Wednesday, September 9, 2009

LITN II, Verses 1 - 7





















1. Anyway...getting back to where I was in the story...right about this time, for some reason, Caesar Augustus decided to order a census to be taken throughout the entire Roman Empire.

2. This enrollment was unprecedented...the first ever of its kind, at least on such a grand scale...and it was made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

3. So it meant that everyone in the Empire...regardless of where they lived at the time, or of what their current conditions were...had to make the journey to their own ancestral hometown to be accounted for.

4. This, in turn, meant that Joseph had to leave the Galilean town of Nazareth where he lived, and travel all the way up to Bethlehem in Judah, the City of David, to participate in the census. As a descendant of David, that's where he had to go.

5. And he took Mary, his pregnant fiance, with him on the long journey, even though she was in the third trimester of her pregnancy.

6. Their plan was to move as quickly as possible to Bethlehem, and then attempt to get back home in time for the baby's delivery. But it turned out that while they were there, she went into labor, and there was nothing they could do about it. She was going to have to give birth right there in this overcrowded city of strangers...with no connections...no acquaintances...no family...no doctor...no midwife...no place to stay...just lots and lots of inconvenienced people who were also there only because of the census.

7. And so Mary gave birth to a son, her firstborn, and she swaddled Him in a blanket, and laid Him in a feeding trough for animals. It was her only alternative, because she and Joseph ended up having to go into a stable for the delivery. There was absolutely no vacancy in any of the local inns or hostels, so they just did what they had to do with what was available to them.

16 comments:

Keith said...

Glad to see your back at tyhe Key board. Can't wait for what is in store for us tonight. See ya sone . peace

Anonymous said...

Dear Bishop,

First and foremost welcome back home from Uganda. Any way I am really not suppose to be in the Computer, but this revelation if you want to call it came to me, while I was reading the book of Luke.
I know, last Sunday you talked about Mary and Elizabeth, the two cousins. And since I did not attended church this past Sunday, I believe Fritz told me Pastor D.E. Paulk, took the Message (the Word) to another deeper level.

But my revelation came while reading the first chapter of Luke, and realized Elizabeth and Mary was not the only Main characters in the story. If you go back to the story, you’ll see what I am talking about. (Luke 1:11-22)

I would like for you to take a second look at what Zechariah said to the Angel. “How can I know this will happen? I am an old man now.
The Angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was He who sent me to bring you this good news! (20)- And now, since you didn’t believe what I said you won’t be able to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly come true at the proper time.” (21-22) meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out, wondering why he was taking so long. When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures that he must have seen a vision in the Temple sanctuary.

Many, many times in our lives the Lord will send His Angel as a Messenger to us; to reveal His plan and we pay much attention or we don’t believe. Mostly, because we are too busy looking at our circumstances to realize what the Messenger was giving us, was truly a word from the Lord. Here, in this story, the other Main character I was referring to was Zechariah! It really started with him. Because the Angel said to him “God heard you prayer, and your wife, Elizabeth will bear a son! I wonder in your own revelation, to whom did the Angel reveal the revelation first? Maybe it was someone; the Angel as too shut his/ her mouth. I don’t know! But I believe if you look deeper you will come with the revelation yourself. Maybe the mouth of that individual has to be shut for any interruption would not take place, for God’s word to be performed at the proper time.

And I go a little further in my reading still in Luke 1:66 (NLT) everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “I WONDER WHAT THIS CHILD WILL TURN OUT TO BE? FOR THE HAND OF THE LORD IS SURELY UPON HIM IN A SPECIAL WAY!

I believed that’s the some churches will say “I wonder how is this Reconciliation will Turn out to be? The hand of the Lord must be upon this RECONCILIATION! In a special way!

I hope you remembered the time I told you what I heard the Lord had said concerning the fullness of the Building. That one day you will have to have four (4) Services. That how full your Services will be! I remembered you smile a very small smile and thank you Kettly “I received that.”

I just wanted to share this revelation to you.

Love, Joy, and Peace
Kettly

Anonymous said...

I didn't see the trough angle at first. But yes I see that now. What spoke to me was Doing what you can, with what you have, where you are, in the now.

Northern Light said...

I'm in a season of HIS timing in all things. I recognize it and I let it go; HE knows so much better for me when and where.

Mary & Joseph didn't have any control over circumstances. They didn't at the conception, they didn't at the time of birth, or at the place of birth.

HIS timing.......HIS will.....our lives....so good!

Peace,
Northern Light

Anonymous said...

Jim Mitchell said...

you know, I dont do this much, but I LOVE the clip art you choose for your post...just FYI...big love, Jim

Anonymous said...

Melissa Geter said...

Wow look at the pic....colors are so pretty

karl cobos said...

Good morning Bishop...strength, grace and peace to you today!...body, mind, and spirit/soul.

Worship was great last night.

Donald said...

I grew up on a farm and from experience that had to be a filthy, stinking situation to be in and then to add to that all the natural child birthing too!
Definitely not the pretty little picture that we see displayed at Christmas time in all the manger displays.
It had to be miserable.

Anonymous said...

Welcome back Bishop and the Uganda Travelers. We Loved your sharing and that we have presence in Africa. It is good ground that will produce an abundance of fruit we do not forsee. Cups will run over.

Erik said...

Bishop, your style of relaying Luke is really smooth and engaging, It flows so well.

Yes, Mary & Joseph, handling what they had to, working together.

From the natural perspective, no planning, no ceremony, no grandeur for this entry of The Word made Flesh. All of the spectacle in the Spirit, that fissures the natural as the two became one, while all of Creation smiled.

Karl said...

While reading this Luke account I'm thinking, yes, sometimes there may be a lot of discomfort and inconvenience riding our donkeys to give birth to promised miracles given to us.

It may not happen as "we" have planned and decorated it to be and may be quite a bit messier than we had imagined...however, God's plan for it is still "right on time."

I wonder how they were actually registered?...how were they seen?...known?...unwed mother, fiance, married? Were children registered if they weren't born yet?

I wonder if they looked at each other with a slight smile when the registrar said while writing, "son of Mary and son of Joseph."

In true reality...God's Son, but to most people's flesh reality...the world's bastard.

I haven't fully searched, but when did they marry, I wonder? Was there a ceremony?..or not. An equivalent "marriage for 99cents Vegas in town?"
Imagine THAT ceremony, the whispers and possible gossip!

Joseph was the one that probably rounded up the swaddling cloth to give to Mary, or help her.
...interesting that it was also a Joseph (of Aramethea)that provided a "cloth" for Mary and the disciples to wrap Jesus in when He was "delivered" from the cross, delivered from His labor pains which brought about life to us!

The child was placed in a feeding trough, and I guess a place for some rotting and decaying material, making due with what was available, and I assume "where no child had been laid before."
...interesting also again that it was Joseph of Aramethea who placed Jesus' body in a tomb (in a sense, too, a feeding place for decay), where no one had ever been placed. Luke 23:53

...of course, we know that Jesus did not see decay!

I pray the dreams and miracles that God gives to us are born and infused with His Spirit so as to not see decay either.

Unknown said...

V.3...I just noticed "everyone in the Empire"...that word gives a global feel to the magnitude of the natural event that made sure prophecy was fulfilled.

V.7..."just doing what they had to do": cool setting for the revealing of the Rhema word last night (9-9-09) regarding the 'what is it?' laid in a feeding trough at birth. Mary wrapped Him up...and fed Him to world. Receive Him as your Manna...

Father, I never tire of noticing Your ordering of our days, our ways and our steps. You are so much FUN!!

Larry Usher said...

Bish- I remember in your teaching on the "Inconvenience of Faith", how this was an example- Mary & Joseph being out of place, with seemingly little favor, or hopes that THEIR plans would be fulfilled. However, even in the midst of what appeared to be "bad luck", the perfect will of God was done. I am sure that many in this country, at CITN, the folks from the Cathedral somehow feel equally "inconvenienced" of late! My hunch is that in the center of all that is happening is God's perfect will being accomplished.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not to your own understanding,
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your steps.

Acknowledge Him in the inconvenience, in the pain, in the struggle, in the battle, in the love, in the peace, in the trial of your faith, in the kindness of others, in the "chance" meeting that validates your existence as a child of God.
Acknowledge Him in your unknowing, in your wondering, in your amazement.
Acknowledge Him in the unconditional love of a child,
in each wave as it breaks upon the shore,
in each star that twinkles in the Heavens,
in each person you meet,
in each breath you take...

Chart your course and set the steps in front of you by this daily acknowledgement of His hand upon your life. All is well. All is well.

Lovingly,,
Bro Lar

karl cobos said...

Amen Avatar and bro Lar!

Yes, Lord, I eat of you today.

...and thank you for the reminder to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not to your own understanding,
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your steps."

I acknowledge You here on this blog and in the writings of my friends...and in the nerve impulses that cause my fingers to somehow type out what's in my brain.

I acknowledge how wonderful You have made me.

As the waters cover the sea, we acknowledge Your greatness, Your depth, Your vast strength and the secret treasures waiting to be found.

Anonymous said...

This realistic rendering of what people do when they are in need and outside of a comfort zone of their own design is timely and prophetic to this current day.

Many are displaced from their previous places of comfort and those who find solace in God's provision for them, no matter what it may appear to be, also find themselves provided for in great abundance. It is usually more than they could have imagined even if they were in their original place of comfort.

This encourages mindfulness.

Peace to you and your household.

Anonymous said...

Mary and Joseph knew that it was the Savior to the world that was just born and yet they didn't complain that they had to lay him in a trough. "...so they just did what they had to do with what was available to them." just thankful for the moment and in awe of His presence.

Lindsey P.