Christmas, God in the Flesh, God with us, Christ in us

This Christmas morning while reading my Bible and praying I got a fresh sense of God’s presence, a refreshing in my spirit and a reminder of my salvation when I received new life in Christ. I was born again in the spring of 1980. My eyes were suddenly open and I saw Jesus! The brightness of His Glory filled my vision! He was more beautiful and more to be desired than anything I had ever pursued or desired. I wanted Christ in my life, in me and a beautiful thing happened in my heart. I once was dead to my sins and I became alive in Christ! Christ became my greatest treasure. All other things I ever pursued or desired were nothing compared to Christ. God gave me a new heart. I was a new woman with new eyes that saw God’s word as living and active. Christ was alive in me! I had been spiritually blind but now I see.

Christmas is not just about the baby in the manger. It starts in the beginning with God. For Jesus was with God in the beginning. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (John 1:1-5)

"Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."
Isaiah 7:14

Immanuel, God with us in our nature, in our sorrow, in our lifework, in our punishment, in our grave, and now with us, or rather we with Him, in resurrection, ascension, triumph, and Second Advent splendour.(C.H.Spurgeon)

Jesus is not just a historical figure who was born in a manger and lived 33 years and died. No! He is God with us, in our hearts and in our lives for all eternity. He lived a sinless life and took our punishment, dying for our sins. He cleansed me from all my sin. I became a new creature in Christ wearing the robe of righteousness. I am clean and pure because of Christ!

Many people, including my own children , have grown up in a Christian home going to church hearing the wonderful story of God coming in the flesh and dying for our sins. Yet sometimes when you have heard it all your life, the realness and the wonder of it all may be lost. My prayer is that on this Christmas Day you too would have a renewed sense of wonder and not just know about Him, but know Him and experience His presence in your life and be filled with the joy of really knowing Christ as your Savior and your greatest treasure. I pray that you would say as Paul that you count all things as rubbish that you may gain Christ and no longer be self -seeking but God- seeking. Let God open your eyes, take off the blinders and fill you with His love so you can walk in the newness of life.

Eph 4:20-24

20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Rom 6:4

4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

If somehow over the years you have lost the wonder of God with us, then seek Him now. As the song goes, Wise Men Still Seek Him. Seek Him today. Let go of all the other things pulling at you and distracting you and look up to Jesus.

Lyrics to Wise Men Still Seek Him :

For years they must have watched the heavens day and night,
How else would they know that a new star was in sight,
Wasn't in the paper, wasn't in the TV guide,
Not really sure how they did but somehow they got wise,

They rode their camels 'cross the deserts burning sand,
They couldn't fly you know there were no planes back then,
Then they met old Herod who was out to steal their joy,
But they brushed old Herod off and found God's baby boy,

CHORUS:
Wise men still seek Him, those on earth who realise how much they need Him,
following Jesus where ever He may lead them, wise men still seek Him.

Well today they travel different, but they're wise men just the same,
Still talking about the old days and that blessed night he came,
I hear old Herod's out there still trying to deceive,
But a whole world full of Herod's can't stop those who believe,

CHORUS:
Wise men still seek Him, those on earth who realise how much they need Him,
following Jesus where ever He may lead them, wise men still seek Him,
Wise men still seek Him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POD69wkPKIo

This Christmas I am missing my son Micah who died 7 years ago on Dec. 17^th. I am missing my other sons, Jesse, Josiah and Gabriel, who couldn’t be home for Christmas this year. But I am so thankful for Christ, who humbled Himself as a baby and came down from heaven  to live and die for us. Because of Christ, though we are apart by either death or distance we are united in Christ and will be united with Christ in heaven for all eternity!