Wait, Christmas isn’t over! No, I’m not referring to the fact that it’s officially a white Christmas in Charlotte for the first time in over 50 years, and most of us are enjoying a snowed-in Christmas weekend (or maybe not enjoying it so much ; ) I’m also not referring to the fact that “Day After” Christmas shopping frenzies have yet to fully kick in. I’m also not referring to those pesky neighbors who stubbornly refuse to take their Christmas lights down, even after Valentine’s Day.

I guess I’m referring to a spiritual reality that we so easily miss this time of the year. Enjoying friends and family, food and celebration… and yes, gifts, is a great part of the Christmas holiday. But it’s so easy in all the hustle and bustle, and Christmas carols, and infinite reruns of “Elf” on television to just miss that one phenomenal, earth-shaking Truth that humbly beckons for our attention.

“Immanuel”. “God with us.” This was a prophetic promise given to God’s people by the prophet Isaiah, hundreds of years before Jesus showed up. As someone who has studied other religious and spiritual belief systems, and has even now taught about them at a college level, the magnitude of this simple Hebrew word is absolutely unique to Christian spirituality. At the center of Christian faith is the unapologetically crazy claim that God, Who created the universe, actually entered into space and time and took upon Himself the form of a human body. And Jesus didn’t merely claim to be God (as many have done since then), but He demonstrated His power in miracles, in absolute perfection, and the most amazing gift of His own sacrificial death and bodily resurrection. Jesus was God. Jesus IS God. Jesus Is God With Us – Immanuel.

I was recently reading John 14-16 – Jesus’ last intimate moments with His closest followers on the eve of His crucifixion. In this passage Jesus makes a statement that is both reassuring and frightening at the same time. He says:

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

“Abide”. It’s another good word. It means “to remain, continue, to dwell with”. Jesus is not inviting His followers (and us) to a mere religious exercise. He is inviting us to BE WITH HIM. To remain, to set up a tent and hang out with Him…always. It’s a beautiful promise – that we’re never alone – and it’s also a dangerous calling. Only by being with HIM – constantly – do we experience true transformation, true meaning in life, and true spiritual fruit that affects and changes other people’s lives.
And here’s the really cool thing about it – Jesus is good on this promise because He is Immanuel. Don’t miss this! HE ALREADY BREACHED THE GAP AND CAME TO BE WITH US. We can abide in Him, because He already came to abide with us!

I’m absolutely serious, this powerful spiritual truth is completely unique to Jesus. This is why in the same passage He tells His followers “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through me”.

Jesus wasn’t JUST a baby born in a manger. For the first time in the history of the universe, the living and eternal God took on flesh and blood, became a man, and entered into our broken, sinful, messed up reality. He did this to save us. He did this because He loves us. He did this because He is and will always be “Immanuel – God with us”.

Will you answer His invitation to abide with Him? Will you allow “God with us” to truly be “God with you”? Whatever you are struggling with – whether suffocating sinful habits, deep depression, rejection, loneliness, or perpetual self-centeredness – abiding with Jesus is the cure. In fact, it’s the ONLY cure. Jesus wants to be with you and to change your life, and in so doing to change the lives of others around you. Will you allow Him to truly lead your life? I hope and pray that you do.

Christmas isn’t over. True Christmas is every day. It is dwelling with Jesus and allowing this powerful truth to rock every facet of your life.
May your entire life be touched and changed by Immanuel – Grace and Peace to you in Jesus’ name.

Jeremy

This is a slightly longer thought today – but there’s an amazing story in here you just have to read – so, grab a snack, a coffee, whatever – and read on : )

What’s the most money you’ve ever spent on a Bible?  What’s the greatest humiliation or discomfort you’ve ever suffered for actually carrying a Bible…or reading it, for that matter?

These are a few questions I found myself struggling with lately.  Let’s face it, for those of us who call ourselves Christ-followers, and claim to follow the Scriptures, how much effort, time, and passion do we actually invest in knowing and living the Words of God?  I don’t aim to make you feel guilty here…believe me, if guilt is being passed out, I should be the first to raise my hand!  It’s just that, I’m afraid we take for granted what a tremendous gift we have in the Scriptures!  Let me share a story I read recently in Ravi Zacharias’ book , “Walking from East to West:  God in the Shadows”.  (excellent book by the way!)

In this account, Ravi shares the account of a dear friend of his, a Vietnamese translator who served with Ravi as he preached the Gospel to thousands of GIs and others during the Vietnam War.  Ravi shares that after Vietnam fell, this friend was captured by the Vietcong and imprisoned and tortured for being a “collaborator” with the CIA (because he was serving missionaries!).  His captors repeatedly beat him, forced him to clean latrines, and tried to brainwash him into believing there is no God.  Eventually, he began to believe them, and vowed never to pray again.  Then something unexpected happened:

“…the commanding officer of the prison barked out the assignments for the day.  Hien was to clean the latrines.  He cringed when he heard it.  It was the ultimate form of indignity for the prisoners.  The latrines were the absolute dregs of human filth, and Hien spent the entire day in those inhospitable surroundings.”

“His final task was to empty the trash cans, which were filled with soiled toilet paper.  All day long, he labored with reminders to himself –‘No God Today’.  But as his work was coming to an end, something in the last trash can happened to catch his eye.  It was a piece of paper with printed type.  As Hien looked closer, he saw it was in English.  Hungry to read this language again, he looked around to make sure nobody was watching.  He hastily rinsed off the filth and tucked the paper into his pocket.”

“That night, after everyone had fallen asleep, he carefully took out his flashlight and removed the still damp paper from his pocket.  In the upper right-hand corner of the page were the words ‘Romans 8.’”

“The Bible.”

“Hien, in a state of shock, began reading.”

“’And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.’”

“He read on.”

“’What, then, shall we say in response to this?  If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?  Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? …Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?…No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height not depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

“Hien began crying.  Of all the Scripture verses he had known, these were the ones he most needed to hear, and now they had come back to him.  ‘Lord,’ he realized, ‘you would not let me out of your reach for even one day.’  He turned over in his bed that night and prayed.”

Ravi goes on tell how Hien asked the camp commander the next morning if he could continue cleaning the latrines.  Thinking he was either crazy or arrogant, he assigned him to indefinite latrine duty.  EVERY DAY, Hien would pull from the trash cans pages from the Bible that the commanding officer had been ripping out to use as toilet paper.  EVERY DAY, Hien washed the pages and carefully tucked them away and used them for evening devotionals.

WOW.

How truly desperate are we for the Words of God?  Would you dig through filthy soiled toilet paper to find God’s Word?  For Hien, it was a matter of spiritual life and death….maybe even physical life and death.  Ravi Zacharias goes on to share about Hien’s miraculous release and eventual escape to freedom.  Because Hien treasured God’s Word that much, He was able to hear God’s active leading in some very critical moments of life.

I’d like to challenge you on two levels.  First, the Romans 8 challenge.  What an incredible promise! Do you truly believe God’s got you in His hands, NO MATTER WHAT?  If you have accepted Him as your Savior, and your Leader, He has promised that by His strength you can overcome ANYthing life throws at you.  If you cherish Him and His Word above all else, He will make you “more than a conqueror”.

And that’s really the Second challenge too.  Have you truly made Him your Savior and the Leader of your life?  Jesus can forgive any sin, and He can redeem any life.  He is in the business of making all things new – including you.  You can trust His Word – it is reliable, it is accurate, it is powerful, living, and dynamic.  The voice of Jesus is as real and powerful through the Scriptures today, as it was when He actually spoke two thousand years ago.  He is still transforming lives by His spoken words.

You may not be in a prisoner of war camp.  But you are in a real spiritual battle every day, whether you see it or not.  Guess what your greatest weapon is in this battle?   You bet – The Word of God.   (check out Matthew 4 for an example of Jesus using the Scriptures to fight off temptations from Satan).

Let’s get desperate for God’s Word.  Let’s live in the reality Jesus is calling us to – the supernatural reality of transformed lives overcoming darkness and sin by the explosive power of Jesus’ Words.  There really is no other way to truly live.

In HIM< (sustained by His Powerful Word)

Jeremy

P.S. – another resource for you:  if you’re interested in more from Ravi Zacharias, visit his website at www.rzim.org