Matthew 3 & 4: John the Baptist & Jesus

 Matthew 3 & 4: John the Baptist & Jesus

The message of John the Baptist and Jesus was the same. They both had the message of repentance. Becoming a follower of Jesus Christ is more than just believing and even more than being baptized. You must repent of your sins and change your ways. You cannot continue to live in sin.

(Matthew 3:1-2 & 5-6) In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan. And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

(Matthew 4:17) From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

John the Baptist and Jesus Christ also preached the same message about bearing good fruit and the evidence of it. As Christians, we must bear the good fruit of the teachings of Jesus or be cast into the fire. We must reflect the love of Jesus Christ or risk being cast into hell.  We must reflect the love of Christ! (For a list of the Fruits of the Spirit read Galatians 5:16-26)  

(Matthew 3:8 & 10) [John the Baptist said:] Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

(Matthew 7:17-19) [Jesus said:] Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Matthew 2:1-12

 (Matthew 2:1-12) Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him."

When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

And they said unto him, "In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 'And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.'"

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, "Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also."

When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.

And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

The Book of Matthew Quick Preview (Video)

Matthew, Parts 1 and 2 (Quick Preview)

First, I apologize that I am unable to share the two less than 1-minute videos to Blogger. but you can view them on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/juliesbiblejourney

Second, welcome to the new changes to this blog!

Before each book of the Bible, I will take a quick video of the book so you can see a preview of what will be shared for that book. Just remember, I am not a very good artist. but I wanted to share with you how God's Word inspires me.

A few notes on the videos. I am not a professional and only have my inexpensive phone to record on. Also, I live in the Pacific Northwest where it will be cloudy from now until at least June, so I apologize if the quality of the videos is too dark! I wanted to add some non-copywritten music, but the only free video editor program I have is not working, which is also why I wasn't able to combine Matthew into 1 video (keeps telling me I need Internet even though I am connected), so I just decided to share with you as is.

The next step in the new way I am posting to this page is that I will share my artwork and writings from the books of the Bible every 2-4 days. I will not be sharing any other ministry pages' writing or links except for what has been written by my husband, Mel.

Thank you for reading and watching! To God be all the glory!

Merry Christmas!

 

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

(Isaiah 9:6) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

(Matthew 1:21-23) And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

Do you find it difficult to believe that Jesus came to be your personal Prince of Peace?

When you hear someone wish you a "Merry Christmas," do you find yourself thinking, "Not possible"? There have been times in my life when I have had this same attitude. I may not be able to exactly relate to what you are going through, but I do know that when your heart is broken, when you are living with an illness (explained or unexplained), when you feel lonely and unloved, when you have to choose between paying bills or buying food, when past Christmas memories bring more pain than joy, when someone you love is dying, when you face fear every day either from abuse or other circumstances, when you feel like God just doesn't care, how could one day a year suddenly be merry when all the others are steeped in misery?

(Isaiah 9:6) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

You may fully grasp the concept of the miraculous virgin birth of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us.") and even accept that Jesus was born to die for all of our sins (John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.), yet you still wonder if God truly loves or cares about you as an individual. You may find it difficult to believe that Jesus came to be your personal "Prince of Peace."

If God loves us so much, then why is life so full of pain? How do we find the kind of peace mentioned in Philippians 4?

(Philippians 4:7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Because I have experienced these things, I absolutely promise you that you can be in the midst of grieving over a lost loved one, have a mysterious neurological condition that doctors give up trying to diagnose, be facing homelessness, or be laying in extreme pain in a hospital bed after a second cancer surgery, and yet still find God's perfect peace in the middle of the storm. By surrendering my heart, mind and will to Jesus Christ, He has been my Prince of Peace. He continues to be my strength and joy.

(Psalm 34:18) The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

In order to allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with His peace, we need to realize that God never promised us a perfect life, but He did promise we could still "be of good cheer," if allow Him to be Lord of our life.

(John 16:33) These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

People who believe God will prevent all bad things from happening to them or their loved ones end up hating God. They cannot find joy in the midst of suffering or trust in their hearts God is always good. They have difficulty trusting in the love of God. (1 John 4:8 ...God is love. & 1 John 4:19 ... He first loved us.)

Not only does God care about our pain, He grieves with us, He intercedes for us (Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. & Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.). God IS fighting for us, but we tend to sabotage His plan, and the perfect peace offered to us when we live in rebellion.

Yes, sometimes God uses negative circumstances to test our love for Him, but in general, God does not intend for bad things to happen to His children. Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” God wants only the best for us. Does that mean God does not have any control? No, this means we will never fully know why bad things are allowed to happen because there is a war going on we cannot comprehend. (Ephesians 6:12) “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

1 Corinthians 13:12 (For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.) reminds us that we cannot understand why things happen as they do because we cannot see the big, eternal picture, but when we get to heaven, it will all be crystal clear. This senseless world will make sense.

If we cry out to God, He will hear our pleas. He wants to protect us and save us. It may seem like evil is winning, and I do not believe that this world will ever improve. In fact, I know it will only get worse. Man’s desire for independence corrupts him more and more. The mentality of not wanting to be told what to do is only getting worse. It is up to you to surrender yourself to God as well as your independence. It is up to you to choose to live right and separate yourself from this world. Only then will the Holy Spirit flood you with peace.

Humble yourself and admit you have done wrong. The free gift of salvation begins with repentance and admittance of sin. Then you must begin to and continually walk in holiness to please God (Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.).

Romans 6:1-2 tells us God's free gift of grace is not to be manipulated and abused for our own selfish will, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" Grace is not an excuse to live however you want because you are a “Christian.” The opposite is true. We need to have a holy desire to please our Creator and live a truly Christian lifestyle. We need daily self-evaluation and repentance.

(Luke 9:23 ) Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

(1 Corinthians 15:31) I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die [to sin] daily.

Daily very simply means we must crucify our flesh every day, not just once. Furthermore, you could claim Psalm 139: 23-24 as your daily prayer: Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

Bottom line here is when we quit using the difficult circumstances of life as an excuse to refuse to do what you know goes against the Word of God, we can truly believe that God's Word is true. First evaluate your heart and actions to see if you are going against His will so He cannot help you. Then learn to focus on the eternal picture and see how much God loves you and allow Him to be your Prince of Peace!

Merry Christmas: God is With Us (Video)

 

If you are interested, you can view my video titled "Merry Christmas: God is With Us" on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/juliesbiblejourney/

Merry Christmas: Why did angels appear to shepherds? (Video)

 

If you are interested, you can view my video titled "Merry Christmas: Why did angels appear to shepherds?" on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/juliesbiblejourney/

Christmas is a beautiful time of the year!

                             

Note: All numbers in parenthesis represent scripture references that are listed at the end.

Christmas is a beautiful time of the year as we remember that Jesus left a place more perfect than we can ever imagine to live in a sinful, primitive, violent world.  While you sing worshipful songs and hear the story of Jesus’ miraculous birth to a virgin (1), please remember the story does not stop there.

Jesus was born for the sole purpose of giving up His life thirty-three years later.  Jesus gave up His throne surrounded by angels (2) for a life where His authority was rarely recognized.  He came to this cruel and heartless world in the form of pure innocence and humility (3).  He knew He would never fully be accepted by His peers (4), and that even those who claimed to love Him would desert Him in the end (5).  He knew not just the emotional sorrows He would face, but the physical as well.  He would willingly endure excruciating torture (6).  (The word excruciating exists because of the severe pain suffered during crucifixion.)  Yes, He also knew He would be raised from the dead three days after His death (7), but He did not endure long hours of agony just to glorify Himself.  He allowed Himself to be beaten raw and pierced through to die a slow death just for you and me! (8)  His blood on the cross is the only reason you and I have the option of spending eternity with Him in paradise.  (9) He paid for our sins by hanging in humiliation on a cross with wood splinters buried into an already raw and bloodied back, a crown of literal thorns causing blood to burn his eyes as it dripped down His face (10).

It is His glorious face we must seek today (11)! Do not throw away His precious gift bought with a terror we could never endure.  Repent of your sins and seek to live a life of holiness so that you can someday see the beautiful face of Jesus and His Father who allowed His son to be ripped from His side for more than three decades (12).

This Christmas, when you see the nativity sets of the shepherds and wise men kneeling at the manager of the baby Jesus, think of how much more magnificent it will be to bow at the throne of the living God (13)! When you sing, “O, come let us adore Him,” take a moment and thank Jesus with all your heart for choosing the path of pain and sorrow just so we can have an eternal life of peace and joy (14)!

Scriptures:

1)      "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." Matthew 1:23

2)     I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right hand and His left. II Chronicles 18:18

3)     And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.  Luke 2:16

4)     But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. Luke 17:25

5)     But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples deserted him and fled. Matthew 26:56

6)     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. Scoured, beaten, bruised.  Isiah 53:3-4

7)     "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.' " Luke 24:5-7

8)     After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:28, 30

9)      For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Matthew 26:28

10) So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they struck Him with their hands. John 19:1-3

11)  For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. II Corinthians 6:2

12)  But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. REPENT therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. Acts 3:18-21

13) For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Ephesians 3:14-21

14) And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." Revelation 21:4-5

Who do you say that He is? Written by my Husband

 

 Who do you say that He is? Written by my Husband, Mel

Who was this babe born over two thousand years ago in Bethlehem of Judea? Many claim that he was a prophet, a great teacher, or just a good man. However, who do you say that He is?

There is one God, who is revealed in three distinct persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father sent the son, to bring redemption to fallen mankind. Through the death of Christ upon the cross the free gift of salvation has been provided to all who will put their faith in him.

Christ said, that before Abraham was, I AM. Christ declared himself to be the Great I AM, by making this statement.

Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”  John 8:57-58    

The prophet Isaiah wrote that the future Messiah would be called, the Mighty God and Everlasting Father!

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

 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”  Matthew 1:23

John chapter one, as well as Colossians one, reveal that Christ is indeed God, the creator of all things visible and invisible. He is the image of the invisible God. All things were created through him and for him.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  John 1:1-5 & 10-14

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.  Colossians 1:15-18 

Let us remember that Christmas is not about the mythical Santa Claus or reindeer. Jesus is the only reason for the season! 

Julie's Christmas Carol

 

Julie's Christmas Carol (2010) 

Have yourself a merry little Christmas, 

Even if you heart is broken; 

When grief has pierced your soul

With pain so deep it can't be spoken

Remember the little town of Bethlehem, 

And the stable that held pure light; 

The Christ child that came to heal our wounds

Even on the darkest night

Away in a manger

Is not just about a baby in the hay, 

Jesus is alive forever, 

And washes sorrow away

Do you see what I see?

When all seems lost and day is night, 

It is yours to discover...

Miracles still happen when you seek His Light

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

Whiter Than Snow

 

(I originally wrote this in 2018 when we were still living in Cascade, ID.  I took the above photo north of McCall in 2015.)

Maybe it’s the fact that I live in the mountains, and it has been snowing almost every day for a few weeks, or maybe it’s the approach of a new year causing me to reflect inward.  Whatever reason, the title of this blog came to me this morning, and so I will attempt to do the theme a good service!

The words of Psalm 51 reflect my own heart.  I feel like to add my own words are not necessary if one reads this Psalm (listed at the end), but I doubt God put this theme in my head this morning just to copy and paste those verses!  

When you read the first few verses, you will note that we must first acknowledge our sin.  True repentance does not come if we insist we have done nothing wrong or are just going through the motions of asking God to cleanse us without true repentance or plans to change our ways.  Admitting you need to be clean is an obvious first step.  As I have stated many times, grace is a free gift, but we must confess our sins and ask for forgiveness for it to be granted. Additionally, we should not abuse God's grace by refusing to change our sinful habits (What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Romans 6:1-2).

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9

Yes, Jesus is “just to forgive,” but we must first "confess our sins" and He expects us to do our very best to stay clean!  In John 8:1-11, a woman caught committing adultery is brought before the Lord.  I am sure you are familiar with this story.  Jesus sends her accusers away (some believe it was the accusers' sins He was writing in the sand).  But my focus is not on her confronters, but on the woman.  What does Jesus say to her?  Does he say, “I forgave you once, so go your merry way and do as you please from this day forward?”  Of course not!  Jesus tells her what He tells all of us after we have been forgiven, “Go and sin no more.” (John 8:11) Although I prefer to use the KJV of the Bible, the NIV translation of this verse is a good one, for it is worded as, "Go now and leave your life of sin."

In the below verses, the people are told to get rid of their evil ways so they can be cleansed as snow.  What I have always liked is the Lord saying, "Come now, and let us reason together.”  I picture a loving, heavenly Father, no, not allowing us to justify our sins and attempt to explain why we sinned but rather listening as we plea for forgiveness.  He then embraces us, wipes our tears of contrite repentance, encourages us to continue striving to enter in at the narrow gate, and reassures us that we are loved.  His love, combined with our actions, makes us feel clean, white, and new.      

"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the Lord, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:16-18

What happens to snow on a day-to-day basis?  It gets dirty.  It looked so pristine that morning, but as the cars drove by, or the dog (excuse me for saying so) urinated on it, it turns brown and yellow.  Yet, behold, at the next snow fall, the beauty has been restored, all sparkly and white.  Pretty obvious symbolism here, isn’t it?  When we pray as David did, to be purged and to have a new, clean heart, let us make that a daily prayer.  

Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  Luke 9:23

Again, 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." But note the first 5 words. We need to be proactive on our part and ask for forgiveness. Lamentations 3:22-23 says, "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." Therefore, you know He is gracious enough to forgive us every single time we ask.

Short message today but living a clean life does not have to be overly complicated.  Admit to your sin, confess your sins, ask for forgiveness, cast away the old nature, and make a daily decision not to repeat old sins or commit new ones (no one is perfect, but this is a good goal to do our best to live righteously).

I am not a big fan of new year’s resolutions because, as I have just stated, we should evaluate our lives daily and strive to be the best person we can be every day, not just at the beginning of the year.  However, if you want a new routine to help you be a better Christian, I suggest reading Psalm 51 and making this your theme every year!

Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight-- That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.  Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You.   For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart-- These, O God, You will not despise. Psalm 51:1-4; 6-13; 16-17