This is Old Testament mountain shaking glory. Shekinah glory. The glory that drives a person to the ground in awe. Sin breaking glory. Paralyzing glory.
It's the glory that breaks into our little cubbyhole world and shatters it into pieces.
It's the glory that leaves us forever changed.
Luke 2:9 (AMP) - "And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord flashed and shone all about them, and they were terribly frightened."
Flashed. Shined. Enveloped. Surrounded.
Consumed.
Yeah...that's it. Consumed.
I saw the glory of God like that almost 27 years ago. It was the night my old me was consumed by the fire of God. As sure as the fire of heaven burned and licked up every element of the altar built to Baal, so was my dead sinful spirit was laid waste and replaced with a new creation.
I saw the presence, power, and purity of Christ that night and I have never been the same again.
Consumed.
Listen to me here. Anyone who sees Jesus becomes consumed. If you really see Him. I'm not talking about sitting in a pew for 30 years and listening to one sermon after another. I'm talking about Shepherds crawling to the manger awestruck blown away type seeing Jesus.
Christmas. In December. In July. In March.
Whenever the glory of God shows up and points to Jesus it's a Christ new birth type celebration in the truest sense of the term.
Christmas is about New Birth. It's about Incarnation. Hope. Love. Joy. Peace. Mercy.
Good grief...I'm getting blessed right now thinking about it!
Christmas everyday!
We spend so much time "gearing up" for the one "special day", that when we collapse on Christmas morning amidst the mountain of wrapping paper and empty cardboard boxes, we cannot ignore the emptiness. Gifts that are only 10 minutes old are already discarded in favor of Sponge Bob on TV. What was that we were trying to accomplish exactly? I challenge you this year...no...I dare you this year to find the Glory of God in the midst of that.
I guarantee, that if society, yes sadly, even the Church, could discover that as being the secret of happiness then every day would be Black Friday!
Thank the Lord I have found THE Secret!
It's not in Christmas. It's in Christ. I'll keep saying it until people get it.
I hope this is a revelation to some. There is great freedom in this. There is a release from guilt for not being able to provide a proper "faux Christmas" for your loved ones. There is a reconstitution of true Christmas spirit in this. PEACE, my friends, sweet and glorious PEACE. I have gladly exchanged everything for it. Don't you miss it for the exchange of your soul to the credit card company for a joy that lasted 10 minutes.
The peace that passes all understanding is a mystery for many. I happen to have it and it is your good fortune that I will share with you how you can have it. Oh, I'm not necessarily speaking of salvation, you can be saved and still have peace allude you. Perhaps I'm even speaking about that particularly. The world, and yes even the Church in places, has no peace. There is a very simple reason for it. You may be shocked at how you've missed it.
Until then...I am...
...Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
www.reallifect.com
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