This Christmas
Sunday, December 23, 2018
In this season where we remember the birth of Jesus, I am praying that He is birthed again in each and every heart! We have learned much about Him, yet we know next to nothing...so we study and stay as plugged into Him and His hope as we can.
I am attaching the link to that appian media video about Behlehem and the birthplace of Jesus. Cue it to about 4 minutes and 30 seconds or so and you'll get them entering the church area. Quite beautiful!
https://appianmedia.org/medi
a-lib/item/120-following-t
he-messiah-1.html
Following The Messiah - 1 - Appian Media
Follow along as Jeremy and Barry visit Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, and go to the temple mount in Jerusalem to see where the baby Jesus would h...
appianmedia.org
We learned that Jesus wasn't in a cave or a wooden stable as the story has been told over the centuries, but in fact, Joseph and Mary would have approached some extended relatives in Bethlehem since that was their heritage and they would have had relatives who lived there. In that day, it would have been the last thing one would do to turn away anyone, so it is most likely The house they approached would have had them come in. The problem was that all of the "living" space was already occupied by other relatives. The only place left would have been a lower level where the animals were kept. God will have to let me know how those animals got in and out from that lower level, but this is what archeologists have found. Three "rooms"- Most of the guest relatives would have been staying in the "main" room, where there was also a concrete feeding trough/basin-like trough for animals that were at that level of the house, perhaps on occasion. You'll see it in the video. Fascinating!! Some of the you version studies I have done during this advent/waiting period have also said this, yet we live with the tradition of the cave or stable. We also know that the cross was evident right from the beginning. Heaven was certainly not rejoicing as God gave His only Son to this earth with the purpose of dying. Yet there was joy in knowing many would be saved because of this huge sacrifice!!
I pray you will enjoy this as much as I am with my 5th time through!! May your homes have the peace that surpasses all understanding with NO drama, except for the joy that comes from this birth!
Praise God for this Merry CHRISTmas!