A Shepherd's Story

I knew you wouldn’t believe me and I guess I was prepared for that.  After all, it was the night of nights in my life, but yet, also still so unbelievable.  It is still like something out of a dream, only that I know it happened – for I was there.  As with all the epic stories of history, some people believe them and some people do not – even though there are so many eyewitnesses.  Sadly, it seems that has already happened with this story.  For me though, I will forever be different.  Sometimes, it takes something extraordinary to make our ordinary lives special and help us find purpose. As I said, I am now completely different because I was in the presence of the king.

            Because I cannot help it, I will attempt to tell you once more what happened to me that night, and I simply ask you to listen carefully to all I say, and consider the truth the story tells, for it could change your life as well.  As you know, the Shepherd’s life is pretty ordinary.  Day in and Day out I live among our sheep making sure their needs are met.  At times it can be interesting, then on other days completely uneventful.  I have sensed that our Father trusts me more now.   He sees that my older brothers are now more interested in other things rather than the sheep.  I do think that my brothers have noticed as well as they keep giving me more responsibilities.  Shepherding can really be such a monotonous job and boredom can be a reality.  I am thankful for the Roman Census as it has made people be on the move as we see more and more heading to their hometowns.

            On that particular night I was busy and had not even noticed how bright the night sky was.  I have found that life can really be that way.  We our stuck in the ordinary of our lives and seldom notice the things significance around us.  It was simply another night that looked liked the one before and the one before that.  I think I have missed so much in my life because my life’s perspective was always focused on me.  My world, my time, my family, my job, my desires, and my everything else was all I ever saw – until this night. 

            As I was in this field watching over the flock, someone came and stood right before us.  I cannot explain it, but it happened immediately.  Right in front of me and my brothers was an angel of the Lord.  He had come into the ordinary of our lives with the glory of the Lord.  I had gone from seeing a life only about me, to seeing a glimpse of God’s kingdom. How can I best explain what I saw?  The best words I can use are these: “the glory of the Lord shone around us”.   To be honest, I was really scared.  Before I knew it, the angel spoke to us and told us to not be afraid.  In that moment peace came over my life and I felt secure.  Have you ever had a moment like that?  A place where you were so scared, but the words of someone calmed you in the midst of your fear.  I had always just heard about it, but in that moment I knew it to be true.  Looking back, I now know what calmed me, it was the words of the angel.  The words though were not his, but he spoke the very words of God.  I now know that God’s word has that power.  God’s word is alive and goes to the deepest part of our hearts to awaken something there.  All I know is that something that was dead in me, was now alive. 

            What did he say?  He told us to not be afraid, but to look and see something with the eyes of our heart.  He brought us the news of joy that would be for all people – a king had been born.  This news, that would change the world,  he gave it to us – simple shepherds.  I have thought about this for weeks now, and I still cannot believe it.  God sent his message to us simple, ordinary shepherds in a field.  He did not go to the palaces to announce the coming of this king, but to us in a field.  Why?  Because God treasures the ordinary and simple.  God came to all people and he does not base his kingdom on power, but rather on the truth of us knowing who we are before him and knowing that he alone is God. 

            I was the first to leave and my brothers followed quickly behind me.  We ran as fast as we could to Bethlehem to see this child wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger.  Oh, I almost forgot to say this:  Before we left, more and more angels than I could count, came and began praising God with these words: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."  Imagine that, peace on earth on whom his favor rests.  Jesus came to bring peace and his favor to all mankind.  As they left, we went immediately to see what we were told with our own eyes. 

            I was so excited that I ran all the way and never got tired.  As I went inside I saw everything the angel said.  It was all true.  There I was, standing in the presence of God, who had come down and entered the world in a body.  He came to those he loved.  He came to us.  What have I been doing since then?  Exactly what I am doing now – telling the story of my experience.  As we left that night, we began telling the story to everyone that God had now come to man.  They also were amazed at our words. Later that night as we went back to the sheep, we found that we went differently as before.  We went glorifying and praising God.

            It has been several weeks since the experience and I have noticed that my brothers do not think as much about the baby or about God, but me, I cannot do anything but reflect on the meaning of his coming.  God had come into the World to be with the ones that he loved.  As I began to think about this, I have realized that truth includes me.

            God came to be with me.  You see, the story has a very personal angle.  God loves me and has a plan for my life.  He wants to be with me and pour his love over me.  That is why I still worship him today.   My God, the baby Jesus, drew near to me to give me all that my heart needs. 

            What will you do with the story that I have told today?  Will you be like some, who say it is not true or will you worship, bow, rejoice, and tell the great story of the birth of Heaven’s King.

 

Response to Newsweek Article

Newsweek has written a spread on the evangelical/christian/catholic view on the same/sex marriage issue. As a believer, I encourage to get the magazine, read it and get a good understanding on where our world sees us in regard to the issue. On a website today, one person wrote a response to the magazine in regard to the issue of tolerance. It is simply written by someone who calls themself "Unfettered Candor". What he/she wrote is below. It is stated well.

The last virtue of a degenerate society is TOLERANCE – you tolerate my immorality and I will tolerate yours.
Christianity is an absolute religion. No other religion can claim that.
Without the absolute authority of God recorded in Scripture, mankind is on their own with their sinful, finite minds. On our own, we will come up with anything and claim it good and right to satisfy our carnal propensities.
Society, with its cunning sophistry concerning “tolerance”, may claim that the tolerance of anything is a virtue. God tells us that anything against His will is vice/evil. Living in vices and promoting it has eternal consequences. God will NOT “tolerate” vice/sin. Unrepentant sinners will be separated from God for an eternity of continual suffering. The good news is that, in His love for us , God has provided a way to forgive us and justify us in His sight……trusting in Jesus Christ as making payment for your sins and for all of mankind. This is the love that should be focused upon!
Just for the sake of unprofitable argument, let’s say that those who reject God’s will and plan for mankind is right and I am wrong. What have I got to lose after I die? Then let’s say I am right and the “rejecters’’ are wrong……they will have EVERYTHING to lose [their soul].
We are all in the same boat. We need God to guide us into His truth about living a peaceful life and where we will spend eternity.

Well said.

Random Funny Solutions

A friend of mine sent this to me today - They made me smile.

AMAZINGLY SIMPLE HOME REMEDIES!
Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop.

Avoid arguments with the Mrs. about lifting the toilet seat by using the sink.

For high blood pressure sufferers: Simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.

A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives; then you'll be afraid to cough.

You only need two tools in life - WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the Duct Tape.

Remember:
Everyone seems normal until you get to know them!

If you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem.

Imagine

Imagine the scene for a moment.  You and your friends have spent 3 years following the leadership of a spiritual man.  During that time, you saw and heard things that made you believe that he was everything he claimed to say about himself.  He was the Messiah, no doubt.  It was all true und you had witnessed it.  You yourself have actually done amazing things like the time he sent you and your friends out to do ministry.  While you were in the cities of Israel, you healed people, preached, raised people from the dead, and even cast out demons.  Your life would be forever different, wouldn’t it?

Imagine that you had just a couple of days before this spiritual leader was arrested, tried, and sentenced to die between two thieves.  You saw him hanging there.  You saw him hang his head and die.  You knew that some of your friends and acquaintances buried him in a tomb just before the Sabbath was to start.  Now it is two days later and some of these same friends have come to you with the news that this man’s tomb was now empty, the body was gone, and some of them even claimed to have seen him and talked with him.  Could it be true?

Imagine you are walking on a road with a friend as you together are going to a village outside of Jerusalem.  You and he cannot talk about anything but the last several days and 3 years.  You would say something then he would say something and the whole time you are absolutely astounded at the events in Jerusalem and how now, the death of this man has changed your life.  In the midst of the conversation, someone joins you on the road and innocently asks, “What are you talking about?”  You and your friend stop and look at him with sad looks and can’t believe this person has not heard of the events of the last days.  The whole city of Jerusalem is abuzz with the news, so how could this person not know.  Do they live in a cave? 

You briefly tell the story to the stranger to catch him up and it is obvious in your words and body language that you are devastated by what has happened.  To your surprise the fellow traveler begins to speak the story of God from Moses to all the prophets.  For about 5 miles or so he clearly speaks of the Messiah and you are moved by the man’s knowledge and understanding of the scripture.  You are so moved that you ask the man to stay with you in Emmaus since the day was late.

Imagine you are in a room and eating bread and the man takes the bread, blesses and breaks it, then hands some to you.  In that moment you see clearly, the stranger is Jesus and you have spent several hours of your day with him and did not even know it.  This you now know – Jesus is alive.

You turn to your friend and tell him how you felt during the time with Jesus.  While Jesus spoke of all the truths from Moses to the prophets, your heart burned and was alive as you came to a better realization that everything about Jesus was completely true and you were a witness.  You did not imagine it, for it was true.

 How can one sleep after this, so you and your friend arise immediately, no longer tired and go the 7 miles back to Jerusalem and found the 11 Apostles and you tell them that you have encountered the risen Christ.

 This story is found in Luke 24:13-35 and is an encounter of these men had with Jesus not long after he rose from the dead.  This is the one event that shows Jesus is above all religious leaders in the history of the world.  He conquered death and the grave and lives still.  That is why he is unique and above all.