Merry Christmas

It was a humble birth -- an incarnate Creator King Messiah in a bed of wood and straw rather than silk and gold. He traded the smell of sacred incense for the stench of livestock. He stepped off His throne and out of Glory to become part with His creation and so to be the only sacrifice capable of reconciling His creation to Himself.

He came into the world rough. He left brutal. In between, He taught us how be in relationship with Him. It is this that He came for -- to restore the relationship between Himself and us. But, this relationship requires more than a twice yearly appearance at church. It requires more than showing up and warming a pew each Sunday morning. It requires more than doing "good deeds". It requires everything that really matters. It requires reverent intimacy. His gift to each of us was blood stained salvation. Our gift to Him is a living sacrifice of ourselves.

(I know I haven't been posting my daily readings but I have actually been sticking to the plan. During the upcoming 21 day corporate fast in January, I hope to double up my readings.)