December 2002

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Brethren, two medical emergencies have beset my family that take me out of town over the holidays. I seek your prayers for Father’s Perfect Will in these grave situations; and also for safe travel in wintry road conditions. I ask Father’s blessing on all remembrances of the birth of His dear Son, the Savior of the world!

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Christ:
The Landscape of Life

Part Fifty-Three

“LO and BEHOLD”

“Guarding our garments” (R)

             Isa 61:10-11, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; and my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed [Heb 3847 “wrapped”] me with the garments of Salvation; and has covered me with the robe of Righteousness; as a Bridegroom (Christ) decks himself with ornaments; and as a Bride (Church) adorns herself with jewels! For as the earth (man’s flesh) brings forth her bud; and the garden (man’s heart) causes the seeds sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God shall cause Righteousness and Praise to spring forth before all the nations!”
              I believe these prophetic Words resounded in the infant heart of Jesus Christ- although He could not speak them forth from His stable manger in Bethlehem. I believe He knew, even then, He was no ordinary mortal; and His longsuffering in the hidden place of men’s hearts was ending! Now His heavenly Father was revealing Him as the “Savior of all men” (1 Ti 4:10)! The news was so earth-shaking; so world-changing, that three kings rode from far lands with a common mission: to worship the KING OF ALL KINGS! These potentates didn’t bring priceless treasures to just “another savior of some”- like Noah, Moses and Gideon! No, they came to fall at the feet of the SAVIOR OF ALL!! Likewise the Angel of the Lord did not appear to “shepherds who watched their flock by night”; nor did “the Glory of the Lord shine all about them, making them so afraid”; just to introduce “another savior of some”!! Every authorized Scriptural translation agrees that, “Father sent His Son, the Savior of the world”(1 Jn 4:14); yet church systems reject this priceless pearl of Truth!
              How hollow are Christmas traditions that misinterpret Lk 2:11 as, “To you this day, in the city of David (lit, Love), Christ the Lord is born the Savior...of some, not all!” But Mary lovingly wrapped the body of her Miracle Son in earthly rags of humility, just as God lovingly wrapped the spirit of His Miracle Son in heavenly garments of Salvation! Sad to see professing believers try to strip away God’s swaddling clothes of Saving Anointing from His Son! How shallow is any celebration of His Birth to those “having a form of godliness; but denying the Power thereof!” (2 Tim 3:5) But let me propose this food for thought:

What good is RESURRECTION POWER if it cannot raise up A-L-L who are equally dead in trespasses and sins?!! (Eph 2:1)

Eph 2:5-7 says, “EVEN WHEN WE WERE STILL DEAD IN SINS, HE HAS QUICKENED US TOGETHER WITH CHRIST (you are saved by Grace- not human effort); AND RAISED US TOGETHER; AND MADE US SIT TOGETHER ‘IN CHRIST JESUS’ IN HIS HEAVENLY PLACES; SO THAT, IN THE AGES TO COME, HE WILL BE ABLE TO EXHIBIT THE EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE AND KINDNESS TOWARD US ALL THROUGH CHRIST JESUS!”

             Jesus Christ was no ordinary baby that grew up to be a “Godly man” like Abraham, Isaac or David! This HOLY SEED- this WORD OF GOD- called Himself RESURRECTION LIFE! It was of Him the prophet Isaiah said, “My Word shall not return to Me void; but shall accomplish what I sent Him to do!” (Isa 55:11) And exactly what did God send His Word to do? To become “The Repairer of the breach” (Isa 58:12) that existed between God and all sons of Adam; so they could “obtain Salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Th 5:9) For this reason, “God sent His Son NOT TO CONDEMN THE WORLD (for it was already condemned to carnal-minded death); but that THE WORLD, THROUGH HIM, COULD BE SAVED!” (Jn 3:17) It was this Promise of the whole earth’s redemption that was conceived and born of the virgin Mary! This Pledge of the garments of salvation to all men received honor from highborn kings and lowly shepherds alike! And this Plighted Troth from the Bridegroom Christ to His Church Bride makes me celebrate His Blessed Birth every day of the year; not just on one day set aside by organized religion. I honor all who worship Christ in their hearts at this special time of the year and enjoy the beautiful carols that exalt His Name and His Birth; but I know “THIS (today) is the day the Lord has made; so I am glad and rejoice in it!” (Ps 118:24) For, “TODAY IS THE DAY OF SALVATION”; (Heb 3:13) and Jesus Christ, Himself, IS every man’s Day of Salvation; “each in his own order!” (1 Cor 15:23)

[TO BE CONTINUED]