Thankful For Jesus' Birth | Thankful Thursday

Welcome back friends! We are wrapping up 2021 like last minute Christmas gifts! It has been a LONG year in many ways, but I think starting in November someone hit the fast-forward button. I feel a little lost around this time of year and I do not know if it is because my dad's Going Home was December 29 or if it's just because of all the end of the year stress, hustle and bustle, overwhelm, but it's a heavy feeling at times of disconnect.

It is times like this that I am thankful of the birth of Jesus Christ. Now, I know we have no idea when Jesus was born. We have some clues about the weather because there was a census taken and we know shepherds were in the field with the sheep. So, whether that is the same time of year as now or not, makes no difference to me. I am still just thankful Jesus Christ was born. I am so glad that He came.

LUKE 2:6-7 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Bible tells us that everyone was going to be taxed. Doesn't that sound like fun? I mean, think of it, you are about ready to deliver your baby and you have to travel to another town, about 70 miles, and not on paved roads in a comfortable vehicle. Some say Mary rode on a donkey, and if that was the case, that would not have been a pleasant experience for any length of time. Mary and Joseph were married at this point, though they had not consummated their marriage. And so you have a newlywed couple and this most unusual circumstance, and I have no doubt that it was all very stressful and overwhelming.

I am sure the roads were crowded and noisy. I can imagine people carrying carts behind animals with their belongings as everyone had to go back to their ancestral town for this census. It would have been frustrating to stop and start again as people would have no doubt crossed paths with one another, perhaps bumping into each other. It would bring a new sense of fatigue to an already tiresome journey.

Once they reach Bethlehem, they are trying to find somewhere to stay. Joseph surely tried his best to find somewhere, anywhere to take his new bride. I can imagine his heart sank with every rejection. The need for somewhere to stay was far greater than the capacity to hold everyone who came and I am sure that many were turned away. 

Now, it was not like they were just going to check in with the census and leave. So they stayed and many people were most likely waiting to participate. I am sure the turn out was greater than the availability of people to register everyone, so they must have come up with a system to have a certain number of people come per day. We know that she finished her last trimester there in Bethlehem and then our Savior was born.

I am thinking back 14 years ago, and 20 years ago to when I had my children. I made sure I bought them a cute little outfit to wear home. I had adorable clothes for both my children from things their dad and I purchased as well as the many gifts our loving family and friends showered us with. Mary did not have a sweet little outfit for baby Jesus. She had to wrap baby Jesus in swaddling clothes. Do you know what swaddling clothes are used for? Shepherds used them to wrap baby lambs tightly in these cloths so they could be examined for blemishes. The Lamb of God was wrapped in similar fashion. I am sure this would have had great significance to the shepherds who were out in the field and the angels heralded His birth to them.

My babies were given soft bassinets to lay in when they were infants. Jesus was laid in a trough where animals would eat. Definitely not an ideal setting for anyone. How many of us would complain to our new husbands that the conditions we were staying in were unacceptable? How much more would they be inappropriate for the Son of God to lay His precious head in a manger? Yet, we never hear of Mary nor Joseph complaining about their circumstances. Could it be that they were just so mesmerized by the sight of God's own Son in their arms? Were they just content to be wherever He was?

The shepherds were given the glorious birth announcement when He was born. They were told where to find Him and how to find Him. So they decided to go see for themselves. They found the baby Jesus just like they were told He would be in a manger with swaddling clothes. And the shepherds told everyone they knew what had happened. Everyone who heard about it were amazed, but Mary treasured these things in her heart and often thought about them.

I do not know what it was like to be Mary. What a great responsibility she had. She did not always get things right. Remember the time they left Jesus behind and it was a day's journey before they discovered they lost Him? I wonder what terror filled her heart. It would be terrifying to lose any child, but this child was the Son of God. He was very special and I am sure she was protective of Him. After all there were those who tried to kill Him since birth.

We never were told what Jesus liked to do as a child, what His favorite snacks were, when He learned to walk, if He was left-handed or right-handed, or was he ambidextrous? What was Jesus like as a teenager? Was He helpful without being asked? We just don't know those things and I think it is nice that it was a mystery. Each stage of parenting is so hard and different, but yet rewarding. The hardest part of being Jesus' mother had to be to see Him after they tortured Him and then slung Him on a cross, nailed in His hands and His feet. I can tell you that would have been the worst thing a mother could ever go through.

I am so thankful that we celebrate that Jesus came. I do not get caught up in the religious legalism that demands we do not know when He was born and therefore we should not celebrate a pagan holiday like Christmas. I know that we do not know when He was born. We just know that He was. So instead of the emphasis being on the decorations, parties, snacks and treats, presents, and gatherings. Let's choose to keep Jesus as the focus of our holiday. He is the true reason for this season. He is the hope we have now and always. The birth of Jesus is a gift to the whole world. It is the best gift any of us can receive.

I hope you have unwrapped the gift of salvation. It is found in Jesus Christ alone. You cannot be saved by being good enough, kind enough, generous enough. It is a free gift that you cannot earn, and it's a great thing because we are not good enough on our own. We are not worthy of His love and saving grace but He chose us and loved us before we ever loved Him. So please accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If you have done that, welcome to the family of God! Angels rejoice at the decision to follow Jesus Christ. You will never want to exchange this gift for anything else. Nothing will ever compare to it and it can never be taken back or away from you! You are sealed with His blood when you accept Jesus as your Savior and Redeemer.

I hope you have a wonderful Thursday as you reflect on the things you are thankful for this season. I am also thankful for all of you who comment or message me about how much these blog posts mean to you. I am going to make a better effort to post on schedule in 2022. By God's grace and strength, I will post a Bible study lesson each Wednesday and a post about what I am thankful for each Thursday and then finish the week and kick off the weekend with some food for thought in Fuel For The Weekend every Friday. I hope to have a video uploaded to YouTube each week on Saturday or Sunday, as well. I am still trying to figure that out.

I have a few announcements to make soon, but until then God bless you and have a blessed day!

Hugs,
Bridgett

Our Gift | Thankful Thursday

The LORD impressed on my heart to carve out a section of my blog to share what I am thankful for. I started it on a Thursday and decided to call it "Thankful Thursday." Each week I share what I am thankful for. Come back each week so we can count our blessings together.

Merry Christmas Eve!

I have no shortage of things to thank God for. He has given us so much to enjoy. We are in a busy season of our lives... no, not the Christmas season, moving season. As we transition from one home to another, one state to another, one climate to another it is not easy. We have a limited time to finalize packing the remainder of our belongings and then next week we will not be living here in Alabama. Yet, we know that moving is not our idea, not in our plans, but God is ordering our steps and we humbly say, "Yes, Lord."

MATTHEW 2:10-11 (10)When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. (11)And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

I am not endorsing December 25 as the day the Lord Jesus was born. He was sent from God and He was born of a virgin, and there were wise men who sought Him to worship Him. So I am sharing this story in this season to be thankful that God so loved the world, (that is you and me), that He gave His only begotten Son, (that is Jesus), to be born, live, love, heal, forgive, and set free and die on an old rugged cross for our sins and to give us life everlasting. He is not dead. He was dead. He is not a baby. He was a baby. He is not physically on the earth, he was physically on the earth. He is alive! He is seated at the right hand of the Father! I am thankful for that!

The wise men looked for Him and found Him. If we look for Him the Scriptures says we will find Him. Jeremiah 29:12-13 Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart. Wise men still seek Him and still find Him.

The wise men gave Him gifts. What gifts can we give our King? What talents, skills, abilities, or callings on our lives can we offer back to Him? What can we do? How can we serve? Let's give the best gifts to our risen Savior. He is worthy and He honors us when we serve Him. 

What gifts did the wise men give Jesus? They gave gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The gold was given to symbolize royalty. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Revelation 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful. The gold paid for travel costs to Egypt when Jesus had to be hidden. They gave Him frankincense which served multiple purposes. He was anointed with it just as any king's son would be. It also has healing properties, which Mary could use to keep Jesus healthy, and again is symbolic in that Jesus was able to heal the sick. Isaiah 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. The myrrh is an ointment used for one who would die. Myrrh means bitter. This gift symbolized the bitter cup that Jesus had to drink to save the world! Remember when Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane just before He was crucified? Matthew 26:39 And He went a little further, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt.

I am thankful for Jesus! He is my King. He is my Passover Lamb. He is my supreme sacrifice! I am thankful for salvation, forgiveness of sins, and eternal life. He is my Great Physician. He is my Healer. He heals me of all my diseases! He restores my soul! He renews my mind. He purchased my healing with the stripes on His precious back! I am thankful that He died for me and yet I hate that I caused Him to die. It was my sins, my attitudes of unforgiveness, my pride, my selfish desires, and my wayward heart that caused Jesus to die on that old tree. He took the thorns for me! He took the nails in His hands and feet for me! It was my punishment and He took it. I am so thankful and humbled. I don't know why He thought enough of me to do that but I am so thankful that He did.

What are you thankful for today? It doesn't matter if you have presents or not, a tree or not, celebrate or not. The Lord Jesus came to this earth, lived and served, then died in a sacrificial gift to free the world from the slavery of sin and bondage and offer us eternal life. If you have not received that free gift today, please do! Ask God to forgive you of your sins and be the Lord of your life! Psalms 145:18 The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth. Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

 

What Gift Is For God? | Fuel For The Weekend

God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel For The Weekend. It's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend.

This time of year people are rushing to finish their Christmas shopping. Due to the pandemic many are ordering online and having packages delivered to their homes or the homes of their loved ones. Often gifts are exchanged and many times these items are not what is needed and sometimes it is not even what the other person wants. I know of someone who refused to buy their grandchild a toy they wanted because it was expensive. They chose to buy the child a bunch of poor quality items but they were cheap and so the gift giver thought it was better to give a lot of items than one item. The child's mother told me later their child never played with any of it and it left the burden of the mother to deal with these items. Why are we truly giving someone a gift? What is our real motivation?

There's a trendy movement towards minimalism. If one is not careful that can lead to consumerism as well. It doesn't sound like it at first, because the idea is to get rid of the things you have too much of so you can enjoy the things you keep. Some people feel stuck and do not know how to get started so they hire someone to help them. They buy books and worksheets and downloads. Special cleaning supplies are purchased at the advice of "experts" and sometimes items purged impulsively have to be replaced so there is that extra cost. They spend a lot of time and energy working on it. That's not to say it's not worth the effort but we must be careful that we aren't trading in one method of consumerism for another. 

Jesus is the reason for the season. He wants us to enjoy fellowship with friends and family. It's a time of togetherness. During the pandemic it might look different. We can get creative with ways to stay connected that doesn't involve spending a lot of money we don't have. We should pay our bills before buying big ticket items for others. Planning ahead for Christmas gifts takes a little thought and consistent practice to save money each month so no one has to scramble to find funds at the end of the year. Remember that experiences and connections are great gifts that cost little. Spend time helping someone. Pick up the elderly neighbors groceries so they don't have to get out. Call your relative or friend that you haven't spoken to in a while just to see how they are doing. Thank the workers at the fast food place you frequent for their hard work during these trying times. Those gifts honor our King and mean even more than anything you can buy at the store.

What do we treasure here on earth? Money, careers, power, influence, time, food, relationships, reputation? Do we treasure God's Word and hold it dear to our hearts? How is our relationship with Jesus? If we pray to Him does He recognize our voice? Are we that familiar to Him? Do you hear Him speak to you? Can you recognize His voice? Is He familiar to you that you recognize His presence? The Bible tells us treasures are great but where we keep them is important!

MATTHEW 6:19-21 (19)Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where rust and moth doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: (20)But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither rust nor moth doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal: (21)For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Some like silver but it will tarnish. Some like gold and we know God used that for pavement. Some like precious metals but it can rust. Your favorite outfit will fade, can tear or become ruined. Your big screen television or expensive electronics can be stolen. Jesus is telling us the earth is not a safe place for our prized possessions. The earth will pass away but God's word will never pass away. What should we treasure and how can we keep these things in heaven?

We must treasure wisdom above silver and gold. We must wear the garment of praise before we pick something from our closet. We must treasure the free gift of salvation which cost God's only Son his very life. We should hold tight to healing and freedom and liberty. We should highly esteem love, joy, peace, kindness, patience, and meekness because they are fruits of the Spirit. Let's be kind to someone and that deed goes before us into heaven. Let's show forgiveness to others and our Heavenly Father will forgive us. When we give the homeless a meal we do that for God. When we take our time to help a relative in need we are taking that time for God. When we help someone sick get better, we are nursing God back to health.

You may argue God does not need food, our time, or healing but the Bible clearly states that what we do for the least of these, we do to God. And it goes on to tell us that what we don't do for others, is the same thing we are choosing not to do for God.

MATTHEW 25:31-46 (31)When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: (32)And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth His sheep from the goats: (33)And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. (34)Then shall the King say to them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: (35)For I was an hungered, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: (36)Naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me. (37)Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungered, and fed Thee? or thirsty, and gave Thee drink? (38)When saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? or naked, and clothed Thee? (39)Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee? (40) And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me. (41)Then shall He also say unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (42)For I was an hungered, and ye gave Me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink: (43)I was a stranger and ye took Me not in: naked, and ye clothed Me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited Me not. (44)Then shall they also answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto Thee? (45)Then shall He answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me. (46)And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

God wants us to have gifts. He gave us gifts of the Spirit. He gave us the gift of His Son, which is the gift of salvation. We have the opportunity to use our faith, our time, our resources to bless and help those around us. Instead of worrying and stressing over the holidays and what to give whom, why not stop for a moment and think about what we can do for God this year? Let's count our blessings and then do something for those less fortunate. Let's remember the homeless, those incarcerated and away from family or friends, and let's pray for those sick in the hospital battling for their life with Covid or Cancer or a host of other conditions. Let's truly keep Jesus at the center of holiday.

How much money do we spend on gifts? Now compare that to how much money we tithe and give to our church, our local food pantry, the homeless shelters, and organizations that minister to the needs of the least of these. What can we do to give to those places? It's fun to exchange a gift with friends and family but imagine being the person who has nothing to give and nothing to receive. Let's bring joy to the world by sharing the reason for the season: JESUS with everyone we can!

As we enter the weekend, let's store up our treasures in heaven. I hope something I have shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens