An Amazing Sight

Have you heard about something that made you so excited you just couldn’t wait to go see it? Was it as wondrous as you thought it would be? Have you received a message from the Lord? If you did, did you go where He told you? If not, would you go where He told you?

It is very likely we have all been told of something amazing and wanted to go see it. Perhaps it was a place, such as the Grand Canyon. Perhaps it was a musical group, and we wanted to go see them. Or maybe it was an amazing sports feat and we had to look for the recording of it.

Sometimes, those things are as amazing as we thought they would be. However, there are many times they are disappointing. Oh, they may be pretty good, maybe even close to amazing. Yet, they didn’t live up to our expectations.

The shepherds were excited after the angel told them about what had happened just a few miles from them. They agreed to take off at once to go see for themselves. They also recognized the message had come straight from God. So, they obeyed and headed to Bethlehem.

When they saw the babe with Mary, they were not disappointed. I cannot imagine what the scene looked like exactly, but I’m sure it was an amazing scene. There was something about baby Jesus that the shepherds recognized as God. They could not contain themselves. They told everyone they met along the way about the amazing thing they experienced.

I pray we all recognize Jesus as God. I pray we celebrate His birth with as much excitement as we can. I pray each one of us tell everyone we meet about the amazing birth of our Lord and Savior. Be amazed at Jesus’ birth. Recognize Jesus as God. Tell others about Him. God does not disappoint.

Luke 2:15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

God’s Favor

Have you sought someone’s favor? Do you work to get on someone’s good side? Would you like to have someone leave you a handsome inheritance? Do you long for peace in your life? Where have you looked for peace?

There are times in which we long to be on the good side of someone. It may our spouse. It may be our boss. It may be our rich aunt, hoping she remembers us in her will. In other words, we long for their favor. We want them to favor us over someone else.

We have been promised to receive the favor of God. All we must do is accept it. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? It is and it isn’t. To accept God’s favor, we must accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We must commit our lives to being a follower of His. It is a simple, “Yes,” but not so simple to follow through on.

What do we receive if we accept His favor? We receive His peace. We receive a peace that goes beyond understanding. How do we know this? Jesus says, “Peace I leave you; my peace I give you” (John 14:23). We receive the peace of God when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. His peace continues to grow in us as we grow closer to Him.

There is nothing that satisfies more than the peace of God. When we have his peace within us, nothing can shake us. That peace is experienced and increases our confidence in God’s promises. It increases our faith. As our faith increases, we grow closer to God, and we receive more of his peace. That is a nice circle to be in.

I pray we all accept God’s favor. I pray we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. I pray each of us will commit to being a follower of Jesus. Know that God desires to grant you his favor. He wants to give you peace. Accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Accept God’s favor. Accept God’s peace.

Luke 2:14

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, 

and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

God as a Newborn

Do you like to hold newborn babies? Are you afraid you will hurt them? Do you think they are fragile? Are you over caring, overreacting to every sneeze, cough, or cry? How would you feel if you had been Mary holding the newborn baby Jesus?

We all react differently with newborns. Some of us can’t wait to cuddle them in our arms. Others don’t want to hold them; afraid we will do something wrong. We all know that newborn babies are to be handled with care. Yet, we do not need to be afraid of them.

The shepherds were told there was a newborn a few miles from where they were tending their sheep. But it wasn’t just any newborn, it was the Messiah, the Lord. The word translated into English as Lord, is Yahweh. This was one name the Jews used to identify God. In other words, the angel told the shepherds the newborn was God coming into his creation.

Can you imagine?! An angel says that God, the very God the Jews went to the temple to worship, was coming into the world as a newborn baby. How amazing is that?! Is it any wonder the shepherds rushed off to go see what was happening? God was coming to his people. He was coming to save them. He was fulfilling his promise.

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we should remember that He was God coming into the world. Jesus came with a purpose. He came to be our perfect Savior. He came to teach the meaning of God’s Word. He came to show us that God cares. He came to show God’s love.

I pray we all are amazed at the birth of Jesus. I pray we are in awe of God coming into his creation. I pray each one of us celebrate Jesus’ birth with thanks, praise, and love. Remember God came into his creation. Celebrate Jesus’ birth. Know that Jesus is your Savior. Accept His gift of love.

Luke 2:10-12 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Frightened and Overwhelmed

Have you been shocked? Shocked to the point of being terrified? Have you had a chill run down your spine? Has the hair stood on your arms? Have you been scared speechless? How do you think you would feel if you were to be in the presence of an angel?

I’m sure we have all been frightened at some point in our lives. A few of those frights may have been minor, just a brief scare from someone hiding and jumping out at us. Other frights may have seemed to last a lifetime. They may have been far more serious.

Being frightened happens to all of us. One of my most alarming shocks came when I received a phone call in Okinawa, JA. My aunt called to tell me my dad was likely not going to make it more than a couple more days. I knew he had not been feeling well but had no idea it was that serious. A shock rolled through my body for what seemed like several minutes.

I can only guess how the shepherds felt when an angel suddenly appeared before them. Not only would they have been surprised to seem someone suddenly appear, but the power of the presence of a heavenly being would have been overwhelming. Then, just as they might have been recovering, an entire host from heaven appears and starts praising God! The word interpreted as host literally means army. Can you imagine?! An army of angels appears!

I wonder if the original angel who appeared did not grant the shepherds some heavenly peace to calm their souls. They certainly left their fields celebrating joyously and in anticipation of seeing the newborn King. Their joy was so overwhelming they told everyone they saw what had happened.

I pray we all are overjoyed at the birth of Jesus. I pray we celebrate His birth as something extremely special. I pray each of us tell everyone we see about the wondrous birth of our Savior. Be in awe of heavenly beings. Be overjoyed at Jesus’ birth. Tell everyone about Jesus’ wondrous birth. Tell everyone our Savior came for us.

Luke 2:8-9 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

Difficult Travel

Do you travel much? Have you had to travel in less than perfect circumstances? Have you traveled while being sick, under duress, or more than eight months pregnant? If you traveled under those circumstances, how difficult was that trip?

Many of us have traveled when not feeling well. We may have traveled with nothing more than a cold. We may have traveled feeling far worse. Some may have traveled while pregnant, and the further along you were the more difficult it likely was to travel.

I can remember one short trip when I did not feel well. It was less than thirty minutes from our house to the hospital. I felt so bad I could barely stumble my way to the vehicle with my wife and father-in-law helping me. As it turned out, I had a gall stone stuck in the tube between my gall bladder and kidney. Excruciating pain had me doubled over and nauseous. That short trip was one of the worst that I have ever experienced.

So, I cannot imagine being nearly nine months pregnant and having to travel more than 70 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Joseph, being a faithful husband likely secured a ride for Mary. Traditionally, Mary is portrayed as riding on a donkey. Yet, there is no indication in Scripture that she did. What we do know from history is they likely traveled in a caravan for safety reasons. We do know from indicators in Scripture that Joseph was not a rich man, which may have hindered his ability to own a donkey or a cart.

What we also know from Scripture is that Joseph and Mary were obedient to the commands of Caesar. They traveled to obey the directive to conduct a census. They followed the Jewish custom of being accounted for in the family hometown. Mary, specifically, was obedient to travel with her husband, or husband to be. Scripture does not tell us if they were married before or after she gave birth.

I pray we all obey the laws of the land. I pray we obey the commands of God. I pray each one of us digs deeper into Scripture to better understand the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. Be an obedient person. Obey the laws. Obey God. Read God’s Word. Study God’s Word. Know the true story.

Luke 2:4-5 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. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

God Directs

Have you been accounted for? Have you partaken in a census? Do you know why a census is taken? Would you prefer not to have to worry about being accounted for? Would you like to better understand the difference between a census of the first century and today’s census?

Census taking has been going on for thousands of years. Governing authorities have taken them for a variety of reasons, which have included taxation, military, and voting. Most of us do not think about the census when its time comes around. We simply fill out the form and go on.

In the first century, a census was primarily dictated for taxation purposes. This was especially true of those areas of the world ruled by Roman Emperors. If Caesar wanted to build a new coliseum, he would get an estimate of the cost and conduct a census. The cost would be paid for by taxation of the people and spread across the Roman empire. It didn’t matter if the people lived in Israel or Spain or Gaul, they paid taxes to build a new coliseum in Rome.

The Jewish custom was to be accounted for in your family’s original hometown. So, since Joseph was of the lineage of David, he and Mary traveled to Bethlehem to be accounted for in the census as dictated by Caesar Augustus. If we remember well, or go back to 1 Samuel 16, we know that David’s father was Jesse and Samuel was sent to Jesse’s house to anoint God’s chosen, David, to be the future king of Israel.

It was no small trip for Joseph and Mary in those days from Nazareth to Bethlehem. If you could travel a straight line, it was about 70 miles between the two. However, as we know, roads are not straight, making it a much longer distance. Not only that, but the road was dangerous for anyone traveling alone, riddled with thieves. Joseph and Mary likely traveled along with a caravan for safety reasons.

Today, we might worry about family members traveling alone. Though we can travel much faster, we also travel much further. In the time it would have taken Joseph and Mary to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem, we could drive from New York to Los Angeles. If our child were to take on that type of challenge, we would want them calling us every few hours to ensure things were going well. But God is with us as we go about our daily lives, just as he was with Joseph and Mary.

I pray we all follow the laws of the land, just as Joseph and Mary did. I pray we realize God is at work, even in those we least expect. I pray each one of us trust that God is with us at all times. Obey the authorities. Trust God is at work. Know that God is with you. 

Luke 2:1, 3 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world…. And everyone went to their own town to register.

A Sign From God

Are you looking for a sign that things will get better? Do you long for that sign to be bright and bold so you cannot miss it? Have you not seen the sign already given?

There are times when we are low and long to see a sign that things will get better. We may wish that sign would be right in our face. We may feel as though we have missed signs in the past.

God has given us a sign. His sign was given long, long ago. He said through the prophets the Messiah was coming to save the world. He fulfilled that promise through Jesus’ miraculous birth to Mary.

Jesus is called Immanuel because He is God with us, which is the meaning of the title. Did you know that Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah? So, when we say Jesus Christ, it is the same as saying Jesus Messiah. We could say Jesus the Christ instead. Regardless, we are speaking of the sign God has given us as a comfort and assurance that everything will be alright.

God provides us with other signs throughout our lives. Most of them are small. Too often we miss them. Why? We are not looking for them. After all, how many people have missed the sign of the Messiah? As humans, we too often look for something tangible or right in front of our face. We should be looking at things through Jesus’ eyes and see the signs given by God.

I pray we all open our eyes to see God’s signs. I pray we ask God to open our eyes and reveal his signs to us. I pray each one of us will seek to see things as God sees them and witness his wonderful works in our lives. Open your eyes. See as Jesus sees. See God’s signs. See Jesus as the Messiah. See Jesus as your Savior. Trust that God is at work in your life.

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Choose the Cornerstone

How well do you make the right choice? Do you fall for making a bad choice often? Or are you able to stand strong in the power of God and make the right choice? Are you willing to stand on the foundation God has laid? Do you know the cornerstone of the building God is building?

Choices can be difficult—extremely difficult—at times. We may have family or friends who lead us astray. We want to be liked by them and choose to go along. We may have co-workers who coax us into cheating or scheming. We may allow advertisements to draw us into bad decisions.

God sent Jesus to be the cornerstone of his kingdom. Peter references it in his first letter to followers. Paul references it in his letter to the churches in Ephesus and Rome. Jesus himself references it in relation to himself when He states, “the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (Matthew 21:42).

Jesus knew His place and His mission from the beginning. At a very young age He was going about carrying out the mission He had been assigned. He spent time in the temple when His family went to Jerusalem to celebrate holy days. He knew where and when He was to be to begin His ministry.

We also can know where we are to be, the choices we should make, and trust that Jesus is the rock on whom we are to stand. It may appear to be tough. It may feel uncomfortable. It will be counter cultural. Jesus stood out in the culture of the first century. He stands out even more today.

I pray we all make the choice to stand on the Rock. I pray we choose the cornerstone on which God is building. I pray each one of us choose to follow Jesus and be counter cultural. Make the right choice. Choose the Cornerstone. Choose the Rock. Choose Jesus. Trust God. Trust Jesus.

Isaiah 28:16

So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: 

“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, 

a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; 

the one who relies on it 

will never be stricken with panic.”

Wise Humility

Do you consider yourself a humble person? Do others consider you a humble person? Or are you a proud person? Do you harbor a selfish ambition? Do you boast about your accomplishments? Are you envious of what others have?

I dare say most of us are not as humble as we might think we are. After all, merely thinking of ourselves as humble, if we take pride in it, means we are not as humble as we should be. A truly humble person likely doesn’t even know they are humble—but God does.

How are we to show our humility? James tells us to show it by leading a good life and in the deeds we do. Leading a good life includes following the teachings of Jesus and His commands. God will reveal himself through us to others. We will become an example for others to follow. We will be a beacon of hope to those we encounter.

God has prepared good works for us to do (Eph. 2:10). Carrying out those good works also reveals our humility. It shows that we have submitted to God’s plan. It shows that we have set aside our selfish ambition and envy.

How do we become humble? By understanding the wisdom of God. Though this may sound simple, it requires work, belief, and faith. To understand God’s wisdom, we must know God’s Word. We must read God’s Word and study it. We must discuss it with other followers who also read it. God works through all those who read his Word to help us better understand his will.

We also must believe God’s Word. We must believe he is God, that he sent his Son to be our Savior, that Jesus rose from the dead, and Jesus will return. We must put our faith in someone we cannot see nor physically interact with. We must hold onto our faith, regardless of what comes our way. All this increases our wisdom, which leads to us becoming humble.

I pray we all seek to understand God’s Word. I pray we gain in wisdom. I pray each one of us lead a good life and demonstrate the humility that only comes from the wisdom of God. Seek to know God. Read his Word. Gain understanding. Become wise. Lead a good life. Follow Jesus. Be humble.

James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

An Angel Appeared

Have you ever wondered about angels? What do they look like? Will you recognize them if you see them? Do they have an aura about them? Do they all have wings? Are there different types of angels? What would you do if you saw one? Do you believe there are angels?

We do not see angels discussed often in the Bible, but when we do, they are doing prominent work for God. The two most often spoke of angels are Gabriel and Michael. One is a messenger and the other a warrior. There are a few occasions the angel mentioned is not named.

Joseph was to marry the young Mary. They had been betrothed, which is a more binding arrangement than an engagement as we know it. In fact, the only way to back out of a betrothal was by divorce. The reason for a divorce when betrothed must abide by the reasons required to divorce if you were married. So, he could not break it off with Mary just because he changed his mind.

Mary becomes pregnant. Joseph was a faithful follower of the law. It appears Mary has violated the law. Joseph evidently loves and respects Mary for he doesn’t want to shame her, embarrass her, or make a big scene. So, he decides he will divorce her quietly and hope people don’t notice when the wedding ceremony never happens, and Mary remains with her parents.

Before he can follow through, an angel shows up to tell Joseph not to go through with the divorce. Though we are not told explicitly, it is reasonable to assume it was Gabriel who came to Joseph, just as he came to Mary. Joseph does as he was told and keeps Mary to be his wife.

As we go about our lives, we hear of strange occurrences that happen. We wonder if we have encountered an angel. Perhaps we have. If we believe we have and the angel gave us instruction that agrees with Gods Word, we would do well to follow it. For if the angel is from God, God has sent him to us for a reason.

I pray we all believe there are angels. I pray we believe angels carry out God’s instructions. I pray each one of us seek to follow God’s instructions, especially if an angel appears to us. Believe there are angels. Seek to follow God’s instructions. Trust God. Trust his messengers.

Matthew 1:19-21 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”