A Christmas Message of WOW!

I went Christmas shopping with our oldest daughter yesterday… and had an absolute blast!  I literally cannot remember the last time that I went gift shopping with someone else.  I know that it had to be before Piper got sick and most likely before we originally moved to Oklahoma for Bible school in 2006.  With all the craziness that ensued with the attack on Piper’s health, online shopping became the norm for me.

But I finally came to the realization that I wanted this year’s celebration of Christmas to be more like the fun times that I remembered from my past.  As I thought about it, I remembered fun experiences shopping in the old downtown of my northern California hometown with Jr High friends, with my young spunky girlfriend in our senior high school days, and later at the mall with my wife (ie; the same gal!) shopping for special gifts for our growing family, as well as with individual kids as we combed the store aisles for just the right present for their siblings!

I had decided ahead of time that I wasn’t going to let the crowded parking lots and stores bother me and just try to regain a cheerful enthusiasm for the holidays… that just has never been the same since Piper moved on to her heavenly reward.  And yesterday with Jamie, was exactly what I needed.  We had so much fun.  I felt like a kid again.  We laughed, as we looked at and played with the various toys that we were examining as potential gifts for the grandkids, took funny pictures and found ourselves on numerous occasions having to excuse ourselves for blocking the aisle or standing in front of a display that other customers wanted to look at.

We also had some meaningful adult conversations and I couldn’t help but to tell her about some of the revelations that I’d been receiving as I studied the Christmas story this year.  Once again, I have found myself honing in on the interaction between the young virgin Mary and the angel Gabriel. 

After relating God’s divine plan concerning her all-important role in the birth of Jesus in Luke 1:26-38, the angel of the Lord answered all of Mary’s unspoken questions by declaring,

“For no promise from God will be impossible of fulfilment.” To which Mary replied without hesitation, ‘I am the Lord's maidservant, may it be with me in accordance with your words!’" (Luke 1:37-38 – Weymouth)

The more often quoted King James Version states the angel’s declaration as “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”  But a little study of the original Greek shows that this translation tends to leave out some of the most vital information of the angel’s statement.  The literal translation of the verse tells the reader “For no word from God shall be void of power.” (Revised Version) 

And it is most interesting to note that the word “WORD” is defined in the Greek as the “RHEMA” word of God rather than the all-encompassing “LOGOS” of God.  In his definitive work entitled “Word Pictures in the New Testament,” R.T. Robertson explains the difference between the two words by stating that “rhēma brings out the single item rather than the whole content (logos).  Same as is in Luke 1:38”

I’ve also heard it explained that as the “LOGOS” speaks of the whole Word of God as written in our Bibles, “RHEMA” is a specific word or scripture(s) in which the Holy Spirit imparts a special significance or revelation to the student of the Word.  In my own experience, I like to refer to a “RHEMA” word as a “WOW!” Word… because that is my usual verbal reaction when I suddenly get a new or deeper revelation to a scripture that I hadn’t seen before and is directly applicable to my life’s needs at the moment.

Hebrews 4:12 tells us that “God's word is living and active...” (God’s Word ©) and a “RHEMA” word comes from the “living and active” co-participation between the reader and the Holy Spirit, who Jesus told His disciples was “the helper, whom the Father will send in my name, who will teach you everything. He will remind you of everything that I have ever told you.” (God’s Word ©)

So, as I read and study the original story of Christmas once again this year, I can’t help but to compare to the angel of the Lord’s proclamation to Mary with Paul’s various letters to the churches throughout the Roman empire.  For me it is easy to see that the angel was setting a precedent as to the manner in which we Christians should be studying, receiving and stepping out in faith as we act upon the Word of God in our daily lives. 

The great evangelist Oral Roberts was well known for his saying “Expect a Miracle!”  And you know?  I think he was RIGHT!  As you and I step out in a firm understanding and belief in the angel’s confident statement to Mary… then we can’t help but to “Expect a Miracle!” in our lives that is based on the powerful word of God that we are applying to our daily lives!

But PLEASE NOTE:  The ability to receive a WOW Word is not for the casual reader of the Bible, but for the one who comes with INTENT and PURPOSE…

What do you think?  It makes me see the Christmas story of the birth of a child in a lowly stable in the little town of Bethlehem in a whole new light!  A light that has the power and ability to change my entire life!

That’s the exciting message of Christmas that I want to carry into and through 2024 and every year beyond!  HOW ABOUT YOU?

I pray that you are experiencing the best Christmas ever and are looking forward to a powerful and prosperous New Year ahead… where you have the ability to EXPECT and RECEIVE a miracle… as you put your confident trust in the Word of God!