Don’t let Jesus’ gentleness fool you.

Indeed, at Christmas, we celebrate Christ coming in the form of a baby. And because we see Jesus as a baby, we think of him as harmless.

Don’t be fooled by appearances.

While at Christmas we celebrate the coming of Jesus as a baby in the manger, Christians await a second coming where Jesus will come as he is – the King.

The following is taken from “Once a Day: 25 Days of Advent”, and is a fantastic reminder of this reality:

Jesus’ greatness now reaches to the ends of the earth. And those who know him recognize him as faithful and true, one who has not taken his position by force (like so many earthly kings have), but who was chosen from before the beginning of time. And starting that day in Israel, the king first came as a baby, born into the line of Jewish nobility (because it was from among the Israelites that God had decreed a king would come), and yet from a long line of sinful people so he could identify with us and so that we would choose him too. This was the first time he came, not with force, but with the gentleness of an infant.

But the second time will be different. The second time, it will be sudden, and no one will miss it. Almighty God will open the gate of heaven, and Jesus will burst forth as a king, riding triumphant on a white stallion (not a donkey this time), with the armies of heaven following. Our great conquering king will destroy his enemies once and for all, waging and winning a holy war and ruling over all his people. Then he will reveal to a world that has rejected him that he truly is KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. He will be absolutely sovereign over all people — the lost and the saved — and every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that he is who we accept and claim that he is — Jesus, Christ, Lord.

Are you ready to meet your King?

Christmas is incomplete without Easter.

Christmas is great. It is my favorite season of the year. But as great as Christmas is, for the Christian, the love story of a God who so loved sinners that he gave his only Son to bear the brunt of God’s wrath so that sinners can be transformed into sinners is incomplete without the cross and the empty tomb.

Christmas – Christ’s coming – didn’t happen by accident, nor in isolation. God willed it from the beginning of time. God knew he would provide a way for sinners to be saved.

I don’t know who wrote this but I find this meaningful and wanted to share it with you:

Easter begins at Christmas. Joy to the world! For unto us a child is born; unto us a Son is given. Away in a manger. Silent night. This is where it begins. And yet we know the rest of the story. This baby was born for one primary purpose: to die.

Surely Mary and Joseph would have been worried, as all first-time parents are, that their newborn would be healthy. They probably experienced relief that he survived his unorthodox birth and lived to his eighth day when they could present him in the temple. And, though they had not been told exactly what it meant, they believed the angel’s words — that this baby would somehow save his people from their sins. The angel did not tell them that he would cause trouble. And so it must have come as some shock to hear the words of the old man Simeon. Their son, their only son, whom they loved, would bring pain. People would say terrible things against him. As Jesus grew, he understood this, hinting to his friends that his destiny would not be a pleasant one. But they failed to understand. Eventually, he stated it explicitly. He would be condemned and murdered, but he would return. One of his closest friends shouted, “Never!” But Jesus was resolute. This Christmas baby was born to be subjected to brutality and humiliation. He would lay down his life so that he could bring eternal life to us all. Joy to the world, indeed. (Author Unknown)

Merry Christmas and Happy Easter!

I saw the following on a friend’s (Jackie Jewell) post that I wanted to share with you.

There was a moment when Moses had the nerve to ask God what his name is. God was gracious enough to answer, and the name he gave is recorded in the original Hebrew as YHWH.

Over time we’ve arbitrarily added an “a” and an “e” in there to get YaHWeH, presumably because we have a preference for vowels.

But scholars and Rabbi’s have noted that the letters YHWH represent breathing sounds, or aspirated consonants. When pronounced without intervening vowels, it actually sounds like breathing.

YH (inhale): WH (exhale).

So a baby’s first cry, his first breath, speaks the name of God.

A deep sigh calls his name – or a groan or gasp that is too heavy for mere words.

Even an atheist would speak his name, unaware that their very breath is giving constant acknowledgment to God.

Likewise, a person leaves this earth with their last breath, when God’s name is no longer filling their lungs.

So when I can’t utter anything else, is my cry calling out his name?

Being alive means I speak his name constantly. So, is it heard the loudest when I’m the quietest?

In sadness, we breathe heavy sighs.

In joy, our lungs feel almost like they will burst.

In fear we hold our breath and have to be told to breathe slowly to help us calm down.

When we’re about to do something hard, we take a deep breath to find our courage.

When I think about it, breathing is giving him praise. Even in the hardest moments!

This is so beautiful and fills me with emotion every time I grasp the thought. God chose to give himself a name that we can’t help but speak every moment we’re alive.

All of us, always, everywhere.

Waking, sleeping, breathing, with the name of God on our lips.

• Unknown Author