Christmas should be EXTRA SPECIAL to those who are standing!

From the beginning, God had a plan for restoration.

Can you believe that?

 BEFORE Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit – all three – already had a plan to redeem and restore mankind. Let this sink in – They “already had a plan”. Never has there been any situation where God was “caught off guard” and said: “Oh, oh. Now what?” and had to scramble to figure out what to do, then do it. NEVER! Not once. Immediately after Adam and Eve sinned, satan THOUGHT he won! Think again, satan! The joke is on satan because in that moment when he believed he won – God stepped in with his predetermined plan of action.

  4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. Ephesians 1:4-5

 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. 1 Peter 1:18-20

The entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is God’s plan for redemption and restoration.

Do we really, really, really get this? God is ALL ABOUT restoration of us AND our spouses AND our marriages.

 LONG before our marriage crisis – God ALSO had a plan for restoration. In fact, our Father HAD a plan prepared BEFORE the foundation of the world. Yes! Before creation, God already KNEW about our marriage trouble, and He already formed a plan! You’ve read this many times from different sources that God created “marriage” to reflect His relationship with mankind. As the “body of Christ” we are also “His Church” and “His Bride.” And because we’re “married” to Jesus Christ, we ARE in covenant with Jesus Christ…

 6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. Hebrews 8:6

THIS is ONE reason why God and Jesus Christ promised us that They will “never leave us or forsake us!” because of their covenant with us. And for the same reason – we STAND for our marriages, never to leave or forsake our spouses, while honoring our marriage vows, because we ARE in covenant with them.

 Jesus “stood in the gap” for us, then He passed that assignment off to us, by giving us the “Ministry of restoration.”

 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

So, when we look at Christmas, we see God’s first step in “His plan for restoration.” Jesus Christ had to be born in order to pass through the cross, to conquer sin and death (of dead relationships: of us with God and us with our spouses), in order for Him to create and enter into a New Covenant with us, then pass that assignment of restoration to us.

 You and I ARE BLESSED – because we are in a better position than most Christians in that we can have a better, deeper, fuller understanding and appreciation for Christ’s birth because His birth was for the purpose of RESTORATION, after the cross! I’ve written about this in another post – Christ’s purpose was NOT the cross – but what laid before Him AFTER the cross – the restoration of mankind (His Bride).

 This Christmas, I pray that all of us Standers would reflect on not just our Father’s plan for restoring us to Him, but also His plan for restoring our spouses to Him and restoring our marriages to Him as well.

 Regardless of whether we see our spouses or children this Christmas, let’s stay focused on and celebrate Jesus Christ’s birth. Because as we celebrate Christ’s birth, we CAN celebrate THE FACT that God is right now working His plan of restoration of our spouses, marriage, and children.

 BE ENCOURAGED…

 23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Mark 9:23

 WILL you CHOOSE to believe God’s plan for restoration for you, for your spouse, for your marriage? God gave us the ability to choose – so decide today that you WILL believe that God HAS a plan of restoration of your spouse AND your marriage – both!

 Merry Christmas you wonderful, amazing, more-than-conquerors brothers and sisters in Christ!