CLOAKED IN WEAKNESS

1 Cor.15:42,43 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.

All of mankind, all of creation for that matter, has been waiting. There is an anticipation everywhere for the restoration of this fallen universe at the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even those that are not aware, we are all still waiting for His unveiling. The truth is that when He came in such an unexpected way most everyone missed Him. He was covered in humility from His birth in an animal stable to His death on a cross. When He stood before the Governor Pontius Pilate, Pilate mouthed the words everyone was thinking, “Are you a king?” In others words, “You don’t look like a king to me”. That was the point of His humility. He is only recognizable to those whose eyes are opened by grace through faith. He came in weakness and is reining now in power. He was buried in weakness and raised up by the power of God. Most missed Him because He came in a very unexpected way. Here is my Christmas poem for 2017 about this waiting for Christ to appear.

CREATION IS WAITING

CREATION IS WAITING

SINCE TIME FIRST BEGAN

FOR THE UNVEILING OF GLORY

WHEN GOD BECOMES MAN

THE ZEBRAS AND ROEBUCKS

THE LION AND THE LAMB

HAVE LONGED FOR THE MOMENT

WHEN GOD BECOMES MAN

HOW WOULD IT LOOK

IN WHAT COUNTRY OR LAND

HOW WOULD IT HAPPEN

WHEN GOD BECOMES MAN

NO ONE COULD IMAGINE

OR DEVISE SUCH A PLAN

BORN AMONG HIS CREATURES

WHEN GOD BECOMES MAN

BORN OF A VIRGIN

IN A STABLE LIKE A LAMB

THE WAIT WAS FINALLY OVER

WHEN GOD BECAME MAN

Today the waiting continues, but the dilemma remains. He is still a King, but not the kind the world imagines. His kingdom is not about houses, cars, vacations, careers, or anything we tend to place importance on. His kingdom is about people. Paul said the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Righteousness because we have been forgiven. We have been justified by the Lord by grace through faith in the work of Jesus in His death and resurrection. Peace, because being justified by faith we have peace with God. This peace comes because our sins are now gone. We also experience joy in this kingdom. Joy is what happens in your heart when you are loved. When we are loved by God, infinite joy is the response. The beauty for Christians is that in one sense the wait is over, in another sense it is just beginning. Christ is here now but His physical return will be greater than we can even hope. Maranatha !!!!