Purpose! Newsletter - December 2025

I love the Christmas story. At least that’s what it is called today. The Gospel writer begins the narrative with, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise:” (Matthew 1:18) And that of course, is really what it is all about. Somebody say Amen!

Joseph and Mary resided in Nazareth. After all the angelic messages were given and Joseph agreed to raise God’s Son there was still a small logistical matter to be addressed. Joseph had to get Mary to Bethlehem

You see, The Messiah had to be born in Bethlehem. That is what the prophet had spoken a long time ago. Now that prophet was not of the YouTubian kind. When those old Testament prophets spoke a matter it had to come to pass or they would be stoned. Not in a pharmaceutical way but with actual stones, until they fell on the ground dead. But those prophets didn’t worry about that. When they spoke prophetically it was that they had heard God speak. They usually prefaced the proclamation with “Thus saith the Lord” or some other like attribution to God. And God would not let their words fall to the ground, or not be fulfilled, because he had spoken it. While there are true prophets in the land today there are too many of the other kind. The “Thus saith Rev. Bill” kind. Be aware. Or Beware.

But prophet Micah, called one of the Minor Prophets, had a major message for Israel seven hundred years before Christ. He knew where Christ would be born. Micah 5:2:

²But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

So how does God get the chosen couple to Bethlehem?

We find the answer in Luke chapter two.

¹And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

²(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

³And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

⁴And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

⁵To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

⁶And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

⁷And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Taxes

In order to mobilize Joseph and Mary and fulfill the prophetic word God moved upon a world ruler to call a special census and taxation that would require everyone to return to their place of origin. And it just so happens Joseph was from Bethlehem and of the lineage of David.

Now, it would not be an easy trek for a woman great with child to make. Google says the following: “The exact duration of Mary and Joseph's journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem is not provided in the Bible, but estimates suggest it took anywhere from four days to a week, with some scholars suggesting longer periods like two weeks or more. This timeframe is an estimate based on the ~90-mile distance and factors like the rugged terrain, the need for rest due to Mary's pregnancy, and the absence of modern transportation.” Donkey travel was slow.

Now after all that, “no room at the inn” becomes more significant. But I digress.

God chose the unpleasant act of taxation to bring about his purpose. Bethlehem the house of bread was to be the birthplace of the manna that came down from heaven in the Old Testament and the Bread of Life in the New Testament. Well, glory to God!

They knew

The Wise Men followed the star to Jerusalem the capital city and there they inquired concerning the birthplace of the king of the Jews. So it reads in Matthew Chapter 2:

¹Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

²Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

³When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

⁴And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

⁵And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

⁶And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

Bethlehem in the Land of Judea

Yes, there were two towns named Bethlehem in ancient Israel: Bethlehem of Galilee and Bethlehem of Judea. Bethlehem of Galilee is in northern Israel, near Nazareth. Bethlehem of Judea is the more famous one, partly because of its biblical connection to King David, located south of Jerusalem, and is where Jesus was born. Prophet Micah got it right.

O little town of Bethlehem,

how still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep

the silent stars go by.

Yet in thy dark streets shineth

the everlasting light;

the hopes and fears of all the years

are met in thee tonight.

Phillips Brooks (1868)

And now a word from Pastor Shirley

Tell the Next Generation

Psalm 145:3-16

3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

4 One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

5 I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.

6 And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.

7 They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.

8 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

10 All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.

11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;

12 To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.

13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

14 The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.

15 The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.

16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

I pray that in each generation there be a history of the greatness of God. In difficult times we can tell the next generation of God’s provision. In times of plenty we can

tell the next generation of God’s promises and his faithfulness. In times of disease and torment we can tell the next generation of God’s steadfastness and his healing hand.

Tell the next generation who God truly is and what He has done through his only begotten Son, Jesus, with the help of the Holy Spirit. They will not know unless we tell them. -SAF-