Scripture

“For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.”

~Matthew 24:44, LSB

Quote

When the author walks on to the stage the play is over.

~C.S. Lewis

I love the Christmas season. Unfortunately, we have Christmas haters. I know preachers who down play Christmas and exalt Easter. I want to stand up and say, “Without Christmas there would be no Easter.” The incarnation is God not simply coming to earth but God becoming flesh, talking on a human body, and becoming the ultimate sacrifice. No Christmas–no atonement! The Hebrew Scriptures were kept on a scroll so that if unfolded a bit at a time. Thus it is with God’s revelation of Himself and His will. Jesus made His entrance in a very humble fashion. His mother would be a Jewish peasant; His earthly father a carpenter. His birth was announced to the lowly shepherds, the most despised segment of Jewish society. Jesus was not born in a palace although Herod’s palace was only four miles from Bethlehem. Herod palace had running water hot and cold, bath rooms, drapes, carpet–it was fit for a king but Jesus was born in a stable, His crib was a feeding trough and his blanket was rags. Hardly fitting for a king. Jesus would live and humble life of perfect submission to the Father. He would suffer for and because of man’s sin and depravity and be treated like a thief and a traitor. He never resisted; He did not fight back. He even prayed for those who mistreated Him. Jesus said He was God and some believed but most did not. They demanded He give proof of His divinity but He gave them only His word. He did inaugurate a kingdom but not the kind that men invisioned but before leaving this world, He said, “You also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.”

When He returns it will be a full scale invasion. Personally, I do not expect a lot of resistance. The greatest of His power and love will create a weight too heavy for any human to bear. We will all fall down and lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus, and if we can speak at all, we may very well cry holy, holy, holy is the LORD. C.S. Lewis says, “He will be recognized by all, this time He will be God undisguised, something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every living creature. There will be no use in people saying on that day that they choose to bow for it will be impossible for them to stand. The time for choosing is now.”

I am with John, “Even so, come Lord Jesus!”

Extra

Thank God for this new miracle pill that knocks out the flu in 24 hours. Unless something changes, I will get back to my routine today. LORD willing, I will be at church tonight. The only thing I am not planning to do is visit the folks in the retirement homes.

GOOD NEWS: Evidently the LORD used Willard to inspire some folks to give up their Christmas and donate it to LOTTIE MOON. Our goal this year was $6,500.00 {enough to sponsor one teacher in the school on GRACE MOUNTAIN in Guatemala}. To be honest with you, I was beginning to get concerned about our reaching the goal, but now I am very confident. We will be adding $4,500.00 to our offering this Sunday which will give us a total of $5,816.35 which means we will lack only $683.65 and I will {LORD willing} give that myself if I need to. Hallelujah, this news has made my week. By the way, our Guatemala team is back home and they tell me that the School {SLAM} needs our support.

GRACE POINT FAMILY: we will be in book two chapter four, THE PERFECT PENITENT {Jesus} tonight.

Have a great day and thanks for reading the blog.