Day 3 - Week 94 - Luke 2:11 "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."

Jesus came to us over 2,000 years ago in the city of David (Bethlehem) and brought with Him good news that would be great joy to all the people --- because He came as Christ the Lord.

Christ, Christos in Greek, meaning "anointed."
Lord, Kurious in Greek, meaning "a title of honor expressive of respect and reverence, with which servants greet their master."

The angels knew just who Jesus the baby was --- they had seen Him just moments before in heaven with His Father.  They knew that the Father had anointed Him for the special purpose of redemption of mankind.  But they also knew Him as their Lord.  They were very aware of their servanthood to Him, and they held Him in great respect and reverence...because they really knew Him and the glory from which He had come.

Along with His mission of redemption and salvation, Jesus also came to show us who God is. I have been studying, along with some of my family, "Behold your God", a study written by John Snyder, with the intense purpose of "rethinking God biblically."  It is probably one of the most unusual studies that I have ever encountered because it forces you to start really looking at what the Bible tells us about who God is, and doesn't allow you to stay comfortable in the things you've been told about God.

From this past week's study, I can't seem to get Psalm 50:21 out of my head.  In God's rebuke to Israel, He says, "You thought that I was altogether like you."  I have been so guilty of bringing God down to my level.
No matter how hard we try to make Him like us, God isn't like us at all.  Unless we get a correct view of God, we will never have a correct view of ourselves.  He is high and holy --- we most certainly are not.  He is God, and we need to start taking Him seriously.

The angels knew who Jesus was, and they called Him, "Christ the Lord."

While I may call Him "Lord", what does my life say?  How often do I reverse the role and expect God to serve me?  How often do my prayers center on my needs, rather than seeking ways to glorify my Master?

"You thought I was altogether like you."  Oh God, forgive me.  

Day 2 - Week 94 - Luke 2:11, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."

We especially celebrate Christ's first coming ever year at Christmas time.  It is a time of remembering that night, long ago, when angels heralded the Savior's arrival...the long-awaited gift that would reconcile humanity to their Creator.  He came as a baby, entering into the world that He had created, and yet the arrival of the Creator went relatively unnoticed by His creation.

Robert J. Morgan writes these words comparing Christ's first coming with His second...I think they are well worth pondering.  For just as certainly as Christ came the first time as a baby, He will come the second time as a King!

When Jesus came the first time, He came wrapped in swaddling clothes.  When He comes again, He'll be dressed in the vestments of victory.

When He came the first time, there was no room in the inn.  When He comes again, the whole world will be His domain.

He came the first time as King of the Jews.  He will come again as King of kings and Lord of lords.

He came the first time to be crucified.  He will come again to be glorified.

He came the first time as the Author of our salvation.  He will come again as the Finisher of our faith.

He came the first time with a baby's cry.  When He comes again, it will be with the roar of the lion of the tribe of Judah.

His first coming was known only to a few shepherds, a handful of wise men, and a few residents of Bethlehem.  When He comes again, it'll be as lightning flashing east to west, He will come in the clouds of glory, and the entire universe will hear the news.

When He came at Bethlehem, the angels sang, "Glory to God in the highest."  When He comes again, they will sing, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever." 

Our Lord came --- Our Lord is coming again!  And upon His second arrival, there will be no heralding of angels in the night sky to a few obscure shepherds... no, this time all of His Creation will acknowledge Him for who He is....King of kings and Lord of lords, worthy of all honor, praise and glory, forever and ever!

 

 

 

 

 

Day 1 - Week 94 - Jesus has arrived!

We are in the series of verses regarding our Savior's first and second comings.  The first five verses have to do with His first advent...the next three will herald His second!  The earth received great news over 2,000 years ago, but when Christ returns and this world comes to its destined end, then the good news of that silent night in Bethlehem will be completed.

So far in this series we have learned:

Isaiah 9:6  "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be on His shoulders.  And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor,The mighty God, The eternal Father, The Prince of Peace."

Luke 2:10   "But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all the people.' "

Now we add to Luke 2:10 with Luke 2:11, the next words coming from the angels to the shepherds in the fields close to Bethlehem,

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."

According to Old Testament prophecy, the Messiah would come from Bethlehem...the angels made sure their pronouncement included the affirming testimony that Christ's birthplace was right on target to fulfill the prophetical pronouncements made centuries before.

Micah 5:2  "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, 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 old, from ancient times."

God's pronouncements are always completed just as He has proclaimed...Christ did come out of Bethlehem.  He came on the exact day that God had known from the beginning of time would be the day...and He will coe again on the day that God has always known He would send Him to redeem those who know Him.

The prophets of old were correct --- and yet many people missed Christ's arrival, many missed His ministry, and many missed His death and resurrection.  Sometimes we wonder how they could have been there and missed it.  Yet we have been given God's written Word, we have access to everything we need to know His message and His voice calling to us, and there are still so many who are missing Him and so many others who are satisfied in keeping their knowledge of Him on a very minimal level.

He came, He lived, He died, He rose again and He lives now!  He is knowable through God's Word and through His Spirit, available to all those who believe.  He wants to know us deeply and intimately.   I pray for the desire to know Him on an increasingly intense level.

Christ came to a manger in Bethlehem - angels announced His coming.  I believe deep within each of us His Spirit announces His readiness to come into our individual hearts, to be born within us just as He was born in that manger.  Listen to the angels' words as if they were addressed to you personally...

"To YOU, this day, is ready to be born in your heart, a SAVIOR, which is CHRIST THE LORD."

Day 3 - Week 93 - Luke 2:10 'But the angel said to them, ' Do not be afraid, for I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all the people."

Robert J. Morgan takes this one small verse and unpacks it to show just how powerful the proclamation found in Luke 2:10-12 actually is.

Just in our verse of this week, Luke 2:10, Morgan details six different "types" of news the angels brought:

1.  LIBERATING NEWS - Don't be afraid.  The coming of Christ banishes fear from human hearts.

2.  SUPERNATURAL NEWS - It was given by an angel from heaven!

3.  PERSONAL NEWS - "I bring you.."

4.  GOOD NEWS - "I bring you good news..."

5.  HAPPY NEWS - "I bring you good news of great joy..."

6.  GLOBAL NEWS - "I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all the people."

Christ's first coming was earth-shattering news...and yet, that first night, it only shattered the world of a few humble shepherds.  The rest of the earth slumbered, while "shepherds watched their flocks by night."  God chose to proclaim the coming of His Son to earth to the lowly and unnoticed.  They would be His first messengers of the good news.

Later, Christ would choose twelve humble disciples to carry His message of forgiveness and salvation to the rest of the world.  Fishermen, tax collectors...no one of any real earthly note.  But what a difference they made through their wholehearted faithfulness to the task that Christ assigned to them.  A commitment that they held fast, up to and including martyrs' deaths.

I pray for that kind of faithfulness and commitment to Christ's call on my life.  I pray that I will always proclaim the love of God as exhibited through Jesus....it is such good, good news.  We cannot keep it to ourselves!

Makes you want to stand on a street corner shouting like the newsboys of a few generations ago, "Extra, Extra, read all about it!"  For of all the headlines of all of the world's cataclysmic events, none produced an effect as to compare to that of the birth of one very special child on that quiet night in Bethlehem!

Day 2 - Week 93 - Luke 2:10 "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."

Christ's first coming...that's what we're focused on right now.  When our Savior came the first time, He came as a helpless infant, born in a manger...with angels announcing His arrival.

His arrival was heralded as an event of "good news" and "great joy."  Does Jesus bring that to your life?  What is His good news?

In this world of ours in 2013 we are bombarded with bad news...think about the news we have experienced in just the last twelve months.

Globally:  North Korea launched war missiles; gunmen stormed our Embassy in Benghazi, Libya and killed four Americans; Civil War in Syria spilling over into Lebanon with ongoing killing.
Nationally:  Superstorm Sandy plummeted the east coast; shooting at Newtown, Connecticut, took the lives of 20 first-graders plus teachers; multiple bombs exploded during the Boston Marathon.
Locally:  Over 40 Texans died from West Nile virus; a mile-wide Category 4 tornado hit Oklahoma and claimed over 24 lives; a fertilizer plant exploded in West, Texas, resulting in 12 deaths and over 200 injuries.

Our lives, here on earth, never seem to have a shortage of bad news.  It just doesn't seem to ever stop...and here's an encouraging note, it never will!  While we remain on this earth, we will have troubles.  Jesus told us that much...remember when He said, "In this world, you will have trouble...."  But He gave us a tremendous second half to that proclamation, "....but take heart, I have overcome the world."  

There's the good news that the angels sang of!  Jesus' coming brought the very, very good news that we can be assured that no matter what happens in this world, He has overcome the world and brings with Him the promise of more...more than this world that we see and touch, which can be tremendously wonderful, but which can also inflict fears and sorrows.  For unless the headlines listed above affected you or your family personally, you probably got through them with little anguish.  But when this world's bad news comes into our personal worlds, then we need to know that there is something more.  We need some really, really GOOD NEWS that overcomes.

That's what Jesus' coming brings to us personally...HE is the good news.  He lived on earth to show us God's love, He died to give us redemption, He rose to give us assurance of eternal life, He lives on high to be our advocate and intercessor, and He is coming again to claim His role as eternal King.  There is more ---- oh yes, so much more!

Good news .... for all people... and for each of us individually.  Open your heart to His coming!

Day 1 - Week 93 - What is my problem?

I just realized that it has been 3 weeks since my last post!  How different than when I started...I was reminded by my sweet friend Paula that I was posting five times a week initially.  If you have been traveling this journey with me, you know I have had tragedy to work through in these last months, but while the dark days of that time created delays and gaps, I have come to realize that this most recent lull cannot be attributed to that...I realize that I am dragging my feet at this time because we are at week 93, and that means if I keep at this on a regular basis, in seven short weeks, we're through!  While I'm acting like I'm ready for that, I'm not!  I still know that this...whatever this is..is always waiting for me to return.  "This" has become my companion for over two years, a very faithful companion, always there when I sit down to hear God's Word and share it with "you."  (Whoever "you" are...you have also become my journey mate along this road of Scripture.)  So forgive me, again, for another lull...but this time it is a lull of apprehension as to what happens when "this" is over and "you" are no longer traveling by my side.  Then I am reminded of John 14:27...remember that one?  Peace I leave with you.  My peace I give to you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.   So, even though "this" will not be an ongoing project, God will provide another source of ministry to me and for me.  No need to fear!

So, let's get this thing done!  Let's do Weeks 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99 and 100!!  Reviewing our last few sections first...

The Alpha and Omega (8)
Isaiah 9:6  "For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be on His shoulders.  And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The mighty God, The eternal Father, The Prince of Peace."

The Lord is My Shepherd (6)
Psalm 23:1  "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."
Psalm 23:2  "He maketh me lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters."
Psalm 23:3  "He restoreth my soul.  He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake."
Psalm 23:4  "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me."
Psalm 23:5  "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over."
Psalm 23:6  "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

Faith: Trusting God and Resting in His Word (12)
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift."
Ephesians 2:9 "Not by works, so that no one can boast."
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Colossians 3:15 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."
Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."
Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believe, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
Romans 1:17 "For in it God's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith."
Psalm 56:3 "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."
2 Chronicles 16:9 "The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."
Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

And adding another verse reminding us of Christ's first advent to our earthly world....

Luke 2:10  "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. ' "

Christ's coming...don't miss some of the descriptions...good news...great joy...for ALL the people!

Day 3 - Week 92 - Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be on His shoulders. And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor,The mighty God, The eternal Father, The Prince of Peace."

"Wonderful Counselor, the mighty God, the eternal Father, the Prince of Peace."

Which of these names speaks to you the loudest regarding our Savior and Lord?  Has He been a "Wonderful Counselor" to you?  Do you think of Jesus as "the mighty God"?  Do you see Him as "the eternal Father"?  Is He your "Prince of Peace"?

It occurred to me when reading this verse tonight how the descriptions given are another testimony to the Holy Trinity.  Most often we think of the Holy Spirit as the Counselor that Jesus promised to us.  We tend to think of God the Father as the mighty power, and Jesus as our Prince of Peace.  But Isaiah, in his inspired wisdom, proclaims all of these attributes on the child to be born.  Jesus came as the Son of God, but in the mystery of the trinity, He proclaimed all the aspects of God.  At His baptism, all three personalities of God were evidenced.  Jesus brought God to us...ALL of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Without the birth of the child in the manger, God in His entirety could never have been truly known by humanity.  Jesus brought God to the world, to be known by all nations.

When those who do not accept Jesus' divinity proclaim Him as a good man, an inspired teacher, a great prophet, they are missing what Isaiah saw many centuries before...this child, this son given to the world, would bring God to us...just as Isaiah had named Him in a couple of chapters before, "And a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call His name Immanuel."

Wonderful Counselor, the mighty God, the eternal Father, the Prince of Peace....Immanuel...God with us.

God --- all of God, Father, Son and Spirit --- with us.  Praises!

Just as I finished, the loudest clap of thunder exploded in our back yard and I was reminded of the power of God revealed through nature.  My mind went to those in Oklahoma who have suffered through this week in the aftermath of tornadoes in Shawnee and Moore, as well as those in Granbury, Texas, who are still recovering from their tornado of a couple weeks ago.  Why, we ask?  Why did God allow nature, over which He obviously has control, destroy homes and take lives?  Jesus calmed the storm when His disciples were frightened, why didn't He do the same for those facing such fear last week?  "And," we say, "especially those sweet little children!"

Do I have that answer?  Nope.  All I know is that some storms are calmed, and some are not.  God is the decider.   And each of us have to decide if He is trustworthy to place our lives into His sovereign hands.  If so, we enter into a covenant of trust with Him, knowing that He truly is working all things together for good in our lives.  (Romans 8:28)  Even when we don't get immediate answers, even when life doesn't make sense to us, we can trust.  And we can know that one day, we will see clearly. (1 Corinthians 13:12)