity of protecting our “reputation.” And of course the prohibitions design to help us protect that reputation are numerous – be careful who you run around with, don’t go there, don’t do that, don’t say those things. And conversely there are numerous prescriptions designed to help us enhance our reputation – wear these clothes, live here, drive this, drop these names, associate with this group.

But I want you to play a game of “what if” with me. What if God asked you to do something for him that could very well ruin your reputation for life? Sounds contradictory doesn’t it? I mean after all, God is all about us living right, isn’t He? God asks us to do good things like love our neighbors, be kind to each other, give money to the church, say our prayers, and such reputation enhancing activities as these. But what if He clearly and unmistakably asked you to totally tank the good name you have worked hard to build because of something He wanted you to do for Him? Something that even sounded crazy . . . or impossible.

But isn’t that what happened to Mary? She had a bright future. She was a beautiful mid-teen young lady, promised to a man who was hard working, honest, and best of all would provide well for her and their future family together. God had truly been good to her. In a culture of arranged marriages, she was blessed that her family would promise her to a good man, a winner rather than on of the many losers living in her village. She was engaged to a man who cared about her, her reputation, and her heart. Then God threatened to bring all of that crumbling down with the visit of an angel in one nondescript night. The angel said that God looked at her as a favorable woman, yet He was about to do something to her that would make her MOST unfavorable to her family, community, and worst yet, her husband.

You see, although in the culture of Jesus’ time, betrothal was a binding covenant. In fact, it was as if Mary and Joseph were already married, but their marriage had not been consummated and they were not yet living together as husband and wife. So when news got out that she was pregnant, she would be a disgrace. Joseph’s reputation also would be challenged, but he had an out, he was a man in a male dominated society. If he said he was not the father and that Mary must be pregnant by another man – and thus unfaithful to him – people were more apt to believe him rather than her. And, really now, who would believe such a convoluted story as hers – impregnated by the Holy Spirit. That had about as much chance to fly as any young girl turning up pregnant in today’s society trying to convince her daddy that she was still a virgin.

All of this shame, all of this potential ruin, ALL BECAUSE OF GOD. He was asking her to do something that would ruin her life, and possibly her husband’s. What would she do? Would she do what most of us would do, would she say, “Hey, God, thanks for thinking so highly of me, but no thanks. I prefer the safety of the life I had already figured out for myself. Find someone else.” But she didn’t do that, no in fact, she broke into an anthem of praise for God. She magnified the very one who was about to make her an object of public scorn. She trusted God enough to know that if HE was with her on this crazy assignment, somehow it would all work out right.

I need to think about Mary every time I am tempted to ask myself “what will people think” whenever God has an assignment for me that may require a little extra boldness or effort. When I am tempted to not witness to a family member or even a stranger for fear of what they will think, I will remember Mary. When led by God to preach a certain topic that may cause others to disagree or even become angry at me, I will remember Mary. When I see the need to take a stand that may be unpopular, I will remember Mary. When my obedience to God may not be understood, or even misunderstood, by others, I will remember Mary.

What about you? Whose opinion matters most . . . other people’s or God’s? Which question is more important . . . what will people think or what will God think?

Remember Mary.

My mail-carrier is a Magi!

My mail-carrier is a Magi! Imagine that! Now, I do not know her so I cannot say that she is wise, but at least at Christmas, she is a Magi, or I guess technically since she is only ONE she is a Magus. Anyway, let me explain.

We do not live near our family. Andrea’s mother and grandparents live in Indiana, another grandmother lives in Ohio, her father lives in Charlotte, NC, and my family lives over 3 hours away. Because of these distances, many of our Christmas presents are delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Andrea’s grandmother goes all out, we get stuff beginning in the middle of December, and it doesn’t end until we get the last of the mail-order back orders are shipped in the summer. So our mail carrier brings us gifts from afar – like the Magi.

We are not completely sure where they were from, the Bible only says “from the East.” We are not even sure how many they were, only that there was more than one. Tradition has settled on three simply because they brought three kinds of gifts. Reason would lead us to believe that a caravan like that would consist of a much larger entourage than just three people. However, what gifts they brought is even more significant than who brought them. Each gift pointed to a particular facet of Jesus’ ministry on earth.

Gold symbolized Jesus’ royalty. It was customary, whenever a king had a son – especially a firstborn son who was in line to ascend to the throne – for dignitaries and kings from neighboring countries to send gold to the newborn prince as a gesture of peace and goodwill. By amassing such a treasure, the prince would be even wealthier than his father when he inherited his father’s throne, and hopefully would remember those neighbors who helped him accumulate his wealth. So these Magi recognized the royalty with whom they were dealing. But we know even more so, that Jesus is the King of Kings. One day, all of His creation will recognize His rule and reign and as the prophet Isaiah declared “the government will be on His shoulders, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” We, too, worship Jesus in this way when we submit to His rule over our lives; when we recognize He is our Sovereign and we are His servants.

Frankincense was not a scary monster, but a very fragrant powder made from tree gum that was used in worship. The powder was mixed with holy oil, burned in a censer, or mixed with meal while making holy bread. As an intricate part of worship, this gift signifies the fact that Jesus is Lord of Lords. We worship Him when we ascribe all the worth and value due him – which in our existence is everything. We worship Him when He becomes the primary object of our adoration and devotion, when we “sell out” completely to Him and His cause. This Christmas we can offer Jesus our own frankincense by rightfully making Him the center of attention in our attitudes, affections, and action.

Myrrh was a bitter yellowish brown resin used either as an embalming spice or sometimes as a anesthetic. Since it was very expensive, a gift like this to a child could be sold by the parents to help raise the child or provide for basic necessities. Tradition has it that Jesus’ parents sold this gift to finance their flight for safety to Egypt. This gift given to Jesus as a baby is a solemn reminder of why he was born . . . to die. Jesus came to earth to be the Lamb of God and pay for our sins. Even at birth His death was foreshadowed. We can give Jesus the gift of myrrh this Christmas by making sure that we have a relationship with Him. So many people try to get right with God by being as good as they can or doing as many good things as they can do in hopes that God would be pleased with them. But, you see, God went to such great lengths to see to it our sins could be forgiven . . . Jesus came to earth and died . . . that there can be NO OTHER way for us to be right with God, but to submit to Jesus as Lord, ask Him to forgive our sins, and become a follower of Him.

We can all be Magi – like my mail-carrier – and brings these gifts to Jesus this Christmas. These are all the gifts He wants from us.

A Series of Self Help Steps

We had some problems with our satellite service the other day. Of course, I checked all the tech support paperwork and I went through a series of self-help steps as instructed by those papers before finally calling tech support as a last resort. When I called them, I got a recording instructing me to go through the same series of self-help steps I had just finished before calling. Dutifully, I tried them again to no avail – and remained on the line waiting for the next available “technician” (yeah, right!). Finally someone came on the line and began to say things and ask questions in a language that slightly resembled English, but wasn’t. After getting him to spell several words for me, I understood what he was asking me to do. He asked me to go through a series of self-help steps to try and fix the problem. When I told him I did that before calling, and after hearing the recording, he asked me (after again spelling several words) to do it again while on the phone with him. I humored him . . . didn’t humor me though. As you might have guessed the third time was NOT a charm, but instead proof that if you do the same thing over and over all the while expecting different results, then you are INSANE.

Since the series of self-help steps (imagine that!) didn’t work, my “technician” knew of nothing else to do, so he said, “I will send someone right out to take a look. How does next Tuesday sound?” Those words did not give me much hope, but I had no other choice, so I scheduled the home visit. In the meantime, I went online and starting search for my own answers. I found several pages containing a series of self-help steps. But I also finally found some practical help that I was able to try myself AND IT WORKED. So I gladly called back and cancelled the appointment for whoever they were sending right out.

When it comes to redeeming His creation, God did not offer a “series of self-help steps,” He did not promise to “send someone right out,” but instead He came Himself. Consider these two verses:

“Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name Him Immanuel – ‘God is with us.’” Isaiah 7:14

“The Word (Jesus) became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

Let that truth really sink in . . . God came down and got in a human body!!! For hundreds of years He had sent His leaders, teachers, and prophets to do His work, but when the time was just right, He showed up on the scene HIMSELF. God WITH US. And the neat thing about it – this is a truth we ALL need to remember – is that He promised us the Holy Spirit, One who would be JUST LIKE Him. As believers in Jesus, God is with us too. Immanuel is not just a Christmas word, but a living reality for those of us in God’s family. God is here, within us. He knows how we feel, what we face, what we need. He is more than acquainted with our concerns and more than able to address them and handle them. He is STILL IMMANUEL!

And don’t miss that line from the John 1 passage: “we beheld His glory.” Beheld it, gazed at it, saw it often, looked at it with the purpose of analyzing, learning, being blessed by it. And what a unique glory it was . . . One and Only are the words John used to describe it. Have you seen the glory of God around you? I mean really, do we look for God to operate in “One and Only” kind of ways? I think we rather prefer the usual, the explainable, the expected. We do not look for God to do something new around us. But, brothers and sisters, I don’t know about you, but as for me this Christmas, I am making it my prayer, my aim, my passion to see the unique glory of Jesus Christ. I have grown weary of the “same old same old,” and I am holding up some new wineskins into which I want God to pour new wine.

Please, Lord, this Christmas, let me see you in new and fresh ways. Let me see your glory in such a way that it is unmistakably YOU.