Micah 5:2
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”
Several years ago I went to Orlando International Airport to pick up a young man whom I had never met. We had talked numerous times on the phone, but had not yet met in person. Before making the hundred mile drive to an airport that has almost thirty five million customers every year, I wanted to be sure I’d be able to pick my friend out of the hundred thousand people milling about. I asked him how I would recognize him. He responded by telling me, he had blond hair and was six feet, six inches tall. A few hours later, I walked into the airport and found him among the masses. Two characteristics were enough to distinguish him from the crowd.
Ever since the fall of man, God began promising to send a savior into the world, to restore mankind back to God. In order to distinguish the promised one from all others, certain details were given regarding his birth, life, character, and death. All of these details were designed so He would be easily recognizable among the masses. Here, Micah gives one such detail. He declares that the promised Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. This promise alone vastly decreases the possibilities as to who the Messiah is, since Bethlehem was a relatively small city, and even today does not produce a large percentage of the world’s births. This, coupled with prophecies that tell of the timing of His coming, the genealogy of the Messiah, the role He will play in humanity, and the descriptions given of his death and resurrection, makes it easy to pick Jesus out among the many who claim to know the way to God.
Clearly God wants us to know Him. The question we want to ask ourselves is whether or not you have believed in Christ as Savior, and had your sins forgiven. If not, take time right now to pray and ask Jesus to forgive you of your sin, come into your life, and help you live for Him.
Pastor Jim
n recent years, people have become fascinated with end-of-the-world scenarios. We have been inundated with movies about environmental crises, alien invasions, and zombie apocalypses, that have brought an end to the human race. Mixed in with these, have been best selling novels about the Book of Revelation. Believers and unbelievers alike, have read cover-to-cover, as the prophecies of the Bible are painted in real life scenarios. With all of that, we have seen little change in the course of the world we live in. It is as if people are excited about the possibility of the return of Christ, but not quite committed enough to allow it to change the way they think or live.
We have all had experiences that have saddened us. Sometimes the word ‘sad’ is too shallow to describe what we are feeling, we might say we are sorrowful or even consumed with grief. When a relationship comes to an end or someone we love dies, the sadness is often so deep it becomes difficult to manage.
Jesus was magnetic! People from all walks of life were drawn to Him. Lepers, paralytics, rich men, beggars, fishermen, and even Pharisees were drawn to Jesus; to meet Him, hear Him speak, and be touched by Him. At times, we read of massive crowds that gave up all other pursuits, to listen for hours as He spoke about the Kingdom of God. What was it that drew people to Him? John tells us that His life was like a light in the darkness.
Jim Gallagher 