True Spirit of Christmas

I feel like Charlie Brown. Humorously enough, when he cries out, “Can someone tell me the true meaning of Christmas?!” he is standing a platform (where he and the rest of the Peanuts gang have been vigorously rehearsing for a Christmas production)… this platform so accurately represents the Church of the twenty first century, especially during the Christmas season. Pageants. Productions. Programs. Ah, but where is the preaching of the true Incarnation? Am I simply referring to that which occurred once two thousand years ago through the womb of the Virgin? No.



The true Spirit of Christmas is the Holy Spirit of God Who has been deposited in the hearts of those who have called upon the Name of Jesus Christ as Savior, and let me tell you, while we place a lot of emphasis on how much Jesus we “put in”, I believe a prophetic cry is emerging from the very heartbeat of God—“Release my Son into the Earth!”

‘Tis a weighty mandate indeed. And yet, isn’t it an appropriate call to action for an organism defined as the very body of Jesus Christ?

What was the common denominator amidst those who encountered Christ that first Christmas season? Divine Encounters Initiated by the Holy Spirit. In other words, those who longed for the Christ did not just one day decide or will to experience Jesus, especially the Jesus who was released into the Earth. He wasn’t a political powerhouse or a government over-hauler. He was the Lamb. His primary purpose was not to bring natural liberation from Rome; it was supernatural deliverance from the sin-tyranny of Satan. The Sinner’s Saviour is in fact the only Jesus who can incite us to leave everything behind and follow Him with our lives, for when we live in full view of that revelation—we were lost wretches, incapable of saving ourselves—and He came to the rescue.

Contrary to the lyrics of many Christian worship songs of this age, NO, we didn’t “call” and He answered our yearning beckon. Friends, we rejected Him. We crucified Him. We spat at Him and mocked Him and hurled insults at Him. And yet, He still came to the rescue. Oh the praise and thanksgiving that such Truth should up well in our hearts!

And again, only the Holy Spirit could open our eyes to long for and in turn, receive such a seemingly “lowly” Savior as our Great Redeemer and Liberator. This Spirit not only awakens us to the Truth of Who Jesus is, and what He came to do. We live, move, and breath in response to that, yes. However, we were never called to do it alone. Jesus is awakening his army in the Earth and Christian, He has sovereignly intended to do that through you.

The Holy Spirit is awakening this groan to release Jesus in the hearts of a generation. A John (the Baptist) generation. The Bible describes him as one filled with the Spirit and power of Elijah. What does this Spirit do? It prepares a prophetic atmosphere, fitting the environment of an era, time, hour, or generation for a Holy Visitation from God Almighty. Elijah was appointed to do that on Mount Caramel. John was called to do it prior to the Savior’s first advent.

So what releases these Johns? Encounter with Jesus.

“A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Luke 1:39-41, NLT)

Here, we witness a powerful exchange between Mary—literally filled with Jesus—and Elizabeth, who was hosting the developing, fetal John. That encounter with one filled-with-Jesus (Mary) stirred the forerunner-in-gestation (John), causing him to leap in the womb. This goes to show that the Christ-in-us when placed in close proximity to a chosen forerunner, should spiritually awaken that fetus. The question begs: Are we living as true hosts of Christ, ready in season and out of season to manifest Him into an atmosphere or environment?

You never know what chosen vessels may be around when Christ-in-you shines forth. May the bride assume the position of Mary—serving as a literal vessel and host for Jesus Christ.

Just as in the days preceding Christ’s first advent, I believe the Holy Spirit is sovereignly stirring a prophetic yearning and longing in the hearts of a generation for the Christ. Not the happy-go-lucky Jesus. Not “Jesus as my homeboy.” Not religion. Not feel-good, felt-needs focused, program-driven, timed down to the minute church. Not even the Jesus presented by most of evangelical Christianity in this day and age, Who essentially saves us from mediocrity and brings us into happiness, peace, joy, health, wealth and warm fuzzies. Not the emergent Jesus. Not the seeker-friendly Jesus. Not the indecisive, stoic, distant, hip, cool Christ. Friends, the Spirit of God is stirring a generation, calling them into the “wilderness,” just as He did John the Baptis. John didn’t learn from the Pharisees of his day, nor will this generation be theologically schooled from the “Christian celebs” of ours. The Holy Spirit has a people in training who will be grounded in True Christology and equipped to manifest the power of Jesus into the Earth.

I sense the Lord saying, “A generation is emerging out of a barren womb. A dead, impossible place where God-life seems nonexistent: The world, culture, religion…even the modern church. This generation needs to be around Jesus-conduits. Men and women overshadowed by the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of Elijah that awakens generations to repentance for these vessels have seen the King and are supernaturally made away of their hopelessness and desperation for Christ, the Emmanuel.”

The Spirit of Christmas is setting up a supernatural collision, where the yearn of a generation will collide with a historic outpouring of the Spirit. Result? Historic revival that will prepare the bride for the bridegroom’s coming and awaken sinners out of darkness and translate them into Jesus’ saving light.