Keep Christmas In Your Heart

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If you haven’t seen the Noah trailer yet, you definitely need to.  I’m super excited for it; it looks so good!  And with Russell Crowe playing Noah, you know it’s going to be awesome. 

THE CREATOR SPEAKS
At one part in the trailer, Anthony Hopkins (playing a currently unknown character…possibly Methuselah or Cain?) says to Noah that the Creator speaks to Noah, and that he must trust that it’s in a way Noah can understand.  When I heard that, I thought it was really cool.  The “Creator” speaks to Noah?  That’s awesome!

Then I realized: The Creator speaks to me. 

LIMITED CONTACT
Imagine having a long-distance relationship with a girlfriend or boyfriend (or in my case, fiancée!).  Your only communication with them was through texting.  Not only that, but you only texted once a year!  That wouldn’t be much of a relationship, right?

This is the entire reason Jesus came down and was born as a man, lived a sinless life, and died a substitutionary death on the cross.  Before Christmas, we had a fractured relationship with God.  God only spoke through a few people at a time (i.e. Moses, the priests, the prophets).  Not only that, but God’s contact with these people was very limited.  The priests could only go into God’s presence once a year, and would ask for God’s forgiveness on behalf of the whole nation of Israel (for more see Hebrews 9).

GOD WITH US

“Look!  The virgin will conceive a child!  She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God with us.’” (Matthew 1:23, quoting Isaiah 7:14)

This is the purpose of Christmas.  God was fixing our long-distance relationship.  Instead of having limited contact through select people, God made it so that we all have direct access to the Creator Himself!

Because of Jesus, Immanuel, we now have a restored relationship with God.  Instead of going into His presence once a year, God is with us.

KEEP CHRISTMAS IN YOUR HEART
So yes, Christmas is now over, and in fact it is the start of a brand new year.  But instead of forgetting about Christmas until next December, keep it in your heart this year.  The entire purpose of Christmas was so that we would have direct access to God.  Because of Christmas, God is with us.

You don’t have to live your life like God is far away or He doesn’t care.  God is with you in everything you do, and wants to be a part of your life!  Just like a girlfriend or boyfriend is there to help you in your strengths and grow you in your weaknesses, God is with you.  Keep Christmas in your heart in this New Year.  Talk to God Today!

"Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

Noah Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qmj5mhDwJQ


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