Category: Jesus

Two Key Attributes for Daily Living

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The attributes God reveals to us today from Chapter 40 of Isaiah are: God is glorious and God’s Word is eternal. These are two profound attributes of our great God that can have direct meaning for our lives today.

Why should I care that God is glorious? Isaiah 40:5 “And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,   and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” By definition God’s glory is the sum total of all His attributes. God displayed His glory in the beauty and wisdom of His creation. Throughout history, God has revealed His glory to His people through His power, mercy, grace, judgement, holiness, love, etc. In the Old Testament God showed his people His glory in a cloud and it was known as the Shekinah glory. The cloud was used by God to lead his people in the wilderness for 40 years and then filled the tabernacle and later the temple in Jerusalem. The key factor about God’s glory is that Jesus Christ, the Son, reveals to us completely God’s glory. We can know and feel his glorious presence with us each day by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Jesus shows us all about God’s glory. Here in Isaiah 40:5, God tells us He will be revealing to the world His glory and we would see it. Jesus is that glory God spoke of, He was coming and would show us all about God the Father. John 1:18 “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” Jesus made Him known to us.

I am so thankful that I can know God the Father and His glory because of the work of Jesus on the cross. He came to reveal God to us and to save us so we could have a relationship with His Father and ours. All that God is Jesus made known to us in His Word so we can see and feel His glory in a new and personal way today. Christ is the Holy one, the Only one, who can Save us.

God’s Word is eternal. Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers and the flowers fall,  but the word of our God endures forever.” Recently, I was working with a group of teens to study Chapter 40 and several of us chose this verse as one of our favorites. It is so important to know that God’s Word is eternally true and does not change from generation to generation. The Bible is filled with affirmations of God’s Word being eternal. Here are a couple of my favorites; Psalm 119:89 Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Psalm 119: 160 “All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.” John 6:68 “Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” 2 Peter 3:5 “But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.” God’s Words brought the world into existence as He spoke “Let there be…” in Genesis. John called Jesus the Word of God in John 1:1-3 “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. and verse 14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” As in the case of God’s glory, the world has experienced God’s eternal Word from the beginning as He created all the heavens and the earth. We have experience the fullness of His Word in Jesus, the Word, the one who saves us and lives today after being raised from the dead. We have the assurance from God’s character that His Word is eternal and will endure for all generations. Praise God! That is an anchor for our soul and affirmation of our faith as we seek to live each day for Him. We do not need to worry that God will change His mind about loving and saving us. He is eternally true and keeps His promises.

May you have a day permeated by His glory.

Linda

Worship from the Heart, 3rd Sunday of Lent

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We are seriously into the Lenten Season and I pray that you are being touched by Jesus and His sacrifice for you in a new and profound way. Here is a favorite psalm to encourage you, point you to Him and lead you to worship God from your heart.

Psalm 16

Keep me safe, my God,
    for in you I take refuge. 2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
    apart from you I have no good thing.”

5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
    you make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
    even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
    nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence,
    with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Blessings today as you Worship our God and Savior.

Linda

Roots that Go Deep Connecting Us with Jesus

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In yesterday’s passage from Isaiah 10, we saw a promise God gave to His people that there would always be a remnant of believers. That is encouraging to us today, as we can be assured that the world will never be without believers. God wants His people in the world witnessing to Him and telling others. Specifically, God was sending a message to the people of Israel that whether they were the remnant after an invasion or after return from exile, there was hope. The hope He was sending would be the Messiah who would come from the line of King David. Since David’s father was named Jesse, this descendant is known as coming from the root of Jesse. Isaiah 11:1-5, 10 gives a beautiful picture of the coming Messiah, Jesus.

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
    from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and of might,
    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
    or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
    with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be his belt
    and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.

In verse 1 it states this coming Messiah would be a descendant of David, shoot of Jesse. Matthew 1- 1″This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:,6 and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.”

The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon Him in verse 2 was fulfilled in Matthew 3:16 “ As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.” This is recorded in all 4 gospels. John 3:34 adds the extent of Jesus indwelling “34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.”

The Messiah, Jesus, would be full of understanding and power, verse 2. Luke 2:42, 46-47 “When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom.” 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.” Hebrews 1:3 adds to this “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

Messiah, Jesus, would judge the earth with righteousness, verses 3 & 4. John 5:27 “And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.” 2 Timothy 4:1,8 “And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.” 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” This prophesy of Christ being the judge of all earth is still future to us and will be fulfilled when Christ returns.

Messiah, Jesus, would stand as a banner for all people, Jews and Gentiles, who would seek Him verse 10. John 12:20-21 “20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Romans 15:8-9 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
    I will sing the praises of your name.”

This is a beautiful portion of scripture that speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ when He was here on earth ministering and teaching and then later when He returns as judge and King. Seeing the prophesies fulfilled gives us assurance that all will be fulfilled in Him.

How can you apply this to yourself today? The ancient prophesies about Jesus add to our faith and give us hope and assurance that what God has foretold in His Word will indeed come to pass. It assures us that who Jesus said He was is true! It helps us know God as a promise keeping God who loves and cares for us. As we continue to see in Isaiah, Christ is the Holy one, the Only one, who can Save us.

Linda

Rest in Him, this Second Sunday of Lent

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This week we have seen God at work in the lives of the ancient Israelites and prophecies that fully impact our every day lives in Jesus. This second Sunday of Lent meditate on who God said Jesus is and how He manifests himself in your life. I pray He is your refuge, your portion and your cup, the one who draws the lines of your life in pleasant places and the one who makes known to you the pathways of your life.

Psalm 16

Keep me safe, my God,
    for in you I take refuge.

2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
    apart from you I have no good thing.”
3 I say of the holy people who are in the land,
    “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
    I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
    or take up their names on my lips.

5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
    you make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
    even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
    nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence,
    with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

May you rest secure in Him today.
Linda

Psalm 16:6 is one of my favorite verses. Enjoy!

He Is Who He Says He Is!

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Prophecies from Chapter 9 of Isaiah continue in verses 6-7. Let the beauty of God’s Word fill you as you read.

For to us a child is born, He (Messiah, Savior) will come as a child.
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be a king.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, He will be given glorious names.
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne He will reign on David’s throne.
    and over his kingdom, His will be a kingdom of peace.
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness He will reign with justice and righteousness.
    from that time on and forever. His is an eternal kingdom.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty The Lord will bring this about by His passion
    will accomplish this. and purpose.

All of the above prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus when He came to Earth. The culmination of His kingdom and reign will be fully accomplished when He returns. To increase your faith in who Jesus is, what He did and what He plans to do, let me give you some New Testament references that show the fulfillment of these prophesies.

Jesus was born as a child and was the son of God. Luke 1:35 “The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” Luke 2:6-7 “ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”

Jesus would be king. John 18:36 “Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” Luke 1:32-33 “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Jesus would be given glorious names. John 14:26 “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit—the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.” Matthew 20:30 “Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” Philippians 2:9-11 “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.”

Jesus will reign on David’s throne. Revelation 22:16 ““I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” Hebrews 12:2 “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Matthew 1:1 “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:…”

Jesus’ kingdom is one of peace. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Romans 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”

Jesus will reign in justice and righteousness. Romans 3:22 “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,” Matthew 12:18 ““Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.”

Jesus’ kingdom is eternal. Romans 5:8 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 2 Peter 2:10-11 “Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” John 10:28 “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”

The Lord will see that all is accomplished. Job 42:2 “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Revelation 17:4 “They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”

Wow! I don’t know if you are as blessed as I am reading through these scriptures. This just touches the surface of how Jesus fully fulfilled the will of the Father. He is who He says He is and will return. You can count on it as God keeps His Promises! Step out in faith today uplifted by God’s eternal promises fixed in Jesus our Savior.

Linda

Here is link to hear these words of prophecy as written in Handel’s Messiah. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/GfZqZlUN1qE

Immanuel, God with Us!

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We learned that in Isaiah 7 the enemies of Judah were marching towards Jerusalem. Isaiah had prophesied before King Ahaz that the enemy would not be victorious. They were to stand firm in faith and believe and trust God for this victory. Isaiah then told Ahaz to ask God for a confirmation sign. Ahaz refused to ask God saying he did not want to test God. Isaiah chastized Ahaz for not wanting a word of prophecy from the Lord. This prophesy was meant to convince Ahaz that God could indeed rescue him from his enemies and to grow his faith. The prophesy is one of the major prophesies about Jesus and what would happen to Ahaz and Judah in their near future. Isaiah 7:14-17

14 All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). 

This prophecy of Jesus was fulfilled in Matthew 1:20-23 which was given to Joseph.

 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
    She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
    which means ‘God is with us.’”

I was also fulfilled in Luke 1:26-31 which was given to Mary:

 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.“

Scripture records the actual birth of Mary’s baby in Luke 2: 4-7 in the ‘Christmas Story’.

 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

Isaiah’s prophecy contained both events near to their present time and one that would not occur for another 600 years! Prophecy is often given this way and time alone helps us to discern what is close and what is far away. However, whether it is near or far, all of it is absolutely true. Here is the remainder of the prophecy from verses 15-17 that tell of the coming destruction of the land by Israel’s enemies. This destruction of the kings mentioned was also foretold in Amos 1:3-5 and Jeramiah 7:15.

15 By the time this child is old enough to choose what is right and reject what is wrong, he will be eating yogurt and honey. 16 For before the child is that old, the lands of the two kings you fear so much will both be deserted. 17 “Then the Lord will bring things on you, your nation, and your family unlike anything since Israel broke away from Judah. He will bring the king of Assyria upon you!”

The prophecy that Isaiah gave from God about the coming Messiah was to bring hope to all Israelites. It was show that there would be a miraculous coming of ‘God with us’. This child would be a miracle of birth sent by God. Since the only God with us the Israelites were familiar with was God’s indwelling of the temple and the tabernacle before that, this would have been a gigantic revelation. It was to change the course of human history. Never before had God dwelt with his believers in bodily form. Ahaz did not want a sign from God but the sign God gave was definitely one we would not want to turn down. It was a sign that would change the course of history.

As I close this section of prophecy from Isaiah, I am blessed by God’s words of hope and deliverance that Messiah would bring. On this side of the cross, we see the effect Jesus had on humanity and how he was indeed God with us! My faith is strengthened in that God knew what his plan was to save all mankind through Jesus the Son and he gave us this prophecy to help us see that He is indeed Sovereign and Omniscient. He is the one that has a plan that will not be thwarted by the events of any age and His will will prevail. I pray that seeing the prophecy fulfilled from verse 14 increases your faith.

One other thought, Ahaz did not want a word from God for whatever reason. I can’t imagine anyone would not want to hear something from God. I had to ask myself though, am I listening to God and hearing His messages to me? Do I welcome His revelations? Do I treat God’s Word with reverence and respect? When I study and read God’s Word, am I looking for His messages to me? His whole book is a love story to me and for me, do I see that? May you look with fresh eyes as you read and study His Word during this Lenten Season.

Meditating on verse 14, may you welcome Jesus into your life today and let Him be ‘God with you’. You will be blessed.

Linda

On the Road with Jesus, He gives exactly what you need when you need it!

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As we celebrated on Easter morning, Jesus did not stay in the tomb but rose from the dead. He has Risen INDEED! After his resurrection, he appeared many times to individuals, small groups and to as many as 500 at once. He was alive in their midst as He talked, ate and shared himself with believers confirming his life and assuring them of his victory over death. As we move along the road towards his ascension and return to heaven 40 days after his resurrection, we will come face to face with Jesus’ divinity and power over death. Join me on this journey as I look at each of the appearances over the next 40 days.

One of my favorite post-resurrection appearances is the encounter of the two on the Road to Emmaus.  Overcome with grief because of Jesus’ death and disbelief over what the women said about seeing Him alive,  these two followers of Christ were walking along the Emmaus Road discussing all these recent events and reports.  Jesus joined them on their journey without disclosing his identity.  As they walked they were surprised that he did not know about all the events that had just occurred in Jerusalem. They told him of their hope that Jesus had been the long awaited Messiah.  “ Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. 26 Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” 27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”  Luke 24:25-27

Wouldn’t you have loved to have been there and listened to Jesus explain all about Himself?  A little later in the story when they were sitting down to eat, Jesus gave thanks, broke the bread and began to give it to them.  Right then, their eyes were opened  and they recognized Jesus.  He then disappeared from their presence.  Even though it was late they quickly returned to Jerusalem to tell the disciples about their encounter with the risen Lord Jesus.

Jesus came to these two when they were filled with grief, despair and confusion, and He cleared up their thinking, encouraged and enlivened them.  Can you remember a time when Jesus came to you in prayer or through the actions or words of another believer to give you hope and encouragement?  Jesus promises that He will be with us wherever we go.  Just like these two, we need to look and recognize His presence with us and the hope that He brings.

I pray that my Lenten Blogs have brought you hope and encouragement these past 6 weeks.  I have been mightily blessed by being with you and in the scriptures each day.  I am still pondering the magnitude of Christ’s sacrifice and all the truths gleaned from the selected ‘put on’ passages. I pray you will bask in the hope of the empty tomb knowing He has Risen, He has Risen Indeed!

Linda