The Setting of the Sun

As always, I anxiously left the office headed for home to see my boys. As I shifted from work mode back to mother/wife mode, my mind was on a hundred things, which I knew needed to be done. At the beginning and end of each day on my way to and from work I turn up my worship music and spend time singing to the Lord, offering my praise to Him through song. Well, little did I know, on this particular evening that I would be praising Him in a different way. I got into my car turned on my music and pulled out of the parking lot. As I turned onto the exiting road, which leads out of the campus where I work, I noticed a beautiful sunset out of the corner of my eye. The entire sky was a full array of color! It was quite exquisite. I took a moment and thanked the Lord for sharing His beauty. I then shifted my focus back to the music, which was playing.

As I exited the campus, heading towards the freeway, I took a different route than usual. You see, on this particular day I did not have to pick my youngest son up from school, which enabled me to head straight home. Therefore, when I made a right turn onto the road which would lead me home, I was facing the westward direction, into the sunset. Had I gone the route of my son’s school, I would have completely missed God’s wonderful display.

While traveling westward, down the road towards home, I continued to admire the beauty of the sky.As I traveled, I felt as if I were getting closer and closer to the sunset. Rarely, had I seen the sky look so marvelous. I marveled at God’s work as I felt that this splendor was designed personal, just for me.

Suddenly, I began traveling up an over-pass, which sent me up into the sky. As I reached the top of the over-pass I was completely overwhelmed. I had driven directly into the sunset! I was surrounded by the most beautiful orange and red colors that I had ever seen in my entire life. The colors had surrounded my total realm of vision; they were all I could see. My breath was taken away and I felt as though I had been suspended in time and wrapped up in the most amazing beauty. As I was enthralled with all this amazement, I heard a whisper in my spirit. “Who else can do this for you?” My eyes must have been as big as saucers. I believe that my heart may have even stopped for a tiny moment. I whispered back, “No one Lord”.

At this point my heart burst in awe and a joy swept over me! “No one Lord”, I said again, this time in an audible voice! You are mine and I am yours and no one can love me and satisfy me like you do. NO one! On this particular day, I came to know the Lord in a different way. He was like a tender husband who was trying to impress the love of his life to gain her affection. No doubt, I felt the love that He was showing me. He definitely made His point and my day, convincing me of His perfect love for me.

I then thought about all the earthly blessings that God has given me in my life. He has always revealed His love for me through His never ending gifts. But this time, it was different. He showed me that out of all the wonderful things that He has given me in life, nothing could satisfy me and thrill me like only He could. He is my heart’s affection, the love of my life. Oh how I loved and adored Him for what He showed me that day. Earlier, I mentioned that it was not a song from my lips that praised His name this day on my way home, as He requested a different type of praise; praise from my heart. It was my heart that offered Him praise as He had captured it so lovingly on this glorious evening. This heart of mine will never be the same.

From the rising to the setting of the Sun, the name of the Lord is to be praised. Psalm113:3

Brittnie April 2, 2005

Hunger for God

The last week or so I have had this intense desire for the LORD. I mean the kind of feeling where I am doubled over and can't breathe kind of desire. From the moment I wake up till I lay back down at night from the pit of my soul I hunger and thirst for more of God. Really, I live like this most of the time. It's not because I have never had a taste of God. It's because I HAVE had a taste and it is so good....that I want MORE and MORE! I can't get enough. I don't know about you, but I'll do anything to cry out to God and ask Him to give me more.

I recently picked up John Piper's book called "A Hunger for God- Desiring God through Prayer and Fasting." and started to read it.


Here is a description of the book:
A Hunger For God was written to help Christians understand the Biblical nature and purpose of fasting and prayer. In this book, John Piper looks at the phenomena of religious, political, and health-based fasting, which occur around the world, and explains what makes Christian fasting unique. He then discusses the reasons and ways the Bible commends fasting to us. Ultimately, Piper asserts, fasting is a way of expressing to God that he is the supreme hunger of our hearts—that we are starving for him.

You can Read this book online for free if you would like.

If your heart feels like mine, join me in seeking God with all your heart. The more we are satisfied in Him, the more we'll let the things of the world go and we'll find that there is NOTHING more filling than the deep pleasures and love of God.

REVIVE 3.27.08

Here are some pictures of our last REVIVE. Next gathering will be 4.24.08

Holy Ground

One rainy day as I traveled to work, I was praising God through song in my car. As I approached the parking lot for work I realized that the rain had really picked up and was coming down extremely hard. Upon this realization, I was frazzled knowing that I was wearing a skirt that morning, accompanied by slip-on high heel sandals. There was no way around it; I was going to get VERY wet! I also realized that reaching the main entrance to my office building was going to be tough, if not impossible as there was a great possibility that I might slip and fall in my soon to be wet sandals and skirt. SO, in fear of falling in the gushing water, which flowed alongside the side walks, I took my sandals off. I then pulled my skirt up just enough to keep from dragging it through the water. Anxiously, I gritted my teeth as I knew I had no alternative to getting wet.

Now, those who know me also know that I am not particularly fond of walking in the rain and/or getting wet, especially, when it comes to jeopardizing my appearance prior to work. It takes almost an hour to achieve that appearance for crying out loud! However, for some reason at this particular moment, I stepped my feet into the cold rain water without reservation. It was as if I did not care, and to my surprise it was almost refreshing. It felt good to get my feet and legs wet as I made my way down the side walk in the rain. I did not even care that my clothes were getting soaked and that my hair would be a stringy mess when I reached the entrance to the building.

Well, about half way there, out of nowhere came the loudest boom I’d ever heard. The noise took me by surprise and scared me nearly half to death. It was THUNDER and it felt like it crashed right beside me. As to my knowledge there had been no prior thunder that morning. Usually thunder gradually works its way in from the distance, increasing in volume as it approaches. As the boom rattled my bones, I did not act terrified and run for my life, which is a common response I have when I hear thunder that close. Rather, I squealed as loud as I could in sheer delight. I knew immediately that this was not your normal thunder. This was God; He had shown up and the thunder was just for me. I actually sensed His presence through the thunder. It was almost as if He were applauding my time spent praising Him in the car, as I had come to meet with Him in worship and song. He too, came to meet me and I felt the personal touch of a tender yet mighty and awesome God through this experience. I began to smile and praise Him aloud the rest of the way down the side walk. I even skipped as I made my way into the office building.

Sheer delight is all I can think of when I remember how God made a special appearance just for me that day. As I recalled this incident, while writing this letter, it startled me, as I thought of my bare feet. I had originally thought that I had chosen to take off my sandals for convenience to keep from slipping. I now see how the extra gushing rain, which God caused to flood the parking lot, forced me to take my sandals off, for God had planned our special visit. No doubt He was present with me that day and little did I know that I was squealing and skipping on Holy Ground.

Exodus 3:5 Take off your sandals for the place where you are standing is holy ground.

By Brittnie February 6th 2005

Cheap Grace

We are studying Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper in Sunday school. I wanted to post a section out of the book for you to read. (See below). Piper quotes a line out of Bonhoeffer's book called "The Cost of Discipleship" that I think is so critical for our generation. I am asking that you would comment on this line delivered by Bonhoeffer. Oh how I pray we will be done with cheap grace and be moved to do what ever it takes to follow Christ whole heartedly.
Brittnie

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a gift to my generation of students. I pray that his costly message will be rediscovered in each generation. Even though he died at the age of thirty-nine, his life was not wasted. His life and death continue to speak with power. He was hanged in the concentration camp at Flossenbürg, Germany, on April 9, 1945. He had been a pastor and teacher and leader of a small training school for the confessing church and had participated in the Protestant resistance movement against the Nazis. The book that set fire to the faith of thousands in my generation was called The Cost of Discipleship. Probably the most famous and life-shaping sentence in the book was, “The cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise God-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Fleeing from death is the shortest path to a wasted life. Bonhoeffer’s book was a massive indictment of the “cheap grace” that he saw in the Christian Church on both sides of the Atlantic. He believed in justification by grace through faith. But he did not believe that the faith that justifies could ever leave people unchanged by the radical Christ they claim to believe. That was a cheap response to the Gospel. “The only man,” he said, “who has the right to say that he is justified by grace alone is the man who has left all to follow Christ.”

"Rise Up, O Men of God"

"I am," said Jesus, "and all of you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven." MARK 14:62

Although the fullness of God's Kingdom is yet to come, there is a sense in which the King is reigning now, and we can say with the utmost certainty, "Our God reigns!"

A lady once wrote to me indicating her intention to withdraw from life and await the day when God would finally establish His kingdom in power and glory on the earth. I replied with a parody of a hymn that apparently got her thinking. She wrote back in a few weeks and said, "You were right. I was waiting for God, but now I realize He is waiting for me." She ended her letter with the words of the hymn:

Rise up, O men of God!
Have done with lesser things;
Give heart and soul and mind and strength
To serve the King of kings.

This must indicate our line of action. Yes, of course, the final ushering of God's kingdom is yet to take place, but that does not mean that He is taking a backseat in the world's affairs. God wants to reign through us!

We need not wait for the day when spectacularly the great God of the universe demonstrates His imperial power. As He sounds forth a rallying cry, even through these pages, respond to Him, I urge you, with a fresh consecration of purpose, and dedicate yourself to letting Him reign through you.

Prayer:
God, I give myself wholly to You, not only just to live in me, but to reign through me. I gladly submit my whole being to You today. Live and reign in me. For Jesus' sake. Amen.

By Selwyn Hughes

Pray to the LORD of the Harvest

Matthew 9:37-38 Then he (Jesus) said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."

Hey everyone. As most of you know we will have our 2nd REVIVE gathering this Thursday night. I am so excited to see what God does. As I am in the middle of study and preparation for this Thursday I felt moved to share something with you.

God has showed me over and over the last several months that the fields are white unto harvest but believers are too occupied with things of the world to be a laborer in the field and to go out and do what it takes to gather in the harvest.

The Revive team is asking God to equip us and equip the ladies that we serve through Revive and that we will be so in love with Jesus and so moved by His word that we will go out and gather in the harvest no matter the cost. We NEED laborers in the field!

Our teams heart cry to the LORD of the Harvest is to send out laborers into His harvest.Will you earnestly pray with us over this matter?

Brittnie

Christ's Love for Us

The Intensity of Christ’s Love and the Intentionality of His Death
March 19, 2008
By John Piper

The love of Christ for us in his dying was as conscious as his suffering was intentional. “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us” (1 John 3:16). If he was intentional in laying down his life, it was for us. It was love. “When Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (John 13:1). Every step on the Calvary road meant, “I love you.”

Therefore, to feel the love of Christ in the laying down of his life, it helps to see how utterly intentional it was. Consider these five ways of seeing Christ’s intentionality in dying for us.

First, look at what Jesus said just after that violent moment when Peter tried to cleave the skull of the servant, but only cut off his ear.

Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” (Matthew 26:52-54)

It is one thing to say that the details of Jesus’ death were predicted in the Old Testament. But it is much more to say that Jesus himself was making his choices precisely to see to it that the Scriptures would be fulfilled.

That is what Jesus said he was doing in Matthew 26:54. “I could escape this misery, but how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” I am not choosing to take the way out that I could take because I know the Scriptures. I know what must take place. It is my choice to fulfill all that is predicted of me in the Word of God.

A second way this intentionality is seen is in the repeated expressions to go to Jerusalem—into the very jaws of the lion.

Taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.” (Mark 10:32-34)

Jesus had one all-controlling goal: to die according the Scriptures. He knew when the time was near and set his face like flint: “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51).

A third way that we see the intentionality of Jesus to suffer for us is in the words he spoke in the mouth of Isaiah the prophet:

I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;
I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. (Isaiah 50:6)

I have to work hard in my imagination to keep before me what iron will this required. Humans recoil from suffering. We recoil a hundred times more from suffering that is caused by unjust, ugly, sniveling, low-down, arrogant people. At every moment of pain and indignity, Jesus chose not to do what would have been immediately just. He gave his back to the smiter. He gave his cheek to slapping. He gave his beard to plucking. He offered his face to spitting. And he was doing it for the very ones causing the pain.

A fourth way we see the intentionality of Jesus’ suffering is in the way Peter explains how this was possible. He said, “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).

The way Jesus handled the injustice of it all was not by saying, “Injustice doesn’t matter,” but by entrusting his cause to “him who judges justly.” God would see that justice is done. That was not Jesus’ calling at Calvary. (Nor is it our highest calling now. “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord, Romans 12:19.)

The fifth and perhaps the clearest statement that Jesus makes about his own intentionality to die is in John 10:17-18:

For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.

Jesus’ point in these words is that he is acting completely voluntarily. He is under no constraint from any mere human. Circumstances have not overtaken him. He is not being swept along in the injustice of the moment. He is in control.

Therefore, when John says, “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us” (1 John 3:16), we should feel the intensity of his love for us to the degree that we see his intentionality to suffer and die. I pray that you will feel it profoundly. And may that profound experience of being loved by Christ have this effect on you:

The love of Christ controls us . . . . He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

Sunday's Coming!!

Let These Results of the Resurrection of Jesus Revive Your Passion for His Supremacy Over All Things

March 12, 2008
By John Piper

As Easter approaches, let’s stir up our thankfulness and joy and admiration and amazement at what the resurrection of Jesus means for us. The curse of our fallen nature is that what once thrilled us becomes ordinary. The reality hasn’t changed. We have changed.

This is why the Bible exists. Peter says of his two letters that they are written to “stir up” or “arouse” by means of “reminder.”

This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder. (2 Peter 3:1)

So let’s stir up our sincere minds by way of reminder.

What has God done in raising Jesus from the dead? Here are a few biblical answers.

Because of the resurrection of Jesus, death will never have any dominion over him again.

Romans 6:9: “We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.”

Acts 13:34: “He raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption.”

Because of the resurrection, Jesus intercedes for us in heaven before God.

Romans 8:34: “Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”

Jesus’ resurrection was the beginning and guarantee of our resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:20: “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”

2 Corinthians 4:14: “He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.”

2 Corinthians 4:14: “He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.”

We were raised with Jesus so that our true life is hidden now in him.

Ephesians 2:6: “[God] and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

Colossians 3:1-4: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. . . . Your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we are born again to a living hope.

1 Peter 1:3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we now enjoy his personal fellowship with us always.

Matthew 28:20: “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Because of the resurrection of Jesus, he has a name above every name and every knee will bow to him.

Philippians 2:9-10: “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.”

The resurrection of Jesus means that Jesus kept his word.

Matthew 17:22: “Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.’”

The resurrection of Jesus fulfilled the Scriptures and the promises of God.

1 Corinthians 15:4: “He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”

Acts 13:32-33: “We bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus.”

Because Jesus was raised, he has received the promise of the Spirit and poured out the Spirit on us.

Acts 2:33: “Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.”

Because Jesus is raised, he can still heal the way he did on earth.

Acts 4:10: “Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well.”

Because of the resurrection, he gives repentance and forgiveness of sins.

Acts 5:31: “God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.”

Because Jesus was raised, he is now appointed by God to judge the living and the dead.

Acts 10:42: “He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.”

Acts 17:31: “He has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

God secured our justification by raising Jesus from the dead.

Romans 4:25: “He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.”

The risen Christ takes the place for us that the law once had so that we can bear fruit for God.

Romans 7:4: “Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.”

Because of Jesus’ resurrection, he now has the glory for which we were made. Our ultimate destiny is to see him as he is.

1 Peter 1:21: “God . . . raised him from the dead and gave him glory.”

John 17:5, 24: “And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. . . . Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.”

May the risen Lord Jesus himself arouse your sincere mind to new depths of worship and allegiance and joy.

Pastor John

The CALL ALABAMA

I can't help but post this...since my heart is set on Revival. I know that is why the LORD has called me to Alabama. So, this article from Lou Engle really struck me.


A Message From Lou Engle

For three years, the Lord has led me to pray for Alabama.

The burden was born out of a dream in which I was digging for the wells of revival, and I hit an obstruction. When I dug around the obstruction, I found bones. Inscribed on the bones was "Alabama." I knew from the dream that Alabama was key to revival in America, however there were things hidden that needed to be prayed through for the breakthrough to come.

The bones of Alabama, I believe, speak of the historic calling on the state as a forerunner for justice in America. They also speak of hidden issues that must be repented of that affect the whole nation. It is my conviction that TheCall in Montgomery is pivotal for a great turning in America.

In solemn assembly before the Lord, we are calling for repentance for the shedding of the innocent blood of African American slaves, racism (Montgomery – the first capital of the confederate states), lynching, and the killing of innocent children and many others who laid down their lives for Civil Rights. But we also believe that those who suffer the most and can still forgive receive redemptive authority to lead the nation.

We believe a new company of African American voices, birthed out of fasting and prayer, will lead the parade of history in bringing freedom from poverty in the inner cities and lead the way to the ending of abortion and movements of adoption in this nation.

On the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., we want to cry out to God for a new prophetic mantle to fall on Alabama and its people to bring forth spiritual awakening and justice and, in particular, proclaim with the clearest voice, “Let my people go!"

I believe that out of this gathering, a human life amendment could be brought forth, much like the voting amendment that was born out of the civil rights movement in 1964. From this gathering, we will call on God for fasting and prayer movements to explode through the inner cities of Alabama and our nation that can alone shift atmospheres and restore city streets with dwellings.

So, it is to Montgomery we go on April 5th declaring, “We have a dream!” We have a dream that abortion can end. We have a dream for reformation in our cities, and we have a dream that National Revival can be ignited that will transform a nation.

For TheCall,

Lou Engle

A Tragedy in the Making

DON'T WASTE YOUR LIFE!!

REVIVE 2.21.08

Ladies, last night was great! I look forward to next month. Here are some pics from the night!

Pray for Union University

Most of you have heard about the tornado that hit Union University.
Our church is heavily tied to this University. It is also the University from where I currently attend classes for the Masters of Christian Studies program. This video was made by one of the students at Union. You'll want to watch this awesome testimony of God's mercy over this campus. Pray for Union University as they move forward after the storm.

REVIVE going LIVE

I am SO excited to share with you that REVIVE is finally going live!

Two years ago the LORD gave me a vision of REVIVE in my mind and He is finally bringing it forward in a corporate worship setting. REVIVE will be targeted at women ages 18-40 something, however, there is no age limit on the gathering. We will be worshiping the LORD in song led by Amy Tosney and team and then I will lead bible study. We will then have a time for women to connect with one another and to spur one another on.

REVIVE starts Thursday night February 21st at 7:00-8:30pm in the High School Worship Room at Hunter Street. We will be meeting once a month.
Dates are as follows:
Feb 21st
Mar 27th
Apr 24th
May 15th
Jun- off
Jul-off
Aug 21st
Sept-26-27th REVIVE ladies retreat in Springville
Oct-date TBD
Nov-date TBD

A Father's Heart

Hey everyone,

If you have not heard about this already, then you'll want to listen to this message. Rick Burgess from the famous Rick and Bubba radio show (http://www.rickandbubba.com/) lost his 2 year old son last weekend in a tragic drowning. He spoke at the memorial service and has a "wake up message" for all. I have posted the video's below from youtube. It is an incredible testimony and lives are being saved and changed all over the world due to this one family's tragedy.

Don't Waste Your Life #2

Don't Waste Your Life #1

What Will the Final Judgment Mean for You?

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2007/2550_What_Will_the_Final_Judgment_Mean_for_You/

The Word Became Flesh

Wow! What a year it has been. I think that we have been in Alabama long enough now that it is safe to say that our feet have been firmly planted in our new home and place of ministry. We love it! No doubt God has bestowed on us blessing after blessing. We have been in awe while watching the hand of the LORD work in marvelous ways. However, this year has been far from easy. There have been some real heartaches that we have had to deal with all throughout the year.

As most of you know-we lost my grandmother this year. She was the only grandmother that I knew and I was the only grandchild she knew. So, needless to say our relationship was very special. Her death allowed me to spend lots of time reflecting on wonderful memories that God had given me with her. And for those memories I am so thankful. She was precious and I miss her dearly. Another heartache - has been the news of my father being diagnosed with cancer. I can’t describe the pain that I have faced while watching my parents endure such a difficult road. Being far away from them during this time has been excruciating. Its times like these that make life far more valuable and precious than we often realize.

Mingled in with the heartaches have been many challenges this year as well. I think that we’d all agree that life is not easy. Honestly, it is just plain hard sometimes. But, the one thing on earth that I can not fathom is living through life’s difficulties without the One who became flesh and dwelt among us. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1-2; 14.

We can see through the Inspired penmanship of the Beloved Disciple, that in the beginning the WORD was God and He became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus- the Eternal Son of God stepped out of eternity- broke into time and put on human flesh. God, remaining fully divine now also fully man. Why? So He could dwell among us. There are really no words in our language to describe the incarnation of Christ. The word amazing falls extremely short.

God dwelt among us. The original Greek word for dwelt is eskhnwsen. It literally means to fix one's tabernacle, to live in a tabernacle (or tent). In other words, God set up His tent and lived right where we are so He could interact with us and get personal with us. Truly this is more than we can understand. To touch the Transcendent- how can this be?

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created………through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. …..For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things…… making peace by the blood of his cross. Colossians 1:15-20.

Through this incredible act on the cross, the all satisfying God has made it possible for us to have our sins forgiven so we can know Him and fellowship with Him now. We can have an intimate relationship with El Elyon (The Most High God). There is no greater joy.

This Christmas we can choose to allow the birth of Christ to be some distant historical story or we can recognize and receive this Divine intervention made available to us now. This is the reason for all the joy we proclaim during the Christmas season. We can have every pleasure and find the deepest comfort in times of pain in this life through Jesus Christ. This is how someone on earth can endure life’s difficulties. The Word became flesh and pitched his tent among us so we could know Him. Embrace Jesus with me today.