John 20:21
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending
you.”
As Christmas approaches I am been thinking a lot about the incarnation of Christ.
What has been described as the most amazing miracle of all; Christ coming, being
sent, Christ fully God and fully man. J. I. Packer describes incarnation as “the union
of Godhead and manhood in the person of Jesus.” What a glorious gift this is!
As Christmas approaches I think of Christ being sent to seek and save the lost, to
restore our relationship to God, to complete us...and it is so amazing to me. I am so
thankful, I am so in awe, I am so humbled, I am so loved, I am so happy...I think you
get the point. And as such my heart is just overwhelmed to the point of being
transformed and I just need to share this good news.
As Christmas approaches I am part of a core group that is preparing to launch a new
church. This is a time of mixed emotion for me as it means we leave the church we
have known for so many years, a place where we are so comfortable, a place where
we have community, a place where we worship, a place where we are loved. Yet,
there is such joy in being sent to share this good news.
Our current church and our core group talk much about being missional. The word
mission in Latin actually means sending. So to me as Christians we are always to be
in this position of being sent. This can be as a core group being sent to start a new
church to reach the lost, to reach those in need, to reach those with the love of our
Savior. Being sent can also be right where we are; sent to offer mercy and
compassion and to offer love to our neighbors.
This Christmas as I reflect on the greatest gift of all...”the union of Godhead and
manhood in the person of Jesus” for the purpose of loving us a people so
undeserving. I am so thankful that I will have opportunity to share this good news,
to help those in need, to love neighbors.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Grace and Peace!
Psalm 118:1
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
You know we have it so good in America that we (I) take much for granted. We have
become a people of more is better. This becomes evident especially during the
Christmas season; a season that should be focused on the greatest gift.
It should be
focused on a loving God that sent His Son; it should be focused on the love of Christ
who sacrificed all so that we could be restored; it should be focused on the
expectant hope of Christ’s return.
We should be a thankful people. We have clean air to breathe, we have clean water,
we are able to take showers, and we are able to be free to enjoy life and friends and
family. We have food and clothes and there are so many blessings in life; blessings
that we sometimes take for granted. Oh, that we could just stop for a moment and
“count our blessings.”
Now I really do not want to sound like the Grinch whole stole Christmas, and there
is so much good about Christmas; family gatherings, friends, sharing, giving and I
hope we all get to enjoy these things. It is my hope that during this Christmas
season that I can participate and enjoy all these things from a position of
thankfulness. Thankful to the one through which all things are possible and all
things are provided.
I had a friend tell me we should even be thankful for dirty dishes because that
means we have food to eat!
Father, thank you that you loved us so that you sent your only son; thank you that by
grace we are saved and thank you for the tender mercies we are given each and
every day. Thank you for the amazing and completely finished work of Christ. Thank you for the comfort
and counsel of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for your magnificent, beautiful, and
incredible plan of redemption. Thank you for your good and enduring love. Father, thank you for dirty dishes...
Grace and Peace!
I recently came across 1 Peter 2:9;
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people
belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of
darkness into his wonderful light.
I have read this many times, but this time a few of the words just jumped out at me
and I wanted to know more and more and more – imagine that...
The first thing that struck me was the word chosen, which means picked, but if you
go farther Strong’s defines it as Chosen by God for salvation through Christ. John
Piper says of this verse; “what gives us our identity is not race or culture, but
choseness.”
Next is the descriptor royal. In Greek this means kingly and in a kings court; so not
only are we chosen, but chosen to be royalty.
I see also that through Christ we are Holy, which has this deep meaning of separated
from sin and consecrated to God.
This just keeps getting better and better...and finally there is this word belonging.
We belong to God and again in the Greek this is preserving the soul, saving,
purchased, precious property.
Wow, how wonderful, how loving, how merciful, how amazing and if we truly come
to understand this; no, I mean really understand this what is our response? And
there it is...we are chosen, considered royal and holy, we belong to the one true God
as his precious property and if we get it, if we truly come to terms with this, we are
all these things that we may declare the praises of God; God who called us out of
darkness and into his wonderful light.
Father, thank you for your word. Word so deep, so amazing filled with love and
grace. Father, as we begin to grasp just how wonderful you are, how loving, how
giving, help us to always declare your praises!
Praise God!
Grace and Peace!
