12/17/2021 1 Comment Title: "Make Room Today" by Annette Olivia Brown, Christian Author - Journey Continues Blog“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world….everyone went to their own town to register. ” Luke 2 v 1. Scripture records the journey of Mary and Joseph to Joseph’s home town. In order to fulfill the decree or mandate they travelled to Bethlehem. At this time Mary was expecting her first child, Jesus. Jesus, no ordinary child, was conceived by the Holy Spirit. The revelation of the conception was given to Joseph who, understandably , was seeking an opportune time to separate himself from Mary. “But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1 v20-21 (NIV). Their journey must have been arduous and especially difficult for Mary as an expectant teenage mother. There are times when our life journey, like their journey, becomes arduous or difficult. During their plight they became temporarily homeless and were at the whim of the innkeepers. Unable to secure a room the proposition of a stable was accepted in desperation. Mary needed somewhere to rest and deliver her baby. The Messiah! Today, many people find themselves in homeless and transient situations for various reasons. Are we making room for them? Some are fleeing inhumane situations in their homelands , some find themselves jobless because of policy changes or changes in the economy, some cannot meet the demands of their rent for various reasons. Most importantly, however, are we making room, spiritually, for God to take residence in our lives? In the midst of farm animals Mary humbly gave birth to Jesus. This was not a place that anyone, rich or poor, would have selected to give birth to their first born. Yet, God allowed these circumstances to fulfill the prophecy of Jesus the Christ. All of these events were in the plan of God. The rejection and humble entrance of Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, highlights the response humanity ultimately had to God revealed in the flesh. Even in the midst of this torrid entry into the world, the Lordship of Christ was celebrated by angels in full view of ordinary shepherds. This celebration aligned heaven and earth together and provided a supernatural encounter that promoted the gospel, the telling of Good news. The Lord selected shepherds, humble and “unlearned’ men, informed by angels of the Savior’s birth, to become motivated individuals who spread the news about their experience. The gospel of Jesus the Christ began through the personal experience of individuals. Suddenly, Heaven came down to earth and revealed the glory of the Lord and ultimately our connection with heavenly hosts and our heavenly father, God. “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2 v 16. Have you experienced the Lord’s presence? The Lord reveals himself in so many different ways. The heavenly hosts involved in these encounters were sent to announce the royalty and revelation of Jesus. This message of the gospel of Jesus is still being shared today. Consider and reflect on the benefits being offered to all humanity today. Let us make room in our lives to know and to have a relationship with our Creator.
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“Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live.” Isaiah 55 (NIV). There are many voices of opinion and thought transmitted to us throughout our day. It is hard, for example, to escape the full throttle of the news as news casters cast, toss and press to provide minute by minute coverage of events. Breaking news, does just that, it breaks through to inform and often dispels the continuity of one’s current modus operandi. Downloads of applications, videos short and long, advertisements in the midst of a focused topic, screams, shouts, traffic……noise. Yet there is a still small voice calling out to us in the midst of heightened activity, actions and reactions. “Listen, listen to me and eat what is good” Isaiah 55 v2 Listen and eat! This message of course is not about natural food or a new role for our ears. This message is a clarion call to listen to the word of God. The word, scripture or a direct rhema word from the Lord is often metaphorically represented by good food. What we hear is often absorbed into our psyche and internalized. Like food, messages that we hear are digested. So what types of meals are we having? “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.” Are we spending money to hear information that really is not beneficial to us in anyway? Messages that are not “bread” and do not satisfy?” What is this good, rich fare available to us? I for one need to be fed with life sustaining rhetoric. Communication, dialogue, various types of sounds and alarms are needed within our social interactions. There are times, however, that we have a clear choice in what we listen to and certainly the amount of time we take to listen to certain sounds or topics. “...hear me, that your soul may live. ” Isaiah v3 The Lord has a rich fare of life-giving messages and there is an invitation through the prophet Isaiah’s words to listen to God. Listen knowing that the Lord has a message, a message that provides sustenance, a message that provides life! Definition of hear. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) transitive verb 1: to perceive or become aware of by the ear didn't hear what she said thought I heard them leave 2: to gain knowledge of by hearing heard that you were ill 3a: to listen to with attention : HEED would not hear my side of the story b: ATTEND hear mass 4a law : to give a listening to legal arguments in : to give a legal hearing to hear a case B law : to take testimony from hear witnesses |
AuthorAnnette Brown embarked on a life journey of Christianity, over 20 years ago. A reflective educator and avid constructivist - reflection has been a part of her daily work and a tool for personal growth and assessment. Birthed out of this practice is reflection connected to divinely inspired insight and revelation . Her first book "Encounters and Reflections - Can you hear me now" encompasses these perspectives through a lens of story telling and photographic images. Archives
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