The greatest loser of all time by Mike Bamiloye
Luke 2:6-7,12,15-16 KJV
[6] And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
[7] And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
In the entire Bible, I suppose, there is a loser of an higher dimension. I never stopped to wonder the devil that deceived the man that early morning or late evening. He lost all his chances to be reckoned with through all the ages. He was blind and acutely short-sighted. He was mindful of only what he could gain that morning, so could not see the mighty opportunity in the couple that approached him for help.
If a wealthy man had come to the inn that morning looking for where to stay over, and the Inn-Manager or Owner of the Inn had looked at the gorgeous dressing of the wealthy man and his train of lavishly dressed horse or donkey or camel, the Inn-Owner or Manager would never have mind to displace the occupants of three or four rooms to accommodate the wealthy man.
But the Inn-Manager did not know that Mary and Joseph who came into the inn looking for a small room to stay over while the pains of labour had began to press Mary, were far more important and gorgeous than any wealthy man in the whole world. May God open our eyes to see a life-time opportunity when it comes on our way.
So, the heavily pregnant MARY and his seriously disturbed Joseph were turned back by the receptionist of the Inn. Joseph looked everywhere for any empty space, there was none, the only available space was the manger where the occupants of the Inn and the neighbors usually keep their sheep and donkeys and camels, while they lodged inside the Inn. Therefore, I think the manger is the place that housed the sheep and camels of the guests of the Inn and neighbors around the place. THAT WAS WHERE WAS AVAILABLE TO DELIVER THE KING OF GLORY, THE MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE.
Oh-o-o-oh! If I were the Owner of the Inn, and knew the baby the woman was carrying in her womb, when the couple came into the reception to book for a room, oh-o-o-oh! I would have evacuated all the guest in the Guest House. I would have hired some cleaners to clean the whole Inn, ahead of the arrival of the King of Glory. I would have closed shop that day and sent all guest out into the street to prepare for the coming of the Master of the Universe. I would have offered myself to be the waiter to wait on the couple so as to have opportunity to behold the baby when he is born.
Ah-ah! The Owner of the Manger and the Manager of the manger missed the opportunity of a life-time. THE BABY WAS BORN IN A MANGER, AND NOT IN THE INN.
THE ANGELS EVEN DIRECTED PEOPLE TO THE MANGER.
[12] And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
THE ANGELS of heaven appeared to the Shepherd on the field in another part of the city and announced to them about the birth of Jesus Christ. they even directed them to the Manger, not the Inn.
If you offered the Lord Jesus your Life, the Angels of Blessing will direct people that carry your blessing to your life. If you release your shop, business, career to the Lord Jesus, the Angels of blessings will direct blessing to whatever you hand over to Jesus.
THE MANGER BECAME THE TOURIST ATTRACTIONS.
[15] And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
[16] And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
The Manger became an instant tourist attraction to every one. Oh! The Manager and the Owner of the Inn missed that opportunity. They would have began to witness a lot of people, rich, wealthy and all sort of people passing by the front of the Inn to the Manger very close to the Inn. they would have wondered what was going on, till they decided to go see themselves. Then, they were shocked to their bone marrow when they saw that the personalities people were coming to see were the same seemingly insignificant couple they had turned away at the reception of the Inn. The Manager and the Owner of the Inn were still wondering this, when all of a sudden, they looked up in the distance and saw some extremely wealthy rich men from the East, decked in gold and precious clothing riding upon lavishly decked camels with all their entourage passing the front of the “insignificant Inn” and coming towards the now popular and world-famous “Manger”.
They were stupefied as they saw the wise men from the East dismounting their camels and prostrating before the Baby and bringing out of their luggages boxes of Gold, Myrrh, and Frankincense. They were amazed seeing various types of people passing the front of their INN to come over to see the Savior at the MANGER.
They Lost the Opportunity of making their Inn a World Tourist Attractions. The Inn got lost but the Manger lived till today. At Christmas Time, the symbol of the Birth of Jesus always show the companions of the Baby Jesus to be Sheep and Camels and cows in a Manger, and not any picture of an Inn and its Manager or Owner. They lost. It would have been their Inn that the Wise Men from the East would have come. But the Baby was not there.
JESUS KNOWS HOW TO POPULARIZE AND GLORIFY THE SMALLEST AND THE BASEST OF GIFT, WHEN YOU HONOR HIM WITH IT.
Mark 14:3-6,9 KJV
[3] And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.
[4] And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?
[5] For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.
[6] And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.
[9] Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
Mary of Bethany who broke the precious oil to anoint of Jesus was never forgotten. Jesus said wherever the gospel is preached, she would be remembered.
The young boy in John 6, who surrendered his five loaves of bread and two fishes to Jesus Christ to feed the thousands of Jesus’ followers was never forgotten since then. He became a symbol of absolute faith and trust in the Lord’s power to supply. What he did proved to us that Jesus can make use of the smallest gift to feed millions and multitudes, when it is released to Him by faith.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE MISSED THE OPPORTUNITIES OF LIFETIME WHEN THEY FAILED TO RELEASE WHAT THEY HAVE TO THE LORD JESUS.
The Owner of the Inn was asked for just One-Room, but he failed. The Young boy was asked for just his Lunch-pack and he released it and it blessed the multitude, he became a hero since then. Mary Magdalene bought a bottle of costly ointment and anointed the feet of Jesus with it, and she was on remembrance list since then. WHEN IT IS TIME TO GIVE JESUS WHAT HE DEMANDED FOR, NEVER MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE HIM, BECAUSE IT MAY BE THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME.
May you never miss the Opportunity to honor the Lord Jesus with your GIFTS at the appropriate time, because the greatest loser is the person who missed the Opportunity to honor the Lord with what the Lord demanded for.
– MIKE BAMILOYE
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