Category: Messiah

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God Speaks

Matt 2 Throughout the OT and now in the NT, God often spoke to those He was going to bless in some way through a dream. God used a star and then a dream to the Wise Men of the East about the birth of Christ. That message was received with mixed reviews from the city of Jerusalem and the King. After learning from the OT scriptures that, yes a king would be born,the agitated king sent them to find this mysterious “king.”  The world today is receiving news of the King the same way. Some accept it as truth and go and worship this King. Others receive it as nonsense and ignore it. Some are ambivalent and they too ignore it. But, to those who search the scriptures and receive HIM as the Word of God who became a man and lived among us, they are the ones blessed. 

When you heard the news of the birth of Christ, how did you react? Have you gone and searched for him as the Wise Men did and then bestow precious gifts upon Him or did you ignore the news and go on your way. Or worse did you do as Herod and seek to kill Him? Now God has given us the scriptures to search and in them we will find the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. 

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Do and Say

Mark 14 After supper when Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, He took them to the Garden. How is that they did not notice that Judas was not with them? And, when they saw the contingent of soldiers with Judas, how did they not connect the words of Jesus that one would betray Him? How did Peter not connect the warning to stay alert while Jesus prayed?  How often do I too miss the signs that God gives me? 

The religious leaders willingly chose to seek the death of the Righteous One thinking that if they did it on any other day than the Passover,their hands would be clean? How did they willingly forget the commandment to not murder? Again, how often do I forget the words of the Master and also choose to say and not do?

One thing God hates more than anything else is hypocrisy. I say I am a believer but do my words and actions prove that or do they say and do the contrast? How about you?

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Peace and Joy

God loved


Rom 14 Do you have the Christmas spirit yet? There are only a few shopping days left, but is that what is essential? Paul may not have been reminding his readers about Christmas, but today, we are reminded to have peace and joy as we celebrate. There are songs and scripture readings galore. We have parties and church plays. People dress in their finest reds and greens.

Dr. Luke gave us the story of the shepherds and the angelic choir, reminding us that Christmas is not about parties and other things but the birth of the Messiah. The angelic choir sang: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” [Luke 2:14] Paul captured that theme as he wrote to the Romans. Messiah has ushered in the kingdom of peace: ” for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” [Rom 14:17]

Hoping you are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ this season.

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God’s Ways Triumph

2 Kings 9-11 Proverbs 31 gives the wisdom principles for a godly woman in her home and culture. She is to be of noble character and trustworthy. However, in 2 Kings 11, we meet two women; one is the antithesis of this, and the other is the true Proverbs 31 woman. Again, we see God’s ways are not our ways [Is 55:8-9] So who are these women, and what can we learn from them?

First is “Queen” Athaliah, whose son, King Ahaziah, has died, and she opportunely seeks to usurp the crown. As a worshiper of the idol Baal, she aims to destroy the royal godly line. Our arch-enemy Satan has been seeking to accomplish this from Gen 3:15, and Athaliah is his tool of choice. There is a warning here for us. Observe and interpret the wisdom of God’s word, not the lifestyle of the “rich and famous.” 

But, God has a woman of noble character waiting in the wings: Jehosheba, the sister of Ahaziah and wife of the High Priest Jehoiada. Bravely she takes the last remaining royal descendant and hides him away from “Queen” Athaliah for seven years. Truly “her value is far more than rubies” [Prov 31:10] 

Principle: Satan roams about seeking whom he can kill and destroy, [1Pet 5:8] but God seeks the godly. [Jn 4:23]

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The Good News!

Share the good news

Romans 9-11 The Heart of Paul

As the minister sent to preach the gospel, Paul’s heart is torn because his own people have rejected the Messiah of whom he preached. They saw the evidence of His miracles, listened as He taught, preached, and healed, but they instead cried, Crucify Him! Put his blood on our children and on us. [Matt 27:25]  No wonder Paul’s heart is so heavy! But, here’s the sixty-four dollar question we should be asking ourselves, would we be willing to say, as Paul, I would forgo my time with God in eternity if they would turn and be saved? Are we asking them if we would see them in heaven?

As Paul noted, a partial hardening has happened, and it isn’t just to Israel but to our family members now. Hearts are hard, and souls are leaving earth to spend a Christ-less eternity in the depths of hell. That should grieve us and cause us to consider that question as Paul did. Do we say as Paul: “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart…” [Rom 9:2] Remember this: “the one who believes in him will not be put to shame.” [Rom 9:33]

Who needs to hear the gospel message even one more time? Will you be ready to tell the good news for “God is not willing that any should perish but all come to repentance.”[2Pet 3:9]

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Jealousy, but why?

Faith is the avenue

Acts 17 Jealousy Raises its Ugly Head

Jealousy means unpleasant suspicion or apprehension of rivalry. Keep that in mind as you wander into the city and synagogue of Thessalonica. Paul is on a mission to present the gospel message to as many as he can, recalling what the Lord told him: you are my chosen instrument, but you will suffer much for my name’s sake. [Acts 9:15, 16]

Paul’s message was to the Jew first, so we find him each time on the Sabbath in a synagogue. Then, using this as his prop, he explains from the OT that this Christ had to die and rise from the dead. The reaction is fierce! Many were persuaded, but the Jews became jealous. But, But why?  

Let’s stop and consider what the Jews held true. They were the chosen ones by God. They had the Torah and the prophet’s words. They were entrusted with the oracles of God. [Rom 3:2] They alone were given the 10 Commandments. Yet, the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 changed all that.  God’s plan is that Jew and Gentile are accepted by faith and faith alone. But old habits and beliefs die hard. When the Gentiles were persuaded to believe, the Jews became jealous, and that jealousy led to a riot.

God is calling all men to Himself. As we seek to minister to all, consider and be sensitive to another’s heritage. Remember, we are but the instrument to share and leave the results to God.

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A Garden Tomb

I can only imagine

John 18-21 Sin began in a garden, and it was in a garden that sin lost its hold. It was there that Mary met Rabbi Jesus, and perhaps these words of this hymn resonated in her heart: “I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses, and the voice I hear, falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses, and He walks with me, and He talks with me, and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.”

It was as if the Apostle John was thinking of those words as he wrote about the Garden Tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple of Jesus, along with his friend Nicodemus. It was there that they laid our precious Jesus in his deadness, to be incarcerated there forever. Yet. the Word incarnate would not be beholden to that incarceration, for, on the third day, He rose to walk and talk again and to free us from our sins.

“I can only imagine” what it will be like when I meet Him face to face. Will I be like Mary, who ran and told, but they still did not believe? Will I be like Mary, who tarried there in the Garden, saw Rabbi face to face, and heard Him speak?

What will it be like?

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The Tests of Unbelief

Belief is tested

John 7-9 Jesus is tested by the populace, the religious leaders, and the Pharisees. He notes that three things keep people from believing: saying Jesus is good, but He is not God; He is a deceiver; and lastly, the fear of being ostracized. The latter is a reminder of Prov 29:25 “the fear of man is a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord shall be exalted.” To prove his point, John uses the story of the blind man made whole in chapter 9. The disciples want to know why he was born blind: was it sin or something else? Jesus assures them that his blindness was given to bring glory to God.

After Jesus smears mud on his eyes, the man is told to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. Water is not the healing agent, but it is his faith to believe. When he is made whole, the faith of his family, the neighbors, and the religious leaders fail because of one or more of those conditions. Jesus hears and sees all and tests the man by asking him this question: Do you believe in the Son of Man? [Jn 9:35] The last test is given by Jesus by saying, “you have seen Him, he is the one speaking to you.” [Jn 9:37]. At this, he worshiped Jesus.

Dr.Constable notes it like this: First, he called Him “the man called Jesus” (v. 11). Second, he referred to Jesus as a prophet (v. 17). Third, he came to believe that Jesus was a prophet who had come from God (v. 33). Finally, he acknowledged Jesus as Lord (v. 38).

Alas, the heart of his family, the neighbors, and the religious leaders fail on all accounts. Many today walk this road, and their unbelief hinders them from worshiping Jesus. What about you?

[By the way, this is my all-time favorite of Bible stories told by the Apostle John. Can you see why? It helps me see why people reject Jesus so I can pray specifically: Jesus, give me discernment to understand why people reject You. My prayer is that their spiritual blindness is removed so they can see Jesus as the Son of God.]

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The Tortoise and the Hare Folk Tale’s lesson

everyone takes a different path

John 1-3 Remember the folk tale of the Tortoise and the Hare? Challenged to a race, they set off, and along the way, the hare became sleepy and lay down to nap. Steadily the Tortoise kept on, and when the hare awoke, to his dismay, saw that Tortoise was at the finish line. Some take it slow but get to the finish line ahead of others. The Apostle John tells a story of two men, much like the Tortoise and the Hare. One met Messiah and believed immediately, and the other took his time. It is only at the end of John’s epistle do we see him at the finish line…yes he did finish but not quickly.

Nathanael scoffed that nothing good could come out of Nazareth, but when he met Messiah face to face, he said, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel!” Jesus promised him that he would see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man, and he would be blessed.

And then, a Pharisee named Nicodemus came to him at night. He called him Rabbi but not with the earnestness or insight of Nathanael. Yet, by the end of John’s epistle, he will realize this truth: “Jesus is a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs…unless God is with him.”

Nathanael and Nicodemus are like the two folk tale characters. Each came to the same conclusion; the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The truth is this: God is patient, not willing any should perish, but all come to repentance—whether they come early or late.

Which path are you on–and Where are you?

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Welcome, Long Awaited News!

Messiah has come

Matt 1-4 It has been 400 yrs. of silence since Malachi closed the OT. It was as if God rolled up the heavens like men roll up a scroll. What was He doing? What was He saying? What took place in those years? Today just as long ago, people were born, lived, and died. Rulers came and went, and nations have come and gone on just as before. Today’s newspapers and headlines read like the Jerusalem Post, which people read looking for that blessed hope that was promised so long ago through the prophets of old. They read the scriptures over and over, thinking that in them they would have eternal life in them; yet it is these that testified about Messiah’s coming. [Jn 5:39]

And then, with a word from heaven, the scroll unrolled to reveal the words of Malachi [Mal 4:5] “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet to prepare the way of the Lord.” And Isaiah’s words came true! A virgin would conceive, and Messiah would come through her, as Isaiah had said. [Is 7:14KJV] He would be able to trace his lineage through the royal halls of men and women such as Tamar, Ruth, Rahab, and Bathsheba. He would come to prove that God’s silence was but for a moment. Messiah came just as He promised!

Are you hungering and thirsting for righteousness? [Matt 5:6] Are you waiting for Messiah to come? He came just as He said. Have you met Him? He is waiting to reveal Himself to you.
Messiah, open the eyes of the blind to see You, open their ears to hear You, and open their hearts to receive you.

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