Thursday 12/20/12 The Story

Dear Heavenly Father, Thanks again for waking us this day and thanks for a special day for us to share Your love with a daycare and a senior home.  Thanks for watching over this line and our online flock as we call them, Lord.  Please keep watching over Ruby.  Thanks for trusting me to do Your work.  Thanks for our ministry team and all those in our flock at the Bridges.  Dear Lord, we hear more and more about murders but it seems to me, only when there is a mass murder does it make national news.  Lord, help us, please, dear Lord, come back soon.  Love you, Jesus.  Thanks for all  You do for us now.  I pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters, it is raining here at the Southern Location of the North Pole.  We had a great Thursday playing Santa and Mrs. Claus at another Goddard School whee once again we can talk about Jesus.  Let me get moving out with the message ...

12/20/12 The Story.

Luke 2:8 - And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be  afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.  12 This will be a sign to you:  You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."  13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly  host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests."  (NIV)

Yesterday we ended as we talked about the Birth of Jesus not really being easy, simple maybe, but surely not easy.  Today our story takes us out in the fields nearby, where we find shepherds keeping watch over their flocks at night.  This verse is like all verses in the Bible, really important.  It talks about the shepherds in the fields that are nearby, meaning that they could get to the manger, unlike the Kings or Wise Men whom we see in the "manger scenes".  It also tells us that this event announcement happened at night.  But what about the birth?  If we followed along in the Bible up until now, Jesus could have been born in the stable but during the day.  We now have established by the Word from our Bible the Birth announcement happened at night.  But did the Birth happen at night or during the day?  Let's keep going!

In verse 9 we find an angel of the Lord appeared to them.  Now if we were to look back you would find that an angel of the Lord has been announcing the events all along.  The angel talked to Zechariah, to Mary, to Joseph, and has been identified as Gabriel.  Anyway, the word tells us that the glory of the Lord shone around them.  So we know that Gabriel can light up the place and this scared the shepherds.  They were terrified.  Then Gabriel told them, "Do not be afraid."  He also told them that he brought "good news."  Now we will find out later from our Lord Jesus that we are to take the "good news" of our Savior into all the world.  Do you see how this all ties together?  Do you see  how this message from the Bible is still good current news today?

Mark 16:15 - He (Jesus) said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the GOOD NEWS to all creation."  (NIV)

Okay, what else do we find in these scripture verses today?  We find recorded in Luke 2:10 that the Good News is of great joy and it is for ALL PEOPLE.  Again it ties right into Mark 16:15, for the Good News is for all creation, or as in Luke, All People.

Luke 2:11 - "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you:  He is Christ the Lord."  (NIV)

I am thinking our Lord Jesus was born during daylight hours and then after the baby would have been cleaned up and fed and all had settled in for a few hours, the announcement went out to the shepherds.  As we move on, we find that the Angel of the Lord gave them the location.

Let's now go back to the Word.

Luke 2:13 - Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests."  (NIV)

What we see here is that Gabriel brought along friends.  A great company of the Heavenly Host appeared.  We also know, and we still study this later, The Heavenly Host stood nearby when Jesus was taken, arrested, and then put to death on the cross.  God The Father had His Angels or Heavenly Hosts standing nearby then.  One last thing and we need to remember this always ... "Glory to God" -- All Glory goes to God !!!  Amen.

Dear Father in Heaven, thanks for opening the Christmas story to me in different ways.  And thanks for trusting me to share it.  Now let us go forth this day, Lord, with Your blessings, to do Your work.  In Jesus' Name, I pray.  Amen.  

Now please go forth sharing Your blessings and remember that Jesus loves you, and I love ya also.

Pastor Dan