Jena Rainone Smith

Dec 14, 20217 min read

SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF—CHRISTMAS (Part 2)

Updated: May 23, 2022

I recently was the guest speaker at a woman's Christmas event. Part 1 and 2 of SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF—CHRISTMAS are both based on that event's teaching.

To read Part 1 click the link below:

https://www.jenarainonesmith.com/post/smack-dab-in-the-middle-of-christmas-part-1

Click here if you'd like to watch:

https://www.jenarainonesmith.com/speaking

In Acts 17:26-28 Paul says, "From one man he made every nation of man, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' "

According to God's word there is no doubt that He put you and I in the places in which we live, in 2021, smack dab in the middle of all that comes with it—Pandemic; Division; Civil unrest; Obvious corruption, and unfortunately a Christianity that doesn't look much different than the world.

God is shaking the whole earth, but more so His bride. We're here to represent Him collectively, but also for a unique individual purpose that will glorify Him and further His Kingdom.

So, how do we apply any of this to Christmas? And how do we apply Christmas to any of this?

Well, think about Mary. Other than Jesus, I can't imagine a more difficult journey. Do you remember when you were young and planning and dreaming about your future? I'm sure Mary had hers all planned out in her heart, but God intervened.

Luke tells us that Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” (1:28-33)

Imagine being Mary. I'm sure a million thoughts ran through her head. Although she spoke of only one, “How can this happen, I'm a virgin?”

But I'm sure she had many other thoughts too. Thoughts like—

What about Joseph? He's not going to understand.

How will I even tell him?

I love him and I'm sure he's going to leave me.

What about my parents? My Community? What will they think of me?

And the Law says, I will be stoned to death!

How in the world can I raise the Son of God?

It had to be too great for her to fathom; the responsibility too heavy to measure! Yet, she said yes, with virtually no hesitation, yes to birth the most important human being that would ever live—God's son!

I am the Lord's servant, she said, May everything you have said about me come true" (1:38)

What an insurmountable honor that would bring with it unimaginable pain.

Mary would later be told that "a sword would pierce her very soul" (2:35)

She was just an ordinary girl, asked to do an extraordinary thing—and she said yes.

Would you have said yes?

Can you follow God with an indistinct future? He doesn't give us all the information, He just says, "follow Me, walk this way."

Think about—

Noah - God said, You will be ridiculed because it's never rained before - but will you build a boat anyway?

And Abraham - I won't tell you where you're going - but will you leave your country and your family to walk with me?

Esther - I need you to save your people - will you Go before the King—Uninvited? Even though going uninvited may be a death sentence?

The disciples - You will be persecuted, even to death - but will you follow me anyway?

And later Paul - You will walk an extremely difficult road. I am sending you to preach to the very ones you've been killing, the Christians, the Gentiles. Will you let me remove your religiosity and replace it with the Gospel?

We are all part of the same story.

COLLECTIVELY, God is asking us to represent Him and to stand on truth no matter the consequences in order that others will see Him through us.

AND

INDIVIDUALLY, He's asking you to do something significant for Him; something that He prepared ahead of time for you to do.

Just as Mary was pregnant with Jesus, Jesus is in us.

So let’s ponder a few questions together—

Is Jesus made visible to the world through you? Think about your everyday life, is Jesus shining through you?

Are you standing on truth no matter what? Even when it doesn't make sense to you? Or especially when it doesn't make sense to those around you or even those who are persecuting you?

Does your life today reflect a greater alignment with the purposes of God than it did yesterday?

What would have to happen in your life for you to make a difference in this place, in this time, in 2021, that has God placed you in? Maybe we need to ask ourselves what we need to start doing, or maybe stop doing.

Mary was shaken. God is shaking us.

Mary had Gabriel to literally tell her what was going to happen. Don't you wish you had an auditable voice telling us what's going to happen. We don't get a Gabriel, but we have someone better, we have the Holy Spirit.

Gabriel may have been speaking, but Mary knew God, and she recognized His voice calling her to the most important thing she would ever do.

We have to have a heart that is fully seeking after Jesus in order to hear His voice.

Mary said, "I am the Lord's servant. Let it be according to your word.

(Luke 1:38)

A servant doesn't own her own life, she submits her life to her Master.

Paul said in Ephesians, "I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance."

Did you catch that, you are God's inheritance. I remember when that first hit me, I knew He was my inheritance, but I never imagined myself as His.

Paul continues, "I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 1:18-20)

And later in Ephesians, Paul tells us that we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he PLANNED for us LONG AGO. (2:10, Emphasis mine)

I'm pretty convinced that anyone who looks out the window would agree that time is short and Jesus is probably coming soon. What I'm not sure of, is how many of us who claim Christ would ask God for the ability to live boldly, with the same reckless abandon as Mary.

Are you willing to seek God with all your heart, and listen, and submit to His plan with a readiness to act?

Beloved, we are the church. The church is not a building. It's you, it's me. God could have unzipped the sky and told everyone His plan. He didn't. He chose to turn His beloved into an army. He gave us dominion over the earth. Regardless of the outcome, God has called us to step in as His representative.

I don't know about you but Christmastime reminds me of new beginnings. It seems as though the world as we know it has been turned upside-down. Wrong is right, right is wrong. Good evil, evil good. The shaking is tangible, and it's for us.

2 Chronicles 7:14 was a direct conditional promise to Israel but I believe its principle applies to the Christian—

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

This is to the believer. It's not up to the unbeliever, it's up to us. They don't follow God, we do.

I wrote this in one of my blogs when the bottom fell out in 2020,

"Even though God told Israel that if they did this He would heal their land, I believe it was always more about the people than the land. So, let's personalize the principle. God is asking the Christian to humble himself, to pray, to seek Him, and turn from sin. He is promising that if we do, He will hear from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal our land. But could that land be the land under your feet? Is He promising to heal our nation or is He promising to heal you, and then use you, no matter the circumstances around you, as His ambassador to a lost and broken land?"

And hey, who knows, He may actually heal our land. I mean, the only chance of that even happening is if the church is the church. We have to stand up against the blatant lies of the enemy, the culture, and I’m sorry to say our leaders that say,

It’s okay to kill a PRE-BORN BABY.

Or that MARRIAGE isn’t only between one man and one woman.

Or that God makes mistakes when He chooses GENDER.

Ephesians 5:14 says, Wake up, O Sleeper. Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you.

Mary's world was, without a doubt, turned inside out and upside-down. Israel hadn't heard from God in 400 years because of their disobedience. But God, He was sending the Savior, and He was using Mary as His vessel.

She had to step in with a different response than the status quo in order to meet the demand of the time in which God placed her.

Was it difficult? Sure it was, but she got to be Jesus' mom.

And us—we get the Holy Spirit.

We need a response that is different in order to meet the demands of the time in which God has placed us.

This Christmas, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, may we have Mary's same courage, her servant's heart and most importantly her desire to please her Father.

Are you ready?

Are you willing?

Are you close enough to hear His voice?

Can you hear the wake up call?

Let's Pray,

Father, thank You for Jesus.

Jesus thank You for Your willingness, Your sacrifice, and Your victory over death.

Holy Spirit, thank You for revealing Jesus to us, for Your guidance, protection, comfort and conviction.

I pray Father, should You give us another day, may we align ourselves to You more and more. Open our eyes and hearts. May we live boldly and with reckless abandon to You. We need your help; it's much easier to stay quiet in the volatile atmosphere in which we live, than it is to speak the truth in love.

SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF—CHRISTMAS (Part 2)

I recently was the guest speaker at a woman's Christmas event. Part 1 and 2 of SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF—CHRISTMAS are both based on that event's teaching.

To read Part 1 click the link below:

https://www.jenarainonesmith.com/post/smack-dab-in-the-middle-of-christmas-part-1

Click here if you'd like to watch:

https://www.jenarainonesmith.com/speaking

According to God's word there is no doubt that He put you and I in the places in which we live, in 2021, smack dab in the middle of all that comes with it—Pandemic; Division; Civil unrest; Obvious corruption, and unfortunately a Christianity that doesn't look much different than the world.

God is shaking the whole earth, but more so His bride. We're here to represent Him collectively, but also for a unique individual purpose that will glorify Him and further His Kingdom.

So, how do we apply any of this to Christmas? And how do we apply Christmas to any of this?

Well, think about Mary. Other than Jesus, I can't imagine a more difficult journey. Do you remember when you were young and planning and dreaming about your future? I'm sure Mary had hers all planned out in her heart, but God intervened.

Imagine being Mary. I'm sure a million thoughts ran through her head. Although she spoke of only one, “How can this happen, I'm a virgin?”

But I'm sure she had many other thoughts too. Thoughts like—

What about Joseph? He's not going to understand.

How will I even tell him?

I love him and I'm sure he's going to leave me.

What about my parents? My Community? What will they think of me?

And the Law says, I will be stoned to death!

How in the world can I raise the Son of God?

It had to be too great for her to fathom; the responsibility too heavy to measure! Yet, she said yes, with virtually no hesitation, yes to birth the most important human being that would ever live—God's son!

I am the Lord's servant, she said, May everything you have said about me come true" (1:38)

What an insurmountable honor that would bring with it unimaginable pain.

Mary would later be told that "a sword would pierce her very soul" (2:35)

She was just an ordinary girl, asked to do an extraordinary thing—and she said yes.

Would you have said yes?

Can you follow God with an indistinct future? He doesn't give us all the information, He just says, "follow Me, walk this way."

Think about—

Noah - God said, You will be ridiculed because it's never rained before - but will you build a boat anyway?

And Abraham - I won't tell you where you're going - but will you leave your country and your family to walk with me?

Esther - I need you to save your people - will you Go before the King—Uninvited? Even though going uninvited may be a death sentence?

The disciples - You will be persecuted, even to death - but will you follow me anyway?

And later Paul - You will walk an extremely difficult road. I am sending you to preach to the very ones you've been killing, the Christians, the Gentiles. Will you let me remove your religiosity and replace it with the Gospel?

We are all part of the same story.

COLLECTIVELY, God is asking us to represent Him and to stand on truth no matter the consequences in order that others will see Him through us.

AND

INDIVIDUALLY, He's asking you to do something significant for Him; something that He prepared ahead of time for you to do.

Just as Mary was pregnant with Jesus, Jesus is in us.

So let’s ponder a few questions together—

Is Jesus made visible to the world through you? Think about your everyday life, is Jesus shining through you?

Are you standing on truth no matter what? Even when it doesn't make sense to you? Or especially when it doesn't make sense to those around you or even those who are persecuting you?

Does your life today reflect a greater alignment with the purposes of God than it did yesterday?

What would have to happen in your life for you to make a difference in this place, in this time, in 2021, that has God placed you in? Maybe we need to ask ourselves what we need to start doing, or maybe stop doing.

Mary was shaken. God is shaking us.

Mary had Gabriel to literally tell her what was going to happen. Don't you wish you had an auditable voice telling us what's going to happen. We don't get a Gabriel, but we have someone better, we have the Holy Spirit.

Gabriel may have been speaking, but Mary knew God, and she recognized His voice calling her to the most important thing she would ever do.

We have to have a heart that is fully seeking after Jesus in order to hear His voice.

Mary said, "I am the Lord's servant. Let it be according to your word.

(Luke 1:38)

A servant doesn't own her own life, she submits her life to her Master.

Paul said in Ephesians, "I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance."

Did you catch that, you are God's inheritance. I remember when that first hit me, I knew He was my inheritance, but I never imagined myself as His.

Paul continues, "I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 1:18-20)

And later in Ephesians, Paul tells us that we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he PLANNED for us LONG AGO. (2:10, Emphasis mine)

I'm pretty convinced that anyone who looks out the window would agree that time is short and Jesus is probably coming soon. What I'm not sure of, is how many of us who claim Christ would ask God for the ability to live boldly, with the same reckless abandon as Mary.

Are you willing to seek God with all your heart, and listen, and submit to His plan with a readiness to act?

I don't know about you but Christmastime reminds me of new beginnings. It seems as though the world as we know it has been turned upside-down. Wrong is right, right is wrong. Good evil, evil good. The shaking is tangible, and it's for us.

2 Chronicles 7:14 was a direct conditional promise to Israel but I believe its principle applies to the Christian—

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

This is to the believer. It's not up to the unbeliever, it's up to us. They don't follow God, we do.

I wrote this in one of my blogs when the bottom fell out in 2020,

And hey, who knows, He may actually heal our land. I mean, the only chance of that even happening is if the church is the church. We have to stand up against the blatant lies of the enemy, the culture, and I’m sorry to say our leaders that say,

It’s okay to kill a PRE-BORN BABY.

Or that MARRIAGE isn’t only between one man and one woman.

Or that God makes mistakes when He chooses GENDER.

Ephesians 5:14 says, Wake up, O Sleeper. Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you.

Mary's world was, without a doubt, turned inside out and upside-down. Israel hadn't heard from God in 400 years because of their disobedience. But God, He was sending the Savior, and He was using Mary as His vessel.

She had to step in with a different response than the status quo in order to meet the demand of the time in which God placed her.

Was it difficult? Sure it was, but she got to be Jesus' mom.

And us—we get the Holy Spirit.

We need a response that is different in order to meet the demands of the time in which God has placed us.

This Christmas, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, may we have Mary's same courage, her servant's heart and most importantly her desire to please her Father.

Are you ready?

Are you willing?

Are you close enough to hear His voice?

Can you hear the wake up call?

Let's Pray,

Father, thank You for Jesus.

Jesus thank You for Your willingness, Your sacrifice, and Your victory over death.

Holy Spirit, thank You for revealing Jesus to us, for Your guidance, protection, comfort and conviction.

Please give each of us the courage we need to step into Your call.