Tag Archives: Christianity

The Suffering Messiah – Resurrection Week

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“Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:1-6 KJV)

Christ beaten and mocked before Caiaphas. Etching by J. Call©WikiC

Christ beaten and mocked before Caiaphas. Etching by J. Call©WikiC

“Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.” (Matthew 27:26-31 KJV)

Two remarks, from The Suffering Messiah of Isaiah 53, Page 5: “The second strophe contains Israel’s confession for not recognizing the Servant in His person and calling. In verse 1, the arm of Jehovah (also in Is. 40:10; 51:5, 9; 52:10), is identified here as God the Son, not God the Father. Verse 2 brings out the humanity of the Servant. Nothing special about Him would attract men to Him. On the contrary, verse 3 points out that He would be actively rejected by the people.”

“In the third strophe, the people confess that at the time of His suffering, they mistakenly thought God was punishing Him for His own sins (v. 4). In verse 5, the people confess that the vicarious suffering of the Servant of Jehovah resulted in their own reconciliation and spiritual healing. In verse 6, the people confess that Jehovah had laid their own sins on the Servant.”

The Suffering Messiah of Isaiah 53, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Page 5

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Riding on a Donkey – Resurrection Week

30 Pieces of Silver – Resurrection Week

Gospel Message

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Lee’s Two Word Tuesday – 3/22/16

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Double-eyed Fig Parrot (Cyclopsitta diophthalma) by Ian

FIG TREE

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“And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” (Matthew 21:20-22 KJV)

Double-eyed Fig Parrot (Cyclopsitta diophthalma) by Ian

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30 Pieces of Silver – Resurrection Week

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And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD. (Zechariah 11:12-13 KJV)

Judas sells Jesus for thirty pieces of silver ©WikiC

Judas sells Jesus for thirty pieces of silver ©WikiC

“Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.” (Matthew 26:14-16 KJV)

“Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.” (Matthew 27:3-8 KJV)

Quotation of Zechariah 11:12-13 which prophesied that the Messiah will be sold out for thirty pieces of silver. Further reading of Messiah Factor, (especially point #3) has some more interesting facts about the 30 pieces of silver.

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Riding on a Donkey – Resurrection Week

The Suffering Messiah – Resurrection Week

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Lee’s One Word Monday – 3/21/16

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Red-billed Oxpecker on equid “neighbor” (zebra) “can you hear me now”

SECRET

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The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine. Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing. Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said. (John 18:19-21 KJV)

Red-billed Oxpecker on equid “neighbor”

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Riding On A Donkey – Resurrection Week

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“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9 NKJV)

Jesus Riding on a Donkey Colt

Jesus Riding on a Donkey Colt

Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “TELL THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, ‘BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, LOWLY, AND SITTING ON A DONKEY, A COLT, THE FOAL OF A DONKEY.’ ” So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:1-9 NKJV)

“The fulfillment of this prophecy is found in the Gospels of the New Testament in the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem at the beginning of the last week of his life (Matthew 21:1-11). This marked His official presentation as the Messianic King. Jesus intructs His disciples to go to Bethphage and find a colt which had never been ridden before. The miraculous aspect of this should not be missed. By nature, the animal should have bucked Jesus off the moment He got on, but instead of throwing Him, it submitted to Him.” (Messianic Christology, by Arnold Fruchtenbaum, p.65)

During this week, I’ll be showing the Word of the Lord in both the Old Testament and how it was fulfilled in the New Testament. When the Messiah came to earth, many rejected Him as their Messiah, yet He fulfilled God’s Word in many verses. Satan loves to blind people to the truth, so they will continue in their unbelief.

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30 Pieces of Silver – Resurrection Week

The Suffering Messiah – Resurrection Week

Gospel Message

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The Price Of Sparrows – from Institute For Creation Research

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House Sparrows watching Parrot show at National Aviary by Lee

House Sparrows at National Aviary by Lee

“Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.” (Matthew 10:29)

This fascinating bit of first-century pricing information, seemingly so trivial, provides a marvelous glimpse into the heart of the Creator. Of all the birds used for food by the people of those days, sparrows were the cheapest on the market, costing only a farthing for a pair of them. In fact, they cost even less in a larger quantity, for on another occasion Jesus said: “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?” (Luke 12:6). The “farthing” was a tiny copper coin of very small value, so a sparrow was all but worthless in human terms.
Russet Sparrow (Passer rutilans) by Nikhil Devasar

Russet Sparrow (Passer rutilans) by Nikhil Devasar

And yet the Lord Jesus said that God knows and cares about every single sparrow! God had a reason for everything He created; each kind of animal has its own unique design for its own intended purpose. Modern biologists continue to waste time and talent developing imaginary tales about how all these multitudes of different kinds of creatures might have evolved from some common ancestor. Even some evolutionists have started calling these whimsical tales “just so” stories. They would really be better scientists if they would seek to understand the creative purpose of each creature rather than speculating on its imaginary evolution.

Sparrows in snow ©©Bing

Sparrows in snow ©©Bing

The better we comprehend the amazing complexity and purposive design of each creature, the better we realize the infinite wisdom and power of their Creator. Then, all the more wonderful it is to learn that their Creator is our Father! He has placed them all under our dominion, and we need to learn to see them through His eyes if we would be good stewards of the world He has committed to us. We can also thank our heavenly Father that we “are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:31). HMM

The Price Of Sparrows – ©Institute For Creation Research (March 20, 2016)

Lee’s Addition:

“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.” (John 3:16 NKJV)

I trust you enjoyed this article. Today, instead of the Seven Word Sunday, this devotional is being shared. Today, is my 56th Spiritual Birthday. On March 20, 1960, I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. What a day, the best day of my life; marrying Dan, the second.

Just like the Sparrows, my Father in Heaven, didn’t forget about me, but put those in my path to show me why I needed the Lord as my Savior. In my case, my sister and her husband had accepted Christ the month before. They started telling me about the Lord and invited me to church on the 20th of March. That morning I was shown the plan of salvation and after accepting the free gift of salvation, I left church a new creation.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV)

PRAISE THE LORD FOR HIS PLAN OF SALVATION

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Gospel Message

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Sunday Inspiration – Finches III

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House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) by Ian

House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) by Ian

Also he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. (1 Kings 4:33 NKJV)

Well, we are still working our way through the large Fringillidae – Finches family. Today, Part III, we will begin with the genus Haemorhous (various shades of red are characteristic plumage colors of this group) which is more familiar to us in the U.S. Those are our Purple, Cassin’s, and House Finches.

Yellow-breasted Greenfinch (Chloris spinoides) ©WikiC

Yellow-breasted Greenfinch (Chloris spinoides) ©WikiC

After them the Greenfinches of the Chloris genus and the lone Desert Finch (Rhodospiza obsoleta), three Golden-winged Grosbeak (Rhynchostus) and an Oriole Finch (Linurgus olivaceus)

Yellow Canary (Crithagra flaviventris) Male ©WikiC

Yellow Canary (Crithagra flaviventris) Male ©WikiC

The next genus – Crithagra has 37 species which include Seedeaters, Citril, Canary, Serin, Siskin, and Grosbeak-Canary. With those, will end Finches III and save the rest of the family for Finches IV. Maybe with the DNA testing going on, some of this family may be split off to other families in the future and won’t be so large.

In case you missed the first two parts, you can click these links. Sunday Inspiration – Finches I and Sunday Inspiration – Finches II

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By them the birds of the heavens have their home; They sing among the branches. He waters the hills from His upper chambers; The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works. (Psalms 104:12-13 NKJV)

“Shout To The North and the South” ~ by Faith Baptist Church Choir

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Sunday Inspiration – Finches I

Sunday Inspiration – Finches II

More Sunday Inspiration

Fringillidae – Finches

Fringillid Finches & Allies – Ian’s Birdway

Finch – Wikipedia

Sharing The Gospel

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Panda Bears At Play

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I'll give you 2 seconds to get off me or I'm calling Mom.

I’ll give you 2 seconds to get off me or I’m calling Mom.

Just thought you might need a smile for today. Received this link for the video in an e-mail. The Lord sure created some of the neatest critters. How can you not love these Pandas.

“For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.” (James 3:7 NKJV)

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Wordless Toucan

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Lee’s Six Word Saturday – 3/19/16

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Inca Terns ©Idiotphotographer.WordPress

IN OUR WATCHING WE HAVE WATCHED

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“As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.” (Lamentations 4:17)

Inca Terns ©Idiotphotographer.WordPress

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The Implausibility of Evolution – from Creation Moments

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The Implausibility of Evolution – from Creation Moments

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

If you’re a long-time listener, you know that Creation Moments does not discuss politics. That’s why today’s program focuses not on Ben Carson’s political involvements but on Dr. Carson’s courage as a scientist and world-renowned surgeon for sharing his politically incorrect views on Darwinian evolution.

The Implausibility of Evolution Ben Carson

Dr. Carson

In his book, Take the Risk, Dr. Carson makes it crystal clear that he rejects Darwinian evolution. Here is a portion of what he wrote:

“For me, the plausibility of evolution is … strained by Darwin’s assertion that within fifty to one hundred years of his time, scientists would become geologically sophisticated enough to find the fossil remains of the entire evolutionary tree in an unequivocal step-by-step progression of life from amoeba to man – including all of the intermediate species.”

Dr. Carson continues: “Of course, that was 150 years ago, and there is still no such evidence. It’s just not there. But when you bring that up to the proponents of Darwinism, the best explanation they can come up with is ‘Well … uh … it’s lost!’ Here again I find it requires too much faith for me to believe that explanation, given all the fossils we have found without any fossilized evidence of the direct, step-by-step evolutionary progression from simple to complex organisms or from one species to another species. Shrugging and saying, ‘Well, it was mysteriously lost, and we’ll probably never find it,’ doesn’t seem like a particularly satisfying, objective, or scientific response.”

Doctor Carson, we couldn’t agree more!

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for scientists who take the risk of dissenting from Darwinism. I pray that You will embolden me to share the gospel and the truth of biblical creation with others. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Notes:
Dr. Ben Carson, Take the Risk: Learning to Identify, Choose, and Live with Acceptable Risk, pp. 160-161 (Zondervan, 2008). Photo: Dr. Ben Carson. Courtesy of Michael Vadon. (CC-BY-SA 4.0)
Creation Moments ©2016

Lee’s Addition:

“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.” (John 1:1-5 NKJV)

Like Creation Moments, this is not political. It has to do with those of us who honor Our Lord Jesus Christ, The Creator.

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Creation Moments – The Implausibility of Evolution

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Lee’s Five Word Friday – 3/18/16

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Puffin Marching

THE EGYPTIANS MARCHED AFTER THEM

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“And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord.” (Exodus 14:10)

Puffin Marching ©Noupe.com

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Lee’s Four Word Thursday – 3/17/16

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Killdeer Riding Piggyback - Silly Bird by Cutestspaw.com

UPON THE TOP OF

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One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill. (Isaiah 30:17)

Killdeer – Perching Piggyback ©Cutestpaw.com

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