Christmas This Year

 God has given us so much.  

Christmas being the pinnacle of His Giving of His Son, Jesus Christ, "in the fullness of time..." to come live here on earth, fully man and fully God.  

The Lord Jesus Christ, the object of our...

The substance of our ....

The example of perfect...

He is the Reason we celebrate with food, family, friends....

 And the reason that the Enemy of our Souls, the temporary ruler of this world tries with all his defeated power to distract, destroy, steal and kill from God's Glory.  This 2011 Christmas season brought great loss in a dear friends family.  Such a horrific loss that it felt like the very breath was taken out of me upon hearing the news.  As I processed this loss, I found myself getting angry at the evil intent of the Enemy.  I know God, through Christ has overcome death and its sting, and Believers don't grieve as the world grieves: we still grieve, with Hope.  

I felt angry that in this time, this "Christmas" season, because it seems that the enemy will do everything and anything to take our gaze, our hearts, our minds and our focus off of God's Amazing Gift of Christ - where Salvation and Life are authored and perfected.  Whether that be through traditions of men or horrific acts which snuff out precious life: physical, emotional or mental or all of the above.

It's the first time I have ever felt angry at Christmas.  I believe it was a good anger, a righteous anger.  I don't want to ever miss God.  I don't want anything, no matter how good, or shiny, or promising, or personally gratifying or disappointing, to take away, belittle, distract, or destroy God in my life, nor in the lives of others.   We are in a battle, whether we want to admit it or not and we are KEY players on this earth.  He has already WON the Victory; He leads us in Triumph.  In the mean time, gloriously inspite of us, He works GOOD, Miraculously, through the stuff that leaves me shaken, ashamed, guilty, and unworthy.  Only the God of Heaven and Earth, the Lord Almighty, can do that!

"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”