Tag: #reflections

Christmas Hope & Redemption: Day 6 Twelve Days of Isaiah 40

Day 6~ Isaiah 40:12-14

Different versions deliver different perspectives. Not right. Not wrong. Just different.

1. New International Version
2. The Complete Jewish Bible.

Scripture from: http://www.biblegateway.com.

The Spirit of the Lord

Isaiah 40:12-14 NIV

12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
    or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
    or weighed the mountains on the scales
    and the hills in a balance?
13 Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord,
    or instruct the Lord as his counselor?
14 Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him,
    and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,
    or showed him the path of understanding?

Isaiah 40:12-14 CJB

12 Who has counted the handfuls of water in the sea,
measured off the sky with a ruler,
gauged how much dust there is on the earth,
weighed the mountains on scales, or the hills in a balance?
13 Who has measured the Spirit of Adonai?
Who has been his counselor, instructing him?
14 Whom did he consult, to gain understanding?
Who taught him how to judge,
taught him what he needed to know,
showed him how to discern?




Psalms Painting Series Lucy Adams Art Langley, Bc – Praise Painting Source: Paintingvalley.com

#Hope&Redemption #12DaysofIsaiah #Christmas #Comfort #ComfortOneAnother #LiftUpYourVoice #SpriritoftheLord #IandThouReflections

Christmas Hope & Redemption: Day 5 Twelve Days of Isaiah 40

Day 5~ Isaiah 40:10-11

Let’s take a peek at these two versions:

1. New International Version
2. The Complete Jewish Bible.

Scripture from: http://www.biblegateway.com.

Gather the Lambs

Isaiah 40:10-11 NIV

10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,
    and he rules with a mighty arm.
See, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense accompanies him.
11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:
    He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
    he gently leads those that have young.

Isaiah 40:10-11 CJB

10 Here comes Adonai Elohim with power,
and his arm will rule for him.
Look! His reward is with him,
and his recompense is before him.
11 He is like a shepherd feeding his flock,
gathering his lambs with his arm,
carrying them against his chest,
gently leading the mother sheep.”



Source: http://www.monergism.com

#Hope&Redemption #12DaysofIsaiah #Christmas #Comfort #ComfortOneAnother #LiftUpYourVoice #IandThouReflections

Christmas Hope & Redemption: Day 4 Twelve Days of Isaiah 40

Day 4~ Isaiah 40:9

Let’s take a peek at these two versions:

1. New International Version
2. The Complete Jewish Bible.

Scripture from: http://www.biblegateway.com.

Lift Up Your Voice

Isaiah 40:9 NIV

 9 You who bring good news to Zion,
    go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,[c]
    lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
    say to the towns of Judah,
    “Here is your God!”

Isaiah 40:9 CJB

9 You who bring good news to Tziyon,
get yourself up on a high mountain;
you who bring good news to Yerushalayim,
cry out at the top of your voice!
Don’t be afraid to shout out loud!
Say to the cities of Y’hudah,
“Here is your God!

Lift Up Your Voice Diverse Choir
Source: clker.com

#Hope&Redemption #12DaysofIsaiah #Christmas #Comfort #ComfortOneAnother #LiftUpYourVoice #IandThouReflections

Christmas Hope & Redemption: Day 3 Twelve Days of Isaiah 40

Day 3~ Isaiah 40:6-8

Let’s take a peek at these two versions:

1. New International Version
2. The Complete Jewish Bible.

Scripture from: http://www.biblegateway.com.

God Will Stand Forever

Isaiah 40:6-8 NIV

 6 A voice says, “Cry out.”
    And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All people are like grass,
    and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
    because the breath of the Lord blows on them.
    Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
    but the word of our God endures forever.”

Isaiah 40:6-8 CJB

6 A voice says, “Proclaim!”
And I answer, “What should I proclaim?”
“All humanity is merely grass,
all its kindness like wildflowers:
7 the grass dries up, the flower fades,
when a wind from Adonai blows on it.
Surely the people are grass!
8 The grass dries up, the flower fades;
but the word of our God will stand forever.”

Artist Credit: Valerie Sjodin | Source: Pinterest
Can you feel Him? I can!

#Hope&Redemption #12DaysofIsaiah #Christmas #Comfort #ComfortOneAnother #IandThouReflections

Christmas Hope & Redemption: Day 2 Twelve Days of Isaiah 40

Day 2: Isaiah 40:3-5

We continue to look at 2 versions of Isaiah 40:

1. New International Version
2. The Complete Jewish Bible

Let’s see them side-by-side. Scripture from: http://www.biblegateway.com.

Prepare Ye The Way

Isaiah 40:3-5 NIV

 3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
    the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
    a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
    every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
    the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
    and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Isaiah 40:3-5 CJB

3 A voice cries out:
“Clear a road through the desert for Adonai!
Level a highway in the ‘Aravah for our God!
4 Let every valley be filled in,
every mountain and hill lowered,
the bumpy places made level
and the crags become a plain.
5 Then the glory of Adonai will be revealed;
all humankind together will see it,
for the mouth of Adonai has spoken.”

Image Source: Unknown

#Hope&Redemption: 12DaysofIsaiah #Christmas #Comfort #ComfortOneAnother #PrepareYeTheWay #IandThouReflections

Christmas Hope & Redemption: Day 1 Twelve Days of Isaiah 40

Day 1~ Isaiah 40:1-2

Over the next twelve days, we will look at 2 versions of Isaiah 40:

1. New International Version
2. The Complete Jewish Bible.

Let’s see them side-by-side. Scripture from: http://www.biblegateway.com.

Comfort One Another

Isaiah 40:1-2 NIV

 1Comfort, comfort my people,
    says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
    and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
    that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
    double for all her sins.

Isaiah 40:1-2 CJB

1“Comfort and keep comforting my people,” says your God.
2 “Tell Yerushalayim to take heart; proclaim to her
that she has completed her time of service,
that her guilt has been paid off,
that she has received at the hand of Adonai
double for all her sins.”

Image Source: Pinterest
Comfort – Bressi Collection | Minimal Art

#Hope&Redemption #12DaysofIsaiah #Christmas #Comfort #ComfortOneAnother #IandThouReflections

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

I and Thou: Shhh…Green Pastures are Within Us

Meditative Coloring Soothes the Soul.

When we feel depleted, it’s easier to turn to God. Let’s try to turn to God every day!

Remember that God’s mighty hand leads us through life’s twists and turns and provides us access to the calm, gentle dwelling Spirit within us.

Focusing on the colors and shading helps the brain to disengage from the world. It allows us to invite God to calm our thoughts and engage in quiet reflection. Amid natural disasters, remember to take a break and breathe. Breathe in God’s goodness and exhale the worry and fear.

Green Pastures

Breathe in God’s Goodness.

Hold. Exhale Worry and Fear.

Find the Peace Within.

#GreenPastures#Reflections#MeditativeColoring#Peace#Love