The Nativity by Dianne Marie Andre

The Nativity by Dianne Marie Andre

Mary, mother of Jesus. My heart can barely grasp what an extraordinary woman she must have been to be chosen the mother of the world’s Savior. I imagine her perfect, without sin. Though this is unlikely, God blessed her above all women. Yet His path for Mary wasn’t easy. To avoid disgrace as an unwed mother, God instructed her fiancée to marry her and to travel together from Nazareth to safety in…

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Matthew 2:6 (NIV) - “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.’”

The Adoration of the Shepherds by Bronzino

The Birth of The Savior Announced

8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people. 11 For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

15 And it happened that when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” — Luke 2:8-15 | Legacy Standard Bible (LSB) Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. Cross References: 1 Samuel 2:34; 2 Kings 19:29; Psalm 103:21; Isaiah 9:6; Micah 5:5; Matthew 1:16; Matthew 2:1; Matthew 14:27; Matthew 21:9; Luke 1:11-12; Luke 24:4; 1 Timothy 3:16

#289/289 Title: Christmas 2022 and Philately [Navidad 2022 y Filatelia] Philatelic Items: Large Images - Stamp from Cayman Islands, 40c, Christmas 1979 – Arrival of the Magi; Stamp from Cayman Islands, 20c, Christmas 1979 – Announcement to the Shepherds; Stamp from Cayman Islands, 30c, Christmas 1979 – Birth of Jesus Christ and Gloria in Excelsis Deo; and Stamp from Cayman Islands, 10c, Christmas 1979 – Escape to Egypt

Stamp 40c and Bible Verses: “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2 / KJV) Stamp 20c and Bible Verses: “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 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 Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:8-11 / KJV) Stamp 30c and Bible Verses: “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:13-14 / KJV) Stamp 10c and Bible Verses: “And when they [Magi] were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child [Jesus] and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt.” (Matthew 2:13-14 / KJV)

Shepherd Turned Savior

51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52 And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Shaaraim as far as…

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The Christmas Story

Here is the complete Christmas story as told by Matthew and Luke. May the reading of this story bless you and your family this Christmas. The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron.  Zechariah and Elizabeth were…

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CHRISTMAS EVE 2022 – Midnight Mass

CHRISTMAS EVE 2022 – Midnight Mass

Reader Christine preached this sermon at midnight on Christmas Eve. Here it is for you again. What does tonight mean to us?   Is it joy, wonder or worry? Christmas can be difficult for many of us as we are bombarded by adverts and demands that we should be having fun all the time and spending more than we have.  This then adds to the pressure of Christmas and can affect relationships when people…

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The Grace of God Born in a Little Child

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! May your travels and destinations be safe and joyous. God bless!!!

"Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love." -2 John 1:3 [KJB]

Trusting God in the Senseless

Trusting God in the Senseless

Yesterday I blogged about the times when we MUST trust! We have a host of reasons to have a problem with trusting, especially when it comes to relationships and our heart gets broken or when dreams crush or our dream vacation turns into a nightmare or when we’re let down by a sickness reoccurrence. We have proof of those who weathered their crisis by trusting in God’s promises and Word and came…

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Birth of Jesus: City of Bethlehem, Migdal Eder

Jesus, the Lamb of God, was born in the same location as sacrificial lambs for the Temple.

Micah 4:8 As for you, tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you it will come, even the former dominion will come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem. Many believe this is the location and address of the birth of Jesus Christ. The address is the “tower of the flock”. In the original Hebrew, it is “migdal eder”. Per Strong’s Concordance, migdal eder means: tower of…

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Be a Shepherd by Nancy J. Farrier

Be a Shepherd by Nancy J. Farrier

Photo by Jan Krepčík on Unsplash It is that time of year when we are extra busy. Buying presents. Making food to give away. Doing extra in the community. Preparing for family to visit. Decorating our homes. The workload is tremendous and it seems like there are not enough hours in the day. By night time we are so worn out we can’t wait to get some sleep. And then we wake up and the pressure…

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Matthew 2:6 (NIV) - “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a Ruler    who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

For Unto Us A Child Is Born – Isaiah 9:6 | Holiday Designs. This inspiring and cool design is perfect for the Christmas holidays. Grab this design as a gift for Christmas to your family, relatives, friends, pastors, and someone special who loves bible verses in the Christmas layout.

For Unto Us A Child Is Born – Isaiah 9:6 | Holiday Designs Cap by DDDDesigns

Christ's Birth Announced

8 And there were shepherds in the same region, spending their nights in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they feared greatly. 10 And the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for behold, I announce to you good news of great joy, which will be for all the people, 11 Because today a Savior has been born to you in David’s city, who is Christ the Lord. — Luke 2:8-11 | Recovery Version (REC) The Recovery Version of the Holy Bible © 2016 Living Stream Ministry. All rights reserved. Cross References: Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:16; Matthew 1:21; Matthew 14:27; Matthew 16:16; Matthew 16:20; Luke 1:11-12; Luke 1:43; Luke 2:7; Luke 24:4; John 4:25; Acts 5:19; Acts 12:7

Once again reading the Jesus Birth Narratives and scholarly analysis and once again kicking my feet giggling blushing gasping