An angel promises the birth of Jesus to Mary

5-Birth and Preparation of Jesus Christ

An angel promises the birth of Jesus to Mary

Luke 1-26-38

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, ²⁷ _ to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. ²⁸Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”^£

²⁹Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. ³⁰ _ “Don’t be frightened, Mary,” the angel told her, “for God has decided to bless you! ³¹ _ You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus. ³² _ He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³And he will reign over Israel^£ forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

³⁴ _ Mary asked the angel, “But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin.”

³⁵ _ The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. ³⁶What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s already in her sixth month. ³⁷ _ For nothing is impossible with God.”

³⁸ _ Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you have said come true.” And then the angel left.

Gabriel appeared not only to Zechariah and to Mary but also to the prophet Daniel more than 500 years earlier (Daniel 8:15-17; 9:21). Each time Gabriel appeared, he brought important messages from God.

Nazareth, Joseph and Mary’s hometown, was a long way from Jerusalem, the center of Jewish life and worship. Located on a major trade route, Nazareth was frequently visited by Gentile merchants and Roman soldiers. It was known for its independent and aloof attitude. Jesus was born in Bethlehem but grew up in Nazareth. Nevertheless the people of Nazareth would reject him as the Messiah (4:22-30).

Mary was young, poor, female—all characteristics that, to the people of her day, would make her seem unusable by God for any major task. But God chose Mary for one of the most important acts of obedience he has ever demanded of anyone. You may feel that your ability, experience, or education makes you an unlikely candidate for God’s service. Don’t limit God’s choices. He can use you if you trust him.

God’s favor does not automatically bring instant success or fame. His blessing on Mary, the honor of being the mother of the Messiah, would lead to much pain: her peers would ridicule her; her fiancé would come close to leaving her; her son would be rejected and murdered. But through her son would come the world’s only hope, and this is why Mary has been praised by countless generations. Her submission was part of God’s plan to bring about our salvation. If sorrow weighs you down and dims your hope, think of Mary and wait patiently for God to finish working out his plan.

Jesus, a Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua, was a common name meaning “the Lord saves.” Just as Joshua had led Israel into the Promised Land (see Joshua 1:1, 2), so Jesus would lead his people into eternal life. The symbolism of his name was not lost on the people of his day, who took names seriously and saw them as a source of power. In Jesus’ name, people were healed, demons were banished, and sins were forgiven.

Centuries earlier, God had promised David that David’s kingdom would last forever (2 Samuel 7:16). This promise was fulfilled in the coming of Jesus, a direct descendant of David, whose reign will continue throughout eternity.

The birth of Jesus to a virgin is a miracle that many people find hard to believe. These three facts can aid our faith: (1) Luke was a medical doctor, and he knew perfectly well how babies are made. It would have been just as hard for him to believe in a virgin birth as it is for us, and yet he reports it as fact. (2) Luke was a painstaking researcher who based his Gospel on eyewitness accounts. Tradition holds that he talked with Mary about the events he recorded in the first two chapters. This is Mary’s story, not a fictional invention. (3) Christians and Jews, who worship God as the Creator of the universe, should have no doubts that God has the power to create a child in a virgin’s womb.

Jesus was born without the sin that entered the world through Adam. He was born holy, just as Adam was created sinless. In contrast to Adam, who disobeyed God, Jesus obeyed God and was thus able to face sin’s consequences in our place and make us acceptable to God (Romans 5:14-

A young unmarried girl who became pregnant risked disaster. Unless the father of the child agreed to marry her, she would probably remain unmarried for life. If her own father rejected her, she could be forced into begging or prostitution in order to earn her living. And Mary, with her story about becoming pregnant by the Holy Spirit, risked being considered crazy as well. Still Mary said, despite the possible risks, “May everything you have said come true.” When Mary said that, she didn’t know about the tremendous opportunity she would have. She only knew that God was asking her to serve him, and she willingly obeyed. Don’t wait to see the bottom line before offering your life to God. Offer yourself willingly, even when the outcome seems disastrous.

. God’s announcement of the birth of a special child was met with various responses throughout Scripture. Sarah, Abraham’s wife, laughed (Genesis 18:9-15). Zechariah doubted (Luke 1:18). By contrast, Mary graciously submitted. She believed the angel’s words and agreed to bear the child, even under humanly impossible circumstances. God is able to do the impossible. Our response to his demands should not be laughter or doubt but willing acceptance.

Reflection

What would it mean to doubt and fear God? When were you recently fearful but believing? How did God work with you?

In what area of your life do you need to believe that “nothing is impossible with God? What keeps you from believing this?

Ig an angel were to reveal God’s plan for your life today, you would?

One way you can bring God into the world right now is to?

My biggest concern about bringing God to your world is?

If indeed “the Lord is with you,” then you are encouraged that?

You have the (E) easiest and the (H) Hardest time believing that:

· __ All the days ordained for me were written in God’s book of Life

· __ God has saved us and called us to holy life

· __ I am an important part of the body of Christ?

· __ In Christ I can bear fruit for his kingdom?

· __ To be great, I must become a servant of Christ.

Prayer to use the Sabbath properly

Prayer to use the Sabbath properly.

O Holy Spirit, we praise you for your guidance in using the Sabbath properly. Install it deep within our hearts, that it may continue to help us rest and worship you. We pray for Your loving gifts, O Holy Spirit, that we bring forth fruits of Your shared love, mercy, meekness, kindness, and goodness. Grant us Your control of our life. Be with the sick. Help us recognize your guidance for our activities. Bless us with Your protection. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Prayer to understand Sunday/Sabbath

Prayer to understand Sunday/Sabbath

Heavenly Father, we thank You for this rest & worship day of the week. You have called us out of darkness into the marvelous light of Your shared love. Prepare our hearts to receive the blessing of providing a time of closeness + worship to/of you. Unite our hearts as we meet with you. Let us hear Your Word with joy and by Your Holy Spirit’s power apply it to our lives, that we may live to make you proud of us. Bless our efforts, our rest, our pleasure in your shared love. Amen.

Sabbath-Practical Application

Sabbath-Practical Application

Evaluate your life according to this commandment:

· SABBATH REST – I fail to take time off for rest, spiritual rejuvenation, and worship. My “Sabbath” is just like any other day of the week.

· Restate this commandment as a positive statement representing a Freedom, God gave you.

· What new insight does this commandment give you into God’s desire for your life?

· What do you hear God saying to you right now?

How to Keep the Sabbath HOLY

Purpose of the Sabbath

The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. We should keep the Sabbath holy unto the Creator who made it for us. How should we keep the Sabbath HOLY?

Only those who continue to obey God's command to keep the Sabbath will finally enter the glorious "rest" of God's Kingdom and receive the gift of eternal, spiritual life! Keeping, or not keeping, God's Sabbath reveals our attitude. Keeping the Sabbaths shows that we are willing to forsake our own thoughts for periods of time specified by God. It shows a willingness to learn, study, think and meditate on the really important things. Sabbath-keeping shows an attitude of simple obedience. It is a test of our attitude, revealing whether we really want to obey and depend upon God and receive His Holy Spirit.

The purpose of the Sabbath is to rest from physical labor and to worship God. On His Holy Day, we can forget our daily routine and draw closer to the Creator God in study, meditation, and prayer, and have a foretaste of our glorious future eternal rest. By thinking upon God, the purpose of human existence, God's revealed laws of life and God's plan for mankind, we add great strength and meaning to our life. The Sabbath is truly one of the greatest blessings God has bestowed upon mankind. When we keep the Sabbath day, we show faith and belief in God's promise of a future eternal rest with a glorified spiritual body in the Kingdom of God. By resting on the Sabbath, we are actually "acting out" the Kingdom of God and what it will be like to be Sons of God in His Kingdom.

God, from the very beginning, set one-seventh of man's time to the honoring of the great work of creation which God is bringing about within man. (See Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course, Lessons 27 and 28.) "When you have properly worshipped God on the Sabbath and studied His word and its application, and then put it into daily use and on the Sabbath Day too, then you will have God's Sabbath sign in the true and saving sense.

A Day for God & Rest

A Day for God & Rest

“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹Six days a week are set apart for your daily duties and regular work, ¹⁰but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any kind of work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. ¹¹For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; then he rested on the seventh day. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

The Sabbath was a day set aside for rest and worship. God commanded a Sabbath because human beings need to spend unhurried time in worship and rest each week. A God who is concerned enough to provide a day each week for us to rest is indeed wonderful. To observe a regular time of rest and worship in our fast-paced world demonstrates how important God is to us, and it gives us the extra benefit of refreshing our spirits. Don’t neglect God’s provision.

Mark 2:27

Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made to benefit people, and not people to benefit the Sabbath. ²⁸And I, the Son of Man, am master even of the Sabbath!”

Ex. 23:12

“Work for six days, and rest on the seventh. This will give your ox and your donkey a chance to rest. It will also allow the people of your household, including your slaves and visitors, to be refreshed.

Ex. 23:16

The people of Israel must keep the Sabbath day forever. ¹⁷It is a permanent sign of my covenant with them. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but he rested on the seventh day and was refreshed.”

!st Samuel 24

!st Samuel 24

David and his 600 men found the wilderness of En-gedi a good place to hide because of the many caves in the area. These caves were used by local people for housing and as tombs. For David’s men they were places of refuge. These caves can still be seen today. Some are large enough to hold thousands of people.

Scripture does not record that God made any such statement to David or his men. The men were probably offering their own interpretation of some previous event such as David’s anointing (16:13) or Jonathan’s prediction that David would become king (23:17). When David’s men saw Saul entering their cave, they wrongly assumed that this was an indication from God that they should act.

David had great respect for Saul, in spite of the fact that Saul was trying to kill him. Although Saul was sinning and rebelling against God, David still respected the position he held as God’s anointed king. David knew he would one day be king, and he also knew it was not right to strike down the man God had placed on the throne. If he assassinated Saul, he would be setting a precedent for his own opponents to remove him some day.

Romans 13:1-7 teaches that God has placed the government and its leaders in power. We may not know why, but, like David, we are to respect the positions and roles of those to whom God has given authority. There is one exception, however. Because God is our highest authority, we should not allow a leader to pressure us to violate God’s law.

The means we use to accomplish a goal are just as important as the goal we are trying to accomplish. David’s goal was to become king, so his men urged him to kill Saul when he had the chance. David’s refusal was not an example of cowardice but of courage—the courage to stand against the group and do what he knew was right. Don’t compromise your moral standards by giving in to group pressure or taking the easy way out.

David kept his promise—he never took revenge on Saul’s family or descendants. Most of Saul’s sons were killed later, however, by the Philistines (31:2) and the Gibeonites (2 Samuel 21:1-14). David had promised to be kind to the descendants of Saul’s son Jonathan (20:14, 15), and he kept this promise when he invited Mephibosheth to live in his palace (2 Samuel 9).

Additional Questions

If you had been Saul in this story, what would you have done?

How do you deal with conflict?

In conflict, my biggest struggle is to?

What would happen, if you treated the person you have the hardest time getting along, David’s way?

When have you let your friends talk you into taking revenge against someone? How did you feel afterwards?

What is your attitude towards authority figures? Which of the following do you see as “God’s anointed” or as man’s anointed: Parents? Spouse, clergy? Employer? Police? Corrupt politicians? Explain.

Is there an authority figure in your life Whom you are having a difficult time submitting to?

Are you as content as David seems to be to simply let God work His will, his way, in His time? Or are you likely to “help God out” in some way?

A Life of Praise

A Life of Praise by Horatius Bonar

Fill Thou my life,
O Lord my God,
In every part with praise,
That my whole being may proclaim Thy being and Thy Ways.

Not for the lip of praise alone,
Nore even the praising heart,
I ask, but for a life made up of praise in every part.

So shall no part of day or night from sacredness be free:
But all my life,
In every step,
Be fellowship with Thee.

Names of God

Names of God
Name of God	Meaning	Reference	Significance
Elohim	God	Genesis 1:1; Numbers 23:19; Psalm 19:1	Refers to God's power and might. He is the only supreme and true God.
Yahweh	The Lord	Genesis 2:4; Exodus 6:2,3	The proper name of the divine person.
El Elyon	God Most High	Genesis 14:17-20; Numbers 24:16; Psalm 7:17; Isaiah 14:13, 14	He is above all gods; nothing in life is more sacred.
El Roi	God Who Sees	Genesis 16:13	God oversees all creation and the affairs of people.
El Shaddai	God Almighty	Genesis 17:1; Psalm 91:1	God is all-powerful.
Yahweh Yireh	The Lord Will Provide	Genesis 22:13, 14	God will provide our real needs.
Yahweh Nissi	The Lord Is My Banner	Exodus 17:15	We should remember God for helping us.
Adonai	Lord	Deuteronomy 6:4	God alone is the head over all.
Yahweh Elohe Yisrael	Lord God of Israel	Judges 5:3; Psalm 59:5; Isaiah 17:6; Zephaniah 2:9	He is the God of the nation.
Yahweh Shalom	The Lord Is Peace	Judges 6:24	God gives us peace so we need not fear.
Qedosh Yisrael	Holy One of Israel	Isaiah 1:4	God is morally perfect
Yahweh Sabaoth	Lord of Hosts (Hosts refers to armies but also to all the heavenly powers.)	1 Samuel 1:3; Isaiah 6:1-3	God is our savior and protector.
El Olam	The Everlasting God	Isaiah 40:28-31	God is eternal. He will never die.
Yahweh Tsidkenu	The Lord Is Our Righteousness	Jeremiah 23:6; 33:16	God is our standard for right behavior. He alone can make us righteous.
Yahweh Shammah	The Lord Is There	Ezekiel 48:35	God is always present with us.

The Third Commandment

The Third Commandment

“Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.

God’s name is special because it carries his personal identity. Using it frivolously or in a curse is so common today that we may fail to realize how serious it is. The way we use God’s name conveys how we really feel about him. We should respect his name and use it appropriately, speaking it in praise or worship rather than in curse or jest. We should not take lightly the abuse or dishonor of his name.

Do we use God’s name in the proper context outside of worship, teaching or evangelism. God’s name should not be separated from His person in everyday language.

How do we misuse the Lord’s name (= character or authority) in deed and word? But this commandment does give us the power to “drop the name” of the person in charge of the world as our lover and friend. This also gives us the responsibility of helping others see God in us. When people look at us, the need to see what God has accomplished in us.

One secret of effective witnessing is to recognize opportunities to relate God to the other person’s experience. When the opportunity arises, we must have the courage to speech out..

God calls Himself, I Am, a name describing his eternal power and unchangeable character. In a world where values, morals, and laws change constantly, we can find stability and security in our unchanging God. He can guide us in living our lives if He is in control. Because God’s nature is stable and trustworthy, we are free to follow and enjoy him rather than spend our time trying to figure Him out..

How strong is God? It’s easy to trust God when we look for His many mighty acts (e.g. hurricanes/avoiding them), but after a while, in the routine of daily life, His strength may appear to diminish. God doesn’t change, but our view of Him does. The monotony of our dayby-day living lulls us into forgetting how powerful God can be. God’s strength is always available if He is in-charge and we are following His plan.

His name reveals several characteristics of God:

1. God is immensely patient;

2. God’s love is one promise we can always count on;

3. God forgives again and again if asked;

4. God is merciful, listening to and answering our requests

We needs not fear evil/death because we know God shares His love with us , judges evil and will care for us throughout eternity.

First Two Commandments

Moses with the tablets of the Ten Commandments, painting by Rembrandt (1659) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

First Two Commandments – Practical Ap

Jesus said in Matthew 4:10: “Worship the Lord Your God, and serve Him only.” He also said in Luke 16:13: “No servant can serve two masters.”

Evaluate your efforts on the first two commandments. You may share if you like, any successes and failures:

1. NO OTHER GODS: God’s reign in my life has been replaced by another object or person I would rather serve. I love other things more than I love and obey God.

2. NO IDOLS: A picture or image of God has replaced the real Lord as the object of my worship. I have transferred my loyalty to an object, an activity, an organization or a person which has become the God I serve.

3. What does it mean that God is jealous? How does that define the terms of these commandments?

4. What passes for an IDOL now? What about sports heroes? Gurus? Classic church art?

5. What do you hear God saying to you right now?

The ancestors of Jesus

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus' description of himself "I am the Good Shepherd" (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: "To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs." (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2 – The ancestors of Jesus

This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of King David and of Abraham:

²Abraham was the father of Isaac.

Isaac was the father of Jacob.

Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.

³Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (their mother was Tamar).

Perez was the father of Hezron.

Hezron was the father of Ram.^£

⁴Ram was the father of Amminadab.

Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.

Nahshon was the father of Salmon.

⁵Salmon was the father of Boaz (his mother was Rahab).

Boaz was the father of Obed (his mother was Ruth).

Obed was the father of Jesse.

⁶Jesse was the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon (his mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah).

⁷Solomon was the father of Rehoboam.

Rehoboam was the father of Abijah.

Abijah was the father of Asaph.^£

⁸Asaph was the father of Jehoshaphat.

Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram.^£

Jehoram was the father^£ of Uzziah.

⁹Uzziah was the father of Jotham.

Jotham was the father of Ahaz.

Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah.

¹⁰Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh.

Manasseh was the father of Amos.^£

Amos was the father of Josiah.

¹¹ _ Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin^£ and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon).

¹²After the Babylonian exile:

Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel.

Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel.

¹³Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud.

Abiud was the father of Eliakim.

Eliakim was the father of Azor.

¹⁴Azor was the father of Zadok.

Zadok was the father of Akim.

Akim was the father of Eliud.

¹⁵Eliud was the father of Eleazar.

Eleazar was the father of Matthan.

Matthan was the father of Jacob.

¹⁶ _ Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.

Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

¹⁷ _ All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to King David, and fourteen from David’s time to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.

More than 400 years had passed since the last Old Testament prophecies, and faithful Jews all over the world were still waiting for the Messiah (Luke 3:15). Matthew wrote this book to Jews to present Jesus as King and Messiah, the promised descendant of David who would reign forever (Isaiah 11:1-5). The Gospel of Matthew links the Old and New Testaments and contains many references that show how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy.

Jesus entered human history when the land of Palestine was controlled by Rome and considered an insignificant outpost of the vast and mighty Roman Empire. The presence of Roman soldiers in Israel gave the Jews military peace, but at the price of oppression, slavery, injustice, and immorality. Into this kind of world came the promised Messiah.

In the first 17 verses we meet 46 people whose lifetimes span 2,000 years. All were ancestors of Jesus, but they varied considerably in personality, spirituality, and experience. Some were heroes of faith—like Abraham, Isaac, Ruth, and David. Some had shady reputations—like Rahab and Tamar. Many were very ordinary—like Hezron, Ram, Nahshon, and Akim. And others were evil—like Manasseh and Abijah. God’s work in history is not limited by human failures or sins, and he works through ordinary people. Just as God used all kinds of people to bring his Son into the world, he uses all kinds today to accomplish his will. And God wants to use you.

The Exile occurred in 586 b.c. when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, conquered Judah, destroyed Jerusalem, and took thousands of captives to Babylon.

Because Mary was a virgin when she became pregnant, Matthew lists Joseph only as the husband of Mary, not the father of Jesus. Matthew’s genealogy gives Jesus’ legal (or royal) lineage through Joseph. Mary’s ancestral line is recorded in Luke 3:23-38. Both Mary and Joseph were direct descendants of David.

Matthew traced the genealogy back to Abraham, while Luke traced it back to Adam. Matthew wrote to the Jews, so Jesus was shown as a descendant of their father, Abraham. Luke wrote to the Gentiles, so he emphasized Jesus as the Savior of all people.

Because Mary was a virgin when she became pregnant, Matthew lists Joseph only as the husband of Mary, not the father of Jesus. Matthew’s genealogy gives Jesus’ legal (or royal) lineage through Joseph. Mary’s ancestral line is recorded in Luke 3:23-38. Both Mary and Joseph were direct descendants of David.

Matthew traced the genealogy back to Abraham, while Luke traced it back to Adam. Matthew wrote to the Jews, so Jesus was shown as a descendant of their father, Abraham. Luke wrote to the Gentiles, so he emphasized Jesus as the Savior of all people.

Luke 3:23-38

Imagine the Savior of the world working in a small-town carpenter’s shop until he was 30 years old! It seems incredible that Jesus would have been content to remain in Nazareth all that time, but he patiently trusted his Father’s timing for his life and ministry. Thirty was the prescribed age for priests to begin their ministry (Numbers 4:3). Joseph was 30 years old when he began serving the king of Egypt (Genesis 41:46), and David was 30 years old when he began to reign over Judah (2 Samuel 5:4). Age 30, then, was a good time to begin an important task in the Jewish culture. Like Jesus, we need to resist the temptation to jump ahead before receiving the Spirit’s direction. Are you waiting and wondering what your next step should be? Don’t jump ahead—trust God’s timing.

Matthew’s genealogy goes back to Abraham and shows that Jesus was related to all Jews (Matthew 1). Luke’s genealogy goes back to Adam, showing that Jesus is related to all human beings. This is consistent with Luke’s picture of Jesus as the Savior of the whole world.

First Commandment

The Great Commandment (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

First Commandment

Then God instructed the people as follows:

²“I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in Egypt.

³“Do not worship any other gods besides me.

⁴“Do not make idols of any kind, whether in the shape of birds or animals or fish. ⁵You must never worship or bow down to them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not share your affection with any other god! I do not leave unpunished the sins of those who hate me, but I punish the children for the sins of their parents to the third and fourth generations. ⁶But I lavish my love on those who love me and obey my commands, even for a thousand generations.

The Israelites had just come from Egypt, a land of many idols and many gods. Because each god represented a different aspect of life, it was common to worship many gods in order to get the maximum number of blessings. When God told his people to worship and believe in him, that wasn’t so hard for them—he was just one more god to add to the list. But when he said, “Worship only me,” that was difficult for the people to accept. But if they didn’t learn that the God who led them out of Egypt was the only true God, they could not be his people—no matter how faithfully they kept the other nine commandments. Thus, God made this his first commandment and emphasized it more than the others. Today we can allow many things to become gods to us. Money, fame, work, or pleasure can become gods when we concentrate too much on them for personal identity, meaning, and security. No one sets out with the intention of worshiping these things. But by the amount of time we devote to them, they can grow into gods that ultimately control our thoughts and energies. Letting God hold the central place in our lives keeps these things from turning into gods.

Why did God’s laws speak so strongly against sorcery (Leviticus 19:31; 20:6, 27; Deuteronomy 18:10-12)? Sorcery was punishable by death because it was a crime against God himself. To invoke evil powers violated the first commandment to not worship any other god. Sorcery was rebellion against God and his authority. In essence, it was teaming up with Satan instead of with God Throughout chapter 22 we find examples of the principle of restitution—making wrongs right. For example, if a man stole an animal, he had to repay double the beast’s market value. If you have done someone wrong, perhaps you should go beyond what is expected to make things right. This will (1) help ease any pain you’ve caused, (2) help the other person be more forgiving, and (3) make you more likely to think before you do it again.

Much good can be said of Jotham and his reign as king of Judah, but he failed in a most important area: He didn’t destroy the high places, although leaving them clearly violated the first commandment (Exodus 20:3). Like Jotham, we may live basically good lives and yet miss doing what is most important. A lifetime of doing good is not enough if we make the crucial mistake of not following God with all our hearts. A true follower of God puts God first in all areas of life.

This man wanted to be sure he would get eternal life, so he asked what he could do. He said he’d never once broken any of the laws Jesus mentioned (10:19), and perhaps he had even kept the Pharisees’ loophole-filled version of them. But Jesus lovingly broke through the man’s pride with a challenge that brought out his true motives: “Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor.” This challenge exposed the barrier that could keep this man out of the Kingdom: his love of money. Money represented his pride of accomplishment and self-effort. Ironically, his attitude made him unable to keep the first commandment: to let nothing be more important than God (Exodus 20:3). He could not meet the one requirement Jesus gave—to turn his whole heart and life over to God. The man came to Jesus wondering what he could do; he left seeing what he was unable to do. What barriers are keeping you from turning your life over to Christ?

Prayer for those who are persecuted.

English: Lord Jesus at St Joseph Oratory, Montreal. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Prayer for those who are persecuted

Lord Jesus, during your life you were surrounded by suffering and you eliminated it sometimes. Look down on those who are persecuted, and alleviate any suffering that is not part of your plan to bring your children to you. Help the sick in body, especially those terminally ill, and the sick at heart who are weary of life. Come to the aid of those victimized by war and persecution . Encourage those who suffer discrimination because of race, creed or color, because of their poverty, ignorance or different lifestyle. Free those who oppressed and feed those who are hungry. Inspire in us a firm desire to cooperate with you in bringing others to your shared love. Let us be open to others, to love them in you and to share with them what I am (a child and lover of God) and have. Amen.

Prayer in Persecution

William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905) - The Flagellation of Our Lord Jesus Christ (1880) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Prayer in Persecution

Dear Lord, we are sorely tried in these days of persecution and need. We have not always loved You with all our heart nor served You. We confess that we have not always done what you wanted us to. Forgive us, O Lord, all our sins, our neglect, our indifference, our coldness. In Your mercy, O Lord, turn your face again toward us. Help us, we pray, and give us today what we need to support ourselves and all those who are persecuted. Fill also our souls with peace and love. To You belongs the glory both now and forever; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Comfort

Psalm 1 in 1628 printing with tune, metrical version by Thomas Sternhold. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Comfort

When I’m in trouble, where should I go first for comfort?

Psalm 119:52; 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Since God is our ultimate comfort, his Word is our greatest resource for comfort. God’s Word is as close as our fingertips, and God himself is as close as our whispered prayer.

How does God give us comfort?

Psalm 23:4; Matthew 5:4

Comfort when we grieve.

Psalm 147:3

Comfort when we are discouraged.

Exodus 14:13; Psalm 145:14

Comfort when we are overwhelmed.

John 16:33; 1 Peter 5:7

Comfort when we are persecuted.

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you.

Isaiah 41:10

Comfort when we are rejected.

Psalm 138:3

Comfort in the midst of conflict.

Genesis 26:24

Comfort when we are afraid.

Psalm 41:3

Comfort when we are ill.

Romans 8:28

Comfort when we wonder about our plans for the future.

How can we comfort others?

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

The comforted becomes the comforter. That is the role God has for us. As he comforts us in our time of trouble, so we comfort others.

@Promise from God: Nahum 1:7

The Lord is good. When trouble comes, he is a strong refuge. And he knows everyone who trusts in him.

Biblical Persecutions

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah) (1863 painting by Simeon Solomon) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bible Persecutions
The Persecuted	The Persecutors	Why the Persecution	Result	Reference
Uriah	Jehoiakim	Uriah confronted Jehoiakim about his evil ways	Uriah was butchered to death	Jeremiah 26:20-23
Jeremiah	Zedekiah	Zedekiah thought Jeremiah was a traitor for prophesying Jerusalem's fall	Jeremiah was thrown in prison, then into a muddy well	Jeremiah 37:1–38:13
Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego	Nebuchadnezzar	The three men refused to bow down to anyone but God	They were thrown into a fiery furnace, but God miraculously saved them	Daniel 3
Daniel	National leaders	Daniel was praying	Daniel was thrown into a den of lions, but God miraculously saved him	Daniel 6
Job	Satan	Satan wanted to prove that pain and suffering would make a person abandon God	Job remained faithful to God and was restored	Job 1:8-12; 2:3-7
John the Baptist	Herod and Herodias	John confronted King Herod's adultery	John was beheaded	Matthew 14:3-13
Jesus	Religious leaders	Jesus exposed their sinful motives	Jesus was crucified, but rose again from the dead to show his authority over all evil	Mark 7:1-16; Luke 22:63–24:7
Peter and John	Religious leaders	Peter and John preached that Jesus was God's Son and the only way to salvation	They were thrown into prison, but later released	Acts 4:1-31
Stephen	Religious leaders	Stephen exposed their guilt in crucifying Jesus	Stephen was stoned to death	Acts 6–7
The church	Paul and others	The Christians preached Jesus as the Messiah	Believers faced death, prison, torture, exile	Acts 8:1-3; 9:1-9
James	Herod Agrippa I	To please the Jewish leaders	James was executed	Acts 12:1-2
Peter	Herod Agrippa I	To please the Jewish leaders	Peter was thrown into prison	Acts 12:3-17
Paul	Jews, city officials	Paul preached about Jesus and confronted those who made money by manipulating others	Paul was stoned; thrown into prison	Acts 14:19; 16:16-24
Timothy	Unknown	Unknown	Timothy was thrown into prison	Hebrews 13:23
John	Probably the Romans	John told others about Jesus	John was sent into exile on a remote island	Revelation 1:9
Micaiah, like thousands of believers before and after him, was persecuted for his faith. The chart shows that persecution comes from a variety of people and is given in a variety of way,. Sometimes God protects us from it; sometimes he doesn’t. but as long as we remain faithful to God alone, we must expect persecution (see also Luke 6:22; 2 Corinthians 6:4-10; 2 Timothy 2:9-12; Revelation 2:10). God also seems to have a special reward for those who endure such persecution (Revelation 6:9-11; 20:4).

Biblical Models

Saint George Preca has been likened as a successor to Saint Paul's evangelical work on the island of Malta. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Paul

No person, apart from Jesus himself, shaped the history of Christianity like the apostle Paul. Even before he was a believer, his actions were significant. His frenzied persecution of Christians following Stephen’s death got the church started in obeying Christ’s final command to take the gospel worldwide. Paul’s personal encounter with Jesus changed his life. He never lost his fierce intensity, but from then on it was channeled for the gospel.

Paul was very religious. His training under Gamaliel was the finest available. His intentions and efforts were sincere. He was a good Pharisee who knew the Bible and sincerely believed that this Christian movement was dangerous to Judaism. Thus, Paul hated the Christian faith and persecuted Christians without mercy.

Paul got permission to travel to Damascus to capture Christians and bring them back to Jerusalem. But God stopped him in his hurried tracks on the Damascus road. Paul personally met Jesus Christ, and his life was never again the same.

Until Paul’s conversion, little had been done about carrying the gospel to non-Jews. Philip had preached in Samaria and to an Ethiopian man; Cornelius, a Gentile, was converted under Peter; and in Antioch in Syria, some Greeks had joined the believers. When Barnabas was sent from Jerusalem to check on this situation, he went to Tarsus to find Paul and bring him to Antioch, and together they worked among the believers there. They were then sent on a missionary journey, the first of three Paul would take that would carry the gospel across the Roman Empire.

The thorny issue of whether Gentile believers had to obey Jewish laws before they could become Christians caused many problems in the early church. Paul worked hard to convince the Jews that Gentiles were acceptable to God, but he spent even more time convincing the Gentiles that they were acceptable to God. The lives Paul touched were changed and challenged by meeting Christ through him.

God did not waste any part of Paul—his background, his training, his citizenship, his mind, or even his weaknesses. Are you willing to let God do the same for you? You will never know all he can do with you until you allow him to have all that you are!

@Strengths and accomplishments

w Transformed by God from a persecutor of Christians to a preacher for Christ

w Preached for Christ throughout the Roman Empire on three missionary journeys

w Wrote letters to various churches, which became part of the New Testament

w Was never afraid to face an issue head-on and deal with it

w Was sensitive to God’s leading and, despite his strong personality, always did as God directed

w Is often called the apostle to the Gentiles

@Lessons from his life

w The Good News is that forgiveness and eternal life are available to all people and are gifts of God’s grace through faith in Christ

w Obedience results from a relationship with God, but obedience will never create or earn that relationship

w Real freedom doesn’t come until we no longer have to prove our freedom

w God does not waste our time; he will use our past and present so we may serve him with our future

@Key verses

“For to me, living is for Christ, and dying is even better. Yet if I live, that means fruitful service for Christ. I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: Sometimes I want to live, and sometimes I long to go and be with Christ. That would be far better for me, but it is better for you that I live” (Philippians 1:21–24).

Paul’s story is told in Acts 7:58—28:31 and throughout his New Testament letters.

Persecution

Sculpture - head of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Persecution

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.(2 Timothy 3:12)

In this charge, Paul told Timothy that people who obey God and live for Christ will be persecuted. Don’t be surprised when people misunderstand, criticize, and even try to hurt you because of what you believe and how you live. Don’t give up. Continue to live as you know you should. God is the only one you need to please.

See, my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted.

I will give him the honors of one who is mighty and great, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among those who were sinners. He bore the sins of many and interceded for sinners.

The attitude exist, because God wants us to build our commitment to Him. He wants us to place Him first in your life and love so you can choose to love Him with your WHOLE heart, mind, soul, and strength.

His desires and wants should be the most important things in your life, more than anything else in our life. This means that everything else must be downgraded. And he uses persecution (to afflict or harass constantly so as to distress for reasons of religion – to trouble or annoy).

We need to come to the place where you know which love you are living for, and for this cause you should not be afraid to suffer and, if need be, die. We need to be willing to “take the heat” and stand alone for what is right in this love affair. We need to take any criticism without self pity or self righteousness. And we need to have the ability to stand up for what our lover – God desires without getting defensive or compromising our shared love. When we can do this, we will inherit the love fest in heaven to be with our lover.

We should not think that this is unusual. We may need to do similar things in family, school, work relationships. Where ever any relationship exist that would require us to go against the flow of the regular society we live in. Example:: Instead of going out and parting, going home and caring for a spousal or parental need.

All this going against the normal flow of the society will build your relationships and improve the quality of your life.

Prayer for Peacemakers

English: A peace tattoo and two peace signs, San Diego County Fair, Del Mar, California, 2009. Photograph by Patty Mooney, Crystal Pyrmaid Productions, San Diego, California. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Prayer for Peacemakers

Heavenly Father, we live in a world that is constantly threatening peace. We are surrounded by distractions and fears – temptations that are capable of destroying our peace. You are the one security we have in our defense, for our protection. Your grace is sufficient for our need, lift us above our doubts and anxieties into the calm of your presence, so that guarded by your peace, we may become peacemakers. Give your peace through my efforts. Fill us with trust in your proven love for us; that we won’t be afraid, that we can face any danger. We know that our own strength, our own confidence, is not enough. We rely only on you, and we trust completely in you, so that we always are peacemakers sharing your love from deep in our hearts. Amen.

Prayer to be a Peacemaker

We Come in Peace with a Message of Love (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Prayer To be a Peacemaker

Lord I want people to be quiet inside and feel your peace through me. I know that your Holy Spirit can give true peace to our hearts. Guide me to bring this peace, each day, to others and to help them apply it to their lives. Help me to fill them with the courage to obey the messages you give to them. Let them feel through your words your deep love for them, that they may know the peace you have promised. Thank you, Lord, for continually speaking words of love through me, even when I block them out in my life. Be patient with me as I slowly create quiet spaces in my life and others for you. You are so good to me, and I love you. Amen.

Peacemaker Q&A

English: Peresopnytsia Gospels. 1556-1561. Miniature of Saint Matthew. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

How do we make peace with others?

2 Corinthians 13:11

Working hard at ridding sin from our own lives while diligently building others up helps achieve peace.

Ephesians 4:3

Seek the unity that comes from the Holy Spirit.

Romans 12:17-19

If you harbor feelings of revenge in your heart, you cannot be at peace with others.

James 3:17-18

Commit yourself to the good deeds that are the mark of a true peacemaker.

@Promise from God: John 14:27

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn’t like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

The end result of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives is deep and lasting peace. Unlike worldly peace, which is usually defined as the absence of conflict, this peace is confident assurance in any circumstance; with Christ’s peace, we have no need to fear the present or the future. If your life is full of stress, allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with Christ’s peace (see Philippians 4:6, 7 for more on experiencing God’s peace).

Practical Application

Measure yourself on these mental attitudes – 1 being LOW and 4 being HIGH:

I have come to the place where I really work at keeping the channels of communication open between me and those around me. I deal with anger and disagreements immediately and don’t allow them to fester. I encourage those around me to work out their differences without hurting one another.

The ability to harmonize differences between others without causing either person to “lose.”

Too often we see peace as merely the absence of conflict, and we think of peacemaking as a passive role. But an effective peacemaker actively pursues peace by building good relationships, knowing that peace is a by-product of commitment. The peacemaker anticipates problems and deals with them before they occur. When conflicts arise, they are brought into the open and dealt with before they grow unmanageable. Making peace can be harder work than waging war, but it results in life and happiness.

Peacemaker

English: Painting by children, International Peace Day 2009, Geneva. Français : Peinture par des enfants, Journée internationale de la Paix 2009, Genève. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Peacemaker

Nicki Koziarz

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." Matthew 5:9 (NIV)

An eight-year-old boy named William once wrote his pastor a letter. "Dear Pastor, I know God wants us to live in peace with everybody, but He never met my sister. Sincerely, William."

I bet you and I could write similar letters. There's always someone who seems to get under our skin, isn't there? In a world filled with irritating people and problem makers, being able to bring peace in the midst of it all can feel impossible.

Because we are born into a world of sin, we don't always have automatic peacemaking reactions. One of our responses may be to engage our defense mechanisms and retaliate when provoked. Or we may turn inward and shut down, not seeking to work things out. This is why parents and schoolteachers struggle to train children to resolve their issues with each other peaceably.

While I am no longer a little girl flustered by the annoying boy pulling my pigtails on the playground, I still find myself not responding well when irritated or aggravated by someone. It's hard to want to bring peace to situations with people I don't like.

God, however, modeled the right way to seek peace. When we offended God with our disobedience, He took the initiative to reconcile a relationship with us through His Son's death on the cross. Through Jesus' sacrifice and salvation, I'm no longer subject to my defensive reactions or to shutting down. Instead, I have access to His peace, which makes being a peacemaker possible.

Recently, while going through some conflicts with people, I read Matthew 5:9: "Blessed are the peacemakers ..."

When I first read this I thought, "If I will just memorize this verse, boom ... I will be a peacemaker." So I did. Big surprise ... I wasn't a peacemaker the next time conflict arose.

I recognized that I needed to have a deeper understanding of what it meant to be a peacemaker, so I dug into the scripture.

If we look back to the original text, we see the word for peace here means harmony, security and rest.

These words that define peace remind me of the things Jesus brings into our lives. Because we follow Him, He gives us the ability to make peace. When we do, He promises we "will be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9). We can be a representation of the peace He gives.

So when Jesus said we are "blessed" when we bring peace, it is because being a peacemaker allows us to represent the depth of who He is as His children.

Some people will go to great lengths to prove themselves right. Pride and arrogance convince them that laying aside differences is a sign of weakness. But if we can catch God's vision of what it looks like to be a peacemaker—to bring harmony, security and rest to a difficult situation—it will allow us to feel secure and at rest in the midst of conflict. We can stand confident as children of God.

As we let go of petty stuff, we are peacemakers. When we are the first to say, "I'm sorry," we give peace. When we talk calmly, rather than yelling, we bring peace to the situation. By learning to give peace the way we receive peace from Jesus, His peace flows through our lives.

Being a peacemaker is challenging and may not come naturally. But may we be reminded today that in every conflict we have the capability to bring resolutions of peace. We can bring harmony, security and rest because Jesus' death and resurrection gave that to us.

Dear Lord, You are the ultimate peacemaker. Help me keep my eyes on You in difficult circumstances. And to bring peace to conflict with others. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Reflect and Respond:
How would being a peacemaker and having peaceful reactions change your relationships?

Pick three ways you can react peaceably today. Here are some examples: Changing your tone of voice. Forgiving. Being humble. Talking a situation through. Not being defensive. Choosing kind words. Believing the best, rather than assuming the worse. Not interrupting, or taking sides.