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No Room · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Though he was very rich, yet for your sakes he
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  Speaker 1: became poor, so that by his poverty he could make
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  Speaker 1: you rich. 2 Corinthians 8.9 Dear Lord Jesus, You displayed
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  Speaker 1: ultimate humility by leaving the glory of heaven to dwell
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  Speaker 1: among us. Although all power, glory, and praise was due
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  Speaker 1: to you, you humbled yourself and died on a cross.
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  Speaker 1: so that we might experience freedom and the riches of
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  Speaker 1: your glorious grace. During this Christmas season, when gifts and
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  Speaker 1: glamour are on full display, inspire us to walk in humility.
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  Speaker 1: May we model your mindset of unconditional love, sacrifice, and
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  Speaker 1: lowliness for the sake of others. When pride seeks to
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  Speaker 1: grip our hearts and drag us down, Correct us with
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  Speaker 1: your Spirit and push us forward toward righteousness. We pray
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  Speaker 1: these things in Jesus' name.
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  Speaker 2: Amen. The city of Bethlehem lay just ahead, its walls
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  Speaker 2: glowing with the amber hue of a thousand lanterns. Mary
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  Speaker 2: and Joseph felt both relief and a growing tension. With
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  Speaker 2: each step, a new sensation grew within Mary, a tightening,
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  Speaker 2: a quickening that told her time was of the essence.
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  Speaker 2: She whispered, her voice catching with both wonder and fear.
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  Speaker 2: He's coming. Joseph's face lost its color. His gaze met hers.
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  Speaker 2: We're almost there. He gripped the reins of the donkey
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  Speaker 2: and led them down the final switchbacks leading down to
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  Speaker 2: the city gates. Campsites laced the vacant area surrounding the city.
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  Speaker 2: The census had uprooted everyone. Roman soldiers marched in and
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  Speaker 2: out of the gates in groups of ten to twenty.
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  Speaker 2: It seemed like they were searching for something or someone.
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  Speaker 2: Their presence made Joseph nervous.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the
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  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. It's Christmas Eve, and our
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  Speaker 3: nativity story is ramping up to the glorious arrival of Christ.
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  Speaker 3: Mary and Joseph have endured ridicule, robbery, and storms to
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  Speaker 3: arrive at Bethlehem. Now, Just as the city comes into view,
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  Speaker 3: Mary's experiencing the pangs of childbirth. Joseph and Mary require
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  Speaker 3: some hospitality. Will they find it? This episode will explore
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  Speaker 3: themes of hospitality and compassion for those in need. Mary
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  Speaker 3: and Joseph are vulnerable and at the mercy of the
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  Speaker 3: people around them. If they don't find shelter soon, Mary
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  Speaker 3: will have to give birth on the streets. Hospitality and
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  Speaker 3: compassion reflect the character of Christ. Our faith is shown
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  Speaker 3: in how we treat people who are vulnerable and in need.
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  Speaker 3: The Nativity story illustrates that God's providence will always come through,
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  Speaker 3: even when we feel lost and without help. His providence
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  Speaker 3: doesn't always look like parted seas or fire from heaven.
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  Speaker 3: Sometimes it's a small act of generosity from a stranger. Afterward,
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  Speaker 3: we'll come together to unpack these timeless Christmas themes.
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  Speaker 2: The streets of Bethlehem were a chaotic smattering of voices, noises,
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  Speaker 2: and scents. The city was alive everywhere they looked, with
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  Speaker 2: travelers and traders gathered for the census. It became apparent
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  Speaker 2: that finding a quiet space in the city would be
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  Speaker 2: a nearly impossible task. Mary winced in pain, her breaths
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  Speaker 2: becoming more labored. Joseph, we need to find somewhere to rest.
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  Speaker 2: think he's coming soon i have distant relatives here joseph
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  Speaker 2: said trying to hold back his panic this way they
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  Speaker 2: quickened their pace towards the group of homes tucked away
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  Speaker 2: on the city's outskirts a vast and open pasture was
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  Speaker 2: behind the property the very same hills where david once
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  Speaker 2: strummed his harp beside his grazing sheep joseph knocked on
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  Speaker 2: the door chapter he said frantically it's it's joseph Please,
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  Speaker 2: open the door. An older, portly man opened the door.
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  Speaker 2: Behind him were dozens of Joseph's distant relatives from far
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  Speaker 2: and wide. Joseph, he said with a furrowed brow. I
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  Speaker 2: was wondering if I'd see you here. There's no room
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  Speaker 2: for you.
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  Speaker 4: Jephthah, please.
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  Speaker 2: My wife, she is with child. I know your wife
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  Speaker 2: is pregnant, Joseph. We all know. The man sneered.
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  Speaker 4: We all heard about the woman you married. It's a
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  Speaker 4: disgrace to your father, my cousin. I won't condone it
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  Speaker 4: by letting you remain here another minute. With those final insults,
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  Speaker 4: he slammed the door in Joseph's face. Joseph paused for
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  Speaker 4: a long while, words of anger and frustration.
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  Speaker 2: Dangling on his lips. He looked back at Mary. She
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  Speaker 2: was in pain, straining for each breath. They needed a
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  Speaker 2: safe place. Now, time was slipping through their fingers like
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  Speaker 2: grains of sand. Mary's contractions grew more insistent, her pain
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  Speaker 2: a constant reminder of their urgent need. Joseph, driven by
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  Speaker 2: a blend of fear and determination, knocked on door after door.'
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  Speaker 2: Can anybody help us?' he shouted.' Please!
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  Speaker 4: My wife is in labour!
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  Speaker 2: His pleas were met with nothing but awkward apologies or
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  Speaker 2: cold rejections. The night grew darker, and their hope waned.
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  Speaker 2: A flickering candle in the relentless wind. But then, as
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  Speaker 2: if guided by a hand unseen, they found themselves before
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  Speaker 2: an inn, its warm glow a beacon in the dark night.'
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  Speaker 2: Joseph urgently picked Mary up and hurried down the lane
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  Speaker 2: to the inn. Please, help us! Someone, please! We beg
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  Speaker 2: for mercy! He shouted, his voice cracking with desperation. Joseph's
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  Speaker 2: forehead met the heavy wooden door of the inn with
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  Speaker 2: a thud, all the while keeping Mary secure in his embrace.
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  Speaker 2: No response came. Laughter and the clinking of glasses echoed
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  Speaker 2: from within. He raised his voice, bellowing, Please!
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  Speaker 4: Anyone! Anyone!
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  Speaker 2: Silence was the only reply. With Mary tenderly held in
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  Speaker 2: his arms, Joseph reeled back and delivered a powerful kick
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  Speaker 2: to the door. It burst open, yet still failed to
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  Speaker 2: catch the attention of anyone inside. Only then did he
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  Speaker 2: understand why his call had gone unanswered. The inn was
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  Speaker 2: overflowing with patrons, so parked that there was hardly room
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  Speaker 2: to move, let alone notice a cry from outside. Joseph's
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  Speaker 2: eyes found the innkeeper busy clearing cups in a corner.' Innkeeper!
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  Speaker 4: Innkeeper!
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  Speaker 2: he yelled, finally catching his attention. The innkeeper was a
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  Speaker 2: dishevelled man, his grey hair unkempt, his round face flushed
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  Speaker 2: from the heat.' We' re filled to capacity, sir, as you
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  Speaker 2: can plainly see.' His voice trailed off as his eyes
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  Speaker 2: met the tear-streaked face of the pregnant Mary.' Show compassion
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  Speaker 2: upon us,' Mary exhaled.' My baby is coming soon.' The
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  Speaker 2: innkeeper's face creased with worry as he ran his fingers
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  Speaker 2: through his beard.' My own room is taken. Even my
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  Speaker 2: wife and I have nowhere to lay our own heads now,
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  Speaker 2: you see.' His voice filled with sorrow.' I wish I
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  Speaker 2: had more to offer.' But we have no space. Certainly
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  Speaker 2: not a proper place for your particular needs. His eyes
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  Speaker 2: flickered down the hill behind the inn. But there might
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  Speaker 2: be a spot I can show you. Hurry, follow me.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph helped Mary onto the donkey, and they found the
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  Speaker 2: innkeeper down a narrow, twisting path to a cave-like enclosure
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  Speaker 2: in the hillside, where the animals were kept. The sun
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  Speaker 2: was sinking, and Mary's agony intensified. The innkeeper hung a lantern,
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  Speaker 2: casting a soft glow over the stable. Mary's cries grew louder,
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  Speaker 2: her pain more acute, the birth drawing near. I regret
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  Speaker 2: that this is all I can provide, the innkeeper said,
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  Speaker 2: his voice low. Joseph simply nodded his thanks, his focus
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  Speaker 2: solely on Mary. Mary looked around. After the journey she
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  Speaker 2: had just endured, she was about to give birth in
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  Speaker 2: a stable carved from a hill. This was the stage
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  Speaker 2: for a moment of divine significance. Amidst the hay and
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  Speaker 2: the gentle lowing of animals, Mary prepared herself. In the
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  Speaker 2: cool evening air, she whispered softly to the Lord, I
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  Speaker 2: am your servant. In that moment, the veil between the
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  Speaker 2: worldly and the divine was paper thin. Outside, the world
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  Speaker 2: continued its restless dance, but time seemed to pause within
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  Speaker 2: the stable's walls. Above the stable, unnoticed by the city's throng,
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  Speaker 2: a star shone with a brilliance that seemed to pierce
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  Speaker 2: the very fabric of the night. Its light, a herald
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  Speaker 2: of a new era, cast a gentle glow over the
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  Speaker 2: stable where the child of promise was about to be born.
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  Speaker 3: Joseph and Mary's journey to Bethlehem was filled with obstacles.
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  Speaker 3: You'd think that arriving in Bethlehem would be the easiest part.
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  Speaker 3: But just as they reached their destination... Tension rose. Doors
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  Speaker 3: were shut in their faces around every corner. Even Joseph's
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  Speaker 3: family rejected him. There's a theological precedent for including Joseph's
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  Speaker 3: family in this story. Luke chapter 2 tells us simply
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  Speaker 3: that there was no room in the inn. But that
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  Speaker 3: could be taken to mean several things. Some scholars believe
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  Speaker 3: it was an all-encompassing term. They were refused hospitality. In
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  Speaker 3: Christ's day, hospitality to visitors among the Jews was essential,
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  Speaker 3: based on biblical examples and law. In Deuteronomy 10, verse 19,
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  Speaker 3: God told Israel to love the stranger. And Leviticus 19,
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  Speaker 3: verse 33 states, If a stranger dwells with you in
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  Speaker 3: your land, you shall not mistreat him. Denial of hospitality
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  Speaker 3: was shown throughout Scripture as an outrage, unless it was
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  Speaker 3: established as a sign of disowning that family member. Even
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  Speaker 3: from the very start of his life, Jesus had nowhere
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  Speaker 3: to lay his hand. This situation was not by chance,
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  Speaker 3: but rather a symbolic representation of his complete identification with
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  Speaker 3: the oppressed, vulnerable, the rejected, underprivileged and the poor. When
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  Speaker 3: God took human form, He sought none of the worldly comforts, luxuries,
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  Speaker 3: or protections many hold dear. God knew that throughout time,
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  Speaker 3: lonely and homeless people from all corners of the globe
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  Speaker 3: would gaze at the stars, shivering in the cold, and cry, God,
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  Speaker 3: you can't possibly understand what I'm experiencing. To this, Jesus
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  Speaker 3: can respond with truth and compassion. Actually, I know exactly
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  Speaker 3: what you're enduring. The rejection by the people of Bethlehem
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  Speaker 3: serves as a painful reminder that judgment and scorn can
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  Speaker 3: cause us to close our doors to those in desperate need.
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  Speaker 3: May we never fall into the same trap. Hebrews chapter
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  Speaker 3: 13 verse 2 tells us not to forget to show
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  Speaker 3: hospitality to strangers for some have unwittingly hosted angels. God
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  Speaker 3: is at work in the margins of compassion and generosity.
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  Speaker 3: There is no way to predict the ripple effects of
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  Speaker 3: your kindness. For Mary and Joseph, one act of kindness
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  Speaker 3: is all they needed to usher in the Son of God.
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  Speaker 3: The compassionate innkeeper shines a light on the loving character
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  Speaker 3: of Christ. Though he had no room, he did what
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  Speaker 3: he could to provide a place for the Savior to
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  Speaker 3: be born. His actions reflect Christ's teaching in Matthew 25,
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  Speaker 3: verses 35-40, where Jesus says, I was a stranger, and
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  Speaker 3: you welcomed me. Despite their dire circumstances, God's hand was
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  Speaker 3: evident throughout their journey. The stable, humble though it was,
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  Speaker 3: became a holy place. Here, Jesus Christ, the King of kings,
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  Speaker 3: was born in simplicity and humility. Tomorrow's Christmas, and no
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  Speaker 3: doubt many of you will reflect on why Jesus came
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  Speaker 3: in the way he did. Why was he born in
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  Speaker 3: a stable? Why was he born into a family with
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  Speaker 3: little resources and status? It's simple. God chose the path
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  Speaker 3: of humility so we might have hope in any circumstance.
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  Speaker 3: We do not have a God that doesn't sympathize with
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  Speaker 3: our struggles and needs. As it says in Hebrews 4,
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  Speaker 3: verse 15, For we do not have a high priest
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  Speaker 3: who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one
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  Speaker 3: who in every respect has been tempted as we are,
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  Speaker 3: yet without sin. Jesus knew what it was like to
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  Speaker 3: come from nothing, to suffer, to work. Some of you
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  Speaker 3: may feel alone, rejected. misunderstood, like Mary and Joseph. Know
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  Speaker 3: that Jesus understands you. He loves you, and he's provided
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  Speaker 3: a place for you to call home, the kingdom of God.
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  Speaker 3: Join us for our next episode as we behold the
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  Speaker 3: glory of Christ's birth. In the most humble of circumstances,
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  Speaker 3: the Son of God will be born. I'm excited to
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  Speaker 3: unwrap the glorious gift of Christmas with you. Thanks for
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  Speaker 3: listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Pastor
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  Speaker 3: Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com app and
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  Speaker 3: make prayer a priority in your life. If you enjoyed
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  Speaker 3: this podcast, share it with someone you love. By sharing
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  Speaker 3: this podcast, you can make a difference in someone's life.
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  Speaker 3: And if you want more resources on how to tap
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  Speaker 3: into God's power for successful Christian living, be sure to
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  Speaker 3: visit JackGraham.org. God bless you.