Luke 2:7 “…because there was no room for them in the inn.”
My friend Dave worshiped at a service last week on Christmas Day. The minister told a story of an occasion when he was at another church years ago which presented a Christmas play. The play director worked diligently with the students who were the actors and actresses, and they were well prepared the night of the performance. The script emphasized the fact that no one gave Joseph or Mary a place to stay when they were in Bethlehem. In the play Joseph and Mary went to three different inns trying to get a room. At the first two inns, though Joseph pleaded with the innkeepers since Mary was so far in her pregnancy, the students portraying the innkeepers were gruff in turning away Joseph and his pregnant wife. When they talked with the third innkeeper, Joseph and Mary pleaded for a room. There was a pause, and then the innkeeper said, “Yes! You can stay here!” The play director got frazzled because now that Joseph and Mary were in an inn, how were they going to get to the manager scene? The play hit some improvisation. Yet the play director put actors to work to somehow get them to the manger scene.
After the play, the minister went to the student who was the third innkeeper and asked him how come he changed his line in the play. The boy looked at him and said, “I could not say ‘no’ to Jesus.”
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Heaven Home
Starting in 2004, my grandma was in a nursing home for one year and ten months after a serious fall. I spent much time with her at the nursing home during her time there. Before leaving, I often would sing Grandma a song and other residents in the hall would often stop what they were doing and listen. Spending so much time there I got to know some other residents. There was a woman who was 103 years of age who was frequently in the hall. Though 103, she was quite mobile in her sitdown walker, and she would often talk to whoever was in the hall, but she rarely spoke to me. I did sometimes say “hi” as I passed her.
About a week before Christmas as I walked down the hall one evening, that woman approached me. Looking into my face she said, “I have to go home.” In a friendly manner I said something like, “You are home.” She said, “No, you do not understand. It is Christmas time. I have to be home for Christmas.” Just the way she said it brought sadness to my heart. I did tell her with assurance how many people at that nursing home cared for her and liked her, and that they felt like she was at home there. It was not the first time a resident had told me he or she needed to go home, including my grandma. Yet her sincerity made me sad, and I prayed for her.
Growing up in a city which changed much throughout my youth as it went through astronomical growth, I often felt like I missed out having a genuine “hometown.” And then when I was in college, my parents separated after twenty-one years of marriage, and then divorced about six years later. Though an adult, the “home” of my youth was gone, replaced with family problems galore, and this contributed to me giving more consideration of the topic of “home.” It was a subject I became concerned with. I am grateful to God that He led me to realize that He offers an eternal home. And I received.
Scripture reveals heaven. Jesus taught much about heaven. Numerous parables of Jesus start out with, “The kingdom of heaven is like…” Heaven is a key theme of what we now call “The Lord’s Prayer,” which was given by Jesus when He was teaching about prayer:
Our Father,
who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
Heaven is such a key theme in Scripture, I give points regarding the relationship of Jesus and heaven.
First, heaven is where Jesus came from: “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38 NIV).
Second, heaven is the root of the ministry of Jesus: “When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:21-23 NIV).
Third, heaven is where Jesus returned to: “After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven’” (Acts 1:9-11 NIV).
Fourth, heaven is where Jesus reigns now: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (Hebrews 1:3 NIV).
Also, Jesus is with people on earth who believe in Him through the Holy Spirit. Scripture teaches that believers in Jesus are indwelled with the Holy Spirit. “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?”(I Corinthians 3:16 NIV). Being indwelled by the Holy Spirit is to be in a relationship with the Spirit of Christ. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NIV). I think this is why Jesus could promise He would be with His disciples “to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20 NIV) even though He knew He would soon be ascending into heaven. So we are not with Jesus in full since He is in heaven in full, yet there is a bond to Jesus being united with the Holy Spirit, the One who is working to sanctify His children.
The Scriptures above teach that believers in Jesus can be comforted wherever we happen to be on this planet, since the Holy Spirit is with us everywhere. And believers in Jesus have an eternal home awaiting us in heaven. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband” (Revelation 21:1-2 NIV).
I stated above about my concern with the issue of “home” in the wake of my parent’s separation and divorce. Jesus promises an eternal home to all who give their heart to Him. “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2-3 NIV).
People who believe in Jesus have an eternal home thanks to the atoning sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. Jesus Christ died on a cross for the forgiveness of sins of anyone. He was the substitute for the consequence of sins which is spiritual death. If you believe in Jesus, you will have eternal life in heaven.
Hunter
About a week before Christmas as I walked down the hall one evening, that woman approached me. Looking into my face she said, “I have to go home.” In a friendly manner I said something like, “You are home.” She said, “No, you do not understand. It is Christmas time. I have to be home for Christmas.” Just the way she said it brought sadness to my heart. I did tell her with assurance how many people at that nursing home cared for her and liked her, and that they felt like she was at home there. It was not the first time a resident had told me he or she needed to go home, including my grandma. Yet her sincerity made me sad, and I prayed for her.
Growing up in a city which changed much throughout my youth as it went through astronomical growth, I often felt like I missed out having a genuine “hometown.” And then when I was in college, my parents separated after twenty-one years of marriage, and then divorced about six years later. Though an adult, the “home” of my youth was gone, replaced with family problems galore, and this contributed to me giving more consideration of the topic of “home.” It was a subject I became concerned with. I am grateful to God that He led me to realize that He offers an eternal home. And I received.
Scripture reveals heaven. Jesus taught much about heaven. Numerous parables of Jesus start out with, “The kingdom of heaven is like…” Heaven is a key theme of what we now call “The Lord’s Prayer,” which was given by Jesus when He was teaching about prayer:
Our Father,
who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
Heaven is such a key theme in Scripture, I give points regarding the relationship of Jesus and heaven.
First, heaven is where Jesus came from: “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38 NIV).
Second, heaven is the root of the ministry of Jesus: “When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:21-23 NIV).
Third, heaven is where Jesus returned to: “After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven’” (Acts 1:9-11 NIV).
Fourth, heaven is where Jesus reigns now: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (Hebrews 1:3 NIV).
Also, Jesus is with people on earth who believe in Him through the Holy Spirit. Scripture teaches that believers in Jesus are indwelled with the Holy Spirit. “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?”(I Corinthians 3:16 NIV). Being indwelled by the Holy Spirit is to be in a relationship with the Spirit of Christ. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NIV). I think this is why Jesus could promise He would be with His disciples “to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20 NIV) even though He knew He would soon be ascending into heaven. So we are not with Jesus in full since He is in heaven in full, yet there is a bond to Jesus being united with the Holy Spirit, the One who is working to sanctify His children.
The Scriptures above teach that believers in Jesus can be comforted wherever we happen to be on this planet, since the Holy Spirit is with us everywhere. And believers in Jesus have an eternal home awaiting us in heaven. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband” (Revelation 21:1-2 NIV).
I stated above about my concern with the issue of “home” in the wake of my parent’s separation and divorce. Jesus promises an eternal home to all who give their heart to Him. “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2-3 NIV).
People who believe in Jesus have an eternal home thanks to the atoning sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. Jesus Christ died on a cross for the forgiveness of sins of anyone. He was the substitute for the consequence of sins which is spiritual death. If you believe in Jesus, you will have eternal life in heaven.
Hunter
Friday, December 18, 2015
Psalm 122 - Christmas hope
Psalm 122 I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.” Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. That is where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, to praise the name of the LORD according to the statute given to Israel. There the thrones for judgment stand, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those you love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity (NIV).
In studying Psalm 122 last week I realized this Psalm leads to a path of Christmas. How does God use a Psalm of David written around one thousand years before the birth of Jesus to offer Christmas hope?
First of all, the authorship of this Psalm is disputed because the Temple was not built in David’s lifetime, rather the first temple was built by Solomon who used the plans and resources his father David gave him. David explained the plans for the temple had come from God. “All this,” David said, “I have in writing from the hand of the LORD upon me, and he gave me understanding in all the details of the plan” (I Chronicles 28:19 NIV). Yet God told David he was not to build the temple rather his son Solomon was to build it (I Chronicles 22:6-10).
However, only so many years into the 40 year reign of David, the first 7 years of which were from Hebron, and then the remaining 33 years of which were from Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:4-5), David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem where it was placed in a tent (2 Samuel 6:17). Jerusalem became the place for the Feasts. Though odd the psalmist would be speaking of going to the “house” of the LORD before a temple was built, he still could be David.
Authorship aside, the message of Psalm 122 starts with mission to go to the house of the LORD with the purpose of praising the LORD, as is stated in verse four. Praising the LORD is done in a number of the Psalms. “Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name” (Psalm 103:1 NIV).
And then the psalmist speaks of Jerusalem being the place of “thrones for judgment,” which are “the thrones of the house of David.” Though the temple came after David, David did reside 33 years in Jerusalem, the city which was his seat of rule (2 Samuel 5:9-10).
How does David’s throne lead to a baby being born in a manger? From that passage of 2 Samuel 5:9-10, we learn Jerusalem began to be called the “City of David,” yet Bethlehem became known likewise as the city of David, or the town of David, since Bethlehem is where David was born. Thus starts a parallel where we can realize the fulfillment of promises God made in the time of David as He was preparing people for an everlasting covenant. David was born in Bethlehem; Jesus was born in Bethlehem. David was anointed king of Israel by God; Jesus, of the lineage of David, though born in a time when Israel no longer had a physical king, was the Anointed One, which in Hebrew is called Messiah, and which in Greek is called Christ. Some magi used the term king when they asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2 NIV). Israelites knew they were to worship only the one true God, since for starters this was in the Ten Commandments. Whether some magi realized Jesus was the one true God incarnate, I do not know. Yet what we know from Scripture is the baby Jesus born in a manger was indeed God. “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” –which means, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23 NIV).
Finally, though David was anointed king of Israel by God (I Samuel 16:12-13), he did not take his throne until after much turmoil due to the sins of others, especially Saul, and due to some of his own sins. Likewise there was suffering by Jesus because of his love for sinful people, before He went back to his throne in heaven. Though Jesus was born the Messiah and lived a sinless life, He fulfilled the Law and the Prophets allowing Himself to be crucified on a cross as the atoning sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins for people. Jesus was the substitute for the wages of sins, which is spiritual death, a mission of the Messiah which many Israelites overlooked. Yet then Jesus was resurrected! He now reigns in heaven. And Jesus will one day return from heaven to Jerusalem and judge from His throne! Then He will forever reign in heaven and on earth.
The conclusion of the Psalm speaks of praying for the peace of Jerusalem. Praise be to God we know from the prophet Isaiah that the Messiah, born in a manger of all places, is the Prince of Peace! “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this" (Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV).
The baby Jesus born in a manger was the Messiah who later died for our iniquities. And when Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, comes again, He will rescue Jerusalem just as Zechariah the prophet foretold, and He will reign from His throne as the eternal King of Glory. And though in heaven now, Jesus the King of Glory who was God in the flesh, remains the loving Savior who is willing to be your Friend, no matter what your ethnic background, even right now. You simply need to believe in Jesus.
Hunter Irvine
In studying Psalm 122 last week I realized this Psalm leads to a path of Christmas. How does God use a Psalm of David written around one thousand years before the birth of Jesus to offer Christmas hope?
First of all, the authorship of this Psalm is disputed because the Temple was not built in David’s lifetime, rather the first temple was built by Solomon who used the plans and resources his father David gave him. David explained the plans for the temple had come from God. “All this,” David said, “I have in writing from the hand of the LORD upon me, and he gave me understanding in all the details of the plan” (I Chronicles 28:19 NIV). Yet God told David he was not to build the temple rather his son Solomon was to build it (I Chronicles 22:6-10).
However, only so many years into the 40 year reign of David, the first 7 years of which were from Hebron, and then the remaining 33 years of which were from Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:4-5), David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem where it was placed in a tent (2 Samuel 6:17). Jerusalem became the place for the Feasts. Though odd the psalmist would be speaking of going to the “house” of the LORD before a temple was built, he still could be David.
Authorship aside, the message of Psalm 122 starts with mission to go to the house of the LORD with the purpose of praising the LORD, as is stated in verse four. Praising the LORD is done in a number of the Psalms. “Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name” (Psalm 103:1 NIV).
And then the psalmist speaks of Jerusalem being the place of “thrones for judgment,” which are “the thrones of the house of David.” Though the temple came after David, David did reside 33 years in Jerusalem, the city which was his seat of rule (2 Samuel 5:9-10).
How does David’s throne lead to a baby being born in a manger? From that passage of 2 Samuel 5:9-10, we learn Jerusalem began to be called the “City of David,” yet Bethlehem became known likewise as the city of David, or the town of David, since Bethlehem is where David was born. Thus starts a parallel where we can realize the fulfillment of promises God made in the time of David as He was preparing people for an everlasting covenant. David was born in Bethlehem; Jesus was born in Bethlehem. David was anointed king of Israel by God; Jesus, of the lineage of David, though born in a time when Israel no longer had a physical king, was the Anointed One, which in Hebrew is called Messiah, and which in Greek is called Christ. Some magi used the term king when they asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2 NIV). Israelites knew they were to worship only the one true God, since for starters this was in the Ten Commandments. Whether some magi realized Jesus was the one true God incarnate, I do not know. Yet what we know from Scripture is the baby Jesus born in a manger was indeed God. “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” –which means, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23 NIV).
Finally, though David was anointed king of Israel by God (I Samuel 16:12-13), he did not take his throne until after much turmoil due to the sins of others, especially Saul, and due to some of his own sins. Likewise there was suffering by Jesus because of his love for sinful people, before He went back to his throne in heaven. Though Jesus was born the Messiah and lived a sinless life, He fulfilled the Law and the Prophets allowing Himself to be crucified on a cross as the atoning sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins for people. Jesus was the substitute for the wages of sins, which is spiritual death, a mission of the Messiah which many Israelites overlooked. Yet then Jesus was resurrected! He now reigns in heaven. And Jesus will one day return from heaven to Jerusalem and judge from His throne! Then He will forever reign in heaven and on earth.
The conclusion of the Psalm speaks of praying for the peace of Jerusalem. Praise be to God we know from the prophet Isaiah that the Messiah, born in a manger of all places, is the Prince of Peace! “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this" (Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV).
The baby Jesus born in a manger was the Messiah who later died for our iniquities. And when Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, comes again, He will rescue Jerusalem just as Zechariah the prophet foretold, and He will reign from His throne as the eternal King of Glory. And though in heaven now, Jesus the King of Glory who was God in the flesh, remains the loving Savior who is willing to be your Friend, no matter what your ethnic background, even right now. You simply need to believe in Jesus.
Hunter Irvine
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