The Manger King 

Terry R. Baughman
“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him” (Matthew 2:2 NKJ).
Multitudes of people worldwide follow the lives and stories of the Royals in the United Kingdom. Their lives are often plagued with the ever-present paparazzi flashing pictures and recording video of their every move and actions. The wedding of Prince Charles to Diana Spencer in 1981 was viewed on global television by 750 million people while 600,000 spectators lined the streets to catch a glimpse of their arrival at St. Paul’s cathedral. The birth of two sons, William and Harry, were the constant source of news and tabloid fodder. Now, another generation later, people are still intrigued by the lives of the royals and the birth of William and Kate’s children, George, Charlotte, and Louie. 
What a stark contrast between the births of these children of privilege when compared to the birth of Jesus on that first Christmas eve. No one crowded around to catch a picture, or to get the scoop for tomorrow’s news headline. There were no reporters, spectators, or important people lining up to pay their respects to the newborn. Instead there was no room and no provision for this future king to make His entrance into this world. 
He chose a birthplace of obscurity. He intentionally came as a servant and sought no acclaim for Himself. Even when the kings from distant places came seeking Him, they wrongly assumed He would be in the palace, in a place for royalty. It was scribes that resorted to the ancient text to reveal that Bethlehem would be the birthplace. The Prophet Micah wrote, “Bethlehem …, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, ….” (Micah 5:2 NIV).
Though it was not readily apparent, the greatest gift of all came wrapped in the straw of a feeding trough, a manger, in an obscure place, a stable in the outskirts of a small town in Judea, Bethlehem. A ruler, a king, was born in humble surroundings, only to be revealed as the future King of Israel. 
The contrast remains. He requires no lineage of royalty, or no pedigree of prestige to be acknowledged by Him. He calls the lowly, the underserved, the disenfranchised. All are welcome at His manger … and in His regal presence. The servant was really a King. The manger was really His throne. His Glory brought peace to the whole world. We could use some of that right now… and it’s available. Jesus said, and still says, “Come unto me and find rest for your souls.” (See Matthew 11:28.)
Join the wise men from the East and come to worship Him, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.




Theme passage:
“There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:11-12 NKJ).

HOPE AGAIN!
Terry R. Baughman

“And again, Isaiah says: ‘There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope’” (Romans 15:12 NKJ).

Embedded in the Prophets and consistent throughout Scripture there were promises that all nations would benefit from provision of God. Paul drew from the writings of Isaiah to reveal God’s intention to expand the reach of salvation beyond the borders of Israel to impact the Gentiles. The lineage of David would bring salvation to the world. The intent of Scripture revealed that the Son of David, Jesus the Messiah, would be the King of all people and “In Him the Gentiles shall hope.”

The Law was given to the people of Israel, and throughout the Old Testament they were the people of the covenant and the focus of God’s communication. Non-Jews (or Gentiles) were seen as outsiders, unclean, pagans who served other gods. Matthew wrote that, “all the prophets and the law prophesied until John” (Matthew 11:13 NKJ). Something happened when John came on the scene, in the spirit of Elijah, to declare the coming of the Lord. 

John came preaching a new message and preparing the way for a New Covenant. He declared God’s revealed purpose. The Apostle John wrote, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:11-12 NKJ). Those of Jewish decent had the first opportunity to receive the good news that Jesus came to proclaim, but the door was opened in this New Covenant to all “who believe in His name.” 

Jesus came, “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10 NKJ). He came as the Lamb of God to provide a sacrifice for sin, “who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29 NKJ). Most importantly, the reach of the good news of salvation extended to every nation (Matthew 28:19; Mark 13:10), to all who believe (John 3:16, Acts 10:43; Romans 3:22), and whoever desires can come (Revelation 22:17).  

Jesus is hope, hope for the world, and all are included in His invitation. He said, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in ….” (Revelation 3:20 NIV).

The outpouring of God’s Spirit was seen on the Day of Pentecost. Peter explained the phenomena as being the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people” (Acts 2:17 NIV). Later Peter had to defend his preaching the same message to Gentiles when he said, “God has chosen me from the beginning to preach the wonderful news of the gospel to the non-Jewish nations. God, who knows the hearts of every person, confirmed this when he gave them the Holy Spirit, just like he has given the Spirit to us. So now, not one thing separates us as Jews and gentiles, for when they believe he makes their hearts pure” (Acts 15:7-9 TPT).
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Wherever we go, to everyone we reach, we have the same good news message, the Gentiles shall Hope!


Theme passage:
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NKJ).

BEGIN AGAIN!
Terry R. Baughman

“Honestly assess your worth by using your God-given faith as the standard of measurement, and then you will see your true value with an appropriate self-esteem” (Romans 12:3b TPT).

While we guard against pride, we are also taught to have a healthy self-image. That is the biblical balance we can seek. In the text verse we are instructed to honestly assess our worth. This is very difficult due to the fact that we tend either to think of ourselves too highly, or wallow in abject despair over our feelings of worthlessness. 

Paul instructed believers to use the measure of faith, which we have all been given, to guide us to the perfect balance between pride and self-loathing. God has given every individual great value and has a wonderful purpose in our existence and our future destiny. By using the faith we have received from Him we may have great confidence in His leading. His opinion of our worth is the only perspective that matters! 

Faith is our confidence in God’s Word, our belief in His limitless ability, and our conviction of His eternal existence. The greatness of God and the vast imagination of His creation gives credence to the validity of our design. The Psalmist recognized this when he wrote that we were, “fearfully and wonderfully made,” or as The Passion Translation reads, “I thank you, God, for making me so mysteriously complex! Everything you do is marvelously breathtaking. It simply amazes me to think about it! How thoroughly you know me, Lord. You even formed every bone in my body when you created me in the secret place; carefully, skillfully you shaped me from nothing to something. You saw who you created me to be before I became me!” (Psalms 139:14-16 TPT). 

Recognizing that we are a creation of God and that He is intimately involved in our lives assures us of our great value. However, it is possible to feel overwhelmed by His infinite greatness and tempted to feel our own insignificance in view of His immensity. David questioned, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” (Psalm 8:3-4 NIV).

Love is the only explanation for this contrast of extremes. One so great took notice of the slightest detail of creation for our benefit. God so loved the world that He gave Himself to the salvation of all humanity. He gave us, the least of all, the greatest sacrifice because of our worth to Him. 

Faith in God provides this standard with which to measure our worth. The reality of our insignificance creates humble amazement in His grace towards us. Let us adopt the attitude of the Apostle Paul, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord” (2 Corinthians 10:17 NIV). The measure of faith reaffirms our relationship with Him, and keeps us in awe of His grace. 

Theme passage:
“Be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think” (Romans 12:2 TPT).

BEGIN AGAIN!
Terry R. Baughman

“God has given me grace to speak a warning about pride. I would ask each of you to be emptied of self-promotion and not create a false image of your importance” (Romans 12:3a TPT).

How do you speak against pride without being prideful? To condemn sin in someone else assumes that we have overcome its grip in our lives. Perhaps this is why Paul recognized that it was through God’s grace that he could warn others against the temptation of pride. Only by grace can we condemn sin and only in humility can we teach others to avoid its snare. 

Pride is a destructive force. An ancient proverb warned that, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18 NIV). Most of us have experienced the humiliation that always comes after we have given in to prideful thoughts or actions. It’s better to learn the lessons of humility than to suffer the consequences of arrogance and pride. 

The Passion Translation stated, “Your boast becomes a prophecy of a future failure. The higher you lift yourself up in pride, the harder you’ll fall in disgrace” (Proverbs 16:18 TPT). An attitude of overconfidence will surely result in the reality of humiliation, if allowed to advance unchecked. Paul’s warning was that we should avoid self-promotion and be aware of our own faults thus avoiding an overinflated perception of our importance. It is noteworthy that this warning comes immediately after the call for transformation by the Spirit of God working in our lives. 

Pride is indiscriminate and will subtly sneak in when we least expect it. In the aftermath of God’s spiritual work in our lives and the wonderful wholeness He produces, we may be tempted to think that somehow we achieved this spiritual status on our own merit. That is the temptation of pride. Paul warned that we should not think of ourselves more highly than we should. The reality is that we were nothing without God and totally, hopelessly lost. Without God, we would fall right back into the pit we were dug out of, and we are constantly in need of His grace. 

Let us heed the warning and share that grace with others. Resist the temptation of pride and embrace with humility the work of the Savior in our lives! 

Theme passage:
“Be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think” (Romans 12:2 TPT).

BEGIN AGAIN!
Terry R. Baughman

“Be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes” (Romans 12:2 TPT).\
The way of the culture is conformity. Peer pressure insures everyone conforms to cultural norms. Anyone who dares disagree or give voice to a contrary position is labeled, shamed and canceled by an unforgiving culture. How ironic that the very social construct that preaches tolerance and acceptance for every deviant act can suddenly switch from warmth and universal embrace to rude rejection of any who dare disagree with their values (or lack thereof). 

While the culture espouses conformity from the outside in, the Spirit of God works from the inside out to change our very thoughts and feelings by His transforming power producing total reformation. The One who knows the very “thoughts and intents of the heart,” can produce unimaginable change (Hebrews 4:12 NKJ). Paul wrote concerning the discipline of the mind when he said, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8 NIV). The baptism of the Spirit gives us power over our thought life and gives us the ability to choose what we will think. A conscious effort to control our thought life will have tremendous rewards, for “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” indicating the wisdom our thought life and some self-reflection (Matthew 12:34 NKJ). 

God is in the process of changing lives for eternity. We are transformed from vile sinners to radically saved Christ-followers! Paul said, “And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT).

Be transformed by the Holy Spirit! This is radical reformation.

Theme passage:
“Be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think” (Romans 12:2 TPT).

BEGIN AGAIN!
Terry R. Baughman

“Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think” (Romans 12:2 TPT).

Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but we have no cause to compliment the culture of contemporary society. Though social media and other gatherings people often dress like, sing like, act like, or emulate those they admire or desire to be like. Trends and fashions often mirror those of the trendsetters or celebrities. Social influencers seek to profit by convincing others to follow a trend or adopt certain styles so they may profit from the sales they inspire. 

It seems that many, especially teens or young adults, want to be different, yet they also carefully mimic the latest trend. The things they model betray their desire for distinction. Obviously there is a desire for acceptance and identity with those surrounding them. 

Paul advised believers in Rome to cease imitating the culture. There is no need to model the actions or attitudes of our society, especially in areas that identify us with the world and its passions. The call of the Spirit is to be separated from the world and identified with Jesus! Avoid imitation!

Christians are to be transformed by the baptism of the Spirit, changed into new creations in Christ. Paul called it “a total reformation of how you think” (Romans 12:2 TPT). He wrote, “Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJ). 


Theme passage:
“Be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think” (Romans 12:2 TPT).

BEGIN AGAIN!
Terry R. Baughman

“Beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God’s marvelous mercies? To surrender yourselves to God to be his sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights his heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship” (Romans 12:1 TPT).

Paul asked the question as to how we should live in response to God’s great grace. He then answered the question by calling us to surrender our lives to God, to become His “sacred, living sacrifices.” All of our lives are to be lived to reflect His story of redemption. Salvation is revealed in changed lives and a new direction. We live to honor God and the life-change is an act of worship!

God is delighted when those He has redeemed from sin live in holiness, allowing God’s holy presence to guide our decisions and direct our steps. By living in holiness we will experience “all that delights his heart.” A life that is lived pleasing God becomes a life of true worship. God’s presence is not only living inside, but is reflected outwardly for all to see our heart-felt devotion for God. 

When we walk in spiritual dedication and discipline before God, we live in holiness. This is our passion to be a living sacrifice, holy and accepted by Him.  

How do we live in holiness as humans? The text instructs us to, “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1 NIV). Our greatest act of worship is bring honor to God in our bodies and in our spirit! Paul wrote that we should, “purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2 Corinthians 7:1 NIV). Another translation said, “Because of our deepest respect and worship of God, we must remove everything from our lives that contaminates body and spirit, and continue to complete the development of holiness within us” (2 Corinthians 7:1 TPT).


Theme passage:
“Be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think” (Romans 12:2 TPT).

BEGIN AGAIN!
Terry R. Baughman

“Beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God’s marvelous mercies? To surrender yourselves to God to be his sacred, living sacrifices” (Romans 12:1 TPT).

God’s matchless mercy will compel us to surrender completely to Him. Once we have experienced God’s mercy which we do not deserve and come to an understanding of its greatness, we cannot help but willing give up everything for His cause. Recognizing what our salvation cost Him and the vast empathy of mercy that must have required, how can we resist His call and refuse His plan? He only wants what is best for us, so why wouldn’t we surrender to His direction. 

Throughout history a multitude of animal sacrifices were offered to God on hand-built altars, on the altar in the tabernacle of the wilderness, and later in Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. They were all the depiction of a future sacrifice of ransom that Jesus would offer for the sins of the world. What could never be accomplished through the offering of an animal for sacrifice was abundantly provided through the death of a lamb, “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 NKJ). 

The scene of Calvary is the picture of pardon and the message of mercy. This graphic demonstration of God’s great love story causes us to respond in repentance and submit ourselves as a living sacrifice. God has not called us to die for Him, but to live for Him and continually submit our will to Him and to share ourselves with the world. His passion has become our mission!


Theme passage:
“Be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think” (Romans 12:2 TPT).
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UPWARD MOMENTUM!
Terry R. Baughman

“So let all who are fully mature have this same passion, and if anyone is not yet gripped by these desires, God will reveal it to them. And let us all advance together to reach this victory-prize, following one path with one passion” (Philippians 3:15-16 TPT).

Christ’s calling is communal and individual. While each must hear and respond to His invitation, “Come unto me,” His calling is also to unite in community with all His followers to fulfill the common commission, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15 NKJ). His ultimate plan is universal, and is consistent with our organizational motto, the whole Gospel, to the whole world, by the whole church.  

The constant call is to come together for the common cause. Together we are challenged to move forward. United we can accomplish great things. In concert we can proclaim the world-changing, life-challenging message of redemption and revelation. 

Our singular message is Jesus Christ. From the cross of sacrifice to the crown of life, Jesus has prepared a plan of salvation and a path of passion. This is something to which we can devote our lives, and commit ourselves completely. 

Heaven may be our goal, but our passion must be more than selfish containment. The call heavenward is collective. We must be singularly focused, but passionately inclusive. What would heaven be if there were no one else with which to share it? 

Our momentum is inclusive. John F Kennedy popularized the phrase, “a rising tide lifts all boats.” Though he used it to illustrate economic opportunities, we may adapt it to a spiritual application. When we are drawn closer to God, may the spiritual wave spread across the horizon to affect all who are near. May the rain of revival produce an outpouring of grace that will cover the multitudes desperate for hope and restoration. 

Together we will advance the Kingdom, and united we will pursue His purpose. Let us strive as one to attain the victory-prize and together find that singular pathway on which we may travel with enduring passion. This is that upward momentum!


Theme passage:
“Let us all advance together to reach this victory-prize, following one path with one passion” (Philippians 3:16 TPT).

UPWARD MOMENTUM!
Terry R. Baughman

“I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus” (Philippians 3:14 TPT).

Our calling is not just an invitation to participate, but an invitation to champion His cause. God does not ask us to settle for mediocrity, neither will He challenge us to the dizzying  heights of impossibilities. Rather, He extends an invitation to great possibilities. His summons includes a roadmap to our ultimate destination, the heavenly goal and a victory-prize! 

Some have suggested that the Christian walk is difficult, painful, or impossible to travel. They seem to forget the character of the One who calls us. That’s not to say that this life is without its challenges, trials, and hurtful experiences. However, Christ’s call is, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30 NIV).

Jesus enables those He calls, and empowers those who believe in Him. His final promise before the ascension was, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NIV).

His calling is lofty and His plans are extravagant. He only wants to reach the entire world, and impact the lives of every nation. (See Matthew 28:19 & Mark 16:15.) It was a grand vision for twelve disciples who had never been far from home, but Jesus knew His destiny was greater than the Galilee, and further in scope than the land of Israel. What may seem like mission impossible, becomes altogether possible through the power of the Holy Spirit working through us. 

Paul recognized our ultimate success was dependent on “the anointing of Jesus,” who promised all things are possible through Him. (See Mark 9:23; and 10:27.) With our faith steadfast in Christ and our focus firmly directed towards Him we can run with endurance and press forward with great confidence in our success, that of, “reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize.” 


Theme passage:
“Let us all advance together to reach this victory-prize, following one path with one passion” (Philippians 3:16 TPT).