by | Dec 18, 2023 | Mario Murillo Ministries
Who were those shepherds? They are us. Their story is our story. Their situation is our situation. We share a common theme. We share a common enemy. The terror that stalked their night is the very one that preys on the hopes of believers today. They are so much like us! Their future was sold to pay a debt to a foreign empire. For them, it was Rome, for us it is China.
Their leaders forged an unholy alliance with Augustus Caesar. Some of our Democrat leaders take bribes, appease our enemies, attack Christian values, and apologize to the world for our greatness.
The faith of the shepherds’ forefathers was diluted by false ministers and mocked by pagans. Our faith suffers the same fate! Their weak economy created a crime wave that forced them to stay out in the fields watching their sheep.
We have watched governors and mayors go crazy, destroying small businesses and jobs. Can Americans relate to getting through a day by choking down emotions and doing their jobs on cruise control?
What do we want most for Christmas? Let me propose an answer. What we want most is good news. We could sure use some good news! It would be so wonderful for this unrelenting torrent of scary headlines, dire predictions, and disappointing reports to be swallowed up by good news!
But what would be good news to you right now? What message do you need from God right now?
What do we want most for Christmas? Let me propose an answer.
What we want most is a visitation of God. It is easy to think that we want something else, but nothing would help us more, nothing would do the job better, nothing can compare to it. In 1982 I watched as San Jose California was enveloped by the Glory of God. The economy was worse then than it is now.
The prime rate soared to 22%. Unemployment was much higher than today. Yet thousands crowded into the meeting every night for 22 weeks!
The fears and anxieties of the day were overruled by the Glory of the Lord. They sang their hearts out. Tears of joy washed away the cares of their life. Material things became unimportant.
Something priceless gripped them. Human concerns vanished in this precious moment in their life.
I know that when the Spirit of God is upon me, fear, worry and anxiety all vanish.
I am a Pentecostal. It is that simple. I know what it means to have the Holy Spirit drench me. I know that when the Spirit of God is upon me, fear, worry and anxiety all vanish.
The Angels upended the shepherds’ priorities. We know the Bible says, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all of these things will be added unto you,” but in the daily grind, it can seem to be an impossible task.
They ran to the manger, oblivious of the sheep they were leaving behind.
Moments ago, these men were taut with tension and defensive of their herd, to the point that they would have gladly fought to the death to protect their flock. But after the announcement made by the angels, they ran to the manger, oblivious of the sheep they were leaving behind.
Yes, we need jobs, healing, and many other things, but what we need most is the Glory. Glory will make our soul gaze at God, and as we gaze, distracted by His splendor, God will fix the issues of our life. Modern pulpits have done us a great disservice by focusing on “how-to-Christianity.” It seems so right to get practical teaching on relationships, money, and handling emotions. And that is the very problem! We have been taught that we need to “handle our lives” and “fix” ourselves.
This is the bait of Satan: to get us to battle by our own wits, and not by the anointing of the Holy Spirit. What leaders are failing to do is to seek and obtain a move of God.
Why did God skip the theologians, the priests and the king, and send those angels to the shepherds? This is the question of the ages! How embarrassing to all of those in power and to all of those who made a life out of studying the prophets, reading the times, and being “in the know,” who were overlooked in favor of these lowly shepherds!
But are we qualified for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit?
We are constantly trying to qualify for a career, a credit card, a club, or some kind of status, but are we qualified for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit?
What if these are not the bad times? Maybe the bad times were back when you had money and toys. Maybe in these hard times you are holding your loved ones closer, praying a little more deeply, and trying a little harder to be humble and grateful. Maybe instead of suffering, you are merely getting into a position to be visited by God.
So, thank God for your circumstances. You have been born for these very times. They have come from His nail-pierced hands, and the very trials you are going through are preparing you for your destiny!
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