Wednesday 12/19/12 The Story

Dear Father in Heaven ... Thank You, Jesus, for another great day on Wednesday.  You blessed us each and every minute of the day.  From a good night's rest to the rising of our bodies until we finished in the evening and climbing back into bed.  Thanks for watching over this line, and watching over all those we have been praying for.  Help me this day to stay on point and keep moving out for You.  Be with all those who have lost loved ones across this great nation, and be with those who are healing from wounds, not just those causing injury to body but also those wounds that were caused by things that affect the mind.  Be in Washington, DC, please, as our leaders there try and act like adults and get out a budget.  Help them get on their knees and bring things to You and then it will get done, and Lord, please be at Sandy Hook and comfort that town.  In Jesus' Name, I pray.  Amen.

Hi, brothers and and sisters.  I know it is early Thursday morning and I am writing under the date of Wednesday, I had another busy day on Wednesday and next week I will tell you about the blessings of this day.  God has been working one blessing after another, however, I want to get on to this message both for you and also to get it in my mind for preaching it on Sunday and also Christmas Eve.  I mentioned in my prayers about praying for our leaders in Washington DC.  I truly believe that if, THAT IF our President and the leaders of our Congress, both the House and the Senate, would come together in the same room and would start by getting on their knees and talking to God The Father, through His Son Jesus, if they would ask in faith for help, they could sit down and work out a budget for this nation.  What I would like to see happen is not the point, it is what the Will of God should be done.  But again as in our schools, we have thrown our Lord Jesus out and expect to get results.  We need to get back to Christ.  And everyone said ... AMEN.  Now let me get to 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 the 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.  (NIV)

Luke 2:6 - 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)

Brothers and sisters, I set the first five verses of Luke 2 down again for review for you, as it has been awhile since I really touched on it.  You will recall that I talked about the trip and how it was a distance of about 69 miles and that while walking and riding it would have taken about three days.  I talked about that trip and how they would have needed to stop and rest along the way.  So now let me get moving on some fresh things that God has planed on my mind about that trip.

Since there would not have been hotels built along the way every so many miles, I would think it went something like this.  As they traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem, I would think more and more people would be joining them as they traveled from village to village toward Bethlehem.  I mean back then there was no Hilton or other hotel or motel of any name, not even Howard Johnson's, so that means none of those ice cream cones along the way.  Remember, since people traveled by foot or with donkeys or camels, all would need rest and food and drink along the way.  Jesus reminded me that even back then, before He was born, that the hungry needed to eat, the thirsty needed a drink, and people needed clothes even the people traveling who might be strangers from each other, were invited in along the way.  Think about it, folks, put yourself back in time and as you travel and you get tired and weary and you need food and water, so you just stop along the way and go to a door.  It might go like this.  Knock, knock!  Who's there?  I am Joseph! Joseph who?  No, that is not how it would go.  It would have gone like this.  Knock on the door, the homeowner would answer the door.  Hi, I am Joseph, and I need to take care of my wife and animals for the night.  Come on in, stranger, and bring your wife in also, I will help you with the animals.  I would think this is how the trip would have been made along the way.  People joining together along the way.  Maybe there were places like our "bed and breakfast" places.  All this to get you thinking about that trip that we think happened in today's time.

Yes, brothers and sisters, as our C and E people go to church, pastors try and fit the entire message into one 20-minute sermon.  By the way, C and E means Christmas and Easter, for a lot of people only go to church twice a year.  Wow, God gives us all those hours, eight thousand seven hundred and sixty per year, and every four years He gives us an extra twenty four hours and some people are willing to give back two hours a year.  How about that, but that is two hours more than many people give back to God in a year.  Okay,  let us go ahead now to Bethlehem, and when Joseph and Mary arrived at that inn.  That inn, in this little town of Bethlehem, over the years has been talked about, studied about more than any other inn, and that inn had the most famous person ever to stop in, and yes, He was told there is no room.  I guess Joseph forgot to "phone ahead."  But think about it, folks, the Bible tells us that they were told they could not stay in the inn for there was no room, but they could stay in the stable.  And then The Baby was born.  More than that, folks, Mary, who has been on a long, long ride, lasting about three days, would have been very, very tired, and she would need a place to deliver.  Think about Joseph, surely he would have taken care of the donkey, putting it in the stable, or tying it up outside.  I think next he would have made Mary a bed, maybe of hay and/or straw, putting a blanket on top of that hay and/or straw.  A blanket that might have been the one she sat upon while riding on the donkey, or maybe a fresh one given to them by the innkeeper.  I would think Joseph would have taken care of Mary and then got the manger ready for Jesus.  The Bible talks about placing Him in a manger, and you think of something special.  Think, folks, of a feeding place for the animals, an area where the hay would have been placed, maybe even a place where grain would have been placed.  Then think of how Joseph would have formed it, moved it around, made it comfortable for his Son who was about to be born.  Please remember, both Mary and Joseph knew ahead of time that this child would be special.  The angel of the Lord had talked to both of them.  I would think that Joseph did all he could do to make things comfy for Mary and the newborn.

Speaking of newborns, Crockett's new grandbaby was picked to be Jesus in a Nativity at their church last Saturday evening when someone forgot to bring the "doll".  Something they will be able to tell that child about later in life.  I can see it.  Connor, you should be acting more like Jesus than you are doing, as they help teach him, along with his parents, Beth and Craig, about Jesus and how he should follow in the footsteps  of Jesus.

Anyway, we also need to think in our minds how someone would need to help Mary deliver The Child.  More than likely there would be other women on this trip that helped deliver children in the past and would help this virgin deliver this Child.  Then as our Savior was born, He would need cleaned up.  The cord would need tied, and then the baby wrapped in cloths and placed in the manger.  Think about it, it was not just a simple birth.

Dear Father in Heaven, thanks for the message of this day, and please, Lord, help me get caught up later today with Thursday's message.  But not just thanks for the message, thanks for for this special Child, our Jesus, our Savior ... Born this day that we now call Christmas.  Help us remember Jesus was not just born on the day we call Christmas, He is the reason, the only reason we have Christmas, and so many folks want to take Him out of it.  Pray, warriors, along with me, to keep Jesus in Christmas, in town squares, in schools, and not just for Christmas, but each day of our lives.  In Jesus' name, I pray.  Amen.

Brothers and sisters, I say this, to keep Jesus in Christmas and all other places and time, it must start with us,with you and me.  Now go forth and share your blessings.  More later today, I pray.

Love ya, Pastor Dan.