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Hello my name is Jerral Campfield and this web site is dedicated to Moral Recognition Therapy using Biblical principles. Please come back often to join me in understanding Gods hands are outstretched still to forgive. |
ON EARTH PEACE AND GOODWILL |
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Contributed by Jerral Campfield
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Friday, 21 December 2018 |
“On Earth Peace and Goodwill to Men”! Daily Devotion: Just Another Night in Bethlehem - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done marvelous things! -Joel 2:21 On the first Christmas Eve, there were no brightly colored lights on anyone's homes. There were no stockings that had been hung with care or any visions of sugarplums dancing in children's heads. It was just another night in Bethlehem. The census had gone out-that command by Caesar that everyone was to be taxed. But history was about to change in Bethlehem. All of Israel was living in a very frightening time historically. They lived under the tyrant King Herod who would execute people at will. In addition, the Jews were living in occupied territory. The Romans had taken control of their country. They were no longer free to do what they wanted and live as they wanted. They wondered if Rome would ever leave. Would the violent rule ever cease? Would their world ever change? Then suddenly angels appeared to the shepherds and told them not to be afraid; the Messiah had been born. There is a lot to be afraid of in our unstable, volatile world today. It seems that at every turn, we hear about another horrific tragedy happening in our world. It can cause us to be terrified. Then there are the personal fears: What if I lose my health? What if I lose a member of my family? What if this happens? What if that happens? A lot of things run through our minds. Here is the message of the first Christmas-and the message for us this Christmas: Don't be afraid. . . . I bring you good tidings of great joy. Ray Stedman wrote, "The chief mark of the Christian ought to be the absence of fear and the presence of joy." Does that describe you? Fear is what Christmas came to remove-and now we can have joy in its place. Last Sunday we look at what the wise men “Gentiles” saw a star the Kingdom of God that governs our world by religion, economic and government now here to-day we see what the shepherds “Jews” saw and heard Luke 2 8-14 On Earth Peace and Goodwill! 8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And [c]behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a [d]manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill[e] toward men!” And on earth peace, goodwill[e] toward men!”
What a story of what happen to one of the oldest profession Shepherds known to man, that cared for sheep, who gave milk that did not spoil easily, that cheese is made from, that have to be protected from predators and other shepherds who want to steal from others. Sheep have lambs and need to be protected. Sometimes the ewe would die at birth and the shepherd would take another ewe and put the wooly skin hung over her body to trick the lamb to nurse. So the shepherd had to understand the value of both the ewe and the lamb for that was their lively hood. Look at how many people that have died and their own family has come to the Lord. For death is real and causes many to want to make sure they have a relationship to the Great shepherd of the souls of man. Sheep have to have 24 hour care and it requires the Shepherds to live in movable tents, or wagons to always be present. Don Labee is building a wagon to move out to medicine valley so someone will be near his sheep to provide what they need; safety. Look at how near the great shepherd is to all of us at creation to the time we pass away. He came to provide the clothing we need for a covering from sins lusting for evil. Everyone alive is breathing the air God created and yet do not know who the Lord is until faced with a impossibility. We need a savior from all the enemies Satan throws at us for he is out to destroy the sheep. So we are seeing the Church to day being protected by the Lord Himself not wanting us to fear but stand fast in knowing the way, truth and life God gives as a pasture for our bodies five senses; eyes, ears, taste, smell and feeling are in good health. Then our souls five senses of conscience, reason, imagination, memory and affection are pure as we give the Spirits five sense a chance to protect us as the Shepherds of our body, and soul, that is who do we worship, reverence, have faith and hope in so our prayers are answered. Sheep in order to be safe have to relax in the shepherds skill, for they are dependent on the Shepherd to produce 2 to 30 lbs of wool Then he has to be sheared once a year. Not twice but once. Isn’t it amazing how many time Pastors shear the congregation more than once a year. It will kill the sheep. Sheep have the natural ability to see 270 to 360 degree, while the eye sight of humans is at 155 degree. Lord help us as people to understand as a Christian we have to ability to forgive 7 time seventy and that is a unlimited amount of times, So our vision as a Christian is greater than the natural persons. Look at Billy Graham’s Samaritans Purse and Convoy of hope the see the crises all around us so have a picture of people’s needs in emergency’s. As a Church I trust we are seeing the need around us of seeing people set free of all the mental health problems that depress us so we can feel ashamed of how we take care of self and what we owe. Even the way we treat our bodies needs to be respected so we enjoy a good bill of health. Three Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Woodrow Wilson raised sheep. It is amazing how Abraham, Jacob and Moses were all shepherds, and Jesus became the chief shepherd watching over the Kingdom of God as we studied last week. Now we seeing the importance of where Jesus was born, Bethlehem which is city of bread, the Bible is the breed of life. We need it to be able to live the life the shepherd is leading us to. Here we see Luke tell about Him being born not in an inn which is to welcome all, but born in a stable a place for cattle and he needed to be wrapped in swaddling clothes so his flesh would not suffer from the hay or straw. He was helpless and even his own did not receive Him as King. Thank the Lord for what happen to show the power of the Kingdom of God to the lowest people on earth shepherds. They were awaken, watching and waiting to stop danger from spoiling and killing the sheep as they were abiding in the fields. They were not sleeping, but paying attention to their calling. Suddenly there was more than one angel a multitude of heavenly host, a chorus praising God who announced giving good will and peace to men. The messiah is come the giver of glory from God, for His kindness and love, grace, and mercy is here. God introduced the joy of peace and goodwill. Peace of conscience. Peace between Jews and Gentiles. Peace is here for it flows from Gods goodwill and we need to have comfort of it, as we abide in Him for He forgives of sin that depresses and addicts us to ungodliness. Peace is here on earth when we are ready to be reconciled to God and receive His forgiveness or mercy. John 3:16 For God so loves the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.. This is what the angels said to the Shepherds, and they had to think and understand as they said, let us go to Bethlehem, the city of bread and see. Are we seeing and understanding the simple message to come to the Lord by faith, so He can communicate with us, giving us victory over all the sins that want to destroy our lives. Let us go see the truth, then we can be assured of what we see. God word is steadfast and sure as we come now to the stable and find for ourselves. Poverty and meanness are real, but let’s not be shocked by what is going on, Satan is out to destroy our faith any way he can. Be steadfast; therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Sheep are content in where the shepherd leads them and they can rest assured all is going to be safe for they have liberty to now eat. Lord help us not to use our liberty to think we get to do whatever we want and no body will bother us. But have the liberty to be free to rest as we abide in the loving arms of the Shepherds care for us. You have a story to tell when you know what it means to feed upon the word of God, for it become life to continue eating with out fear of any enemy force against you. I think that the Shepherds told Joseph and Mary about what they experienced as they were in the fields watching and seeing this star moving and how they shared with the King and how the King wanted to know also where this child was to be born. Joseph and Mary told about what they had experienced. How they were not married but the Holy Spirit was involved like He was at created and life came into man and he became a living person. They talked about how he was going to have to be numbered and needed to pay taxes. He was truly born like everyone else with duties the older He got. Lord help us to be excited about what we have been through and are still going through for God is certainly giving us love and mercy to face what we are facing today. Peace is something that is personal and God came to give what everyone wants in order to have goodwill for one another. Peace is needed today in every area of life and it happens when we accept the Good Shepherds advice, calling upon the Lord, drawing closer to Him and He will draw closer to us. May this Christmas fill you with goodwill and peace to all. Thank You Lord for the way You lead and guide us to green pastures.
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Copyright 2005 Jerral Campfield, All rights reserved.
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