Bethlehem, though you are small out of you something big is going to come. In Matthew Chapter 1, Matthew is writing to the Jews trying to prove Jesus is the Messiah, the King. This wouldn’t be some aristocratic, untouchable, blue blood Messiah. This would be God sending a Savior who would identify with the people, the common blue collar people.
The New Testament opens up with a sketchy list of people who all come from the same family, the Jewish lineage that promised the Messiah. It begins with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It includes David who we can identify with because he messed up, royally. Oddly, it lists three women. Tamar - a battered wife who, Rahab, the harlot, prostitute, and Bathsheba - the wife of Uriah, the woman who committed adultery with King David, of whom it would be said about Jesus who is the Root of Jesse, the father of David.
Why long lists of names in the Bible? People matter to God, He makes a promise/covenant to someone, and not matter how crooked the people may be, we see that God is faithful.
Big things or good things or, better yet, great things and people come from broken families. All great things start small. You have to be filled with Holy Spirit inspiration and sight to be able to see potential in all situations. God sees differently than we do. He works in sketchy ways, more sketchy than your ways and my ways. But, He is effective in His sketchiness.
The Goodness of God, Part II -- 21 February 2021
The Goodness of God -- 14 February 2021
Taking Up Your Cross -- 7 February 2021
The Cross -- 31 January 2021
Communitas -- 24 January 2021
Liminality -- 17 January 2021
10 January 2021
The Kingdom -- 3 January 2021
Where God Lives -- 27 December 2020
Big Things Often Come in Small, Unwanted, and Surprising Packages, Week 3 -- 20 December 2020
Big Things Often Come in Small, Unwanted, and Surprising Packages, Week 2 -- 13 December 2020
Yes It's Hard, But God is Good - 29 November 2020
God's Crisis Management Plan - 22 November 2020
Imagine -- 15 November 2020
Understanding the Signs of the Times -- 18 October 2020
2020 The Perfect Storm -- 8 November 2020
The Fork in the Road. 25 October 2020
I Got the Power! 1 November 2020
Getting It in 2020 - First Things First
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