Phil, I think this is why the song, In A cave, came about.

earlier, Phil Scovell, wrote:

>      Bill Rice has been dead for many years.  He was a cowboy
>early on in his life.  He later went into ministry work.  When he
>died, he owned a 1500 acre ranch out east in one of the Carolinas,
>as I recall, but his full time ministry had turned into a ministry
>for the deaf.  Every summer, about 1500 deaf people came to his
>ranch and would spend two or three weeks on the ranch.  They rode
>horses, camped out, sat around huge bond fires, and those trained
>in sign language would translate everything, including the Bible
>studies they had, and the preaching services.
>
>      Bill went to the Bible lands once, maybe more than once, but
>this one time I know about, he said, during an off time, he asked
>the guide to take him to a place that he, the guide, thought was
>like where Jesus was born.  The guide explained to him that
>throughout Palestine, especially in those days, they didn't need
>stables or barns because of all the thousands of small caves.  Of
>course, many were buried in such caves.  Anybody come to mind
>right off you can think of?  Jesus for example?  Anyhow, before
>speaking on this same topic today at church, I read through the
>Christmas stories, so called, and realizing I didn't see the word
>"stable" in the stories, I did a computer search.  I was positive
>I had read the word "stable" in the birth of Jesus passages of
>Scriptures.  Guess what?  The word isn't even in the Gospels.
>Yes, it says he was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a
>manger, but it says nothing about a barn or a stable.
>
>      Bill rice said the guide took him to a cave which had been
>used once as a stable for farm animals.  The cave was empty at the
>time so Bill asked the man if it was ok for him to go inside.  The
>guide said that there was no light but he was welcome to enter.
>Bill said when he stepped inside, the smell nearly knocked him
>out.  This coming from a cowboy who was used to being around such
>smells.  Secondly, Bill said that the manure he stepped into came
>nearly to his boot tops.  the entire cave was this way.  He moved
>around and examined the manger that was there.  He stood in this
>cave and realized for the first time in his life, this was the
>true humble birth of the God of the universe.  He said it changed
>his life just thinking about it.  It has changed my life since I
>heard this story.  I trust it will change your thoughts about
>Christmas and who Jesus really is.  Think of it.  If this was like
>the place Jesus was born, he was born in a cave, was buried in a
>cave, and rose again from a cave.  Go Jesus.  Show 'em.
>
>Phil.
>
>
>
>
>
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>12/16/2006 5:39 PM

John


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