It happened suddenly. In the night while we were watching over our sheep. Out in the fields and under the stars. Suddenly an angel appeared and stood before us! A mysterious, glorious light seemed to surround us, lighting the grass and rocks around us like it was day. The light was so bright we could not see the stars in the night sky. It was as if another realm had opened up to us. A realm where there was no night. We were afraid. We had never seen anything like this before. But then the angel spoke! His voice crystal clear and strong, he said to us: “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord!” Born for you? Born for us? Those words seemed to explode inside all of us that night. A Savior born for me?
Then it happened again! Suddenly! But this time on a grander scale! Suddenly there appeared behind the one angel thousands of angels! The light intensified and spread even further around us under the power of the glow. We lifted up our eyes and as far as we could see there were rows and rows of angels stretching up into the sky and on both sides of us! It was like we were looking through a door, a portal, to another world! In one powerful voice they all sang a song! They sang: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased!” Then they all slowly faded out of sight and the darkness of night was once again around us. But this time the stars seemed different. This time the darkness did not seem so dark. This time we were not afraid! We fell to the ground shouting, laughing, stunned! A Savior for us? God is pleased with us? What does this mean? The angel told us where we would find Him. The newborn. We raced down the hill like kids playing a game. And not far from the fields we found Him. In a manger, a feeding trough, wrapped in cloths, just as the angel said. Joseph and Mary looked up at us puzzled. We just knelt. And we cried. We were not even sure why we were crying. The joy we felt was almost too much to bear. Joseph and Mary seemed to understand. A Savior was born for us. For us. The world would never be the same again. Our world would never be the same again.
What those shepherds experienced that night would forever change thier lives and even the world around them. God had come. Emmanuel. This One. This Son would be given for us. God loved the world so much that He gave us His only begotten Son. It would be this One who would take away the sin of the world. This One would remove the only thing that keeps God and men apart. He would not just cover sin. This One would take it away. No wonder the angel said he had good news to bring! Imagine living on earth for the rest of your days in union with God Himself and your sins not being counted by God anymore. Not counted anymore. Ever. At all. Imagine being able to live in the Presence of God every second of every minute of every hour of every day and your sins of the past, present and even those not yet committed in your future are not even considered by God! Good news! Those shepherds were suddenly shown something God had been planning for a long time. Since before creation. In the fullness of time He came to put away sin. Jesus was born to die that we might be born again. It was planned long ago but it is revealed suddenly. It can happen to anyone. Suddenly. Only believe.
(II Corinthians 5:19-21)
And Jesus began to proclaim the arrival of the Kingdom of God, saying, ” Change the way you are thinking (repent) and change how you think about things because another world is here now within reach of all who will believe. My Father’s realm has come. Heaven is here now on on Earth for all who will believe. Those who believe will see the Kingdom of Heaven. Unless you are born from above you cannot see the Kingdom of God, but if you believe in Me you will be born again of the Spirit. This other realm is the Spirit and shall be within you. In this realm called the Kingdom of the beloved Son, sin is no longer counted or remembered, only God’s righteousness is counted and remembered. In this new world is the continual joy and peace of God Himself.” For the Kingdom of God is in the Spirit, within you. There you will find righteousness, peace, and His joy. And now, in union with Jesus, all that He is and has is yours. In Him, in this other world you have His righteousness His peace and His joy. He who has received this abundant grace and the gift of His righteousness shall reign in His life and on this Earth. As Jesus said, “I leave with you my peace and my joy, not as this world gives but the peace and joy that I have in Me apart from this world. In this world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer for I have overcome this world and I have translated you from this world into My world, into my Kingdom. My righteousness is your righteousness. This is the incredible glad tidings and good news of the Kingdom of Heaven to all who believe on Me.”
I had a recent conversation with a fellow saint that I wanted to share with you all.
Question:
“Hi Saint James,
I am having difficulty seeing the finished work in terms of letting His grace flow through me while I serve. Could you please tell me which sermon I can listen to to have more revelation. Much appreciated. ”
Answer:
Thanks for your question. Which sermon? Probably any one will do. Serving the Lord is all about resting in Him so that He can live through us and continue His service to the Father. In Galatians 2:20 Paul writes that it is not us but Christ that lives through us. That is a common thread in all my messages.
Read again the passage in the gospels where Martha is busily serving but Mary is seemingly not serving. Read again what Jesus said about that scene. Mary was resting in His presence.
We no longer serve God after the letter of the law, but rather we serve God after the newness of the Spirit, Romans 7 tells us. Love compels us to serve and it is no burden.
Do you doubt that God’s way of grace as revealed in the finished work of Christ will produce true service? If so, doubt no more. He knows what He is doing. Resting in Him will release His power in us to serve Him. We will produce “fruit that remains” if we serve Him through His strength. Do you believe this? As Paul said, “I labored more than them all (referring to the other apostles), yet not I, but the grace of God in me labored.”
Do you see it?
James
Response:
Hi James,
Thanks for your reply. Yes, i doubt but praise Jesus, by His grace, he is starting to make me believe. i feel like the guy that said yes i believe oh help me in my unbelief. By His grace, when i started to worry or fear, i meditate on that He is my very present help in time of need… whom shall i fear? And i started to feel better. May this seed grow into a tree that cant be plucked out! Also resting when hearing sermons.
Thanks…
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)
