Who

WhoYou wouldn’t think that God’s company would be offensive. After all can you think of anyone better to be around? Anyone smarter? Anyone more interesting? Anyone more amazing? Anyone more genuine, more honest, wiser, imaginative, creative, artistic, kinder, and loving? Right, I can’t either.Now I am not just talking about any god, but rather the one, the only true and living God. "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else” Acts 17:24-25 (NIV).The reality of Christmas is that, “… 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 1:23 (NLT). Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, in human form, He is God incarnate, “… in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body” Colossians 2:9 (NLT).  Strange how He wasn’t all that welcome, still isn’t, not in academia, the media, politics, business, and our personal lives.I have to admit, the company of God is challenging, you just automatically have to watch yourself, even your thoughts. It is also hard to do anything you want, accountability goes way up. The powerful are threatened, the wealthy are humbled, the proud are exposed, the educated are not near as smart. You can’t impress Him, you can’t fool him, you can’t entice Him to anything that isn’t good, or loving, or holy.What is most amazing is that God would seek our company, that He would care to not only live among us but actually invites us to walk with Him. If you are a sinner like me, living in a community without a zip code, that’s really good news. For the most part the vast majority of us just get to see the who’s who of the world on TV. Most of us have to stay behind the ropes of the red carpet; we do not have the credentials to mingle among the VIPs. If your or my name were mentioned in those circles the collective question would be, “Who?” Not so with God, He never has to ask, “Who?” He knows you and me by name.Christmas is God’s invitation for us to really know Him, to know, and worship who He is. Most settle for their own or someone else’s idea of God, which always ends up as no god at all. Admittedly it this is much less offensive, much less intimidating, much less challenging. The way we spend Christmas, celebrate Christmas tells much as to who we are and who we know God to be.To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans