19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
Joseph was thinking about hiding Mary so that she didn't get stoned to death. Imagine the humiliation of it all. God certainly was not considering the Jewish law in this case because by getting Mary pregnant, it just raised a heck of a lot of questions. I mean, what would her parents say? Anyone who knew her must have been ashamed of her.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
Do you have dreams that you can remember when you wake up? Sometimes God will speak to us through our dreams. It seems God has a better opportunity to talk to us while we are asleep. So, I suggest you keep track of your dreams that you feel are significant. I do. I write them in a little book. Sometimes, I don't get the interpretation until much later and that little book has been a source of guidance and inspiration to me.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.
(It is also written in the Koran or Qua ran that Jesus is the Messiah and a Messiah is the One who saves us from sin.)
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Not only is Jesus the Messiah, but He is God. (says so right there)
24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
There's one man who knew he was marrying the right girl because God TOLD him to marry her.
25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Friday, November 22, 2013
Matthew 1
Since this is a blog for "new" believers or those who want to grow spiritually and are starting at square one, I want to encourage you to continue reading the New Testament. I'll try to walk you through it as much as possible to keep you focused on what you're reading. Reading the Word is what some might call an acquired or developed 'taste'. Maybe you need to try it a few times before you can appreciate it fully enough to make it a habit.
Maybe it's a little like eating durion. Now, the first time I ever tasted durion, I just flipped! But, I think it's because there was a seasoned durion lover introducing me to the odd, smelly fruit. Yes, it was smelly! And it was pokey! It looked like one of those spike balls used in ancient warfare. So, the first appearance and the first impression could have been a turn-off if I hadn't been encouraged by someone with experience.
Durion! They say it smells like hell and tastes like heaven. To me, the smell is just not that bad. It's overpowering, yes. But, when I smell durion, I know there's a delicious fruit nearby, waiting for me to sink my greedy teeth into its luscious, soft and sumptuous meat. Well, anyway, back to the Word.
You may be one of those people who believes in Jesus, believes in salvation and the idea of Jesus being God's Son sent to earth to die for our sins, but you have a difficult time picking up the Bible and actually reading it. If so, I want to encourage you that, because the Bible is not just a regular type of book, you may need to approach it a little differently. Give yourself time. Develop a taste for it. But, especially, ask God to show you something personal for you alone that applies to your life at this time in particular.
Once that happens to you, you'll be hooked! You'll want to go back again and find something else that God wants to show you. It's like having your own private fortune-teller. (Now, I know the devil has given fortune-telling a bad name.) God is not a wanna-be psychic gypsy telling your future. Not at all! He is the King of Kings Who has a detailed interest in you and your future and would like to tell you all about it!
He knows where you came from, why you came here, where you're going and the best way to get there!
So, let's approach Matthew with an open mind and heart and an attitude of faith, hungrily seeking to know God and thereby learn deep truths about ourselves at the same time!
1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Note: Now, since Jesus did not have an earthly father, one can only assume that Mary was also of the seed of Abraham and David and that she married a man who was a cousin or other distant relative.
2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;
5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
Note: Here we see that there are other nationalities entering into the Jewish blood. Uriah was a Hittite, so it stands to reason that his wife, Bathsheba, was a Hittite. Now, it seems the Hittites were Black. Also, you can see Ruth joined the Jewish family although she was a Moabitess. It was her faith in her mother-in-law's God and because of her love for her mother-in-law, Naomi that Ruth joined the Jewish faith. She became a predecessor of Christ totally through faith.
7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;
8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;
9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;
10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;
11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:
12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;
13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;
14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;
15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Mattan; and Matthan begat Jacob;
16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
Ok, now you might say, "THAT was BORING!" And I ask myself, "Why did Matthew put the entire genealogy of Christ in the first chapter of Matthew?
And it occurs to me that it really shows any disbeliever that Jesus Christ had that lineage, he existed in the annals of history and he was indeed, a real person! He was born! He lived! And he died! And it's pretty difficult to deny the existence of the man, Jesus Christ. He has been recorded in Jewish history and therefore, in the history of the world. (By the way, the Jews kept very accurate records of history.)
Of course, the line of Jesus ends with his death because he didn't have any children. (That's contrary to the crazy fictional story called "The Da Vinci Code".)
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
Seven is a number God seems to love to use and twice seven is obviously fourteen. Looks like Jesus came right at the appointed time. And, He will come again right at the appointed time, as well!
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
That's the essence of the story of Christmas. That's the reason for Christmas. That's the meaning of Christmas. In fact, if I may be so bold, I think one should not celebrate Christmas unless they believe in the virgin birth of Christ and that three wise men were led to the Holy Baby by a star. If you don't believe that, why celebrate Christmas at all? Why make a mockery of the celebration of the birth of the Christian God Man?
That, of course, is not to say that many, many millions do celebrate this day without believing in the truth of it's origin. Ok, I know and most of us know that the true Birthday of Christ is unknown and that this day was chosen for questionable reasons. BUT, the fact of the matter is that the name of the holiday is "Christmas" and it was intended to be a recognition of the day of the birth of Christ as proclaimed in many wonderful carols and songs sung throughout Christendom over the centuries.
Nowadays, it's all about Santa Claus and buying gifts. Yes, we have succeeded in making a travesty out of Christmas. People are seeking "comfort and joy" without seeking the Giver of comfort and joy. They are seeking the gifts but not the Giver.
When you find the Giver and fall in love with Him, you'll forget about seeking the gifts. He alone can satisfy the deepest yearning of every heart for true love and peace.
"Peace on earth toward men of good will..."
Maybe it's a little like eating durion. Now, the first time I ever tasted durion, I just flipped! But, I think it's because there was a seasoned durion lover introducing me to the odd, smelly fruit. Yes, it was smelly! And it was pokey! It looked like one of those spike balls used in ancient warfare. So, the first appearance and the first impression could have been a turn-off if I hadn't been encouraged by someone with experience.
Durion! They say it smells like hell and tastes like heaven. To me, the smell is just not that bad. It's overpowering, yes. But, when I smell durion, I know there's a delicious fruit nearby, waiting for me to sink my greedy teeth into its luscious, soft and sumptuous meat. Well, anyway, back to the Word.
You may be one of those people who believes in Jesus, believes in salvation and the idea of Jesus being God's Son sent to earth to die for our sins, but you have a difficult time picking up the Bible and actually reading it. If so, I want to encourage you that, because the Bible is not just a regular type of book, you may need to approach it a little differently. Give yourself time. Develop a taste for it. But, especially, ask God to show you something personal for you alone that applies to your life at this time in particular.
Once that happens to you, you'll be hooked! You'll want to go back again and find something else that God wants to show you. It's like having your own private fortune-teller. (Now, I know the devil has given fortune-telling a bad name.) God is not a wanna-be psychic gypsy telling your future. Not at all! He is the King of Kings Who has a detailed interest in you and your future and would like to tell you all about it!
He knows where you came from, why you came here, where you're going and the best way to get there!
So, let's approach Matthew with an open mind and heart and an attitude of faith, hungrily seeking to know God and thereby learn deep truths about ourselves at the same time!
1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Note: Now, since Jesus did not have an earthly father, one can only assume that Mary was also of the seed of Abraham and David and that she married a man who was a cousin or other distant relative.
2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;
5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
Note: Here we see that there are other nationalities entering into the Jewish blood. Uriah was a Hittite, so it stands to reason that his wife, Bathsheba, was a Hittite. Now, it seems the Hittites were Black. Also, you can see Ruth joined the Jewish family although she was a Moabitess. It was her faith in her mother-in-law's God and because of her love for her mother-in-law, Naomi that Ruth joined the Jewish faith. She became a predecessor of Christ totally through faith.
7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;
8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;
9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;
10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;
11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:
12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;
13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;
14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;
15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Mattan; and Matthan begat Jacob;
16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
Ok, now you might say, "THAT was BORING!" And I ask myself, "Why did Matthew put the entire genealogy of Christ in the first chapter of Matthew?
And it occurs to me that it really shows any disbeliever that Jesus Christ had that lineage, he existed in the annals of history and he was indeed, a real person! He was born! He lived! And he died! And it's pretty difficult to deny the existence of the man, Jesus Christ. He has been recorded in Jewish history and therefore, in the history of the world. (By the way, the Jews kept very accurate records of history.)
Of course, the line of Jesus ends with his death because he didn't have any children. (That's contrary to the crazy fictional story called "The Da Vinci Code".)
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
Seven is a number God seems to love to use and twice seven is obviously fourteen. Looks like Jesus came right at the appointed time. And, He will come again right at the appointed time, as well!
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
That's the essence of the story of Christmas. That's the reason for Christmas. That's the meaning of Christmas. In fact, if I may be so bold, I think one should not celebrate Christmas unless they believe in the virgin birth of Christ and that three wise men were led to the Holy Baby by a star. If you don't believe that, why celebrate Christmas at all? Why make a mockery of the celebration of the birth of the Christian God Man?
That, of course, is not to say that many, many millions do celebrate this day without believing in the truth of it's origin. Ok, I know and most of us know that the true Birthday of Christ is unknown and that this day was chosen for questionable reasons. BUT, the fact of the matter is that the name of the holiday is "Christmas" and it was intended to be a recognition of the day of the birth of Christ as proclaimed in many wonderful carols and songs sung throughout Christendom over the centuries.
Nowadays, it's all about Santa Claus and buying gifts. Yes, we have succeeded in making a travesty out of Christmas. People are seeking "comfort and joy" without seeking the Giver of comfort and joy. They are seeking the gifts but not the Giver.
When you find the Giver and fall in love with Him, you'll forget about seeking the gifts. He alone can satisfy the deepest yearning of every heart for true love and peace.
"Peace on earth toward men of good will..."
Friday, November 8, 2013
How Often Should I Read the Word?
How often should I read the Word? As often as possible. David said, "Thy word has been my meat both day and night..."
Live on the Word. Live in the Word. Live by the Word. It's the only thing that will last. It's the only knowledge that really counts.
Education is important. I believe that, too. There are lots of things that are good to know! And when we use the stuff we know along with LOVE, we call the combination of knowledge and love wisdom. So, in my estimation, the more knowledge one has garnered, the more love they need to acquire to be able to use that knowledge.
Why?
Because, ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys: Knowledge without love is a bad thing. Most often it leads straight to pride (and I mean the bad, rotten, devilish kind of pride), arrogance, self-righteousness, power-tripping, oppression, and all the sins humans fall into.
Another thing the Bible says is: "With all thy getting, get understanding." And understanding, is like wisdom. It has to be knowledge with love because in order to "understand", you have to be willing to get under and humble yourself to listen.
And why is it so difficult for proud people to listen?
I think, when I don't want to listen, it's when I feel superior to the one who is trying to give me information. My pride gets in the way and I don't concentrate and pay attention to the details of what that person is saying. I "assume" that I already know what they're going to say or that I already know everything they already know and more. That's pride. Pure pride.
Identifying the problem often helps us to overcome it, doesn't it?
Pride is one of the biggest problems of Christians.
We're too proud to ask. We're too proud to listen. We're too proud to admit a mistake. And, we're WAY to proud to apologize. That would be admitting a mistake that caused harm or hurt to someone else and that's very difficult to admit.
I have found that the best way to overcome these kinds of pride is to look them straight in the eye and just DO it. Admit I'm not perfect, I make mistakes, I may have hurt your feelings, I screwed up and I AM SORRY.
It may seem like the hardest thing in the world to do, but it does get easier with practice. It can be very liberating. Just don't buy into all the condemnation the devil would like to pile on your plate after you realize you have made a mistake.
Get used to it! You're gonna make lots more mistakes before this game is over.
So, keep reading the Word. Learn what it says. Try to have "understanding" and "wisdom" when you're reading it and applying it to your life. And LOVE it.
You can fall in love with the Bible. You sure can. It's a Lover that will never leave you. The Words of God will never fail you, forsake you or disappoint! Fall in love with Jesus! Fall in love with the Word. They are One and the Same.
What a wonderful God we have! If you don't know that, you haven't read his Word!
Read it! Live it! Love it! Quote it! Memorize it! Put it to the test!
That's what this life is all about. That's what this all boils down to.
Live on the Word. Live in the Word. Live by the Word. It's the only thing that will last. It's the only knowledge that really counts.
Education is important. I believe that, too. There are lots of things that are good to know! And when we use the stuff we know along with LOVE, we call the combination of knowledge and love wisdom. So, in my estimation, the more knowledge one has garnered, the more love they need to acquire to be able to use that knowledge.
Why?
Because, ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys: Knowledge without love is a bad thing. Most often it leads straight to pride (and I mean the bad, rotten, devilish kind of pride), arrogance, self-righteousness, power-tripping, oppression, and all the sins humans fall into.
Another thing the Bible says is: "With all thy getting, get understanding." And understanding, is like wisdom. It has to be knowledge with love because in order to "understand", you have to be willing to get under and humble yourself to listen.
And why is it so difficult for proud people to listen?
I think, when I don't want to listen, it's when I feel superior to the one who is trying to give me information. My pride gets in the way and I don't concentrate and pay attention to the details of what that person is saying. I "assume" that I already know what they're going to say or that I already know everything they already know and more. That's pride. Pure pride.
Identifying the problem often helps us to overcome it, doesn't it?
Pride is one of the biggest problems of Christians.
We're too proud to ask. We're too proud to listen. We're too proud to admit a mistake. And, we're WAY to proud to apologize. That would be admitting a mistake that caused harm or hurt to someone else and that's very difficult to admit.
I have found that the best way to overcome these kinds of pride is to look them straight in the eye and just DO it. Admit I'm not perfect, I make mistakes, I may have hurt your feelings, I screwed up and I AM SORRY.
It may seem like the hardest thing in the world to do, but it does get easier with practice. It can be very liberating. Just don't buy into all the condemnation the devil would like to pile on your plate after you realize you have made a mistake.
Get used to it! You're gonna make lots more mistakes before this game is over.
So, keep reading the Word. Learn what it says. Try to have "understanding" and "wisdom" when you're reading it and applying it to your life. And LOVE it.
You can fall in love with the Bible. You sure can. It's a Lover that will never leave you. The Words of God will never fail you, forsake you or disappoint! Fall in love with Jesus! Fall in love with the Word. They are One and the Same.
What a wonderful God we have! If you don't know that, you haven't read his Word!
Read it! Live it! Love it! Quote it! Memorize it! Put it to the test!
That's what this life is all about. That's what this all boils down to.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
The Word is Here to Stay!
In the words of Jesus Christ, our Lord,
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
Think about it!
I believe you would have to say that what Jesus is saying here is that the WORD is going to outlast everything. And, in my own puny understanding, doesn't that also mean that the WORD is more important than this planet we live on?
(In fact, the planet that we live on is a direct result of the WORD.)
Now, if there is any doubt that Jesus actually said this or that He used these exact words, it has been written and recorded not just in the book of Matthew, but also in Mark and Luke in exactly the same words. If you don't believe me, you can read it yourself.
Matthew 24:35 "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
Mark 13:31 "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away."
Luke 21:33 "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away."
Word for word, these three verses are the same. The only difference is that one has a comma rather than a colon.
And that's all I want to say about that!
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
Think about it!
I believe you would have to say that what Jesus is saying here is that the WORD is going to outlast everything. And, in my own puny understanding, doesn't that also mean that the WORD is more important than this planet we live on?
(In fact, the planet that we live on is a direct result of the WORD.)
Now, if there is any doubt that Jesus actually said this or that He used these exact words, it has been written and recorded not just in the book of Matthew, but also in Mark and Luke in exactly the same words. If you don't believe me, you can read it yourself.
Matthew 24:35 "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
Mark 13:31 "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away."
Luke 21:33 "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away."
Word for word, these three verses are the same. The only difference is that one has a comma rather than a colon.
And that's all I want to say about that!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)