Miracles are rare and wonderous things… That’s why they call them miracles.”
–Lou Bradshaw (Comin’ Home)
“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory.”
“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory.”
–1 Corinthians 2:7 (NKJV)
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Eighty-ones years ago America stood in shock at the devastating attack by Imperial Japan on our forces at Pearl Harbor. December 7, 1941, was a day that “will live in infamy,” proclaimed President Roosevelt. Four days later Germany and Italy declared war on the United States; it had become World War II.
People were stunned, people were angry. My Mom worked at F.W. Woolworth in Boulder, CO and was called into work. They had to take everything off the shelves that said “made in Japan” and destroy it. It took four long, bloody years to defeat the forces that were against us, but slowly and assuredly our country marched to victory. Now I wonder if we could endure such a war, especially with our woke culture having our military involving themselves more in “sensitivity training” rather than a force with which to defeat an enemy.
That one day–that day of the vicious attack plunged the United States into a deadly war. One day, and things were changed; lives were changed and many were lost.
But let me take you back to another day. That day when deity came to earth in the form of a baby. He dwelt among men, He walked with us, yet so many didn’t recognize Him and then they rejected Him. Look at John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (NKJV)
Yes, there was that day which we call Christmas. (And I’m not going to argue that it wasn’t actually Christmas day. There was a day it took place and we have decided to celebrate it on the 25th of December). There was a day when the King of Glory laid aside His royal robes and became a man. Understand, He did not place aside His deity. Even lying in the manger, depending upon Mary and Joseph, He was God. Oh, the mystery of the Incarnation! It has to excite and thrill the soul.
Let me add to the wondrous story. Paul tells us that “He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” (Ephesians 1:4, NKJV) Only God… It boggles my feeble mind to try to understand that the Son of God already had the plan of salvation, already had us in His “mind” before He even spoke those words to create. But remember, God is not in time. He transcends time. He is the God of the past, the present, and the future.
It makes my mind wonder, if when He smiled as a baby lying there, that He was thinking of the amazing mystery that we cannot understand but to His mind would be plain.
Look at the Babe, lying in the manger–God with us–Immanuel. One day, as Paul writes, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.” (Galatians 4:4, NKJV) One day, in the history of the universe, even before there was history, He came to us to fulfill His purpose–the salvation of mankind. Look at the Babe. The great Gift from the Father. All that is needed is acceptance. Now is the time to accept Him, for there is coming another day–another day in the fullness of times. He will come to those who have accepted Him.
Sing out! “Joy to the world, the Lord has come!”
——————————–
Eighty-ones years ago America stood in shock at the devastating attack by Imperial Japan on our forces at Pearl Harbor. December 7, 1941, was a day that “will live in infamy,” proclaimed President Roosevelt. Four days later Germany and Italy declared war on the United States; it had become World War II.
People were stunned, people were angry. My Mom worked at F.W. Woolworth in Boulder, CO and was called into work. They had to take everything off the shelves that said “made in Japan” and destroy it. It took four long, bloody years to defeat the forces that were against us, but slowly and assuredly our country marched to victory. Now I wonder if we could endure such a war, especially with our woke culture having our military involving themselves more in “sensitivity training” rather than a force with which to defeat an enemy.
That one day–that day of the vicious attack plunged the United States into a deadly war. One day, and things were changed; lives were changed and many were lost.
But let me take you back to another day. That day when deity came to earth in the form of a baby. He dwelt among men, He walked with us, yet so many didn’t recognize Him and then they rejected Him. Look at John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (NKJV)
Yes, there was that day which we call Christmas. (And I’m not going to argue that it wasn’t actually Christmas day. There was a day it took place and we have decided to celebrate it on the 25th of December). There was a day when the King of Glory laid aside His royal robes and became a man. Understand, He did not place aside His deity. Even lying in the manger, depending upon Mary and Joseph, He was God. Oh, the mystery of the Incarnation! It has to excite and thrill the soul.
Let me add to the wondrous story. Paul tells us that “He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” (Ephesians 1:4, NKJV) Only God… It boggles my feeble mind to try to understand that the Son of God already had the plan of salvation, already had us in His “mind” before He even spoke those words to create. But remember, God is not in time. He transcends time. He is the God of the past, the present, and the future.
It makes my mind wonder, if when He smiled as a baby lying there, that He was thinking of the amazing mystery that we cannot understand but to His mind would be plain.
Look at the Babe, lying in the manger–God with us–Immanuel. One day, as Paul writes, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.” (Galatians 4:4, NKJV) One day, in the history of the universe, even before there was history, He came to us to fulfill His purpose–the salvation of mankind. Look at the Babe. The great Gift from the Father. All that is needed is acceptance. Now is the time to accept Him, for there is coming another day–another day in the fullness of times. He will come to those who have accepted Him.
Sing out! “Joy to the world, the Lord has come!”