Good morning Lord Jesus, pour Your Spirit into my heart to allow me to poor into others.
“For so loved God the world, His only begotten Son He gave, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16
As we reflect back on the birth of Christ and Christmas, and look ahead to the coming New Year, remember God’s complete desire--that of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is for us to be one with him, and as importantly, one with each other (John 17:11). The Casting Crowns lyrics come into my head. “Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth, would care to know my name, would care to feel my hurt.” But as hard as it may seem sometimes, He does! At Christmas, in and through Christ we see God’s desire to know us and be known by us. Our relationship with our God is not like that of other religions of one of master to slave. Or like the beliefs of others of a vague form of deism where God is “out there”, detached, and impersonally directing the universe. Our God, The God, desires an intimate relationship with us, one in which we know and desire Him intimately as well. Jesus tells us, “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends (Joh 15:15). How remarkable is that! “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Gen 1:27 ESV) How amazing is that when you wrap your head around it!!
And God Proved his desire to have an intimate relationship with us, to be one with him, through the incarnation of His Son, Jesus the Christ. God sent the Son to be born of a woman. He walked this earth, lived our life, bore our sins, carried our cross, suffered, was crucified, died, descended into hell, and was raised from the dead to create and restore a path, a way for us to an intimate, loving relationship with a God. Our God who intimately, madly, loves us. SOOOO LOVED GOD THE WORLD, (you and I ), that he sent His Son to demonstrate it. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)
However, The works of Jesus on the cross and the salvation and oneness with God it made available to us is not the end into itself. Jesus’ hope is for our oneness and intimacy with him to be an “unto” something else. Jesus tells us,
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. You are my friends if you do what I command you. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. As God sent me into the world, so I have sent you into the world. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” (John 15:8, 9, 14,12; 17:1). Our relationship of oneness and intimacy with Jesus is completed through a relationship of oneness and intimacy with our neighbors.
My family, I pray today you will reflect on your relationship with Jesus? Is it one of a deep embrace, oneness and intimacy? What is your relationship with your neighbors? As the new year approaches, What is your plan to seek intimacy and fall deeply into a more loving relationship with Jesus making possible a more loving relationship with you neighbors in 2023? In Jesus’name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers in the comment box below.
Partner with us Before the year ends!
As we close out the year, if you have the ability to be generous, I invite you tp partner with me and One Direction Community to support our ministries. My wife Nancy and I are in a new season of our ministry of pouring completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods, and having “boots on the ground” serving in our community.. Please pray over this season in my life and that of my family. We would be so grateful for your one time gift or monthly support. Thank you!
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