the cross

Who are we “adventing” for?

/ heatherhaley07 / Leave a comment

The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah – Matthew 1:1-17

The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham:

Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers. Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, and Hezronfathered Ram. Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon.  Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, and Obed fathered Jesse.  Jesse fathered David the king.

David fathered Solomon by Bathsheba, who had been the wife of Uriah.  Solomon fathered Rehoboam, Rehoboam fathered Abijah, and Abijah fathered Asa.  Asa fathered Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat fathered Joram, and Joram fathered Uzziah.  Uzziah fathered Jotham, Jotham fathered Ahaz, and Ahaz fathered Hezekiah. Hezekiah fathered Manasseh, Manasseh fathered Amon, and Amon fathered Josiah. Josiahfathered Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah fathered Shealtiel, and Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel.  Zerubbabel fathered Abihud, Abihud fathered Eliakim, and Eliakim fathered Azor.  Azor fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Achim, and Achim fathered Eliud.  Eliud fathered Eleazar, Eleazar fathered Matthan, and Matthan fathered Jacob.  Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteengenerations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteengenerations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

Have we ever slowed down long enough to investigate the names represented in this lineage of grace?  When I was in high school looking into the word of God asking what I should study next, He led me to the lineage.  These names, these people, and their stories are not here by accident.  They each represent another pillar of grace shown upon all of humanity.  When you review the fact that there are men from all walks of life and every journey known to man and they are the foundational rocksof welcoming the Savior of the world.  And five women.  Five.  Five is the number for grace in scripture that can be found all over the Word of God reflecting His grace on our lives, and He chose to give us five women in the lineage that represent each of us.

Tamar: the unwanted.

Rahab: the mistreated.

Ruth: the forgotten.

Bathsheba: the taken.

Mary: the misunderstood.

These women represent all of us.  None of us are left out and the Lord cherished them and chose to call them blessed.  They experience the Christ in many ways and one of the most powerful being through the birth of their own children.  The welcome of holding their own children, was partially welcoming the Christ.  And when does the advent season truly being?  I challenge that it took place every moment of every day, but especially in these families at the birth of the next generation.  The longing for the coming of Christ dictated their very existence and their family purpose – but did they know it?  With the creation of every new generation, they were one step closer to the Christ.  Could the same be said of us?

And then we have fourteen generations between Abraham and David, David to Babylon deportation, Babylon deportation to Jesus.  Is that a coincidence?  I say not.  The number fourteen represents a double measure of spiritual perfection.  But that is an entire study all its own, which I encourage you into more. The linage of Jesus is more than words on a page.  It contains the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit in its every motion.  The enemy tried in many ways to destroy these people too… but he failed.  Just as he will fail in our lives and in our journeys.  Our High King has the victory, and we are privileged to walk in that truth and with that banner over us.  May we celebrate the birth of each new generation of believers in our midst as that is one more day closer to His second coming.  And may we rest in His goodness as we reflect on all He has done inus and for us, even then things that we are unaware of.

 

Photo credits – Clifton Haley Photography https://www.etsy.com/listing/1345639603/?ref=share_ios_native_control

Review: 7 by Jen Hatmaker

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Review: 7 by Jen Hatmaker

Okay, there is conviction… and then there is CONVICTION.  This book has challenged me to study God’s Word to see what it means to truly be a disciple of Jesus Christ.  I have been a believer and follower of Jesus since I was 12 years old.  In many ways, I have been blessed with Godly wisdom to avoid some of the major pitfalls of this life.  However, in many ways the plumb line that I had used against myself was not the Living Word of God, and definitely not the Saviour of the Universe.

Now that I have seen, I am responsible.

I have always struggled with how the Living Word was supposed to scrub up against the life of the a 21st Century American Christian.  This book has caused me to focus on 7 major areas of my life and hold them up against the Word of God.  Those areas are: Clothes, Spending, Waste, Food, Possessions, Media & Stress.  At first glace, you might think, “I do okay in those areas..”.  If you feel like you are good and have accomplished all that Jesus has for you, read this book.  If you feel like you are obedient in most areas of your life, read this book.  If you feel like you have no real understanding of what God says about these areas, read this book (and then become a Berean and study it out).

Jen doesn’t seek to be the end all, be all about these issues mentioned.  My understanding is that she just wants the American Church of Jesus to study out how our lives actually line up with the Word of God.  Our view of Christianity is skewed by an American worldview, and not a Jesus worldview.

If you dare to go and pick this book up, be prepared to be challenged.  Be warned, this book is not for the weary.  Actually, the weary might just be the very one intended to read it!

Happy to you in finding your alter to fall upon with all of your idols!  Get ready!  Don’t say I didn’t warn you… (btw we all have idols).  Remember we have a loving Saviour who is willing to show grace to all, may repentance be near.

seven

Hidden behind the cross….

/ heatherhaley07 / Leave a comment

So, on June 4, 2015, I decided to obey and create my prayer closet.  I did.  It was a beautiful display of actually doing what Matthew 6:6 says in going to your secret place.  I just always thought that was a figurative thing, until I made my secret place. That is my safe place.  It is my altar.  It is my hiding place.  When I cannot handle life and this world any longer, I go there.  There is no one there… well, One is there.  And that One is waiting for me every day.  Do I go in there on my knees every day?  No, I am afraid not.  Should I go in there on my knees every day?  Absolutely.

The past few weeks I have been struggling with life.  I know what I ought to be doing, but I just don’t…. ever been there?  Finally, when I was tired of trying to do things on my own, I went to the secret place.  My safe place.  My altar, to hide.

When I arrived, the Lord had already gone before me through the hands of my sweet baby girl.  Recently, we had purchased a little figurine that has a little girl praying.  We told her the figurine is hers, but we want to keep it in the secret place so that it stays safe.  As I crawled into my secret place, this is the first thing I saw.  She had strategically placed it between the cross and the nativity.  The back side of the girl figurine was propped up by the nativity and looked as though it was bowing to the cross.  This image brought me to my knees.

prayer room_behind the cross

No longer was this a picture of my precious daughter.  Now, it was a picture of me.  Nestled beautifully between my Saviour in His birth and my Saviour in His death.

Then it hit me.  That is where we all should be.  Hidden behind the cross.  We should all find ourselves placed strategically behind the cross.  The cross covers us.  The cross restores us.  The cross repairs us.  The cross represents us.  The cross protects us.  The cross forgives us and the cross helps us forgive others.  It is all based upon the cross.  All of our weakness, all of our strength is defined by the cross.  Our identity is in the cross.  Our fulfillment and life’s purpose is in the cross.  The cross is our everything.  Our very life line.  His blood that was shed on that cross covers a multitude of sins- ours and everyone else’s.  

Today, let the cross be enough.  In fact, today, let the cross be all there is.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.  For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, GOD DID: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and acting as an offering for sin….  Romans 8:1-3