Immanuel’s birth - God’s grand favor has come personally to you!

It came unexpectedly. A fearsome angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to a handful of shepherds followed by a vast number of angels blasting the night sky with a heavenly concert of “Gloria in Excelsis Deo!”

“In the highest heaven, glory to God! And on earth, peace among people of goodwill!” (Luke 2:14, CJB)

Just handful of shepherds for an audience to share the greatest news of all! The messiah was found wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a poor manger. Rather unimpressive don’t you think? 

The shepherds later spread the good news but the authorities dismissed it as nonsense.

More people could have appreciated the news, than simply entrusting this good news to a bunch of uneducated shepherds. Why does the Lord do this?

A few months ago, two ladies in their sixties came to me at the church after the service a little past one o’clock. They already went down but came back to be prayed for. There were only three of us at the church left. 

One of the elderly ladies had an accident while trying to get off a jeepney. The driver apparently without regard to her, sped off while she was still holding to one of the jeepney’s back rails. She was pulled like a rag doll and smashed her left knee on the pavement. She has been suffering for two months and sorely missed church.

She attended the ten o’clock service that day and another lady helped her go downstairs. Then the lady helping her told the limping lady, “Hey, wait a minute. I saw pastor and he is still upstairs. Let’s go back and ask for prayer.” So they inched their way and took the escalator back to the third floor.

I saw their faith and asked the Lord to do something. The Lord impressed in me to pull her leg like a water pump. Needlessly, I got scared. She was obviously in great pain.

Pulling her leg was easy, but it took me some more faith to pull through. Thoughts of the lady being rushed to the hospital, newspaper tabloids accusing me of worsening her condition and pointing fingers raced in my mind. It was not an easy time.

I decided to obey the Lord’s impression and took her left leg and began pumping. She grimaced in pain just as I suspected. I asked her to walk in Jesus name. She took a few steps and then exclaimed, “Oh!… Something came loose!”

A few more pumps and prayers and then I asked her to walk again. She began walking and to our joy, the pain was all gone! She got so excited and walked around the sanctuary crying and thanking the Lord! The glory of the Lord hit and we had a glory service, yes only the three of us!

We were all crying for joy at her healing. She stayed until the five o’clock service full of joy and worship to the Lord.

I wondered why the Lord allowed only three of us to experience this wonderful healing. God could have done it while there were more than three hundred people in the service earlier. The impact would have been greater.

One thing is sure, God grants the privilege of experiencing the glories of heaven on earth to those who readily believe Him. 

God is not a “master showman” but a God who really cares. He loves to meet our needs on a personal basis. He reserved the most glorious moments to a handful of shepherds on Jesus’ birth, to a couple in a manger…and to an elderly lady believing for a miracle. 

It seems God has a knack of displaying His glory with a private audience. I suspect God dislikes curious onlookers.

Enoch walked with God. He spoke to Abraham on a personal basis. Jacob wrestled and received his greatest blessings while alone with the angel of the Lord.

Elijah and Elisha both resurrected a dead boy alone inside a room. Jesus resurrected a dead girl with only her parents and a few disciples. Jesus walked on water in the middle of the night seen only by a handful of men. Ezekiel had glorious divine encounters while alone with God.

Peter was released from maximum security prison by an angel in the dead of night. So did Paul and Silas in a Philippian jail. Peter, James and John witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration while alone with Jesus on a high mountain. Apostle John received his glorious revelations while exiled in the island of Patmos.

As you spend time alone with God today, never think that it is just a mundane and dull moment. The birth of Jesus was witnessed by only a handful people yet it was one of the most anticipated news event in the history of the universe! No kings and religious authorities to authenticate it.

Our dear Lord Jesus came to save the whole world yet God had you as an individual in mind.

He does not come for show. He comes because He cares. Alone with God today could be your most glorious moment yet. Merry Christmas!