A Baby Changes Everything - Part 3

Angels visit the shepherds

Luke 2:8-18

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.       

9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

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."

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,

18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

Today, when a mom gives birth, birth announcements are usually sent by text message, facebook status update, blog post, article in a newspaper, or by mailing newborn picture cards announcing the new addition to the family.  This modern technology is so cool and appreciated, but it does not compare at all to the birth announcement that our Savior had!

Shepherds were keeping watch over their flock at night when an angel of the Lord appeared before them.  The King James version tells us in verse 9 that the shepherds were 'sore' afraid when the angel appeared.  Merriam-Webster gives the following definition for sore:

                                                                   a.  causing pain or distress

                                                                   b.  painfully sensitive

These shepherds were painfully terrified!  Can you imagine yourself in a field tending to flock, minding your own business, and all of a sudden an angel appears before you with the glory of the Lord shining all around?  Yeah, I think WE would be scared to the point of pain as well! :)

The shepherds were terrified, but their fear quickly turned to joy as the angel shared the greatest birth announcement EVER; the birth of Christ the Lord!  The angel proceeded to tell the shepherds that the baby had been born in the town of David.  But how would the shepherds know which newborn baby would be Christ the Lord?  Well, the angel gave specific details in what the shepherds were to look for.  The angel described that the baby would be wrapped in cloths (VERY common for newborns) and lying in a manger (NOT common for newborns).  Now, that is the sign to remember!

Then the heavenly choir showed up!  A multitude of great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel and began praising God.  Can you picture this revival?  It's the middle of the night in a field with sheep, angels are present with an angelic glow as they sing praises to God, and shepherds have their hands lifted toward heaven in worship of our Savior's birth!  What a sight to imagine!!! 

The shepherds were so overwhelmed with joy and excitement that they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, lying in a manger!  The shepherd's mission was accomplished and they shared the great news with everyone! 

Today, I unwrap the gift of  our GREAT and GLORIOUS God humbling himself through the unlikely package of being born in a stable, lying in a manger!  He deserved so much better, but chose the lowly setting of a manger for our King so that His glory would be clearly displayed.

To be continued...

Unwrapping the gift of Jesus,
Tonya

A Baby Changes Everything - Part 2

An Angel appears to Joseph in a dream.

Matthew 1:18-25

18 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.

19 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.

20 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.

21 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."

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Mary, while just engaged to Joseph, is found to be with child as a result of a miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit. Can you imagine the gossip that probably traveled among the enemies of Jesus once they found out about this virgin woman giving birth to Jesus? Oh, I bet there were a LOT of whispering conversations with glaring, judgemental eyes in Mary and Joseph's days.

Joseph was having a hard time dealing with her news of pregnancy. He was a righteous man and did not want to marry someone that had been unfaithful to him. He decides that he will divorce Mary quietly to keep her from public disgrace. (Remember, the engagement was binding in the Jewish culture, so Joseph would need a divorce to break the engagement). I can only imagine the worry and distress Joseph went through at this time, but God would soon deliver a message to him.

God sends an angel to speak to Joseph in a dream. The angel shares that the child that has been conceived in Mary is of the Holy Spirit. (It seems that Mary had not disclosed this little bit of information to Joseph. How would you explain such a thing to anyone? I guess that's why God sent the angel to explain it to Joseph). The angel gives Joseph instruction as to what to name the child and that he is being sent from God for a reason. This baby to be named, Jesus, is being sent to save his people from their sins. (Whoah! Thank you Jesus for meeting us in our sins, but mostly for your purpose of saving us from them!) 

When Joseph awoke, he had a whole new understanding of Mary's pregnancy. He took her home as his wife. He had no union with her until she gave birth to a son and just as the Lord commanded him, Joseph gave the baby the name Jesus.

Today, I unwrap the gift of a miraculous conception and birth of Jesus. I praise God for the awesome marriage counseling that he delivered through the angel in Joseph's dream!

Rejoicing in these gifts,

 

Tonya

   

Unexpected Blessing!

Last night I had a date night with Camron.  He was so called 'starving' and wanted to eat Chinese.  I was hoping for a quiet dinner with just the two of us but things got interrupted.  The hostess sat us in a booth next to a man that was dining by himself.  Out of the blue, the man began conversing with us.  To be honest, at first I was trying to avoid the conversation but I soon felt the holy spirit leading me to go ahead and engage in talking with the man. 

As we were conversing, Camron piped in and said to the man, "My mom is married.  Do you know my daddy?"  (I couldn't help but laugh silently at his remark)  The man replied that he was not from here and didn't know anyone.  He stated that he travels through many states delivering medical equipment.  

As we prepared our plates and sat down to eat, Camron asked the blessing.  Afterwards, the gentleman asked what Church we went to.  I replied but didn't have time to ask him where he goes to church because Camron was taking control of the conversation.  Camron asked the man where he went to church and proceeded to talk about God with the man.  What a BLESSING to watch my child not be afraid to talk about God with a total stranger in a public place! 

The man finished his dinner and said goodbye.  Camron and I both encouraged him to travel safely as he began his journey on the road back home.  He walked away and Camron and I resumed finishing our meal.  After a few minutes, the man returned and proceeded to tell me that our bill had been taken care of and that he had been blessed so much during dinner conversing with us that he wanted to bless us in return.  I was overwhelmed with shock and humbled to the fact that a complete stranger would want to bless me! 

After the man left, Camron looked at me with his big, brown eyes and said "Mama, that was really nice of that man to pay for our supper."  Together we discussed what a blessing and great example this was of Jesus' love.  I guess Camron really let it soak it in about being a blessing to others because on the way home he put his hand on my shoulder and said to me "Mama, you sure are pretty with your earrings and I am so grateful for you."  Now, you talk about melting a mother's heart!  God knew exactly what He was doing when He surprisingly blessed us with Camron 7 years ago.  He brings so much joy and love into our lives and I am so proud of the young fellow that he is.

Hebrews 13:2  "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it."

Love in Christ,
Tonya