{"id":22794,"date":"2019-12-23T12:15:14","date_gmt":"2019-12-23T17:15:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=22794"},"modified":"2020-01-26T19:48:43","modified_gmt":"2020-01-27T00:48:43","slug":"press-report-from-bethlehem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=22794","title":{"rendered":"Press Report from Bethlehem! (12\/22\/19)"},"content":{"rendered":"

In what is becoming a Sunday before Christmas tradition, Rev. Jim Hughes visited PUMC and gave us a first hand account of what happened on that First Christmas.\u00a0 This year, he appeared as Amos, a newspaper reporter who happened to be covering the beat in Bethlehem on that wondrous night.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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To learn more about Rev. Jim Hughes and his ministry, visit his website by clicking this button: <\/span><\/p>\n

Jim Hughes Ministries<\/span><\/a> \n<\/span><\/p>\n

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Rev. Hughes has spoken at our church and at the Summer Camp Meeting on numerous occasions.\u00a0 To read more about his sermons over the years, click this button:<\/span><\/p>\nJim Hughes at PUMC<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n

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Music, Drama, and Word…<\/span><\/h3>\n

Before Rev. Jim Hughes<\/em> began his message, Pastor Jim Bolton<\/em> read the selected scripture (Luke 1:46-56).\u00a0 This passage is commonly known as “The Magnificat”, or “Song of Mary.”\u00a0 God chose Mary to become the Mother of the Messiah and sent an angel to tell her the news.\u00a0 Mary then visited her cousin Elizabeth, and Elizebeth confirmed the angel’s message.\u00a0 This is Mary’s response; a prayer of wonder and gratitude…<\/span><\/p>\n

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And Mary said:<\/span><\/p>\n

“My soul magnifies the Lord,\u00a0 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. <\/span>\nFor He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;<\/span>\nFor behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. <\/span>\nFor He who is mighty has done great things for me,<\/span>\nAnd holy is His name. <\/span><\/p>\n

And His mercy is on those who fear Him, From generation to generation. <\/span>\nHe has shown strength with His arm;<\/span>\nHe has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. <\/span>\nHe has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. <\/span><\/p>\n

He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. <\/span>\nHe has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, <\/span>\nAs He spoke to our fathers,\u00a0 To Abraham and to his seed forever.”<\/span><\/p>\n

And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.<\/span><\/p>\n

NKJV<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

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The Report from Amos<\/span><\/h3>\n

God gave Jim Hughes a powerful singing voice, a creative imagination, and a love for Jesus.\u00a0 These three graces combine together to produce a powerful witness and compelling message.\u00a0 With a quick costume change, some props, and a dramatic entrance, Jim– er, Amos-<\/em><\/span> transformed the written words into a story that’s core to our very existence.<\/p>\n

As Amos, his encounter with Jesus began as a bystander.\u00a0 Amos was just doing his job and he reported what he saw.\u00a0 But has he got closer, he became part of the story…<\/p>\n

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“Silent Night”<\/span><\/h4>\n

Amos opened his report by walking down the center aisle singing “Silent Night.”\u00a0 He had a limp in his gait, was leaning on a cane, and wore a hat with the ubiquitous “Press” label on the side.\u00a0\u00a0 \"\"<\/p>\n

Amos was a reporter working with the Bethlehem paper, and his first assignment happened to be the Great Census.\u00a0 Everyone was called to return to their home town to register for the census (and pay their taxes).\u00a0 Bethlehem, the City of David, was the home town to a lot of people.\u00a0 The place was anything but silent.\u00a0 It’s streets were thronged with people who didn’t want to be there.\u00a0 Weary travelers were anxiously searching the inns, trying to find a place to rest for the night.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For two of those travelers, there was no room but\u00a0 Mary and Joseph were expecting a baby any moment.\u00a0 During their night in the manger and in the days following, reporter Amos had a chance to meet Mary and Joseph.<\/p>\n

We had known about the coming of the Messiah for generations.\u00a0 And for generations, many young girls prayed that perhaps they would have the awesome privilege and responsibility of becoming the mother of the Messiah.\u00a0 God could have worked it out any way He wanted, but He chose this time, place, and girl.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Amos reports that Mary was a person of deep faith.\u00a0 She did not come from a wealthy family; she came from humble roots.\u00a0 This silent choice and unnoticed birth contrasted itself with the noise and commotion of the city.<\/p>\n

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“Wonderful Name, Jesus”<\/span><\/h4>\n

After his introduction, Amos began to sing…<\/p>\n

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“Wonderful Name, Jesus…\u00a0 The only name worth singing of…. \u00a0 Name the Angels bring…\u00a0 Heaven touched His name with glory… The title heaven rang…<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

There was something special about this birth.\u00a0 This baby had common parents, a common birthplace, and even a common name.\u00a0 But, something bigger was going on here.\u00a0 This Name- Jesus- was given by God Himself.\u00a0 This Name- Jehoshua, Messiah, Jesus- brought the hand of God into humanity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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“How Could It Be?”<\/span><\/h4>\n

After the birth, Amos continued his assignment in Bethlehem.\u00a0 He helped Mary and Joseph find a room where they could stay while Mary recovered from the birth.\u00a0 During this time, he had a chance to get to know Joseph.\u00a0 Amos reports that Joseph was a righteous man, and a man of faith.\u00a0 Looking back, Amos comments that Joseph is sometimes a forgotten character of this story.\u00a0 But it was Joseph who raised Jesus, who taught Jesus the scriptures, who showed him right from wrong.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One night, Amos and Joseph took a walk around the city.\u00a0 Joseph struggled with his role and with what was happening.\u00a0 Who am I?\u00a0 How can I do this?\u00a0 They prayed together, and\u00a0 Amos related this prayer in song…<\/p>\n

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How could it be?\u00a0 Son of God, not my own.\u00a0 Not of my own flesh, not of my bone…\u00a0 But let him be the son of my love…\u00a0 How can I raise Your King?….\u00a0 Show me where I fit into this plan.\u00a0 How can a man be father to the Son of God?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Mary and Joseph left the next morning.\u00a0 Amos never saw Joseph again.\u00a0 He stayed in Bethlehem for a couple of years, and then traveled around taking on different assignments.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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“Bethlehem Morning, Bethlehem Sunrise”<\/span><\/h4>\n

Amos’ work eventually took him to Jerusalem.\u00a0 Over the years he had heard about a man who was traveling across the land, teaching, healing, and even raising the dead.\u00a0 But the identity of this man was no mystery to Amos; He looked back to that wondrous night in \"\"Bethlehem, and he knew that this teacher had to be Jesus.\u00a0\u00a0 Just as Mary had “pondered these things in her heart,” Amos began to connect the dots.\u00a0\u00a0 He reported about Jesus, keeping his own conclusions out of the story.\u00a0 Just the facts.<\/p>\n

But eventually, Amos’ reporter instincts began to wane.\u00a0 Forces deep within his heart were crushing the impartial distance he kept from the story.\u00a0 He realized that he needed to be more than just a casual follower of Jesus.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

He was in Jerusalem when Jesus entered the city on a donkey.\u00a0 He was among the crowds cheering this King and ushering him into the city with palm branches.\u00a0 But later that week he was in the crowd that turned against him.\u00a0 He was in the crowd that yelled, “Crucify Him!”\u00a0 He was part of the crowd that watched Jesus as he struggled under the weight of the cross, bleeding and stumbling His way through the crooked streets to Galgotha.\u00a0 Amos witnessed the cross, the nails, the human agony.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But his mind went back to that night in Bethlehem.\u00a0 He knew that he would do a disservice to Jesus’ birth if he didn’t recognize the purpose of his birth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Partially as Amos, and partially as Rev. Jim Hughes, the report was closed with the following song…<\/p>\n

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Bethlehem Morning- more than a memory… The child born there came to set us free…<\/span>
\nBethlehem Sunrise- The spirit of that child never dies…<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Yes, the Christmas story is about mangers, animals, wise men, and angels.\u00a0 But the message we need to report is summed up by Jesus’ own words (recorded in John 3:16-17, The Message)…<\/p>\n

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“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. <\/span><\/p>\n

God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Paul would later write that Jesus “became sin for us.”\u00a0 All of our own shortcomings, wrongdoings, and faithlessness were taken up by Jesus.\u00a0 He embodied all of the things that divided us from God and died on a cross to take them away from us.\u00a0 We can’t begin to wrap our minds around how much God loves us.\u00a0 The Creator of the universe “became sin”…. became MY sin… so that I could have a relationship with Him.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Why do we exist?\u00a0 The story of Christmas is that Jesus came to set us free.\u00a0 We won’t find meaning in possessions, accomplishments, or intelligence.\u00a0 It all boils down to Christ.\u00a0 We won’t find any meaning in life apart from the Creator who wants to set us free from meaningless living.\u00a0\u00a0 Meaning comes from living out the life that God created us to have.\u00a0 It’s not about church, bible, or being a “good person.”\u00a0 It’s not about performance;\u00a0 it’s about surrender.\u00a0 It’s not about belief; it’s about relationship.<\/p>\n

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What’s YOUR Report?<\/span><\/h3>\n

After completing his report, Amos left his cane and press credentials on the floor.\u00a0 The hat and cane left us with an unspoken challenge; are you willing to be part of “The Press” even into your old age?\u00a0 What will your report be?\u00a0 When you talk to friends, can you report that you know this Jesus?\u00a0 Maybe\"\" once upon a time He was a casual acquaintance, but can you report that you have grown deeper and deeper in love with Him?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rev. Hughes reported that this year has been particularly refreshing for his own personal walk.\u00a0 He’s looked back over his life and found that this past year has brought him to a love for Jesus that’s even deeper than it was in the previous year.\u00a0 Our own challenge is to keep falling in love with Jesus, over and over.\u00a0 You can never catch up with the depth of His love.<\/p>\n

The hat and cane are yours to pick up and to carry on.<\/p>\n

What’s your report???<\/p>\n

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+\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 +<\/span><\/p>\n

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For more about our Sunday Worship Experiences, click this button:\u00a0 Worship<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In what is becoming a Sunday before Christmas tradition, Rev. Jim Hughes visited PUMC and gave us a first hand account of what happened on that First Christmas.\u00a0 This year, he appeared as Amos, a newspaper reporter who happened to be covering the beat in Bethlehem on that wondrous night. Amos challenged us to go beyond being a casual and impartial observer of Jesus. Become part of the story.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22828,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[191,50,14],"tags":[123,148,88],"class_list":["post-22794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hughes","category-sermons","category-worship","tag-christmas","tag-godslove","tag-jesus"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22794"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22794\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22831,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22794\/revisions\/22831"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/22828"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}