Bible

How Did They Know To Look For Baby Jesus?

December 23, 2019 Leave a Comment

The Bible proves itself. From the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation, the Divine inspiration of the scriptures is recognizable through its prophecies. Detailed descriptions of future events are found all through the Bible. Many of these predictions, written hundreds of years in advance, have come true with shocking detail. and others are coming to pass even now. No other book can claim to be the Word of God with convincing proofs like this one.

So, how did people know to look for a Messiah, in the first place? The Bible is a book of prophecy. It gave much detail about Him long before He was ever born. It even quotes Moses saying that a prophet would come who was like him, a deliverer: [Deuteronomy 18:15: Luke 24:25-27]

Bible Prophecy Tells of the Coming Messiah

He would be born of a virgin. [Isaiah 7:14]

He would come from Bethlehem. [Micah 5:2]

He would be of the line of David and the Son of God. [Isaiah 9:6,7]

He would die for our sins. [Isaiah 53]

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this. Isaiah 9: 6,7

Evil King Herod of Bible times believed the scriptures and feared it to the point that, when he heard that the Messiah had been born, he sent out a hit-squad to kill him. Yes, Herod was afraid of a tiny little baby.

The Magi [the 3 wisemen] were watching the stars for a sign. They likely knew by reputation that the Hebrew scriptures held the keys to the future. That is how they knew to look for him. The Messiah’s birth was a huge big deal and they devoted themselves to finding Him.

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So there He was – baby Jesus – born in Bethlehem, just as the scriptures said. His first bed was a humble hay-filled manger in a stable. A star was set in the sky by God to mark the spot. Angels appeared in the heavenlies, glorifying God for the greatness of that holy day. Upon hearing the news from those heavenly messengers, shepherds left their flocks to go see for themselves.

And so the story of the greatest rescue operation of all time – even greater than Moses and the parting of the Red Sea [Exodus 14] – had begun. Planned from the foundation of time and told far in advance of its happening, Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost. [Luke 19:10] A marvelous mystery to many. A love story beyond belief – but true! And it all began on one holy night.

How did they know to be looking for baby Jesus? #faith #Bible #Jesus Click To Tweet

Blessings!

One of my favorite little books tells the reader where in the Bible you can find these prophetic words. It is Sid Roth’s life story “There Must Be Something More.” Sid tells of his failed search for success and happiness, his near-death through his involvement in the occult and then the BIG discovery that Jesus Christ is Lord. Yes, this Jewish man discovered that Jesus is the Messiah. He found that the Bible is the Word of God and holds the keys to the future of all mankind. [If Sid’s name sounds familiar, by the way, you may have seen him on TV. His show is called “It’s Supernatural.”]

Bibles – What Do You Think? Are Hard Copies Obsolete?

May 9, 2019 13 Comments

I love reading the Bible. It gives me strength and reading God’s Word brings me peace, too.

I have always brought my Bible with me to church. Everyone in our congregation did. But lately more and more people are coming without one. The key scriptures from the sermon are shared on a big screen and many people read the Bible on their cell phones in church.

Hey, times change so why does this bother me? Maybe it is more a concern for the younger generation. They are so used to doing everything on their phones. It is an essential part of their lives. Their faces are looking into a screen much of their waking hours. So, taking it to the extreme, what would the world be like if everyone only read the Bible online? So, let me share my thoughts and I would love to hear what you think.

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What If We ONLY Read The Bible Online?

PROS

A cell phone is lightweight and compact and Bibles are bulky to carry. A phone is much easier to take with you.
Believe it or not, sometimes people forget and LEAVE their Bible at church [ you should see our lost and found!] It is less likely that you will leave your cell phone there.
When the minister gives you a scripture reference, instead of floundering around to find it in a hand-held Bible you can just do a quick search online and there it will be!

CONS

People who no longer use a “real” Bible will need one if the internet is down. Outages don’t usually last long but many of us have experienced days or even weeks of no internet service. Personally, I want my Bible within reach, especially in times of trouble! Even if I don’t use it like I do on a phone, I want to have a Bible nearby.
Bible study is the way we grow in our faith. Opening your Bible up and flipping back and forth to different passages is so much easier with a hard copy.
For study, many of us like to use more than one version of the Bible. We lay them out on our desk or kitchen table to compare and contrast. At length, this is almost impossible on a cell phone.
If you do not know where the 66 books of the Bible are, you can purchase a set of index tabs and install them for easy reference. Eventually, as you read the Bible more and more, you will know how to find them.
If people rely on digital copies of the Bible exclusively, there is a danger that, over time, the truth of the Word could be tampered with. It is all too easy to change words here or there if it is only read online. I hate the thought that anyone would ever do that but how would anyone know that it isn’t the TRUE Word of God if no one ever uses paper copies?

So, what you do you do? Please let us know in the comments if you read the Bible and, if you do, what method do you prefer?

What do you prefer to use when you read the Bible? A hand-held hard copy or do you like to read it online? #faith #Bible Click To Tweet

By the way, I do love the many Bible reference websites like Bible Hub and Biblegateway. They are handy tools with many great features, such as audio readings. But in my opinion, nothing can replace reading a hand-held Bible of your own!

Blessings!

Easter Is All About Heaven and Hell

April 1, 2018 Leave a Comment

The news was a buzz about hell this week. Interesting that the question should come up just as much of the world was preparing to celebrate Easter. Bunnies and colored eggs aside, Easter has always been about heaven and hell. The end of the story being, Jesus is alive and because of Jesus, we win!

So what was in the news? It was reported that the Pope had said that there is no hell and that those who died in sin would simply disappear. Sorry but that opinion simply is not true. Jesus taught that there is both a heaven and a hell and that is the end of the story.

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The question about where we go when we die has probably been here since the fall of man (and woman, for those who like to split hairs over an issue.) All humans fell at the fall of man. From there on out, we were all born in sin and destined for hell. {see Romans 3:23)

Whether the Pope actually said it or not, that belief is not new. The Jewish leaders of old were split on their opinion of where we go when we die. The Pharisees held to the heaven and hell scenario. The Sadducees* believed that when a person died, that was it. Nothing. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. You have now been erased.

*There was a little evangelical joke that used to be told to help Bible students remember which sect believed which doctrine. They said that the Sadducees’ belief was why they were “sad, you see.” That would be sad, wouldn’t it? But something inside of all of us says that we can’t be that insignificant. Our hearts cry out, “there must be something more.” And there is.

There would have been no good reason for Jesus to come and die that horrendous, beyond-painful death on the cross if our final outcome was, at worst, to simply no longer exist. Of course, the Lord loves us and wants us to live with Him in heaven but the price that Jesus paid was so huge, there had to be a bigger reason.

That reason was to pay for our sins so we would not have to do it ourselves. The price that a person pays when they die in sin is that they go to hell forever. No bargaining our way out and no do-overs. The fact is that no one (except for Jesus Himself) can ever be “good” enough to pay for our sins and get us out of the penalty of hell.

But God loved us all so much that He sent His perfect Son, Jesus, to die on our behalf for our sins. That way, if we choose to believe in Him, we will be forgiven and will live with Him forever in heaven. (see John 3:16)

So hell is real? Jesus is the only authority on this topic.

Jesus said:

“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (see Matthew 10:28). Sounds like there is a hell to me.

And further on in Matthew, hell is described by the Lord as a place of “outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (see Matthew 25:30).

Now, I am no theologian. I am just a Christian mom and a blogger. Billy Graham, on the other hand, was a Bible expert and his explanation, “Hell Is Real But God Doesn’t Want You To Have To Go There” says it so much better than I. For those who prefer video, here is a 4 minute clip of Billy Graham explaining it in simple terms.

So, thank God for Jesus. Thank God that Jesus died and then rose from the dead. He is risen and we don’t have to go to hell. We can live with Him in heaven someday.

Four simple steps to finding Peace With God [Billy Graham ministries]

Easter is all about heaven and hell! #faith #Christianity #HappyEaster Click To Tweet

Happy Easter!