The Insignificance of a Significant Birth

I did sound for a live Nativity for the first time, yesterday. First Baptist Church (Highland Ave - Winston Salem, NC) did an excellent job portraying the ironically simple entrance of the guy who would save the world. Ok. As preachers say...stick with me...I'm goin somewhere lol.

Bethelehem was a small town.

Joseph and Mary were "unknown" people.

Just thinking...Joseph and Mary were coming to their "hometown" to be counted for the census, but did not have family and friends to stay with?

Jesus was born in a barn.

You get the picture. The king that was predicted to rein over the world...got his start in a barn with animal poop. I think it's so INSIGNIFICANT, we miss the SIGNIFICANCE of this lesson. I mean, preachers don't really spend much time on this cause...being honest...there ain't a whole lot going on here...at least on the surface. But, when I look at this with my spiritual eyes, I see God teaching us something here.

I look back to David. God sent Samuel looking for a king for Israel. It was assumed that God would pick the best of the best, yet he chose the lil scruffy boy...the one that was not "enough" to fight in battle...the one that spent his time looking after sheep. This same guy, God would use to be one of the greatest warriors in history. Side note: This same David, if you flip through Psalms did not spend all his time in victory. He spent countless days in "defeat". He went from "I will bless the Lord at all times!" to "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?" He cheated on his wife. Lost his son. Directly disobeyed God by counting the number of people in his kingdom (which is prideful to boot). YET, God used Him.

Look at Elijah. Here is another one of my fav people that God used. Elijah walked literally in God's anointing. RIGHT after God used in to perform a miracle to prove God lived and the gods did not, Elijah was clinically depressed and sitting under a Juniper tree. Rev. Herbert Miller killed this in a message he preached from his heart visiting at Union Baptist Church (http://unionbaptistwsnc.org). His message was "I can't take it no more!" He shared some personal struggles he had. I never forget him saying that there were times we was so discouraged, he would come home...didn't wanna be bothered by his wife...didn't want the kids to bother him...he just wanted to sit on the couch and try to unwind. Elijah felt he was all alone, that his ministry was a waste...yet God used him. Rev. Miller, a great man in the kingdom, felt discouraged at times...yet God used him.

Now we are back to this lil boy born in a barn. Why would God uses "nobodies" to birth the King of the World? Why would God use a sheep herder, cheating, prideful, guy like David.

There are many that think that they know who God can use. The problem is, in our human-ness, we try to use OUR standards instead of God. I believe God intentionally use "flawed" people. Word says that ALL have sinned and come short of His glory. So, it's not about God using "perfect" people. He just needs us to be available.

To be cont'd