Emmanuel

If we could condense all the truths of Christmas into only three words, these would be the words: "God with us." We tend to focus our attention at Christmas on the infancy of Christ. The greater truth of the holiday is His deity. More astonishing than a baby in the manger is the truth that this promised baby is the omnipotent Creator of the heavens and the earth! John MacArthur4



Amazing to me that we don't think more on the truth that God came not to merely redeem, but to instead be WITH us...and more importantly IN US. He came that we might be crucified with HIM and life FOR HIM, so that He coud live IN US and THRU US. Because life isn't really about us...it is about HIM, making much of HIM, celebrating HIM, Loving HIM and being the correct reflection of HIM. We have the gospel confused with a story about us. It is but a small part we play in the epic story of HIM. Don't be confused, God loves us and did give His Son for us, but He did so because it makes much of HIM.



GOD with us...Emmanuel. I am way thankful for those words this Christmas. But more so, that He came so that He could be IN US....because apart from Him I am nothing. He is the I AM. This Christmas, have you made much of HIM or delighted in this world, the gifts of it and self? Or are you choosing to deny self, carry cross and follow, making much of HIM and delighting IN HIM?



How much time have you spent this Christmas delighting on IN the ONE we celebrate? I don't just mean attending church, but seriously thinking on, meditating on, reading the Word of, praying to, fixing your hope on, conversing about, sharing with others about, focusing on? We have forgotten that God's whole intent was not merely to rescue us from Hell, but to instead establish relationship WITH US, by coming TO US and bridging the gap betwen us. In doing this, He provided a way into the Holy Place, a place where no one but HE gets to go. Because HE is in us and we are in Him, we get to go boldly into the throne room, the inner court, the Holy Place. This....this....it the most precious, indescribable gift of all. Not salvation from hell, but the gift of HIS PRESENCE everyday.

ALL FOR YOU