Observation and Principles

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…

But I do want. There are so many things that I want. I want a house and nice clothes. I want gourmet dinners and someone else to wash the dishes. What did David mean when he said, “I shall not want”?

God gives me everything of value. When I read Psalm 23, this is what it means to me:

When I follow God, He takes care of me. Let me tell you what He does.

He gives me rest and a quiet place. He teaches me how to live. In the very worst of circumstances, He is there, protecting, defending, and guiding me.

He provides for me while I live on this earth, and when I am dead He promises me blessings and a home for all eternity.

What more could I want?

Is the Lord your Shepherd?

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This week we are celebrating Love–God’s love for us, and our love for Him.  We only have two days and then Christmas!

Day 1 (Sunday)

John 3:16  For God so love the world that he gave his only Begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Mary new the time would be soon.  It has been almost 9 months since she had seen the angel Gabriel.  Through these months, the angel’s words remained constantly in her mind.

“Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Matthew 1: 30-33)

Just as the angel had said, Mary was pregnant although she was still a virgin.

The past nine months had been difficult.  When Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant, he almost backed out of their engagement.  Mary wouldn’t have blamed him, since he was not the father of the child she was carrying.  She cried with relief when he came back to her.  He had also been visited by an angel.  The angel had explained the situation, and Joseph married Mary.

The time had come for Jesus to be born.  The young couple, Mary and Joseph, had to travel to Bethlehem to pay taxes.  The journey was exhausting for the very pregnant Mary.  She was eager to find an inn and rest for the night.

When Joseph knocked at the door of the inn, the innkeeper had been polite, but all the rooms had been filled hours before.  Mary’s eyes welled up with tears, and she sobbed quietly.

The apologetic innkeeper led Mary and Joseph to the stable. “I’m sorry, this is all I can offer you,”  he said.

As Mary sat on the hard floor of the stable, she felt the first contractions.  The baby would be born that night among the animals in the stable.

Day 2 (Monday)

The young mother wrapped her newborn baby in cloths and lay him in a manger.  Softly she hummed to the baby Jesus.  This wasn’t the entry she had expected for her firstborn child, but Jesus seemed healthy, content, and completely unaware of the animals staring at him.

There was no crib, that had been left back in their house in Galilee.  Mary laid her newborn son in the manger, resting with the smell of sweet hay.  Then she laid back and rested herself.   Joseph sat nearby watching over his wife Mary and the baby Jesus.

The three of them were sitting just like that when four very excited shepherds came running into the stable followed by a small herd of sheep.

“Angels told us…the Savior…there he is, in the manger, just as the angels said!” the shepherds cried out.

Everything was in a bit of a confusion.  The shepherds seemed rather embarrassed when they realized that Mary and the baby had been resting.

They shooed the sheep outside and one by one, the four shepherds sat down on the ground near the manger.  For a few minutes, they each bowed their heads as in prayer.  Then they left.

As the shepherds left the stable, Joseph could hear them shouting in the streets, “We have seen the Son of God!  The Savior has come!”

As the sun rose over the little town of Bethlehem, Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.

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You are in a battle for your heart. Don’t ever forget that. This battle began the moment you accepted Christ into your heart. You made satan really mad that day!

When you feel beat up, and pushed down, remember that you are a warrior on God’s side. Satan would like nothing better than for you to not get up and fight.

The battle is ongoing, but there is an end. It ends when you go to heaven (through death or Jesus’ return). Until then, put on the full armor of God and fight the good fight.

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This is the third week of Advent. If you are using traditional candle colors, you will light the rose colored candle in addition to the other two candles this week. Christmas draws near, and we are Joyful.

Remember the story Pollyanna, and how the “glad verses” changed a whole town? This week we are looking at glad verses, and remembering that Jesus changes lives.

For most of this week, I haven’t added commentary because the joy of the Bible says it far better than I can.

photo: Joep Roosen CC-BY-ND

Day 1 (Sunday)

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7

Right now, we are living in very frightening times. Last week started with news that my in-laws had been robbed at gunpoint. The chaos and evil of the week continued with news of the shootings in Colorado at Youth With A Mission and in a church.

When I heard about the shootings, my first reaction was, “Jesus has to come back soon. How much longer can he wait?”

All around us, we see darkness, chaos, and evil running rampant, and without Jesus, it would be cause for anxiety. The opposite of joy is not sadness, and joy is not the same as happiness. Joy is based on more than passing feelings, it is based on the hope and confidence that we have in the Lord. You cannot be joyful and anxious.

After the robbery, My In-laws said, “We are just so thankful that nothing was lost that cannot be replaced, and I finally understand what it means, ‘the peace that passes all understanding.’”

As you light the third candle this week, pray for those who are living in the darkness. Let the one unlit candle be a reminder that there is darkness, but look at the joy of the three candles giving off light and be reminded that the Light has already overcome the darkness.

Day 2 (Monday)

Sing, O Daughter of Zion;
shout aloud, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O Daughter of Jerusalem!

The LORD has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm.

On that day they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.

The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.”

“The sorrows for the appointed feasts
I will remove from you;
they are a burden and a reproach to you.

Zephaniah 3:14-18

Right now, we should be rejoicing. God dwells inside of us, and evil is already defeated! We have this promise. Be Glad! Rejoice with all your heart! God has made us a promise!

We have studied for the last two weeks, how God has kept his promises throughout the Bible. When we look at what He has done already, we see evidence of God’s faithfulness. We can have joy in knowing that he will continue to be faithful to His promises. All the prophecies will be fulfilled. Rejoice because light has overcome the darkness of your own heart!

Todd Baker CC-By

Day 3 (Tuesday)

The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.

Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees that give way;

say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you.”

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.

The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.

And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness.
The unclean will not journey on it;
it will be for those who walk in that Way;
wicked fools will not go about on it.

No lion will be there,
nor will any ferocious beast get up on it;
they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,

and the ransomed of the LORD will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Isaiah 35:1-10

Day 4 (Wednesday)

When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion,
we were like men who dreamed.

Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”

The LORD has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like streams in the Negev.

Those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of joy.

He who goes out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with him.

Psalm 126

photo: Jean Lemoine CC-By-SA

Day 5 (Thursday)

Mary’s Song

And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers.”

Luke 11:46-55

Day 6 (Friday)

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 of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Luke 2: 8-20

photo: Zone41 cc-by-sa

Day 7 (Saturday)

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:1-9

Todd Baker CC-By

Rejoice in the Lord Always! Again I say it: rejoice!

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Dear Parental Units,

Christmas is a busy time for you and for me.  I am looking forward to having a break from school so that I can sleep in and spend time with my friends.

I know you have a lot of family traditions that you want me to participate in.  To tell you the truth, it’s hit or miss whether I want to do it or not.  Yeah, traditions are important to me, but I’m trying to find my own place in this world.  Don’t nag me about joining in.  If you pull me in, I’ll likely push away harder.

Mom, Dad, you have to understand that what I really want right now is freedom.  Sometimes by not participating in traditions, I am exercising my freedom.

Give me space to grow up, and give me space to be your baby.  That’s what I really want for Christmas.

Your confusing Teenager

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For thousands of years, God sent this message to His people, ” A Messiah is coming, and this is how you will know him…”

There are hundreds of Old Testament prophecies, messages from God, that foretold Jesus’ coming. Each of these prophecies were intended to help the nation of Israel prepare for the savior.

During this second week of advent, the readings will come from Old Testament Messianic prophecies. At the end of the week, I have included a few prophecies that are looking forward to Jesus’ second coming.

Day 1 (Sunday)

The first prophesy that we are looking at is found in Isaiah 7: 14, which says:

” Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

In the story of Jesus’ birth is told in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, both accounts mention that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virgin.

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled by his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ” Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You’ll be with child and will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God give him the throne of his Father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary ask the angel, ” since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon 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. Even Elizabeth your relative who’s going to have a child in her old age, and she who is said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered, “May it be to me as you have said.”

Luke 1: 26 -38

Matthew 1 tells a similar story but adds in verse 22, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel:–which means “God with us.”

Jesus means “the Lord saves,” and He was called the Son of the Most High because in Jesus, fully God and fully man, God truly walked on the earth. Jesus was God with us, and he is still with us (as believers). He is truly Immanuel.

Day 2 (Monday)

The prophet Micah foretold that the Messiah would be born in a little town called Bethlehem.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathat, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old from ancient times. ” (Micah 5:2)

Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, the people knew to look towards Bethelehem. The King of Kings would come from Bethlehem.

Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem and there the Savior was born.

In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:1-7)

Day 3 (Tuesday)

The circumstances of Jesus’ birth fulfilled several prophecies about the Messiah. Today we are going to look at the timing of Jesus’ birth.

Jeremiah 23: 3-6 says:

“I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where i have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness.”

From history and the Bible, we know that the Jews were taken away from Israel because they were not faithful to God. Jeremiah’s prophecy, says that the Messiah would be born after the Jews were gathered back to Israel.

The first Jewish exiles returned to Jerusalem in 538 BC. They worked on building the wall around Jerusalem and then rebuild the temple. The second temple in Jerusalem was completed in 516 BC.

Daniel also prophesied about the timing of the coming of the Messiah. Daniel lived during the time of the exile, but he prophesied in Daniel 9:24-27 that

1. there would be a decree to rebuild Jersusalem
2. The temple and the city would be rebuilt (see the book of Ezra for the fulfillment of this prophecy)
3. The “anointed one” (Messiah) would come after the temple was rebuild, and he would be “cut off” (killed)
4. He will end the sacrificial system
5. The temple will be destroyed again (fulfilled in 70 A.D. by the Romans)

“Seventy ’sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. “Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ’sevens,’ and sixty-two ’sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two ’sevens,’ the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He will confirm a covenant with many for one ’seven.’ In the middle of the ’seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

The importance of the seventy ’sevens’ is difficult to interprate. In Jewish tradition, the number 7 represents completeness. Others have notices that if the 70 ’sevens’ refers to 70 weeks of years (or 490 years) the beginning of Jesus’ ministry is very close to 483 years (7 ’sevens and 62 ’sevens’). This interpretation puts approximate end of Jesus’ ministry at the end of 69 ’sevens’ leaving a final week of years for the 7 year tribulation told in Revelation.

By these two prophecies, the timing of Jesus’ birth fits between the rebuilding of the temple and the destruction of the second temple.

Day 4 (Wednesday)

So far I have focused on prophecies surrounding Jesus’ birth because this is the season. No discussion of Messianic prophecies would be complete without studying the prophecies about the life of the Messiah.

Isaiah 53 is a unique chapter prophesying the ministry of Jesus. It could be called the Gospel according to Isaiah.

Verse (Isaiah 53:2-12)	Fulfillment
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.	Matthew 8:16-17 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.”
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.	1 Peter 2: 23-25 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.	Acts 8:23-35 The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.”The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?”Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.Luke 22: 66-71 At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. “If you are the Christ,” they said, “tell us.”Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?”He replied, “You are right in saying I am.”Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.”Luke 23: 1-23 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.” So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.” But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.” On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform some miracle. He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies. Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.” With one voice they cried out, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.” But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. So Pilate decided to grant their demand. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.	1 Peter 2:21-22 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied ; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.	Mark 15:27 (28)They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left. (and the scripture was fulfilled which says, “He was numbered with the transgressors”)*not all Bible manuscripts include verse 28Luke 22:37 “It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the trangsressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”

Day 5 (Thursday)

Psalm 22 is another vivid prophecy. With remarkably accuracy, David described the scene of the crucifixion of the Messiah.

Verse (Isaiah 53:2-12)	Fulfillment
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?	Matthew 27:46 “About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a lout voice, “Eloi, Eloi, Lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
2 my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel.4 In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.5 They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.
6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads:	Matthew 26:67-68Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slappet him and said, “Prophesy for us, Christ. Who hit you?”Matthew 27:27-31 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They striped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. The put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocket him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
8 “He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”	Matthew 27:39-44 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”In the same way the chief priests, and the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.also Mark 15:29-32 and Luke 23:35, 39
9 Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother’s breast.10 From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.11 Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.
12 Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.13 Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me.	Mark 15:16-20 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the pruple robe and put his own clothes on him. T hen they led him out to crucify him.
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.	John 19:28 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”
16 Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.	John 20:25-27 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he [Thomas] said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
17 I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me.
18 They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.	John 19:23-24 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.”Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said,”They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.”So this is what the soldiers did.
19 But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.20 Deliver my life from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs.21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen.22 I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.23 You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!24 For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.

Even through the story of the Crucifixion, the Bible is a beautiful, remarkable book. As you read through the prophecies, you see that everything in the Bible points to Jesus, the Messiah.

Day 6 (Friday)

The season of Advent is a waiting time for Jesus’ arrival. We are waiting for the celebration of His birth, and we are waiting for His triumphant return to earth.

This week, we have read prophecies regarding Jesus’ birth and life. For the last two days of this week, we are going to look and prophecies about the second coming of Jesus.

There are 300 prophecies in the Old Testament that were fulfilled by the Life and ministry of Jesus, and 500 prophecies about his second coming.

As time passed, the prophecies regarding His first coming became more and more specific (i.e. family lineage, ministry, death, etc). Likewise, the prophecies of the second coming became more specific in the New Testament.

The Old Testament prophets, did not seem to clearly understand that the Messiah would come to earth twice.

Zechariah 14 is one example of Messianic prophecy that was not completely fulfilled by Jesus’ ministry.

Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.

On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime—a day known to the LORD. When evening comes, there will be light.

On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter.

The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.

The whole land, from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up and remain in its place, from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses. It will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure. (Zechariah 14:3-11)

If the Old Testament prophets did not know that there would be a second coming of the Messiah and Jesus did not fulfill all the Old Testament Messianic prophecies, why should we believe that He is, indeed, the Christ?

I mentioned at the beginning of today’s devotional that Jesus fulfilled 300 of the Old Testament Messianic Prophecies. The statistical likelyhood that any one person would fill even 50 prophecies that were made thousands of years before his birth is incredibly tiny, small, minute. When you consider that Jesus filled 300 of the prophecies, the simplest answer is that he was most likely the Messiah.

Secondly, when you examine many of the unfulfilled prophecies, (such as the one above), many of them were partially fulfilled during Jesus’ life. For example, we know that in Matthew 24, Jesus stood on the Mount of Olives and told his disciples about the end times (including prophesing His return). The prophecy was partially fulfilled, and Jesus’s prophecy in Matthew brought the picture into clearer focus.

Day 7 (Saturday)

This is the final day in a rather weighty week. Yesterday I mentioned that Jesus prophesied a second coming in Matthew 24. I would like to end this week with that passage, and I encourage you to anticipate and prepare for His return. Go out and share the gospel with courage.

Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time.

“So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

“Immediately after the distress of those days
” ‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

“At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.

Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

photos: Sunny Ellis copyright 2007, Clinton Steeds CC-by 2.0,

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Advent is a season to prepare for Jesus’ coming. Today’s article offers some suggestions for advent activities you can do with young children. Next week I will be writing about Advent activities you can get your teenager involved in.

Children understand the things that they see and do. These activities are a great way to point your children towards Jesus.

• Christmas Story Coloring Pages
• Nativity Set Toys

If you have children, you should have a nativity set that you don’t mind them playing with. I’m talking about one that you don’t mind if it gets broken. As a child, I spent hours playing with a nativity scene, acting out the whole story.

If you don’t have a nativity set that your kids can play with, Fisher price has one in their little people toy line, or check out Constrictive Playthings.

• Jesse Tree/Bethlehem Tree

Isaiah 11:1 says, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. ” This was one of the prophecies that foretold Jesus’ birth.

The Jesse Tree, sometimes called a Bethlehem Tree or a Jesus Tree, is just a branch stuck upright in a pot of dirt or a piece of florists foam. During the holiday season, you and your children can look for symbols (ornaments) that represent stories in the Bible and Messianic prophecies.

Examples: Lion–Lion of Judah; Apple–Adam and Eve; Star–Star of Bethlehem

These can be actual ornaments, home made crafts, or even toys that can be used as symbols.

This can become a Christmas tradition that grows as your children grow. If you have teenagers, encourage them to get into the Bible and find new symbols that can be used as ornaments.

This page has a coloring book for Jesse Tree ornaments

As you go through this holiday season, the important thing is to talk with your children about the symbols and what they mean. That’s the key to pointing towards Christ this Christmas.

Next Tuesday, I will be writing about celebrating Advent and Christmas with your teenager.

Don’t miss a single post during this Advent season, subscribe to Observation and Principles in a reader or by Email.

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I have arranged this article in 7 sections. I wrote it to be used over the course of the first week of the Advent season, but I have tried to keep the article short enough to use all on one night if you choose.

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Have you ever planned something and when you got it, it was better than you hoped? Have you ever hoped for something and were disappointed?On the first Sunday of Advent, you will light the hope candle as a reminder that God will never leave His promises unfulfilled, and His plans always turn out better than you can hope for.

The first week of advent focuses on Hope and God’s promises to the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, etc). The verses chosen for this week are a selection of these promises throughout the Old Testament and verses in the New Testament that illustrate the fulfillment of these promises.

Day 1 (Sunday):

The story of Jesus doesn’t begin with His birth, from the time that sin entered the world, God promised a Savior to overcome Satan.

Adam and Eve had a perfect relationship with God. They walked in the Garden of Eden and talked with Him face to face. All was well, until Satan came onto the scene and convinced Eve that God was holding out on her and Adam, and that she could be like God.

With that bite of the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, the perfect relationship that Adam and Eve had with God ended. Sinful humans could not stand in the presence of a perfect God.

God’s heart must have ached as He told Adam and Eve of the consequences of their sins, but while He was telling them how their lives had just changed, He gave them hope for a future restoration of the broken relationship between God and Man.

The Lord says, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your (satan’s) offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Gen 3:15)

Can you imagine, after that promise, the birth of ever male child must have been accompanies by the hope of, “Is he the one? Is this the one who will restore our relationship with God?”

“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” (Galatians 4:4)

Finally, the Messiah had come! His beginnings on Earth were humble, to say the least. His life was plagued by Satan striking out at his heal. From Jesus’ birth, Satan tried to have him killed. It began with Herod’s killing of all the Jewish boys under 2 years old (Matthew 2), and continued until Satan thought he had won with Jesus’s crucifiction.

“But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” (Acts 2:24)

With Christ being raised from the dead, Satan has lost, but the promise of Genesis 3:15 has not been completely fulfilled. You can look around you and see that evil is still abundant on the Earth. We are still in a time of waiting and hoping for the return of Jesus when He will issue the final crushing blow to Satan. Satan will be thrown into a lake of fire, never to be able to tempt anyone again (Revelation 20:10) What a day that will be!

Day 2 (Monday): Today we are looking at God’s promises to Abram/Abraham. Abraham had a deep faith in God, and it is because of his faith the he was blessed. In Genesis 12:2-3 God told 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.”

For years Abraham remained faithful to God, even though he and his wife, Sarah, were unable to have children. In Genesis 15, God reaffirmed His promise, “…a son coming from your own body will be your heir…Look up at the heavens and count the stars…So shall your offspring be.” Abraham believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. (vv4-6)

When Abraham was 100 years old, and his wife Sarah was 90, they became the parents of Isaac, the son God had promised.

Matthew 1 and Luke 3:23-38 list Jesus’ family tree. To be perfectly honest, these chapters don’t make for the most exciting reading, but they are absolutely necessary for seeing that Jesus’s birth did fulfill the promises that God made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the other fathers of the Bible.

Abraham’s part in Jesus’ family tree is mentioned in Matthew 1:2 and Luke 3:33. As promised, all the peoples of the earth have been blessed through Abraham.

Day 3 (Tuesday): Isaac was the promised son of Abraham, born when Sarah was 90 years old and Abraham was 100. His childhood was a bit difficult because of some sibling rivalry with his half-brother Ishmael (born through Hagar when Sarah and Abraham tried to take fulfilling God’s promises into their own hands.

God told Abraham, “…it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” (Gen 21:12). God confirmed this to Isaac in Genesis 26:23.

Day 4 (Wednesday): Jacob was the son of Isaac. While Jacob was used by God, he is also a good example that God can (and does) use imperfect people.

Jacob was the younger of twin brothers. He tricked his brother Esau into giving away the rights of the firstborn son. Later, Jacob received Esau’s blessing by tricking Isaac. Through all this trickery and deception, Jacob was till the son that God had chosen to bless all the people of the earth.

“I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:13-15)

Jacob wrestled with God (Gen 32:22-32), and God changed his name to Israel. He became the father of the Israelites (Jews).

Day 5 (Thursday): Judah was the son of Jacob, not the firstborn, and not the favorite. In fact Judah was the third son of Jacob. While he had committed some youthful indescretions, over time his character changed and he became a man of honor.

Before Jacob died, he blessed his sons saying, “Gather around so I can tell you what will happend to you in days to come.” When it was Judah’s turn to receive a blessing, Jacob said, “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.” (Gen 49:10)

When Jacob was blessing his sons, he was not merely saying, “I hope all goes well with you after I am gone.” Jacob was speaking as the mouthpiece of God. God promised that the Messiah would be from the line of Judah. True to God’s promise, Judah is listed as the ancestor of kings (David, Solomon, etc) and as the ancestor of Jesus Christ, the Messiah (Matthew 1:3).

Day 6 (Friday) A long time passed before Judah became the father of a king. According to the family tree in Matthew 1, ten generations passed before David was born into the tribe of Judah.

During that time, the Israelites had been enslaved by the Egyptians, led out of Egypt by God, and brought into the promised land. They went through numerous rebellions against God (read Judges for examples), and after a long while, the Israelites asked for a king. This wasn’t a good idea, but that is a different story.

Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin and he was chosen by God to be the first King of Israel. Over time though, Saul’s heart was turned away from God, and God rejected him as king.

1 Samuel 16 begins the story of Jesse and his son David, who are descendents of Judah.

Samuel was the priest over Israel. After God rejected Saul as king, Samuel was sent by God to the house of Jesse of Bethlehem. God was ready to annoint a new king

Samuel feasted with Jesse’s family and then looked over each of the sons. Jesse had some good looking sons. They were tall, strong, and handsome.

Samuel had asked God about each of the sons of Jesse that were present at the feast, but with each one, God said, “He isn’t the one.”

Finally, Samuel asked Jesse, “Do you have any more sons?”

Jesse admitted that his youngest son, David was out in the field watching the sheep. David was sent for and when he came God told Samuel, “This is the one.”

Saul remained king until his death, but David succeeded him as king.

The ruling scepter fell to the line of Judah, just as Jacob had said in Genesis 49. God came and made a promise to David, too. “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” (2 Samuel 7:16)

God confirmed this promise multiple times through the prophet Isaiah (11:1-10):

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD -

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;

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.

Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.

The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

The infant will play near the hole of the cobra,
and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest.

They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.

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

And through the prophet Jeremiah (23:5-6):

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD,
“when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign wisely
and do what is just and right in the land.

In his days Judah will be saved
and Israel will live in safety.
This is the name by which he will be called:
The LORD Our Righteousness.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luke 2:4-7

So Jesus came to fulfill the promises that God had made that the King of Kings would be the descendant of Jesse and David.

Day 7 (Saturday): This is the last day that just one candle will be lit on the Advent wreath. We have examined the some of the Old Testament promises that were fulfilled by the Birth of Jesus Christ.

Perhaps you can imagine the hope and anticipation that was building over all those years, through all those promises. The same way that you get more excited about opening presents as Christmas day grows ever closer, so the anticipation and excitement grew as all the Israelites waited for the Messiah.

When Jesus was born, it was known that He was in the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Jesse, and David. His lineage was known, but his greatest characteristic and the one that gives us the most hope was not so apparent.

…a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)

At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. “If you are the Christ,” they said, “tell us.”

Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”

They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?”
He replied, “You are right in saying I am.”

Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.”
Luke 22:66-71

Jesus came to fulfill a long line of promises made by God. All the nations of the Earth have been blessed by Him. He did not fulfill all the promises that were made about him (remember Genesis 3:15), but He has promised to return. He has been the hope for Salvation since the beginning of time. He is our only hope.

“The Root of Jesse will spring up,
one who will arise to rule over the nations;
the Gentiles will hope in him.”

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:12-13

I will be posting some week 1 activity ideas on Monday or Tuesday, and I hope to have the week 2 devotion guide posted by Thursday.

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