Dear Friends,
Luke 2:7-12 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will 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. “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
What a fantastic sight this must have been!! Imagine having been one of these shepherds. The night being the same as any other night, when all of a sudden an angel appears to you. Not only does he appear but comes with such astounding news!! News you’ve been hoping for, looking for, knowing of this salvation!! Then the angel tells you exactly how to know when you have found the Christ.
v13-15 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.
Just when you think the evening couldn’t get any better, the warring heavenly host appears giving high praises to God. I’m sure the shepherds thought, “I want to be one of those that are pleasing to God.” After the angels left they didn’t sit around and say, “wasn’t that a great meeting?” “Wow! What a powerful anointing on that singing!” No! They went out and did just what the angels said. They didn’t just go to Bethlehem; they went straight to Bethlehem. In other words, they weren’t distracted, they didn’t need to take care of business first, they just went, went straight, and went as fast as they could according to the word spoken.
What a great account this is. What a wonderful testimony of reverence and obedience. Many times, we think, “If angels appeared to me, I certainly would have the same reaction, I wouldn’t hesitate a bit!” “With an anointing like that, and a choir of such magnitude, I would certainly be moved to action!”
Jesus said in John 16:16-17 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
This is not an angel appearing to us, nor is it a choir of the heavenly host, but this is Deity Himself, the Holy Spirit of our God, the Eternal One and creator of all things, abiding and dwelling inside of us as His living temple. What a phenomenal dispensation we live in! That we wouldn’t need a special visitation because He never leaves us! He never has to visit us because He is always at home in us!
When we were dating we weren’t satisfied anymore with the visits, so we got married so we would never have to visit again, but now be at home with each other. This is so much greater than just a visit. Yet, just like the shepherds, all of a sudden, He moves on our behalf! Not only does His presence manifest in the form of the anointing, but He personally delivers a message to us. News we’ve been hoping for, looking for, and expecting. News that comes with direction for our lives. Will we walk away and say “Wow! What a great time with the Lord,” or will we reverentially obey His direction? The Holy Spirit, greater than the angels, living inside of us, ready to move suddenly, accurately, and definitively on our behalf. Let’s determine this coming year, that we do not want to miss the One living inside of us.
I pray you have a wonderfully blessed Christmas and a tremendous 2022!
Pastor Bob
