I am sitting at Luna, one of my favorite coffee shops in Green Bay treating myself to a quiche and a coffee after a successful Christmas concert. I could not hold back the tears when I told them of how my daughter had been a part of a Nativity play called, The Very Worst Best Christmas Pageant Ever. I was moved during the the last scene when Imogene Herdman, who played Mary, held baby Jesus and cried when she finally understood the meaning of Christmas and what a gift Jesus is to us.
What would you do and how would you feel if you were suddenly transported back in time to the Nativity to witness the events of the birth of Jesus?
The Lord gave me a dream in which I suddenly found myself standing with my daughter Emma on the right side of a stage in a theater at the closing final, “take a bow” and clap for all the actors, moment at a Nativity play. Everyone went still and were in shock at my sudden appearance. They didn’t know what to think or do. I looked out at the audience, in shock myself, and then turned to see all the actors from the Nativity play. I held an unopened bottle of wine in my hand.
My attention was drawn to baby Jesus. I had an Imogene moment as I was overwhelmed with what this meant for me personally… what Jesus meant to me personally.
Without even thinking about it, I dropped the bottle of wine, approached the manger scene, and fell facedown on the floor before my Lord, the baby Jesus.
A strange thing began to happen as I started to slide across the floor toward the front of the stage. Somehow I knew I wouldn’t fall, and sure enough, as my body slid off the stage I began to float. Suddenly I flew up above the audience and then out through the roof.
Okay, I realize that the last part distracted people from the impact of the message. I get it. But how can you leave out a cool part like that?
So… facedown before the Lord. Let’s stay there for a bit.
Reminds me of a bit of Scripture from Philippians 2:5-11 NLT:
“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.”
NASB puts it like so: “For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Every knee will bow before Jesus, Yeshua, the King of kings and Lord of lords. He forces no one. He woos every one. He draws all unto himself by tender lovingkindness and grace.
Daniel Lovett 