Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ – THE Risen Saviour! I trust that you had a great weekend and Monday,,,enjoying the weather and road conditions to move around the Kingdom and get many things done. Now, did you take time to worship God, to give Him thanks for all your blessings, to fellowship with your Christian family, to lift your voice in praise for all that is right in your world, and to accept the hope that is available to you through Jesus Christ? Today I will be praying for you, asking Father to sprinkle a measure of holy “sparkle-dust” in your heart so that wherever you go and whoever you talk to will sense God’s presence in you.
This past Sunday I had shared that it is possible to “miss Christmas” because of “fear”, just like King Herod did some 2000 years ago. He was afraid of what this little boy’s birth would mean to him personally and how his world would be affected. Then yesterday as we were gathered for our Monday noon-hour prayer time, God gave me an insight that has been sitting in my mind to ponder. There are still a lot of people ‘afraid’ of Christmas today.
I wonder if Mary had any understanding what the far-reaching effect of calling her son…”Jesus”…would have?I wonder if as she pondered things in her heart, that God gave her a glimpse of 2015 where the mention of the name “Jesus’ or “Christ”-mas would so disturb a world that they would refuse to say “Merry Christmas” or that children in a school couldn’t sing songs that mentioned the name Jesus? It seems to me that the name of Jesus Christ is still a name to be feared.
One of the new songs that has grabbed my attention simply uses the line – “There is power in the name of Jesus…to break every chain!” – and I sang the words with my attention focused within my world. However yesterday, as God started to show me the ‘fear’ of Jesus in our world…”Jesusphobia”, I started to realize afresh the power in the name of Jesus that could change our world. “There is power in the name of Jesus – to break every chain”…the chains of oppression and broken homes and child abuse and poverty and violence and selfishness and individualism and addiction and every sin-wrong that plagues our world. The sad truth is that as King Herod expressed, I am afraid to lose control of my authority – I don’t want to change – I don’t want to answer to anyone
“Jesus” is a powerful word. It can bring healing or cause fear. It can create peace or conflict. It can restore family relationships or divide neighbourhoods. It can bring comfort or release anger. It calls people to make a decision…there is no neutral ground. Something to think about…be blessed!