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“Do you hear what I hear?” “God is visible and available.” (John 1:1-18) Let no one ever say, “Is there a God?” or “Is God dead?” or “Where is God?” because they will see God in you. You are vitally important to the history of the world. People at work, at school, on the street, at the gas station, and in the market place will see God in you. Your job on earth is to show the world God is alive and visible--in you. God came to earth as a person to show his love for us. No one had ever seen God before but they did see Jesus. They touched him, talked with him, walked with him, and cried with him. Jesus came to earth for one reason--to tell the world the truth. Imagine what the angels thought when they heard that God was going to form himself into a fetus and place himself into the body of a teenage girl. The king of creation was going to become a child. “You know what babies do?” They must have said. Jesus did not come to earth as a conquering warrior. He got on his knees as a suffering servant and washed the dirty feet of our sins. This is truly the greatest story ever told. This is the Christmas story. Jesus was fully man and fully God.
(John 1) 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. 14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, `He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' " 16From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known. So you have been chosen. You are a child of God. Your purpose on earth is the same as Jesus. Jesus ends the book of John with the plan. (John 20) 19On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 21Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." 22And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." Stop for a moment, open your heart and receive the Holy Spirit. The infilling of the Holy Spirit will give you power to tell the truth.
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