My heart is heavy these days for several reasons…but mainly because I don’t sense “my” timing and God’s are in sync.  The Christmas story is all about timing, God’s perfect timing.  What many forget about is the preparation God did over a specific period of time to create the perfect day and cause the collision of so many people, places and prophecies to be fulfilled.  This was no, “Oh boy, I better make something happen for mankind to celebrate.”

These past several weeks, God has reminded me so much of what it took for him to orchestrate the entrance of the Christ child into this world.  This “seasons”, I was taken all the way back to Numbers 24:17, where the Christ was promised to Israel and the world.  Then forward to Galatians 4:4, telling us the timing was “made perfect” for  Christ to come.  Then back to the Old Testament in Micah 5:1-5 where the birthplace was given and how the Christ would rule and be the peace of Israel and the world too.  Though these are just a few examples, it’s this way all through Scripture.

I sense a tremendous urgency that it seems not too many around me do.  The urgency is supernatural and embedded in my deeper parts so it’s really hard to put into writing.  Maybe it’s because I am spending most of my days planning and preparing to go to the field of two nations.  I do know the spiritual warfare is intense and relentless almost daily.

The Gospel story and message we are supposed to be taking to our families, friends, neighbors, co-workers, fellow students, sports teams, etc…has much more to it than the reality of the event.  There is so much that had to occur in God’s timing, preparation and sovereign hand for it all to happen with the precision and perfection of all things coming together in heaven, on earth, in the hearts of those that have come and gone over the years; to those that had a role in the drama as it unfolded on that incredible and perfect day.

I had to stop and realize this, it’s this same precision and perfection that was used over the era’s of this world…God is using to orchestrate his work in me and this ministry.  This is why I sense I have been out of sync…I have forgotten that though I cannot see it, much is happening in the hearts of those around Marti and I in preparation for what might be…our last Christmas!

What if this was it?  Don’t worry, I’m not trying to re-write the Mayan Calendar thingy nor am I going into hyper space for a call to “turn or burn”.  Just as there was a year before the fulfillment of the perfect  delivery of God’s sovereign plan for Jesus to be born…what if this is the year before Jesus comes back?   OR, what if we will loose the privilege to worship freely in our own nation and head into intense persecution to purify and identify who the Church of Jesus Christ really is?  In the future, I may not be allowed to leave this nation to do mission work.  Or, it could become illegal for us to do that which we have been called to do…and then have to go underground like two-thirds of the rest of the world!

Here’s the deal…I’m not in sync when I forget my God is doing so much that I cannot see, to orchestrate that which he has purposed in his timing, with his provision and through his people.  I thought I was having to wait for people to do what they said they would do when in fact, I am simply waiting for the Lord to orchestrate that which he has made to fulfill his perfect and trustworthy promises…and abundance too:)  Plus, I am learning I haven’t met everyone that is to be a part of our ministry yet.  God is orchestrating times, events, places and perfect days for this.

I had a friend tell me I ought to be overwhelmed with what God has caused in our ministry this year.  I am!!!  I cannot get over what the Lord has done and provided through many very faithful people. We are fully operational and on the front lines of two nations (plus our own) with the Gospel message now.  But I cannot help but to think God has even a much bigger perfect day he is ushering Marti and I to, just as it was in Bethlehem.  There is some intensity and focus that occurs when you consider this could be…our last Christmas!