Something Special at Leonard's Inn, Benjamin Potter [e book reading free .txt] 📗

there is something special at your inn tonight. It seems this child is surrounded by visions of angels.”
Joseph did not explain this statement, but his manner told Leonard that it was time to overlook the past long enough to allow the shepherd to experience the wonder of the child. Leonard softened and said, “Come then, Jerome. See what you have come for.”
As they entered the stable behind his inn, Leonard felt his heart melt again. The bitterness was replaced with the love that had so long been pushed aside. Looking at the manger-baby again, it was as if the voice of God said, “It is time to forgive. You have punished your friend, and yourself, long enough.”
Leonard looked and his ancient friend had fallen to his knees before the manger. Mary smiled that gentle smile. And the baby slept.
In that moment, Leonard knew that he must forgive the shepherds. They were no longer the impetuous young men who had destroyed his hopes with a thoughtless joke. They were old like he was old. And they were all participants in something grand. Leonard knew that he forgave Jerome, and he placed his hand on the old herdsman’s shoulder.
“I brought only one,” an aged voice crept into the solemn air. Leonard and Jerome turned to find Joshua standing at the back of the crowded stable. He was holding a lamb, a spotless lamb. Jerome had not noticed the lamb as they ran from the fields.
“I could not replace the foolishness of my youth,” Joshua was saying. “Jerome meant to offer you the finest of our flock for your son so many years ago. I could not resist turning the gesture into another joke on our friend who would not work in the fields with us. Will you accept this, the finest of our flock, for the baby born here tonight? Let us celebrate what the angels sang.”
Sarah had quietly come into the stable from the inn and now nodded her head toward the gift in the arms of the contrite prankster.
Reaching out, Leonard took the lamb and carried it near to the manger. Joseph placed his hand on the animal’s head. Mary smiled that gentle smile. And the baby slept.


About the Author

Born in Texas to a Baptist minister and a public school teacher, Benjamin Potter has served churches in the capacity of youth minister, music director, associate pastor, and minister of missions. Along with his wife, Potter worked as a missionary in the Crimean region of southern Ukraine before returning to the United States to serve the local church as pastor.

Potter has written poetry, music, and short stories. His previously published works include the sermon collection So, This Is Church.

He and his wife make their home in south central Illinois not far from St. Louis.


Appendix
You Can Know Jesus

Of all the important things there are there is nothing more important than saying yes to the call of Jesus. And His first call to anyone is to salvation. Here’s how it works:

All of us are sinners. It’s the way we were born. It’s what we do. It’s who we are. The Bible puts it this way—“All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23). I could type until my fingers became numb, and you could read until you couldn’t stand to read another word, but until you are ready to admit your sinfulness and sinful nature, we’d just be wasting our time. If you desire to experience the fullness of life as we know it, if you would like to find meaning in the messages found in this book, you must come to grips with the fact that you are a sinner. We all are. As the verse explains, sin is falling short of what God desires. We can try, and try, and try, but we will always fall short of His glory.

Understanding that we are sinners helps to brace us for the next in a line of facts for us to understand: the price that we pay for sin is death. Again we can turn to the book of Romans to understand this truth—“The wages of sin is death . . .” (6:23a) According to this verse, everyone earns death for the sin that we commit. This includes but is not limited to the physical death that everybody experiences. Death is the spiritual separation from life in Jesus Christ, and it’s what we earn as sinners. We deserve eternal separation from God.

That’s pretty sad news if we disregard the fact that God really doesn’t want it that way. As a matter of fact, He made a plan that could take care of our problem with a sin nature. The second part of the verse from Romans six opens our eyes to this plan—“. . . the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom. 6:23b) What this means is that God provided a way for us to escape paying for our sin and to receive the free gift of eternal life. This is not like the free gift offered by people selling you something or begging for your money and offering a “gift” in return. This is a truly free gift. God offers, and all we have to do is put aside our desire to sin and accept the gift of life from Christ.

Read John 3:16 to see this promise: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” In the Bible we read further that if we believe in Jesus Christ, He forgives us of our sins and provides the life that we so desire. In John 1:12 we read, “. . . to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God . . .”

Interested? If this sounds like something that you’d like to add to your life, it’s a simple process. All you have to do is, in prayer –

Admit that you are a sinner (someone who disobeys God) and that you need to be forgiven by God.

Believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came and died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins. Trust also, that He rose on the third day, proving His promise of the resurrection.

Commit your life to following Him, turning away from your sin and to Christ. Unite with believers in the church, be baptized, study the Bible, and love others.
Each of the steps in this process is important. The first, because it’s how you let God know that you know about your problem with sin; the second, because it is the point where you change your mind to tune in to the mind of Christ; and finally step three is important because it is the place where you begin to apply biblical mandates to help you to grow.

If paused to pray just such a prayer after reading this, we’d like to know. Contact us at LoomAndWheel@pobox.com to share your decision with us. We want to rejoice with you and help you find a solid Bible-believing, Bible-teaching church to nurture you in your path to Christian growth.

May the Lord bless you in this most important decision you’ve made today.

Imprint

Text: Text copyright 1999 by Benjamin Potter
Publication Date: 01-27-2009

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
This is for Amanda and Tommy and Stephen and Becky and Gini--always keep Christmas in your hearts.