ADVENT - DAY 13 - HOW SOLID IS YOUR FOUNDATION?

 Truth or dare----what is the first thing which pops in your mind when I mention -foundation?    I would bet NOT what I think of--

Perhaps YEARS of hearing Momma expound on the fact she never left home without her "girdle" (or foundation undergarments) makes this lovely image pop in my head.  "NO LADY left home without being well girded!"  Momma certainly didn't and she was a small woman--100 pounds maybe, but NO JIGGLING ALLOWED.  NOT FOR ME--much to her dismay---one more failing in her quest to make a "lady" out of her lone female offspring.

NOW this has nothing to do with Advent---BUT the of foundation of which I am speaking today  is instead -

An Underlying basis or principle

How solid is your belief in the virgin birth of the promised messiah being absolutely correct?  My oldest Fort Worth grandson and I were discussing last night what I have discovered while writing these Advent Thoughts.   My research led me to what many of the doubters claim about the facts of the Bethlehem journey.    There is NO mention in the scripture of "The Innkeeper" who has played such an important role in the story when reenacted.  The  Word does say 

"And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths

and laid Him in a manager, 

because there was no place for them in the inn."

Luke 2:7

We assume the inn must have had an innkeeper, but we are not told that specifically.  Does this change how you view the birth of God's own son?

The other thing I discussed with him was Mary's journey on a donkey to Bethlehem.  Scholars are not sure whether Mary travelled to Bethlehem on a donkey or not.  There is no mention of a donkey in The Word.  BUT it is a foreshadow of the ride Jesus takes into Jerusalem on a donkey on Psalm Sunday.  When you research the origin of this donkey, you find the origin comes from "The Protoevangelium of James, an ancient non-biblical account of Mary's life that is traced to the 2nd century."  

So we have taken other books beyond The Word, and added details or made suppositions based upon our best stab at exactly how the birth took place. 

What do we know?  The prophecy was fulfilled, Jesus was born and His trek to The Cross began that day.  Does the fact there is no mention of an innkeeper or donkey mean the story is not factual?  Does this alter your belief in God's provision for mankind's redemption?  My grandson and I agreed it did not change our belief---we had faith that we are told enough to confirm our faith.  What about you?  

"My preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom,

but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of mankind,

but on the power of God."

I Corinthians 2:4-5