A King became a Baby!

10 Greatness Traits: #9 A Great Man Spend Time in Prayer and Reading the Bible~ JT Waresak

Ed's Note:  JT Waresak studied 10 "greatness" traits in the lives of many great men of the past and present. Let's look at theses traits one at a time:



Greatness Trait #9:

A Great Man spends regular time in God’s Word and is a man of prayer.  

This translates into a life of little worry and much action knowing that God holds the results in His hands.

Each of us is an Innkeeper~ Maxwell

Each of us in an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus.

Jesus Prophesied in the Old Testament ~ Prophet Micah (find a nice picture?/?)

Bible prophecies fulfilled:
Bible prophecies fulfilled by Jesus' birth

Below is a selection of prophecies in the Bible that found fulfillment in the birth of Jesus the Messiah about 2,000 years ago.

The commentaries below are from the second edition of the book, 100 Prophecies, by George Konig and Ray Konig, who are the authors and copyright holders of the material. The commentaries are reprinted here with written permission from the authors. The third edition, revised and expanded, of 100 Prophecies: Ancient Biblical prophecies that foretold the future is available through Amazon.com.

100 Prophecies   explains how Bible prophecies have been fulfilled in history. Click for more information.

Isaiah foreshadowed the virgin birth of Jesus

Bible prophecy: Isaiah 7:14
Prophecy written: Between 701-681 BC
Prophecy fulfilled: About 5 BC

In Isaiah 7:14, the prophet Isaiah addresses the "house of David," meaning the family and descendants of King David, and speaks of a virgin being pregnant with a child, and giving birth to the child. Isaiah says this in the context of it being a sign from God. He also says that the child would be referred to as "Immanuel," which means, "God with us."

The New Testament books of Matthew and Luke record details involving the birth of Jesus, who was born about 700 years after the time of Isaiah, saying that he was born of the virgin Mary and is the Son of God. Because he is the Son of God, Jesus literally can be referred to as "God with us."

Non-Christian scholars have challenged this interpretation. They say that the Hebrew word "almah," which is the word that Christian Bibles often translate as "virgin," actually means "young maiden" or "young woman." It should be noted that the Old Testament uses the word to refer to young, unmarried women, and that unmarried women were culturally and religiously expected to be virgins. One example can be found in Genesis 24:43, where it speaks of a person being sought as a bride for Isaac.

Isaiah 7:14 (NIV):

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem

Bible prophecy: Micah 5:1-2
Prophecy written: Sometime between 750-686 BC
Prophecy fulfilled: About 5 BC

In Micah 5:2, there is a prophecy that reveals that Bethlehem would be the birthplace of the Messiah.

As pointed out in the book, 100 Prophecies, by George Konig and Ray Konig: "The prophecy is effective in a simple way: It eliminates all other cities and towns throughout the world as a place in which the Messiah could be born. It narrows the possibilities to one tiny village just south of Jerusalem."

And throughout the span of the past 27 centuries, from the days of the prophet Micah up through the present time, Bethlehem is credited as being the birthplace for only one person who is widely known throughout the world. And that person is Jesus Christ.

The New Testament books of Matthew and Luke name the town of Bethlehem as the birthplace of Jesus. Matthew 2:1-6 describes the birth of Jesus as the fulfillment of Micah's prophecy.

In recent years, however, some non-believers have attempted to discredit Matthew's interpretation of Micah 5:2 by claiming that the prophecy refers to a person named Bethlehem, not a town name Bethlehem. This claim has been widely circulated on the Internet by a college professor who describes himself as a former Christian minister.

The first problem with this claim appears in Micah 5:1. In that verse, the prophet establishes that he is speaking of Bethlehem the town, not Bethlehem the person, by setting up a context in which he contrasts the great city of Jerusalem with the humble town of Bethlehem.

A second problem with the claim is that there is also evidence outside of the Bible that shows that Micah 5:2 was regarded as a Messianic prophecy involving the town of Bethlehem. Here is an excerpt from the Jerusalem Talmud, which is a collection of Judaism-related writings completed about 1600 years ago:

"The King Messiah... from where does he come forth? From the royal city of Bethlehem in Judah." - Jerusalem Talmud, Berakoth 5a.

Micah 5:1-2 (NIV):

1 Marshal your troops, O city of troops, for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel's ruler on the cheek with a rod.

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 of old, from ancient times."

The Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah

Bible prophecy: Genesis 49:10
Prophecy written: As early as 1400 BC
Prophecy fulfilled: About 5 BC

In Genesis 49:10, Jacob is blessing his 12 sons. This blessing was also a prophecy. Jacob told his son Judah that his descendants would be rulers and that one of his descendants will be an ultimate ruler. According to the NIV translation: "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his." Christians acknowledge that this is a reference to Jesus Christ, whose kingdom will have no end. Jesus was born about 2000 years after Jacob died. Jesus' ancestry is traced back to Jacob's son, Judah, in Luke 3:23-34 and in Matthew 1:1-16. Today, there are some estimates that claim that there are as many as 2 billion Christians worldwide who follow the teachings of Jesus.

Genesis 49:10 (NIV):

The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.

Nations would seek the counsel of Jesse's descendant

Bible prophecy: Isaiah 11:1-10
Prophecy written: Between 701-681 BC
Prophecy fulfilled: By the birth of Jesus about 2000 years ago

In Isaiah 11:1-10, the prophet Isaiah speaks of a ruler who would be a descendant of Jesse. Jesse was the father of ancient Israel's great King David. This descendant would rule with true justice and true faith, and he would establish true peace. This peace would be so great that even wild animals would be able to lie down next to one another. This descendant would also become a standard for people throughout the world. And, this descendant would be sought by people throughout the world.

This is an important prophecy for Christians because we believe that Jesus is the fulfillment of this Old Testament promise. Jesus, as explained in the New Testament, is a descendant of Jesse. And Jesus has become a standard for peoples throughout the world. In fact, Christianity is the first religion to spread to every country in the world. The words of Jesus, which speak of true justice, true faith and true peace, have been taught to people in every country in the world. We Christians also believe that Jesus will return in the future to establish a kingdom on earth, a kingdom of justice and righteousness.

There is an ancient Hebrew text, called the Targum Jonathan, in which Rabbis sought to interpret passages of the Old Testament scriptures. The Targum Jonathan shows that at least some of the ancient Rabbis believed that the message contained in Isaiah 11:1-10 was a reference to a Messiah. Here is an excerpt from the Targum Jonathan: "And there shall go forth a King from the Sons of Jesse, and the Messiah shall be anointed from his children's children." Jesse was the father of King David. But the Messiah would be a descendant of Jesse, specifically through his son David.

Isaiah 11:1-10 (NIV):

1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD--

3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;

4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling[1] together; and a little child will lead them.

7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

8 The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest.

9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.

NIV Footnote: [1] Hebrew; Septuagint lion will feed

The Messiah would be a descendant of King David

Bible prophecy: Jeremiah 23:5
Prophecy written: Sometime between 626-586 BC
Prophecy fulfilled: By the birth of Jesus about 2000 years ago

In Jeremiah 23:5, as well as in other Bible prophecies, we are told that the Messiah would be a descendant of King David.

The New Testament books of Matthew and Luke trace back Jesus' genealogy to King David. (Some scholars believe that the genealogy in Matthew is Jesus' legal line, through his adoptive father, Joseph, and that the genealogy in Luke is Jesus' bloodline through Mary).

Jeremiah 23:5 (NIV):

"The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.

Notes: The commentaries above are summaries from the book 100 Prophecies: Ancient Biblical prophecies that foretold the future. Copyright © Ray Konig.

This Is Why Women Live Longer Than Men ~ #51

Trump Recognizes Jerusalem as Capital

A Conversation with Jim

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Jim: 

From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised. 

Psalms 113:3

Praise Him for the manger, the Cross, and the beach.

....But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. John 21:4

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Mark:

I've been thinking of the various scripture passages lately where I see this recurring theme of Christ's post-resurrection appearances. Frequently associated with each of these passages is that Jesus is not recognized by his "inner-circle" group of people. How can you not be recognized by your friends?

In the passage you mentioned here, he was directing them where to fish & later making breakfast for them, but the disciples evidently didnt recognize him in his post-resurrection body.

Jim:

Huh? And who are you again?

Mark:

In the passage you mentioned here, he was directing them where to fish & later making breakfast for them, but the disciples evidently didnt recognize his post-resurrection body.

Another occurrence was at the tomb, Mary thought he was the Gardner...until she recognized his voice.  Why didn't she clue in by looking at his face, body etc.?

The even more puzzling situation/occurrence was (again with Jesus inner-circle people) on the road to Emmaus.  In this case, Jesus sort of literally came out of nowhere, and slid himself into stride with them as they walked 7 miles ......SEVEN miles for me is a long, long walk....Acton, the next town over from where I live is 7 miles.  Jim I haven't seen you since 1992, but I'm pretty sure if I walked and talked with you for less than a minute, I would near instantly identify you.

Jim we've both probably put on a lot more weight.....still I would recognize ya bro....looks, the way you talk, the way you walk....and your amazing jokes!!!!

In Revelation.(Ch. 5 I think)....it says.... I saw a lamb looking as if it had been slain!!!! Could this be a clue?

Perhaps Isaiah gives us one of the best clues. …Starting in the last part of chapter 52 and into 53...

Jim:

We only see what we focus on. If we are not expecting to see somebody we recently watched die I can understand how they could miss Him. When my son returned home from deployment I wasn’t expecting to see him for a few more weeks-when he showed up it took me a second to recognize that person as him.

Mark:

His face was so terribly marred & disfigured so that it was literally unrecognizable by even people who knew him!  ....Jesus post-resurrection face & body still bore the scars of the brutal punishment that he took for me and you!  Thank-you again Lord for what you did at Calvary.  

I love the fact we celebrate his birth....but he was not born for the manger or so we can celebrate Christmas (as good as Christmas is)... He was born to die on a cross  ....for us who will believe!

________________________________________________

Ed's note:

In another lifetime long, long ago (about 30 years ago), Jim and I flew airplanes together for several years.  We operated Twin Otters for Mission Aviation Fellowship and its sister organization Air Serv Intl. in backwoods/isolated areas of Ethiopia and Sudan. Jim now is flying a Airbus 300 for FedEx and lives in Mississippi where Southern BBQ is so tasty. We connect from time to time online.

      Mark with Twin Otter in South Sudan 1980s

                             Jim with A300

10 Greatness Traits: #8 A Great Man is a Friend ~ JT Waresak

Ed's Note:  JT Waresak studied 10 "greatness" traits in the lives of many great men of the past and present. Let's look at theses traits one at a time:


Greatness Trait #8:

A Great Man is a friend to men, a mentor to boys and helps set the standard for his daughters.

1875 pictures from Jerusalem ~ CUFI Website

An 1875 picture of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem (above left) shows it abandoned – not venerated – by the surrounding Muslim population of the time. Contrast that with the Western Wall (above right) and the devotion exhibited by the miniscule Jewish population of the same time.

The pictures were taken by Felix Bonfils (1831-1885) who recorded 24,000 images of the Mideast during several trips from his native France. None of his documents or images even hint at a Palestinian people in the area. This exposes the lie told to the world by the current squatters.

351 Old Testament Prophecies Fulfilled in Jesus Christ !!! ~ This is Amazing!

351 Old Testament Prophecies Fulfilled In Jesus Christ

Prophecy	Description	Fulfillment
1. Gen 3:15	Seed of a woman (virgin birth)	Gal 4:4-5; Matt 1:18
2. Gen 3:15	He will bruise Satan’s head	Heb 2:14; 1 John 3:8
3. Gen 5:24	The bodily ascension to heaven illustrated	Mark 16:19
4. Gen 9:26-27	The God of Shem will be the Son of Shem	Luke 3:36
5. Gen 12:3	Seed of Abraham will bless all nations	Gal 3:8; Acts 3:25-26
6. Gen 12:7	The Promise made to Abraham’s Seed	Gal 3:16
7. Gen 14:18	A priest after the order of Melchizedek	Heb 6:20
8. Gen 14:18	King of Peace and Righteousness	Heb 7:2

           Read More ...

This Is Why Women Live Longer Than Men ~ #50

Power of Man ~ Winston Churchill

We Have Come Into His House To Worship HIM! ~ Dewey Smith

Things Not Seen Are Eternal ~ 2 Cor. 4:18

SOUL ~ The Bible Project

10 Greatness Traits: #7 A Great Man's Family knows He Will Fight For Them ~ JT Waresak

Ed's Note:  JT Waresak studied 10 "greatness" traits in the lives of many great men of the past and present. Let's look at these traits one at a time:




Greatness Trait #7:

A Great man's wife and kids know that he will go to battle for them.

Hallelujah, Salvation and Power ~ Stephen Hurd

1After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting:

“Hallelujah!

Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, ~ Revelation 19:1

This Is Why Women Live Longer Than Men ~ #48

Making a Life ~ Winston Churchill

The Davidic Covenant ~ from 2 Samuel 7

Ed's Note:  Keep an eye on Israel this month and the US Gov't move to designate Jerusalem the official capital and move the US embassy there!

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Question: "What is the Davidic covenant?"

Answer: The Davidic Covenant refers to God’s promises to David through Nathan the prophet and is found in 2 Samuel 7 and later summarized in 1 Chronicles 17:11–14 and 2 Chronicles 6:16. This is an unconditional covenant made between God and David through which God promises David and Israel that the Messiah (Jesus Christ) would come from the lineage of David and the tribe of Judah and would establish a kingdom that would endure forever. The Davidic Covenant is unconditional because God does not place any conditions of obedience upon its fulfillment. The surety of the promises made rests solely on God’s faithfulness and does not depend at all on David or Israel’s obedience.

The Davidic Covenant centers on several key promises that are made to David. First, God reaffirms the promise of the land that He made in the first two covenants with Israel (the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants). This promise is seen in 2 Samuel 7:10, “I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore.” God then promises that David’s son will succeed him as king of Israel and that this son (Solomon) would build the temple. This promise is seen in 2 Samuel 7:12–13, " I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name.”

But then the promise continues and expands: “I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (verse 13), and “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever” (verse 16). What began as a promise that David’s son Solomon would be blessed and build the temple turns into something different—the promise of an everlasting kingdom. Another Son of David would rule forever and build a lasting House. This is a reference to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, called the Son of David in Matthew 21:9.

The promise that David’s “house,” “kingdom,” and “throne” will be established forever is significant because it shows that the Messiah will come from the lineage of David and that He will establish a kingdom from which He will reign. The covenant is summarized by the words “house,” promising a dynasty in the lineage of David; “kingdom,” referring to a people who are governed by a king; “throne,” emphasizing the authority of the king’s rule; and “forever,” emphasizing the eternal and unconditional nature of this promise to David and Israel.

Other references to the Davidic Covenant are found in Jeremiah 23:5; 30:9; Isaiah 9:7; 11:1; Luke 1:32, 69; Acts 13:34; and Revelation 3:7.
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• 1 The Lord, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the human spirit within a person, declares:  “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. 3 On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. 4 On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness,” declares the Lord. “I will keep a watchful eye over Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations. 5 Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord Almighty is their God.’ 

• 10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit[a] of grace and supplication. They will look on[b] me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. ~ from Zechariah 12

God’s Promise to David (The Davidic Covenant) ~ 2 Samuel 7

• 1After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”
  3Nathan replied to the king, “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.”
  4But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:
  5“Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? 6I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. 7Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” ’
  8“Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 9I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth. 10And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning 11and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders^a over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.
  “ ‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: 12When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands.15But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me^b ; your throne will be established forever.’ ”