What a ridiculous man. I did not hear Jesus' name mention more than twice during the hour. I can, however, tell you that if you apply this miracle spring water (which was claimed to be "biblical promise") you would miraculously come into thousands of dollars, maybe even millions.
But the part that got me was when he was praying and the "Lord gave him a word for the coming year." He stated, that in his spirit he heard an explosion and God's thunderous voice shout "BIG!" ...This was the word for the coming year... big? what? That is not my word.
The word God has given me for this current season is "stripped" or "broken". I do not feel like God is lavishing earthy wealth upon His people. He is not pouring out extreme financial gain, new cars, I believe what the Bible calls, Mammon. MY God, is doing a completely different thing with His people.
We are broken, we are diseased, we are down hearted. We have lost our children. We are fighting cancer. We are trying fighting off extreme ailments and trying to find the answer to what is wrong with us. We are poor. and is this wrong? Nope. This is just where God wants us!
We hear what the angles said to the shepherds in the field that glorious night...
8And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13And suddenly there was 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 those with whom he is pleased!”c
15When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
We know this story by heart...... Okay I can say that by memory. .. Lying in a manger . . . swaddling clothes. . .
its just part of the story.
but really? That was a weird weird thing for them to say... lying in a MANGER? Lets translate that to normal time... You will find a baby that was born in a barn, wrapped in rags, lying in the feeding trough.
what?! why was he in a BARN!?
Why did His parents put him where the animals ate!? Did Mary know when they placed him there as she tried to rest that the Angles were shouting it to the fields He was lying there? Did the shepherds think it was crazy?
no they said Let us go and see what the Lord has made known to us!
amazing. broken. stripped. homeless.
wait those are MY words for this Christmas! You're saying Jesus was broken too? Jesus was stripped of His majesty enthroned in Heaven and was born in a BARN!?
Thank You, Jesus. Thank You that you did not come with pomp and splendor, but in humility. Thank You that I can trust that in our same time of brokeness, we are not in disparity. We have the power of Your name and Your blood to give us the hope we need. It doesn't mean we will find this financial prosperity, as Peter Popoff promised in his miracle spring water. It means we may continue to be poor, we may continue to fight disease and sickness. We may continue to mourn our children. But we have You. and You have redeemed us and will make all right. Your name is the Prince of Peace, and this is the name we hold onto today.
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