Consider The Manger--SomeOne There For Us

"There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots."  (Isaiah 11:1)

Religious people would prefer, "a Branch shall grow out of," well, some Greek type god, untouched or contaminated by human weakness, not out of, "the stem of Jesse...."  That, "stem," was a very frail human being, a shepherd boy and king subject to the sins of humanity.  His, "roots," and subsequent offspring were of the same, "stem," and, "roots."  So are we------- and so is our Lord Jesus Christ, a, "mystery of the Gospel."

The Blessed Trinity did not start Salvation History from Heaven.  He started from Adam, then Seth, Abraham, and as our text declares, "the stem of Jesse."  If man were coming up with the perfect religion, he would have a Greek god-like creature coming to earth directly from some "heaven" to save and deal with us poor mortals; not so the Living Triune God, "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself."  This is the reality of the Manger; this is the reality of Christmas.

Our salvation history culminates in an animal stall with a pervasive animal odor; and, could we even say, a human "odor?"  The greatest controversy since the birth of the Church has always been Jesus, not Father, not Holy Spirit, in this case, not the unseen, but the seen.  People can make the unseen anything they wish. Some unseen, or as the Athenians called Him, "the unknown God," some god afar off, a deistic god suits man better.  First, such a god just creates things and keeps them running; you and I do all the rest.  Secondly, such a god is not intimately involved in the daily lives of individual personages; I can do whatever I like, whenever I like, however I like.  In other words, I am the center of my own deluded universe.  Jesus, however, came and put confusion even in the hearts of Jews who should have known better.  The whole of the Old Testament reveals God as, "my Shepherd," Who, "leadeth me," day by day, moment by moment, and teaches us that He will actually live in those who surrender their lives to Him. 

For most, Jesus is too "real," too "seen."  Here He is a baby, a boy at twelve working in Joseph's carpenter shop until He was about 30 years old.  This is too much like them.  But what is a frightening revelation to them is life, joy, and peace to those of us who surrender our lives to Jesus.  Because Jesus lives in the Follower, we can walk as He walked this earth in a fleshly body.  Everything Jesus was and did as He walked in the Galilee, He calls us to be and do.  And He tells us we can if we, "abide in Me and I in you."  Too many would rather not be bothered with such a life, and even some have tried it, but all in their own religious fervor; won't work.  Here is a "Christmas challenge" for us all:  "For with God nothing shall be impossible....I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed..., nothing shall be impossible to you."  Consider the manger.  It is our origin------------ and our possibility.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I have so limited You in my life and thereby limited myself.  Work in me Your purpose for appearing, "going about doing good," your death and resurrection, and pouring upon us the Holy Spirit, the, "....He who believes in Me, the works that I do shall you do also."  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"The Coming One"

The Coming One

The Appeal of "Egypt"

"Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord!" (Isaiah 31:1)

There are too many today, "who go down to Egypt for help...."  It just seems easier than trying to get God to do what they want.  They are like Saul, who, when God did not answer him, ended up in the occult.  Now this may seem absurd to us, but this has happened to more people than we may imagine, even people who were once "evangelical Christians."  Desperate people do desperate things when life is not going their way; and the more desperate the situation, the more they do that which earlier they would have denied their ever even imagining.

"Egypt," to the backslider, the self-reliant who have strayed away from Jesus Christ, seems bigger, more powerful, more "now" than Jesus Christ Himself.  Of course, when in our right mind, we know this to be folly.  But how many times we can get out of a "right" mind and succumb to the philosophy of Thomas, "unless I see," and into what Mr. Spock said, "I only believe the provable, the graphable."  It is a daily battle to walk in the Truth of, "while we do not look at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen."  We can see, "Egypt," and, "horses," and, "chariots...many," and, "horsemen." 
To see Jesus Christ, His Kingdom, His, "exceeding great and precious promises," requires the Holy Spirit and total submission to, "the Words of God."

I know I refer to this passage often, but it bears repeating for us all, "For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."  This is why, for instance, millions of so-called "christians" did not vote in the last election, or why some religious folk voted for candidates which promised quick, easy fixes to their life's problems.  This will lead to just more and more frustration in humanity.  Just look at what is going on in Europe, and you will see what awaits America.  Look at the frustration of those around you who refuse the reign of Jesus Christ in their life, and we can see the utter futility of going, "down to Egypt for help."  Physical eyes see "Egypt;" spiritual eyes see Jesus Christ. 

Today, the call of the Holy Spirit in our text is, "Look to the Holy One of Israel," and, "seek the Lord Jesus Christ."  This is the constant command and invitation of the Living Triune God throughout the Bible.  I need to hear this throughout every day, and thank Him, He speaks it continually to you and me.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I have gone, "down to Egypt," at times to my own hurt---- futility.  Only You are Reliable.  Amen. 

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2