Advent Day 25.....The Shepherds Part 2....

Have you ever wondered why it was the shepherds who were the first given the news of the birth of the newborn king? Have you ever wondered why they were the first told to go and see the newborn Babe? Have you ever wondered how they knew exactly where to find Him? They didn't have the benefit of a God's "On-Star" GPS like His next visitors would.

In Micah, it was prophesied that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. But it did not tell us where.....or did it? Buckle up, because we are going for an awesome ride with today's Advent!!

The regions around Bethlehem and the surrounding areas had many fields for pasturing flocks.....BUT there was a very special place on the edge of Bethlehem. The name of this place was Migdal-Eder. It had a tower, and in ancient times it was used for military purposes. It is mentioned in Genesis as the place where Jacob pitched his tent just after he had buried his beloved wife Rachel. Later it became a place of safety for shepherds from wild beasts and the weather. It also became a safe place for the ewes to give birth. Inside the tower  were roughly constructed stalls and stone feeding troughs. Somewhere along the way, the purpose of Migdal-Eder and its fields took on a very special purpose.

Migdal-Eder and its surrounding fields became the place where lambs were born and raised to be used as sacrificial lambs. They would be used as a temple offering, for the national sin offering at Passover, or for a family needing a Passover lamb. These little lambs were born to be an atonement sacrifice.

The shepherds who pastured their flocks at Migdal-Eder had to be specially trained by Temple priests for this job. They had to know how to inspect and care for these lambs. First the shepherds had to inspect each lamb as it was born to ensure it was without spot or blemish. The lamb had to be as white as snow. Once they had been inspected and found to be without blemish, the shepherd would wrap the lamb in swaddling bands.... swaddling clothes. This would keep the newborn lamb from injury or blemish. 

Luke 2:11-12 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

The angel told them the baby was born in Bethlehem. The angel also told them the sign would be the babe would be wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. How could swaddling clothes and a manger be a sign? All the shepherds in the surrounding fields would have known of the special purpose of the flocks cared for at Migdal-Eder. They knew of the ancient tower with its feeding troughs, also known as mangers. This was the place known for swaddling clothes being used for newborns. As soon as they heard the angel say this, they would have known where to look.

This all sounds good, but did scripture also give them a clue where to look for the newborn Messiah? Did the Bible really get that specific? Are you ready for this?! Let's look in the same book of the Bible that tells us the King will come out of Bethlehem.

Micah 4:8 "As for you, tower of the flock, Hill of the daughter of Zion, To you it will come-- Even the former dominion will come, The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.

Do you see where it says "tower of the flock"? In Hebrew it is "Migdal-Eder".

The town of Bethlehem is in the background. Migdal Eder is
to the left of the valley on the high hill.

Micah 4:8 As for you, Migdal-Eder, Hill of the daughter of Zion, To you it will come--Even the former dominion will come, The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.

Jesus, our perfect, spotless lamb, born with the express purpose of being our atonement....He was born in the very place where the lambs were born with the express purpose of being a sacrificial lamb. The shepherds who had been told to go and see the newborn baby Jesus were, unbeknownst to them, literally and symbolically inspecting THE PASSOVER LAMB. Mary had wrapped her newborn in dirty rags, swaddling clothes, to keep her little lamb warm, but in doing so had unknowingly wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, symbolically showing Him to be perfect and without blemish.....just like the little lambs born in the same place.

 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;  for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."  And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,  "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."  So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. Luke 2:6-16

Throughout the year, I pray we live our lives with a heart of thankfulness and praise for our REDEEMER. Today, of all days, I pray we really reflect on Who it is we are celebrating...Not just WHO but that we would really celebrate why He was born...why He entered  His own creation as a helpless baby. I pray we celebrate WHAT He did for each and every one of us. He gave us the free gift of Himself. He took every wrong....every sin....upon Himself....out of pure LOVE. He loves us so much. I pray if you have never accepted His free gift that you will not waste another precious moment, but will open your arms and your heart to receive the most perfect, most beautiful gift of ALL eternity.....the gift of God's Only Begotten Son....Christ Jesus.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Advent Day 24.....The Shepherds Part 1

On that Night of Nights….. Jesus entered into a dark world. It was nighttime both literally and spiritually.

Luke 2:8-9 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

The picture we have, because of our different Christmas books, movies, and Nativity scenes, is of shepherds who have the faces of grown men…faces that show years of hard work, cares and concerns. But this may not be the most accurate picture. In ancient times, it was the youngest boys in the family who tended the sheep. The older boys would help with plowing, sowing crops, and harvesting, while the younger boys would tend the sheep. We catch a glimpse of this when Samuel is sent by God to anoint one of Jesse's sons as king of Israel...

1 Samuel 16:11: And Samuel said to Jesse, "Are these all the children?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep…." 

Most likely, the shepherds in the field, near Bethlehem, on the night of the birth of the Messiah were young lads or teenagers. If that is the case, this means when Jesus began his ministry some thirty years later, these same shepherds were, most likely, still alive and able to testify to what they had witnessed three decades before on that night of nights. These shepherd boys had no idea when they settled their sheep in for the night what they were about to witness.

At night, the shepherds would often tend their sheep in the open fields instead of in a fold. When they did this they would join forces with the other shepherds of the same region. They would take shifts sleeping, keeping watch for predators, and watching one another’s sheep. 

Luke 2:9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

I love to picture the shepherds on the hillside when they receive the experience of a lifetime. Maybe a couple of the lads are dozing, while the others are on the alert for any danger. In the dark of the night, an angel of the Lord is suddenly standing in front of them. Here they were on high alert… and he appears out of nowhere! How terrified they must have been, especially because of the light!! The glory of the Lord shone round about them....them meaning the shepherds and the angel. The glory of the Lord was visible in the same way Paul describes the light from the Damascus Road. The word for “shone round about” in the original text is the same in Luke and Acts.

Acts 26:13: "at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me.”

Picture a time before floodlights, spotlights, streetlights, or for that matter …flashlights….and you are all of the sudden in the midst of a flood of light from the glory of the Lord!! That would rock your world!! For goodness sake….IN a time of floodlights, spotlights, streetlights, and flashlights…it would rock your world!!! 

Luke 2:11-13 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 

Their parents and their parents’ friends had been talking about the coming Messiah for as long as they could remember. Everyone in Israel had been longing for the day when their Messiah King would come to deliver them from their oppressors. The last thing on earth they expected was for the Messiah’s arrival to be in such humble circumstances, AND for the delivery announcement to first be made to a group of humble shepherds. I am sure, it was the very last thing this bunch shepherds would have expected!!

But they didn’t have much time to process it right then because…..

Luke 2:13-14 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." 

The word translated “suddenly” in English, means “unexpectedly” or with a rush…like a crashing wave of the ocean. One minute you are trying to process the fact that an angel of the Lord is standing in front of you, delivering the most incredible news you could have ever imagined, and the next thing you know there is an explosion of angels across the sky!!! A multitude, meaning a huge number....of heavenly hosts...meaning of heavenly armies....in other words, thousands upon thousands of angels from the heavenly armies! And they are singing and praising God!! How excited the angels must have been!!!! The level of joy and exuberance must have been amazing!!! I get so tickled thinking about what an event this was for the angels. 

Luke 2:15-16 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us." So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. 

These guys don’t waste any time! They have been given a message about the Messiah and where to find Him. They are going to see what the Lord has made known to them. But what did they do with the sheep? Did they leave them unattended? Of course not!!! The sheep went with them! Picture the procession that made…. these young shepherds leading their sheep as they go to meet the Messiah. The sheep being guided by their shepherds to gather outside the place that held the Savior of the world. There he lay in a dirty manger, meant to hold the feed for lowly animals, wrapped in His swaddling clothes. There He lay being worshiped and adored by humble shepherds. 

Praise you, Jesus, for such a beautiful picture of how simple it is to come to you. It is not about station, knowledge, age, or anything else…It is about hearing the Good News, and being obedient when You call us to come to You, our Shepherd. It is about accepting you as Lord of our lives. Help us to be bold and do as the shepherds did when they heard the Good News… 

Luke 2:17-18 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. 

Thank you, Father for sending Your Son, Jesus to be the Light in the darkness…to be the Light of the world….

John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."

Advent Day 21.....He Would be Born in Bethlehem

Advent Foretold Day 21 – He Would be Born in Bethlehem….

"But as for you Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little anong the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me, the One to be ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Micah 5:2

The birthplace of the Messiah was prophesied hundreds of years before the actual event took place.  In this prophecy God is very specific, so we have no doubt as to the town He is referring to. At the time of Jesus’ birth there were two towns with the name Bethlehem. One was Bethlehem Ephrathah.  This Bethlehem is in Judah. Bethlehem Ephrathah is sometimes referred to as the city of David, because he was born there. It is also referred to as Bethlehem of Judea.  The other town of Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth was in Zebulon. Bethelem of Zebulon was close to Nazareth. In the prophecy we are told it is Bethlehem Ephrathah, in Judah.

This is not the first appearance in the scriptures of Bethlehem Ephrathah.  Rachel, Jacob’s beloved wife, died and was buried on the road to Bethlehem Ephrathah. Bethlehem is where the love story of Ruth and Boaz took place. Boaz became Ruth’s kinsman redeemer and husband in this sleepy little town. They went on to become the great-great grandparents of King David. As I mentioned previously, King David was born in Bethlehem, but he wasn’t born a king. He was born to be a shepherd first and then he would on take his role as king……just like his descendent after him.

Look at Micah 5:2 again. I don't want you to miss the wording. It is too wonderful!!

"But as for you Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity." Micah 5:2

God is making sure there is no misunderstanding as to WHO is coming….”His goings for are from long ago, from days of eternity.”  Or as it says in the KJV, “Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” This is not just a great leader or ruler coming out of Bethlehem. This is He Who is eternal! ONLY God is eternal!!!

The promise of the One to be ruler in Israel coming out of Bethlehem was made, and then one starry night hundreds of years later……

Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David……While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:4, 6-7

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold wise men came from the east to Jerusalem saying, “Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet.  And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not least among the princes of Judah, for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Matthew 2:1-6

Hath not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was? John 7:42

I don’t know about you, but this makes me want to shout, “THAT'S MY GOD!!!! HOW AWESOME IS HE???!!!!” 

Praying the Lord continues to bless each one of you and your families!!

Merry CHRISTmas!!!!!!!

Advent Day 20 - He Would be Without Sin...

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold a virgin will be with child and bear a Son and she will call His name Immanuel. He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good. Isaiah 7:14-15

And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth. Isaiah 53:9

You are fairer than the sons of men; Grace is poured upon Your lips; Therefore God has blessed you forever. Psalm 45:2

And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. Luke 2:40

When Jesus was born to woman, He did not come as part man and part God. He was fully man and fully God, the second Person in the Trinity. He was born a helpless human babe, just like you and I were, but He was not a son of Adam. He was not born with a sin nature. His was born in the image of His Father. He was perfect in every way and completely without sin.

Jesus went through the same human development as the rest of us, because He was fully man. He went through the ups and downs of every stage of life. It is hard for me to wrap my head around, but He had to learn how to do things. Here is The One through whom all things were made. He spoke and things happened….big things....like solar systems!!! He had been from everlasting. But just like the rest of us, He had to learn to roll over, crawl, walk, talk, and feed Himself…all of it. He got to experience parents, little brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins and nosey neighbors. He was confronted with ALL facets of human life. He endured suffering, pain, and rejection beyond anything we can imagine. He knows what it is like to go through things. But…and it’s a big but…He did it all without sin.

“Who did no sin, neither was any guile found in His mouth.” 1 Peter 2:22

“This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all the same testings we do, yet He did not sin.” Hebrews 4:15

People often speculate on when Jesus knew “to refuse evil and choose good”. We know from the following passage that He was completely aware of Who He was and Who His Father by the time He was twelve…
“And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of Passover. And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast; and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it, but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him. Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.
When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold your father and I have been looking anxiously for You.”
And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”…..And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Luke 2:40, 45-49, 52

On an aside...I get a kick out of Mary and Joseph being worried about Jesus. They were acting like typical parents.....to the SON OF GOD!!! Can you imagine the legion of angels He had around Him? You know they were all begging for guard duty! I can picture the Archangel, Michael, with his sword drawn the whole time, ready to attack anyone or thing who dared to threaten His King! 

The verse that began the above narrative is Luke 2:40. I want to take a closer look, because we sometimes miss little nuggets in our English translations.

And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. Luke 2:40

The word in this verse for spirit is pneuma, which is the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit. And here is what we are told in Isaiah about the Branch/Jesus and the Spirit of the Lord….
"Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And He will delight in the fear of the Lord….”Isaiah 11:1-3

So when did Jesus know evil from good? The following prophecies give us a clue it was much earlier than twelve years old…

"You are He who brought Me forth from the womb; You made me trust when upon My mother’s breasts. Upon You I was cast from birth; You have been my God from my mother’s womb." Psalm 22:9-10

"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold a virgin will be with child and bear a Son and she will call His name Immanuel. He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good." Isaiah 7:14-15

Curds and honey were common foods for people to eat in Bible times. They were also the first foods a baby was given to eat as “solid food”. Honey would be given first and they would then graduate to curds. To paraphrase with that in mind… “He will eat baby food at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good.”

These verses tell us Jesus would know from the womb, and from a very early age He would know to refuse evil and choose good. Why would this surprise us when His forerunner, John the Baptist, leaped for joy in his mother’s womb when he heard Mary’s voice? He was also filled with the Holy Spirit in his mother’s womb. So why would anything surprise us as far as what Jesus knew and when?

But here is what we know beyond any doubt…..our Lamb was without spot or blemish. He was perfect and became sin for us....

He made Him Who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21
But with precious blood, as a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 1 Peter 1:19

And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation. Hebrews 5:9

May each day of this Christmas season be a precious gift to you and your family.

God bless you!!

Visiting the Pumpkin Patch...

I love Diane Phillips. Every time I make one of her recipes, my love for her ability to craft amazing, very doable recipes grows. Her pumpkin bars are no exception.

Peter's Pumpkin Bars by Diane Phillips

Bars
4 large eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup canola oil
One 16-ounce can pumpkin puree (2 cups)
2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
3-ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp orange oil, or 2 tsp orange extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 to 2 TBSP milk (if needed)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper, a silicone liner, or aluminum foil. Spray with cooking spray (unless using silicone). In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spice. Set aside.

2. To make the bars, in a large bowl, beat together the eggs, granulated sugar, and canola oil until blended. Add the pumpkin puree and mix until smooth. Add the flour mixture. Stir until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.

3. Remove from oven and let cool completely in the pan on a rack.

4. To make the frosting, with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter and orange oil/extract in a large bowl until blended. Add the confectioners' sugarand beat or process until the mixture reaches a spreadable consistency. If it is too dry just add a bit of milk 1 TBSP at a time. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake.

5. Cuts into forty 2-inch bars.

Advent Day 19 - Son Of God......

I think sometimes as we picture the Nativity, we only picture the sweetness of a baby swaddled and lying in a manger with His mother looking adoringly at her newborn son. This is a true picture, but it was not just a sweet little baby who had been born on that Holy Night…this was our HOLY GOD lying in a manger. This newborn babe was the Creator of the Universe! He was the Maker of heaven and earth!!

The sheer magnitude of what was taking place on that night is so overwhelming and awesome to me!! It leaves me speechless…almost! This was God in the flesh. He had entered into His own creation in the most indescribable act of selfless love ever. This was the long planned arrival of the Son of God…. the Savior of the world!!!

The promise of a Savior had been given in the Garden. Who this person would be was being revealed piece by piece in the Old Testament. The seed of the woman would be descended from Abraham, Jacob, Judah, of the root of Jesse, and of the line of David. It had also been revealed He would sit on the throne of his father David forever. Now we come to the most incredible part of the Messiah's genealogy. The Messiah would be the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God, entering into His creation as a human babe. It would be the Son of God Who would empty Himself of His glory and majesty and come to redeem us from sin and death and give us eternal life through Him if only we accept Him.

 Here are just a few of the glimpses God gives us in the Old Testament of the perfect plan for the Son of God to enter into the Creation and be our Lord and Savior. Below each Old Testament verse is a New Testament verse that confirms or fulfills it….

I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto Me, Thou art My Son: This day have I begotten Thee. Psalm 2:7

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 

Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from THE WAY, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him. Psalm 2:11-12

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father but through Me.”John 14:6 

For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:17

“I, even I, am the LORD (Yehovah), and besides Me there is no savior.” Isaiah 43:11 

We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the World.1 John 4:14

Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has wrapped the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name or His Son’s name? Surely you know! Proverbs 30:4

"And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." Luke 1:30-32

Jesus coming in the flesh was not just some prophet or great teacher arriving on the scene to fulfill a special purpose. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, it was the Son of God entering His creation in human flesh, with the express purpose of being offered as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. This was the Son of God coming to be the atonement for sin that only He could be for man. God is a just and righteous God. Sin must be judged. But, God being a loving and compassionate God did not want anyone to perish. So, He, who has existed forever, the eternal God, came down. He set aside His glory and majesty to be a humble servant in order to lay down His life for us. When He came, He was not part human and part God. He was fully human and fully God.

I love this verse where Isaiah describes seeing our Savior on His throne before He left heaven for us:

".........I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple." [Isaiah 6:1b]
 
And John writing about who it was Isaiah had seen:

 These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him. John 12:41
 

 I truly do no think we will fully grasp the enormity of the sacrifice He made for us until we are standing in the glory of His presence. I do not think we can begin to fathom what taking on the sins of the world and receiving them on Himself means. I do not think we can understand what the punishment for those sins entailed for our precious Savior. And I really do not think we can begin to comprehend the anguish or understand the horrific sorrow experienced by the Son when His Father had to turn His back on Him and forsake Him for the first time in all of eternity as He became sin for us on the cross.  I think in the instant when we see His nail scarred hands and feet, the scars in His forehead from the crown of thorns, ….and don’t forget the pure love and joy shining from His eyes upon seeing us entering His presence…only then will the veil be completely lifted from our eyes, of what was undertaken for us before the first word was spoken on Day One of Creation. He was willing to leave heaven, to become a man, so that he could lay down His life and conquer death that we might live...because He LOVES us!!! I know we will be filled to overflowing with the praise and thankfulness for a Savior Who loves us so much.

We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us...1 John 3:16a 

...but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. [Phl 2:7 NASB]

By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 1 John 4:9

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. First Corinthians 13:12 

“I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.” Psalm 2:7 

 May the Lord richly bless you and yours this Christmas. I pray we continue to keep the focus on Jesus this Christmas season. Merry Christmas!!

Advent Day 18......Lord and King

LORD and King....

Speaking through His prophets, God revealed the One He would send into the world is Lord and  King. This was not just going to be some guy who would ride in on a white horse, slay the dragon, and then ride off into the sunset. He will one day return and take His rightful place on the throne of David! He is the King of kings! He is the Lord of ALL!!

What does "LORD" mean? When the first letter of Lord is capitalized it tells us it is a name for God, and not just a title of respect for someone. The personal name of God in the Bible is Yahweh. It is a Tetragrammaton, which is composed of four letters, but it has no vowels, YHWH. The anglicized rendering of this is Jehovah. This is because the pronunciation of YHWH is unknown. Some Bible translations let you know the word they are translating is YHWH, the personal name of God, by putting the whole word in capitals as in… LORD.

Here are just a handful of the verses in the Old Testament that speak to the coming Messiah being called Lord…..

"Behold the days are coming," declares the Lord, "When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely, and do righteousness and justice in the land........And this is His name by which He will be called, the Lord our righteousness." Jeremiah 23:5-6

For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; He will save us. Isaiah 33:22

The Lord says to my Lord; Sit at my right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet. Psalm 110:1

In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him.........And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory." Isaiah 6:1-3

And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only, and His name the only one. Zechariah 14:9

Hear O' Israel, the Lord our God is One Lord. Deuteronomy 6:4

A voice calling in the wilderness, Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God." Isaiah 40:3

The fulfillment to these prophecies begins while He is still in the womb. He is called LORD:

"When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she cried out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. " Luke 1:41-4

After Jesus is born, and the angel is making the birth announcement to the shepherds….

…for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the LORD.” Luke 2:11

Here are just a few examples  during Jesus' ministry...

"I and My Father are One." John 10:30

He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me." John 12:45

For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says, "THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET." Acts 2:35

Then He said to them, “How is it that they say the Christ is David’s son? For David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET.”’

"Therefore David calls Him, “Lord”, and how is He his son?” Luke 20:41-44

In other words…the one who is not born yet, is David’s LORD.

This next verse is after Jesus heals a blind man. Later the same day Jesus hears the Pharisees put the man out of the synagogue because the man won’t give them the answers they want about Who Jesus was….

Jesus heard that they had put him out and finding him, He said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"

He answered, "Who is He Lord, that I may believe in Him?"

Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking to you."

And he said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped Him. John 9:35-38

During His trial….

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world: If my kingdom were of this world, then my servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm."

Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king?"

Jesus answered, "You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." John 18:36-37

Taking His departure from the disciples....

"So then after the LORD had spoken unto them, He was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God." Mark 16:19

And if we take a peek at the future actions of our King….

These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is LORD of lords and King of kings, and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful. Revelation 17:14

That at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10-11

Praise the LORD!!!!

Now, let’s back up again to the personal name of God. Remember it is YHWH. Hebrew letters each have a meaning. Let’s take a look at the meaning of the letters in YHWH.

The first letter is a "Yod". It is masculine in gender and is the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet. It portrays the symbol of an entire hand, or closed hand from the wrist to the fingertips.

Next we have a "Hey". It is feminine and means “to behold”, “show” or “reveal”.

We then have a "Vav". It is masculine and stands for a nail, peg or hook, signifying being nailed or bound together.

Hebrew is read right to left. So when we read the name of God in Hebrew , God’s name is:

“Behold the Nail, Behold the Hand” or “Behold the nailed hand.”

In other words, the personal name of God gives us a picture of Jesus!!!

Praise you, Lord Jesus!! You are worthy to receive honor and glory and power!!

I pray you feel His loving arms holding you tightly. I pray you hear Him speaking quietly and personally to each one of you. Merry Christmas, Dear Ones!!