Monday 8/27/12 The Story

Luke 2:1 - In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  3 And everyone went to his own town to register.  4 So Joseph also went up from his town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him, and was expecting a child.  6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son.  She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.  (NIV)

Dear Father in Heaven, Thanks so much for a great weekend and thanks so much for a beautiful rain and now great sunshine.  Thanks for all the things You do for all of us.  Please honor our prayer requests this day according to Your will for us.  In Jesus' Name ... Amen.

Good Monday morning, my dear brothers and sisters.  Today, being Monday, is the day we pray for all our leaders, and please pray also for the political convention these coming weeks, both of them.  Also pray for God to protect all involved at the conventions.  Please pray that when the election is over the one in the White House is who God wants there.  Pray today for our President and all other leaders, our veterans, our current military, our police (and please pray for the Carlisle, PA, chief of police), pray for firefighters and all others who keep you healthy and safe.  This morning Dolores and I were at the doctors, and I got to anoint my doctor with oil and pray for her, after which Dolores got an epidural block placed in her neck.  She never even felt the needle go in.  (God is good.)  Please keep praying for Joe who has cancer and Burt, Patsy, Barbara, Ruby, Dolores, and all others on our prayer lists from last week.  Let's get started on "The Story."

Why am I doing this seeming Christmas story now?  I have a vision to write a book about the real meaning of Christmas, as told by Santa, to the kids at Christmas.  So follow me now for a few days, or maybe even a week or two as we look at the Birth of Christ and then go forth from there ...

The Story (Day One).  This story really starts when an angel of the Lord appears to Mary, who was a virgin, and says this.  "Greetings, you are highly favored!  The Lord is with you."  Mary was told she was going to have a baby.  While Mary was troubled with this, because she was pledged to be married to Joseph, she wanted to know how this could happen since she was a virgin.  The angel Gabriel explained all of this to Mary.  So when old Caesar put out the call that a census would be taken, Joseph got out his donkey, placed Mary on its back and started the walk, and walk he did.  Joseph went up from the town of Nazareth to the town we have learned to call The Little Town of Bethlehem.  I would think that Joseph would be travelling with others, and maybe even meeting up with others along the way.  I would think that Joseph would have placed a blanket on the back of his donkey and of course Mary would need to be sitting sideways on the animal.  Now Mary was with child, and when they arrived at Bethlehem some things happened strange.  They went into the Inn (the Bethlehem Hilton was not built yet!) to register and Joseph was told that there was no room for them.  While they were in the inn, the donkey waited outside.  I wonder what was going on in the donkey's mind.  I think maybe that donkey thinking, wow, something went wrong for they are both coming back outside and coming toward me again.  And more than likely the donkey was right, for I would think that Joseph at that point either put Mary back on the donkey or they both walked together, leading the donkey and going to the stable at the Inn.  Now the Bible tells us that Mary delivered that Baby right there in the stable, or barn if you want to call it that, and the Baby was placed in a manger.  I would think that the manger was a feed trough and that Joseph made it with straw and/or hay and m ore than likely used the blanket from the donkey to cover the Baby.

Question for you for tomorrow ... After the Baby was born, who all was at the manger?  And according to the Bible, how many kings were at the manger to see the Baby?

Hey, time to run, it is late, and I am tired.  Early start tomorrow, we must get a place for a baby ready, for within a day or two, maybe a week, Dolores and I, even at our age, are going to be blessed with a brand new kid.  This is serious stuff ... More on that tomorrow ...

Remember to share your blessings, and remember that Jesus loves you, and I love ya also.  Pastor Dan.