Received by Anna Johnson on January 17, 2024
I hear the Lord ask, “What does it feel like in here?” It feels like Christmas ... warm, cozy and peaceful. The Lord asks me, “What is the meaning of Christmas?” I respond, it’s you, Lord. Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us. Then the Lord says, “When you meet together – here on the grounds, in a service, in classes, or in each other’s homes – do so with the expectation of Emmanuel, God with us.” Then the Lord asks, “What about little children at Christmas?” God then says “Expect my presence and my presents.”
I see a long, seemingly endless, line of people coming down the center aisle — they are happy and excited. There are many other people at the front, with a glow on their faces, handing out gifts. The gifts are in boxes and extravagantly wrapped in gold, shimmery, thick paper with gold, shimmery bows — bright and beautiful, and light bounces off of them. I can’t tell where the glow of the gold-wrapped gift ends and the glowing face of the person handing out the gift begins.
These are precious gifts. The people coming down the center aisle can’t wait to see what is in their beautifully wrapped box, what gift God will give them in addition to His presence. His presence is like a warm, cozy blanket that wraps around the sanctuary and covers us. The gifts are all opened at the front as they are received, person after person after person. No one is going to wait until getting back to a seat, and no one expects them to. I can’t see the gift that each person opens as it is very personal to each one. They each radiate as they open it — as if it is the very thing they need most, and only the Lord could know it and fulfill it.
While I can’t see who is receiving which gift, I am still able to see some of the gifts as they are opened. There are spiritual gifts like prophecy, words of wisdom, and words of encouragement. There is healing. There are physical gifts of provision. There are gifts of joy, fellowship and friendship. There is no shortage of gifts at the front to be handed out and no concern of running out, of not having a gift for the next person.
Some who come down the center aisle and receive a gift begin handing out gifts to others. Some fall down. Some worship. Some dance. Some sing. Some laugh as they show each other their gifts. Some sit down on the floor, looking serene and enjoying the atmosphere. The front of the sanctuary and the first few rows are full of people who have just opened their gifts. They are sitting or lying on the floor ... or standing and praising the Lord. There are people, opened gold shimmery boxes and shimmery gold ribbon everywhere.
The Lord says, “This is a place of Celebration, Habitation and Restoration, Imagination, Saturation, Transformation, Maturation, Acceleration, and Salvation.” He… just… spelled… CHRISTMAS!!!
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