Chris Loehmer Kincaid's Blog, page 9

Jesus is Baptized

 

Then Jesus came fromGalilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have preventedhim, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesusanswered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill allrighteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately hewent up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he sawthe Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold,a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am wellpleased.” (Matthew 3:13-17, English Standard Version)

Only two and a half weeks ago, we celebrated the birthof Jesus, and now, in just a blink of an eye, just like with our own sons, thattiny baby is a grown man.  

We always think of baptism as a way of washing awayour sins, so why was Jesus baptized if He was sinless? When I went looking forthat answer, I found more than I had anticipated. Such as: Jesus was baptizedto show humility and set an example for others, to fulfill all righteousness,to show God confirming Jesus was His Son, and to be able to begin His ministry.

I don’t know. All of those reasons are probablyaccurate, but I’m all about keeping it simple. Jesus had to be baptized becauseeven though He would never sin, He became one of us when He came to earth. Butthe part I focus on is when God says to Jesus, “This is my beloved Child who Iam pleased with.”

I want to be a beloved child, too. I want to pleaseGod and hear Him say those words to me someday when I meet Him in heaven.

Best Ride Ever - Cambodia blog entry #30

 

Formonths before my trip to Cambodia, I was scouring all the channels streaming onmy TV in search of all things Cambodian. One day, I came across an episode ofExpedition Unknown with Josh Gates. On it, he was digging up ancient stuff inCambodia, but at one point, he needed to (or, more like, wanted to forHollywood allure) ride an unconventional train. Part of the bamboo railroad.

Iwatched that segment several times and became convinced that, after seeingAngkor Wat, this was what I wanted to experience the most on my trip.

 

Inthe 1930s, French colonists built the Cambodian railroad to transfer rice andother goods between Phnom Penh and Poipet. Unfortunately, during the VietnamWar, the railroads were easy targets for bombs, and in 1975, when the KhmerRouge took control of the country, a large proportion of the track was removed.Once the Khmer Rouge was overthrown, locals used the scrap that was left fromtanks and other vehicles to mend and reinstate the track. They then built smallbamboo ‘trains’ to transport goods and passengers locally. 

Passengersride on a wooden or bamboo platform called a norri. This base sits on a set ofwheels and is powered by a small engine. 

Notmuch more I can add to that, except, “Wheeee!”

And also, that this ride gave us a chance to view more of the beautiful countryside. 

Where-Was-I Wednesday - Cambodia blog entry #29

Goodness,it has only been a month since I last posted a story from my trip to Cambodia,but it feels way longer than that. I gotta figure out where I was.

Okay,the last time I wrote about that amazing trip, we spent our last night in thecaptivating little city of Siem Reap.

The next morning, which would have been Wednesday, September 25, we checked out of the Darling Pub Hostel and boarded a bus for the town of Battambang. It was a three-hour bus ride up and over the top of the Tonle Sap River/Lake. We had the bus to ourselves, so we spread out and made ourselves at home. Okay, I did anyway.   

The name Battambang translates to mean "lost stick.". Located on the Sangker River, Battambang was founded in the 11th century by the Khmer Empire but was mostly under Thai jurisdiction instead of Khmer. It is the country's leading rice-producing province. We had another two very full days exploring all the city offers. 

The first evening we were there, we walked along the riverwalk. So much to see, but in many ways, just like any other town.

In one place, an extended family was playing a game of hacky sack around one of their children, who was strapped in a walker chained to a tire. Hey, at least the kid was with their family.

The Emerald Hotel, where we stayed.

Our room.

Our view.

I'll be sharing much more about this city in the coming days, including another one of the things I had really been looking forward to.

The Wisemen

 

Ah,here we are – the visit from the Wisemen. Hopefully, you have heard enoughabout them to know that they didn’t find Jesus at the manger and that it wasmany months, possibly up to two years, before they tracked Him down in thehumble home of Mary and Joseph.

Ithink it makes it easier for us to picture the Wisemen in Bethlehem just afterJesus’ birth, because then we can take down our nativity set right afterChristmas and move on. But something just dawned on me.

RememberMary and Joseph trudging all the way from Nazareth to Bethlehem, maybe –hopefully – Mary riding on a donkey. Then they had to trudge home again, with ababy this time. And even though they would appreciate gifts at any time, maybethey would rather have these gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh deliveredstraight to their home. Don’t you think?

     Oncoming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they boweddown and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him withgifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11, NIV)

Andwhat about those gifts? What do they symbolize? Wealth, sacrifice, and death.Gold was for a king, frankincense was used by the priests when makingsacrifices, and myrrh was a spice for embalming.

Butthis year, I heard it a little differently. Not that these items were used byor on Jesus. But that they symbolize who He is. A King, a Teacher or Priest,and our Savior, one who would die to save us.

Frightful Fog

I was going to title this post "Foggy Friday," but only my head isfoggy today (as usual). The foggy day was last Thursday, the day afterChristmas, when Hubby and I were going to see his brother in Iowa.

It was a frightful fog. Thicker than pea soup fog. The only time I'd been in fog this thick was on Bokor Mountain in Cambodia last September.

Andthen Hubby took a wrong turn while I was having a short snooze. As we werenavigating the backroads, trying to get back to the state highway, we saw theselights in the distance. 

Beforelong, the same lights were on the other side of the road. 

Yes,they were Amish horses and buggies. Out in this miserable weather. Andwe met or passed over ten of them in about a ten-mile stretch of that road. 

Itwas a bit ridiculous. I didn't think we should be out driving in this pea soup;I sure didn't think anyone should be out with a horse and buggy. There are manypeople out there who are more resilient than me. 

Havea good week, and drive safe if you're out and about. 

Word for 2025

Herewe are, another new year. Which means that it’s time to present my word of theyear.

Lastyear, my word was comfort. I remember lying in bed one night in January,unable to sleep because I was worried about my cardiac stress test that wasscheduled for the next day. And God spoke Psalm 94:19 to me. “When my worry isgreat within me, Your comfort brings joy to my soul.”

Ifell asleep repeating that verse and did fine on the stress test.

For2025, listening to the news and how our world is falling apart, I might needeven more than comfort. I might need a place to shelter, a refuge fromthe chaos. Andjust like He provides us with comfort, God supplies us with a safe refugeas well.

Psalm 91 – NIV

Whoeverdwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

Surely, Hewill save me from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He willcover me with His feathers, and under His wings I will find refuge; Hisfaithfulness will be my shield and rampart. I will not fear the terror ofnight, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in thedarkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

Athousand may fall at my side, ten thousand at my right hand, but it will notcome near me. I will only observe with my eyes and see the punishment of thewicked.

If I say,“The Lord is my refuge,” and I make the Most High my dwelling, no harm willovertake me, no disaster will come near my home. For He will command His angelsconcerning me to guard me in all my ways; they will lift me up in their hands, sothat I will not strike my foot against a stone. I will tread on the lion andthe cobra; I will trample the great lion and the serpent.

     “Becauseyou love Me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue you; I will protect you, for you acknowledgeMy name. You will call on Me, and I will answer you; I will be with you introuble, I will deliver you and honor you. With long life I will satisfy you andshow you My salvation.”

Sorrythat this got so long, but I wanted to share the entire chapter, not just oneverse.

Ipray you all got through 2024 and are eager to see what 2025 has to offer. Godbless you.

A Mom’s Perspective

ButMary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19,NIV)

Iknow, it’s already December 29, four days since Christmas. That seems so longago, and people are already taking down their trees! For me, too much effort wentinto putting up that tree and I’m not removing it until all the space it’staking up really begins to annoy me. (I used to be able to say, “until it losesall its needles”, but my living room is outa luck on that account ever since wewent plastic.)

Ialso used the above verse in my last post, on Christmas Eve. But I think it’sworth repeating. I like the different words used by different versions of the Bible.

NewCentury Version says, “But Mary treasured these things and continued tothink about them.”

NewLiving Translation tells us, “But Mary kept all these things in her heartand thought about them often.”

TheMessage says, “Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear,deep within herself.”

Ithink all of us moms have things we remember and cherish about the births ofour children. Mary was no different from us in that respect.

Butwe know what happened to Mary’s Son. How much more would we hold those memoriestight in our hearts if we knew one of our children would die such a horrible death? And why. 

Maybethat’s why I treasure the Christmas Story so much.

The Shepherds

Thereis a lot to be said about the shepherds of Jesus’ day. They were a marginalizedgroup of men, spending their days and nights out in the wilds watching overtheir sheep. Their occupation was necessary, especially since the priests werealways in need of perfect, unblemished lambs for sacrifice in the temple, butstill shepherds were looked down on.

Okay,so the sheep from my nativity set from Mexico are far from perfect. They lookmore like seals, don’t they? My thought is that Jesus is the only One who isperfect – completely white without blemish, without sin. Us sinful people downhere on Earth? We are kinda green and goofy looking, and not even always sonice on the inside. But if we believe that Jesus came to die for us and cleanseus of our sins, we can shed that skin of imperfection and be white as snow.

Luke2:15-20, New Living Translation

Whenthe angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s goto Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has toldus about.”

Theyhurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lyingin the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happenedand what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard theshepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heartand thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks,glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as theangel had told them.

The Angels

Hasanyone ever told you that they were visited by an angel? That a total stranger stoppedon the roadside, where their car was broken down, and fixed it? Or that the newneighbor they hadn’t met yet showed up on their door step right after some crisishappened, and this “neighbor” called 911 and stayed until the ambulance gotthere, and then was never seen again? But I bet no one has ever told you they had an encounter with an angel –followed by an army of angels – like the one the shepherds had.

Luke2:8-14, New Living Translation

Thatnight there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocksof sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radianceof the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angelreassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that willbring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has beenborn today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by thissign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in amanger.”

Suddenly,the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising Godand saying,

“Gloryto God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God ispleased.”

The Birth of Jesus

Irealize there are four more days until Christmas Eve, but I wanna get the wholestory in by then. So, here we are, watching Joseph trudging to Bethlehem with avery pregnant Mary. We all know what happens next. I always wonder how thathappened. Wasn’t Bethlehem the home of Joseph’s relatives? Wouldn’t someonehave made room for poor Mary to have her baby? But it’s not for me to questionthe Bible Story. More like, I should be forever in awe of the amazing thingsthat God has done for us.  

Luke2:1-7, New Living Translation

Atthat time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be takenthroughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quiriniuswas governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to registerfor this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had togo to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from thevillage of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged,who was now expecting a child.

Andwhile they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth toher firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in amanger, because there was no lodging available for them.

(And my apologies if the duck family seems irreverent. Of the 12 nativity sets I have out, this is the only one where Baby Jesus is thoroughly swaddled.)