Saturday 12/21/13 At The Manger

Dear Father in Heaven:  Thank You, dear Lord, for another great day.  Thanks for each thing You do for us.  Thanks for all those who came today to hear the message about You.  Lord, be with all of our flock here online, at The Bridges, and all who work with Carry The Light Ministries.  Lord, please  help me now with this message, help me get it delivered, then, dear Lord, help me prepare my message for tomorrow and get some notes on paper.  Lord, I really need to lean on You.  We are tired, Lord, and need rest.  Help us, Lord.  In the name of Jesus, I pray.  Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters, I hope you enjoyed the last couple of days with Don Key and his friends.  As you might have guessed, I have been tired, and as the donkey I just ate some hay and went to bed.  Well, folks, Dolores and I are tired and are looking forward to Christmas Day.  The food pantry has been very busy, even in this busy day helping families with food, while working in Santa's House.  I just want to tell you this, with only one exception, all the children who came to Santa's House were anointed with oil and prayed over, the exception was the one who was so afraid of Santa we did not want to scare him.  Yesterday we held a 3-week old baby and anointed her.  She is the youngest baby that Santa and Mrs. Claus got to anoint.  One baby was brought in today we had anointed while in the womb, with a cross placed on the mother's belly.  Today that baby was back in at 8 months old and was anointed.  God is good.  Please excuse me if I have not answered emails and such.  I am really running behind, really behind.  Right now I need to get started with this message, as it will be part of my message at church in the morning.  I love you, folks, and yes, I will be writing right up through the New Year, God willing.  Now to the message.

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 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."  (NIV)

Well, the Baby has been born, and the word is getting out to others.  Once again we see the messenger of the Lord being called on to get this message out.  The messenger of the Lord is once again Gabriel, going by the term of an "Angel of the Lord."  You recall we talked about Gabriel when we talked about Mary getting the word and others getting the word.  So the shepherds were watching over the flocks and the Bible tells us in fields nearby, and they were keeping watch at night.

When the angel appeared to the shepherds they were afraid, terrified, the Bible tells us.  The glory of the Lord shone from the angel.  Have you noticed when the angel, when the messenger of the Lord shows up, people get afraid?  You recall in our messages at Easter that the angel at the tomb had the guards so terrified they were like stone.

Before I go one step more, let me ask you this, if this angel called on you today, would you be terrified?  Folks,while it might scare us, we who are saved have nothing to fear, those who are not saved better be terrified, for they might have just missed the call.  Don't chance it, folks, if you do not feel you are saved, please email me so we can really work at it.  Put on the subject line "Need Saved."

The messenger, the angel of the Lord, told the shepherds that he brought them "good news," that in the town of David, which is also called Bethlehem, a Savior had been born to you and they would find Him wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.  Now I want to point out a few things here.  First, the good news, and that good news was a Savior was born.  But go just a little further and let's look at it this way.  A SAVIOR WAS BORN TO YOU.  Wow, a Savior was born to US.  Us is you and me, brothers and sisters.  This SAVIOR WAS BORN FOR ALL OF US TODAY.  This Savior was born to die so we might live.

Luke 2:13 - Suddenly a great company of heavenly hosts 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)

Heavenly hosts are angels, and they appeared with the messenger, the angel who first came, and they offered up praise.  And we should be doing that each day.  We need to offer up praise for our Lord.  And please note that we will  have peace on earth to all on whom His favor rests.  And brothers and sisters, His favor rests on those who are saved.  Now where does the Bible tell us that we who are saved will not have problems?  It doesn't, but we have a Savior who will carry our troubles for us if we just let Him.

Now please read from Luke 2:16 to Luke 2:20 on your own.  I want to just tell you a tad of what it tells us.  After the angels departed and had gone back to heaven, the shepherds hurried off to see this Child, this Baby, and as the messenger told them, that is what they found.  Mary, Joseph, and this Baby in the manger.  It was an exciting time, and the Bible tells us that "Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."  Then it goes on to say that the shepherds, after seeing the Child, left and went off telling others about this Child.  Notice now that the shepherds became the messengers.  Over the years, year after year after some 2000 years, we are now the messengers, you and me, we are those messengers, and we still have that job to do.  So today I ask you, are you upholding your part of being a messenger?

Dear Lord, thank You for the message.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Now go forth and share your blessings.  Love ya.  Please pass that Love on.  Pastor Dan