I am always challenged at this time of the year to know what is HIS heart during this season when we supposedly are to be putting “Christ back into ‘Christmas’”. In order to “do” just that it pre-supposes that we have a true grasp of what Christmas is (and isn’t) AND that we have a revelation of Christ. All the wise men knew was that they saw a sign in the heavens which the prophecies reportedly indicated that a new king had been born. They sought for a king. They wanted to witness for themselves whether the sign was true and be the first to pay homage to the King. They followed the sign, paid the cost, and in seeking Him out, they obtained what they were looking for. Their efforts were not in vain, but did they have a revelation of Who Jesus really was and His full reason for coming?
We are urged to seek HIM also, and it is promised that, if we DO seek for Him, with all of our heart, He WILL be found. And, in finding HIM, we will have found the greatest treasure in heaven and in earth. Like the kings of old, if we are wise, we too will seek hard after Him!
But there is much more to seeking Him than looking for, and celebrating the birth of a historical Jesus, as great as it was that He came to earth. May I reminds us all that HE never once asks us to celebrate or even remember His birth. Christians the world over make such a huge deal about “Christmas” and go to great lengths to make sure we cannot be accused of being a “scrooge”; someone who selfishly avoids or criticizes the idea of giving during the festive season of “Christmas”. The scripture says the Lord loves a cheerful (happy, spontaneous) giver… one who gives WITHOUT OBLIGATION. The moment we enter into giving because an obligation to give is placed upon us, it is no longer giving “from the heart”, and God, Who is the biggest and best giver of us all, is no longer blessed by our “giving”.
Wise men still seek Him and in finding Him they receive (are given) Him… The King of kings! He comes and lives and abides within. HE becomes the giver of Life… to us, in us and through us to others. He IS a Life-GIVING Spirit and if we have truly sought Him out and have found Him, and have received Him into our hearts, we have received the GIVER OF LIFE, right within US! What greater gift can we possibly give one another, but HIS LIFE! …To literally give HIM to someone else, so that they too can receive the greatest gift ever given, is to give of ourselves, as He exemplified.
To truly seek HIM is to seek His kingdom (His rule in our hearts) and His righteousness (His right way of doing things), FIRST and CONTINUALLY in ALL situations and circumstances where we have the ability to do so. This seeking, however, is costly! It will cost us our pride, our self-determination, our desire to “do-it-MY-way”…. Ultimately it will cost us our all, even our very lives. But that is precisely what He is after…. OUR LIFE! It is a divine exchange…. Our life for His
He takes our life… ALL of our hopes, ALL of our fears, ALL of our wants and desires, ALL of our issues and problems, ALL of our worries, illness and pain, ALL of the things of this world… and in exchange… He gives us Himself!
He gives us freedom… from the power of the law of sin and death!
He gives us Joy, which becomes our strength to endure life’s hardships.
He gives us His divine provision so we will never go hungry or unclothed.
He gives us a knowledge of the Truth in everything we see and hear allowing us to sort out the many confusing voices in the world.
He gives us peace because the Prince of Peace dwells within and because…
He has given us His forgiveness we can fellowship with Him ALWAYS, even when we have committed the “worst” sin….
He never pushes us from His presence, or withdraws Himself from us.
He gives us His love… for us, AND His love through us for others, even for those who are not easily loved.
He gives us His Spirit of Wisdom that we can navigate life’s decisions and issues.
He gives us talents and creativity with which we can be an inspiration and blessing to others.
He gives us power over our own propensity to sin (miss the mark).
And, as was mentioned already, He gives us His divine LIFE!
WOW!… hardly a fair exchange wouldn’t you say?
So, if we truly are going to put Christ back into “Christmas”, we will commit to living HIS life, and seeking HIS kingdom and HIS righteousness EVERY day of the year. AND, that we put aside, in our hearts, this obligatory holiday of “Christmas” and in it’s place we ought to celebrate, appropriate and experience (the TRUE meaning of ) the feasts He does desire…
and Tabernacles
namely…. Christ IN us (mas), our hope of glory
I pray you will be blessed with His life through this season and throughout the coming year/s, and that we will all have the grace to seek HIM and HIS kingdom knowing that as we do, ALL these things are added unto us.
Posted by provision147 
