christmas + hope + tears + joy + eternity

     I have been thinking about heaven a lot lately; how in comparison this world is dark, and foggy, and temporary. So very temporary. I've been thinking about how all the Christians will be living together, forever, in heaven. 

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:4

That verse from Revelation literally brings me to tears of joy. In heaven, death and mourning and crying won't exist. I can't count all the times I have cried on this earth because of a painful experience I went through. Thinking about how, in heaven, I won't have a reason to do that anymore, is beautiful. I can't even say how beautiful that is. NO PAIN ANYMORE. In heaven, we'll experience joy after joy and we will walk day by day by day forever in this perfect, untainted, eternal joy with the light of our beloved Jesus as the sun. 

     I can't wait to see my Jesus. 

I can just imagine running into his arms, and finally seeing him who helped me through the trials of life on the earth. Oh, to actually SEE with my eyes my wonderful Savior! To have walked by faith and not by sight for so long, being "strong in the Lord and in his mighty power," and then to have sin banished from me and all pain and suffering gone. Forever. I'm crying as I write this. :)

     It's amazing to me that Jesus left all that splendor and joy and perfect peace and happiness in heaven to appear in this dark, gloomy, foggy, sin-saturated world. And all for love. He experienced a painful death completely opposite to everything in heaven, and thus opened the door for us to have hope of being free from ultimate death. It's amazing. It's amazing that Jesus would love us so much. 

     I think this is really what Christmas is all about. The hope of being with the Savior for eternity. Jesus came, he ministered, he died, he rose, he ascended, and he will return. Whether we reach our true home through the death of our bodies, or if we live until he comes again into this dark world, we, as Christians, will finally live the life of Eden; the life Adam and Eve lived before they fell. We will finally be relieved from the suffering and pain and grief of this fleeting life. Finally. Then we will see our God. Oh, beautiful, beautiful thought. 

     I think about all of the pain I have gone through and am experiencing now, and think about how I cry out to Jesus to help me. I think about how he does help me, though it may not be the way I expect or want. Then I think about how when I leave this sinful world behind, I will SEE that very same Jesus who was listening to my pleas for help, and I will rest in his arms and be free of all pain forever.

     I repeated myself quite a bit, I know. I just can't get past the wonder and the beauty of it all. 

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

Revelation 22:20

On that note, Merry Christmas!

-Sarah :)

wednesday verse

“Glory to God in the highest,

    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Luke 2:14

merry christmas!!!

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

--Luke 2:8-14

     Merry Christmas! I'm sorry this post is a little late. I hope your day was blessed as you celebrated the birth of our Savior and spent time with family and friends. 

     This post may be belated, but it's never too late for the Christmas story, right? The above passage, I think, sums up the story of Christmas pretty well. (Please, however, read the whole of Luke 2 when you get the chance.) The baby, the Savior, the king of earth and of heaven, was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger––because there was no place for him in the inn. 

      No place for him? No place for God on earth? I wonder if those innkeepers would have tried to make room for Joseph and Mary if they had known the significance of who Mary bore in her womb. 

     But, so the Bible tells us, there was no place for them in the inn. God didn't want Jesus born in the best of hotels; nor did he want him born in a palace, as he surely deserved. No––he decided on a stable. This is God we are talking about, after all. He can start from anywhere and accomplish his plan. 

     We all know the rest of the Gospel story: Jesus grew up, and "increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man." (Luke 2:52) He worked miracles and cast out demons. He gained the love and honor from the people, as seen in his procession through the town on a donkey, when the crowd shouted Hosanna! and laid their coats on the road. 

     However, this admiration was not shared by all. Soon after his triumphant procession, he was hanged on a cross by Roman soldiers. Hanged with nails. Nails driven into his hands and feet, his back raw and bleeding, his head poked with thorns. He was mocked. The Son of God was mocked! He was ridiculed and humiliated publicly. But this was not half of his pain, compared to the anguish that came with God's wrath being poured down on him. In the midst of his physical pain, Jesus had to bear––chose to bear––his Father's holy wrath. All of it. His Father, with whom he had spent all eternity with in a perfect, wonderful relationship, was now turning his back on his Son. 

    But Jesus, through this suffering, paid our WHOLE debt, and was victorious over the grave! He ascended into heaven, and now we look forward to his return, when he will take us home to live with him forever. 

     My Christmas challenge to you is: live your life in the light of this message. Because Christmas isn't just about the birthday in the stable (although that is a wonderful message in itself!). It's about the whole Gospel. I know we all know this news already, but thanks for reading through it again. :) 

     Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! God bless you!!! 

-Sarah :)

     

A QUICK LITTLE NOTE

      I'm afraid this little blog has been neglected dreadfully . . . you'd think I have some time, it being Christmas break! But no––nothing has really slowed down a whole lot. (New-year's resolution: stay on top of my homework!!) I hope to get on here and post a little more often, soon. Hopefully there will be a nice little Christmas post sometime in the next week? :)

     Today, I just got it in my head to sit down and post some lyrics from a Chris Tomlin worship song called I Will Follow. Please listen; wonderful song. All the lyrics are amazing, but the bridge really hit me today as I was singing it.

In You is life everlasting

In You is freedom for my soul

In You is joy, unending joy

And I will follow You

Merry Christmas, friends! I hope and pray that this unending joy will accompany you not just on the 25th, but the rest of the year and your new year! 

- Sarah :)