Q&A Day Questions We Didn't Get To: O Little Town of Bethlehem.

Why was Bethlehem selected as the birth place for Jesus? Obviously there were other inhabitants and countries around the world where he could of been chosen to be born. What is the significance of Bethlehem? Even though Bethlehem was Joseph's ancestral home and they had to return due to Roman taxation policies was there any other significance other than the fact Micah prophesied this?

Why Bethlehem? Yes, God could have chosen anywhere for the Messiah to be born, but as prophesied in Micah 5:2, God chose Bethlehem. And Jesus was born there, first and foremost, to fulfill Scripture.

Are there reasons God chose Bethlehem? Perhaps it speaks to Jesus' humility. He wasn't born in the biggest or most famous city – He was born in a relatively obscure place. This is in the same spirit as God choosing Mary – an unknown, humble girl. God shows His glory often though what looks like humble and unimportant things to us.

Perhaps this also speaks to the meaning of “Bethlehem”. The name means “house of bread”, and bread was pretty significant in Bible times. It was a staple of the diet and used in Temple worship. It was the symbol of God's presence and provision. This could very well be a nod to Jesus being the “bread of life”, the true Bread from heaven. (see John 6:35).

Coping with Loss During the Christmas Season - The Ride Home with John and Kathy

John Hall and Kathy Emmons

Pastor Jeff Miller was featured on The Ride Home with John & Kathy yesterday. Broadcast over the Pittsburgh airwaves at 101.5 WORD-FM.

Enjoy a 16 minute audio snippet of Jeff's interview where he discusses how to cope with the loss of a family member or friend during the Christmas season. He gives hope  this season for those dealing with the passing of a loved one.

Listen to more of John and Kathy here.

Don't forget to join us and bring everyone you know for a special Christmas Eve Candlelight service in our new Worship Center!

Was That Light an Actual STAR that the Magi Followed?

Was the star the wise men followed really a star? Did it actually move so that they could follow it? The star is a stumbling block for a friend of mine.

Was the star a star like the sun? Well, not exactly, because stars are enormous, and being that close to the earth would have fried everything! Luke 2:9 says the glory of the Lord shone around the angels when they appeared to shepherds. Was THAT the light that was originally seen by the magi? Note that the passage simply describes WHAT happened, not explain HOW it happened. I wasn’t there, so all I can do is read the description gathered from those who were!

Santa Claus: A Big, Fat Disappointment

My son Cade loves the Saturday morning craft event they do at Lowe’s and Home Depot. We go every week. But last week, I was horrified.

The Home Depot craft was making a picture frame, and Santa Claus himself was there. You get your picture with Saint Nick, and while you build your frame, they print the picture that you put in your new frame. When we went in, Cade walked right up to the jolly one and said, “My name is Cade, and you must be Santa.” They exchanged pleasantries and took a picture.

We made the frame, we put the picture in, and we almost left with a successful event under our belts. Then the horrific event happened. As we walked out, Santa said, “It was nice to meet you, Cody.”

I was crushed, and I hope Cade just didn’t hear this. Cody?! Who is Cody?! You are supposed to know if he was naughty or nice, you are supposed to know what he wants you to bring him on December 25, and you don’t even know his name?!

Well, it was a reminder. Only God knows you. Really knows you. Doesn’t that give you comfort?

In fact, look again at what Jesus said in Matthew 10:30: But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.

Think about this. God knows how many hairs you have on your head. What is the significance of this information? What could someone possibly do with having an exact count of hairs on your head? What difference does it make if I have a thousand hairs… or none? Doesn’t that seem rather trivial?

That’s the point. God knows the most insignificant thing about you. He cares about you so much, that He even knows THAT! So whatever is burdening you, whatever keeps you up at night, whatever is troubling you, hurting you, breaking your heart… He knows, and He cares.

That’s the kind of God we have. He loves us in a way we can barely understand.

p.s. - is not renaming his son for the sake of Santa