Where is He?

"He's not here."

 (Hubby looks confused.)

"He is not here.
 Santa is here.  The elves are here. The snowmen are here. The angels are here. The reindeer are here. The candy canes, and icicles, and snowflakes, and puppies, and hedge hogs are here.
 I've looked at shelf after shelf and store after store.
 But Jesus is NOT here."  

The sad girl at the checkout  says, 
with no expression in her voice, 
"Happy  Holidays."
 This rebellious old granny stands straight and tall and
 looks deep into her eyes, and says

"Merry Christmas".  

 She just looked at me with empty eyes.
 I could (and maybe should) have said so much more.

What that girl really needs is a hug. 
 And Jesus.

What is Christmas?
Christmas. Christ Mass. Worship of Christ. 
Christ - the anointed one, the Messiah.
 The Messiah -  savior, liberator, King, high priest.

Christmas is worship of Christ.

So where is He?  Where is JESUS? 

Jesus said to his followers, while he walked this earth,

"I am in my Father,

and you in me,

and I in you.

(John 14:20)

Let's not get so hung up on Jesus not being allowed 

on the courthouse lawns and the schools and the malls, 

that we forget the mystery of where he really is.

In Colossians 1:26-29,

the Apostle Paul, says, speaking to other followers of Jesus

and us,

"This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time,

but now it's out in the open.

God wanted everyone, not just the Jews,

 to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, 

regardless of their background, 

regardless of their religious standing.

 The mystery in a nutshell is just this: 

Christ in you, 

so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory.

It's that simple.

That is the substance of our message. 

We preach Christ,

warning people not to add to the message.

We teach in a spirit of profound common sense

so that we can bring 

each person to maturity. 

To be mature is to be basic.

Christ!

No more, no less."

(The Message)

CHRIST IN YOU,

the hope of glory.

(Colossians 1:27 NIV)

Merry Christmas!