God connected us heart to heart through Jesus, our Christmas Connection. Jesus came to us, to connect us heart to heart with God! Personal – Make it personal! This is a great gift to give God and others, honestly genuine friendship. This is the greatest Christmas gift of all and we all are equipped to gift it. Christmas Connection ~ Heart To Heart! KimberlyMac

Friendship- God Connection

This is why our Christmas Connection, the one where the Father God sent Jesus to us, was and is such a pivotal one for our relationship with God. We can see how relationship with God mattered, and we can see it in others lives, such as Mary, Jesus’ mom, a virgin, who became pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit and how Mary, she trusted God with all the details, trauma, protection and favor needed in her times as a betrothed woman who suddenly comes up pregnant. She could have been killed for that. Her connection of relational trust with God, friendship with God, ushered in one of the greatest life miracles ever known to mankind. We see the same with Joseph, he reacted and then God spoke to him and then he responded out of God’s wisdom. He was connected to God in friendship, so God was able to use him to protect Mary. So we definitely can see how important our Christmas Connection to our Savior, Jesus Christ is.

This Is Why

Friendship is a God gift, it enriches our lives during this season of time, where life can sometimes be a bit hard because we live in such a fallen world, yet friendship with God is our JOY connection! Because of the Christmas Child, Jesus, coming to us and making a way of restoration for us with God, God is with us in power, love and favor. God’s Holy Spirit will “grow us” through every day and at the end of the day, our heavenly hindsight will show He made a sweet message out of our stanky messes.Our Christmas Connection with God continuously rights the wrongs of our human condition, as He finishes what He started in us! I don’t fully understand (Proverbs 3:4-6) God’s ways, but I do fully recognize that HE is with us, that He won’t betray us, and that He is working in the unseen for our good. I trust GOD even though at times what I “see” is so discouraging, I STILL TRUST Him! Why?! Because I have chosen not to try to figure things out with my mind, but to trust HIM with my heart and life completely. (Isaiah 55:8-9) I don’t need to wrap my mind around the things God is doing, I need to trust Him, to believe in Him, my Christmas Savior. (John 6:28-31) 

An Angel Comes to Joseph~ This was how Jesus, God’s Anointed One, was born. His mother, Mary, had promised Joseph to be his wife, but while she was still a virgin she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Her fiancé, Joseph, was a righteous man full of integrity and he didn’t want to disgrace her, but when he learned of her pregnancy he secretly planned to break the engagement. While he was still debating with himself about what to do, he fell asleep and had a supernatural dream. An angel from the Lord appeared to him in clear light and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, don’t hesitate to take Mary into your home as your wife, because the power of the Holy Spirit has conceived a child in her womb. She will give birth to a son and you are to name him ‘Savior,’ for he is destined to give his life to save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:18-21 TPT

Here I Am Lord, Use Me

Mary, the Mother of Jesus, had such an incredible connection with God, that in the face of something so miraculous, something she could not even begin to wrap her mind around, she was able to say: “I accept whatever He has for me.” She surrendered wholly-holy to God as she spoke: “May every word you have spoken come to pass.” We can’t even begin to imagine being Mary during that moment in time. This is a Christmas connection of relationship between Mary and God, and became our connection to the Savior of the World coming to us, redeeming all of us and giving each of us a future and a hope. When we reflect on this Christmas Connection of Mary and the Angel of the Lord, we know, without a doubt, God can and will do what He desires in us and through us, and He is able to carry it out. (Psalm 147:5) There is nothing He can’t do in us, through us and to us, absolutely nothing. He speaks into being miraculous things and the “how” that follows His spoken word is all up to Him. In my heart to heart connection with God, He always works things out, my “heavenly hindsight” shows me so. His ways are always best for me in ways that I can’t even begin to measure. (Ephesians 3:19-21) It did not look like from a worldly viewpoint that this would work out to be good for Mary. Betrothed and pregnant in a culture such as hers, this was a dangerous thing for her. Gods is a Kingdom Perspective, ours is a worldly view point. I want to live by HIS perspective and that takes and active faith and belief, a willessness like Mary had when she said: “Here I am, the Lord’s humble servant. As you have said, let it be done to me.”

We fit well together as friends because, God connects us in that divine way of His and creates forever friends! God the Father is a huge part of the Christmas Story because He was the sender of the greatest gift of friendship mankind would ever know, Friendship with Jesus. KimberlyMac

Under The Rule Of God’s Love

Friendship with Jesus is so good, as well as friendship with others is wonderful too. (John 15:13-15) We need a vital-vertical relationship with Jesus, a Christmas Connection like Mary and Joseph had. Christmas is a good time to activate our faith, a strong faith in what we don’t see, and a humble belief that God is working in the unseen for our good. In our Connection with our Christmas Savior, we believe if God started it, God will finish it well. (Philippians 1:6) In our human condition, we like to set our plans in stone. We like to prescribe the way the things of our life should go. God is not on a time table like we “think” we put Him on. God’s Holy Spirit is working through our heart to heart connection with Him, and He is all about making sure our heart is beating for Him and His Kingdom. Life is not about the time on our watch, our time, but all about God’s Kingdom purposes in play in His perfect time. (2 Peter 1:3-8) Mary and Joseph grew through really hard times, and they did it together with God. This is the best way to live. Intentionally Kingdom Cultured, together, under the authority and power of God, positioned under His rulership of love. A Christmas Connection!

Our Ugly Human Condition

Like Mary lived, we also live in a topsy-turvy world, where human beings think they can control outcomes, they presume they can steal authority and pursue power that is not theirs to have. At Christmas time this is particularly disturbing to our soul, as this makes for an ugly humanity that threatens our peace and stability. Yet, Jesus, He is our Prince of Peace and when we make that Christmas Connection with Him, heart to heart, no chaos can disrupt our peace. When the human condition is in full rebellion against the authority of God, people suffer the consequences of this disrespect of God’s Kingdom Sovereignty, yet God is still with His people with peace and hope. (Proverbs 14:34) Our Father God, He reigns and He reigns with a rulership of love, a perfect love wrapped up in His purposes in play for our good. Just as Mary had to deal with the cultural say-so of the authority of her time, this did not stop God from impregnating her with the Savior of the world. God had a plan in play to protect her, as He does us. Jesus hung on the cross dying for our sins. How could this be defined as a good moment, as God turned His back on His Holy Son? (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) The good had to be translated into Kingdom glory, and when that happened, the suffering was not in vain, but produced ultimate good for us, and incredible victory for the Kingdom of God, once for all. Jesus came to us and in His death came the resurrection of life, the greatest transformation known to mankind happened because Jesus came here, to us. Never get over that! Listen up to this 1 Minute Encouragement Video

God’s Providential Care

The Providential Care of the Father God was in play throughout the whole Christmas Story. We can see this Christmas Connection of God’s Sovereignty upon mankind as He used Mary and Joseph in perilous times, to birth the Savior, Jesus, and protect Him during His vulnerable years as a new born and a young child. (Matthew 2:13-23) The Providential care of God sprung forth as His two sovereign purposes came into play for our good and for the glory of His Kingdom. On Christmas Day these two God purposes dramatically became visual in Christ Jesus and sprung into play. Two miraculous God purposes in play, where God is working out His salvation for our good, and for His glory. This mission of God’s, it takes time to make the two of these work out perfectly for us and His Kingdom. It could not have been comfortable or safe for Mary to have Jesus in a stable, and then to have to flee to Egypt. It is during these transitional times, between the working out of what is good for us, our good, and God’s Kingdom glory, we do suffer in unimaginable ways, and this can cause us to stumble if we are not connected heart to heart with God.

God’s Purposes In Play

Becareful too stay connected to God. Why? Because when His purposes are in play, we don’t see the way clearly, (1 Corinthians 13:12-13) because it is not the way we planned, therefore we get impulsive and step out without God. These are the times our soul enemy pelts us with doubt, fear and anxiety and tempts us to go down the dead-end paths that are marked with the trail makers of “what if” and “why” and “how” as we try to seek understanding for what we are growing through. But if we resist the enemy, (James 4:7-8) and don’t pursue our own way, but acknowledge God, focus up, God’s Holy Spirit will keep us wholly-holy aligned with truth and hope. God Christmas Gift can navigate us through horrific life storms, by our trust and belief that we find in our Christmas Connection with Jesus Christ, our powerful Redeemer. Our suffering as we wait on the Glory of God to be revealed, (Romans 8:17-19) this too shall pass, and our night season will be shattered with the God-Light of a new morning (Psalm 30) as God’s good for us and His Good for His Kingdom merge into a miraculous merrily say so, as He has the final say and His glory is revealed! Listen Up To This 1 Minute Encouragement Video and be blessed by God:

Our Future And Hope~ Came To Us

Jesus came to us. This is something we should never get over! He was not of this world and neither are we, and we easily forget that when we deal with the fleshing out of our human nature through our sin nature, our human condtion. Whenever people are fleshing out their human condition, everyone suffers. We have to deal with our human condition and every day human foolishness, in this fallen world. People hurt people. (Romans 7:15-19) When one person sins, we all feel the consequence of that sin. No one sins alone. Sometimes justice does not happen on this side of heaven. This is why we need our “Christmas Connection” our heart to heart relationship with Jesus, our Savior, Redeemer and Ruler of this world. We want to be people who do not react out of our flesh, we want to be godly in our responses to the situations we find ourselves in because of our sin nature. We want to be like Jesus Who lived so honorably here on earth. In our Christmas Connection with Jesus, we know we have a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11-12) and HE, our Savior, Who was born on that first Christmas day, ushered in a strong truth which helps us stay focused on what matters and be intentionally kingdom cultured. In Christ Jesus, connected heart to heart with our Christmas Savior, we can respond to our life situations well. This hope, which anchors our soul (Hebrews 6:19-20) in times such as these, is why we celebrate with “real” Joy, the redeeming power of our Christmas Connection with Jesus, our vital-vertical relationship in Christ. See it for yourself as you read the following scripture, how our Father God sent His Son, our Christmas Connection to the restoration of our relationship with God. Jesus Came To Us!

Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Grace to you, young woman, for the Lord is with you and so you are anointed with great favor. Mary was deeply troubled over the words of the angel and bewildered over what this may mean for her. But the angel reassured her, saying, “Do not yield to your fear, Mary, for the Lord has found delight in you and has chosen to surprise you with a wonderful gift. You will become pregnant with a baby boy, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be supreme and will be known as the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God will enthrone him as King on his ancestor David’s throne. He will reign as King of Israel forever, and his reign will have no limit.” Mary said, “But how could this happen? I am still a virgin!” Gabriel answered, “The Spirit of Holiness will fall upon you and almighty God will spread his shadow of power over you in a cloud of glory! This is why the child born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your aged aunt, Elizabeth, has also become pregnant with a son. The ‘barren one’ is now in her sixth month. Not one promise from God is empty of power, for nothing is impossible with God!” Then Mary responded, saying, “This is amazing! I will be a mother for the Lord! As his servant, I accept whatever he has for me. May everything you have told me come to pass.” And the angel left her. Luke 1:28-38 The Passion Translation

Our Christmas Connection ~ Yoked To Jesus ~ On This Day

The metaphor of a yoke is that it joins two animals to work as one. It is not simply work or toil that is the focus here, but union with Christ. Passion Footnote Commentary Matthew 11:28-30

On this day, our Christmas Connection is Jesus Christ. Yes, we are connected heart to heart and by the power of His Holy Spirit, we live, breathe and have our being in the supremacy of God. (Acts 17:26-28) We become yoked to Jesus, and even in the persecution, trials and tribulations of our culture, of our time such as this, He makes a way for us. Though times are hard as we walk, pressing forward in a counter cultural way, God still speaks, God still navigates our lives! As we stay intentionally kingdom cultured, we find that this burden of life here, it is light, even easy, as we yield our lives to Jesus, yoked to Him, His way, truth and life. Our Christmas Connection, Jesus, He saves, delivers and heals. God is a finisher, as we grow through with Him finishing the salvation He began and working it out into our culture, our ways and our lives. (Isaiah 53:10) There is no greater or better connection in this world than the heart to heart relationship with our Christmas Savior, Jesus Christ. We make our vital-vertical relationship with God personal, giving Him total access to our lives. We become His “firstee” as He becomes first in the all of our everything. We pray this up for all the people we know, we hope that this Christmas Season, their connection will be with the Christmas Savior, Jesus, Who will impart His power, love, wisdom, mercy and grace into their lives. Being yoked (Matthew 11:28-30) to Jesus, our burden is light, our way is easy for our soul, and no matter what we are facing there is joy and hope in our future. Our Christmas Connection is awesome. Awe-GOD! Merry Christmas! Miraculously Merrily So!

Thank you for stopping into the Smorgasbord Table at The Bridegroom’s Café. What a sweet table this is. You never know what the menu will be, but You know it will be tasty and nourishing to your soul. We can have a daily Christmas Connection with Jesus as we listen up to His Voice, The Bridegroom’s Voice. This book, The Bridegroom’s Voice is a very unique devotional book, one you can pick up and be blessed with for years to come, it is a great God Adventure as you will journey with Jesus and become connected with Him, heart to heart in that way you could not even begin to hope for or imagine. Merry Christmas To You And Yours, Kimberly Mac