March to the Manger
In 2010 I had the unforgettable experience of walking the hillsides of Bethlehem in Israel. While there we visited the historic Church of the Nativity which is celebrated as the location where Jesus was born. Looking back I realize that what took us just hours to drive in the comfort of an air conditioned bus would have taken Mary and Joseph days to travel by foot. The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem would have been strenuous for someone who was physically fit much less someone in the late stages of pregnancy. Nevertheless unbeknownst to them Mary and Joseph marched their way to the manger in Bethlehem.
As a result, here we are some 2,000 years later thanking God for that miraculous moment in Bethlehem. That’s because through Jesus our sins are forgiven, we are adopted as children into the family of God, and we are guaranteed eternal life. Like all men He was born and like all men He was Buried but unlike any man He rose from the dead. He had a miraculous conception, a meager birth, a meaningful ministry, a moral life, a martyrs death, and a monumental resurrection! As such Paul reminds us that “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
However, that is not all that Paul tells us in that chapter related to the gospel message. In the two verses that followed Paul highlights the necessity of fostering the missional spirit within the church as he writes “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:14-15). With that said we must give so that others can continue to go taking the gospel message to the ends of the earth. Mark your calendars because this Sunday we will do just that. We will march to the manger with our gifts for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering which supports the work of International Missionaries through the ministry of the International Mission Board.
For more info about the Lottie Moon Christmas offering and the International Mission Board check out: https://www.imb.org/lottie-moon-christmas-offering.
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