Displaying a Christmas nativity scene is a long-standing tradition, but it can also present a bit of a skewed view of the actual events of Jesus’ birth. While each person depicted in a traditional nativity scene is a part of the Christmas story, not all the characters were present in one place on the night Jesus was born. Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were in a stable that night due to the overcrowding in Bethlehem’s inn (Luke 2:7), but the Bible never mentions whether or not animals were present—in fact, it never even mentions a stable. The shepherds, once told of Jesus’ arrival, left their flocks to worship the newborn King (Luke 2:16). However, the angels, which are often part of nativity scenes, bore the good news to the shepherds in the fields (Luke 2:8–14). As far as we know, there were no angels flying visibly over the place where Jesus was when the shepherds arrived. In addition, the wise men (the Bible never says how many there were) were also probably not present that first night. The magi visited Jesus some time later, when He was in a house (Matthew 2:1–11).

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CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Meats		Meats, Potatoes, Quick, Easy	4	Servings

INGREDIENTS

6		Red casing hot dogs
6		Potatoes: peeled and cubed
1		Medium mild onion, chopped
1	ds	Salt and Pepper to taste
1	ds	Garlic powder to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Par boil potato cubes until slightly tender when pierced with a fork. Slice
hot dogs into coins (chunks). Heat coating of oil in frying pan. Add
chopped onion, hot dogs and potato cubes.  Cook until potatoes are golden.
Serve.
From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

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The Apostle [Paul] is asking in Philippians 1 which is most worthwhile for him, to live or to die. Often has that question presented itself to us, and perhaps we like the Apostle, have answered that “we are in a strait.” But I fear we may have used the words in a sense far different from Paul's. When we have wished for death, we meant to say, “I know not which alternative I ought most to dread, the afflictions of life, from which death would release me, or the terrors of death, from which life protects me.” In other words, life and death look to us like two evils of which we know not which is the less. As for the Apostle, they look to him like two immense blessings of which he knows not which is the better (Adolphe Monod).

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