Tag: christianity

The Miraculous Prophecy Behind Jesus’ Birth Unveiled

Prepare Ye The Way

Let’s prepare our hearts for Christmas over the next two weeks. Shall we?

Our journey will take us to Christmas, where we will find hope and redemption to renew our faith, whatever that faith may be.

We will be looking at Isaiah 40. But first, we start with Isaiah 7.

Ever wonder where the prophetic birth of Jesus comes from?

Immanuel

Prediction from the Old Testament
to Recorded Event in the New Testament

 Isaiah 7:14 NIV

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Matthew 1:23 NIV

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23  “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Isaiah 7:14 CJB

Therefore Adonai himself
will give you people a sign:
the young woman* will become pregnant,
bear a son and name him ‘Immanu El [God is with us].

Matthew 1:23 CJB

20 But while he was thinking about this, an angel of Adonai appeared to him in a dream and said, “Yosef, son of David, do not be afraid to take Miryam home with you as your wife; for what has been conceived in her is from the Ruach HaKodesh. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Yeshua, [which means ‘Adonai saves,’] because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this happened in order to fulfill what Adonai had said through the prophet, 23 “The virgin will conceive and bear a son,
and they will call him ‘Immanuel.” The name means, “God is with us.”)

Isaiah foretells the birth of Jesus.

It seems clear as a bell to me. Or is it?

We know two things:
A woman will give birth.
The baby will be named Immanuel.

In the NIV, the woman is a virgin and will conceive, and in the CJB, the woman is young and will become pregnant.

Now, this is where it gets fuzzy. As we know it, the Bible is not in chronological order, so it muddles our perception a bit.

To keep it simple, remember:
Isaiah was written after Hosea and Amos. Thereby making it the third oldest sacred text.
The Gospel of Mark was written before the Gospel of Matthew. Even though Matthew is listed as the first book in the New Testament.

In Matthew, the author records the birth as a fulfillment of the prophecy from Isaiah. We see an 8th-century writing predicting an event recorded in 80 AD.

Fascinating, isn’t it?

Bible in Chronological Order (Every Book Ordered by Date Written)

#Jesus #Isaiah #Prophecy #Hope&Redemption #12DaysofIsaiah #Christmas #Comfort #ComfortOneAnother #IandThouReflections

The Miraculous Transformation from Saturnalia to Christmas

Prepare Ye The Way

Let’s continue to prepare our hearts for Christmas. Shall we?

Our journey will take us to Christmas, where we will find hope and redemption to renew our faith, whatever that faith may be.

In the previous post, we knawed on the prophetic words that predicted Jesus’ birth.

Today, we will reveal…

How Christmas Really Began

The Roots of Christmas

Remember that Christianity didn’t really spread until the 300-400s when Constantine declared Christianity as Rome’s religion. Before that time, there were other religions involving many gods and goddesses.

The Roman Catholic Church is believed to have chosen December 25 to celebrate Christ’s birth due to its ties with the winter solstice and the festival of Saturnalia, a time of feasting and gift-giving. Adapting these existing celebrations facilitated the transition to Christianity.

https://www.sott.net/article/309632-Io-Saturnalia-The-Roman-roots-of-Christmas

Ever wonder why December 25th is Christmas?

The winter solstice symbolized the sun’s “rebirth,” which aligns directly with the theme of Jesus, the “Light of the World.” Doesn’t it?

This strategy helped convert pagans by integrating already established traditions into Christian practices. Pretty straightforward.

Does It Really Matter?

Ultimately, the significance of Jesus’ birth is to celebrate the Son of God taking on human form. This miraculous event is one of the cornerstones of Christianity. And giving gifts honors the age-old story of the wise men bringing gifts to baby Jesus. So, does it really matter that it is December 25?

No, it doesn’t matter at all. What matters is that a Savior was born, and He is Christ the King.

As we prepare our hearts for Christmas, remember we are on a transformative journey from darkness into light, from prophecy to fulfillment.

In our next post, we will dig deeper into the gifts the wise men presented to baby Jesus.

#Jesus #Isaiah #Prophecy #Hope&Redemption #12DaysofIsaiah #Christmas #Comfort #ComfortOneAnother #IandThouReflections

Summer: Time to Rest in Creation

 I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.

George Washington Carver

Our last post discussed the imperative need to rest and recharge. Today, we will explore the concept of finding rest in nature.

Camping as a Kid

When I was a kid, my family went camping every summer. It was something my dad looked forward to each year. Me, not so much. But, when you are a kid, you learn to grin and bear it.

My dad worked in an environment where noise prevented him from hearing others speak. The air was filled with dust, metal shavings, and oil substances. Gears churned within the walls, and motors whistled, so it was no wonder he wanted to escape to the woods.It was his happy place.

Image Source: publicdomainpictures dot net

As much as I didn’t like camping, I remember nature’s sounds: the potatoes wrapped in foil crackling in the fire, the crickets chirping, and the owls hooting at night. And then the stars. I remember looking up at the vast sky and seeing millions of stars I had never seen before—or perhaps didn’t choose to stop and appreciate at home. One thing I learned while camping was the closeness I felt to God. I saw God everywhere.

Reflect on Your Past

To better understand your relationship with nature, consider the following:

Did your childhood teach you how to connect with nature?
Were you able to explore the outdoors on your own or in groups?
How did your parents feel about nature?

Action: Spend a few minutes reflecting on your past experiences with nature. Write down one memorable experience and how it made you feel. Use this reflection to connect with your current relationship with the outdoors.

The Gift of Creation

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Genesis 2:2-3

Nature reflects God’s beauty and provides a sanctuary for rest. Signs of nature are everywhere, from the tiny tadpoles near a stream to the crabs crawling on a beach. If you choose to notice.

Action: Promise yourself to spend time outdoors. Whether it’s a walk in the park, a hike, or simply sitting on your patio, go be in nature. Quiet yourself as you hear the birds and experience the nature around you. Start with short, mindful moments of rest. Rest for your mental and physical well-being. Gradually increase your time spent outdoors.

Connecting with nature opens up the opportunity to connect with Spirit, which allows you to communicate with the Creator of all nature. In God, rest and rejuvenation are found. Like the woman at the well in the Gospel of John 4:10, God offers each one of us living water. It is this water that brings us eternal rest.

#Summer #SpiritualRest #Rest #Renew #Vacation #Self-Care #Reflection #Relationships #MentalHealth #Nature #Creation

Finding the Sacredness in Tragedy – Part 2: Cain & Abel

Image Found: haelantherapies.com (Source Unknown)

When adversity strikes, the wounds can be deep.

Today, we will examine the questions we might ask ourselves when tragedy attacks.

In the face of such pain, people find themselves grappling with profound questions such as:

“Where was God?” and “Why did this have to happen?”

Every day, lives and dreams disappear in the twinkling of an eye. In Part 1, we saw how they disappeared the moment the O-rings failed following the launch of the Challenger space shuttle. 

Life is truly short.

We turn now to the Old Testament.

The Story of Cain and Abel

Two brothers. 
One jealous. 
One not. 
One life.
One death.

In the fourth chapter of Genesis, the first book of the Bible, we learn of the tragic tale of Adam and Eve’s family. They have two sons, Cain and Abel. Then, one day, in a fit of jealousy, Cain kills his brother Abel.

Let’s read a few verses.

 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord.  And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock.
The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor.
So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

Genesis 4:3-5

“Where was God?” and “Why did this have to happen?”

We really don’t know. Cain may have felt God’s absence, which may have fueled the fire. Yet, there is no doubt that Cain was angry. But we don’t know how furious he was or what type of anger management issues he may have had.

Which brings us more questions than answers.

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.”

Genesis 4:9-10

After God asks Cain what he has done, Cain lies. God banishes Cain from his presence and makes him a wanderer. And that is the end of the story.

So, these questions remain:

Where was God when Cain killed Abel?
Why did God let this happen?
Where is the sacredness in this story?

Like in all tragedy, God is there. Right? I tend to think, yes. Yet, many people may feel that God is no where to be found during difficult times. This theme will be woven throughout this series. In this Story of Cain and Abel, God was in the midst. Smack in the middle! As we see in the dialogue between God and Cain.

Another compelling question to consider, not listed above, in the Cain and Abel story is: “What made one offering more acceptable to God than the other?” This question might get at the heart of the matter, “Why did God let this happen?” Perhaps God’s favoritism toward Abel was the trigger for his murder.

Favoritism

If you ask siblings if their parents had a favorite, I’m pretty sure most of the time, a sibling would be able to “name” the favorite. It could be the oldest, the youngest, or the one who was the most “obedient” child. But let’s flip this a bit. How would you feel if you weren’t the favorite? Pause and think about it. 

Before we leave the hot topic of “favorites,” consider this: How would you feel if God favored someone over you? This situation seems to take it up a notch, doesn’t it? And, in a roundabout way, it brings us back to one of the initial questions.

A Tricky Question

“Why did God let this happen?” A tricky question, for sure. Why does God let any tragedy happen? Cain could have been pissed off at God. He didn’t have to kill his brother, did he? It’s complicated. Clearly, we don’t have all the facts.

In the next few posts, we will continue to search for the sacredness that is either in or emerges from tragedy. Hang in there, dear reader, Part 3 will shed more light. I promise.

#Cain&Abel #Sacredness #WhereWasGod #Tragedy #LifeQuestions