DECEMBER 31 THE JESUS QUESTIONS CONCLUSION:SUMMARY-18 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31 (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

DECEMBER  31  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   CONCLUSION:SUMMARY-18 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31  (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16) 

365 Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, as we end the 2016 year with our last prayer (Prayer #365 of 365) we realize that the “Good News” is that we have spent the year behind us now with Your Presence each and every day and with Great Hope and Expectation we can look forward to 365 more days that stand before us in 2017. If it be Your Will for us, I pray that you grant Your servants the Grace and Mercy of another year that we will get to spend the upcoming year with the One that is Worthy and has given us this Divine Advice and Promise: “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) As God Promised His people thorough Moses as they were being delivered from their bondage and about to face unknown enemies on their way to the Promised Land: “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of [your enemies]; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes before you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6) I can’t think of a better way to end one year and begin the next than to know that it is God Himself going before me into the New Year!             AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

DECEMBER  31  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   CONCLUSION:SUMMARY-18 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31  (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16) Jesus has been introduced by St. Matthew in his Gospel of Jesus Christ in such a manner that Jesus is revealed as the Messiah by (1) <<Matthew 1:1-17>> His genealogy, “the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ” (Matthew 1:1) that proves Jesus to be “the Son of David” and “the Son of Abraham” thereby fulfilling the minimum requirement for the long awaited and highly anticipated Jewish Messiah who in Jewish eschatology is a future Jewish king from the Davidic line. (2) <<Matthew 1:18-25>> His “virgin birth” as prophetically written over 700 years before by the prophet Isaiah “Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 11:1,Isaiah 7:14, & Numbers24:7,8a,16-17a) (3) <<Matthew 2:1 - 2:23>> Prophecies fulfilled by Herod about the Messiah’s birth being in Bethlehem - the city of David  (Isaiah 40:3, Jeremiah 31:15, Hosea 11:1, & Micah 5:2) and finally (4) <<Mathew 3:1-17>> The testimony of John the Baptist the “forerunner of the Messiah” who was preaching “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand…” (Matthew 3:2) and was baptizing in the Jordan for all those that went out to him in the wilderness to hear his message of “Repentance” and “were baptized by him in the Jordan confessing their sins…” (Matthew 3:6) and when John saw Jesus he proclaimed that Jesus was the One that John had been sent by the Holy Spirit to “prepare the way of the Lord” for (Matthew 3:3) and John also said when he saw Jesus coming to him in the Jordan, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) and finally (5) <<Matthew 4:1 - Matthew 28:20>> Matthew documents that Jesus by virtue of His Lifestyle, the Lessons and Parables that Jesus taught, and that Jesus with His Life, Death, Burial, and Resurrection “proves” that Jesus IS THE MESSIAH, GOD’s ANOINTED, GOD’s ONLY BEGOTTEN SON”!  Therefore, we end the Gospel of Matthew with enough evidence to prove Jesus is any modern court to be the “rightful Heir to His Father’s Kingdom” but just as it was true when Jesus walked the earth, today in our modern world each of us must view the “evidence” through the filter of “FAITH” and provide the final verdict and honest answer for the single most important question you will ever be asked when you stand in His Presence and Jesus asks you — “But who do you say that I am.” (Mark 8:29) 

DECEMBER 30 THE JESUS QUESTIONS SUMMARY-17 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31 (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

DECEMBER  30  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   SUMMARY-17 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31  (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16) 

365 Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, Lord and Savior, You are worthy, You alone are to be praised above all names. Lord, our lives simply have no meaning outside Your Salvation, No Hope without Your Cross and Sacrifice, and no Life outside Your Death and only through Your Resurrection can we have Eternal Joy and Heaven itself! Outside of Your Mighty Deeds the world only offers despair, death, darkness, and no hope of life. Lord Jesus, I pray to always be “In Christ” for outside there is no “LIGHT” and only “In Christ” will we ever find “True Rest” — Lord, I dedicate myself to Your service, make me wholly Thine, shape me, mold me, and use me as You Will. Let my life be Yours that I will always remain “In Christ”!!!          AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

DECEMBER  30  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   SUMMARY-17 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31  (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16)  Jesus has in His Genealogy some very interesting TRUTHS listed that point to both Him being the Messiah and what His “Inheritance” as the Messiah might include and therefore “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ” (Matthew 1:1) can be used to shine a light on the “Purpose” of the Messiah and the God that sent Him to be born of a “virgin” and live a perfect life in order that He might die as “the Lamb of God”. The following comments are taken from a sermon given by Brian Walls on the Genealogy of Jesus Christ taken from Matthew 1:17 and presented on 12/28/16 and an internet article titled “The Origins of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1-25)” written by Robert L. Deffingbaugh (Copyright 2003 by Community Bible Chapel, Richardson, TX) in which some very interesting information can be understood from this Genealogy of Jesus Christ as given by St. Matthew in his efforts to present to the Jewish Community that Jesus IS the Messiah. In the sermon given by Brian Walls he points out that in the genealogy given by Matthew that contrary to normal Jewish genealogy that the inclusion of women was very rare and the inclusion of Gentiles was even less likely to appear in a good Jewish genealogy but the very fact that by Matthew including these women and them being “gentiles” as well points to the “TRUTH” of the genealogy and we must also consider what the internet article by Robert Deffingbaugh starts out with — a quote from the “Apostle to the Gentiles” the Apostle Paul “16 Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.” (2nd Timothy 3:16-17) As we look at the “inspiration” being from “God” for this genealogy given by St. Matthew then we must trust that God had a “purpose” for the inclusion of these women and not only their inclusion but the “TRUTH” of their lives which to God was important enough to be included in the Genealogy of God’s Anointed and I quote Robert Deffingbaugh as he observed about the inclusion in the Genealogy of Jesus Christ  these less-than-reputable women: “One purpose of the first genealogy, then, is to dramatically underscore the truthfulness of God’s Word.” And as Brian Walls pointed out, if you are writing a resume then you usually don’t included such dubious characters  in your list of references for we as fallen creatures succumb to the temptation of burying those parts of our pasts because they do not shed a “good light” on our reputation so for God to make sure these additions are not only included but their problem actually highlighted such as “David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.” (Matthew 1:6) So in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus Christ God reveals the TRUTH that David the king was guilty of both “adultery and murder”   and also was an ancestor of Jesus thereby making Jesus both a Son of David and a Son of Abraham thereby meeting the minimum requirements of the Jewish Messiah and also  these revealing facts listed in the ancestry of Jesus as Robert Deffingbaugh states “dramatically underscore the truthfulness of God’s Word”. The inclusion of both Jew and Gentile in the line of the Messiah reveals the purpose of the Messiah and the heart of God for His Creation and was put very beautifully by Frederick Bruner: “One gets the impression that Matthew poured over his Old Testament records until he could find the most questionable ancestors of Jesus available in order, in turn, to insert them into his record and so, it seems, to preach the gospel — the gospel, that is, that God can overcome and forgive sin, and can use soiled but repentant persons for His great  purpose in history.”  So when we read the Genealogy of Jesus in God’s Holy Word we must trust that there is always a reason and purpose behind what God includes in HIS WORD for our benefit and let HIS WORD teach us that truly “God so [loves] the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son [Jesus] that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Simple-Direct-Truthful and can only be found “In Christ”!!!

DECEMBER 29 THE JESUS QUESTIONS SUMMARY-16 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31 (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

DECEMBER  29  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   SUMMARY-16 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31  (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16) 

365 Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus we thank You for Your daily Presence in our lives as we see You revealed by Your Holy Word and by Your Holy Spirit. Lord I pray that in my life that I will know that You are always there and if I fail to recognize You then it is my own flesh that is blinding me and that upon that realization I will take up my cross and be crucified with You and know that Your Spirit is Resurrected in us and will illuminate our darkness with YOUR LIGHT! Lord, our daily walk is our “now” and is the only “time” we can experience GRACE but only if we decrease and You are allowed to increase that we can behold the Messiah! Forgive me of my daily shortcomings and my failure to see You working in my life — even so, come now Lord Jesus!          AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

DECEMBER  29  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   SUMMARY-16 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31  (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16)  Jesus was revealed as the Messiah by circumstances beyond His control but were obviously circumstances coming about as part of God’s Master Plan. Up to the point where Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan river, the Messiah was validated by many witnesses to be Jesus the son of Mary and Joseph but now Jesus Himself will begin His public Ministry which will demonstrate that the way that Jesus lives His Life in the flesh will be a “witness” to the TRUTH that JESUS IS THE MESSIAH for everything that Jesus does, He does at the direction of His Heavenly Father. Before beginning the summary of the actual JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#1-31(of 33) that also reveal and witness to Jesus being the Messiah, let us look at one more detail of Matthew’s introduction of Jesus that is also a separate witness to Jesus being the Messiah and what His “Mission” and “Purpose” was in being born in the flesh, at this particular time, in this particular place, to these particular parents. Matthew starts his Gospel of Jesus Christ with “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ” (Matthew 1:1) and within this “genealogy of Jesus Christ” is further “witness” to God’s Master Plan and Jesus being the Messiah. Jewish tradition from the very beginning placed great importance on the “lineage” or family line and one of the main reasons the lineage was so important was that the lineage determined their “tribal inheritance” based upon the fact that at God’s directions, each Jewish tribe had received a particular piece of land and for a person to inherit land in a particular area assigned to that tribe that the person had to produce evidence that he was from that particular tribe and that “evidence” of birth into a “tribe” came through the family genealogy. The genealogy of Jesus therefore will determine His Inheritance and a close look at the genealogy of Jesus Christ reveals some very important “signs” or “evidence” of some miraculous claims by Jesus as they relate to the “Purpose and Life” of the Messiah as revealed by Jesus who was born “the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.” (Matthew 1:1) Now is a good time to revisit the “book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ” as listed in Matthew 1:1-17 and ask yourself about what importance your personal lineage is in “inheriting” what has been set aside for you in “the kingdom of heaven”??? This investigation of your personal spiritual inheritance can really be understood by reading what Jesus told Nicodemus in John Chapter 3:1-21 which includes these statements which address your spiritual inheritance (1) “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3) and (2) “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes on Him shall not perish but [inherit] everlasting life.” (John 3:16) so by reading the “promise” of God for your inheritance you must ask yourself “Have I received Him and claimed my right to become [a child] of God” by “believing on the [Name and Person] of Jesus.?” (See John 1:12-13) 

DECEMBER 28 THE JESUS QUESTIONS SUMMARY-15 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31 (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

DECEMBER  28  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   SUMMARY-15 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31  (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16) 

365 Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, praise the Name of the Only Begotten Son of the Living God. Lord Jesus, I write the Name “JESUS” and I marvel at both the “Name” and its “Meaning” but it is hard for our minds to actually understand the “fact” that Jesus IS the Son of the Living God! The other fact that is difficult to “wrap our mind around” is that the “Living God” who Loved the world with a Love that cannot be comprehended by mortal man would remain TRUE to HIS DIVINE CHARACTER and provide for our Salvation by “providing  Himself the Lamb”!  Man who is flesh cannot conceive that the Living God who is SPIRIT would allow His Only Begotten Son to be born of a “virgin”, life a perfect life in the FLESH and then as part of God’s Master Plan for mankind that the Omnipotent  would offer His ONLY BEGOTTEN Son as the Atonement for the sins of the world? Why would a God that has unlimited Power and has absolutely ZERO need of mankind Sacrifice so much of Himself that we who have rejected and denied Him have a pathway to FORGIVENESS of our iniquities — surely this is the “MYSTERY OF GOD” to be revealed when He RETURNS to “Bring Home” those that have “received” Him! Praise God for His Master Plan!!!           AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

DECEMBER  28  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   SUMMARY-15 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31  (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16)  Jesus was known as the Messiah by all those that had been blessed by the angels declaration that “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11) and had traveled to Bethlehem and saw with their own eyes the Christ Child laying in a manger. Jesus was next revealed as the Messiah to a man named Simeon in Jerusalem for after “eight days were completed” it was customary for Jewish families to take the newborn males to the temple for circumcision. Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, Mary and Joseph brought their Child named Jesus who was born in a manger in Bethlehem to Jerusalem to present Him to the LORD… “and behold there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” (Luke 2:21-26) Simeon being an official in the temple at Jerusalem and very familiar with the “Consolation of Israel” (which was a common name for the Messiah used by the Jews) that when Mary and Joseph presented Jesus to Simeon that Simeon was aware that he was holding in his arms the “LORD’s Christ”! Simeon said when “he took [Jesus] up in his arms and blessed God… ‘LORD, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” (Luke 2:27-32) John the Baptist was among the few that had been informed by the angel of God or by the Holy Spirit Himself that the Messiah had arrived and had seen Him but unlike those that beheld the Child in Bethlehem or Simeon who had seen the Messiah in Jerusalem, John himself had not yet seen the Messiah. Even though John had been proclaiming about the Messiah “but He who is coming after me is mightier than I…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11). John had been proclaiming the “kingdom of heaven is at hand” but John had not actually seen the Messiah in the FLESH so when Jesus came to John to be baptized by John in the Jordan that is was at this “moment” that John saw the Messiah with his own eyes for the Holy Spirit revealed to John that this Jesus approaching him in the Jordan was the Messiah!!! John felt unworthy and tried to prevent Jesus from being baptized by him (see Matthew 3:14) but that is when Jesus publicly reveals Himself and John as prophecy being fulfilled! Prior to Jesus being baptized in the Jordan by John, Jesus had been revealed as the Messiah by a host of witnesses and by circumstances beyond His control but clearly all His prior circumstances had witnessed to the fact that God had a Master Plan and that Jesus was the “Anointed One”! Now here at the Jordan, prophecy was simultaneously being fulfilled in the sight of many more “eyewitnesses” by John who was the “forerunner” of the Messiah and Jesus who IS the Messiah, not by Jesus Himself but by circumstances and other witnesses that proclaim that they saw the Messiah with their own eyes! But here at the Jordan Jesus begins His Ministry as the Messiah by declaring to John in the presence of those witnesses: “Jesus answered [John] and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’” (Matthew 3:15) This is a good time for us to consider the great cloud of witnesses before us that are eyewitness accounts of having seen the Messiah and we ourselves should listen to Jesus and take His advice to “us” for “now” is the time for “us” to be led by the “Spirit” into His Presence and listen when Jesus by the Holy Spirit encourages us to: “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Remember — Today is the day of salvation and only through salvation can we “fulfill all righteousness”!!! Are you like Simeon looking expectantly to see the Messiah??? Remember Jesus promised “Seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened”!!! (Matthew 7:7)

DECEMBER 27 THE JESUS QUESTIONS SUMMARY-14 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31 (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

DECEMBER  27  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   SUMMARY-14 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31  (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16) 

365 Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, today my first thoughts towards You are thoughts of “Thankfulness” that You have done those things the Father asked You to do that sinners such as I would have a way to fellowship with God through the Miracle of Grace — a Miracle that was bought with a Heavenly Price and yet given with a Love that can never be reproduced but is freely poured out on everyone that calls on the Precious Name of Jesus. Lord, there is no way for us with our limited intellect to understand the Heavenly Dynamics that provides Grace to wretched souls because of the Holy Blood You Shed on the Cross, nor why a Sacrificial Lamb could be slain before the foundation of the world and how the Blood of the Lamb of God that is applied to our hearts today brings about the Miracle of Salvation — or why God Almighty would even consider the possibility of Forgiveness of the guilty and such Great Sacrifice to the Innocent!?!?!?!? Lord Jesus, Heavenly Father, Holy Spirit our hearts overflow with one word “THANKS” for being the Great God You ARE!!!          AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

DECEMBER  27  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   SUMMARY-14 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31  (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16)  Jesus comes on the scene in the 3rd Chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew after He is announced by the Star Witness of God, John the Baptist, but it is interesting to note that Matthew documents the fact that before Jesus came to be baptized by John that John the Baptist was already “preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’”  Matthew was Jewish and was a well educated Jewish scholar and very familiar with the Holy Scriptures and after 400 years of silence since Malachi the last prophet wrote God’s declaration in the Old Testament that spoke of the coming of the forerunner of the Messiah, “BEHOLD, I send My messenger, and He will prepare the way before Me.” (Malachi 3:1a) Matthew sensed through that same Holy Spirit that the LORD was again speaking to Israel through His messenger, John the Baptist who was also foretold by the prophet Isaiah. Matthew wrote about John the Baptist, “For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the LORD…’” (Matthew 3:3 and Isaiah 40:3)  The impact of John on the nation Israel can be seen by the simple statement of Matthew: “Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to [John the Baptist]” (Matthew 3:5) and the reason they were going out into the wilderness to hear John preaching “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” is also described when Matthew finishes his report on John the Baptist that those going out to the wilderness to hear John preach about the kingdom of heaven “were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.” (Matthew 3:6) Matthew with these statements makes it clear that John the Baptist is not trying to build a church or establish a congregation because of the location in the desert wilderness where John the Baptist was preaching therefore one must concentrate on the message and that message was clearly “Repent” and the results of the Spirit filled message was that people were “Confessing their sins”! The success of John’s message to Israel was also noted by Matthew for John became so well known in the wilderness that he caught the attention of even the Pharisees and Sadducees who were “coming to” John to be baptized in the Jordan. (Matthew 3:7a) John’s reaction to the Pharisees and Sadducees must be viewed from the context that the Holy Spirit was leading John and when John calls the Pharisees and Sadducees a “Brood of Vipers” (Matthew 3:7b) we can anticipate that when the Messiah comes upon the scene that the Messiah, being led also by the Holy Spirit, will address the problem of having a “Brood of Vipers” ruling the temple and all temple worship in Jerusalem and responsible for the religious doctrines of the nation of Israel and Israel’s worship of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that brought them out of their bondage in Egypt and into the Promised Land. So Matthew has now established that Jesus has fulfilled prophecy by His Birth, and now John who has fulfilled the prophecy that there would be a “forerunner” to the Messiah is about to see Jesus face to face for the first time! Did you ever stop in your Spiritual Journey and consider that even though you believe and know who Jesus is, that there will come that moment when you will stand in His Presence for the first time!?!?!?!?!?! Now is a good time to stop and think about that “moment” for it is a “moment” in your “future” and your reaction will uncover what you believe about Jesus in the secret parts of your heart and soul, and “now” is the only time available to get that “moment” settled between you and your future!!! The TRUTH of GOD is that one day your “moment” in His Presence will arrive and what you truly believe will be revealed — and after the “moment” arrives it is already to late —— you must be prepared BEFORE the “Moment” arrives —— and the time to think about that “moment” and who Jesus really IS, is “now”!!! 

DECEMBER 26 THE JESUS QUESTIONS SUMMARY-13 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31 (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

DECEMBER  26  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   SUMMARY-13 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31  (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16) 

365 Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, oh how blessed are we among men that we can call on the Name of Jesus so openly and so freely. Praise You Lord for the freedom that exists in our lifetime and our generation that we have a country founded on the belief in The One True God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Lord, I pray for the strength and courage to keep it a privilege that we can  have our churches and bibles. Forgive me Lord when I take this great blessing as just another freedom that abounds in plenty but in our abundance we have become lazy and in our laziness we are losing our freedoms bit-by-bit, so let me Lord daily recognize the peace and joy of starting my day with the Name of Jesus.           AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

DECEMBER  26  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   SUMMARY-13 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31  (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16)  Jesus by circumstances surrounding Him and not of His own volition has already fulfilled enough prophecy that were He to do nothing else, Jesus could be shown to be the Messiah with the single event like His being a first born Jewish male in the town of Bethlehem from the lineage of King David but His Messiahship was completely sealed by the fact that His mother was a “virgin” when she gave Birth to Jesus, thus making her Seed pure, for the Seed came from God Himself making Jesus the Son of God. However, common logic demonstrates that if a bird gives birth, the offspring of that bird will be a bird and as that bird grows it will grow feathers like its parents and will eventually exhibit all characteristics of a bird and will someday take off and fly and anyone observing that bird in flight will not have to ask, I wonder if that bird’s parents are birds? This simple logic is God’s way of teaching us His TRUTH!!!  In His Creation account found in Genesis, God made it clear that every living thing would reproduce “after its kind” and “whose seed is in itself” so the fact that God would put His Seed into a “virgin womb” in order that the seed would reproduce “after its kind” — which with the “Virgin Birth” event it can be seen that the mother’s womb was undefiled and her Seed was Holy therefore the “Offspring” of the “Virgin Birth” would grow in “Grace and Truth” and exhibit every characteristic of the Holy Father, thereby confirming that He indeed IS THE MESSIAH, the Son of the LIVING GOD, and being the offspring of an undefiled woman, Jesus is the Son of Man and coming from the Holy Seed of the Father, Jesus is the Only Begotten Son of God and just like the offspring of a bird will grow feathers and fly, so likewise will the Offspring of the Holy God grow in “Grace” and will speak “Truth”. If Jesus were not the Son of God, then He would not be able to “fly” with such natural ease that everyone that observes His Life will say as did the Roman centurion who saw how Jesus died at His Crucifixion, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39) So the object of the Gospels are to demonstrate that Jesus proves Himself to be the Messiah both by His Life and His Death, and the Resurrection fulfills God’s Promise to His Only Begotten Son! Jesus is shown to be the Son of God because of prophecy, HIs “Virgin Birth”, His Holy Life, and His Perfect Sacrificial Death as the Lamb of God, and His Glorious Resurrection by the Father on the 3rd Day! We cannot but exhibit the nature of our parents and that was true of the Baby, born to a virgin in Bethlehem from the HOLY SEED OF GOD HIMSELF — and we still today call out the NAME OF JESUS!!!!!!!! 

DECEMBER 25 THE JESUS QUESTIONS SUMMARY-12 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31 (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

DECEMBER  25  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   SUMMARY-12 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31  (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16) 

365 Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus — there will be a time when “every tongue” will confess that You are LORD! “Every tongue” takes in a lot of territory and is all inclusive of “every” one that has a “tongue” will use it to confess that Jesus is Lord, Mohammed will confess it, Buddha will confess it, and more importantly, “you” will confess it and it doesn’t get any closer to home than when we see prophesy being fulfilled in our own lives — but there is one small caveat; this confession comes at the “Judgement” and confessing the Name of Jesus is not a “ticket-to-get-into-heaven” phrase — the prophesy states that everyone must stand before God and make an account of our actions and thoughts  toward God and our thoughts and actions are what will “condemn us” to a burning hell or to “commend us” to living with God in heaven for eternity and after “every tongue” has stood trial for the lives we lived on earth and we are standing before God, KNOWING HE IS GOD, we will accept our reward or punishment and before we leave the Presence of God we will all confess before God that JESUS IS THE LORD!!!   AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

DECEMBER  25  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   SUMMARY-12 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31  (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16)  Jesus so far has been shown to be the Messiah by circumstances of His “Virgin Birth” and through His lineage back to King David and upon the announcement of His Birth to Herod, Herod tried to thwart God’s Plan but in so doing fulfilled yet more prophecies of the Messiah. Then in the 3rd Chapter of Matthew’s Gospel of Jesus Christ, Jesus begins to demonstrate by His Actions that He is the Messiah which Matthew starts by introducing the “Star Witness” of Christ, John the Baptist. Matthew covered enough material about the “Virgin Birth” of Jesus and circumstances that we beyond any fabrication of Jesus and His disciples in any form of conspiracy for the “facts” surrounding Jesus were a matter of public record and the “Virgin Birth” was documented by HIs earthly parents, Mary and Joseph who made the confession even though it could have meant there death, Mary and Joseph had nothing to “gain” from declaring the “Virgin Birth” account and risked being made complete “outcasts” from the Synagogue and their community which was the worst thing that could happen to them so why would they insist that Jesus was the Messiah, virgin born, not according to any less authority than God Himself through the angel Gabriel!!! When John the Baptist comes upon the scene he does so like this: “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:1-2) Again this historical fact occurred and was part of Jewish history BEFORE Jesus began His earthly ministry — another “fact” that was “history” and was “circumstances” that Jesus had no control over but yet another “fact” that can be directly related to prophesy written hundreds of years before Jesus began His public ministry! Of Divine significance is the prophecy of Isaiah was written in the 8th Century B.C. and specifically states “the voice of one crying in the wilderness” and “make straight in the desert” and the voice in the desert wilderness was to “prepare the way of the LORD” (Isaiah 40:3) so one must answer some obvious questions such as why God choose a desert wilderness and not the public square in Jerusalem to announce the arrival of the “anointed one” and also why would any person chose to cloth himself in camel hair, go into the desert wilderness to eat locust and honey, and then preach “repentance” and to declare “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” !?!?!? You can’t make up things like these and present them as facts and not get blown out of the water by the authorities, especially if the story includes facts that fly in the face of all tradition and existing laws which could result in the persons life imprisonment and/or their death — and the obvious question is why would a young couple risk death just to claim a “virgin” birth and why would one man go out into the desert and risk his life for some locusts and honey if they were not driven by a “force” or a power greater that the fear of death??? The “obvious” answer is that they are driven by a Master Plan and that the Plan itself is more important than “life and death” — the Master Plan is about “Eternal Life” in the presence of God Himself and is the only reasonable explanation for all that appears in the Holy Scriptures that establish through prophecy and innocent lives the validity of Jesus being the Messiah!!! Just think on why and when these things occur and you will not find a better explanation than it is part of the Master Plan!!! 

DECEMBER 24 THE JESUS QUESTIONS SUMMARY-11 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31 (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

DECEMBER  24  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   SUMMARY-11 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31  (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16) 

365 Prayers to JESUS    

{{The Holy Spirit is again leading me to write another 2004 prayer}} — 12/24/2004 Christmas Eve AM prayer: “Jesus, You are the Messiah, praise Your Holy Name, God became flesh, Redeemer of all men from the bondage of sin, You have freed us from the Law of Sacrifice for You have substituted Your Holy Self as the Atonement, once for all!!!  Lord, teach me to share the Good News to both Jew and Gentile that the Messiah has come, the Son of Man has sacrificed His Perfect Life and shed His Spotless Blood of the Passover Lamb that the angel of death will “pass over” all who believe that Jesus is the Passover Lamb and apply His Blood to the doorposts and lintel of their hearts. Salvation is through the Messiah, God’s Anointed One, for God sent His Son, born of a “virgin”, sacrificed on a cross, buried in a borrowed tomb, and was raised to Glory on the 3rd Day — The Messiah HAS COME!!!      AMEN

<<<Note 12/24/16: If you have been following this blog, please read yesterday’s post of 12/23/16 which discusses this very topic of Jesus being the Messiah and I had mentioned that I was being led by the Holy Spirit to fulfill “part of the 12/23/2004 prayer” and that part was “to do something about this evil and vile situation that is removing Your Name from so many things” and the Holy Spirit led me to an article about the Messiah written by Tracey R. Rich that states “If you want to know how Jews interpret the passages that Christians consider to be messianic, see Jews for Judaism, a counter-missionary organization not associated with this website, especially their article about Christian Proof-Texting.”  The thought that struck me when I read my 12/24/2004 prayer this morning during my devotional that said, “teach me to share the Good News to both Jew and Gentile that the Messiah has come” was that there is a sect of Jews that has taken the Name of Jesus and separated Him from His Messiahship which is every bit as “vile and evil” as America promoting “separation of church and state” from the viewpoint of  removing the name of God from public places. To say that God is not allowed in public schools removes God’s “moral standard” from our government and therefore the “federal government is free to decide what is moral in our society” and there is nothing more “vile and evil” than man usurping God’s Power for man has been proven untrustworthy since the first bite of forbidden fruit! Therefore in fair and equal treatment of everyone, every nationality, and every religion, I will continue to write these articles based on “God’s Standards” and “His Holy Word” and keep reminding you that God is Truth, so if you are not listening to God, then you are not listening to the Truth. If man (and woman) had listened when God said “do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17) instead of when the Tempter said “you will not surely die”  (Genesis 3:4) then the knowledge of good and evil would have remained on the tree and man would have remained in the Garden of Eden, forever.! So at the very beginning even Satan himself was (and still is) using the Word of God to lead us FROM GOD’S TRUTH but each of us must listen to what God says is the Truth and NOT what Satan will tell you God “really meant” for the Truth to be!?!?!? 

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

DECEMBER  24  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   SUMMARY-11 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31  (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16)  Jesus at an early age was fulfilling prophecy about the Messiah and starting with the 3rd chapter Matthew documents that the life of Jesus revealed Him to be the True Messiah by His actions because the actions of Jesus Himself could only be accomplished by the True Messiah. Matthew at the start of the 3rd Chapter of the Gospel of Jesus according to Matthew introduces the Messiah’s “star witness”, John the Baptist. Here again we will see that Jesus fulfills prophecy of the Messiah by circumstances beyond His control and starting with the 3rd Chapter, Matthew demonstrates that all Scripture and all prophecy point to Jesus as the Messiah and even the most casual reader will see that Jesus by His actions and lifestyle cannot be interpreted as “just a good man doing good works” but they were actions accomplished by God Incarnate, Immanuel, and that it was the Power of God in Jesus that was doing “miraculous works that could only be accomplished by God Himself” and therefore the “actions” of Jesus proclaim and witness that JESUS IS CHRIST, GOD’S ANOINTED ONE!!!

DECEMBER 23 THE JESUS QUESTIONS SUMMARY-10 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31 (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

DECEMBER  23  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   SUMMARY-10 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31  (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16) 

365 Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, today I am going to post a prayer written 12 years ago that is as relevant today as it was on 12-23-2004 when it was first written, and contained within it is a section of the prayer that I believe was answered for me two days ago on 12-21-2016 as I awoke with a vision of a project that if I follow the guiding of the Holy Spirit will bring about the exact answer to this section of prayer: “Jesus, ‘I am Yours, save me’ as spoken by Martin Luther must have been a great glory to Your Name and a great time of ‘coming out of darkness’ into the LIGHT of YOUR WORD! O Lord, I see today (12-23-2004) the coming of a new ‘Spiritual Dark Ages’ for the world if America continues down this disastrous course of ‘separation of church and state’ and if America lets this go to far we will lose the religious freedom established by our forefathers. Lord we simply cannot allow Christ to be taken out of Christmas and let ‘Happy Holidays’ replace ‘Merry Christmas” in our schools and public places. Lord, I pray for the Holy Spirit to lead me to do something about this evil and vile situation that is removing Your Name from so many things that have made our nation great.”   I now, like many Americans in 2016 who must have felt the same way for we have exercised our freedom to vote have  chosen a new President, and in unity our prayer is that Christ will be allowed back into our schools and public places and that as a nation that we will once again proclaim “IN GOD WE TRUST”!!!!    AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

DECEMBER  23  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   SUMMARY-10 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31  (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16)  Jesus has now been connected to 4 prophecies that point to Him as the Messiah and yet it is our “faith” that will actually seat Him on the “throne” of our heart for all the evidence in the world will not be sufficient to those that want to trust in the “doctrines and traditions of man” and not the “commands of God” as Jesus has demonstrated by addressing that very problem throughout His earthly ministry and especially after making His “Triumphal Entry” into Jerusalem. During the Passover Week Jesus was very specific as He is quoted as saying “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much as a son of hell as yourselves.” (Matthew 23:15) With statements like that from Jesus that attacked religious leaders of Israel and called them out with such great condemnation and especially being called out like that in Jerusalem during the Passover Week that they would certainly not want Jesus to be confirmed as the Messiah for that would be confirmation of them being “sons of hell” — that particular problem still exist today among many Jews that are still refuting the claim that Jesus in not the “Messiah” and go so far as to say that the word “Messiah” has been defiled by translation that these believing that the “mashiach” which means “the anointed one” has not yet come argue that the “mashiach” is not a god but that the “mashiach” is a human that will be a warrior king like David. Those dedicated to this “Messianic Idea in Judaism” base their arguments on arguments put forth in such writings as “Rambam’s 13 Principals of Faith” which are in their own words “the minimum requirements of Jewish belief” and when they refer to God’s Holy Scriptures these so dedicated to “Judaism” use the same prophets that declared the coming of the “Messiah” and “signs” of His Coming through their interpretation of the Scriptures to claim to “prove” that Jesus is not the “mashiach”;  therefore Jesus rightfully called them “hypocrites” for claiming to know the Scriptures better than God Himself which is the exact problem Jesus questioned the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem that had sought out Jesus because of His “Works” that were “miraculous” by any definition when He answered their question with a question of His own, “Why do you transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?” (Matthew 15:3) and coincidentally Jesus called them “hypocrites” and quoted the prophet Isaiah: “Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying, ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me, and in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men’” (Matthew 15:7-9) So if those that claim Jesus is not the Messiah do so by quoting “commandments of men” such as “Rambam’s 13 Principals of Faith” then I will let each of you make your own decision and review the “evidence” but you will still come to the same point of decision put forth by Joshua — “Choose this day whom you will serve!” (Joshua 24:15)

DECEMBER 22 THE JESUS QUESTIONS SUMMARY-09 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31 (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

DECEMBER  22  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   SUMMARY-09 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31  (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16) 

365 Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, today is another day that You have provided for us that deserve death were it not for Your Mercy and Grace and Your Great Sacrifice on the cross at Calvary to purchase our Redemption from the punishment of our many iniquities — Lord let us “lean not” on our own understanding but let You Guide our steps and Light our path! Jesus we are so undeserving of the Mercies that You Renew each morning because of who You ARE, You shower us with blessings, so Lord Jesus I offer up that which I have and that Lord is my praise and prayers, praise for You and prayers for others, keeping neither for myself for Your Grace is Sufficient for me! Forgive me for all the ways I have failed You and keep me centered in Your Will!      AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

DECEMBER  22  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   SUMMARY-09 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31  (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16)  Jesus was not only proven to be the Messiah by the evidence of His Birth to a virgin that had nothing to gain but death by stoning by the Jewish community to which she belonged, Jesus was also linked to the “purpose” of the Messiah by outside forces that He could not have manipulated as a Child. The purpose of the “Messiah” in both Jewish tradition and today’s Christians is one of “Kingship” which became an issue that pointed to Jesus as the “Anointed One” when the then King of Israel, King Herod met with the “wise men from the East” that had traveled to Jerusalem and were asking, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” (Matthew 2:1-2) This inquiry from credible “wise men” that knew of the “birth” of the “King of the Jews” that had seen a “sign” in the heavens and knew that the event had happened in Judea as noted by their statement “has been born” caught the attention of the then seated king of Judea, King Herod. “When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when [Herod] had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, [Herod] inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea…” and then the chief priests and scribes quoted the prophet Micah who wrote “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.” (Matthew 2:3-6 and Micah 5:2) Modern Jews do not accept that Jesus is the “Messiah” and their main argument is that the “mashiach” is a human and not God and will be a human leader like King David  who will win great battles for Israel and not a “savior” who will save “His people from their sins”. The Judaism concept of “mashiach” is human that will rebuild the temple, re-establish traditional Jewish worship in the re-built temple, and also “mashiach” will establish a government in Jerusalem making it the center of all world government.  Herod however was not concerned about these concepts of the “one born King of the Jews” but Herod was concerned about the “kingship” of one that had fulfilled  prophecy! Herod was concerned enough to enlist the services of the wise men in finding the “King of the Jews” and when the wise men did not return to Herod, Herod “sent forth [Herod’s soldiers] and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under…” (Matthew 2:7-16) But this act of Herod reacting to prophecy about “one who has been born King of the Jews” was also prophetic in its execution as the prophet Jeremiah had noted that there would be “A voice heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”  (Jeremiah 31:15) Matthew documented that “Divine Intervention” on behalf of Jesus came as an “angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream” after the wise men had bestowed gifts on the “young Child” Jesus and the angel said, “Arise take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt” … thus fulfilling the prophecy by Hosea stating “Out of Egypt I called My Son” (Hosea 11:1) The simple fact that all these events that came about while Jesus was still a “young Child” are events that are historical facts and were they fabricated after the crucifixion of Jesus would have been quickly refuted by the Jewish rulers and the chief priests and scribes at the time but the only records that exist support Jesus as having fulfilled the prophecy of the Messiah according to the prophets of old. So Matthew in the first 3 chapters of his Gospel of Jesus Christ has established as historical fact that Jesus has already at the young age of 2 or 3 years old had already fulfilled 4 prophecies written hundreds of years earlier by God’s own prophets and these critical prophecies and their fulfillment could not have been “fabricated” without receiving great criticism from the chief priests and scribes and if it were the apostles and disciples of Jesus that had “fabricated” the stories after the death of Jesus, their fabrication would have resulted in their own deaths and the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Divine Truth would not be documented so well in the New Testament which has been Divinely Protected for thousand of years which only adds credence to the claim that Jesus IS CHRIST!!!

DECEMBER 21 THE JESUS QUESTIONS SUMMARY-08 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31 (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

DECEMBER  21  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   SUMMARY-08 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31  (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16) 

365 Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, Creator of all things, by whose Hand and Will are all things held together, You are worthy of all Praise, all Glory, all Honor! Lord, to You and You alone will every nation bow and every tongue in every language confess that Jesus is CHRIST! — the Savior of mankind, the King of kings. Lord, I praise You this day, let not the world interfere with our worship of Thee — You Lord, are the Guiding Path, I pray that You part the “Sea of Doubt” and give us the strength and courage to lift up Your Name as we cross on dry land between the walls of worldly distractions built up on every side on our journey to Your Promised Land, especially in this circumstance and at this time of “testing” in America — for it is in these types of circumstances that there is special strength coming from the Throne of Grace, let us receive Your Divine Strength into our lives and into our homes, and Lord Jesus, give everyone someone in their life that they can share Your Love with today.   AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

DECEMBER  21  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   SUMMARY-08 of the Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus: JQ#1-JQ#31  (Matthew 1:1 thru 26:16)  Jesus is being revealed through circumstance and simple fact to be the Messiah and in a court of law there would be enough evidence to sentence Him to a LIFE sentence for being the “Chosen One”. If we could look at His “Birth” certificate we would see that He was born a Jew to Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem in Judea and it could be demonstrated that Jesus was of the lineage of David the former King of Israel therefore making Jesus a Jew that can trace His ancestry all the way back to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But the most compelling evidence was given by His own mother Mary who swore under oath that she had never been with a man and had conceived Her baby boy while still a “virgin” and that she further testified that she was informed that she would carry the Son of God in her virgin womb by God Himself through His angel Gabriel, thereby confirming that her “son” was “The Son of God”! Not needed to convict her but required by law that there be two witnesses, Mary’s husband to which she was betrothed when she became pregnant with this Holy Child, took the witness stand and confirmed her confession as Joseph testified that he too had been visited by the Angel Gabriel and was informed also that his betrothed was with Child that had been conceived by the Holy Spirit. Jewish law is very strict and had not Joseph withheld his public accusation of infidelity, Mary could have been stoned to death so neither she nor Joseph had anything worldly to gain by this outrageous claim of her “virgin birth” which declared the “Son” born to Mary was indeed the “Son of God” and all this transpired BEFORE the actual “Virgin Birth” so this historical evidence of Christ’s identity was established BEFORE Jesus was even born! To think that all the prophets and the Jewish Holy Scriptures was a “conspiracy” organized by Jesus and His followers goes against all logic for why would those that wanted Jesus dead because He proclaimed Himself as God be compliant with a plot to make Jesus God Incarnate?!?!?!?!? There is simply no way that anyone could put together one man’s life to remotely complete more than one of the prophecies and certainly not two of this Divine Significance of a Jewish male born in Bethlehem to a “virgin” — Matthew therefore using Jewish law and Jewish tradition along with the Jewish Scripture documents that this Jesus, born of Mary in Bethlehem must be declared as “The Messiah” and is the Christ, even if by Jewish law and tradition that the Jewish religious leaders could have Mary and Jesus both killed, and you know the rest of the story. In God’s Great Plan for mankind each individual must deal with this “Revelation of Jesus Christ” and “work out your own salvation” through the exercise of Your God-given Freewill and decide if your “Faith” (though it be a small as a “mustard seed”) can be planted into this fertile soil of God’s Grace and grow to reach “Heaven” itself!!! God’s simple promise is “I WILL PROVIDE” — and regardless of the evidence it still boils down to “FAITH IN GOD” — it is time to reclaim for our lives and our world — “IN GOD WE TRUST”!!!