30 Day Jesus Challenge - Day 30 Messiah

Jesus, the Jewish Messiah fulfilled over 300 prophecies in the Jewish Scriptures.  The odds of just one person fulfilling 8 of the major ones have been likened to covering the entire state of Texas in silver dollars three feet thick, marking one coin in red, and dropping a blind man in the midst, while allowing him to select only the marked coin with one try (read more here).

Jesus was a Jew

Yeshua belongs to the Jews first (Romans 1:16) and then to the gentiles,  Jesus said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Matthew 15:24).   It is estimated that at the time of Jerusalem's destruction in 70 AD that upwards of 70% of the population believed in Yeshua.

With the temple destroyed and the people expelled, Rabbinic Judaism was born.  It bears little resemblance to the faith of Moses and Aaron.  The Rabbis were more interested in retaining their power than accepting the truth:

John 11:47-50 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.”

After the Resurrection, they paid off the guards who had witnessed the event to claim that the disciples had stolen the body, "And having taken the money, they did as they were instructed. And this report is spread abroad among the Jews until the present day." Matthew 28:15

We see this Anti-Christ spirit among the Rabbis today as they organize counter evangelism campaigns against the large number of Messianic Jews.  Alas, the Spirit of the Lord is pouring out among the chosen people.  I Met Messiah are video testimonies by Jewish believers.  These Jewish believers encounter intense hatred and opposition from the Rabbis, but while the Rabbis might have bluster and arrogance on their side, the Messianic believers have truth.

The Forbidden Chapter is one of the most powerful pieces you will ever watch.

Pray - Lord, I believe you are the Messiah.  I believe that you died for my sins and that through your sacrifice I can be reconciled to Yahweh and saved.  Thank you for being the perfect lamb, please fill me with your peace.

30 Day Jesus Challenge - Day 24 Good Shepherd

The Bible is full of Shepherds and sheep.  This is one of the deepest subjects in all of the Bible, but it's Christmas Eve and I promised you one minute... so consider:

Luke 2:8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  (Why Shepherds and why Bethlehem?  read here)

John 10:11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

Matthew 18:12-13 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.…

The Good Shepherd

John 10:27-28 My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.…

Pray - Lord, I believe you are the good shepherd.  I have been lost, please find me.  Please rescue me.  I take comfort knowing that I can never be lost again.

Time Travel in the Bible

Ground yourself in today and contemplate this:  If at some point in the future you could speak a word of wisdom or rebuke to yourself, what would it be? What are you worried about, what would you change, what choice do you have before you?  If you are old and gray, what would you say to yourself now?  If you are in your incorruptible body, with your heart of stone removed, and your will perfectly aligned with the Lord, what changes?  I think any version of this story has our future self holding our present self is some sort of contempt.

Look at the Scripture below, here's the scene:  The Apostle John has been taken in the spirit to Heaven, he is in the throne room with millions of angels and the 24 elders.  The Scroll is presented, which many scholars surmise is the Earth Lease.  It is obviously a very important document.  Note, John in his human form is the only one weeping.

Revelation 5:4-5 Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Key Point:  Have we just seen John's future self, as one of the 24 elders rebuking his human self?  I think so.  Human eyes or minds can not comprehend the richness of God or His Heavens.  John would have been overwhelmed from a sensory perspective!  His perfected and glorified self had a something to say... cool, huh?

The Throne Room of God

Migdal Eder, "The Tower of the Flock"

Abigail and Dolley readers some years ago I read the story of the shepherds, the significance of Bethlehem, and the wonderful plan of God.  Every Christmas I am reminded of the story and wish that more folks knew and understood the significance of Bethlehem.

You see, Bethlehem was where the lambs of the temple were kept and raised.  These were the perfect lambs of God.  The shepherds who tended them were trained in the laws and the rules of the law.  They were special, set apart, and holy unto God.

Midgal Eder - over the fields of Bethlehem

It was no accident that there was no room at the inn, for the true Lamb of God would not be born in a house but in a pure, clean, and holy lambing barn.  The final sacrifice for our Sin, the Holy Lamb of God, born for us in that special place.

The depth of the story, the significance of the place, the foreshadowing of the event in Genesis is full of wonder and majesty.  We do indeed worship a Holy and Blessed Lord.  If you'd like to read more, check out these links:

Why Bethlehem? and Christmas Past Messages from Abigail and Dolley

Merry Christmas, Friends.