12-27-15 The Unique Journey Out of Bethlehem

Scripture                                              Luke 2:21-40

          Whom did Jesus have most problems with? Is that because his parents taught him that the Jewish religion and its leaders are no good? In fact just the opposite. They were God fearing Jews and held to Jewish law and tradition.

FIRST:

Luke 2:21-40

21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.

SECOND:

Three ceremonies are combined 40 days after Jesus is born as they journey to the temple:

1) Mary’s post birth purification 2) Presentation of the First Born to God 3) Dedication of First born to the Lord’s service.

22 When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."  This offering shows they offered all proper forms of worship – yet that of the poor. The sacrifices show how seriously Judaism takes approaching God for worship.

        Approached by Simeon – Shepherds were the ‘man on the street type’ Simeon was the ‘wise elder who walked with God type’ (In courts of Gentiles or women as Mary is present) Though old, Simeon believed he would not die before seeing the Lord’s Christ – the Messiah. Consider the words he says and where he is when saying them – all in the vicinity of where the passion of Jesus will take place some 30 years later.

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.  For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." Simeon is saying this in the Temple courts – in the sight of all the people – he was giving testimony to the very present Messiah! God’s promises are coming true in real form through God’s messiah – no longer in an unmarked stable lying in a manger – instead being lifted up before God and his people feet away from the Holy of holies whose veil will be torn when he dies to make free access to all who put their trust in him.

          Even though this seems like the greatest child dedication service ever – the prophetic words coming tell another story not yet considered: 33 The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

          36 There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

          39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

          What do we gain from this part of the Bethlehem story – of which the only mention of Bethlehem is leaving there? Well that is something to learn – we must leave the baby in the manger – the reunion with family – the comfort of a little village – for very quickly is coming the slaughter of babies by Herod, the quick exit to Egypt the former land of slavery, growing up with the daily task of food, work and community. This part of the story tells us one ALL IMPORTANT thing – God in Jesus must be the center of our lives.  Jesus is the center of this story – the temple is the central location and dedication and service to God are why the story is told.

          Also; though we learn that to see Jesus is to see God’s salvation – to see Jesus is to see light and revelation; to see Jesus is to see what John described when he said John 1:1-5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” Which leads to the final thing we should gain. The world does not see Jesus – they are walking around in darkness and we, who are called by Jesus “The light of the world” must shine the light of Jesus so that according to Isaiah 9:2 “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” We are now the star of Bethlehem which moves to shine all over the earth. This Unique Journey to Bethlehem now leads us out of Bethlehem but for the same reason the star shone that first Christmas – to lead people directly to the messiah king: Jesus!

Christmas Eve Service

Scripture:  Luke 2:1-20

O little town of Bethlehem                Children

Real                                                   Sabrina

Advent Story                                    Kim

          “The First Noel.” I suspect that not many of us know what a Noel is.  Noel is a French word that comes from the Latin word natalis, which means “birth.”  So “The First Noel” is a song about the birth of Jesus.  It is an English carol that was sung by the village people as they brought in the Yule log on Christmas Eve each year.  They would burn the Yule log for 12 days to symbolize the triumph of light over darkness — a really happy thought in a place like England where the winter days are so short and the winter nights so long.

The First Noel                                   # 131

Joy to the World                               # 135

The O Antiphons to this day sung between December 17 and 23 by Roman Catholic and Anglican religious communities around the world. Sometime around 1100, an unknown author took these antiphons (written in the 6^th century) and turned them into a metrical Latin poem. Shortly after 1700, an unknown editor printed this metrical version in the collection Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum. 150 years later, one of these antiphon poems came to the attention of Anglican priest and hymnwriter John Mason Neale. Translated it into English and a 15th century French Franciscan nuns funeral melody was added to it which sounds like this HUM and is called:

O come O come Emmanuel               Ensemble (Paul, Sandy, Sheri)

2000 Decembers                               Amber and Emily

Do you have Room?                         Penni

The Latin version of this carol, ‘Adeste Fideles’, was written by John Francis Wade in the 1700’s…

O Come all ye faithful (accapela)      # 132

Born in me                                        Heather

Joseph’s Lullaby                               Abbey & Maegan

The strange and fascinating story of "O Holy Night" began in France, and would mark a technological revolution that would forever change the way people were introduced to music.

          In 1847, Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure was the commissionaire of wines in a small French town. Known more for his poetry than his church attendance, was asked by the parish priest to pen a poem for Christmas mass. In a dusty coach traveling down a bumpy road to France's capital city, Placide using the gospel of Luke as his guide, imagined witnessing the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. By the time he arrived in Paris, "Cantique de Noel" had been completed.

          Moved by his own work, Placide decided that his "Cantique de Noel" was not just a poem, but a song in need of a master musician's hand. He turned to one of his friends, Adolphe Charles Adams, for help.

          The son of a well-known classical musician, his talent and fame brought requests to write works for orchestras and ballets all over the world. Yet the lyrics that his friend Placide gave him must have challenged him. As a man of Jewish ancestry, for Adolphe the words of "Cantique de Noel" represented a day he didn't celebrate and a man he did not view as the son of God. Nevertheless, Adams quickly went to work, attempting to marry an original score to Placide's beautiful words. Adams' finished work pleased both poet and priest. The song was performed just three weeks later at a Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.

          Initially, "Cantique de Noel" was wholeheartedly accepted by the church in France and the song quickly found its way into various Catholic Christmas services. But when Placide Cappeau walked away from the church and became a part of the socialist movement, and church leaders discovered that Adolphe Adams was a Jew, the song--which had quickly grown to be one of the most beloved Christmas songs in France--was suddenly and uniformly denounced by the church. The heads of the French Catholic church of the time deemed "Cantique de Noel" as unfit for church services because of its lack of musical taste and "total absence of the spirit of religion." Yet even as the church tried to bury the Christmas song, the French people continued to sing it, and a decade later a reclusive American writer brought it to a whole new audience halfway around the world.

          Not only did this American writer--John Sullivan Dwight--feel that this wonderful Christmas song needed to be introduced to America, he saw something else in the song that moved him beyond the story of the birth of Christ. An ardent abolitionist, Dwight strongly identified with the lines of the third verse: "Truly he taught us to love one another; his law is love and his gospel is peace. Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother; and in his name all oppression shall cease." The text supported Dwight's own view of slavery. Published in his magazine, Dwight's English translation of "O Holy Night" quickly found favor in America, especially in the North during the Civil War.

          Back in France, even though the song had been banned from the church for almost two decades, many commoners still sang "Cantique de Noel" at home. Legend has it that on Christmas Eve 1871, in the midst of fierce fighting between the armies of Germany and France, during the Franco-Prussian War, a French soldier suddenly jumped out of his muddy trench. Both sides stared at the seemingly crazed man. Boldly standing with no weapon in his hand or at his side, he lifted his eyes to the heavens and sang, "Minuit, Chretiens, etc," the beginning of "Cantique de Noel."

          After completing all three verses, a German infantryman climbed out his hiding place and answered with, "Vom Himmel noch, da komm' ich her, etc., " the beginning of Martin Luther's "From Heaven Above to Earth I Come."

          The story goes that the fighting stopped for the next twenty-four hours while the men on both sides observed a temporary peace in honor of Christmas day. Perhaps this story had a part in the French church once again embracing "Cantique de Noel" in holiday services.

          Adams had been dead for many years and Placide and Dwight were old men when on Christmas Eve 1906, Reginald Fessenden--a 33-year-old university professor and former chief chemist for Thomas Edison--did something long thought impossible. Using a new type of generator, Fessenden spoke into a microphone and, for the first time in history, a man's voice was broadcast over the airwaves: (Luke 2:1-20) "MEMORIZED:

          And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

          And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

          And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

          And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

          And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

          And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

          And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.  And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them." he began in a clear, strong voice, hoping he was reaching across great distances.

          Shocked Morse code operators on ships and astonished wireless owners at newspapers sat stunned as their normal, coded impulses, heard over tiny speakers, were interrupted by a professor reading from the gospel of Luke. To the few who caught this broadcast, it must have seemed like a miracle--hearing a voice somehow transmitted to those far away. Some might have believed they were hearing the voice of an angel.

          Fessenden was probably unaware of the sensation he was causing on ships and in offices; he couldn't have known that men and women were rushing to their wireless units to catch this Christmas Eve miracle. After finishing his recitation of the birth of Christ, Fessenden picked up his violin and played "Cantique de Noel" or what in English was "O Holy Night," the first song ever sent through the air via radio waves. When the carol ended, so did the broadcast--but not before music had found a new medium that would take it around the world.

          Since that first rendition at a small Christmas mass in 1847, "O Holy Night" has been sung millions of times in churches in every corner of the world. And since the moment a handful of people first heard it played over the radio, the carol has gone on to become one of the entertainment industry's most recorded and played spiritual songs. This incredible work--requested by a forgotten parish priest, written by a poet who would later split from the church, given soaring music by a Jewish composer, and brought to Americans to serve as much as a tool to spotlight the sinful nature of slavery as tell the story of the birth of a Savior--has become one of the most beautiful, inspired pieces of music ever created.

O Holy Night                                              # 152

CANDLE-LIGHTING

Silent Night                                                # 151

12-13-15 Reality on the Journey to Bethlehem

Scripture:  Philippians 2:5-11

NAZARETH VIDEO   https://youtu.be/vI097jF4iR4

NAZARETH & BETHLEHEM PICS

1                   Modern day Nazareth

 2                   Nazareth countryside

 3                   Jesus potential home

 4                   Bethlehem to Nazareth

 5                   World View

 6                   Modern Bethlehem

 7                   Church of the Nativity

 8                   The grotto

 9                   Ancient Bethlehem

(Mary and Joseph went from Nazareth to Bethlehem – Jesus went from HEAVEN to Nazareth to Bethlehem. A much longer journey. We looked at the struggles of Mary and Joseph – what about the journey struggle for Jesus – it wasn’t more miles that caused him to have a much longer journey to Bethlehem – it was where he was leaving and what he was coming to: Heaven TO Earth!

Philippians 2:5-8  (NIV)

          Christ Jesus: being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!

Philippians 2:5-8 (THE MESSAGE)

          Christ Jesus had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death — and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion.

         

          Imagine the distance Jesus had to travel. In real time and real places. He left heaven 9 months before being born here and it would be years before he was aware of who he was.  We think faith in Jesus is difficult – Imagine how hard it must have been for Jesus to accept who he was. This was not a David Coresh mentally ill ego trip – this was a human being named Jesus who had to accept he was God in human flesh and that he would have to sacrifice his life for everyone around him and all who would come after.

          When he saw sin he must have felt the pain of death. When he saw those who believed it must have strengthened him to accomplish the purpose for which he made this longest most unique journey the world would ever know.

ILLUSTRATION OF INCARNAITON: “If only I were a goose”

There was once a man who didn't believe in God, and he didn't hesitate to let others know how he felt about religion and religious holidays. His wife, however, did believe, and she raised their children to also have faith in God and Jesus, despite his disparaging comments.

          One snowy night, his wife was taking their children to a service in the farm community in which they lived. They were to talk about Jesus' birth. She asked him to come, but he refused. "That story is nonsense!" he said. "Why would God lower Himself to come to Earth as a man? That is ridiculous!"

          So she and the children left, and he stayed home. A while later, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blizzard. As the man looked out the window, all he saw was a blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before the fire for the evening. Then he heard a loud thump. Something had hit the window. He looked out, but couldn't see more than a few feet.

          When the snow let up a little, he ventured outside to see what could have been beating on his window. In the field near his house he saw a flock of wild geese. Apparently they had been flying south for the winter when they got caught in the snowstorm and couldn't go on. They were lost and stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter. They just flapped their wings and flew around the field in low circles, blindly and aimlessly. Obviously, a couple of them had flown into his window.

The man felt sorry for the geese and wanted to help them. The barn would be a great place for them to stay, he thought. It's warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm.

          So he walked over to the barn and opened the doors wide, then watched and waited, hoping they would notice the open barn and go inside. But the geese just fluttered around aimlessly and didn't seem to notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them. The man tried to get their attention, but that just seemed to scare them, and they moved further away. He went into the house and came with some bread, broke it up, and made a bread crumb trail leading to the barn. They still didn't catch on.

          Now he was getting frustrated. He got behind them and tried to shoo them toward the barn, but they only got more scared and scattered in every direction except toward the barn. Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where they would be warm and safe. "Why don't they follow me?!" he exclaimed. "Can't they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm?"

          He thought for a moment and realized that they just wouldn't follow a human. "If only I were a goose, then I could save them," he said out loud. Then he had an idea. He went into barn, got one of his own geese, and carried it in his arms as he circled around behind the flock of wild geese. He then released it. His goose flew through the flock and straight into the barn--and one-by-one, the other geese followed it to safety.

He stood silently for a moment as the words he had spoken a few minutes earlier replayed in his mind: "If only I were a goose, then I could save them!" Then he thought about what he had said to his wife earlier. "Why would God want to be like us? That is ridiculous!" Suddenly it all made sense. That is what God had done. We were like the geese--blind, lost, perishing. God had His Son become like us so He could show us the way and save us.

          As the winds and blinding snow died down, his soul became quiet and pondered this wonderful thought. Suddenly he understood why Christ had come. Years of doubt and disbelief vanished with the passing storm. He fell to his knees in the snow, and prayed his first prayer: "Thank You, God, for coming in human form to get me out of the storm.”

Another place in scripture we clearly see this Unique Journey of Jesus coming from Heaven to Bethlehem.

John 1:1-5

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.  John 1:14  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

          You would think that seeing the real physical - born of a virgin - Messiah would cause people to believe – but it isn’t believing in a man (like every religion in the world) it is believing that God became man and gave His life for us.

John 1:10-13

The Word/Jesus was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

          Speaking to Nicodemus, Jesus tells us how we can now make our most Unique Journey from earth to heaven: John 3:3 Jesus declared, I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.  John 3:5-6  No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.  John 3:13-17  No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven — the Son of Man.   Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

12-06-15 Struggles on the Journey to Bethlehem

Scripture:  Luke 2:1-7

INTRO

          Middle of March my daughter is going to have her first child. Once that child is born, Kim and I will be there and hold our grandchild and Gretchen and her husband Gary are going to take lots of pics and post them on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. They are going to read to their child and sing to him and hold him and take him to church and love him in every way.

          Those will be Hallmark moments.  However, getting to that point has at times been more like Dugeonmark moments then hallmark moments. For her nanny Job she just traveled back from Dubai and the flight from Dubai to London was delayed and they missed their flight from London to LAX and had to spend an extra night in a hotel where she got little sleep (I know because at 2:30 am her times she was video chatting with Kim and I.) She cried before getting on the plane because she felt so sick – she threw up all the way back on her 10 hour flight.

THE BIRTH

Luke 2:6-7

           While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she (Mary) 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.

          That sounds beautiful doesn’t it? The smell of a freshly bathed newborn baby wrapped in a cute soft blanket in the arms of a well-rested mother in her cushioned rocking chair with grandparents around just enough to cook and put together the crib but not enough to be in the way.

          Somehow I don’t think that was the essence of the birth of God’s son: Let’s back the story up just a bit.

Luke 2:1-7

          In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree (Rome was large and in charge. They levied heavy taxes for their building programs and their roads.) that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world (The census was so they made sure no taxable person was slipping through the cracks). 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 (Joseph came through David’s line and the ancestral home was Bethlehem about 5 miles from Jerusalem. David lived in Bethlehem 1000 years earlier and not much about the place had changed in all that time.  Over 2000 years ago, Mary and Joseph made the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem.  They likely traveled with a caravan of others returning for the census for the safety and companionship of traveling in numbers.  We don’t know exactly what route they took—perhaps the shorter but more demanding walk along the trade route through the center of the region, or perhaps the flatter way through the Jordan River Valley.  Regardless of the route, the approximately 100-mile trip would have taken them 8-10 long days of walking.  This must have been a scary journey for young, pregnant Mary). 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child (This 100 mile journey on foot was not with a 3 month pregnant wife, but a nine month first time young pregnant wife…imagine---talk about a struggle). 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 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 (No room anywhere – Joseph tells her they will have to sleep outside until someone says our shelter for animals is available – Nathan and the Michigan game – disappointment – They figured they would have a place to stay and make it back home before the baby came – WRONG on both counts – they were not allowed into the stadium even though they had legitimate claim to King David’s line – so did everyone else there.).

Let’s back the story up a bit:

Luke 1:39-56

          At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" 46 And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me — holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers." Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home. (Her struggle was not with her faith – she believed – but if you think about it at this point she is not going on faith – she is going on empirical existential fact – she has never had sexual relations with a man and she is pregnant just like the angel told her she would be (Joseph, family and friends could not be 100% sure, but Mary was, and gives testimony to the fact!  When you consider the truth about Jesus – consider how much the people involved – who were there believed it.)

Let’s back the story up a bit:

Matt 1:18-25

          This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. (I don’t care what era you live in – that is a struggle – one not easily passed through. If you were Joseph’s best friend, what advice would you have given him? He came to a decent decision – much like Jesus when they came to him with a woman caught in the act of adultery – where did Jesus learn that: from God or from his earthly father who was kind to his mother when it appeared she had been unfaithful and appeared she was lying to him and using God to do it.) Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly (During the time of betrothal/engagement it was considered as legally binding as marriage. He loved her and only needed a written declaration and two witnesses and could have had her stoned to death.) But after he had considered this, (divorcing her quietly) 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." (Zechariah and Mary got a face to face Gabriel visit – Joseph got “an angel” and while he was sleeping – it would seem to me that his faith compared to the other two with their wide awake angel visits and two real pregnancies and his dream angel and not knowing for sure how Mary got pregnant has a substantial faith – WHY? The adoptive father of the Son of God would need to be a man of GREAT faith!) All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"-which means, "God with us." When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him (Joseph was a man of faith and faithfulness) and took Mary home as his wife. (Paul says it is better to marry than to burn with lust – this must have been a struggle for Joseph – he steps out on faith and marries the woman of his dreams but has to refrain from sexual relations until after Jesus is born so there could be no question about the virgin birth – but only Mary would ever know that truth without faith – we today must struggle to believe that by faith. How important to the Christian faith is the fact that Mary was a virgin when Jesus was born? God could have still had his spirit miraculously put into Jesus even if Joseph were the father…BUT it he would not have been God’s son any more than you or I are. The virgin birth is essential to everything else we believe about Jesus. Gabriel says, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Luke 1:35). The angel encourages Joseph to not fear marrying Mary with these words: “What is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20). Matthew states that the virgin “was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18).) But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Let’s back the story up a bit:

Luke 1:26-38

          In the sixth month (of Elizabeth’s pregnancy), God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. (Though you wouldn’t think it because of her acceptance, this had to be the biggest struggle of all – she isn’t pregnant!  A STRUGGLE  She has likely never been visited by an angel before. A STRUGGLE  She is young and how could she possibly be the mother of the son of God and what does it mean the power of the most high will overshadow you and you will conceive of the Holy Spirit – that is stranger than any science fiction movie ever. A STRUGGLE  I’m not yet married. A STRUGGLE I am betrothed A STRUGGLE How do I tell my parents – anyone – Joseph A STRUGGLE)

          What about you and I – this is perhaps our greatest struggle – to believe that the mother of Jesus was a virgin when Jesus was born. I’m not saying that is a struggle for many of us who take it as “God said it, I believe it and that settles it for me.”  But I am saying you better struggle with it, You better be convinced and know these scriptures and why God would choose this.   Why didn’t God just show up as a 50’ tall divine looking creature that can’t be destroyed and tell us He is God and we need to do what he says and live the way he created us to be.  Let me see – that would not require what is at the heart of Christianity – FAITH! God is not a mean bogyman making us do what he wants – he loves us too much for that and our free will allowed us to choose sin – God’s will was to find a way to make our relationship with him right again for "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.” John 3:16-18

11-29-15 Before the Journey to Bethlehem

Luke 1:5-80

          In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; (A priest of the 8^th division of 24, the division of Abijah and served at the temple for two one week periods a year. There were 18,000 priests. A priest only served at the sacrifice once in his lifetime – this was my one time.) his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.

          Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. (As the officiating priest, it was Zechariah's job to place incense on the heated altar and then prostrate himself in prayer. The incense represented the prayers of the people. Outside, the people were reciting this prayer during the incense offering: "May the merciful God enter the Holy Place and accept with favor the offering of his people.")

          Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.   Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous — to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time."

          Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

          When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."

          In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

          At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me — holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers." Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

          When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

          On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John." They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name." Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John." Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him.

          His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us— to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."   And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.

11-22-15 Applaud God

Psalm 100

  Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
²   Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.

³ Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.

⁵ For the Lord is good

    and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

² On your feet now—applaud God!
    Bring a gift of laughter,
    sing yourselves into his presence.

³ Know this: God is God, and God, God.
    He made us; we didn’t make him.
    We’re his people, his well-tended sheep.

⁴ Enter with the password: “Thank you!”
    Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
    Thank him. Worship him.

⁵ For God is sheer beauty,
    all-generous in love,
    loyal always and ever.

My Journey                                                Sherri Wallace

          Yes, I’m a Christian.  ‘How do I know?’  Well, I’m not Jewish!  Why are you laughing?

I went to Sunday School until I was 10.  I even won a Bible for memorizing the most verses.  Why did I stop going?  We moved to California, and …I guess there just weren’t that many churches there.  I did go to Youth Group with my friend a couple times when I was in junior high.  It was a Baptist church, and I liked it…except for that funny, little pool in the corner.  That was weird. 

          “My friend got baptized in it one Sunday, but I didn’t understand it.  I mean, I was 10 when Mom and Dad had me baptized in Virginia, but all the Reverend did was dribble water on me.  I was kind of embarrassed because I was so old.  The other two kids were babies.  But, my friend was the same age as me…13.  I wonder why she waited so long to be baptized.

          When I was 16 or 17, there was this hippie movement happening…they called them Jesus Freaks.  I thought that was mean, but they didn’t seem to think so.  They were always smiling and hugging each other.  One day, one of them walked up and hugged me!  I thought that was nice. 

          She started telling me about Jesus, and how He would fix it so God wouldn’t be mad at me anymore.  All I had to do was say a prayer.  ‘Did I want to do that?’  You bet!  We went into this little room…me and 2 girls…and we started to pray.  Then all of a sudden, they started talking in some weird language.  I think they wanted me to do it, too.  I kept asking God; please make me talk like they are.  I want to be like them.  But, He didn’t.  When the girls stopped praying, they said God didn’t want me, since I didn’t talk like them.  I was mad at the girls…and embarrassed…and I wanted to cry, but I don’t know why.  I just ran out of there. 

          ‘What did I DO?’  I told God, if He didn’t want me, I didn’t want Him either!  And, I got wild and did what I wanted.  I had a GREAT time!  Who needs all those Do Nots and Thou Shall Nots.  Those people reminded me of a dream I had when I was a little girl.  I was down in the church basement, and a policeman was there.  He shot me!  I guess that must be what God’s like.  A big, mean policeman.

          One night, I met a Christian guy while we were ‘cruising the boulevard’ in Van Nuys.  He took me for a ride to the beach.  We just stood there watching the waves roll in.  I love the beach, don’t you?  He started singing, Michael Row Your Boat Ashore.  I sang for a while, but he was super foxy, and I really wanted to make out.  All of a sudden, he said it was time to take me home.  What?  Why?  Christians are mean.

          There was a big church on the hill overlooking my school.  It was called Greek Orthodox.  It was really pretty and I wanted to go to church there, but my Mom said they wouldn’t let me, since I wasn’t one of them.

          A couple years later, I got married to a Catholic, but we didn’t go to church much.  Only when they said mass for somebody.  One time, I brought the Bible my Grandmom gave me, but none of the other people had Bibles.  They just sat and listened.  I was hoping they would read out of the Bible, because, every time I tried to read it, I couldn’t understand it.  I thought, if I was in a church, maybe the words would make more sense.

          We never got our son baptized because my husband was Catholic and I was Lutheran.  (That’s the church I was baptized in.)  I didn’t think it was fair.  It wasn’t my son’s fault that his dad and I got baptized at different churches.  I had this big Family Bible.  In the middle, it had places to write about special occasions.  I wrote our marriage date in it, and the day Shane was born, but the ‘baptized’ spot had to stay blank.  That made me sad.  When Shane was 5, his dad and I got divorced.  I don’t know if he was too old or I was too young…anyway, it just didn’t work out.

          I got married again, to another Catholic, but he didn’t go to church, either.  His family said they were ‘good Catholics,’ but I never saw anyone read the Bible or pray.  Not even at mealtimes.

A couple years later, we had Casey, my daughter.  I asked my husband about getting Casey and Shane baptized.  Maybe a Christian church wouldn’t care if he was Catholic and I was Lutheran.

We started going to this BIG church, but there were only a few people in it.  The choir sang so pretty, and they had Bibles in the pews!  I didn’t see a lot of people use them.  The pastor typed the verses he was using in the bulletin, so maybe that’s why.

          My husband and I talked to the pastor about getting the kids baptized, and he said he could baptize Shane, but Casey could only be ‘dedicated,’ because she was still a baby, and didn’t understand what was going on.  That’s the first time I ever heard of that.  He said, when we get baptized, we’re obeying a command from Jesus.  It had to be something we wanted to do, not just something that was done TO us.

          Shane said he wanted to be baptized, so the pastor told him to bring swim trunks one Sunday, and he would do it.  (This church had a little pool, too!)  I couldn’t see much, but I heard the splash!  Then, the pastor said it was time to dedicate the baby.  We said we had godparents picked out, but he didn’t have them sign the baptism certificate.  I guess they don’t do godparents there.  Christians are confusing!

          I don’t remember much about the pastor’s sermons…just that one was about him being in a rowboat in the middle of a lake when a storm came up.  Scary!  But, I noticed something strange was happening.  Each Sunday, when we would sing out of the hymnals, I felt like crying.  Most of the time, I could stop it, but sometimes I couldn’t.  Usually, I would glance at the words so that I knew what to sing, but mostly, I would follow the music notes.  The times I felt like crying were when I read the words.

          Another thing.  Every Sunday, after the sermon, the pastor would invite us to come forward, but nobody ever did.  I didn’t really understand why, but I wanted to do it.  One week, as we were leaving church, I told God that I would go forward the next Sunday.  But, I was really shy, so He would have to get my feet moving!

          Next Sunday was Palm Sunday, and we were late (arguing again!).  Church had already started, so we followed the kids in as they waved their palm branches.  After the sermon, when the pastor gave the invitation, I stood up (jumped to my feet, is more like it!).  For a split second, I looked at my husband, to see if he would come with me, but he said no.  I guess God was giving me courage, because I didn’t just sit down again.  I walked down the aisle and met the pastor.

Since it was Palm Sunday, the choir was singing a looooooong song, so we sat down to wait it out.  I think I told the pastor that I didn’t know why I was there.  When we stood up, he asked me if I believed that Jesus was born of a virgin, crucified and buried, and rose again the third day.  I said, yes, of course I believe that.  Everybody clapped, and the pastor welcomed me into the church.  (He must have thought I was joining the church, but I don’t think that’s why I was crying through the hymns.)

          That night, the strangest thing happened.  I wanted to read my Bible!  I remember digging through box after box of books until I found it.  When I started reading, I could understand it!  I read and read, and decided to take it to work with me the next day.  I’d been on night shift for a long time, and this was my first day back on the morning shift.  I was testing some electronic assemblies when, who should walk up but the one guy that I couldn’t stand!  Rick was a married guy, but he flirted all the time.  Two years ago, he’d transferred to day shift.  And now, I was stuck with him, again.  I looked down at my Bible and thought; this’ll get rid of him!  I told him that I had dedicated my life to Jesus, expecting him to turn tail and run.  Instead, he said, “Praise the Lord!  I got saved last year!”

          Over the next few months, God used Rick to mentor me.  He told me where to buy a study Bible, so I’d have lots of notes to help me understand it, and he introduced me to Calvary Chapel.  The first Sunday I went, EVERYONE was carrying a Bible!  And, they had notes and highlighting in them, which made me think they really used them!

          The pastor gave an awesome sermon, and every song made me cry.  Rick said that was because I finally understood what the words meant.  I learned that the Holy Spirit was living inside of me, now.  That seemed creepy at first, but comforting, too.

          Rick suggested I listen to the radio, too.  The Calvary Satellite Network was run by Calvary Chapel, and they had lots of pastors on it, teaching us just like the one at the church did.  Book by Book.  Verse by verse.  I listened to that station every time I could!

          One summer day, there was a huge baptism in the ocean at Pirate’s Cove.  There were 10 or 12 pastors doing the baptizing, and lots of people were lined up.  When it was my turn, the pastor told me to hold my nose, and he dunked me.  Strangely, everything went black and seemed to stop.  Then, almost in slow motion, the world started again, and the pastor helped me get up.  I was so freaked out that I said, “Whoa!” and walked away.  As I was making my way back to the parking lot, some lady came up to me.  She said she’d been sitting on the rocks watching my baptism, and she felt led to come tell me that God was going to use me in a mighty way!  I couldn’t stop smiling on the way home.

          My husband went to the church with me, but I could tell he didn’t like it.  Pretty soon, he stopped going, but Shane and I still went. 

          Then, the world fell apart.  I found out I was pregnant with my second daughter, Jessie, and due to the chemicals my job required, I had to go on disability until she was born.   At the same time, my husband lost his job…and didn’t seem too inclined to get another one.  We almost ended up on welfare, but my husband’s family told us to move to Idaho.  They promised to help him find a job and a house for us.  I didn’t want to leave my family, but they had been treating me weird since I got saved.  It’s like they didn’t know how to talk to me anymore.  Maybe a new home in a different state would be a blessing in disguise.

          In Idaho, we went to my husband’s niece’s church, and I got really involved!  Teaching Sunday School, AWANA, lady’s ministry, working for the daycare and being the church janitor.  They even let me set up a church library!  My husband went to church more than he did in CA (I think, because his niece nagged him).  He even went to the men’s retreats.  Things were looking up!

          Later, because of problems the church split right down the middle.  It was the first time I’d ever seen a church split.  I cried and cried.  My husband used that as an excuse to stop going.  Eventually my husband and I divorced.

          The kids and I started going to church again, and I felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders!  It was a different church than we were going to before.  I really liked the new church.  It was one of those where they all carry Bibles.  I prayed, “God, if this is the church you want me in, please show me my ministry.”  And, did He ever!  The pastor was talking about a TV Ministry, saying we had all the equipment, but no one to run it.  So, I volunteered to learn to run a camera.  Two weeks later, the pastor came to me and said they were going to teach me how to direct the whole thing!  I was scared…anything can go wrong on Live TV…but I loved that ministry.

          Then, I got another shock.  They asked me to work at the radio station…the same station I’d listened to in California!  I knew God was ‘qualifying the one He called’

          At the church, I went to a Ladies Bible study, helped prepare and serve the Agape Meal (once a month), packed boxes for the Food Bank, as well as directing the TV Ministry. 

          Then, the bottom dropped out.  The church split (this was the third split since I’d been there plus two law suits). I knew I needed to leave there. I prayed and asked God where he wanted me to go – the new church, or stay with the old?  The only answer I got was, “Wait.”  While I waited, it became clear that he didn’t want me at either of those churches, so I started looking at websites, and made a list of churches to visit.

          I had a ‘checklist’ of things that were important to me, and I kept notes on each church I’d visit.  I thought it would be best to visit each church at least twice, to get a better idea of what they’re like.  In some churches, I’d know that once was enough!  Like the one that told my friend she’d have to sit in the back because she was late.

          Even though I had another church picked out to visit, God steered me towards FirstB.  On the website, I read some articles about blended worship by Mr. Redman.  I was intrigued!  The following Sunday, I walked up the steps to First B.  A man named Mike took one look at me and said, “Do you need a hug?”  I almost cried.  As I made my way to a seat in the back, it seemed like everyone in the church welcomed me!  A sweet lady named Teddy made me feel like an honored guest.  When my friend, Josie sat down, she leaned over and said something to the effect of, “I don’t need to visit here for 2 weeks.  I’m staying!”  I agreed. I still had one thing on my checklist, though. When the pastor began to preach, I thought, “This man doesn’t just know the Bible.  He loves the Lord.”  What a relief!  Now, First B is my home!

  

APPLAUD GOD

Psalm 100

² On your feet now—applaud God!
    Bring a gift of laughter,
    sing yourselves into his presence.

³ Know this: God is God, and God, God.
    He made us; we didn’t make him.
    We’re his people, his well-tended sheep.

⁴ Enter with the password: “Thank you!”
    Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
    Thank him. Worship him.

⁵ For God is sheer beauty,
    all-generous in love,
    loyal always and ever.

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