Jesus in the Old Testament: Reconciled through Abraham's Seed

I have written previously about God's covenant with Abraham and about how the blessings of this covenant would be for all people. In Genesis 17 we read the record of God speaking to Abraham and explaining to him the beginning details of how this covenant would be fulfilled. 

Genesis 17:19; Then God said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him."

Paul explains for all in Romans 9 how this covenant with Abraham affects us today, whether we are of the Jewish line coming from Abraham or not.

Romans 9:7-9; It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.

We are reconciled to God through this covenant - not because we come from Abraham's blood line but because Jesus came from Abraham's blood line. And through the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we are reconciled. 

Jesus in the Old Testament: Melchizedek Foreshadowing Jesus

This past week I wrote two blogs related to Melchizedek and his foreshadowing of Jesus. First, Melchizedek foreshadowed Jesus as a priest. Second, Melchizedek foreshadowed Jesus as a King. This is one of the interesting facts about Melchizedek that we also find true of Jesus - both were priests and kings. 

Yet, Genesis 14 points to another point where the priest and king Melchizedek foreshadowed Jesus, the last supper and the celebration with bread and wine.Genesis 14:18; Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High.

We read in Matthew 26 of Jesus celebrating in the same manner with His closest friends and disciples. Matthew 26:26-28; While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus in the Old Testament: Eternal King

A few days ago I wrote about the connection Jesus had with the Priest named Melchizedek. Not only was Melchizedek a Priest, he was also a King. Genesis 14:18; Melchizedek king of Salem [later called Jerusalem] brought out bread and wine [for their nourishment]; he was the priest of God Most High. In the New Testament, Hebrews 7:1-2 reminds us of this encounter; This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”

Hebrews 7:3 completes the picture - revealing Jesus; Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

Jesus remains our Priest forever. Likewise, He reigns as our King eternally. 

Jesus in the Old Testament: Priest After Melchizedek

In Genesis 14 we read the account of Abram defeating four very powerful Kings and their armies. Genesis 14:15 states that "during the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them". Following this victory Abram was served bread and wine in the desert.

Genesis 14:18-20; Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

This King Melchizedek was the king of Salem (which means "peace") - therefore we could state that Melchizedek was the "king of peace" (Jesus is called the "Prince of peace" in Isaiah 9:6). And, as Abram celebrates his victory in the desert with King Melchizedek he also gives him a tenth  of all he owns - Abram pays him a tithe of his wealth. What we see in Genesis 14 is a glimpse of Jesus as king Melchizedek meets with Abram - God's blessed chosen. 

Hebrews 6:16-20; People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

Jesus In The New Testament: Blessed Through Abram's Seed

When Abram was 75 years old God appeared to him and established a covenant with him as recorded in Genesis 12;  “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you,  and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Then, in verse 7, we read of another promise that God established with Abraham; The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your seed I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

The Apostle Paul brings us back to the Abrianic covenant and to the promise made to the seed of Abram in Galatians 3:16; The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.

Jesus Christ is our blessing. Because we bear the name of Jesus we are worthy and we are blessed. Through Jesus Christ all people on earth have been blessed and are being blessed. It is all because of Jesus.

Jesus In The Old Testament: The Seed of Abraham

In Genesis 12:2-3 we read the words of the covenant that God made with Abraham - known as the Abrianic Covenant. These are God's words of encouragement, promise, and blessing given to Abraham; “I will make you into a great nation,and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you,  and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

From this covenant - and these verses - we read that through Abraham's seed - his offspring - all nations on the earth will be blessed.

In Acts 3:25-26 Peter speaks these words to the Israelite people; "And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."

This servant of God's is Jesus Christ, God's Son. Jesus was sent first to the Israelite people - to the Jews - because of God's covenant given to Abraham some 2,100 years before the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.  You can read the genealogy from Abraham to Jesus in Matthew 1. 

Worship The Lord This Morning

We have quite a bit of snow on the ground at our home this morning, many of the roads are covered with a thin sheet of ice, the temperatures are in the low 20's this morning, and many folks are asking whether we will still meet for worship today.

The answer is yes. Yes, we will still meet at the church for worship. Yes, although there is snow and ice on the ground, we will still worship The God that created the snow and the ice. Yes, we will still worship, because God is still worthy to be worshiped. I understand the families and individuals that are unable to - or fearful to - get out in the cold weather. I sympathize with the elderly who risk a fall or an accident on the slick surface. And I sympathize with the individuals who risk getting ill in the frigid temperatures. Yet God still deserves and still desires our worship.

So - wherever you are and whatever your situation - worship The Lord this morning. Worship Him through your prayer - words spoken to Him this morning. Worship Him through your song - played, sung, spoken, or otherwise. Worship Him through your reading - open His Word for your life today. Worship Him through your commitment - stating your promise to serve Him. Worship Him through your life - loving Him by serving others in His name.

This morning, as we gather at our church we will open to Isaiah 61 to discuss the joy of Christmas.

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

Jesus came down from Heavenly Glory to be born in a manger. Jesus lived a life of poverty to serve the weak and the weary. Jesus died a death of cruelty to save us from the curse of sin. Jesus' life on earth brings us joy, peace, love, salvation, and hope.

This morning, whether you gather at your home church or gather in your own home, worship the Lord and focus on what He came to bring to you. Luke 2 gives us the message of the great joy that Jesus brought to earth the night that He was born. Notice that this was a message of GREAT JOY that was for ALL PEOPLE, but don't miss that this GREAT JOY has come TO YOU.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord."

Jesus In The Old Testament: The Son of Shem

Shortly after God had sent a flood to cover the entire earth. Shortly after Noah and his sons walked off of the ark. Shortly after God had made a covenant with Noah and his family we read in Genesis 9:18-24; The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the whole earth. Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked. When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, he said, “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.” 

Following this account we have another phrase spoken by Noah, which may be quickly passed over. Yet it is in this short statement from Noah that we begin to see the family line of Jesus presented in Genesis 9:26-27; [Noah] also said, Praise be to the Lord, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem. May God extend Japheth’s territory; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth.

Blessings are spoken on the line of Ham and on Ham's son, Shem. "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Shem" - not only will God bless Shem and be the "God of Shem". The God of Shem will become the son of Shem. We read this in Luke 3:36.

The line of Jesus is listed in its entirety in Luke 3:27-37; Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,the son of Heli, the son of Matthat,the son of Levi, the son of Melki, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,  the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli,the son of Naggai, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein,the son of Josek, the son of Joda, the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa,the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,the son of Neri, the son of Melki, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam,the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer,the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph,the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, the son of Melea, the son of Menna,the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, the son of Jacob the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu  the son of Peleg, the son of Eber,the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch,the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Kenan, the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

All I Want For Christmas Is Jesus

This past Sunday we began new series. It was unable to be recorded. Below are some of the sermon notes from the first sermon in this exciting series.

I often find it odd that We spend a season celebrating what we are most thankful for and then we immediately follow it with a season concentrating on what else we want - what else we still need.

“What do you want for Christmas?” This is, perhaps, the most frequently asked question at Christmastime.

Personally, I never have a good answer for this question, ether because I don’t know what I want or because I don’t want to ask someone for it. And it is frustrating to hear “I don’t know”

“What do you want for Christmas?” My mother-in-law asked me this question, to which I responded “I don’t know”.

“What do you want for Christmas?” Children ask their parents this question. To this day when we ask mom she will say “to have all of my family to be healthy and to be together”. This answer is even more frustrating than “I don’t know” because I can't provide this for my mom.

But it is sometimes that things that we want – and need – the most that we don’t ask for, we won’t ask for, we don’t even talk about them. Most of us have a need that we rarely recognize. Most of us have a need that we seldom express - a need we would never state on our Christmas list - even though it’s all that we really want and all that we really desire

What do you want for Christmas? What do you really need? Joy?  Peace?  Love? Hope?

Over the next month we will take part in a series together; "All I Want For Christmas Is…" Throughout this series we will continue to ask the question: "What do you want for Christmas?” And we will continue to come back to Isaiah 61 - the mission statement of Jesus - the purpose of why He came to earth.

Isaiah 61:1-3a: The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

All I want for Christmas is Jesus.

·       Jesus is our Joy

o   Good news for the poor and the afflicted

·       Jesus is our Peace

o   Healing for the brokenhearted and troubled

·       Jesus is our Love and our Salvation

o   Freedom for the captives and a pardon for all prisoners

·       Jesus is our Hope

o   The time of the Lord’s favor has come for us

Where all other gifts fall short, Jesus fulfills. This year He can bring you joy, peace, love, and peace

It’s time that we take our focus off of the hurry, the greed, the chaos, and the rush of Christmas – that’s not Christmas anyway! It’s time we stop asking and wishing for gifts that break down, spoil, rust, and disappoint us. It’s time we focus on the true gift of Christmas – Jesus Christ. Who reigns eternally and fulfills our every desire and need.

All I want for Christmas is Jesus. Jesus is our peace. Jesus is our love. Jesus is our salvation. Jesus is our hope. Now and for all of eternity

This Christmas let us look for opportunities to speak Jesus into lives - to speak Jesus into our own life and to speak Jesus into the lives of others.

Jesus In The Old Testament: Bodily Ascension

Genesis 5:24 states that "Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away."

This short verse - hidden in the genealogy leading us from Adam to Noah - points to the bodily ascension to heaven of Enoch. Jesus would participate in this same form of bodily ascension into heaven more than 4,200 years later.

Mark 16:19 records Jesus' ascension into heaven "After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God."

The Traditional Elf On A Shelf

Last year our family began participating in this "Elf on the Shelf" craze. The elf was delivered to our home and our children decided to name her Elle. Although the elf came to keep an eye on the children it turned out to be a fun activity for my wife and I as well. Every night (and sometimes throughout the day) the elf moves around the house and the kids find her in crazy places participating in crazy activities. Once the elf built a zip-line across our living room, another time she decided to watch a movie, and the morning the kids found her in a pile of M&M's making "snow angels". We are having fun with our family's elf and the kids are enjoying the time she spends at our house.

However, it has come to my attention that some families have elves that get into mischief and are causing strive, arguments, and heartache. Now, to each his own so perhaps I should stay out of their family business. Yet it occurs to me that when an inanimate object is causing messes in your home, when a toy is ruining good food and clothing, when a doll is causing you to repaint portions of your home, perhaps it is too much. When arguments are starting over your breakfast table and carrying on for days because your elf on the shelf can't behave and when the children - who are suppose to enjoy having the elf around - watch as their parents fight about the elf, it has gone too far.

I write all this (based on information obtained through my facebook friends and their family members) to simply say, maybe your family traditions are getting carried away and perhaps these traditions are getting in the way of your celebration. This does not just pertain to elves. Think through some of your Christmas traditions - even the practice of buying and giving of gifts. Is anything keeping you from truly celebrating what matters most this Christmas? Even if it is a tradition that has been a part of your family for generations - if it is keeping you from fully celebrating - get rid of it!

Jesus In The Old Testament: He Will Crush Satan's Head

Genesis 3:15; And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring (seed) and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. 

These words from God - spoken to Satan in the garden of Eden - state that Jesus would crush Satan's head, Satan's power, Satan's curse, and Satan's work. These words from God - spoken during the first days of creation, moments after man first sinned against God - point to the cross. These words tell us that God would send a person - Jesus - to come and redeem us and to save from the sin of mankind. These words tell us that Jesus would come and break every bond of Satan.

Hebrews 2:14; Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil.

1 John 3:8; The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.

Jesus In The Old Testament: The Seed

Genesis 3:15; And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring (seed) and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

These words from God - spoken to Satan in the garden of Eden - state that Jesus would come from the seed - or offspring - of Eve (woman). These words from God - spoken during the first days of creation, moments after man first sinned against God - point to the virgin birth. These words tell us that God would send a person - Jesus - to come and redeem us and to save from the sin of mankind. These words tell us that Jesus would be born of a virgin (without sin) through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:18-20; This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

Luke 1:35; 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.

Our Family Gives Thanks

Tonight, as we sat down for our evening prayer, we stated what we were most thankful for this Thanksgiving;

Bennett is most thankful for God and for Jesus

Zion is most thankful that he is alive, for God, for our family, for his Kindle.

Addison is most thankful for family, me, house, food

Kim is most thankful for our family, for our health, for God, and for the freedom that we enjoy.

I am most thankful for God's blessings (including our health and wealth), for Jesus' love, and for our family members (and that we can be together).

Our Father's Name

This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." (Matthew 6:9-13)

As we work our way through The Lord's Prayer the first petition is that God's Name would be hallowed - that it be made holy and made much of. God as three primary Names in the Old Testament.

God's first name is Elohim - God, the Mighty Creator. By using this name of God we say; "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1).

God's second name is Yeweh, which means, "The Lord who is the covenant-keeping One".

God's third name is Adonai, which means "Master" or "Lord". As our Master, God is the one who rules our lives.

Why Should We Pray?

This Sunday we will begin a new teaching series at the church. In this series we will be walking through "The Lord's Prayer" - a powerful model of a prayer given by Jesus, first to His disciples, and passed on to us through the Gospel message.

Yesterday, as we were concluding our worship service I gave a brief promotion about this series and closed with the question; "why should we pray?"

Last night as I struggled to drift of to sleep and then this morning, as soon as I woke up this question flooded my mind like a scrolling marquee


WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?   WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?   WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?

This Sunday morning I plan to take off from this exact point - from this question. It is not that I struggle to answer this question - the Bible is flooded with reasons why we should pray - it is that I struggle to come to a brief and concise list of why we should pray.

Perhaps then, the question should be asked; "Why do YOU pray?"

What is the number one reason that YOU pray?

A Pause Button

We have three (soon four) children in our home - a seven year-old daughter, five year-old son, and a - soon to be - three year-old son. Perhaps I am partial, but I do believe they are the most beautiful (or handsome), the smartest, the funniest, and the greatest children in the entire world. It is a great joy to watch them growing and becoming all that God has created them to be.

Last week my wife and I were talking about how much they have grown this past year and just how quickly they seem to be growing up. Then I asked my wife a very hypothetical question; "If you could stop them from growing up, at what age would you do so?"

And, although this was a very hypothetical question and - as far as I know - not an option yet, it was a very intriguing thought. See, if you stop a child's growth too early you have to deal with diaper changes, highchairs, and car eats for the rest of your life. If you stop a child's growth in their childhood, you deal with their attitude and "sass" forever. But if you wait until their teenage years you have the attitude and independence to deal with.

Perhaps a stop button isn't what we want or need - but wouldn't a pause button be nice? Just to pause everything in their life and cherish it for a bit longer? Wouldn't it be nice to pause and spend a little more time with you three-year-old child? Wouldn't it be wonderful to pause their growth and spend more time with your children while they still "need" you - while they still want to be with you?

Our children's lives aren't the only thing though. Wouldn't it be nice to have a pause button on life in general? To pause everything and have a bit more time before deadlines and obligations? Wouldn't it be nice to pause and spend more time on the important moments in life? Wouldn't it be wonderful to pause and have more time?

This morning we wrapped up a series - "Be Still" - in our church. In this series we, as a church, have been encouraged to stop and spend more time with God, simply being still in His presence. As we are still in His presence we come to realize that we are working on His time.

What If Your Purpose...

 

What is the purpose of your life?

Most hope, dream, pray that their life will impact many people.

At times I have listened to and watched well-known preachers, and pastors of mega-churches and thought; "what would it be like to be in such a place of influence. Challenging? Stressful? Perhaps.

Yesterday I stumbled upon another pastor's blog. I have never met this gentleman, I have never heard of him, his church, I can't even recall where he lived. But I did notice that he had more than 1,000 blog followers - people "subscribed" to his blog and who semi-regularly looked at the thoughts that he recorded on his blog. Then I thought of my own blog, I have several "regular readers", a couple "subscribers" - yet I still influence others.

Today I stopped by McDonald's to get a drink. While I was standing in line a man seemed to be peaking over my shoulder. I made eye contact with him and he apologized. Then he explained that he was trying to see the title of the book I was reading (Praying The Lord's Prayer for Spiritual Breakthrough). We had a brief conversation - in line and at the drink station - then we parted ways. 

What if your life came down to one "post", one thought? What if your life came down to one moment of encouragement? What if you were created to touch - to speak into - the life of one person for one moment?

What if my purpose on this earth was to preach one sermon? What if my life came down to one conversation in a line at McDonald's? What if I was created so that I could speak truth and love and encouragement and peace and encouragement into the life of one person or one small group of people?

Lessons from Candy Crush Saga

Like thousands of other people, I have recently become addicted to Candy Crush Saga. The premise of Candy Crush Saga is simple, you match pieces of candy on a grid to score points. As the levels increase, the difficulty increases. Most recently I have struggled to get past one level, failing time after time. This all got me thinking of how we can learn many lessons from this simple game in relation to our life and days on earth.

1. You only have so much life - use it wisely
In Candy Crush a person has a limited number of lives and each life must be used wisely. If these lives are wasted, a person must wait a given amount of time before receiving another life. This applies to our earthly life as well. We each only have one life to live and thus we should use our life wisely - to accomplish the purpose that we have been created for and to spend our time on the priorities that matter. 

2. Don't take the move that seems obvious and "feels right"
In Candy Crush there are a wide variety of moves that are available at any given time. Making the wrong move is irreversible and could cost you the entire game (a life). Therefore, it is often required to look over the entire board to look for available moves, to consider how a particular move might affect the future of your game. This is true in life as well. We are often faced with situations and decisions that need to be made. We should not take the first and most immediate choice available, instead we should stop and consider how this decision will affect our life and our future. 

3. Friends and family are necessary to our success
In Candy Crush you can ask friends and family members for additional lives, additional moves, and additional tickets to help you proceed throughout he various levels of the game. What is more, you can ask friends and family members for tips and tricks to help with particular levels that you find yourself stuck on. The same is true in life. A solid and dependable foundation of friends and family members - people that we know love us and will support us - are required. Friends and family members bring us inspiration and encouragement at our times of deepest need and desperation. Friends and family members can speak truth and life into us when we think we can't go any farther. 

4. A faithful "higher power" is a necessity
In Candy Crush pieces are dropped from the top of the game board, with little to no knowledge of what pieces might be coming next. (I often complain to my wife that the "man upstairs" is failing to drop the pieces I need). In each one of our lives we need help from The Almighty God, who cares for us, sustains us, and gives us everything that we need to carry on and to find victory in this life. 

When God Says Go...

If you ever played games as a child, I'm sure you took part in "Simon Says" or "Red Light, Green Light". There are many more similar games that remind me of one important truth regarding life and following directions.

When God says "GO" you "go"!

I don't want to ever forget this, and I hope you don't either. See, it's often easy to go where God calls us - when it is apparent that He is calling us in a particular direction and when it is clear that He is saying "go".

What is more difficult it's to stay still when anxiety, fear, or discouragement are upon us.

Sometimes we just feel like running, we feel like hiding, we feel like going when and where God has not called us to "go".

But I don't ever want to "go" where God is not calling me. I don't ever want to run and hide because of fear or discouragement. 

When God says "GO" you "go". When He does not you "be still"

A Jesus Timeline

We just began a teaching series on Sunday evenings - "Journey Through The New Testament". Below is part of the outline from week one  - "The Gospels". This is a brief (limited) timeline of Jesus' time on this earth according to the Gospel accounts.

Autumn, A.D. 28:

•          Jesus left Nazareth and went down for Him baptism

•          Right after His baptism He went into the mountains to be tempted by Satan

•          Then He went back to Salem, and then to Cana

◦          The first disciples were from there – John, Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathaniel

Spring, A.D. 29:

•          The first miracle was at the wedding in Can

•          Jesus then moved to Capernaum, where he established His base of operations.

•          While Jesus was at Passover in Jerusalem, Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews, came to Him at night and Jesus explained the need to be “born again” (John 3:16)

•          This was about the time of John the Baptists last testimony

 

Winter, A.D. 29:

•          Jesus met the woman at the well at Sycar

•          Jesus went back to Cana and healed the son of a royal official

•          Jesus healed a man at the Pool of Bethesda

Spring, A.D. 30:

•          John the Baptist had been imprisoned in  Jerusalem

•          In Galilee, Jesus began to broaden His public ministry

•          At the synagogue, in Nazareth, Jesus read from Isaiah and the townspeople tried to throw Him off of a cliff

•          Jesus left Nazareth and went back to Capernaum

◦          There He called four more disciples

•          Peter's mother-in-law and a leper were healed

 

Summer, A.D. 30:

•          Jesus healed a paralytic in Capernaum

•          Matthew was called

•          Jesus and His disciples picked grain on the Sabbath

•          Jesus healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath

•          Jesus preached the sermon on the mount 

Fall, A.D. 30:

•          Jesus healed a blind and dumb man in Capernaum and was accused of doing this by the powers of Satan

•          From this point on Jesus spoke publicly only in parables

•          The seven kingdom parables in Matthew 13 were spoken

•          The people accused Jesus of being Satan

•          Jesus rebuked the storm

•          Jesus encountered the demonic man in the region of the Gadarenes and permitted the demons to go into a heard of pigs

•          The disciples went back to Capernaum

Winter, A.D. 30

•          Jarius's daughter is raised

•          A woman with an issue of bleeding was healed

•          Two blind men and a dumb man were healed

•          Jesus arrived back in Nazareth and opffened people.

•          John the baptist was beheaded

•          The Apostles were sent out in pairs

•          Jesus returned to Capernaum

Sprint, A.D. 31:

•          The twelve apostles returned to Capernaum

•          Jesus then returned to Bethsaida, which became a major base

•          Jesus fed 5,000

•          Jesus walked on water and returned to Capernaum

•          Jesus preached His sermon on “the Bread of Life”

•          Jesus was accused of eating with unwashed hands

•          Jesus went to the region of Decapolis

•          Jesus healed a deaf and dumb man and fed 4,000

•          Jesus went to Magdela where the Pharisee's demanded a sign

•          Jesus took a ship to Bethsaida where he talked about the yeast of the Pharisee's

•          Jesus traveled north to Caesarea Philippi

•          Jesus went up on the Mount of Transfiguration

•          Jesus healed a possessed boy and returned to Capernaum

•          Jesus went down to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles where He declared Himself to be the Living Water

•          He forgave a woman of adultery and returned to Galilee

Winter, A.D. 31:

•          The Samaritan's rejected Jesus

•          Jesus went to Perea, east of the Jordan and presented several parables

◦          the good Samaritan, the unrighteous steward, the rich man and Lazarus

•          Jesus sent out the seventy disciples

•          Jesus traveled to Jerusalem and healed a man born blind

•          Jesus stayed at Bethabara

Spring, A.D. 32:

•          Jesus traveled to Bethany

•          Lazarus was raised from the dead

•          Jewish leaders plotted to kill Lazarus and Jesus

•          Jesus moved to the village of Ephraim

•          Jesus encountered ten lepers and gave a number of parables

•          James and John's mother made the request that Jesus make her sons one and two

•          Jesus traveled back to Jericho where He healed blind Bartimeus

•          Jesus called Zaccheus and presented the parable of the ten talents

•          Jesus went to Bethany for His final week – the “Passion Week"