Tag Archive - Incarnation

Be Born In Me

December 4, 2011 in Daily Faith, Videos with 0 Comments

The Mystery of the Incarnation

December 3, 2010 in General with 0 Comments

An elephant was thoroughly enjoying himself as he splashed about in the river. A mouse was perched on the sandy shore. It was obvious that he was disturbed about something.
The mouse yelled at the elephant, “Come out of the water at once.”
The elephant laughed and said, “Why should I come out?”
The mouse was not about to be humiliated by this mountain of flesh. He kept yelling and yelling.
The elephant realized that if he wanted any peace and quiet he had better come out of the water. Slowly the elephant lumbered out of the water and stood towering over the mouse. “Now, why did you want me to come out of the water?”
The mouse looked up and said, “I wanted to see if you were wearing my bathing suit.”

I love this story. My wife gives me that “Remind me why I married you” look whenever I tell it. But this story, because it is absurd, reminds me of just how absurd it is that God could fit into human flesh. I think it would be far easier and more easily understood for an elephant to fit into a mouse’s bathing suit.

But that is the mystery of the incarnation. God did become flesh and dwell among us. He wrapped our sinful wounded flesh around the body that the universe cannot contain and became a baby. The all powerful, nothing-is-impossible God became the most vulnerable helpless creature on the face of the earth.

And He did it just for me … and you.

How He did it, I cannot comprehend. Why He did it, escapes me. But that He did it, amazes me. And though I cannot figure it out, though it is easier for me to believe that an elephant can wear a mouse’s bathing suit, I am thankful He did.

“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish. ” (John 1:14, The Message)

“What’s New With You?”

December 1, 2010 in humor with 0 Comments

One brief, sunny morning a woman looked out her living room window and was amazed to discover a dead mule on her lawn. Immediately she called the sanitation department and asked them to remove the carcass. But by the time the work-crew arrived, she had changed her mind. She gave the men $100.00 each, instructing them to carry the mule upstairs and to deposit it in the bathtub.

After they had dutifully followed her instructions, one of the workers asked why she wanted the dead mule in her bathtub.

She said, “Well, for 35 years my husband has been coming home at night, throwing his coat on the rack, grabbing the newspaper, plopping into the easy chair and asking, ‘What’s new?’ Tonight, I’m going to tell him.” *

Every year we start looking for the “newest” items this Christmas. We want the latest decorations. We want the hottest selling toy. We want the newest cell phone or computer.
But sometimes “What’s new” isn’t what we really want or need.
Perhaps we should look again to the old, old story about how God became a baby. Perhaps we need to hear the familiar words: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” – Matthew 1:23 (NIV)

Maybe the “old” news is still the best news

*mule story from “The Irrational Season” by Leonard Sweet

My Favorite Christmas Poem

December 27, 2009 in General with 0 Comments

G. K. Chesterton

The House of Christmas
by G.K. Chesterton

There fared a mother driven forth
Out of an inn to roam;
In the place where she was homeless
All men are at home.
The crazy stable close at hand,
With shaking timber and shifting sand,
Grew a stronger thing to abide and stand
Than the square stones of Rome.

For men are homesick in their homes,
And strangers under the sun,
And they lay on their heads in a foreign land
Whenever the day is done.
Here we have battle and blazing eyes,
And chance and honour and high surprise,
But our homes are under miraculous skies
Where the yule tale was begun.

A Child in a foul stable,
Where the beasts feed and foam;
Only where He was homeless
Are you and I at home;
We have hands that fashion and heads that know,
But our hearts we lost – how long ago!
In a place no chart nor ship can show
Under the sky’s dome.

This world is wild as an old wives’ tale,
And strange the plain things are,
The earth is enough and the air is enough
For our wonder and our war;
But our rest is as far as the fire-drake swings
And our peace is put in impossible things
Where clashed and thundered unthinkable wings
Round an incredible star.

To an open house in the evening
Home shall men come,
To an older place than Eden
And a taller town than Rome.
To the end of the way of the wandering star,
To the things that cannot be and that are,
To the place where God was homeless
And all men are at home.

PRECIOUS GIFT

December 25, 2009 in General with 1 Comment

 

One king holds the precious gold.

Another holds the myrrh.

One king holds the frankincense

While Mary holds the Word.

One king kneels to worship Him

Another bows in prayer

One king stares in disbelief

At the baby lying there.

Mary sits so quietly

Amazed that God would send

Such a precious gift to her

To save the souls of men.

©George Price 2009

Deeper Magic

December 24, 2009 in General with 0 Comments

C. S. Lewis

Therefore once more I will astound these people
with wonder upon wonder;
the wisdom of the wise will perish,
the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.
Isaiah 29:14 (NIV)

Ours is a living language. Words change. They change spelling. They change meaning. Words are created or coined. Words we once used become obsolete.

One word that has changed drastically is “magic.” Because of its relationship with superstition and deception, as well as it relation to evil supernaturalism, one hesitates to use it. It seems too cheap, too fake to use at Christmas. It seems its age of innocence and purity is gone.

C. S. Lewis redeemed the word “magic” for me. He qualifies it with the adjective “deeper.” He distinguishes the evil from the good. In his classic book, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, the White Witch uses magic, but Aslan, the story’s Christ figure, knows the deeper magic.

Christmas is magical as some people say. There is the spell of lights, carols, wrapping paper, holly, and ornaments. It enchants the young and the young at heart. But Christmas also has a deeper magic. A magic that transforms. There is one specific miracle that captivates me.

“The Word became flesh.” (John 1:14)

Another work of “deeper Magic” is that God becomes human flesh.

The word “became” is not only a word of entrance but also one of beautification. We use it with clothing. We say, “that new coat becomes you.” Or “It is so becoming.”

By the very act of becoming flesh Christ began the redemption process. Redemption was not just done on the cross. It began in the cradle.
He took sinful human flesh and pronounced it worth the presence of God.

Note that it never says man became God. All that the flesh can produce in its own strength is sweat and the odor of the flesh’s product is a commentary on its sufficiency. We spend a great deal of time and energy trying to make God like us. Making Him suit us. But it will never work.

There was a group of people in the early church called Gnostics. They did not believe that Jesus actually became flesh. To them He was a ghost of sorts. They believed that God was so holy He wouldn’t get His hands dirty by actually becoming one of us. But they forgot one important truth. He could never redeem us until He first became us.

The magic of God becoming flesh. The deeper magic of God. Taking on our flesh so that He could bear our sins. All of which allows us to become like Him.

Behold the mystery, the magic of God.

Prayer:
Dear God,
Thank You for a deeper magic. Thank You for Your Son becoming flesh and blood just for us.
In His blessed name, Amen.

LET CHRISTMAS COME!!

December 21, 2009 in General with 0 Comments

He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
Revelation 22:20 (NLT)

In C. S. Lewis’ children’s book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, a young girl named Lucy mysteriously enters a magical land called Narnia. It is winter there and while wandering around in the snow she meets a faun named Mr. Tumnus. In the course of their conversation he mentions the White Witch.

“The White Witch?” asks Lucy, “Who is she?”
“Why,” said Mr. Tumnus, “It is she that has all Narnia under her thumb. It’s she that makes it always winter. Always winter and never Christmas; think of that!”

Think of that indeed! It would be terrible always having winter and never Christmas. What a dreary place! There is, thankfully, a happy ending to the book. Narnia is reclaimed and Christmas finally comes with Spring soon after.

However, even though Narnia is a magic land in a book, many people live in such a land. Christmas never really comes to their hearts. They often make the remark that for some reason unknown to them, they “just haven’t been able to get the Christmas Spirit this year.” It is always winter and never Christmas.

Christmas finally does come to Narnia when Aslan, the Lion, the true ruler of Narnia, returns with his power and love for his creatures.

The same is true for us. The only time Christmas (not just the holiday, but the real thing) enters our hearts is when Christ, our true ruler, comes in with the love of God.

Is it always winter and never Christmas with you? Spend time in worship. Read the story again and again. Ask Jesus Christ to bring the warmth of God’s love into your heart today, and let it be Christmas this year.

Prayer:
Dear Lord God,
As Jesus came so long ago to a stable in Bethlehem, let Him come today to our hearts. May there be room this time.
In our Savior’s name, Amen.

AMAZING!

December 20, 2009 in General with 0 Comments

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
Luke 2:15-18 (NIV)

When people heard the shepherd’s story they were amazed. They had never heard of such a thing. They had never considered such a thing. They had never imagined such a thing. It was beyond anything they had ever experienced before.

What amazes you most about the Christmas story? Is it the angels? Is it the fact that the shepherds were the first to hear the message? Is it the stable? What do you find amazing about all of this?

Could it be that the most amazing thing about the Christmas story is that God could love us so much that He would become one of us? Could it be that He loves us so much that He would send His Son to bring us back to Him?

When you think about that, it truly is amazing.

Oh, the amazing love of our Father in heaven.

Prayer:
Our heavenly Father, thank you for amazing us with Your love. Thank You for giving us the amazing gift of Your Son Jesus Christ.
In His name we pray. Amen.

Reflection

December 19, 2009 in General with 0 Comments

Nativity

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Luke 2:19 (NIV)

Advent is a time of reflection.

Our scripture says that Mary treasured and pondered these things. She considered all that the shepherds said concerning the angels and their message. She thought about what it all meant? Who was this child? What were they saying? How did it affect her?

We are called to ponder as well. We must reflect upon the angel’s message? What does it mean to me and my world? What is this child to me? Why did He come the way He did and how should that affect me?

We are also called to reflect on our actions. Does all our busyness add or subtract from the joy and peace this child was meant to bring. Does our reaction to gifts reveal selfishness of flesh rather than the giving Love of God? There is much to ponder, but the most important item to reflect upon is this: Do I take time to adore Him?

Prayer:
Holy Father, remind us to take time to reflect on Your most magnificent gift. Forgive us when we rush through Advent without considering the journey.
In Christ’s name. Amen.

He Climbed In With Us

December 18, 2009 in General with 0 Comments

 Playpen

 

John 1:14 (The Message)

The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,

like Father, like Son,

Generous inside and out,

true from start to finish.

 

　

A grandfather found his grandson, jumping up and down in his playpen, crying at the top of his voice. When the boy saw his grandfather, he reached up his little hands and said, “Out, Grampa, out.”

It was only natural for the grandfather to reach down to lift him out of his predicament, but as he did the mother of the child stepped up and said to her baby “No, you are being punished — so you must stay in.”

The grandfather was at a loss to know what to do. The child s tears and little hands reached deep into his heart. Yet the mother s discipline must not be taken lightly.

So love must find a way. The grandfather could not take the grandson out of the playpen, so he climbed in with him.

Isn’t this what God did for us? We couldn’t get out of this world ourselves so He sent Jesus to climb in with us. He left all of the glory and freedom of heaven and wrapped our injured, sinful flesh around Himself. He did all of this so that He could be with us and that we could be with Him. How amazing is such love.

　

Prayer:

Gracious Father,

Thank You for climbing in with us. Thank You that Your love found a way and His name is Jesus.

In His blessed name we pray. Amen.

 

 

 

 

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