WHO IS THE REAL HONORED GUEST? ( a short skit)

WHO IS THE REAL HONORED GUEST? by BH

For Chinese link, 誰是真正的貴賓 click the following link

https://heartstring2.blogspot.com/2023/11/blog-post_28.html？

Bethlehem (around 2,000 years ago): Joseph and Mary arrive at the sleepy town in the middle of the night. Mary, already in labor, remains on the donkey while Joseph frantically searches for a room at the local inns. Desperate, he begs one reluctant innkeeper for any place at all to have this baby. The innkeeper finally relents and makes room for them in a tumbledown stable with the cows.

...And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:4–7)

Greedy: the greedy inn keeper, Purity: the inn's only maid, Honesty: Greedy's childhood friend, Joseph, Jesus' adopted father. Wisemen from the East

Greedy: (looks up from newspaper) Great news! Great news!Emperor Caesar(God bless his soul!) has ordered al,l the Jews to return to their hometown ! Luckily, there's only one inn in all of Bethlehem-mine! I'll raise rates on all of my rooms by tenfold! I'll make lots and lots of money. look! My stock just rose a hundred points! This is fantastic! What good fortune I have! Heaven is smiling at me, pouring money on the street for me to pick up. It's like the musical “Pennies from Heaven”, only this time it's silver dollars from Heaven. I'll have so much money that maybe I should get a couple more wives, with the money I’ll make, I could probably get a dozen more wives… you know the old saying, “ cheaper by the dozen” (suddenly turns and lowers his voice) shh! I can’t let my wife know…if she found out, I'd never hear end of it (she will kill me)!

(The telephone rings) Purity: Hello, this is the V.I.P. Inn. May I help you? Oh, Mr. Rockefeller’s secretary, A "reservation"for the twenty-fifth of December? Master suites? Fine!(writes info down) OK, at 7 pm, we’ll send a "caravan" to the airport for you. Thank you!

Greedy: I was right! One of the richest families in America just called and "money is no object to him!" (rubs hands together ) I can't wait to see the money start rolling in!

(knocking heard, Purity opens the door)

Honesty: Greedy, do you have a "spare room" ? This year the "harvest" was really poor. Our "wheat crop" was eaten by locusts, and my house was taken by the "creditors" Where can 8 people live? Since You have so much money, can you loan me one of your rooms?

Greedy: Who said that I have money? I'm not rich at all! If anyone wants to borrow money from me, he should know that I'm a poor man. "I have no money!"

Honesty: Please, Greedy, we've been friends since we were very small. Next year they predict the "harvest" will be good.

Greedy: Okay, you can have the room next to the outhouse, Nobody wants to live there anyway because it stinks so badly, and the traffic is really heavy over there. But, since you're my old friend, I let you stay there. By the way, you should clean the outhouse in return for such a good favor from me.

Honesty:Thank you so much, Greedy. May God bless you.

Greedy: (under his breath) I hope I can have a lot more. Honesty: I am going to move my family in. See you later.

(Honesty exits)

Greedy: Purity, remember, if any people dressed in rags ask for a room, tell them that there's "no vacancy". If they keep on asking , call the police to drive away those beggars--I hate them! Reserve the best rooms for our American "relatives". This way, we’ll earn lots of money. Remember that the most important thing in this world is to make money. If someone does not have money, I don't know him, even if he is my best friend. Good luck to Honesty,; I still consider him as my old acquaintance. Next year when he has a good harvest, I'll see to it that he pays me back double! Am I not smart? I will not lose even a dime!

Purity: Yes, boss. (with a sad expression)

ACT II

No Vacancy sign in front of the inn, the night is turning dark. (Joseph is very tired, in rags, knocks on the door) (Purity opens the door)

Joseph( Jesus' adopted father): Young lady, I'm sorry to bother you so late at night since obviously, the "inn" is full. But I'm really very desperate. Could you try to squeeze us in somewhere just for tonight? We have been walking for several days. Worst of all, my wife is about to have a baby any minute now. I'm afraid that “her labor" has already started. Any place would be fine, if we could only stay for the night.

Purity: (looking around carefully, then softly whispers) Actually, there's still our very best room, but it's reserved for a V.I.P. who is supposed to show up tomorrow. That's why I put up the "no vacancy" sign. Since you're so desperate, I'll try to persuade my boss into letting you stay there since the V.I.P. won't show up yet. Please wait outside while I go and check.

(Purity closes the door )

Purity: Your majesty Greedy, there's a couple outside; they're going to have a baby and they've been walking for a long time. Do you think that we could give Mr. Rockefeller’s room to them? He won't show up until tomorrow. Can't we give this room to them just for tonight?

Greedy: (peeks through the door, jerks back, and jumps in hot temper) "You idiot! The couple outside are dressed like beggars! They probably can't afford to pay for any room. Another thing, they're going to have a baby? It will dirty my room. Besides, if they have a baby tonight, how can I force them to leave tomorrow when they can't pay?

I thought I already told you not to give a room to "poor people". "Have you got no brain whatsoever"?

Purity: Please don't get angry, They are really "desperate" Didn't you see her big tummy? She could have the baby"any second now" I know! How about putting them in the stable? there I'll clean it and they can stay there tonight.

Greedy: "Nonsense" ! When I say "no", that's it. No argument, period!

Purity: "Have mercy"! You'll be blessed with more money if you let them stay in the stable. I guarantee that not only will you earn more money, but that you will also be blessed even more. "Hear me out". They can also watch your horses and camels. Didn't you hear that our neighbor’s horses were stolen last week? If you let that couple stay in the stable, for sure, nobody will steal your horses.

Greedy:Hmm, no charge if they watch my horses all night? How did you get a brain all of a sudden? OK, they can stay if they clean the stable so that I won't have to hire someone to clean it tomorrow. They have to wash the horses and clean out the "manure" also. If they do all of that, they can stay.

Purity: That's asking too much out of them. I'm willing to do those extra chores free of charges, if you let them stay.

Greedy: Fine. It doesn't matter who does it as long as it gets Done and I don’t need to pay extra money. If you want to do it, go ahead.

Purity:(opens the door) Sir, my "boss" said that there's no room for you.(whispers "Heaven only knows') But I pleaded with him to let you stay in the stable. It’s not a good place but it's better than nothing, right? It's just for tonight, you may try to find some place tomorrow.

Joseph: Thank you! May God bless you. At least we have a place to sit down tonight.

Purity: Wait here, I'll go and clean the stable for you. (After a while, she comes back) Purity: It's ready now. Follow me.

(She carefully leads Mary and Joseph in)

Act III

(At midnight Purity wakes up)

Purity: (talks to herself) The stable is so cold, I should let this pair of poor couple have my worn out blanket. It is ragged but it's better than nothing.

(“Silent Night” twice as background music) (she takes her blanket)

Wow, it's a beautiful starry night. There's a big, shining star directly over the stable. It's so pretty, I want to see it.

(In the distance, 3 wise men sing "We three kings of Orient Are")

(Purity is surprised, and rushes to see Greedy)

Purity: I better tell my boss, maybe Mr. Rockefeller and his entourage has arrived early. (knocks on Greedy's door) (Greedy opens the door) Purity: Well, boss, it seems like your honored guests are here.

Greedy: (Jumps out of bed and wipes his eyes) What? Mr. Rockefeller came early? Hey, nobody's there.How dare you wake me up at this wee hours of the night.

Purity: Really, beyond the stable, I saw some people. They looked like kings. There's also a big star above the stable. I thought you should know.

Greedy: (half-believing, he walks out) Why are my honored guests going to the stable? What's happening with these beggars? You're right! There really is a big star over the stable Wouldn't it be nice if it was a diamond that was mine?

(Greedy walks closer and sees 3 wise man at the side—they Take out gold,frankincense and myrrh) Greedy is so surprised that his eyes bulge( almost popped up) He slowly stands up and looks inside the stable. He sees a baby in the manger

( Youth sing “ What child is This?”)

He's surprised, but later on, he gathers his courage And approaches these honored guests “Your honor, welcome to our humble inn. And I have a very good room for you, or. if you wish, you may have my own room too!”

Joseph: Sir, did you not tell me that there was no room? Why do you have room now? If it has not been for the young ladyPurity, I don't know where we would be staying.

Greedy: (stutters) Some--body , some--body just mov--ed out!

Wiseman1: Who believes you? Someone just checked out in the middle of the night? Did you see the big star? We saw that star when we were far away from the east. We knew that a king was going to be born. So we traveled over the mountains to seek him. This big star has guided us all the way here.

(All of a sudden, the angels come out to sing)

Greedy: (trembling, kneeling down, buries his head between his knees. after the angels depart, he raises his head and talks to himself) Angels singing, a bright star guiding 3 wise men here, whose birth could be so celebrated? Could this be the one whom so many prophets have prophesized thousand years ago and we have already waited for thousand years?

The Lord of the Heavens and Earth came to my inn, I didn't even give him a place to stay. What a blessing I have forfeited. Now, all generations will curse me and laugh at me for being such a fool! How could I miss such a golden opportunity? It will never come again! (almost crying then he has new insight)

At least, I can warn others not to be as foolish as I was. (stands up firmly)

My dear friends, luckily. this same Jesus Christ is still knocking at your heart. Don't you want to open your heart and let Him come in? Don't be like me, blind but self-proclaimed smart . Follow Purity's good example. Clean up your heart and welcome the most honorable Lord into your heart. You'll become the most blessed person on earth, because He promised that if anyone accepts Him, he will become God's child and will have eternal life. Don't you want this kind of eternal blessing?

“Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” (Matt.8:20)

God and Gelileo by Pro. David Block

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32rHF2MyXb0&t=23s

Blaise Pascal's Night of Fire

https://experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/2019/02/pascals-night-of-fire.html “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.” ― Pascal Dear all: Below is a less than 5 minutes showing Pascal's joyful experience! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm5dZvskeHQ It Happened on November 23rd... Blaise Pascal

Did Queen Hatshepsut of Egyptian Dynasty 18 adopted Moses?

 https://biblearchaeology.org/research/exodus-from-egypt/3090-moses-and-hatshepsut

Queen Hatshepsut of Dynasty 18. Was she Pharaoh’s daughter? - D. Hansen.

...

Egyptian records show that Thutmosis II and Hatshepsut had a daughter, but they had no sons. He did have a son by a secondary wife. This son, Thutmosis III, was to become the next Pharaoh. When Hatshepsut’s husband/half-brother, Thutmosis II, died ca. 1504 BC, Hatshepsut was 29-30 years old. She then reigned as co-regent with her infant stepson, Thutmosis III. Thutmosis III’s exact age when his father died is unrecorded:

but given that he [Thutmosis III] reigned over 50 years and that his mummy was not that of an elderly man, we can deduce that he was a young child or even a baby rather than a teenager (Tyldesley 1996:96).

The co-regency lasted 22 years until Hatshepsut died ca. 1483 BC after which time Thutmosis III assumed the sole leadership of Egypt and ruled for another 33 years.

An intriguing question is how did Hatshepsut assume power, keep it for so long and defy tradition, as well as why the male bureaucracy tolerated this aberration? There are numerous theories that try to answer that question. The most probable explanation is that she,

possessed a strong character and made the most of the power that had accrued to her as regent. On a practical level, we can imagine that when she became regent she carefully chose the officials who were to serve her (Robins 1993:47).

P. Clayton records that “Hatshepsut was a strong-willed woman who would not let anyone or anything stand in her way” (1994:104). Thutmosis II, her husband/half-brother, was known to be in poor health, frail, and “far from energetic” (Tyldesley 1996:82). She may have anticipated his early death and, at age 29 or 30, had ample time to prepare for taking the throne. Although she was supposed to only be co-regent with her stepson, her aspiration to become Pharaoh was soon apparent. By year seven of her reign she had abandoned the title and insignia of a queen and adopted the fivefold titulary and male costume of a king, including an official royal false beard (Carter 1994:105). She also began to assert kingly prerogatives by setting up obelisks and making offerings directly to gods (Robins 1993:46).

Moses, Hatshepsut and Dynasty 18

...Hatshepsut died ca. 1483 BC and Thutmosis III reigned alone for another 33 years. Whether Hatshepsut died a natural death, or was murdered, is disputed by Egyptologists. What is known is that many of Hatshepsut’s monuments and statues were defaced or destroyed after her departure. Her name was erased from cartouches across the land and replaced with the names of her father or husband/half-brother (LoMusio 1989:87). This would indicate that Thutmosis III acquiesced to removing her memory, understandable if he had had to play a secondary role to her during the first 22 years of his reign. Davis agrees with this interpretation and writes that,

the vengeance sought upon Moses was not due only to Moses’ murder of an Egyptian official, but also to his possible association with Hatshepsut (1986:42).

...Of the monuments that attest to Thutmosis III’s deeds are two obelisks found at Heliopolis. One of these, popularly known as “Cleopatra’s Needle,” can now be seen in Central Park, behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York City (why this obelisk is associated with Cleopatra, ca. 50 BC or 1800 years after Thutmosis III, is not clear). From the tomb of Rekhmire, vizier or a high officer under Thutmosis III, paintings show foreign slaves making bricks. Aling contends these are the only depictions of brickmaking in all the hundreds of tomb paintings from the New Kingdom period, a time that includes the reign of Ramses II of the next dynasty, 19 (1983:71). If Hatshepsut was “Pharaoh’s daughter,” then these building programs were ongoing at the time Moses was raised in Egypt; another element that supports the Biblical story.

 ...it is interesting to put my proposal for Moses’ life over Dynasty 18 and correlate the dates to various Egyptian personages. A careful review of Chart 3 shows that the Biblical account and the Pharaohs of Dynasty 18 fit very neatly.

Dynasty 18 and Dynasty 19 Compared

Holocaust Apologetics

 

Dear SS( sincere seeker friend):

I have struggled with the question about "Holocaust" again and again, or else I won't goggle it again every time some tragedy of mass killings happened.

Nevertheless, I maintain my faith in the goodness of God though at this side of Heaven, we don't have perfect answer, trusting that God knows better.

Well, I think an illustration of a Persian rug perhaps can give us a help in eternal perspectives. In our lifetime, we only see the chaotic  underside of the rug, but God see the upper side, the beautiful rug, a beautiful rug is appearing day by day.

Only when the Weaver stops the loom ( our life ends), and we see God face to face, we may see the meaning of our sufferings in life.

Does Holocaust bring some good results out of it? I think so. Perhaps Florida High's mass killings will bring change to US gun laws, I hope.

...Holocaust played an important role in the founding and long term visibility of the State of Israel in three respects: The Holocaust motivated large numbers of immigrants to move to the new country, providing the necessary population; secondly, the Holocaust enabled Israel to pressure Germany into supplying the economic base necessary to build infrastructure and support those immigrants; and finally, the Holocaust swayed world opinion so that the United Nations approved the State of Israel in 1948.

See also the attached word file which the author supports this point of view.

Furthermore, Jesus wept for Jerusalem before He went there to be crucified. How willingly, God would like to gather us like chicks under a mother hen, yet many of us are unwilling. You see here, human free wills is in the way to block God's loving will to prevail on earth.

Also Jesus recounted Jews' killings of God sent righteous men, and Jews are notorious in their rebellions against God throughout their history, so they were dispersed throughout the earth and lost their country for more than 2000 yrs.( The prophets had warned them again and again throughout OT times about this consequences of rebellions. And Daniel's famous prayer was praying for his country fellows and confessed the national sins and his own sins.)

Furthermore, people walked away from God, and then if they were devoured by wild beasts like tigers, lions ...etc.虎豹豺狼( real or figurative speaking)，should they then blamed God?

May God's truth dawn on you!

http://www.equip.org/article/h olocaust-apologetics

Holocaust Apologetics: Undoing the Death of God

What would be some of the inevitable consequences of persisting in the belief that there is no God or that God really did die in the Holocaust? A rational exploration of these consequences may cause our Jewish friends to reevaluate their atheism.

•Consequence # 1: Illegitimate Law

• Consequence #2: Whimsical Morality 

 ...

( From my email to a seeker friend)

Let me re-cap a few answers we have come up before and update a little bit more.

First of all, God was at the same place, He sacrificed His only begotten Son, so He knows very well the pains the Jews who went through the Holocaust, either dead or survived.

2ndly, Jesus wept for the city of Jerusalem since He knew that Romans were coming to destroy the Jewish country pretty soon.( around AD 70)

So God is shedding His tears for His fallen creatures made in His image too.

3rdly, it is human free wills that caused the mayhem. ( God's will sometimes is not carried out on earth because of bad guys' free will evil doings.)

What if humans don't want to follow manufacture's book( Bible) and go astray their own ways. ( tell me, if we neglect the instruction of putting gas into gas tank but 

we rather like to put water into gas tank because we think we are smarter, the results would be a dead car, right? So if humans don't obey and follow God's instructions,

 they can all become small Hitlers.

4thly, Actually, fallen human nature is sinful, so we all have a little Hilter inside us, that is the root of all human sufferings and pains.

5thly,  If there were no God, there were no absolute moral standard, so atheists couldn't claim that Hitler had committed horrific atrocities, genocides...etc. at all.

 i do remember one time you said men are like animals so there are no absolute "right" or "wrong", animals kill to survive, right?

6thly, The funny thing is we all have a built in conscience that bothers us and let us feel guilty from time to time.

( even though some cultures may numb human conscience to the lowest level.)

Our built-in conscience points to our Creator God who made us in His image. So mankind is not just animal evolving at all.

Rather, humans are ruining their God bearing images instead...

The handwriting on the wall(Daniel 5)

God wrote 10 commandments on the stone!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxJOYjkntVA

Daniel 5: The Writing On The Wall

The Incredible Journey

The Handwriting On The Wall (Daniel 5) James Flanders

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06x1RgvnvHU

 

The Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries:about the Book of Daniel

 

Daniel-The Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries: Digging for Truth Episode 194

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Vfw76j6BeE

Messianic Apocalypse (4Q521), it's list of miracles similar to Luke 7:21-22

 https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/dead-sea-scrolls/the-dead-sea-scrolls-and-the-new-testament/

What do the Dead Sea Scrolls say about Jesus? Nothing. However, they shed some light on the world in which Jesus lived. This scroll, the Messianic Apocalypse (4Q521), has a list of miracles very similar to Luke 7:21–22, even though it was written approximately 150 years before Luke’s Gospel.Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority, Jerusalem.

Parallels between Luke 7:21–22 and 4Q521 and the parts of Isaiah from which they come.

Daniel in Lion's Den

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAnGZF3RfUg

Daniel's 3 friends fire miracle

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c05Pl0nRv94

Daniel Prophet or Pretender?

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9kwgxkW0qE

https://biblearchaeology.org/mediainfo/bible-and-spade

Jerimiah 39:3 ( not Jerimiah 33:9 misquote in this video)

Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon.