God’s Loving-Kindness and Tender Mercy’s Revealed to Even the Livestock in the Manger

God’s Loving-Kindness and Tender Mercy’s Revealed to Even the Livestock in the Manger
And she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:6-7 God’s loving-kindness and mercy is revealed as Mary placed her infant, Jesus, in the manger. God’s Loving-kindness and mercy was made manifest to even the livestock that resided and rested in and around the Manger.
Do you see it? Consider, the Manger, a place where livestock of oxen, sheep, goats and cattle go for rest, nourishment and even to get fattened for the slaughter for preparation of being offered up as a sacrifice in the Temple; if the animal met the requirement for an acceptable Sacrifice, according to the Levitical Law of Moses and Sacrificial System.

Consider the Loving-kindness and tender mercy of God to His created animals--even the Livestock in and around the Manger, as infant Jesus lay in the Manger; for infant Christ is God’s only begotten Son and He alone will fulfill the sacrifice of all sacrifices and redeem His people with His own blood! There is no more need for animal sacrifices, for God’s only begotten Son offered the sacrifice of all sacrifice. Therefore, all livestock, Go to the Manger, and find rest and restoration and deliverance from the fear and suffering of being sacrificed, No more! For He who sleeps as an infant in the Manger; will one day put an end once and for all to all Sacrifices, for He will be the Sacrifices of all Sacrifices who will become the acceptable and perfect Sacrifice; He who sleeps in the Manger, will one day make propitiation in His blood to Satisfy the Anger and wrath of God against the penalty for the sins of His people. For He who sleeps, Lying in the Mange, as an infant will shelter all the animals as they rest under the Shadow of His Cross to become the substance to put an end to all Sacrifices.

And to the Shepherds who were a very rough, tough, dirty and may have even smelt like the fields even of the dung from the animals sleeping out in the fields guarding their sheep entrusted to their care; .some were mere hirelings who for own profit would steal the livestock and sell directly to the people, ” The Shepherds knew how many lambs were born, how many sheep died, or how much wool was collected?” It was easy to steal, and that was so common that there were laws against buying wool, lambs, and milk directly from shepherds. The Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day, would not associate with shepherds, and most people didn’t trust them. It’s no wonder the shepherds were terrified when an angel appeared. As sinners encountering a mighty warrior of the Holy God, they had every reason to be afraid. But the angel’s words were not judgment but good news: “Do not be afraid” (Calvin Ardsma, TODAY: refresh, refocus, Renew) During that time, it was a cultural practice for some shepherds to steal for sordid gain, that the Pharisees and the Religious Hierarchy that held high positions in the Temple had to enact Laws that would restrict from buying directly from the Shepherds; the people had to purchase their offerings in the Temple from the money changers. Nonetheless, there was nothing indeed, in the Shepherds, whatsoever, that compelled God and moved God to reveal His mercy to them, except that which was according to God’s Sovereign will to have mercy on whom He will have mercy. Therefore, to the Shepherds, the Angel of the Lord did appear that they may be directed to go in the City of David to witness and behold infant Jesus, the Savior, as He lay in the Manger.

Therefore, Go! You Shepherds, to the Manger and find eternal rest for your souls, as you witness and behold the giver of Eternal Life as He lay as an infant in the Manger; Go to the Manger, you Shepherds, and find rest from your labors of herding livestock; for the Sacrifice of all Sacrifices, indeed, once was placed in the Manger. Go, and see the place where He once slept as an infant! Go! You Sinners, no longer to the Shadow but to the substance and final Sacrifice on the cross where Jesus once Hung, and did He ever declare the victorious battle cry, of, “it is finished!” Therefore, Go, you sinners; to the empty tomb where Jesus once lay. And Go! You Sinners, to the throne of Grace, where Jesus ascended to and imparts everlasting life for all who believe on His name, indeed! For there the Grace and the Love of God was indeed made manifest in His only Begotten Son, where His favor indeed rests; where you can find the Grace of God and Mercy and Loving-kindness of God To end all Sacrifices in the Blood of the spotless Lamb of God!

The Sovereignty of God in the details of the Witnesses to Christ's birth defies the wisdom of Man's inferior sovereignty! Luke 2:8-9

The Sovereignty of God in the details of the Witnesses to Christ's birth defies the wisdom of Man's inferior sovereignty!
Hence, the foolishness of God defies the wisdom of man, indeed, “…Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." 1 Corinthians 1:25
The wisdom of mankind to man's inferior sovereignty would be to view the revealing of the Messiah, chosen by the God of the Universe to be witnessed by high people of importance, holding dignitary offices, having their opinions valued by kings and popular celebrities and the populace of their time; witnessed by the Chief Priest, Scribes and Pharisees, witnessed by Ceasar himself and king Herod, who was appointed king of the Jews during his time—Such witnesses were indeed passed over by God.
But God chose Shepherds to witness the Sight of Jesus’ Birth! And Why not to the Chief Priest, Scribes and Pharisees to witness the Messiah’s birth? God chose the ordinary common shepherd to be witness to Jesus’ birth.
Jesus’ Life would reveal that the Temple services, the Chief priest , Scribes and Pharisees services were no longer needed and the temple services and the Levitical sacrificial system was obsolete and out lived its usefulness and would be rendered complete and fulfilled in Christ’s life and Sacrifice on the cross—Jesus who is the Substance of the shadow of what the temple and Levitcal Sacrificial system, the Levitical Priesthood and the Levitical Law pointed to.
In the ushering of the Covenant of Grace through Jesus’ birth, God Chose Shepherds to be witnesses to the Messiah’s birth. God was making all things New in Christ and there was no turning back to the shadow of what was to come, when the substance was found in the manifestation of Christ’s birth.
Hence, God chose Shepherds to be witnesses to the Messiah’s birth. Consider the timing and place; the shepherds were in the field watching their flock by night. It was dark; yet, you would think there would be a place of light by the wisdom of man’s standards. God chose shepherds who were deemed insignificant ordinary people deemed unimportant by the standard of man’s wisdom found in the Temple by the Chief priest, Scribes and Pharisees. But God Chose His foolishness to bear witness to the birth of His Son, by those deemed foolish by the wisdom of man, with a foolish occupation of insignificant occupation to watch their flocks by night, indeed the shepherds may have been viewed even as being lazy, watching their flocks by night with a lazy going nowhere occupation, while watching their flocks by night.
But God chose to reveal His glory and brought in the light of His glory by the Angel of the Lord to Shepherds who were watching their flocks by night“9 And angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. “Luke 2:9.
Such insignificant ordinary time of night darkness to insignificant witnesses, the Shepherds; Yet God’s foolishness revealed His great glory and light to insignificant shepherds who would bear witness to the Light of God’s glory in the birth of His only Begotten Son! And such insignificant witnesses would be used by God to magnify the light of the Glory of the Lord’s direct Revelation to them as they went to see the things the Lord told them what would take place, 15When 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. Luke 2: 15
According to the good pleasure of God’s Eternal, Sovereign and free will did He choose the Shepherds to bear witness to the birth of His only begotten Son! Nothing in the Shepherds, nothing in the dark fields by night, but everything found in the glory of God’s Sovereign and free will and choice to whom He chose would be witnesses to the birth of His only begotten Son. And Such insignificant witnesses became witness to the Joyful announcement, the Grand and Great Noel, the announcement of Jesus’ birth throughout every age and generation henceforth, and forevermore, God made it become an Eternal proclamation to the birth of His Son, by the witnesses heralded by the lips of insignificant Shepherds. Thus, the Foolishness of God, indeed, made the wisdom of Mankind that would never think to choose to reveal the Messiah to foolish shepherds. Yet God Did, and God’s Wisdom turned the wisdom of the wise of this earth to be ever so foolish by God choosing of insignificant Shepherds to declare His praise of the glory of the witness to Jesus’ birth for “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” Luke 2:14. And notice, peace among men, according to the Sovereign will of God whomever God chooses to reveal His peace to. And He chose the witnesses of insignificant Shepherds to bear witness to the birth of Jesus.

The Sovereignty of God in the details of Christ's birth defies the wisdom of Man's inferior sovereignty! Luke 2:6-9

“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds in the same country abiding in the fields, and watching by night over their flock. 9. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them: and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they feared with a great fear. Luke 2:6-9”

The Sovereignty of God in the details of Christ's birth defies the wisdom of Man's inferior sovereignty!
Hence, the foolishness of God defies the wisdom of man, indeed, “…Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." 1 Corinthians 1:25

The wisdom of mankind to man's inferior sovereignty would be to view the revealing of the Messiah, chosen by the God of the Universe, to be born to a king, born in a king's palace, among the comforts of the palace of the king, with the riches of a king's provision, being attended by servants and witnessed by dignitaries, noblemen and people of importance to declare to the world and herald the news of the birth of God's Son.

But, as it was, our Sovereign God of the Universe chose to have His only begotten Son be born to a peasant poor family, to Mary a poor peasant girl, (nonetheless, a virgin at the time of her conception by the Holy Spirit); born in a manger, in an unsanitary place, among the dirt and dung of the animals residing around and in the manger--not born in a palace, with the fragrance of perfume and incense, but in a manger, with the fragrance of the smell of livestock manure, breathing through His infant nostrils; only to remind us that for the sake of His people He humbled Himself and became a servant, that Jesus through His poverty would make His people rich. Philippians 2:6, 2 Corinthians 8:9.

Not born with the ambiance of a well-lit palace, but born under the brightest star of the universe, by God's decree and providential determined will, which He determined the created order of the universe with the brightest star of the heavens, would shine on His only begotten Son.

Man's way would not reveal such a Holy birth the way God chose to; yet even what is considered insignificant to mankind, God chose what we would deem insignificant means and insignificant details to herald the insignificance of the details of Christ's birth to be of extraordinary, awesome wonderment, and of everlasting significance to be heralded to the world in a significant, timelessly, universally and of eternal significance revealed for all time throughout every age and generation from the family of Jesus' birth,to the place,to the timing, under the wonderment of the light of the brightest star in the universe, among the animals around the manger to be revealed with everlasting significance than the wisdom of the age could ever choose to reveal; How, where and when The only begotten Son of God of the universe would be born--in a palace? Not at all, such a wise place chosen by man is indeed, deemed a fools palace by God's foolishness, and God would not have His Son be born in a foolish place chosen by the wisdom of the wisest of all mankind, but God chose the wisest place for His Son to be born considered foolishness to mankind that in a Manger Christ would be born.

It had to be this way; there was no other wise place in the universe where Jesus would be born than that of an insignificant Manger.

For Joy Christ Came, we need to fan the Flame! Hebrews 12:2

For Joy Christ Came, we need to fan the Flame!
Are you fanning the flame of the Joy of Christ in your Heart through Faith and prayer!
Faith and Prayer...the fan to the flame, of the Joy of Christ imputed to our hearts, by the Sanctification of the Holy Spirit.
For Joy Christ Came, we need to fan the flame of joy through prayer and faith for the Joy He left us; when He Came to Save! The Same Joy set before Him When He went to the cross that caused Him to despise the Shame of the cross, for Joy to impart into our Human Heart! Are you fanning the flame of Joy that Christ came to impart to your heart!

Hebrews 12:2
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the [author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God

I Peter 3:8
Although you have never seen Christ, you love him. You don’t see him now, but you believe in him. You are extremely happy with joy and praise that can hardly be expressed in words 9 as you obtain the salvation that is the goal of your faith.

Isn’t this a baby lying in the Manger? ...Isn’t this the Carpenter’s Son? Or Isn’t He More, Indeed!

Isn’t this a baby lying in the Manger? ...Isn’t this the Carpenter’s Son? Or Isn’t He More, Indeed!
Matthew 13:54-55
54He came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? 55"Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56"And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?"…

What are your comments about Jesus during this Season of Advent? Shepherds going to the Manger to see a cute little infant baby boy lying in the Manger with his Mother cradling Him, or didn’t they go to see more, indeed? While lying in the Manger, as an infant, He was holding the Atoms of the universe together and the very atoms that held the ground together in the Manger where he lay.
The comments about Jesus in Matthew 13:54-55 were based upon a man-centric view of Christ; a perspective of only viewing Christ in the temporal present age of Jesus’ life. They did not have, nor could they have the perspective in view, without the Holy Spirit’s Divine illumination and Counsel and without God the Father choosing to reveal such a great mystery of God’s Sovereignty that before the foundation of the World He Existed as the Great I AM, the pre-incarnate WORD; He was and is the Eternal Son of God who Enjoyed and enjoys intimate Fellowship with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
They had a time and temporal view of Christ, and did not keep in mind of Jesus’ personal history to His Life: in His birth, from His Mother, Mary, who was a virgin at the time of His conception. They did not have in view the Great Noel—Joyful announcement of Jesus’ birth to the Shepherds by the Angels. They did not have in view the three wise men who presented gifts of Frankincense, Myrrh and Gold---to the Priest of all Priests, the Sacrifice of all Sacrifices and the King of all Kings! They did not have in View Simeon’s Declaration of holding the Great consolation of the Ages-even Jesus Christ, the Messiah! And before Simeon Died the Holy Spirit revealed to him that Simeon would hold the consolation of Israel—indeed, of the world and the Church.
Hence, their view of Christ was, indeed, limited and they limited the miracles of Christ in their life, because of the rule of their sin cursed self in their heart ruled by their envy, jealousy, pride and arrogance that would not accept Him to be the Messiah, They were threatened by Christ, because of Sin's rule in their life that  ruled for destruction and rejection of Jesus.  They relegated Jesus in their own mind to a position of Carpenter, a non-threatening view and perspective of Christ that allowed them to view him as a hometown boy, whom they can suppress with their pride and arrogance and put him down in comparison to him, that they may exalt themselves over him. And so, they were shocked to hear the words and wisdom that Jesus spoke from His mouth. Hence, they would not, or, could not accept Jesus to be more than a Carpenter, to be the Messiah before their eyes and rejected Jesus in unbelief without honor in His own home town!
What are your comments of Jesus in your life? Do you see Him to be relegated only to merely be a human Carpenter, or do you Believer He is God, the second person of the Trinity who became flesh to deliver you from sin and death? Believe on Jesus and let His resurrected Life live through you and discover and live abundant life in Christ.

Eternity's Calamity Call, No Hope at all, No footing for the un-prepared, Christless now, Christless for Eternity!

Mark 9:43-50
"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. 45And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.47And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48where their worm does not die,
and the fire is not quenched.' 49Everyone will be salted with fire.
50"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other."

Reckless living...Reckless driving...Needless death! History repeats itself over and over again, James Dean died in a car crash September 30, 1955 and this past Sunday on December 1, 2013, Paul Walker Dies in a flaming car crash. And about the same time on the east coast, A New York Commuter Train Derails and Kills 4 unsuspecting Riders.

The Message is always being proclaimed loud and clear, but are you listening? Life is fragile, it is here today and gone tomorrow, like a vapor mist that appears and then Poof! It disappears. You will never know when your time is up in life,

Yet, those who rustle about in life chasing after the temporal things of this life with not having a view of eternity in mind, will be unprepared, unsuspecting, unexpected and surprised when the bell tolls for them.

You can have all the riches, celebrity status, all the rich toys in the palms of your hands, but there is no footing for your feet when your foot slips into all eternity; the things that you hold so dearly in the Palms of your hands, will not hold you up and keep you safe and sound when your foot slips into an Eternity without Jesus! Why? Because you chased after things in this life that just do not matter in light of eternity. When feet slip into eternity, are you paying attention? Are you Seeking after Jesus and believing on His Name for deliverance from sin, destruction and death? Are you repenting and believing on Him with your life? Or does the material thing of this life hold you in its grips to keep you away from Christ that your foot may slip into a Christ less eternity, Indeed.

Go ahead and hide from the reality of this message, but it will not go away. You can walk in the counsel of the wicked, stand in the way of sinners and sit in the seat of mockers and surround yourself with the media and Anti-Christ Messages and philosophies of this corrupt world that is not grounded in the word of God, but grounded in doing what is right in your own eyes for what? But seasons that come and go and that just do not last and will keep you unprepared when death strikes its fury and you are powerless to its force, because The all-powerful Resurrected life of Christ does not live in you.

No rest in sins dominance and Control!

How can you rest content in life tolerating sin's control at the same time? A soul is restless until it finds deliverance from sin and death. Will you deny your soul rest in the presence of God, by chasing after the temporary resting places of pleasures, riches, fame and worries and cares for status in this life?

Why starve your souls hunger and thirst? Why ignore its desperate plea and cry for mercy and deliverance, as you go on in deception chasing after things that do not last?

What will you do when your resting places give way with no footing to stand on? What will you do when your temporary resting place gives way over the shallow ice? Your foot will slip and you will fall with no footing to hold you up for all eternity! The ice will break and you will fall with nothing to hold onto, when you held onto the things of this life, and treasured the things of this life in light of Eternity! It is like walking on thin ice--then Crack!!! the ice breaks! What will you do when it gives way with nothing to hold on to at the sudden strike of Eternity's calamity call! Then there will be no more hope at all!

Life is temporary, and there are temporary resting places only! Until you find your permanent resting place eternally in the presence of God by resting in the Grace of God through Christ! Or, eternally away from the presence of God in eternal Death where the flame of torment is unquenchable and the temporary resting places have dissolved.

Give Thanks! "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you. I Thessalonians 5:18

Preached Sermon today:

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you.
What are the reasons we fail to give Thanks in life? The key to understanding our lack of Thanksgiving is found in the phrase of this Passage…”In all Circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ

Hence, we fail to give thanks because we yield to our sin cursed self that refuses to give thanks in all circumstances, but rather grumble and complain because our focus on our need at the Moment Blinds us to focus on remembering God's presence, promises and provisions for deliverance, in days gone by and in the present in our life.

Giving Thanks is every day, all the time, in every way and every Circumstance; not just in November on a Day of Thanksgiving! However, if we daily are thankful, then on the Day of Thanksgiving, we will have more power to us and all the more blessings of giving Thanks.

Remember, need arises in our life, whatever it maybe: personal, financial, emotional, spiritual, Loss of life in our life, loss of health, loss of friends, Loneliness and the need for family and friends--All these needs are onsets and occasions to bring them to the feet of Jesus in prayer, giving Thanks, and you will rejoice in God to see what God has done and is doing in your life.

Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your blessing look and see what God has done, count your many blessings and rejoice to know and see what God has done!
The Israelites were delivered out of the Bondage from Egypt; God parted the Red sea and made them cross on dry ground, no sooner, thereafter, God's Mighty hand of Deliverance, were they soon quick to forget God's Mighty hand of Deliverance and grumble and complain; indeed, 40 years of wondering in the wilderness, until every grumbler and complainer died for their sin of thanklessness--they were thankless, and did their thanklessness cause them the consequence of dropping dead and delay entering in the promised land for 40 years!
Believer, if you want to experience the joy of God's presence and blessings, remember, God's mighty hand to deliver from the bondage to sin and death! And BE, YE, THANKFUL! Ever so, thankful, that He saw our helpless condition under the bondage to sin and death, and did not Spare His only begotten Son to deliver us. And Jesus willingly drank from the cup, and did He ever drink from the cup of God's Divine wrath,to the end that not one drop of God's divine wrath was wasted, but He fully drank it all up, unto victory in His Resurrection! His blood was not spared, but It was shed that payment for the penalty of our sins be fully met in Him, so we can have everlasting life to Know God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit for all eternity. Delivered from the eternal torment of God's wrath for all eternity!
If you are Thankless, then your thanklessness is a reflection of your eternal state of everlasting torment in the lake of fire--which your present thanklessness is only a precursor and reminder to you of the place where you will find yourself: in the state of thanklessness, eating the flames of thanklessness and eternal torment!
Believer, Be Ye Thankful! Be Thankful, in every circumstance because every reason for Thankfulness is met in Jesus Christ. Every reason to be Thankful is found in Knowing God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit!
For the believer, be found giving Thanks in Christ Jesus; for there is no such thing as to not giving Thanks! A Thankless life will only magnify the death and darkness of your soul without Jesus in your Life!

Therefore,beloved, show that you are a believer in Christ, among the elect, Foreloved, predestined and Chosen by God the Father; Redeemed by God the Son; Quickened, made alive and Sanctified by God the Holy Spirit! And always, give Thanks in all circumstances! For there is no reason in heaven or on this earth that you should not!
Give thanks, in all Circumstances; your Adoption and Election in Christ Jesus is made all the more sure, indeed!

I Thessalonians 5:16-19

“Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit.”