Genealogy of Jesus

Mom has been on a family heritage campaign the last couple of weeks. In so, she found one of my grandpa's 1st cousins in Florida and her 2nd cousin in Utah who she did not even know existed! She has had so much fun talking to these ladies on the phone finding out lots of interesting family history.
Well, this morning, in my study time of the Messiah from a Jewish perspective I looked at Jesus' family history! It is so exciting to see things in scripture which puts God's Sovereignty and Omniscience on display!
To make a long study short...

Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38
Jesus is seen as the Son of David (King), the Son of Abraham (Jew), the Son of God (Divine) and the Son of Adam (Human).

Jesus Christ is the JEWISH, GOD, MAN, KING!!!!!!!!

Heritage Quilt

I remember as a little girl being read stories like Little House on the Prairie and other stories of such sort and how the ladies would be working on quilt blocks...and I wanted to saw a quilt too! When I was a little older I started on one but needed lots of assistance and it never got very far. I think there may be a box in the closet somewhere with the beginnings of that quilt. Well...I never really thought about sawing much until a couple weeks ago when the Hendersons were down on Sunday. As usual, Aunt Vangie was working on another quilt...this time though the fabric caught my eye as being old fashion. It WAS old fabric and it inspired me! Years ago when my Great Grandmother past away we acquired BOXES of her fabric scraps. They were put high in the rafters of our shop where they set for years. Well, that Sunday night, down came the boxes and I rummaged through to find any scraps that could be incorporated into a vintage style Dresden Plate quilt that I determined to embark on.....

Some of the scraps were very random and tiny and some so old they did not make it through the wash...but it was fun to see what I could get out of each piece! There was only enough of this green poke-a-dot fabric to get one block out of!

It's been fun! :D 

The Arrival of a Package!!!!

Papa arrived back from his trip to the mail with an Amazon box under his arm....
"Is that for me?!?!!"
Sure enough, my name was typed on the front of the box!
I love the smell of new books....there is just something about it! And these new books are extra especial!

Learning Hebrew is something I've wanted to do for some time now. My Greek books are well loved...now it's time to dive into the world of Hebrew Studies!

Right now Hebrew just looks like a bunch of markings on a page....but Greek used to as well and now it looks like words with depth of meaning!

I have in no way mastered the Greek language and I am sure I never will until perhaps the Millennial Kingdom :D But I am thankful God gave us the resources to be able to have a taste of these very important languages that He used in giving us His infallibly Word!

Jeremiah gave me this Hebrew Bible for my birthday and I can't wait to be able to read it! Spending some time in these Biblical Languages has, even more importantly, given me a deeper appreciation for the Bible I can open every day and read in my own language and understand it as the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of my understanding to its truth!

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ."
1 Corinthians 2:9-16

The Synoptic Gospels

Right now I'm studying the Life of the Messiah from a Jewish Perspective. The Bible was written by God through Jews. Jesus was  Jew, He came to reach the Jewish people and He lived and taught in a 1st century Jewish culture. To truly understand the Gospels and the teaching of Jesus it is important to understand the Jewish background! 

So many people have questions about the Synoptic Gospels because different accounts are recorded in one and not in another and different details are given about certain accounts. Below is an explanation from Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum which greatly helped me understand the variant between the Synoptic Gospels! Its so exciting to me to learn!    

The sources of Knowledge and Luke's prologue.  Lets think in terms of a circle and everything Jesus ever said, and everything He ever did and all His actions are in this circle.  Jesus' entire life is within this circle.  In John 21: 25 it is said that everything that Jesus did is not written in this book because the world would not be able to contain all that would be written.  So each of the gospel writers would have to be selective in everything they chose to write in their gospel.   So the writer would choose what to record and what not to record. So what would be the basis of what they would pull out of the circle and record or not record.  The basis was on their particular theme as to what they chose to use or not to use.   Each gospel writer had a theme as to what he wanted to develop.  So Matthew had a particular theme he wanted to develop and he looks inside the circle at everything Jesus said and did and selects teaching point A, as this will help him to develop his theme.  Then he looks at point B, but this point does not help him with his theme so he skips it.  He then looks at point C and decides to use this point to develop his theme.  Then Mark comes along with his theme for his book and he looks at point A, and it is not beneficial to put forth his theme.  So where this was helpful to Matthew but it is not helpful for Mark.  Then we go to point B, which was of no benefit to Matthew, is beneficial to Mark and his theme, so he pulls it out and uses it in his gospel.   Then we look at point C, which was beneficial to Matthew and is beneficial to Mark, so they both use point C in their gospel.  Now we see that Matthew and Mark may use the same point, but what will be different is their theme and the way they use it and write about it will be a little different from each other because they are looking at that point from the prospective of their individual theme.

The Gospels are not contradictory but supplemental. 

              Matthew: A and C

              Mark: B and C

              Luke: A, B and C 

Jesus Christ our Savior in the Book of Revelation

Lately I have been in the book of Revelation. The book reveals that Jesus Christ is coming again to save His people Israel, He will judge the wicked, He will cast the Devil into the Lake of Fire, He will reign a 1,000 years on this earth, and He will rule and reign over the New Heaven and New Earth. It is amazing to note what this book reveals about the Person Jesus Christ! Here is some of what I found. 

Jesus Christ is a faithful witness (1:5)

Jesus Christ is the first begotten of the dead (1:5) 

Jesus Christ is the Prince of the kings of the earth (1:5) 

Jesus Christ loves us and washed us from our sins in His own blood (1:5)

Jesus Christ has made believers kings and priests unto God His Father (1:6; 5:10)

Jesus Christ is worthy of glory and dominion for ever and ever (1:6)

Jesus Christ is coming again (1:7)

Jesus Christ is Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end (1:8)

Jesus Christ is eternal (1:8)

Jesus Christ is the Almighty (1:8)

Jesus Christ is Alpha and Omega the first and the last (1:11)

Jesus Christ lived, died, and is alive again (1:18)

Jesus Christ holds the key to heaven and to hell (1:18)

Jesus Christ is the Son of God (2:18)

Jesus Christ searches the minds and the hearts (2:23)

Jesus Christ sits with God the Father in His Throne (3:21) 

Jesus Christ is the only One who is worthy to open the book in Heaven (5:5-9)

Jesus Christ is worthy because He redeemed us to God by His blood out of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation (5:9)

Jesus Christ is worthy to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing (5:12)

Jesus Christ is worthy of eternal worship (5:13)

Jesus Christ liveth for ever and ever (5:14) 

The kingdoms of this world will one day be Jesus Christ’s kingdoms (11:15)

Jesus Christ shell reign for ever and ever (11:15)

Jesus Christ was slain from the fountains of the world (13:8)

Jesus Christ will be victorious over the kings of the earth (17:12-14)

Jesus Christ is the Lord of lords and King of Kings (17:14)

Jesus Christ is called Faithful and True (19:11)

Jesus Christ, in righteousness, judges and makes war (19:11)

Jesus Christ is The Word of God (19:13)

Jesus Christ will rule the nations with a rod of iron (19:15)

Jesus Christ is KING OF KINGS, and LORD OF LORDS (19:16)

Jesus Christ will reign on this earth for a 1,000 years (20:4-6) 

Jesus Christ is the temple of New Jerusalem (21:22) 

Jesus Christ is the light of the New Jerusalem (21:23)

Jesus Christ is the root and the offspring of David (22:16) 

Jesus Christ is the bright and morning star (22:16)

 Marvel at who our Savior is! 

God will never take you where He does not want you!

Giving thanks for ALL things

What about being thankful for those things that are not really very pleasant? Does not God tell us in His Word to be thankful for ALL things?

In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Lately I have been thinking about this verse and trying to thank God when things arise which  I would not entitle as “good”.

Thanking God for the trials of this temporal earthly life reminds me to have a heavenly perspective! Thanking God for trials helps me remember that God is all powerful and in His complete goodness He is using trails in my life for His glory until one day we are caught up to be with Him in glory and there we will bow before Him and glorify Him!

Here are just a few amazing verse that show us some purposes for trials:

Produces patience (James 1:3, Romans 5:3) Produces maturity (James 1:4) Produces experience (Romans 5:4) Produces hope (Romans 5:4) Produces strength (2 Corinthians 12:10) Produces more of Christ’s likeness (Romans 8:28-29) Produces an outlet for ministry (2 Corinthians 1:4)

MOST of all…our trials should result in bringing God glory!

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: - 1 Peter 1:6-7

Give God thanks for ALL things!!