Merry Christmas

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Tonight, many will gather with family and in churches to celebrate the incarnation of Jesus Christ. God come to earth. This is the life changing truth of a God whose passion for humanity caused Him to become one of us. This is His expression of love. As the Apostle John says it, "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son..." God wanted to be "with us." We will hear the reminder of that desire all around us in songs and the spoken word: Emmanuel, "God with us."

I find in my life that the greatest issue isn't about God being with me, but rather me being with God. I wish there was a good word for that! Emmanuel means God with us. What is the word for "me with God?" Words like: aware, attentive, present come to mind. But to be honest this isn't so much about me learning a new word. It is about me actively choosing to live in His presence, aware and attentive. I would like to give that Christmas gift to my Lord. The gift of increasing awareness and attentiveness to Him. I think that would be a great response to His love for me and us.

Your partner in the gospel,

Pastor Paul

Have a Merry Christmas

The Gospel of John 1:14-18 Post #3

And the Word became flesh. and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father full of grace and truth. John 1:14

I don't know how to express the importance of this passage. It may be one of the most significant sentences in the Bible. I know that is a dangerous thing to say 'cause every passage is significant, but...

The incarnation is what is being described here. There are several key thoughts mentioned here: flesh, dwelling, glory, One and Only, grace and truth. Take a few moments and contemplate each of these words. How do you understand these words? Give us some of your thoughts in the "comments" section of this blog.

Take a moment and read Philippians 2:5-11 and read the Apostle Paul's description of the incarnation. In the "comments section," describe for us how you understand the incarnation. How would you describe it differently to someone who does not have a "Christian" background?

your partner in the gospel,

Pastor Paul

P.S. For a cup of coffee at the GROUNDS FOR MISSIONS coffee shop @ HOPE: What is another way to translate the word "dwelling?" In what ways does this word have Old Testament connections or illusions?