As many of you may know, I use verses that generally have been used for my understanding of the verses, and for my journey and growth. Today, I am using many of the prophecies given by many different prophets in the Old Testament and the fulfillment of these in the New Testament. I will admit, it’s taken me a lot of years to put these together.
OT_Moses—Genesis 49:8-10 Judah, your brothers will praise you…The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belong and the obedience of the nations is his
NT_Matthew 1:1-3 A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham…Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah…
Hebrews 7:14 For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah…
Revelation 5:5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
OT_Zechariah 9:9 ..See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey
NT_Mark 11:1-10 .. When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it… See also Matthew 21:1-5, Luke 19:28, John 12:14,15
OT_Isaiah 42:6 “…I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles…”
Isaiah 49:6 “… I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”
NT_Luke 2:25-32 “. . .a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”
Acts 26:23 “. . . that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”
I loved this title and had to borrow it. It comes from a book printed in 2000 entitled Marquee Messages Sentence Sermons for the Church Sign by Shirley Jones Garmon.
Jesus came as the answer to many prophecies delivered by many different men who received these words from God over many years. The prophecies claimed there would be a Messiah. The Israelites believed that this would be a warrior who would wrest them from the tyranny the countries which held them enslaved for years. The prophecies claimed the savior would be born in the town of Bethlehem (Genesis 49:8-10, Micah 5:2-5); he would be called out of Egypt (The New Testament proves that. He was born in Bethlehem to a virgin (Isaiah 7:13,14) and an honorable young man (also from the family of Judah, in the line of King David (Isaiah 9:6) –who stood beside her, and agreed to raise the child as “his.” In a dream, Joseph, the earthly father figure, then was told to flee to Egypt as King Herod had ordered the death of all boys 2 years old and younger. (Hosea 11:1, Jeremiah 31:15).
Prophecy in Psalm 118 states the stone the builders rejected has become the capstone: the Lord has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes. The New Testament in Matthew 21:42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures, “’The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone?’” The Pharisees and Sadducees certainly rejected them.
Although He was a peaceful teacher, rabbi, the Pharisees and Sadducees could see their positions losing their power and privileges. They tried to ridicule and challenge Him publicly, yet His confident and scriptural answers further flummoxed them, and increased His followers.
The privileges of the priests had increased over the years. Not because of anything God had decreed, but the priests voted to give themselves more, changed and added to the Levitical Laws God had set forth. They had power, respect, monies, and certainly did not want to lose it, none of it. T
These men enjoyed their respect and power and could see for themselves Jesus was a knowledgeable Man, of God, and He was gaining in popularity with the people.
They feared Jesus. Jesus had to be the sacrificial Lamb, as also prophesied in the Scriptures, and proven in the NT. He had to be beaten and ‘wounded for our transgressions’ (Isaiah 53:5) and Matthew shows this in 1 Corinthians 15:3, 2 Corinthians 5:21, and 1 Peter 3:18, ‘He was led as a lamb to the slaughter’ reported Isaiah in 53:7, and fulfilled in John 1:29, 36, Acts 8: 28-35, 1 Peter 1:19. So many prophecies of the Messiah, the Savior to come, and these many prophecies (look some up!) were fulfilled by Jesus. He suffered and died for our sins. He did this as a final sacrifice and atonement (which the Israelites practiced often with their priests killing and sacrificing the life giving blood for the sins of the priests and the people.
It is amazing to me to see the connections between years of the Old Testament, and the fulfillment of much of it in the three short public years of Jesus. If one is familiar and reads and comprehends, three is no questions that Jesus is the Messiah. He suffered, died on a cross, was buried and then rose again. He did all this to fulfill the scriptures and to offer us THE way to God and eternal life.
Thank You, Jesus for all You have done for me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Judges 6:36-40 So Gideon said to God, “If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said–“look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.” And it was so. When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water. Then Gideon said t God, “Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew.” And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground.
Matthew 4:7 Jesus said to him “It is written again. ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'”
Luke 4:12 Jesus answered, “It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
The sermon preached the day I grasped onto the Lord was in Judges 6:36-40. And for the first several years, I would seek validation to WHATEVER I thought I was being directed to do. But I was a child of mistrust, I must say.
I’d already made many mistakes and no longer trusted myself to make decisions. Many of the mistakes were costly, and then involved my children. So I couldn’t afford to make mistakes which could affect them.
I lived for signs, for validation. Judges 6:17 says, Then he said to Him, “If I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign, that it is You who talk with me.” Because at the time, I did not know enough to do my own research and seek the knowledge of His words and promises, I sought signs, a way to know until my spirit developed a “hearing system” for Him. And I lived like that, as an infant Christian for years; because I couldn’t trust myself and had to be sure of His direction before moving ahead. So, instead of growing in my relationship and developing into more of the person He wanted me to be, I was fairly stagnant.
Everyone who knew me well knew I sought signs, and when I got answers through this manner, I told everyone to prove I had moved ahead because God had “justified” through a sign, answered the ‘fleece.’ Thankfully, I have grown from having to be constantly guided in such manner. I know the guidance is in His words, but more importantly with the relationship which has deepened over the years, so I more clearly recognize His voice.
I’ve said before that I am unsure if my occasional bouts of unease are because God is trying to prevent me from some wrong move on my part, or is Satan trying to make me anxious, nervous, and tell me lies attacking me. And when those periods of unease and uncertainty come, I immediately seek God, and ask for His direction. God is not a God of unease, and will answer your concerns. So if I am not reassured when asking, I know it is from the Liar—and then can immediately send him packing, denying his lies, and quoting scripture. And the unease fades until his next attack. I have weapons of God’s promises, words, all imprinted in my mind and I am armed therefore and am able to face Satan in a fight. And win. . . because I know the lifesaving words from scripture.
I now have my own verses tucked into my heart and mind and they are easily retrieved when the deceiver lies and tries to force me to make a misstep. I am so fortunate that I’ve grown from questioning everything and looking for a ‘sign’ to validating through His word and my prayers. Now my heart recognizes God’s directions and approval much easier than my first years walking with Him.
I continue to read His words, to study His promises and savor and imprint them deeper and deeper into my mind. It is important to me and my well being to learn more, delve deeper, spot all these things that I missed on previous readings….because they were not the most important part of my life need at that time. It amazes me how often I have read the bible through, but still spot thoughts, promises, commands whatever, that I have missed previously, but now stand out as those in BOLD AND ITALIC lettering. God is so awesome giving us what we need when we need it, and taking us deeper when the time is right. It’s an amazing book filled with promises, reassurances, directions, comfort, guidance, and love. There is lots and lots of love.
Thank You for being there steadily, continually and comfortingly. You are my Rock for me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings…You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other: treating each other with dignity and honor. James 3:17-18 The Msg (Highlight is mine)
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:17-18 The Women’s Study Bible
Heavenly wisdom centers on purity, peace, gentleness, deference, mercy, and other good fruits untainted by hypocrisy. The seed that flowers into righteousness will always be planted in peace by those who embrace peace. James 3:17-18 The Voice, the New Testament
I sometimes have to check verses in different bibles. There are too many for me to recite all, but there is KJV, NKJV, ESV, NIV and more. Those, except for KJV, are in my house and easily accessible. If something is not clear, or rambling sounding to me, I have others I can refer to for clarity. I like having many to check, to make more sense to my mind. I don’t want to be unclear about what I am reading, what the author is trying to impart. Or sometimes the words seem to run on with no punctuation. This is a journey, a hike through life, and while on a journey, you need to consult maps and compass. The bible (and the various interpretations of it) are the maps, and the Holy Spirit is the compass.
When I initially read the first verse I am posting, I liked it, and wanted to write about it. But the Holy Spirit urged me to check in another source, so since I had three sources within easy reach, I checked three. And I prefer the second version I copied, but I like them all. Each enhances the meaning to me. But to me, the third speaks to having many of the fruits from the Holy Spirit and I believe you grow toward each and they (patience, long suffering, gentleness, kindness, etc) are things I try to attain. But we are works in progress. We read, learn, grow closer to God and who Jesus is and was, and we WANT to be better persons.
I strive for peace. I don’t like dissension, conflict and tension. So I try to maintain gentleness and peacefulness toward others. But sometimes life causes stressors which make peace more difficult to find and maintain. We get stressed, worried, anxious and that can lead to curt responses, hurt feelings, and maybe a full our argument. Reading the bible and yearning to grow closer to Jesus and be more like him, I am able to remind myself I am in His hands, He is in charge, and it is hurtful for me to stress and be anxious. Sometimes, one interpretation of a message is clearer than at other times. I’m so thankful I have multiple versions of the same life giving advice, cajoling and direction.
If you have any questions, cell phones nowadays can pull up the verses and list the various wording for you in less than 10 secs. Don’t let confusion stop you from searching for God’s meaning and your teachings and understanding to eternal life. Find Jesus in the Book and get to know Him, develop a relationship with Him. He’s waiting for you to call, reach out your hand and whisper. have, you can find Him. No matter the version you find most easy to read and live with, I hope you will live with it. It’s life saving!
I need the various version to help me clarify sometimes, to enhance my understanding, and life is better for me and “mybellaviews.”
Deuteronomy 11:18 Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
Deuteronomy 30:14 “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart that you may do it.
Psalm 119:105,106 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn and confirmed that I will keep Your righteous judgments.
Jeremiah 31:33 But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
Somehow, I thought when I became a Christian life would always be positive, no worries, no doubts, and one would sail along. I initially felt I walked several inches above the ground for the first few days. Then euphoria faded as I fell into the routine of life.
So the magic faded, but not the gratefulness, but I was puzzled I was being bombarded with hurtful things, doubts, and whatever. At that time I didn’t know I needed to seek His counsel, words, directions and promises to survive and thrive. And it’s a path, a growth, a continual journey. But later I learned those difficulties, doubts and hurts are some of the things Satan uses as a means of attacks. His purpose is to cause doubt, fear, anxiety and move us further away from seeking God and His ways and plans for us, further from learning His words.
We are babes when we first find and accept God. We learn who He is, what He has done, and begin to grow in our walk. It takes a true ‘knocking, seeking’ for the door to be opened. Not that we are not with Him, but we need to seek growing with Him, discovering His plan for our lives, and what we are supposed to do, or refrain from doing, and how He wants us to live. And that comes about by reading His words and applying them to our lives, to attending a Bible teaching church, and hanging with others who walk with Him. It is not always easy to know His will and we sometimes have to WAIT, but He will guide us if we diligently seek His will for our lives.
There are things He wants us to avoid since they will bring us danger (maybe illness, broken heart, dismay, and so much more). For instance, if we choose to become intimate outside of marriage and not seeking His will if this is the right person for us, we may develop a disease, infection, or some kind of permanent scar. Perhaps, you will suffer a broken heart, or worse, the shame and guilt of not abiding by His words. God doesn’t say NO alcohol, although for some (alcoholics), alcohol is a danger to them, but He certainly does not want us abusing our bodies (His earthly temple since He lives in us) and becoming addicted, sick, or enslaved to these devil enticements.
We must know His words, His direction or it is easy to fall away. We are a selfish and self-centered people, first and foremost. And it takes time, learning, and giving up sometimes before we can see the benefit. We want immediate gratification, and tend to gravitate toward that end. We don’t always fulfill those selfish wants because we want to, but because we have not worked to seek His words, promises, directions and guidance. With His words imprinted in our minds and hearts, we are able to believe and not quake when facing something so dire, and we are able to have standards and stick with them. His words point the way and guide our footsteps and keep us on the better road. That’s why it is important to know His words and to have them imprinted on our minds and hearts.
We each stand and live according to our knowledge, understanding and seeking of His guidance. In order to learn it, we must study and learn His words. And it is a growth. There have been many times some of the words were like ‘blah, blah, blah’ and held no meaning for me. And at other times, it was like a light, a rope of understanding during whatever issue I was coping with. And I could hold onto it, tightly. So I need the words and promises to help with my growth and understanding.
I am thankful I have copies of His words and can turn to them often. As I grow, I see more phrases in His words that I had not picked up earlier. Because of His wonderful, and correct timing, He leads us to grow deeper with Him when the time is right for our growth, to deepen what we already have, to give us what we need as we need it.
Thank You for giving me and mybellaviews more depth as we grow in You/
Psalm 7:17 I will give to the Lord, the thanks due t his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High
Psalm 107:1, 8,9 Give thanks for the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. . . Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deed for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Chronicles 16:34 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Ephesians 5:20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Have you ever tried to list all the things you are grateful for? For a very short while, I was having trouble falling to sleep and initially thought I would imagine sheep jumping across the bed. That did not work…they clumped together, sometimes my mind showed two or three jumping at a time, then they’d land one on top of another….anyway, it was a cluster and I would lose count, probably by the time I reached 18 or so. It was frustrating, made more so when I would glance at the clock see precious time had eked by with no rest, and a workday fast approaching.
I decided to switch to counting blessings. It was easy to keep them aligned and totaled, and it was restful. Blessings just mounted up and love and peace would fill my being. It was easy to group them into clusters and the numbers grew and I drifted off, feeling confident, loved, and blessed. Nothing like recapping one’s blessings to remind us of how blessed we are.
So, have you ever numbered or listed your blessings? Usually, it’s fairly easy to get the most prominent ones—Jesus’ death and resurrection for our salvation, our family, individual friends, maybe pets, health, church family, sharing with other believers, bible studies, our eyesight and seeing God’s blessings—dolphins, occasionally whales, all sorts of other sea critters, hummingbirds, cardinals, indigo buntings, and the list can go on and on.
For me it is both humbling and amazing to count my blessings. It feels awesome to admit all I have been blessed with, and then to thank Him. I can almost feel Him smiling His pleasure at the acknowledgement. Thank You, God, that I rarely have trouble sleeping, but I don’t have trouble remembering many of my blessings. Thank You from me and mybellaviews.
Hi, I'm Kathy. Welcome to my website!