Man! 2023 just zipped by, didn’t it? Now 2024 is here. As I look back over the past year, I am amazed at all that I have accomplished and experienced. The most amazing thing is this blog. I never dreamed that I would be doing anything like this. But God did. And He brought me to it and has guided me all the way. As I have shared, I find that I have learned as I have shared. I have shared things that I wonder where that came from. I can only say that it comes from God. I see times that I have been hindered along the way by illness, computer problems and monetary issues too. But God has moved and has healed, fixed and provided all that I needed. I have found myself reaching out to people in the grocery store, the ER waiting room and other odd places to reach out and pray for them.
Month: December 2023
SEASON’S TRADITION OR SEASON’S REASON
It’s Christmas Eve, the night that tradition tells us that Jesus was born. Tradition is an integral part of Christmas. Tradition tells us that Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem just in time for the birth of Jesus. It tells us that He was born in December. It also tells us that the inn had no room. It tells us that He was born in a stable. Both shepherds and wise men came to see the newborn. There were three wise men and hundreds of baby boys were slaughtered by Herod. But are those traditions correct? Let’s look at some of these traditions.
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OH, LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM
December 17, 2023 Reading: Luke 2:1-7 Focus: Luke 2:4 – So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. Father God, as we look forward to Christmas, help us to see Your Plan that has…
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WHY DID GOD CHOOSE MARY AND JOSEPH?
December 10, 2023 Reading: Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38 Focus: Luke 1:26-27 Father God, Help us to see why You chose Mary and Joseph to be the parents of Your Son. Help us to strive to have the faith that they did in a confusing, stressful situation. Help us to accept Your guidance with the obedience…
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THE FAMILY TREE
The prophet Daniel, told of ‘the Anointed One’ coming to Israel about 500 years before he was born. The prophecy in the focus verse talks of 490 years. Seven years of that prophecy has not yet occurred, but 483 years after Jerusalem was rebuilt after the Babylonian captivity, Jesus was crucified. The decree, recorded in the book of Nehemiah, was made in 444 BC (according to our calendar). The calendar that we use is a more ‘modern’ calendar than the one used back in the day. A 360-day year was used at that time. So, 483 years X 360 days is 173,800 days. 173,800 divided by 365 equals 476 years. 444 BC plus 476 years (there is no zero year by the way), is 33 AD. Based on this calculation, this is the year Jesus was crucified. Judaism uses 490 years (70×7) of the prophecy rather than 483 years (69×7). They will not see the 62 ‘sevens’ plus the 7 ‘sevens’ as the Messianic prophecy. This allows them to say that Jesus is not the Messiah, based on their calculations.
