“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6 NKJV
“Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.”
Matthew 19:13-15 NKJV
Such is the Kingdom of Heaven
The Lord’s ways are not our ways. If I were God, I would have come into this dimension with fire and the full might of Heaven, ready to rule and reign by force of will. But His ways are not my ways.
The Lord, sent His Only Begotten Son, not as the Second of the Godhead, but as an innocent baby. Reflecting on the other appearances of the Son, the various christophonies of the of the Lord Jesus, coming in the power of the Angel of the Lord, the coming of the baby Jesus in abject humility was far more radical than anyone could imagine.
Reading through Matthew chapter nineteen this morning, I encountered the familiar passage where the Lord Jesus welcomes the little children. The disciples had tried to Rebuke them, but the Lord received them, for such are the Kingdom of God.
Though none knew it, Jesus was establishing for human minds, the true nature of the Kingdom of God. The kingdom of man is won by force of arms, and maintained by brute force. In the culture of the time, children were but expendable, for they were used in many ways that did not respect their personhood.
Children were sacrificed to idols, they were often unloved, they were used as slaves working hours that would kill grown men, and there was little concern ever given them. But here, on this woeful planet, corrupted by Adam’s sin, devoid of human love, the Lord Jesus was born, brought into the world as one most vulnerable.
Even at His birth, He was made a target of evil men.
“Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.”
Matthew 2:16 NKJV
Things have not gotten better for children, for they are still being sacrificed, not now upon the altar of Molech, but upon the altar of self as countless women abort their babies for convenience sake.
Additionally, the world is all about robbing children of their innocence, drowning them in a cesspool of filth and things to which they should not be exposed.
Brothers and sisters, on this Christmas season, let us reflect on the baby Jesus not as a mere infant in a manger, but as the bringer of a radical paradigm shift brought on by His invasion of the earth from heaven.
The Lord Jesus brought the justice of God to us, for He who was offended, paid for the sins of those who brought offense. He came to pay a sin debt that He did not owe, for people most guilty and deeply indebted to sin, who could not possibly pay.
He came to us as an innocent, vulnerable, to live as one of us. When I began this work so long ago, now three years, I wrote that I could not get my head around the idea that the God of the Universe would become a man and lay aside the glory He knew with the Father.
Let us make sure that we are teaching our children about Jesus this Christmas, that we are also living as those redeemed. Just like the cross, the manger is empty, for the Lord is not an icon, but an active God. Let us take the story from the night so long ago, to the here and now, making sure that those that the Lord has given us know of Jesus.
Granted, we cannot govern what they do with this information, for life is filled with choices, but we can get them off to a good start.
“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Proverbs 22:6 NKJV
I tell you the truth, I departed from the path that my mother tried to set before me, but she gave me daily reminders. She asked daily “ did you read your bible, did you pray?” She put eternal, holy bread crumbs along my way, and she prayed, relentlessly.
My people, suffer the little children to come unto the Lord. Do not neglect the preaching and teaching of the word of God in the home, for I guarantee you, they will not hear it in the world.
May we live before those who are watching us as humble, with love as our guide. We are being watched by many who are even now making eternal decisions.
Make this Christmas special, for they will see beyond the presents and the wrapping paper, the true meaning of the season: that Heaven has come to earth.
“And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!””
Luke 2:1-14 NKJV
“Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.””
Revelation 1:7-8 NKJV
Have a most blessed Christmas morning!
#prayfortheharvest
#prayforthepersecuted
#prayforthepeaceofIsrael
#prayforthegospeltospreadeverywhere
Musings from an idle mind 
Or God, it is truly the beginning in the end. Praying along with you for the children, Bernie. Thank you.
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