I had heard the rumors flying around the last 9 months about a virgin who became pregnant by God. People were laughing and gossip has been flying around for months so I had to go investigate this for myself and report back to you. As I write this report all I can say is I have seen things this week that has literally blown my mind. Let me start at the beginning.
The journey for me was quite intense. Riding a camel for weeks to get to the area they call Bethlehem was quite rough, to say the least. The dust was flying and at times almost blinding. The rough roads gave a new meaning to the term potholes. I won't even begin to explain the shear struggle to ride this dumb camel up and down a mountain side. Oh and water? Or shall I say what water? It is as dry as a desert. I am surprised I made it to Bethlehem alive.
When I arrived there, the rumors about a pregnant woman who road the path I had just traveled on, astounded me. According to the rumors she was 8 - 9 months pregnant. #1 that just seems impossible and #2 I do not know any woman who is 8-9 months pregnant who would travel that path I just finished. It was treacherous. But alas I will continue on in my investigation. I have booked a room at a local inn. This place is filled with people. There is some sort of census going on and there are visitors from all over who have traveled here. I got the last room in the city.
I have spent some time interviewing people about what they know about the rumors but no one seems to know anything in this city so I am going to journey out to visit with some shepherds. At least I can do a report on their jobs and this visit won't be a bust, because I think all these rumors are just that, rumors! I have found nothing here. So off to see the shepherds.
We were all sitting around a campfire surrounded by sheep. It was a crystal clear night, not a cloud in the sky. Stars were bright, as usual, except there was a strange star in the north. The shepherds noticed it too. It's hard to describe but I have never seen a star that shined as bright as this star. It was almost blinding. For a while we all just sat and stared at the star like it was speaking to us, but that's just ridiculous. Yet something strange came over us. As we sat there staring at this star, a midst began to surround us. I have to admit it was rather frightening.
Suddenly this person appears out of no where. But it couldn't have been a person because he had wings. Alright I guess it had to be an angel. I had heard reports about people seeing angels but this is my first one, and to be honest I didn't know what to think. Then he spoke these words:
"Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."
Could the rumors have been true after all? I had to see for myself so I followed the shepherds as they followed the star into Bethlehem. These shepherds had told me about how a prophet named Isaiah had predicted the birth of this baby hundreds of years ago. They had been waiting for him to come and now to think they had the privilege of seeing the Messiah face to face was almost too much to bare.
As we journeyed into town, everyone was asleep except us. There in the distance the star came to rest on a stable, okay let me be honest it was a cave filled with dirty, stinky animals. How in the world could a so called "Messiah" be born here. It seems like if this baby was as important as the angel said, he would be born in a palace. This just don't make sense to me but I will continue on in my investigation.
We come to the entrance to the stable and notice the angel we saw in the desert standing behind this feeding trough. Puzzled I ventured in to see a baby lying on a bed of hay, wrapped up in swaddling clothes. The animals were virtually silent as I drew near this manger. The closer I got, the more I began to realize that this was not just some ordinary baby. There was something very special about this baby. As I stood there looking at him, I felt a sense of love and peace so deep that it is hard for this reporter to put into words. I was awestruck and dumbfounded. My eyes filled with tears and I knew that at that very moment I was indeed staring into the eyes of God Himself.
Call me crazy but something happened to me in that stable. I sensed a presence so real that it enveloped me like a fog. I dropped to my knees because I truly believe I was standing on Holy Ground. Let me tell you, this is not easy for this reporter to confess, but what I saw and experienced in Bethlehem was real. The rumors were true and I have been changed by a baby born in Bethlehem.
May the pure and innocent love of Jesus Christ, invade your heart this Christmas Season.
Merry Christmas my dear friends!
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