"everything comes alive in my life as i lift you up"
these are words of a song that we sing at church; and these words were very true tonight in the closing moments of service. we are in the middle of a series on the 3 main characters in the Christmas story. tonight's focus was on joseph and pastor brought out many interesting points and asked some hard questions, all things we can learn from the life of joseph. i took lots of notes and would love to share but thats not where my heart is right now. it was when the worship team returned to the platform and we began to sing a song about Jesus death and ressurection that i got swept off my feet!
at first my mind couldn't comprehend the change from Christmas to Easter and then i stood there with tears in my eyes as i gloried in the wonder of the cross. i stood with my arms outstretched, singing the words, "Christ is risen from the dead, overcoming death by death, come awake, come awake, come and rise up from the dead," worshiping this Child who came for the sole purpose of dying for MY sins. i thought of how He lay in that manger and knew what His purpose was.
i enjoyed a special time of communion following this awakening. my Jesus, who's birth the world is preparing to celebrate, willingly laid down His life for me and asked that we remember His death until He comes again. it was an honor to kneel in His presence and dine.
i have heard the Christmas story time and time again. in fact i am sure i could quote many parts of the story though i've never attempted to memorize it but tonight it came alive to me again.
2 comments:
From the same worship service I realize we truly cannot fully comprehend the wonder and mystery of the manger until we look to the cross and marvel at the wonder of Christ's strength as He bore the weight of all sin for all eternity; and yet the story of the babe did not end there for the wonderment continues as we wait for his return to bring us home as His bride much like Joseph was expected to in the culture of the day when he was to go prepare the place for he and Mary to live together. Yet, as I had never realized until tonight, Joseph broke that tradition by taking Mary with him as his betrothed and accepted the responsibility of the pregnancy that was God's and the role of protector of the infant, God's son. I was truly amazed at the intricate and intertwining details within that story if the manger. It truly is a love story between God and man; his children and He sent His own son as a little babe to be the center of it all. Amazing!
I love how God will speak so clearly to 2 different people in completely different ways durng the same service! God's love for us is so very vast.
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