The Angels' Christmas

The angels in heaven knew something was up. However they didn't know exactly what was going on.  They'd seen the Angel Gabriel talking to the Almighty, but they didn't know why.  Anytime Gabriel was seen having a one on One conversation with God the other angels knew something big was in the offing. They also knew that they hadn't seen the Son of God around in their precincts for a while. They weren't sure how long it was because they don't have clocks or calendars. It all seemed strange to them. However they knew that if they were supposed to know they would find out.All of a sudden one angel went running and a whole group soon took up the pace. Whatever adventure he was going on they wanted to be there and see it. All of a sudden the heavens broke open and they were in earth's atmosphere. The Angel was saying to a group of frightened shepherds on the ground,

 " Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger"

With those words immediately the other angels broke out in an ecstatic chorus  "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Then just as suddenly the heavens closed back up and the angels went back to their duties. "Isn't this glorious God is working with those people on earth," buzzed the news all over heaven. " I hope they realize how blessed they are," said one of the angels to another.

"No  wonder there was so much  unusual activity up here,"  excitedly said  angel Rochel.  Wow! "Just think God has gone down to earth in the form of a baby" piped in a cherubim.  "Do those earth people know who the baby really is, " questioned Marciel?  "I don't think they do, but I have a feeling that in a little while they will figure it out," said  Petel as he picked up his harp and walked down the golden street.

While the quoted Scripture is true, the rest of  the above conversations are pure fantasy based

 on nothing more than an active imagination.

Mary's Confidential - Keeping it 100 in Private!

In 2025 Social Media is awash with people sharing their personal feelings, and grievances. There seems to be the blurring of boundaries of what should be for public consumption and what should be withheld for private consideration. As I reflected on this spilling of all things into the atmosphere with the goal of keeping it I thought back to a young woman who lived over 2,000 years ago.

Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus, really had  a lot about which she could talk. She was the recipient of mysteries which we still do not understand.  An unexpected startling visit from an Angelic Messenger turned Mary's world upside down.  The incongruity of her being a virgin and  being pregnant  must have baffled her young mind.  The fact that Joseph had serious questions about marrying her at all after she told him this strange news worried her. Mary knew the law.  A woman pledged to be married could be stoned to death for a breach of the marriage contract. Undoubtedly she could say a whole lot about her situation. 

History does not report Mary running hither and yon with news for all to hear. She never jumped to defend herself from the gossip that inevitably occurred in her small town.  Some scholars report that a Roman military detachment had occupied the town for a few months. As her pregnancy advanced the town gossips got busy. They spread tales that Mary was the soon to be a Baby Mama of one of those handsome young men.  All the while Mary held her peace and hid these sacred revelations in her heart. 

Mary shows us that there are some things that are worth keeping to ourselves. Ruminants, like cows,  take in their food and then switch it from one stomach to another  where it undergoes important alterations. This process causes the initial substance to transform until it is ready for use outside of its body. The final product from the cow is milk from which we get cream,  ingredients to make butter and other useful items. All of these changes take place hidden from human eyes. When the time comes the product makes its appearance. 

I wonder how much richer our lives would be if we emulated Mary by pondering more and talking less about some of our experiences.  It might benefit us to let things ruminate in our systems before sharing them with others, if at all. Obviously Mary shared  her experiences at some point or we would never know she hid them in the first place. During this Advent season and going into the New Year will you join me as I try to be more like Mary in doing more introspection and saying less?   Let's remember everything is not for public consumption. 

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

Luke 2:19

A Very Important Delivery is on Its Way!

Today I‘m anticipating the arrival of an important package. FedEx and other package delivery services have gotten smart. Instead of having millions of people clogging the phone lines to inquire about deliveries they have instituted a system to track individual packages. The customer enters a Tracking Number on the company’s website. The customer then receives a digital read out of where the package is in the system on its journey.

As I thought about this, the thought came to me that this is just what God did when it came to Jesus, the Messiah’s birth. In the Book of Genesis God started notating the purpose and  process by which the Messiah would come. Each Book of the Bible and each prophetic utterance points to Christ on His journey from heaven to earth. 

After the crucifixion and resurrection Jesus walked on the Road to Emmaus. Jesus was traveling incognito. Jesus joined up with two men and asked the topic of their conversation. The two men  expressed surprise that this stranger walking with them did not know about the burning issue of the moment  which was the death of a man everyone thought was  the Messiah.  As they walked  and talked together Jesus taught them something profound. “27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”  Luke 24:27

Each prophecy and story provides the pieces to ensure that when the Messiah appeared  in the New Testament that Jesus was the only one who met all of the criteria or stopped at those different transfer points.  God’s tracking of His  Divine Gift,  to earth is proof of the reason for this season.   This is simply amazing. Jesus Christ, the Messiah did not miss one point on the route to the Manger Scene in Bethlehem. 

There is a great verse in the Bible in Galatians 4:4-5  But when the time arrived that was set by God the Father, God sent his Son, born among us of a woman, born under the conditions of the law so that he might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the law. (Message Bible) 

It’s the same when one prays a prayer. I imagine the prayer gets a time stamp on it as soon as it reaches heaven. Then it starts the  tracking process to whatever the answer is going to be.

Yes FedEx, UPS and the USPS can track your package too. However the very first and best Tracking System can be found right between the covers of the Bible starting in the Book of Genesis.  

Surprise! Your Wife is Going to Have a Baby.

 

God's Messenger the angel Gabriel suddenly appeared to Zechariah with the astounding words that his prayers had been answered.  “Wait a minute, hold up angel,” said a stunned Zechariah as he stood shaking and staring at the angel standing beside the altar of incense.  “What prayer,” he stammered?  “You know the one when you asked God for a child,” replied the angel. “I prayed that prayer for a child over 40 years ago,” countered Zechariah.  “I don’t know how it can be answered now, he continued.”  “I’m old and my wife Elizabeth is way past menopause,” he said.  “We gave up the dream of a child decades ago,” he softly mused.  “I, well I’m just not the young man I used to be either,” mumbled a bewildered, Zechariah

For decades Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth lived with the disappointment of not being able to have a child.  The aching arms and empty womb gave way to a plaintive resignation that parenthood would not be a part of their lives. The years of praying and pleading for a little one of their own had ended. Zechariah and Elizabeth adjusted to a childless home. They endured the nosy  questions about when was Elizabeth going to have a baby. Elizabeth tried to avoid the pitying looks of the other women as they cradled their newborns. Zechariah and her were well aware that like the old patriarch Job, their friends, whispered that they must have some secret sins and were being punished by not having a child. However Elizabeth knew that her husband was honest and ethical. Her own heart bore her witness that she was following all of God’s laws.  Long ago she decided to love Jehovah no matter what anyone said.

Meanwhile, over the years Zechariah took his turn in the temple offering sacrifices as prescribed in the law. Now in his senior years he had the less strenuous job given to older priests to keep the incense burning. Zechariah counted it a privilege to not let the light go out in the temple and the burning of the incense. He lived a righteous life and enjoyed being faithful in his service in the temple. Now here’s this angel at his workplace upsetting his retirement plans.

Gabriel introduced himself. “I came from heaven, right from God’s presence to bring you great news,” he continued.  “You know you’re the first priest God has spoken to on earth in four hundred years,” he explained.  “Since you wouldn’t accept the news that your wife is going to have the baby who’s going to announce the Messiah is coming, I tell you what, I’ll give you a time of silence,” he said with nary a touch of irritation in his voice.  “You are not going to be able to speak until this child is born,” he announced.  With that the Angel Gabriel left the astonished priest standing at the altar.

But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zechariah: for thy 

prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee 

a son, and thou shalt call his name John

Luke 1:13

That day Zechariah learned day that prayers prayed to God never expire. 

You can read the Rest of the Story in the Bible  Book Luke 

Chapter 1, but here is a little portion of the Scripture from 

Luke 1.

57 When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”

61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child.

 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.