Jesus: The Full Story

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man (people) of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

ALL Scripture is inspired by God and speaks for itself.

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears; but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist.” (Isaiah 11:1-5)

“So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son. … And they called his name Obed. Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.” (Ruth 4:13, 22)

“Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.” (Jesse brought seven sons with him but Samuel told him the Lord had not chosen any of them. He instructed Jesse to call his youngest son, David, in from tending the sheep.) “So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the LORD said, ‘Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!”
(1 Samuel 16:3a, 12, 7)

“I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn to My servant David: Your seed I will establish forever, and build up your throne to all generations.” (Psalm 89:3-4)

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign; Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (God with us).” (Isaiah 7:14)

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

“Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely, He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:1-5)

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2)

“The LORD has sworn in truth to David; He will not turn from it: I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body.”
(Psalm 132:11)

“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary, and having come in, the angel said to her, ‘Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women!’ But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.’ Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’ And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:26-35)

“…Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20b-21)

“And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: you will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:1-14)

“Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?”
(John 7:42)

“And Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon, … and Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.” (Matthew 1:6-16) The geneology in Matthew is Joseph’s line, establishing the legal claim to the title “Son of David.”

 “Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, … the son of Nathan, the son of David,” (Luke 3:23-31) The geneology of Mary, whose father was Heli­­—establishing the blood line of Jesus through Nathan. Son of David, Son of Man and Son of God. 

 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)

“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.” (Mark 10:33-34)

“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then behold the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and rocks were split and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the graves after His resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying ‘Truly this was the Son of God!”
(Matthew 27:50-54)

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.’ And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:16-17)

“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)

*Scripture quoted from the NKJV

Scripture Compiled by Marilyn Allison

Because God...

“And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren." Luke 1:36

Mary must have stood there in stunned silence, the words of the angel hitting their mark—her heart overflowing with information.

"And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus." Luke 1:31

But wait! Another would also bear a son—her cousin Elizabeth. The Lord was blessing her and her husband, Zechariah, as well; with a son.

“And the angel answered him, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.” Luke 1:19

Zechariah and Elizabeth’s son was to be named John. He would be known as John the Baptist. God blessed Elizabeth when all hope for a child was gone, a baby who would grow into a man of conviction. He, John, would turn many to Christ

“And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared." Luke 1:17

Do you believe? Do you believe that God can make the impossible happen? That couples whose arms are empty and people whose lives have been broken—torn apart by sin or sickness with no hope for healing, for peace, or forgiveness or even a child—can have all these and more?

A miracle happened and happens still. Hope is alive and active in our lives. A son was born to tell of repentance and the washing of water. A Son was born to bring salvation—whose tiny hands would one day be pierced by nails. And with every drop of blood hope was born.

I believe!

"For nothing will be impossible with God." Luke 1:36

By Eve Montano

Quiet Time

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:1

I’ve spent the past week unable to walk without a cane. At times, the pain in my hip was unbearable. Praying this morning, I asked God to take this cup from me because I have so much to do, so many people who are depending on me.

Closing my eyes, I saw the face of Jesus looking at me with the most moving, tender expression—eyes misty with compassion. And Psalm 46 came to mind: Be still…know that I am God. In those simple words I knew why the Lord was allowing this time of searing pain . . . frustration . . . being restrained in my recliner with the heating pad—it was meant to wrap me with a holy veil. No to do list. No errands or shopping. Nothing for me to do but sit at His feet and listen. He is a jealous God; He is patient and waits for me to come to Him. All I have to do is be still and listen. He’s always listening for my heart’s cry.

So I heard in complete silence this morning,

“Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden. Come to me and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

God is doing a work in me through the pain. My plate is so full I rarely take time just to sit at His feet and worship, seeking rest and peace. I’m so stubborn—a captive of earthly demands—it takes a disabling incident for me to carve out time to spend some quality time alone with Him. Broken shoulder 2006. Brain surgery 2014. Back injury 2016. During the lengthy healing process of each, I had nothing but time. The weeks of resting and healing were times of deeper intimacy and healing, physically and spiritually.

I understand now when James says in his epistle

“Count it all joy when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance, and let endurance have its perfect result that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4

In 2021, time is our most valuable commodity. Spend it wisely, be filled to overwhelming with deeper love, more wisdom, and understanding than you’ve ever known.

Shalom

By Cindy Snelling

Precious

“And I will be your father, and you will be my sons and daughters,’ says the LORD Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:18

My Precious Child,

You are Mine, a child of the King. I am the God of all heaven and earth and I find delight in you. You are the apple of My eye.

My love is perfect. I formed your body. I fashioned your mind and soul and breathed life into you. I know your personality and I understand your needs and desires. I see your heartaches and disappointments and I love you passionately, patiently, and perfectly.

My child, I bought you with a price so that we could have an intimate relationship together for all eternity. The blood of Christ washed away your sins. My grace has given you peace instead of fear, strength instead of weakness, discernment instead of doubt.

Soon we will see each other face-to-face and you will dwell in the place being prepared for you in heaven.

Until then, fix your eyes on heaven and walk closely with Me. You will know that, although I am God, my arms are not too big to hold you. You will never walk alone.

Love,
Abba

"And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters…”

By Eve Montano

Is the Bible True?

“Thy word is true from the beginning, and every one of thy righteous judgements endureth forever.” Psalm 119:160

I have recently become aware that there is a growing number of young people partially identifying themselves as Christians, but denying that the Bible should be taken literally.  They also hold to the idea that all religions lead to heaven or are at least as valid as Christianity.  

My heart breaks for them because—if the Bible isn’t true—then we have no foundation of truth to rely on, or to base our faith on.  Everything becomes an opinion—human opinion at that—which has been proven time and time again to be unreliable.  It calls into question the claim of Jesus Christ that he is the Son of God and the only one who can bridge the gap between God and man.  If we deny who Jesus says He is, then we deny everything and can’t be called Christians at all.  

 Jesus, on several occasions in Scripture, validated the accuracy of the Bible.  There are over 300 prophecies proclaiming when, how, and where the Savior of the world would be born.  It is mathematically impossible for all of these prophecies to have been fulfilled outside of the miraculous will of God.  If the claims of Jesus are not true, then He was either a liar or a lunatic.  If Jesus didn’t sacrifice himself on the cross as the God/man prophesied in the Bible, then we have no hope of life after this life, or help through the challenges of our life on earth.

 It has been argued that the Bible is violent and cruel, and that so-called Christians have created wars to spread the gospel. There have been wars for many reasons, but they have all been man-made on the basis of power, greed or misguided ideologies.This is human nature in action and is still in operation today. Many wars have been started to protect a group of persecuted people or to break the yoke of tyranny.

The forces of evil are present—determined to perpetuate man’s inhumanity to man. Also, they promote the lie that we are captains of our own fate and God really didn’t mean what He said in the Bible about obedience.The obedience part, in reality, is a loving father caring enough to lay down boundaries and guidelines to protect His children. He also gave us free will to stay within His protection or wander off to meet a fate that He warns is devastating.

“For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw His majestic splendor with our own eyes when He received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to Him, ‘This is My dearly loved Son, who brings Me great joy.’ We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.” 2 Peter 1:16-21

By Suzanne Krugh