prophecy – Page 22

Thirty Days of Jesus: Day 30, He sat down

Posted on December 26, 2017December 27, 2017 by elizabethprata

We are coming toward the end of our look at the life of Jesus through scripture. The first section of His life was seen through verses focused on prophecy, arrival, and early life.

The next section of verses looked at Him as the Son, second person of the Trinity.

We proceeded into looking at Jesus as the Son’s preeminence, His works, and His ministry. Under ministry & works, I chose verses showing His attributes and aspects of being servant, teacher, shepherd, intercessor, and compassionate healer; and His attributes of omniscience, having all authority and power, and sinlessness.

Now it’s the last section. We’ll look at His resurrection, ascension, and prophesied return. It’s the day after Christmas, but I have a few more verses waiting, which I believe fits. When we finish, we will be looking at the New Year with all that entails, the feeling of freshness, hope, optimism for a new start. And when we finish the last verse, we will be looking through the lens of scripture at the hope and optimism of His return and that all will be made new.

On to today’s picture verse.

thirty days of jesus 30 he sat down
Further Reading:

Ligonier Devotional: Seated at God’s right hand

Grace to You: The Forever Exalted Christ

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Thirty Days of Jesus Series-

Introduction/Background
Day 1: The Virgin shall conceive
Day 2: A shoot from Jesse
Day 3: God sent His Son in the fullness of time
Day 4: Marry her, she will bear a Son
Day 5: The Babe has arrived!
Day 6: The Glory of Jesus
Day 7: Magi seek the Child
Day 8: The Magi offer gifts & worship
Day 9: The Child Grew
Day 10: The boy Jesus at the Temple
Day 11: He was Obedient!
Day 12: The Son!
Day 13: God is pleased with His Son
Day 14: Propitiation
Day 15: The gift of eternal life
Day 16: Two Kingdoms
Day 17: Jesus’ Preeminence
Day 18: Jesus is highest king
Day 19: Jesus emptied Himself
Day 20: Jesus as Teacher
Day 21: Jesus as Shepherd
Day 22, Jesus as Intercessor
Day 23: Jesus as Compassionate Healer
Day 24: Jesus as Omniscient
Day 25: Jesus’ Authority
Day 26: Jesus’ Sinlessness
Day 27: He rises!
Day 28: Resurrection is of central importance
Day 29: Ascension

prophecy, Uncategorized

Thirty Days of Jesus: Day 29, Ascension

Posted on December 25, 2017December 26, 2017 by elizabethprata

We are coming toward the end of our look at the life of Jesus through scripture. The first section of His life was seen through verses focused on prophecy, arrival, and early life.

The next section of verses looked at Him as the Son, second person of the Trinity.

Now it’s the last section. We’ll look at His resurrection, ascension, and prophesied return. There is one day until Christmas, but I have more verses waiting. We are going to go over by a week, into the New Year, which I believe fits. When we finish, we will be looking at the New Year with all that entails, the feeling of freshness, hope, optimism for a new start. And when we finish the last verse, we will be looking through the lens of scripture at the hope and optimism of His return and that all will be made new.

On to today’s picture verse.

thirty days of Jesus day 29

Thirty Days of Jesus: Day 28, Resurrection of central importance

Posted on December 24, 2017December 25, 2017 by elizabethprata

Christmas advent. We are coming toward the end of our look at the life of Jesus through scripture. The first section of His life was seen through verses focused on prophecy, arrival, and early life.

The next section of verses looked at Him as the Son, second person of the Trinity.

Now it’s the last section. We’ll look at His resurrection, ascension, and prophesied return. There is one more day until Christmas, but I have more verses waiting. We are going to go over by a week, into the New Year, which I believe fits. When we finish, we will be looking at the New Year with all that entails, the feeling of freshness, hope, optimism for a new start. And when we finish the last verse, we will be looking through the lens of scripture at the hope and optimism of His return and that all will be made new.

On to today’s picture verse. Note Paul’s statement “of first importance”.

thirty days of jesus day 28

The Carpenter

Posted on December 23, 2017 by elizabethprata

Yesterday I wrote a short bit about Joseph, foster-father of Jesus, and posted Gari Melchers’ painting of The Nativity.

Today I will mention just this. In biblical times (now, too), the son took on the father’s profession. The tailor’s son became a tailor. The butcher’s son became a butcher. The blacksmith’s son became a blacksmith. The fisherman’s son became a fisherman. My own father, and his father before him, became a funeral director.

Many professions are mentioned in the New Testament. Tentmaker, tanner, lawyer, merchant, silversmith, coppersmith, governor, soldier, shepherd, scribe, tax-collector, seller of purple, potter, all those professions and more populate the pages.

Of all the professions God could have chosen for the foster-father of Jesus to be, and then Jesus himself, God chose carpenter.

Why not Shepherd? After all, Psalm 23:1 explicitly identifies the Lord as a metaphorical shepherd. Why not an actual one? It was a frequently mentioned profession. Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Amos, and even Rachel were shepherds. The motif was huge. But no. He is the Good Shepherd, but not a shepherd.

Many of the disciples were fishermen…but God did not choose for Jesus to be a fisherman, even though He became a fisher of men.

Tax collectors were hated, and Jesus was destined to be rejected and hated, but God did not choose for Jesus to be a tax collector.

On a brief side note, we know that Jesus knew of His mission. He was there to follow God’s will. He said as much in the first NT recorded words of His incarnation: Did you not know I must be about my Father’s business? (Luke 2:49). He knew who His Father was and He knew what he was there to do. And He said later at the Wedding at Cana, before He began His public ministry, “My time has not come.” (John 2:2). We know He knew of his life, and his death. It would be on that most painful grotesque, cursed methods of execution, nailed to a tree. Even death on a cross.

So, as Jesus grew and learned His foster-father’s trade, as the carpenter pounded nails every day, did He wonder about the nails that were to pierce Him? Did He see the holes in the wood even as he took over Joseph’s shop upon Joseph’s death? Did He think about the holes in His hands and feet as he worked in the wood shop? He said in the Garden of Gethsemane upon the night of His arrest, that His spirit was willing, but his flesh was weak. Always the nails were before Him.

Jesus had an entire lifetime to see wood and nails, and to keep the method of his painful death always before His eyes.

Praise Him to the highest for His love.
nails

prophecy, Uncategorized

Thirty Days of Jesus: Day 27, He rises again

Posted on December 23, 2017December 24, 2017 by elizabethprata

Christmas advent. We are coming toward the end of our look at the life of Jesus through scripture. The first section of His life was seen through verses focused on prophecy, arrival, and early life.

The next section of verses looked at Him as the Son, second person of the Trinity.

Now it’s the last section. We’ll look at His resurrection, ascension, and prophesied return. There are 4 more days until Christmas, but I have 10 more verses waiting. We are going to go over by a week, into the New Year, which I believe fits. When we finish, we will be looking at the New Year with all that entails, the feeling of freshness, hope, optimism for a new start. And when we finish the last verse, we will be looking through the lens of scripture at the hope and optimism of His return and that all will be made new.

On to today’s picture verse. Today and tomorrow focus on the Resurrection. Do not forget the Resurrection. It is the linchpin to the entire doctrine of Christ. For without the raising of Jesus, we believers are most to be pitied! Our hope would be vain, and all would be lost. (1 Corinthians 15:12-19).

thirty days of jesus 27

Further reading:

Devotional: The Hope of Christ’s Resurrection

Parenting: Resurrection: The Most Important Truth

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Thirty Days of Jesus Series-

prophecy, Uncategorized

What about Joseph?

Posted on December 22, 2017 by elizabethprata

In conversation about the advent of Jesus’ incarnation and the nativity, a friend shared her daily devotional with me. She said that her church had given out an advent calendar with daily devotions, and that day’s focused on Joseph.

She explained that it mentioned that we focus on Mary the virgin who conceived, Gabriel’s announcement, the angels’ proclamation, the shepherds, the wise men, even the star and the manger, but Joseph isn’t mentioned a lot.

Joseph was Jesus’ foster-father. We know Joseph’s father was named Jacob, and that Joseph was of the Davidic line. (Mt 1:16). We know Joseph was from Nazareth. (Luke 2:4). From Matthew 1:19 we also know that he was a just man. We know he was a carpenter. (Matthew 13:55). That is all we know. Joseph is not mentioned again after Jesus turned 12 and appeared at the Temple. He was likely dead by the time Jesus was crucified, because Jesus commissioned John for Mary’s care. If Joseph had been alive, Jesus would not have needed to do that.

I posted this painting last year but I’ll do it again with some different thoughts this time. Gari Melchers was an American painter of the end of the last and the beginning of this century. Born of German immigrants and the son of a sculptor father, Melchers’ works are excellent. One of my favorite works of his is The Nativity. Its focus is a bit different than the usual nativity scenes. He painted the scene absent of animals and Wise Men. He painted not an adoring Mary, but a more realistic scene where Mary, exhausted, with dirty rag and bowl of water beside her, leans against her husband’s shoulder, gazing wearily at the Child. The Child in the feeding trough, swaddled, appears to be glowing, or is that just the lantern’s glow that Joseph has set near him? Joseph in turn, looks at his son.

It’s his expression that arrests you.

Joseph’s hands are clasped quietly in his lap. His total focus is on the Babe. What is Joseph thinking? In Matthew 1:20, an angel had come to Joseph in a dream and had confirmed that the child within Mary was conceived by the Spirit. Joseph knew the truth. But how can a man’s mind wrap around that?

Perhaps he is thinking of the revelation that the Savior is at last come to men. But as a baby? Perhaps he is thinking of the grave responsibility of raising the son of God. Perhaps…we don’t know. It’s an interesting moment. It’s not ‘Mary did you know?’ but, ‘Joseph what do you think?’

See below for yourself:

melchers nativity

Tomorrow, a bit more on Joseph the carpenter.

I praise the Lord for all the elements of the Incarnation, all the parts of His plan that He perfectly executed.

prophecy, Uncategorized

Final Exams

Posted on December 18, 2017 by elizabethprata

Our church is located in a college town. Our pastor had been a minister and teacher to youth and college kids at a church before taking on the duties of our new church plant as teaching pastor. He also teaches High School Bible. As a result of all these connections in the youth demographic, there are a lot of 18-25-year-olds in our church. Most of them attend college or graduate school. We also have several college professors, Christian school teachers, and principals in our demographic. The end of the semester is grueling for many in our church family.

This time of year is rife with photos on Facebook of students studying diligently, or pictures of relieved and happy students finished with exams, or mortarboard-tasseled graduates with families smiling ear to ear.

At the end of the semester when you ask one of these young believers how they’re doing, their reference point will usually be oriented to final exams, bar exams, or thesis defense. “Exams are coming so I’m busy studying.” “I’m halfway through finals, so I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.” “I’ve got the bar exam next week!” Or they say, “I’m done, I have a few weeks off!”

Final examinations loom large. I hadn’t realized just how large until I was surrounded by folks whose future decisions, careers, or sometimes jobs depend on how well they do. They or their parents have spent a lot of money to support them through their college career. They all work at jobs to contribute to their sustenance so they can continue on the path toward these finals. Like a vanishing point, the life’s effort up until this moment all draws down to the few hours in the final exam rooms. And just so, they take it all very seriously.

How often do we consider the ultimate final exam? There is one. (Hebrews 9:27). We will appear in a room, for a few ‘hours’ as time passes in heaven, our turn will come and we will stand before the judge to defend our life’s thesis. We will be examined. The results will be final.

The experience will be different for believers versus unbelievers of course. Believers will be held accountable for everything we thought, said, or did after salvation, but not in a judgment sense. (2 Corinthians 5:10). Only to go through a process where our orientation will be checked to see how much of it was done for the Lord and how much was done for ourselves. The self part will be burned away and what is left will be the trophy. In turn, we will give the trophy over to Christ, because He was the originator and sustainer of all the efforts that was revealed to glorify Him. It’s more of a graduation/celebration/rewards ceremony. It is based on His love. We are children of grace.

For the unbeliever, they will go through a harsher process. Because they rejected the Messiah and they did not repent, they are still in their sin. They will be examined at life’s finals to see what measure of punishment they will receive for their sinful deeds. (Matthew 25:32, Matthew 16:27). They might protest, they might argue, they might try to explain or justify, but they will be found to remain in their sin and justly punished for their deeds against the Holy Savior. (Matthew 7:21-23). This process is based on God’s wrath. They are children of wrath. (Ephesians 2:3).

All flesh, saved or unsaved, will be examined before the Great Judge. (Revelation 20:11-15). He knows minds. He sifts hearts. There will be a final exam. How much, fellow believer, do we actively think about that moment we are called to account?

It is THE final. Once a person stands before Christ and is judged for their deeds in the flesh, there is nothing else that can be done. It’s final. Fellow believer, please think on the finals, orient ourselves to its certainty, and live as though it will happen any moment, because it could.

If you do not believe in Jesus and you’re somehow reading this, you will stand before Him to be judged for your life.

for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”
So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
(Romans 14:11-12).

Then you will be sent to hell to be punished for those deeds. It will happen, whether you believe it will or not. Please, friend, repent before the final exam. By then it will be too late.

We all should live with this reality in mind.

chair

prophecy, Uncategorized

Thirty Days of Jesus: Day 18, The Highest King

Posted on December 14, 2017December 15, 2017 by elizabethprata

thirty days of jesus day 18

Further Reading

Though the verse is literally speaking about King David, the relation of David to Christ means the verse also prefigures the preeminence of King Jesus. The throne, through David’s line, would last forever through Christ.

Gill’s Exposition says,

Also I will make him my firstborn,…. Or, “make him the firstborn”; make him great, as Jarchi interprets it; give him the blessing, the double portion of inheritance: so Christ is made most blessed for ever, and has all spiritual blessings in his hands; and is heir of all things, and his people joint-heirs with him. Christ is God’s “firstborn”, or “first begotten”, Hebrews 1:6, being begotten by him, and of him; … even him the Father promises to make “higher than the kings of the earth”; having a kingdom of a superior nature to theirs, and a more extensive and durable one; and even they themselves shall be subject to him; hence he is called “King of kings”, Revelation 19:16.

The King of Kings shall reign forever, His Kingdom shall endure. See Day 16: Two Kingdoms for related verse & info.

Thirty Days of Jesus Series-

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The US President orders embassy move to Jerusalem

Posted on December 6, 2017December 7, 2017 by elizabethprata

Today the US President Recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital and Orders U.S. Embassy to Move

WASHINGTON — President Trump on Wednesday formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, reversing nearly seven decades of American foreign policy and setting in motion a plan to move the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to the fiercely contested Holy City.

“Today we finally acknowledge the obvious: that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital,” Mr. Trump said from the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House.

This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality. It is also the right thing to do. It’s something that has to be done.”

The president cast his decision as a break with decades of failed policy on Jerusalem, which the United States, along with virtually every other nation in the world, has declined to recognize as the capital since Israel’s founding in 1948. That policy, he said, brought us “no closer to a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.”

Jerusalem is an ancient city, first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 14 when Abraham gave a tenth of all that he had to the mysterious Melchizedek, king of ‘Salem’ (Jerusalem) and a Priest of the God Most High. Jerusalem was not always the capital of Israel. Earlier in Israel’s history, the ark was located at Shiloh, in the tabernacle, for 400 years.

Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel. (Jeremiah 7:12).

my place … in Shiloh—God caused His tabernacle to be set up in Shiloh in Joshua’s days (Jos 18:1; Jdg 18:31). In Eli’s time God gave the ark, which had been at Shiloh, into the hands of the Philistines (Je 26:6; 1 Sa 4:10, 11; Ps 78:56–61). Shiloh was situated between Beth-el and Shechem in Ephraim.

Eventually, the LORD Placed His name at Jerusalem.

but I have chosen Jerusalem that my name may be there, and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel. (2 Chronicles 6:6)

Solomon’s proclamation to the worshipers (6:3–11) links two great themes together as facets of the Davidic covenant: the holy city of Jerusalem and the holy temple building. Solomon acknowledges that God has finally chosen a permanent dwelling place for his Name. From the beginnings of the covenant, the symbol of God’s presence has been portable. As one of the consequences of building a permanent dwelling for God’s Name, the location of that building, Jerusalem, is now a holy city. Three great themes are united in this great effort prescribed by the Davidic covenant: the sacred dynasty, the sacred temple building, and the sacred city of Jerusalem. Bowling, A. C. (1995). 1-2 Chronicles. In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible

The future looks bright for Jerusalem.

The LORD will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem. (Zechariah 2:12).

I’m very glad that Jerusalem is recognized by the US as Israel’s capital city. I pray for peace there, now and forever.

prophecy, Uncategorized

The Idlers at the Gate

Posted on November 24, 2017November 24, 2017 by elizabethprata

‎This celebrated sixty-ninth psalm has been called the missionary’s psalm. It speaks of the miseries of one far from home and kindred, of one who proclaims God to those who will not heed. The unbelievers, in their rage and scorn, heap injury upon the preacher, afflict him both in body and in mind. “Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face. I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children. “For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up, and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.”

‎Then follows the picture of this good man mocked by the idlers who even to-day, as in the psalmist’s time, gather about the gate of every Eastern city, to chat with those who pass, and comment upon them. The ridicule of these falls heavily upon the psalmist; he cries out, “Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee. Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness; and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.”

Source: The Bible and its Story, Volume 6: Poetry–Prophets, Psalms to Isaiah

The Bible and Its Story is a massive collection of images which illuminate the story of Scripture. The images are taken from modern paintings, illustrations, and other renderings of the ancient text. Together, The Bible and its Story serves as a pictorial narrative of the entire story of the Bible—from beginning to end. It compiles the best of modern artwork to bring the Bible vividly to life.