,A lot of times when we go to the drug store we can see a symbol, a serpent wrapped around a pole; that’s a symbol of healing.  

We can be in a foreign country, we can be in some part of Europe or somewhere and even if we can't read the language, if we see that symbol we know that’s a place where you can get some medicine. 

The Book of Numbers tells us about this ancient symbol of healing, and in the Book of John, Jesus tells us about a seemingly unlikely but powerful symbol of healing - the Cross.

In Deuteronomy 31 Moses is at the Jordan River and he’s giving Joshua a charge to take the people across the Jordan.  In the 1st part of the chapter Moses reminds the people that he is 120 years old.  In another scripture it says that Moses’ eyes were as sharp as a young man’s eyes. Not only that but his mind was quick.  

But after all that Moses had seen and done - the burning bush, the children of Israel freed from bondage in Egypt, crossing the Red Sea,  manna in the desert - there was one thing he couldn't do....

This is a new year and a lot of people have made New Year’s resolutions and set all types of goals.  
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But, let's be honest - will we really reach those goals?

​A lot of times people start the new year setting all kinds of goals – new year’s resolutions. They want to make a change or reach a goal – it’s like you’re pushing a restart button to start all over again.  Maybe last year we didn’t accomplish it, but this year we’ll push the restart button – I’ll quit smoking, or lose weight, or pay off my bills, spend more time with family, or spend more time with God.  With this new year I have another chance to meet that goal.

​Christmas is about the birth of the Christ child.  When a baby is born, there is often a birth announcement that goes out.  Friends and family may come together and celebrate with a shower of gifts and food – sometimes even champagne and cigars. But looking at the birth of Jesus, this was not an ordinary child, it was not an ordinary birth, and the announcement and celebration reached from the heavens.  

In our day and time to participate in the census you have to complete forms – you’ve got to fill out this form and fill out that one; sometimes people even come to your house to ask you questions for the census.
 
Just before the birth of Jesus, Ceasar Augustus required everyone, including Mary and Joseph, to be censused.  To do this, they had to travel.  They had to get on the road to Bethlehem.

Predictions are made all the time.  People make predictions, and many don't come true. Biblical prophesy is different. When we talk about prophesy in the bible - from Genesis to Revelation we can see men of God prophesying about the various things that would come to pass.  A prophet was a person of God who was being inspired by God to speak a message for a certain purpose.  Prophesy is a prediction made under divine influence.  Let’s look at how the birth of our Lord and Savior was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah long before his birth.

​There was a young man that had gotten married and he and his wife had bought a house.  He wanted to make the yard look good for his in-laws’ first visit to the house, but his lawn mower was broken.  He borrowed the lawn mower from his neighbor Ben, then cut the grass, edged it, and manicured the yard.  When everything was looking good he was pressed for time so he put the lawn mower in his garage.  His in-laws came and bragged on how well the house and yard looked.  A week later, Ben comes and knocks on his door and says, Hey, man, I thought you would bring my mower back.  The young man apologized and gave him his mower.  So obviously there is that one thing, the mower belongs to Ben.  When we borrow something, the person is expecting it back, and when we’re talking about God, it all belongs to Him.

​As parents we can remember the baby crying and hollering at night.  Sometimes our wives might nudge us to get up and go see about the baby - you look at the clock, it’s midnight!
 
Well, we’re not going to be talking about babies and crying but those of us with families have some experience with that.  But you don't want to miss “A Cry at Midnight”.

A lot of times when we think about bread we think about biscuits and cornbread, we think about rolls and sometimes people might even refer to money as “bread”.  But we won’t be talking about making biscuits or making cornbread or rolls or anything.   I want to talk about the true bread - that true bread which, as we will find out, came down from heaven.