Greetings in the name – the name above every other name, Jesus Christ – THE Risen Saviour! What a beautiful morning in the Kingdom…I trust that you are appreciating the bright sunshine! There is much going on in our world, and much in our own world. I will be praying for you today, asking Father to reassure you of who He is and what He is able to do!
This is a significant day on the “church calendar” – it is called: “Epiphany” and celebrates the day when the Wise Men first met Jesus and recognized Him as Jesus Christ…”Immanuel.” What a moment in time! We have read the story many times over the years and so know that because of angelic intervention, these Wise Men returned to their home by a “different route.” We have learned that that phrase is rich in spiritual insight…for no one who encounters Jesus as Immanuel can ever return to their daily routines-their comfort zone-their home country the “same way” – their lives will be altered.
And that is what – Epiphany – is all about. The definition of “Epiphany” that we have adopted, both in the church and in the world, is “a sudden and profound understanding of something that brings change to a life, a vision, a dream, a goal, a destiny. Now, just because “Epiphany” is there doesn’t mean we all experience it or even understand it when we do. We spend much time in the land of “In Between.” I came across this verse: He ( Abram ) moved on from there to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent between Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. He built an altar there and prayed to God. Genesis 12:8 The Message. In the text Bethel represents “God” and Ai represents “the world.” The “in between place” represents the place of waiting-wondering-wanting to be sure of one direction before letting go of the other.
I have a belief that “Epiphany” happens when we seek it, as did the Wise Men seeking Jesus, and not when we simply “wait” while we are distracted by the world. I am reminded of the man who on a very dark night is walking around a street lamp. As he seemed to be looking for something, a passerby asked, “What are you looking for?” – “I am looking for my car keys,” said the man. – “Is that the area that you lost them in?” asks the passerby. – “No!” says the man, “I lost them over there” as he points to a dark area outside the scope of the street lamp. – “Why are you looking here then?” asks the passerby. – “Because,” said the man, “the light is here not there!”
Experiencing an “Epiphany” requires one to move, by faith, away from the safe and predictable. It means venturing into new areas, making changes, having a desire for the ‘extraordinary’, going against the flow of what is traditional and accepted. Many a time Jesus said to the people…”This is the way that you have been taught this idea…but I have a a new insight for you to consider.” I wonder, if at the start of this New Year – 2016, that God isn’t preparing an “Epiphany” for someone who is willing to seek for more of Him.
Something to think about – be blessed!