God Is With Us

Christ, the Eternal Word

 

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. John 1:1-2 NLT.

 

The Birth of Jesus the Messiah

 

So the Word became human and made his home among us. John 1:14 NLT.

 

This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit......And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." Matthew 2:18, 21 NLT.

 

All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet: "Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means

'God is with us." Matthew 2:22-23 NLT.

 

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. John 1:4 NKJV.

 

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life."

John 8:12 NLT.

 

I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. John 10:10 The Message.

 

I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death to life. John 5:24 The Message.

 

The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. John 1:4 NLT.

 

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 NLT.

 

He came to tear down the walls that we have erected between one human being and the other - between the Jew and the Gentile; the Church and the un-churched; the rich and the poor; the healthy and the sick; the intellectual and the simpleminded; any form of segregation, prejudice, bigotry, ignorance and abuse. He did not create the human race to hate, destroy and fear one another.

 

He created human beings in His image, in Godlikeness, to be in communion with Him. He came to restore what is good to us and in us. He came to give us hope, make our heart clean.

Teach us to live in peace with one another. He came to pay the price for our waywardness - a spiritual darkness which creates blindness in our mind, heart and soul. And He lives in each of us who have asked Him into our heart and life to show us the Way, the Truth and the Life. He came as a restorer. That no one be left out.

 

In Him, we may once again find grace, forgiveness and hope to live. And not just to live but to expect God in our midst, God with us, God in us and God through us. God overflowing!

His goodness knocking out death, decadence, suffering, pain, neglect, inequality, corruption, pride, lust, greed and loneliness. That those who need what man cannot give will find it in the embrace of the One who loves unconditionally. That in meeting us at our worst, He may restore us to His best.

 

Have a blessed new year. Shalom.

Sv