The time for us to travel down to the farm came this year. In fact, that is were I'm communicated to you to day. The farm is about 15 miles Northwest of Corvallis Oregon. We are having a wonderful time with my family and friends. We hope that your season for family is going well and we pray that God will be real to you even more then He was the day before.
Thank God for His wonderful Gift
Have an Awesome Day
David
The day we celebrate the one event that has changed the landscape here on earth. It wasn't an event that came out of the blue, it was told to us as the very earliest day's hear on earth.
"I'm declaring war between you and the Woman, between your offspring and hers. He'll wound your head, you'll wound his heel." (Gen. 3:16 MSG)
These are the words of God himself, directed to the enemy of our Soul, Satan. These words came on the heals of the one choice that gave permission and actsess to humanity for a period of time. What was the act, well, let's say . . . is anyone hungry? When Adam and Eve said no to God's word and yes to doing their own thing, Satan was given an opportunity to distract and derail as many people that he could before his appointed time receive his ultiment punishment that was due him for his own personal error.
But before Satan could say YES, God said you better duck, because I have a plan. You see, the "HE" in verse sixteen, is Jesus. Yes, the baby born in Bethlehem some 2000+ years ago. Satan that he had won, but all he did was make a way for God's plan to be shown as he attended from the beginning.
Born this day, in the city of David, a savor is born which is Christ the Lord. A Savior, which would die for our sins. Christ, that was promised to come. Lord that would that would be great among the greatest.
Thank God for His wonderful Gift
Have an Awesome Day
David
At church yesterday, we looked at one question and what does it mean to us. What was it? A simple question … did Mary know about everything that would happen to her Son. We really didn’t come to any conclustions, but we did look at Mary choose to do before Jesus was ever born. What did she say? “My Soul will Magnify the Lord”. Did she know everything? Probably not, but in the knowing or the not knowing she choose to increase the knowledge with everything she had.
But today, I want to pose another question … Did HE know? Let me say it another way … When did he realize who he was and what He was about?
Yvone Pistole writes to this issue …
How did Jesus learn who He was? Did He learn from His mother's bedtime stories? Her stories must have been full of wise men, angels, and stars in the sky. Did Jesus ever crawl up in Mary's lap and say, "Momma, tell me the one about the angel again. What did he say to you that night?" or "Tell me the story of the wise men who brought those gifts." As He studied the Scriptures He must have seen His face on every page ... because His life was fulfilling every prophecy. Maybe Jesus knew who He was by the time He was twelve. He ditched His parents for two days to stay behind to confuse and confound the elders of the temple with His knowledge and questions. Can you imagine the panic in Mary's heart when she realized Jesus wasn't with them? She had been entrusted with God's child--and she lost Him! She raced back to Jerusalem to find Jesus teaching in the temple. She started to scold Him. "Where have you been? We've been worried sick about you." And Jesus said, "Don't you know I must be about My Father's business?" Mary knew Jesus and that He must be about His Father's business. Jesus was saying, don't you know? Aren't you the one who told me? Don't you remember the bedtime stories? Have you forgotten the angel? I must be about My Father's business.
Then there are the silent years in the life of Christ. Between age twelve and thirty, we don't know what happened. But it makes you wonder. Did Jesus ever perform miracles around the house? He could have. How would Mary know that He could turn the water into wine? And they must have had many discussions about when He would begin His public ministry, because when He was thirty, He was still living at home!
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, 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
Turning water into wine was just the beginning. From that moment on, Jesus began performing many miracles. He gave sight to the blind, a new mind to the demon-possessed, legs to the lame, a fresh start to the leper, and to all who would really listen ... a new life. And Mary saw it all. Jesus never traveled more than thirty miles from His birthplace. Surely she was there for the baptism, the feeding of the thousands, and every other major event of His life.
And she was there when they crucified Him. Most of the others had scattered like the wind. Peter was warming himself by a fire, denying he even knew Jesus. But Mary was there. That was her firstborn hanging on the cross. She had nursed Him. She had changed His diapers. She had watched Him learn to crawl and then walk. She had told Him bedtime stories. She had rocked Him and calmed His fears at night. James and Jude, the half-brothers of Jesus, were nowhere to be found. In fact, they didn't even believe in Jesus as Savior until after the Resurrection. It would be hard to acknowledge that your older brother was not just good ... He was God! But Mary saw it all! She was the first one to hold Him when He entered the world, and she was the last one to hold Him at the end of His life. Mary saw it all. The Birth, the Life, the Death. And Mary was there to see Him after the Resurrection. Jesus never asked us to remember His birth. He asked us to remember His death, because through His death we have found life. By believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and being baptized, we are saved. Peter had to believe for himself. Thomas had to believe for himself. James and Jude had to believe for themselves. Mary, the mother of Jesus, also needed a Savior. She had to believe for herself. And because we have chosen to believe in the virgin-born, crucified and risen Savior, Jesus Christ, we know we have received eternal life. And this, for sure, Mary knew
Have an Awesome Day
David
This last Monday night, I had a first. I was joined a friend of mine who is employed as a movie critic. He invited me to preview with him the new nativity movie. As part of his research, he had the privilege to interview the script writer for this movie. Mike Rich lives in Portland and for a contest wrote the script for "Finding Forrester". Since then Rich has penned "The Rookie", "Radio" and is the un-credited writer of "Miracle on Ice." Even though the interview was short in time, I thought the interacbetweenetwen the two was interesting . .Here here is a couple of the questions and answers.
Q: What do you want people talking about in the lobby after they see "The Nativity?"
A: I want them to really appreciate the faith of these two people (Mary & Joseph) because when we tell the story we don't think about the consequences of some of their decisions.
Q: How difficult is it to write dialogue for the mother of the savior of the world?
A: It's the biggest challenge in the world. She is such an iconic character. I had to choose each word with such great care because one wrong sentence, one slip-up and the whole character can be compromised. And if her character is compromised then the whole movie is compromised.
It seems like Rich is writing gave great thought to the importent individuals in the story of Christ. My question is, what can we learn from them. Did they know the story coming Messiah, did they know of his planned entrance to earth (I think they did!). Did they really know the personal impact of their selection in of being the father and mother of Jesus (if not, they would learn all to soon. Would they have the words to train him during his early years (if they didn't, God would grant them the words)
My prayer is that you would take time this week to concider these two and how you can gain strenght from them.
Have an awesome day
David
