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2 But you, Bethlehem, David's country, the runt of the litter - From you will come the leader who will shepherd-rule Israel. He'll be no upstart, no pretender. His family tree is ancient and distinguished. 3 Meanwhile, Israel will be in foster homes until the birth pangs are over and the child is born, And the scattered brothers come back home to the family of Israel. 4 He will stand tall in his shepherd-rule by God's strength, centered in the majesty of God-Revealed. And the people will have a good and safe home, for the whole world will hold him in respect - Peacemaker of the world! 5 And if some bullying Assyrian shows up, invades and violates our land, don't worry. We'll put him in his place, send him packing, and watch his every move. (Micah 5:2-5a The Message)
2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” 3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. 4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. 5 And he will be our peace (New International Version Bible)
Happy Wednesday, ConCafe Family! I pray the rich blessings of God bless you, dear Reader, with your task before the Lord. Serve faithfully, humbly, and gratefully. Good news is that Rev. Virgilio Vasquez Garza is now home and will be allowed to recover there. Please continue to pray for him. Prayers for Nellie as we await a date for an MRI to see what is going on with her knee. I'll keep you posted. And prayers for one another; prayers for your own needs as well.
Where are you from? Are you proud of your home town? Or, do you shy away from acknowledging your town as the place of your birth? Growing up we lived close to Robstown, and I remember a big sign they had outside their city limits that said, "Robstown, Home of Gene Upshaw." Gene was a star for the NFL Oakland Raiders for many years as well as other teams. Gene was also a star at Texas A&I of Kingsville. And right outside of Bethlehem, you will not find a sign that says, "Bethleham, Home of Jesus Christ, Savior of the World." What you will find are miles of barbed wire, guard towers with machine-gun armed guards and a strict border crossing. The birthplace of the Prince of Peace needs these measures to protect the peace of Palestine on its side, and Israel on their side.
Bethelehem, which litterly means "house of bread," was not known in a postive light; this modern translation of it being a runt of the litter was not far off from the way it was seen by other cities and towns of Israel. And isn't it just like God to chose the unexpected, the last selected, the least expected, etc to do the most expected? Out of it would come the greatest leader and servant the world has ever seen. This prophecy revealed the truth about the man; He was sincere, genuine, and there was nothing false about Him. His lineage was indeed as foretold, "ancient and distinguished." Until His arrival, Israel would not be where it needed or wanted to be; it wouldn't be until Mary delivered Him and then the exiled siblings of Israel would return home. Once He arrived, Jesus would fulfill His role as the shepherd king from God for the nation of Israel. And though we know now that His rule and kingdom were more spiritual; the benefits would be physical as the nation would learn about protection and safety; with the world holding Him in respect; for He truly is the Prince of Peace for those who long for inner peace that only can come from God. The enemies of God would learn the hard way where they belong.
Advent is all about peace, the peace that passes all understanding; a peace that most of the world does not comprehend because it does not seek it. And thus the reason we journey on this path to be remember the purpose of Jesus' first coming to the earth. And we benefit more if we set out to know Jesus more, and to know Jesus better. Jesus is the Prince of Peace for a world that seeks peace but has a funny way of showing it. Dr. Tony Campolo years ago wrote a book called, "Who Switched The Price Tags" about how we have willingly moved the true cost of things to please ourselves. The book is based on some pranksters that broke into a department store and switched the price tags on pretty much everthing. The next morning shoppers were delighted to find that costly items were now cheaper, and the cheaper items were now costlier. And Campolo then uses that to describe how we trade quality time with our children for time with distractions that serve little to no real purpose in our lives. And when it comes to time with Jesus, we seem too eager to change that for other things that do not compare. Why? Advent says change the price tag to see what truly really matters and the cost for what truly matters cost someone His life, so that we could save ours.
PRAYER: Loving God, open our hearts and minds to the full realization of what truly matters and counts for Your glory and Your Kingdom. We seek to build the community of those who seek to serve and save. Teach us to know the real cost of things that matter; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Seek to bless someone with a life that shows what really matters and blesses you.
Receive my blessings of joy and hope,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
