Luke 1 and 2

We are focusing on the Reason for the Season. For most of us who celebrate Christmas in the family and friends and church we are all inclusive in the preparation.

Luke tells us that the coming of both John and Jesus had those who were purposely left out of recognising the new times.

The Priests of the Temple missed the opportunity to understand the season. We may affirm that the Priests were not prophets yet this argument is not valid when you consider Isaiah who was a priest.

They did not perceive that the baby who was dedicated Jesus was the embodiment of eternal change. For the Priests they were going about mechanically in their service.

When you study what Temple was this you immediately understand why. It was Herod’s Temple.  He tore down Zerrubabel’s Temple because he wanted the temple to be majestic. Yet the Scriptures are silent about this Temple and we can safely conclude that this was a house without glory; without the Presence of God.

How many of our congregations are like this. We tear down what we deem ugly and non assuming. We tear down the prayer meeting. We tear down the Bible Study meetings that speak and teach into our generation prophetically. We desire to entertain instead of entreating the Lord for our generation. 

In catering to what we think is good the Glory departs and in our state of lukewarm faith we do not notice. And the further away we go the less we hear God and the less discerning we become.

And when God does the new thing we are no longer included. It’s because we have become accustomed to the mechanics and routines of religious service.

Those who are not content are stirred by accounts of the way God acted in the past. How sad that past moves of God died in religious ambition.

So when Jesus entered the temple as a week old baby no-one who ministered recognised Him. The trend continued for nearly a century until Titus came to demolish the Temple and all religious activity disappeared.

The challenges this generation face does not need a people mechanically living their faith. They need evidence of God moving on the earth in great power and signs.

Christmas and the season in which we celebrate it is about the small things being birthed in our hearts so that we can see those things grow into a great revival. 

Do not be left in the cold.