Monday, December 13, 2010

Meet Me At the Manger

Last night we journey to Bethlehem to see our grandson Gates in the Christmas program Meet Me At the Manger.

It was very appropriate because it was 39 years ago Hubs and I did meet Jesus for ourselves.  We had both grown up in the church, been Christened as infants and joined the church after confirmation classes....so we knew ABOUT God.

Then in 1971 our church had a Lay Witness Mission.  Couples came from all over SC to our church for a weekend of testimonies, singing, eating and Bible study.  A couple from Pacolet, SC stayed with us.  I loved hearing the testimonies of the people who came.  But when I came home each night, doubts would assail me.  Surely this was some weirdo cult; God didn't interact with ordinary people in their everyday lives, or did HE?

Finally, the last night they were here; the kids were in bed and the adults were sitting around our kitchen table and I confessed my doubts to our guests, Joe and Louise McBride.  What it really came down to was I was afraid to trust God with my life.  He might give me cancer; or send me to Africa.....

Joe and Louise had just gotten back from Israel a week before the Lay Witness Mission.  Joe got out a little packet of mustard seeds he had gotten there off a mustard tree.  He shared the verses in the Bible that said "if you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can say to this mountain (of unbelief) move and it will move," Matthew 17:20.

When I saw that teetiny seed I knew I had exactly that much faith....no more....and I put my faith in God as completely as I knew how..... and oh what joy and filled my soul.  No more fear; no more doubt....peace at at last.

As I said, it has been 39 years now.  Many hills, many mountaintops, many valleys.  I have had times of fear and times of doubt but I have come too far to turn back now as the old spiritual song says.  God has proved himself to me over and over.  He has never forsaken me; even in my darkest hours I have known He was with me and that nothing would change that fact.

I hope dear reader you have put your faith in God and Jesus.  Why you ask do you need Jesus if you have God?  Because God is holy, and sinless.  We are sinFULL we cannot come into his presence in that state.  We would be consumed.  But God built a bridge that would bring sinful man to Him.  He sent His Son to earth to become that perfect sacrifice whose blood would erase our sins and allow us to come into his presence.

Why can't God just wave a magic wand over our sins and Poof they are gone?  Because Sin is costly; it has consequences..... only the blood of the Son of God is holy enough to eradicate Sin and Justify us.....which means make us Just As IF I had never sinned.....amazing!!!!

I pray that if you have never taken this Good News to heart; you would do so today.
Test God....tell Him you are doubtful.....ask Him to show himself to you.....I promise He will and you will never be the same. 

I hope you meet HIM at the manger and follow Him all the days of your life.  If you have questions or comments you want to share with me in private you can contact me at donnagchapman@yahoo.com.

                                            

2 comments:

Ashli said...

Wow, I love your story,and the justification was almost exactly the same as what our Pastor preached yesterday.

It was a WORD!

It also came on the heels of a very tearful SS lesson about Mary's own little 'Word made flesh' gift that came to save the world from darkness and sin.

One form of the "word" used in John 1:14 is from logos and it means "personality of God". Yesterday, the amazement of God sending a son in the flesh who was his personality in human skin, washed over me and made my soul so tender and humble.

That God would allow us to be invaded by His very own spirit, that he would trust us with that intimate a gift.. Amazing Grace is all I can say.

Anonymous said...

I never get tired of hearing or reading your story of personal salvation! I'll never forget Gabby telling me that she was conceived on the night that you were saved and I always thought "What does 'saved' mean?" !
Thankfully, now I know. It came to me later in life, too, even after having been raised in the church and knowing about God. I love how you explained why we need to know Jesus in order to get to God! Don't ever stop telling your story!