GOD IS FUN! THIS CHRISTMAS … AND ALWAYS - The essential work of Christ delivering us from sin and death, reconciling us to God, and healing our broken lives and relationships comes with a playful, happy spirit. When you read the Gospels and see Jesus blessing children, don’t imagine he’s doing something solemn in a religious way — He’s smiling, laughing, hugging, and playing with them! He’s glad to be with them! They’re having fun together! Fun is an important way that Jesus shows us his Father’s love. - The Christmas Gospel shows us how very fun God is. Appreciating the Lord’s fun-natured personality can have a huge positive impact on our life and ministry to others. We expect God to be a judge, holy, all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere present, eternal, and totally loving. That sounds nice, but it seems to diminish the Divine Being. Sometimes we who are Bible teachers or pastors are stuffy and wrong! The truly serious and urgent nature of our work weighs us down. But if we read the Gospels soulfully, we see that Jesus, the eternal God in human flesh, not only fulfills the standard list of divine traits, he is also happy, affectionate, surprising, playful, funny, and fun! The holy Son of God is truly fun — not just as an infant, but all through his life. The essential work of Christ delivering us from sin and death, reconciling us to God, and healing our broken lives and relationships comes with a playful, happy spirit.

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God is Fun! 

This Christmas … and Always

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The essential work of Christ delivering us from sin and death, reconciling us to God, and healing our broken lives and relationships comes with a playful, happy spirit. When you read the Gospels and see Jesus blessing children, don’t imagine he’s doing something solemn in a religious way — He’s smiling, laughing, hugging, and playing with them! He’s glad to be with them! They’re having fun together! Fun is an important way that Jesus shows us his Father’s love.

by Bill Gaultiere

 

The Christmas Gospel shows us how very fun God is.

Appreciating the Lord’s fun-natured personality can have a huge positive impact on our life and ministry to others.

We expect God to be a judge, holy, all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere present, eternal, and totally loving.

But is God really fun? 

That sounds nice, but it seems to diminish the Divine Being.

We’ve read theology books on the attributes of God and fun does not make the list!

Sometimes we who are Bible teachers or pastors are stuffy and wrong! The truly serious and urgent nature of our work weighs us down.

But if we read the Gospels soulfully, we see that Jesus, the eternal God in human flesh, not only fulfills the standard list of divine traits, he is also happy, affectionate, surprising, playful, funny, and fun!

New Life, New Excitement

As new grandparents, Kristi and I have a fresh excitement for Christmas.

Eight-month-old Juliet reminds us that the child Jesus is a special source of bonding and fun for us.

You can hardly know and love a child if you don’t play with them.

They’re all about sharing smiles, cuddles, wet kisses, made up games, funny faces and sounds, friendly teasing and tickling, imaginative stories, and surprise gifts.

When we greet little Juliet we show her that we’re really happy to see her and ready to play and so her face lights up!

We’re bonding with her by entering her world and using her language.

It’s also true in our adult relationships that we feel most loved when someone is happy to see us.

Our best friends are people we enjoy being with.

Our most productive work has a playfulness about it.

Sermons that are enjoyable have way more impact than those that aren’t.

Even in times of grief, we need to share a sense of humor with each other to lighten our load of sadness.

Not Just an Infant

The holy Son of God is truly fun — not just as an infant, but all through his life.

The essential work of Christ delivering us from sin and death, reconciling us to God, and healing our broken lives and relationships comes with a playful, happy spirit.

There are so many stories of the Lord Jesus being fun-natured.

My favorite is when the religious authorities came to collect the temple tax from him. 

He tells Peter to go fishing and then he directs a fish to swallow a coin and bite the worm on Peter’s hook! That is so funny! (Matthew 17:24-27)

When you read the Gospels and see Jesus blessing children, don’t imagine he’s doing something solemn in a religious way — He’s smiling, laughing, hugging, and playing with them!

He’s glad to be with them! They’re having fun together! (Mark 10:13-16)

Fun is an important way that Jesus shows us his Father’s love.

It’s part of Jesus’ message that the Omni God is our Abba, our dear Papa. (Mark 14:36, Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6)

(Just writing “Papa” makes me smile because that’s what my little granddaughter calls me!)

If you’re not enjoying God’s fun side, you need to rediscover your “inner child.”

Find a child to play with and read the Gospels in a children’s Bible.

If you still feel stiff and serious, or like God is distant and ecclesiastical, then you need to receive the playful and enthusiastic care of a friend as God’s grace to you.

Pray this prayer: “Holy Spirit, this Christmas show us the fun nature of Jesus and help us to receive this as God being our Abba. Amen.”

As doctors of psychology and spiritual directors, Bill and Kristi Gaultiere have developed a unique model of ministry called Soul Shepherding, that cultivates intimacy with Jesus, emotionally healthy relationships, and fruitful ministry. They minister to pastors, leaders, staff teams, and churches, helping believers to thrive with Jesus in life and leadership. Learn more about Bill and Kristi Gaultiere at SoulShepherding.org.

https://inspiration.org/christian-articles/god-is-fun-this-christmas-and-always/

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CREATED BY CHRIST - All men, and "all things," had been created by one God - it was by the Lord Jesus Christ that God had created all things. By Jesus Christ "all things" will be gathered "together in one" in the "dispensation of the fullness of times." The gospel which we like Paul are commanded to make known, is the glorious news that Jesus Christ is both Creator and Consummator of all things, and that by His work of salvation all who believe, whether Jews or Gentiles, receive eternal salvation. "All things were created by him," and He has shed His blood "to reconcile all things unto himself" - "And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ." In the context of this verse, Paul is testifying concerning his divine call to preach the gospel, especially proclaiming God's great plan to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. In support of this revolutionary concept, Paul refers to the great fact of creation. All men, and indeed, "all things," had been created by one God. Furthermore, it was by the Lord Jesus Christ that God had created all things. Before the revelation of this mystery, the Gentiles had been "without God in the world" The phrase "without God" (Greek atheos, from which we get the word "atheist") is used only this once in the New Testament, and it indicates plainly the barrenness of all pagan religions. "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ" Thus, by Jesus Christ, all things were created, and by Jesus Christ "all things" will be gathered "together in one" in the "dispensation of the fullness of times"

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Created by Christ

.

All men, and "all things," had been created by one God - it was by the Lord Jesus Christ that God had created all things. By Jesus Christ "all things" will be gathered "together in one" in the "dispensation of the fullness of times." The gospel which we like Paul are commanded to make known, is the glorious news that Jesus Christ is both Creator and Consummator of all things, and that by His work of salvation all who believe, whether Jews or Gentiles, receive eternal salvation. "All things were created by him," and He has shed His blood "to reconcile all things unto himself"

By Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

Evidence for Creation

 

"And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 3:9)

In the context of this verse, Paul is testifying concerning his divine call to preach the gospel, especially proclaiming God's great plan to the Gentiles as well as the Jews.

In support of this revolutionary concept, Paul refers to the great fact of creation. All men, and indeed, "all things," had been created by one God.

Furthermore, it was by the Lord Jesus Christ that God had created all things.

Before the revelation of this mystery, the Gentiles had been "without God in the world" (Ephesians 2:12).

The phrase "without God" (Greek atheos, from which we get the word "atheist") is used only this once in the New Testament, and it indicates plainly the barrenness of all pagan religions.

"But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ" (Ephesians 2:13).

Thus, by Jesus Christ, all things were created, and by Jesus Christ "all things" will be gathered "together in one" in the "dispensation of the fullness of times" (Ephesians 1:10).

This is all part of the same "mystery of his will," according to the preceding verse, Ephesians 1:9.

In the last chapter, Paul again refers to this now-revealed "mystery" when he urges the Ephesians to pray that he might be able to "make known the mystery of the gospel" (Ephesians 6:19).

Thus the "gospel of your salvation" (Ephesians 1:13), which we like Paul are commanded to make known, is the glorious news that Jesus Christ is both Creator and Consummator of all things, and that by His work of salvation all who believe, whether Jews or Gentiles, receive eternal salvation.

"All things were created by him," and He has shed His blood "to reconcile all things unto himself" (Colossians 1:16-20).

The Institute for Creation Research (ICR) wants people to know that God’s Word can be trusted in everything it speaks about—from how and why we were made, to how the universe was formed, to how we can know God and receive all He has planned for us.

After 50 years of ministry, ICR remains a leader in scientific research within the context of biblical creation. Founded by Dr. Henry Morris in 1970, ICR exists to conduct scientific research within the realms of origins and Earth history, and then to educate the public both formally and informally through professional training programs, through conferences and seminars around the country, and through books, magazines, and media presentations.

https://www.icr.org/article/4266/