Christmas
Timothy Cook
The Lord puts the lonely in families. Bible.
I was stood next to Jesus. As usual I was like a little boy in this vision. He was knelt cold and shivering on tarmac – half frozen out on the dark and rainy street. We were looking in on the gaiety and light and warmth of a Christmas party.
“Tim”, He said, “I am sick and tired and fed up with My Christians this Christmas – and because you speak this for me you will also share in this exclusion to some extent, but remember the Mark – My Blood on your forehead – My little soldier boy. I’m sorry – but because of the Mark you may shiver with Me out on the street this year. *sigh* Many will hate you because of Me. My people know that I am with the homeless and the broken and the poor and the busted and the sick and the divorced and the lonely and the divorced and the imprisoned yet they still gather for cosy warm parties leaving Me out on the streets or shut away in an isolated house of dark and vast loneliness.”
He showed me an old lady shivering in her shawl and her arm chair – she couldn’t get warm – and she didn’t understand how or why her world got so bleak and lonesome. Oh God and we covered her with our intercession wings and our tears until she remembered a happy sunny place from her childhood and so we visited her with Heaven. And when Jesus asked me why no Christian family had invited her in to their hearts I had no answer. And so He waited on Me and laid the burden of His weeping and broken Heart on my spirit until I broke.
“All right! I have known this all my life yet You really want me to speak it don’t You … We’re British, we’re insecure and arrogant and afraid and hard of heart and we have created our little compartments of world where we have no love or contact with our desperate and lonely neighbours. What do You want me to do Lord? How will You break us.? ….
OK – simple. All I ask this year is that every Christian home invites in one lonely and broken and sick and homeless and busted and friendless and poor person into their Christmas festivities. And who knows – maybe it will be Me – Jesus – whom they invite into their house this year. Those truly intimate with Me have of course been doing this for some time – and the Holy Spirit parties that We have every year go from strength to strength. You fear broken people … why? –
We fear to invite true and unbridled emotion into our world, we fear to step outside our social circle and feel out of place, and we fear that the crime networks will somehow gain access to our families – that’s just for starters.
… well said – because you have confessed wisely and truly, I will absorb some of your national blood guilt into My Cross – and release some more blessing to your people. *sigh* so ask Me to lead you to and prepare a safe guest who will not cause you harm. The right one will bring a blessing with them upon your home – you have brains – use them. It is possible to teach busted people manners and decorum and still preserve and restore their dignity *smile*
The angel gave me a silver trumpet – which usually meant I was to proclaim something nationally. *sigh* sorry – I am small with no voice – but I will email those I know and maybe they will spread the word for me.
I – Father and Lord of Christmas will bring Good Gifts to My closest children this season. Amen.