My blog

Tag: Jesus

  • Good Friday…

    Good Friday is the holiest day of the year in the Christian calendar. It is a day of remembrance and… a day of sorrow. But it’s also a day that we, as humans, are reconciled to our Lord and Savior.

    From the beginning of the Bible in Genesis through to Revelation, the entire story, His story, is revealed.

    God the Father knew man would sin before He created the universe. So, it wasn’t a surprise to Him when man fell in the garden in Genesis 3. Throughout the Bible, we see God’s plan of salvation in the form of Jesus Christ.

    Although there may be those who do not believe in the Bible, but for those of us who do, Good Friday is a day of remembrance to reflect on the impact Jesus had on society in His day through the centuries to today.

    I marvel at His capacity to love us so much that He willingly went to the cross and died for our sins so we could live with Him in eternity. It’s what we, as Christians, believe.

    About ten years ago, my husband and I had the distinct privilege of visiting Israel with our church. The ten-day trip took us to the Sea of Galilee where we boarded a boat and had a Bible Study in the very area where Jesus walked on water.

    We visited many places while there: Nazareth, Capernaum (where the Apostle Peter lived), Masada, Tel Dan, the Valley of Megiddo (where the battle of Armageddon will be held), Ein Gedi (where David hid from Saul), the Jordan river (where John the Baptist baptized Jesus), the Dead Sea, Gideon’s Spring (where God culled Gideon’s army to three hundred men), and finally Jerusalem.

    We traveled underground and walked the length of one wall of the temple mount. The wall’s stones, which were at least twenty to thirty feet long and four to five feet high, had no mortar between them. It was simply astounding. I stood in wonder at the feat of building such a wall in ancient times. But what happened at the end of the quarter mile trek to the corner of the temple wall would be something that would stay with me for the rest of my life. Our guide told us the stones we were standing on were the same stones that were in the streets of Jerusalem in ancient times. I imagined Jesus walking through Jerusalem on the very stones I was standing on.

    But there was more…

    Struck by the stark beauty of the thousand-year-old Olive trees in the garden of Gethsemane located at the foot of the Mount of Olives, we stood in awe of them. While there are paths and the garden seemed small to me, I imagine it wasn’t small in ancient times. Most likely, there were no paths or walls surrounding it.

    We stood on a platform and stared at Golgotha, also known as the place of the skull, where the crucifixion of Jesus took place. Sadly, it is now a parking lot for a bus station. But on the stony hill above the blacktop, the eyes and the nose of the skull are still visible. But photos from the 1800s show the entire face of the skull.

     

    On the last day of our trip, we visited the tomb. It is empty. Empty because Jesus arose on the third day is in heaven preparing a place for His bride, the church

    Having been a believer for many years, the Bible came alive for me while in Israel and I could see Jesus every place we visited where he walked.

    Visiting Israel right before Easter left us with an indelible impression, a reverence for the Almighty. And I will never be the same.

  • Jesus…

    Every year I want to write a Christmas post, but I’ve always had way too much to do to prepare for the holidays… baking, shopping, wrapping, decorating (I LOVE to decorate my entire house) and traveling to visit family.

    But this year, I’ve had to forgo two of my favorite things to do at Christmas time: decorating and baking.

    My husband convinced me to at least put up the Christmas tree even if I didn’t decorate every room in the house as in previous years. So, I agreed and only put up the tree with the angel on top with none of my favorite ornaments. We also put the Christmas wreath on the door. That was it for this year.

    Another item scratched off the to do list for 2021 was baking. I love to bake goodies for my family, but this year, I decided to order pastries from a fabulous Italian pastry shop near my hometown. I realized it was less expensive in terms of time and money than for me to buy the ingredients and make them myself. The love factor may not be in the purchased baked goods, but the pressure it eliminated was well worth it. I also recognized no one really cared if they were purchased or homemade. What was important was the people surrounding us during the holidays.

    While my heart lamented, as it got closer to Christmas, I was less stressed and able to enjoy the holiday more.

    Because the entire year had been one of tremendous stress to begin with, spending time with family was more important than ever before. This year we lost the matriarch of our family, so it’ll be a poignant Christmas. Sadly, because of the virus, some have chosen to not travel and stay home. And that’s OK. We will be together at other times of the year, and we can still face time.

    But more important than anything, I was able to focus my thoughts on the Reason For The Season…

    Jesus came to earth on a chilly night. A star led the way to the tiny baby with only shepherds and farm animals to herald his coming. He was swaddled in a manger most likely made of stone. The Messiah was fully God and fully man. A mystery we, as humans, cannot fathom. According to the sermon on the mount. we are blessed because we believe without seeing.

    Prophets predicted his birth long before Jesus was born in that tiny hamlet. He fulfilled at least three hundred prophecies during his earthly ministry. Here are a few he fulfilled at his birth.

    Jesus would be Born of the Family of Jesse and of the House of David

    There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
    And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.     Isaiah 11:1 (NKJV)

    “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord,
    “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness;
    A King shall reign and prosper,
    And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.     Jeremiah 23:5 (NKJV)

    Jesus Would be Born of a Virgin in Bethlehem

    Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 (NKJV)

    “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
    Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
    The One to be Ruler in Israel,
    Whose goings forth are from of old,
    From everlasting.”     Micah 5:2 (NKJV)

    Jesus Would be Filled with Power, Peace, and the Spirit from Birth

    For unto us a Child is born,
    Unto us a Son is given;
    And the government will be upon His shoulder.
    And His name will be called
    Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace    . Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV) 

    “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
    Because He has anointed Me
    To preach the gospel to     the poor;
    He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
    To proclaim liberty to     the captives
    And recovery of sight to     the blind,
    To set at liberty those who are oppressed; Luke 4:18 (NKJV)

    A Star Would Point the Way Towards Jesus, the Christ

    “I see Him, but not now;
    I behold Him, but not near;
    A Star shall come out of Jacob;
    A Scepter shall rise out of Israel,
    And batter the brow of Moab,
    And destroy all the sons of tumult.     Numbers 24:17 (NKJV)

    Jesus Would be Worshipped by Shepherds

    Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. Luke 2:8-12 (NKJV)

    Kings would Present Gifts to Jesus

    The kings of Tarshish and of the isles
    Will bring presents;
    The kings of Sheba and Seba
    Will offer gifts.
    Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him;
    All nations shall serve Him.     Psalm 72:10-11(NKJV)

    An Angelic Dream would Direct Jospeh to escape with Mary and Jesus to Egypt.

    “When Israel was a child, I loved him,
    And out of Egypt I called My son.     Hosea 11:1 (NKJV)

    There Would be a Great Sorrow Surrounding the Time of His Birth and Many Children Would be Killed

    Thus says the Lord:

    “A voice was heard in Ramah,
    Lamentation and bitter weeping,
    Rachel weeping for her children,
    Refusing to be comforted for her children,
    Because they are no more.”     Jeremiah 31:15 (NKJV)

    As we celebrate this wondrous day, I want to focus more on Jesus and what he did for me… and for you.

    May you have a blessed Christmas filled with joy and peace, knowing the prophecies surrounding his birth give us the assurance that we may live with him in eternity.

  • A Queen’s Beauty

    To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to shew the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on. Est 1: 11 NKJV

    The book of Ester is my favorite Old Testament book of the Bible.  I’ve read it many times and am always amazed at Ester’s strength and courage.  How God worked out the circumstances to preserve His people is mind-boggling.  Every little detail.  His love, commitment, and grace to His people always astound me even though I shouldn’t be astounded…I always am.

    Now the context for the verse I highlighted today.  The first ten verses of the chapter starts with King Ahasuerus who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia.  In the third year of his reign, he had a feast for all his princes and servants, nobles and princes of the provinces.  In those days, feasts lasted for three months. The king showed off his kingdom and his wealth.  After that, he gave another feast for all the other people great and small in the palace.  His queen, Queen Vashti, gave a feast for the royal women of the palace. On the seventh day, the King ordered his seven chamberlains to bring Queen Vashti to him.

    In ancient times, women were only chattels to their husbands and particularly a queen would bow to her husband’s wishes, the king. It was the way it was.  It’s historical.

    Something important my husband said to me when we got married was: “I’m only middle management.  I have to answer to God if I treat you poorly.”  This has been something that I cling to when things get rough…and it has been rough on occasion but we both knew we had a third person in our marriage to help us through the tough times.  Jesus.

    We could not have survived the many upheavals we’ve had if Jesus were not a part of our marriage.  It’s interesting to me.  My husband once said, “I don’t know how other couples make their marriage work without Jesus in it.”  I believe he’s right.

    What are your thoughts on making Jesus the center of your marriage?

     

     

  • Making Lemonade

    Life. When it hands you lemons, make lemonade!

    An overused cliché, but it fits the human condition. Too often lemons hinder the path to the summit. Their sour and sometimes bitter taste can keep us from using them to make a refreshing drink.  Adding a little honey or sugar makes an impact in transforming unpalatable fruit into tasty lemonade, refreshing and oh, so delicious.
    That bitter lemon of failure can squeeze the last ounce of courage a person has within their soul and robs them of the joy of experiencing the mouthwatering flavor when it hits their taste buds.
    That sour lemon of disappointment can ferment when marriages or friendships falter and fail. It can cause a need to eliminate those relationships and purge the acid of destruction in life.  But is it necessary to destroy those bonds to eliminate that sour lemon?
    So what if there are bitter and sour lemons!  Squeeze out the seeds of bitterness and disappointment and add the magic ingredients of honey and sugar.
    The magic ingredients. What are they? The sweetness of God’s love and care. It covers the bitter and sourness of life. He helps us through those bitter disappointments and failures in life. Notice I said, through, and not around. We will still have trials, we will still have trouble. But through His grace, we can get through those valleys in our lives. In the end, coming out stronger, wiser and much more able to move forward. He may or may not remove those trials. His choice. His will.

    God sees the beginning and the end. He lives outside of space and time. Thus, he sees every pitfall we will encounter or and every one we have encountered. His never-ending grace is given to us with love and care. We just need to reach out and grab it! Hold onto it with all our might.
    The refreshing drink? Life with Jesus, of course. He said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” [Matt 11:28] He gives us that restful life, that refreshing drink that we long to savor.
    Do you have inedible lemons your life? What will make those lemons into lemonade?  Seek Him. He’s the answer.  He’s always the answer.  He loves you. More than you can even imagine.