The Women of Christmas: Mary, Part 3

“How can this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. Look, even Elizabeth, your relative, has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it happen to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.” (Luke 1:34-38 BSB)


In part 1 of our series of the Women of Christmas, we looked at the lineage of Jesus, how that was connected to Mary, and his right to be King. In part 2, we explored the grace of God that was coming and how that contrasted with the Jewish law the people had been living according to. In part 3 we are going to talk about the presence of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is a person. He is the third person of The Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We first learn about Him in the book of Genesis.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.”(Genesis 1:2 BSB)

This sounds so familiar doesn’t it? It sounds like what the Holy Spirit would do when Jesus was conceived.

The word “hovering” in the Old Testament is the Hebrew word “rachaph.” According to Strong’s Lexicon, it means “To hover, to brood, to flutter.”

Under the word “rachaph” on Biblehub.com, there is an entry that says,

“While there is no direct Greek equivalent in the Septuagint for "rachaph," the concept of divine hovering or overshadowing can be seen in the New Testament with the Greek word "ἐπισκιάζω" (episkiazō), Strong's Greek 1982, used in Luke 1:35 to describe the Holy Spirit overshadowing Mary.”

The activity of the Holy Spirit was very reminiscent of the story of creation in Genesis. It’s like there was a Re-Genesis. Isn’t that amazing? I am always amazed by the Old Testament and the New Testament connections!

The Holy Spirit overshadowing or hovering over Mary would bring about the birth of the Son of God. In his message, “Christmas: the Wisdom of God,” Dr. Charles Stanley said about this event,

“The Spirit of God planted within that woman, the very life, the very person of the Son of God.”

What would be next?

The Holy Spirit would also be coming into the earth in a greater way than He had before. We talked earlier in the series about how under the Old Covenant, the Holy Spirit would seem to come and go. Men and women were anointed by God into the offices of prophet, priest, and king. The Holy Spirit would “come upon” them, and then would receive spiritual gifting to carry out the plans and purposes of God. But, He didn't live in them.

There was a very significant change coming. And it was for us.

In John chapter 1, speaking about Jesus, John says,

“And John bore witness saying, "I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and it remained upon Him.” (John 1:32 BLB)

The Holy Spirit came and remained on Jesus.

That word “remain" is the same word that Jesus used to teach the disciples about the Holy Spirit in John 14:17.

“...the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you.” (BSB)

Abide here means to remain. He will remain. He will abide in you, never to leave.

Ephesians 1:13 says about our relationship to the Holy Spirit,

“And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.” (BSB)


Many blessings to you as you rest and remain in the Lord this season! Thank you for reading this short series on Mary, part of The Women of Christmas.


Merry Christmas!

Beth


P.S.I am sorry I didn't get to Elizabeth and Anna. Christmas caught up with me, and the parts about Mary became longer than I had originally anticipated.


I wrote a series about the Holy Spirit starting with the baptism of Jesus. You can read about that here. The links to the rest of the series are at the bottom of the post.


If you missed the first two posts about Mary, you can go here to The Women of Christmas at Bethlisteningtohim.blogspot.com.

The Women of Christmas: Mary, Part 2

“In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. The angel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. So the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God”(Luke 1:26-30 BSB).

In today’s devotional about Mary, we are going to focus on the grace of God. We see the grace of God in Mary's conversation with the angel. The grace of God would bring about a huge change for the Jewish people and ultimately the Gentile world as well. There was a transition taking place from the Old to the New.

Under the Old Covenant, the Jews lived under a system of rules known as the Law. It was given to them by God through Moses and they had lived under this system since shortly after their Exodus from Egypt. But, why did they live under the law?

Romans 5:20 tells us,

“The law came in so that the trespass would increase; but where sin increased, grace increased all the more,” (BSB)

And Galatians 3:19 reads,

“Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the seed to whom the promise referred. It was administered through angels by a mediator.”(BSB)

In John 1:17, it says,

“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (BSB)

What was coming under the New Covenant through Jesus was new to them. They were looking for a military leader in the Messiah. They weren’t expecting this.

In the lives of the women of Christmas, we begin to see this transition that was taking place. Grace was coming. In fact, it was already here.

In verse 28 of chapter 1, the angel says to Mary,

“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you” (BSB).

That phrase “you who are highly favored” is actually the verb form of the word "charis" (grace) in the Greek. It is the Greek word

“charitoó” and is found only in one other place in the Bible, and it is a verse about Believers in Jesus.

“to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One”(Ephesians 1:6).

Later on in the passage in Luke 1:30, the angel tells Mary,

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” (BSB)

That word favor in that passage is a noun and is the Greek word "charis." According to Biblehub, there are 157 occurrences of the word “charis” in the New Testament. It means “grace, favor, kindness, and blessing.” Grace was coming through Jesus. There would be a transition from law to grace.


They would no longer live under the law, because Jesus would fulfill it. A new way of life was coming. What was happening to and through Mary, was also coming to and for us. Tomorrow we will discuss that new way of grace, one that would involve the Holy Spirit.


Blessings to you as you continue to grow in grace and the knowledge of Him!

Beth



To learn more about the word "charis," please check out my post here on Grace in the Greek.


If you missed yesterday's post on Mary, Part 1, you can also find it at my blog, The Women of Christmas: Mary, Part 1.

The Women of Christmas: Mary, Part 1

“In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. The angel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. So the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!”

“How can this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. Look, even Elizabeth, your relative, has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it happen to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.” (Luke 1:26-38 BSB)




Luke chapter 1 starts with Elizabeth and Zechariah, but we are going to begin this series with Mary. There is so much we could cover in this passage of Scripture, but I want to focus on a few areas, because I believe they apply to us as well as Mary. They are a foreshadowing of things that were to come.

First, let’s look at the “house of David.” Luke tells us that Joseph was of the house of David. That means that Joseph was of the lineage of David. I believe Mary was too.

Matthew (chapter 1), and Luke (chapter 3), both give us genealogies of Jesus. They both go back to David, but one goes to David’s son Nathan (the one in Luke), and the other one goes to Solomon (the one in Matthew.) Joseph cannot come from both ancestries, so one has to belong to Mary. There are differing opinions about which one she belongs to, but I am going to side with Matthew today, since Matthew actually mentions her name.

What does that have to do with us? Well, the genealogies prove that Jesus is in line to be King. When we are born again, we are born into this kingdom. Jesus repeatedly mentions the Kingdom of God in the Gospels.

Revelation 5:10 tells us,

“and didst make us to our God kings and priests, and we shall reign upon the earth.”(YLT)

Jesus has made us kings and priests.

Remember in the first post when I mentioned that the Holy Spirit came on the prophet, priest, and king part in the Old Testament? Mary and Joseph would both be in line with the king. And we also become part of that royal family line when we receive Christ.

Next time we will discuss the favor of God.

Many blessings to you this Christmas season,

Beth




To read more about kings, please check out my post on the Fragrance of Kings and Queens. You can also read more about Mary at my post, Women in the Life of Jesus: Mary the Mother of Jesus.

The Weary World Rejoices by Naomi Craig

“Are you ready to emerge from the darkness in which you sit?” This was one of my favorite quotes from The Weary World Rejoices. This book is a great way to start off the Christmas season. Naomi Craig was very creative in her retelling of the Scripture found in Matthew 2:3-4,

“When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ was to be born."(BSB)

The Weary World Rejoices is the story of Amal, Herod the Great’s chief scribe. He has been tasked with discovering where the baby called “the King of the Jews” was to be born. Little did he know how much this assignment would change his life and trajectory forever.

Along the way, we get to experience several beloved Biblical figures through the eyes of Amal, including those named and unnamed. I don’t want to spoil it for the readers, so I won’t mention them all by name. (We get to see Zechariah! -YAY!) Just know if you are fan of this genre, you will enjoy reading this story!

I loved Amal’s story. His journey was not only a physical one, but a spiritual one as well. It made me think about other people’s journey learning about Jesus.

This is not the kind of story you can just zip through. It is full of detail about geography and culture, and the reader will want to savor each moment of being in the land of Israel with Amal, and those he encounters along the way.

Many blessings to you as you journey to know the Lord Jesus,

Beth

You Have a Purpose

 

Photo by dylan nolte on Unsplash

God has a specific purpose for you.

Do you ever wonder who you are supposed to be? Or why you are here? I have wrestled with this a lot, and probably spent much unnecessary time worrying about it.

Once I was watching a cartoon with my children. I do that occasionally or I might not ever get to watch a show. The cartoon had different animals and they were having a sports "field day." It came time for the long jump event. There were several participants, including a frog. Naturally the frog won that event. She had long legs and was made to jump and could jump long distances.

Watching this made me start thinking about God's creation.

Everything He had created was fashioned with a purpose in mind. The frog was made to jump. The horse was made to run. The rooster was made to crow. Clouds are made to deliver rain. Snow is meant to blanket the earth in preparation for new life to grow.

If part of God's creation is fashioned with purpose, should we, men and women, created in His image and likeness be any different?

In the book of Jeremiah, God tells Jeremiah:

"I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations."-Jeremiah 1:5

So, we can infer from this passage that God is the one who forms us, and He has a plan when He does it. Not one person is a mistake. They are all created by a loving God with a special plan in mind.

Five Minute Friday: Opinion

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Today I am participating in Five Minute Friday, where a group of writers get together and free write about a one word prompt for 5 minutes. Today's word is "opinion."

Begin.

After they had arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, “Does your Teacher pay the two drachmas?”

“Yes,” he answered.

When Peter entered the house, Jesus preempted him. “What do you think, Simon?” He asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs and taxes: from their own sons, or from others?”

“From others,” Peter answered.

“Then the sons are exempt,” Jesus declared. “But so that we may not offend them, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take the first fish you catch. When you open its mouth, you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for My tax and yours.”

                                                             -Matthew 17:24-27 (BSB)

This is an interesting passage of Scripture. In it Jesus actually asks Peter’s opinion, what he thinks. Jesus likes to ask questions.

Has He ever asked you a question? I have had Him ask me questions before when He was trying to lead me to the solution to a question I had. It helped a lot.

In the above passage, He also uses the question to provide not only a solution to a current issue, but to do so in a supernatural, miraculous way.

Have you ever gone fishing before? Do you like to fish? I used to go fishing with my dad when I was a little girl. I remember because I would always get some kind of treat from the snack shop. We fished in a stocked pond. I am assuming this expedition for Peter took place in the Sea of Galilee since they were in Capernaum. But in all of my fishing trips, I have never gotten a fish that had a coin in its mouth. How would that even be possible?

Another interesting fact about this passage is that Jesus told Peter to cast a hook. This is the second time Jesus has told Peter to do something regarding fishing and a miracle happened. The first time was with the net-breaking catch of fish when Jesus called him to ministry. Do you think he was building in Peter that he was the solver of all problems?

I don’t think he needed Peter’s opinion, but He might have wanted Peter to arrive at the conclusion on his own.


Stop.

Five Minute Friday: Escape

Today I am participating in Five Minute Friday, where a group of writers get together and free write about a one word prompt for 5 minutes. Today's word is "escape." Usually I wrote non-fiction, but today I thought about trying some fiction again.

Begin.

There was no escape. I was standing there just listening to them. I was trapped, trapped in the middle of those who had been my brethren. But now I just felt like I was on the outside, looking in. It seemed like mania in that room.

The officers were standing there shuffling their feet back and forth, one with beads of sweat forming on his brow, waiting for a punishment to come.

I couldn’t take it any longer. So, I just blurted out, “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?”

Every face in the room turned to me. The chief priests, the Pharisees, and the officers all stared at me intently. After the surprise wore off, a few of the Pharisees knit their eyebrows in confusion, and possibly some in anger.

I really wanted to turn and run. But I held my ground. I stared back and waited for the inevitable; a chastisement was surely coming.

A few of them began to speak in unison, all with the same thought. “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.”

It was all I could do to not roll my eyes. I simply said, “Hmmmm” while stroking my beard, trying to appear in thought. This diverted their attention away from me and back to each other somewhat. It was not time for me to give myself away just yet. Who knew what else was to come?

After I lost their attention, I turned to leave the boiler of a room, and walked away with my hands behind my back, mumbling quietly under my breath, “Well Jonah came from Galilee.”

As I walked out the door, I could hear them plotting. “We must trap this carpenter in his own words, expose him before the people. But what can we do?”

End.





*This is a fictional rendering of the events that happened in John 7:45-52, from the perspective of Nicodemus, the night before a woman caught in adultery is brought to Jesus in the Temple.

By Faith Moses

 

By faith Moses, when he was grown, refused to be called the son    of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to suffer oppression with God’s people rather than to experience the fleeting enjoyment of sin. He valued disgrace for Christ above the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his reward.

-Hebrews 11:24-26 (BSB)

So, check out this verse. This says Moses valued disgrace for Christ!! What?? Moses lived close to 1500 years before Jesus.

What does that mean?

If you go read Hebrews 11...again...because I am sure you already have, with this verse in mind, you will see something new. Or maybe it is just new to me.

All of Hebrews 11 is about Jesus. Every act of faith mentioned is about Jesus!! It is about pictures of Him, foreshadowing of Him, and them looking for Him. What does this teach us about faith? That it all pertains to Him.

If you go on and reach Hebrews 12:2, it confirms this:

"looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (BSB).

Wow. So just write Jesus' name at the time of Hebrews 11. In fact, I would almost go so far as to say every time faith is mentioned in the Scriptures, you could put His name there.

Five Minute Friday: Moment

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Today I am participating in Five Minute Friday, where a group of writers get together and free write about a one word prompt for 5 minutes. Today's word is "moment."


In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.-Genesis 1:1-3 (BSB)



In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

He was with God in the beginning. 

Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. 

In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. 

The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.-John 1:1-5 (BSB)

He was there, in that moment; He was always there.

Jesus was part of the Godhead, making creation, creating all things. Love was in the beginning, birthing this world.

John, the apostle of love, remembered that His love was always there, always had been, always existed. And in that moment, at the beginning, His life was a part of us.

His light was the light of men. In that moment, when we were created, life and light breathed into us, and we became human beings.


In the Gospel of John, he reminds us that it had come full circle. The one who walked in the garden was walking on earth, waiting to breathe His life, his Spirit into us once again.

Five Minute Friday: Follow

Today I am participating in Five Minute Friday, where a group of writers get together and free write about a one word prompt for 5 minutes. Today's word is "follow."

But Peter followed Him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. And he went in and sat down with the guards to see the outcome-Matthew 26:58 (BSB)

Sat down with the guards? What?


I have read this story multiple times. But today, when I looked up some Scriptures for the word follow, this came up, and I noticed something new! Don’t you love when that happens?


I have always thought Peter was afraid from the get-go. He boasted after the Passover meal that he would follow the Lord to death. Remember?


Well, apparently he wasn’t lying. Or at least he didn’t think he was…and he wasn’t, at least not until the very last minute.


If you remember, the guards come to arrest Jesus. Peter apparently had a sword, and cut off the high priest servant's ear whose name was Malchus. So far, Peter is holding to his promise to Jesus.


And then they take Jesus. Peter follows, from a distance the Bible says. But then look at what happens next.

“But Peter followed Him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. And he went in and sat down with the guards to see the outcome”-Matthew 26:58 (BSB)

The Berean Study Bible says he sits down with the guards. Many translations use the word “guards". Others use the word officers, and some use the word servants. I looked the word up in Greek and it means “an underling, servant.” It is often used in many other places in the Gospels and it is translated as officers, attendants, ministers, servants, and helpers.


I have often thought of Peter as losing his courage in the garden, but it doesn’t seem so. He follows Jesus, even after he cuts off Malchus’ ear. He follows Him all the way to the high priest’s courtyard. That would be inside the home’s area.


If you read further on in the story, chapter 26 moves into the religious leaders questioning Jesus. They eventually decide that He is “deserving of death.”(Matthew 26:66) Right after they decide this is when the high priest’s servant girl approaches Peter, and this is when the denial starts.


Peter had been full of courage, but the longer he sat there, it drained. Maybe he heard what was happening inside, and realized they were really going to put Jesus to death. Maybe it hadn’t been real to him. Remember at one point he had corrected Jesus and told him that He would never die. See Matthew 16:21-23. Jesus rebuked him at that moment.


Maybe Peter did not believe Jesus was really going to die, until it began to dawn on him, after his adrenaline had gone down, while sitting, waiting in the courtyard.


Why bring this up? Sometimes I think we think we know everything in Scripture, because we have heard the stories many times, especially if we have been Believers for a while. But it is always worth another look. We will learn something new about God, and something new about ourselves.


Peter followed Jesus, up to almost the very end. I love this story because it teaches us about mistakes. Even if we are moving along, doing what we are supposed to be doing, and then trip and make a mistake, the Lord knew about it before it happened. And He is not holding it against us. He still has a job for us to do. To learn more about it, read John 21 and the story of Jesus and Peter by the sea of Galilee, where they first met.


Don’t you just love this about Jesus? Keep following Him. He still has stuff for you to do.

*Have you ever had an experience like this with the Lord? I'd love to hear about it. 

Many blessings,

Beth 🌴

Bethlehem

In Matthew's genealogy of Jesus, we see five women listed. The first four are within the context of the first 14 generations. Mary is in the last fourteen. They have so many things in common. 

In their stories we see pictures of forgiveness, redemption, the blood of Jesus, the extravagant grace of God, the marriage of the bride and Redeemer, the death of the lamb, and the engrafting of the Gentiles into the vine (see Romans 11). But, while I was studying, and asking questions, I found what I believe is another connection. 

I don't think God does anything randomly. He does things with purpose. He wants to answer our questions.

In chapter 2 of Matthew's Gospel, he repeats the prophecy of Micah 5:2. It says,

But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,

for out of you will come a ruler

who will be the shepherd of My people Israel.’

This prophecy made me realize that they are all connected to this place, and the house of David in one way or another.

The descendents of Tamar produced the land of Judah. The land of Israel was divided into portions according to tribes. Bethlehem is in the portion assigned to Judah. Rahab would have lived in Bethlehem upon moving into that land after leaving Jericho with the Israelites. Ruth came to Bethlehem from Moab. David came out of Bethlehem and was married to Bathsheba, producing two sons through whom the kingly lineage would continue. And Mary and Joseph had to travel back to Bethlehem for Jesus to be born because they were both of the house of David.

Five Minute Friday-Laugh

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Today I am participating in Five Minute Friday, where a group of writers get together and free write about a one word prompt for 5 minutes. Today's word is "laugh." 

Begin.

Laugh. There is so much to laugh about and so much to be thankful for. So much joy. I can look around me and here in this moment I can smile. I have family and a warm place to live. 

My drink is hot and tasty this morning-turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, ginger and oat milk. It has become my new morning drink, and is especially nice since it turned cold.

I can see my fabrics I have bought and cut already to make Christmas pillowcases. I have been thinking a lot lately about what makes me happy, nostalgia mostly.

 I need that warmth right now because this is my Christmas without my mother. She died this year. I know where she is, that she is with Jesus. She is getting to spend her first Christmas with the King of Kings and is the reason we even celebrate Christmas.

I know she is laughing in Heaven. I know she is smiling and full of joy. I can see her in my mind and I imagine she is very young and beautiful, and is rejoicing with her King. 

Daily Devotion: The Lord is Gentle

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The Lord is so gentle in the way He teaches us. I had a dream one night, and I could see a man sitting behind a potter's wheel. There was some clay on the wheel, and he would just take a little water, not too much, and put it on the clay to shape it. I woke up just being very aware of how gentle the Lord is.

He shapes us with His word and smooths out the rough places.

 
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ]gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."-Galatians 5:22

"But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand"-Isaiah 64:8

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,"-Ephesians 5:25-26

A Foundation of Grace: Moses, Joshua, and Jesus

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Here's something interesting to think about. When the Israelites entered the Promised Land, they were led by Joshua. Moses was not allowed to go. Why was that? I think sometimes we think God was harsh for not allowing Moses to go in, since he had led them that whole way. But I think there is a bigger picture here.

Joshua is a type of Christ. In Hebrew his name is "Yehoshua," which means, "the Lord is salvation." He led the Israelites into the Promised Land. It was a land of great blessings for them, that they did not work for.

To me this sounds like Jesus. Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, and also means "the Lord is salvation" or "Yahweh saves."

Jesus leads us into our Promised Land, which is life in Christ. It is a land flowing with milk and honey, a land we didn’t work for, full of the richest blessings that Jesus paid for with his life.

So, again, why couldn’t Moses go into the Promised Land with the Israelites? If you remember, once during the Gospels Jesus took Peter, James, and John up onto a high mountain. Elijah and Moses appeared and started talking with Jesus. Moses is a picture of the law, and Elijah is a picture of the prophets.

While they were talking, this happened:

Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If You wish, I will put up three shelters— one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”…Matthew 17:4-5 (BSB)

The reason Moses couldn’t go into the Promised Land is because the law cannot go in with you to your Promised Land in Christ. Moses was a picture of the law, even in the Old Testament account. Joshua, a type of Jesus led the Israelites in, just as Jesus leads us as Believers into our Promised Land.

Romans 6:14 says,

For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. (NKJV)

Isn’t it beautiful that God put this picture for us in this Old Testament account of us going into the Promised Land without the law?

To read more in the series, please join me here, at A Foundation of Grace.

Five Minute Friday: Announce

Today I am participating in Five Minute Friday, where a group of writers get together and free write about a one word prompt for 5 minutes. Today's word is "announce."

And there were shepherds residing in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night. Just then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord! And this will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men

on whom His favor rests!”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the Baby, who was lying in the manger. After they had seen the Child, they spread the message they had received about Him. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, which was just as the angel had told them.-Luke 2:8-20



This was a great announcement, the greatest announcement that has ever been issued in the earth!

For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord!

He’s here! He’s finally here! And the angels announced it to the shepherds that were out in the field. This begs the question: why?

Yesterday I was looking at this wonderful book I have, A Visual Guide to Gospel Events. In the commentary on the shepherds in Luke 2, it said that “typical sheep and goats grazed during the day and were brought into sheepfolds for the night.” They indicated that these shepherds to whom the message was proclaimed were no ordinary shepherds. For them to stay with the sheep and guard them round the clock might have meant that they were Temple shepherds and those were sheep that would be used for sacrifice.

This would be a satisfactory explanation to why God would have angels announce the birth of Jesus to shepherds, wouldn’t it?

That would be so remarkable in itself, but I want to take this a little further. I noticed something else about this passage yesterday when I was studying. It says the shepherds “hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the Baby who was lying in a manger.”

The shepherds just leave the sheep! It doesn’t seem like they took the sheep with them. The Scripture says  they “hurried.” I don’t really know a lot about sheep, and I would have to research it, but it doesn’t seem to me that sheep are the type of animals to hurry.

Throughout the Gospels there are so many pictures of the grace of God, and the transition that was taking place between law and grace. I think that in this story, we find one of those pictures.

Those shepherds were keeping sheep. Sheep were used as temple sacrifices. Jesus is called by John the Baptist, “the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29) The shepherds left the sheep and the old covenant way of life, to look for Jesus, who brought “grace and truth.”

Just like the angel announced to them, it was “good news of great joy for all the people.”

I pray this Christmas is full of great joy for you and your experience is the same as the shepherds, wonder at the birth of Jesus!

Five Minute Friday: Behold

 

Today I am participating in Five Minute Friday, where a group of writers get together and free write about a one word prompt for 5 minutes. Today's word is "behold."


Behold what love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God--and we are!-1 John 3:1

Behold! When I looked it up in the Greek, it means “to see, perceive, attend to.”

Recently, someone hurt my feelings. I am not sure if they meant what they said the way I took it. It’s hard to communicate appropriately through technology. But still, I was bothered by it. I could still sense the tone, and it seemed short and curt.

A few years ago, this would have completely wrecked me for a while. I am still a little upset, but I will be okay. Why? I think it’s truly because of the verse above.

I am a child of God. I put my faith in that, not in other people’s opinions of me. I love people and want them to think the best of me, but ultimately, when it comes down to it, they don’t direct my life. Their thoughts of me don’t direct my life. God does.

If people knock me down with their words, so to speak, or attitudes toward me, I just get back up, and move forward knowing whose I am, and what I am called to do.

I am a child of God. And with that comes many privileges. Jesus purchased me with his blood, which means I am of great value to Him. And he has given me authority to act and speak in His name.

Behold. Today, child of God, behold your ancestry. Know to whom you belong, and you can smile and move forward because you are loved by the King of Kings.

Summer 2021 Reading List

I signed the kids and myself up for the summer reading program at one of our local libraries this year! Since I will be reading quite extensively,  I thought I would create this list to show you what I have plans for this summer! I have already finished 6 of the books, which leaves me with 6 more to go!  What are you reading this summer? Have you read any of the books on the list?

Daughter of Jerusalem by Joanne Otto

I stumbled across this book while searching for others on Amazon. I wasn't familiar with this author, but I ordered it anyway because of the subject matter, and because I read a sample first. I have already finished this book. It was a short read, and meant for probably middle school readers or young adults. Because it was a story about a girl who lives in Jerusalem during the time of Jesus, I enjoyed reading it.

Between the Wild Branches by Connilyn Cossette

This is part of a two book series called The Covenant House series, and is the story of two siblings, a brother and sister.  The first book was To Dwell Among Cedars.  If you click on the book title for To Dwell Among Cedars, you can read a review I did previously. I have finished Between the Wild Branches, and am currently working on a review for that as well.

Encountering Jesus in the Real World of the Gospels by Cyndi Parker

This book is a nonfiction book that takes us from Eden to the Resurrection. It covers the history of Israel and other people groups leading up to the time of Jesus, in an effort to give the reader/learner a clearer picture of what the time/space/place was like during the time of His earthly ministry. I first listened to this book on audio, and loved it so much I had to buy a paper copy. There is a lot of information about place and history, which is usually hard for me to follow unless it is in story form, but the author made it so relatable that it was easy to connect. It helped that the subject was Jesus.

When Calls the Heart by Janette Oke

I have started reading this book, but haven't finished yet. I love the tv show that was based on the book series, so I wanted to give the book a try. So far, I am enjoying it. It is a nice, peaceful read, which is a pleasant change from some of the more intense books I have read! Not that I didn't like the other books, but that this is a little different in nature and has a more calm tone. It's sort of like comparing a thunderstorm to a general rainstorm. You can enjoy both, just one is more intense than the other.

Fearless Daughters of the Bible by Lee Grady

I haven't started this one yet, but purchased it because it is about women in the Bible, a subject with which I am moderately familiar, but always wanting to learn more about. So many times women in the Old Testament are a picture of Jesus or the Church, so I am eager to learn as much about them as I can.

Daughter of Light: Charilene's Story by Melanie Dobson

This book is one of the Ordinary Women of the Bible series published by Guideposts. I believe this one is about one of Philip's daughters from the Book of Acts. I have read other books in this series, but have not started this one yet. I will publish an update when I am finished.

A Man with a Past by Mary Connealy

I am not familiar with this author or book, but I am looking forward to reading A Man with a Past. What I know so far  about the book is that it is the second in a series, and is a Western Christian Fiction type book. I have not begun reading it yet, so I will post an update when I am finished.

Jerusalem's Queen by Angela Hunt

I am very interested in reading this book. It is based on history that took place between the Old Testament and the New Testament, also known as the Intertestamental Period. The main character is Salome, who was the Queen of Jerusalem during part of this time period. I know very little about her, other than she was responsible for setting up the educational system for children, and her brother was a Pharisee or a Saducee. I will post an update after I have finished this book.

Michal by Jill Eileen Smith

This book is Biblical fiction and is based on King David's first wife, Michal. She was King Saul's daughter. I have read other books by Jill Eileen Smith. She has written many about women in the Bible, so I am looking forward to this one.

Missionary of Hope: Priscilla's Story by Ginger Garrett

This book is part of the Ordinary Women of the Bible series published by Guideposts, and is the story of a women whom we first meet in the Book of Acts, chapter 18. She is also mentioned in Romans and a couple of the other epistles from Paul. I love her story in the Bible, and I have read several books about her. This one was super intense. I enjoyed it so much, and was unable to read anything else for a few days after because I was still processing. I had not read a book by this author before either, so that was nice to read something by someone new.

Her Source of Strength: Raya's Story by Jill Eileen Smith

This is another book in the Ordinary Women of the Bible series. Raya's story is about Samson's mother. She is mentioned a couple of times in Judges, but only as Manoah's wife I believe. This novel went through the story of Samson, beginning to end,  from what it might have been like to view from his mother's perspective. Samson kind of bothered me a lot because of the choices he made, but since reading the story, I have re-read parts of the Biblical account, and I am beginning to see Jesus more clearly in there.

Jewel of the Nile by Tessa Afshar

This novel is also fiction set during the Biblical era of the Book of Acts. The main character is Charilene, and she is from Cush, also known as Ethiopia. In this book, we get to see some other well known Biblical people from the Book of Acts, as well as a character that has been in two of her other books, Theo. I loved this story. It is in my top 5 books of the year so far. I have read all of Tessa's books, and this one is close to being my favorite. 

*To learn more about the books, click on the book title. To learn more about the author, click on their name.

Note: This post contains affiliate links from Christianbook.com. This means if you purchase one of these books after clicking on the link, I will generate a commission from that purchase. This does not influence my recommendation of the books.

Five Minute Friday: Deserve

Today I am participating in Five Minute Friday, where a group of writers get together and free write about a one word prompt for 5 minutes. Today's word is "deserve."

Deserve-to have earned because of some act or quality

I don’t or haven’t really liked the word “deserve” in the past. I think it conjures up all the thoughts in my head about what I am not, where I am lacking. And I don’t really need any help in that area- I already know.

And I didn't already know, there have been people who were eager and ready to let me know.

I feel as though I don’t measure up on a daily basis in so many areas.

In Ephesians 2:8, it says,

By grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.

                                       -Ephesians 2:18

God had to tell us twice in that Scripture that we didn’t deserve it.

By grace you are saved.

Grace is God’s undeserved, unmerited favor. You can’t earn it. It’s only because of His goodness.

That not of yourselves…

You didn’t do anything to earn it.

He told us twice. This means we just have to trust Him.

Under the New Covenant, we get nothing by earning, or by deserving it. It’s all by grace through faith, by trusting what He said was true.

Five Minute Friday : She

Today I am participating in Five Minute Friday, where a group of writers get together and free write about a one word prompt for 5 minutes. Today's word is "she."

"She has done what she could to anoint My body in advance of My burial. And truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”-Mark 14:8-9 (Berean Study Bible)

She did what she could. That was the phrase that was part of one of the very first blog posts I wrote about a woman in the Bible. I was a guest blogger on another blog for women and I submitted a post about Mary of Bethany. Funny enough, her story in Luke 10:38-42 has become the basis for the title of my blog.

She. There are a lot of us “she’s” in the Kingdom of God. I love to talk about us. And I love to talk about the women in the Bible.

Have you ever read Romans 16? There are so many women in that passage of Scripture, a lot of “she’s..” I like to think that so many of our names are being continued in that passage of Scripture. If Paul were writing that list today, there would be so many more women’s names.

As a She in the kingdom of God, you are a royalty. The Bible calls us “kings and priests.” We are builders, co-laborers, like Shallum’s daughters in Nehemiah 3.

What was God’s original purpose for She? Go look at Eve before the fall. He created her to be a helper “like” or “suitable” to Adam.

What are we going to be when Christ returns? What will She be doing then?

Will she get her own sword? Will she get her own horse?

And the armies in Heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.

-Revelation 19:14

She.

Five Minute Friday: Remedy

Today I am participating in Five Minute Friday, where a group of writers get together and free write about a one word prompt for 5 minutes. Today's word is "remedy." Usually I take the Five Minute Friday word prompt, and expound on a passage of Scripture. But today I decided to do something different and write a story. 

There was no remedy for what her heart felt. She was alone, although she was constantly at a man’s side. She never got a break. Since she was 15 years old, there had always been a man. Some were good, and some were not. The first one was the one she had chosen, but it was only short lived, because she wasn’t good enough for the family. How they talked him into the divorce, she didn’t know. After that, it just became one blur after another, being passed from man to man, like a coin, in exchange for whatever their need was. She wasn’t a prostitute, but the way the men had just married her, then dropped her. These were the thoughts that went over and over her mind each day on her walk to the well. Well, she was alone then. But still no remedy for the ache in her heart. As she approached the well that day, she saw a man sitting there. She could see the tzitzit, the blue tassel that alerted her he was not one of her people, but a Jewish man. “Great,” she thought. Another man to confront. Another man to deal with. Would there ever be a remedy for the aches of her heart?


“Please give me a drink,” Jesus said to her.

*This story is based on the account of Jesus' interaction with the Samaritan woman in John 4. I used the tzitzit as an identifier for Him because the Bible doesn't tell us how she knew He was a Jew and not a Samaritan. After some research, I found out that Samaritans also wear the tzitzit on their garments. I am not sure when they began doing that.