When you think about where He was born it is very humbling!  Only someone 
who loved us would make this kind of sacrifice so that we may live and have 
eternal life if we accept Him as our Savior.
Praise His Holy Name.
Virgie and Hoshi
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Phil Scovell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, December 18, 2006 12:34 AM
Subject: Where Jesus Was Born


>     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.
>