The Bible Project - the Birth of Jesus

If you haven't heard of The Bible Project, you are really missing out.   At least in my opinion you are missing out.

I first ran into the Bible Project on YouTube.   They have produced and posted several videos providing a high level synopsis of many of the books of the Bible as well several biblical themes.   I find them educational as well as insightful and entertaining.

Below is a video they recently posted covering the Birth of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke Chapters 1 -2.

More information can be found regarding The Bible Project on their website:  https://thebibleproject.com/  and videos they have created can be found at their YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/jointhebibleproject

The Christmas Story

Promise of John the Baptist’s birth:  Luke 1:5-25

It all begins with a Jewish priest, Zechariah, who lived when Herod was king of Judaea.  Zechariah was a member of the priestly order of Abidjan.  His wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron.  Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations.  They had no children because Elizabeth was barren, and now they were both very old.

One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week.  As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary and burn incense in the Lord’s pretense.  While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying.

Zechariah was in the sanctuary when an angel of the Lord appeared, standing to the right of the incense alter.  Zechariah was overwhelmed with fear.  But the angel said:  “Don’t be afraid Zechariah!  For God has heard your prayer and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son!  And you are to name him John.  You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice with you at his birth, for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord.  He must never touch wine or hard liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.  And he will persuade many Israelites to turn to the Lord their God.  He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah, the prophet of old.  He will precede the coming of the Lord, preparing the people for
his arrival.  He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will change disobedient minds to accept Godly wisdom.

Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I know this will happen?  I’m an old man now and my wife is also well along in years.”

Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel!  I stand in the very pretense of God.  It was He who sent me to bring you the good news!  And now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you won’t be able to speak until the child is born.  For my words will certainly come true at the proper time.”

Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zachariah to come out, wondering why he was taking so long.  When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them.  Then they realized from the gestures that he must have seen a vision in the Temple sanctuary.

He stayed at the Temple until his term of service was over, and then he returned home.  Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months.  “How kind the Lord is!” She exclaimed.  “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children!

Gabriel appears to Mary:  Luke 1:26-28

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

Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.  “Don’t be frightened, Mary,” the angel told her, “for God has decided to bless you!  You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus.  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.  And He will reign over Israel forever; His Kingdom will never end!”

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

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.  What’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.  For nothing is impossible with God.

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.

Joseph’s angelic dream: Matthew 1:18-25

Now this is how Jesus the Messiah was born.  His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph.  But while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit.  Joseph, her fiancé, being just a man, decided to break the engagement quietly, so as not to disgrace her publicly.

As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.  “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary.  For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit.  And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins!”  All of this happened to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

“Look!  The virgin will conceive a child!  She will give birth to a son, and he will be called Immanuel (meaning, God is with us).”  (Isiah 7:14)

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord commanded.  He brought Mary home to be his wife, but she remained a virgin until her son was born.  And Joseph named him Jesus.

Mary visits Elizabeth:  Luke 1:39-56

A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Jude's, to the town where Zechariah lived.  She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth.  At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “You are blessed by God above all other women, and your child is blessed.  What an honor this is, that the mother of my Lord should visit me!  When you came in and greeted me, my baby jumped for joy the instant I heard your voice!  You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what He said.”  Mary responded,

“Oh, how I praise the Lord, how I rejoice in God my Savior!
For He took noticed of His lowly servant girl, and now generation after generation will call me blessed.
For He, the Mighty One, is holy, and He has done great things for me.
His mercy goes on from generation to generation, to all who fear Him.
His mighty arm does tremendous things!
How He scatters the proud and haughty ones!
He has taken princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly.
He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands.
And how He has helped His servant Israel!
He has not forgotten His promise to be merciful,
For He promised our ancestors – Abraham and his children – to be merciful to them forever.”

Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home.

Birth of Christ: Luke 2:1-20

At that time the Roman empower, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire.  (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.).  All returned to their own towns to register for this census.  And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Jude's, David’s ancient home.   He travel there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.  He took with him Mary, his fiancé, who was obviously pregnant by this time.

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.  She gave birth to her first child, a son.  She wrapped Him snugly in strips of cloth and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.

Shepherds visit Jesus:  Luke 2:8-20

That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep.  Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them.  They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them.  “Don’t be afraid!” He said, “I bring you good news of great joy for everyone!  The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David!  And this is how you will recognize Him: You will find a baby laying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!”

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others – the armies of heaven – praising God:
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors.”

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Come on, let’s go to Bethlehem!  Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph.  And there was the baby, laying in the manger.  Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.  All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often.  The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said.

Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the Temple:  Luke 2: 21-28

Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.

Then it was time for the purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.  (NOTE: Bethlehem is around six miles/7.1 kilometers south of Jerusalem.  So it was possible for Joseph, Mary and Jesus to make this trip and return to Bethlehem). The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the law of the Lord.”  So they offered a sacrifice according to what was required in the law of the Lord – “either a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons.”

Now there was a man named Simeon who lived in Jerusalem.  He was a righteous man and very devout.  He was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he eagerly expected the Messiah to come and rescue Israel.  The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.  That day the Spirit led him to the Temple.  So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there.   He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,

“Lord, now I can die in peace!  As you promised me, I have seen the Savior you have given to all people.  He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

Joseph and Mary were amazed at what was being said about Jesus.  Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, “This child will be rejected by many in Israel, and it will be their undoing.  But he will be the greatest joy to many others.  Thus, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.  And a sword will pierce your very soul.”

Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple.  She was the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, and was very old.  She was a widow, for her husband had died when they had been married only seven years.  She was now eighty-four years old.  She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshipping God with fasting and prayer.  She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God.  She talked about Jesus to everyone who had been waiting for the promised King to come and deliver Jerusalem.

Visit of the Wise Men:  Matthew 2:1-12

Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Jude's, during the reign of King Herod.  About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?  We have seen his star as it arose, and we have come to worship him.”

Herod was deeply disturbed by their question, as was all of Jerusalem.  He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law.  “Where did the prophets say the Messiah would be born?” He asked them.

“In Bethlehem,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:

“O Bethlehem of Judah, you are not just a lowly village in Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.” (Micah 5:2)

Then Herod sent a private message to the wise men, asking them to come see him.  At this meeting he learned the exact time when they first saw the start.  Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child.  And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”

After this interview the wise men went their way.  Once again the star appeared to them, guiding them to Bethlehem.  It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!  They entered the house where the child and his mother Mary, were and they fell down before him and worshiped him.  Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  But when it was time to leave, they went home another way, because God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

Flight into Egypt; Herod slays the babies of Bethlehem: Matthew 2:13-18

After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.  “Get up and flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said.  “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to try to kill the child.”  That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, and they stayed there until Herod’s death.  This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”  (Hosea 11:1)

Herod was furious when he learned that the wise men had outwitted him.  He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, because the wise men had told him the start first appeared to them about two years earlier.  Herod’s brutal action fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah:

“A cry of anguish is heard in Raman – weeping and mourning unrestrained.
Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted – for they are dead. “. (Jeremiah 31:15)

Death of Herod; Return from Egypt to Nazareth:  Matthew 2: 19-23; Luke 2:39-40

When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and told him, “Get up and take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”  So Joseph returned immediately to Israel with Jesus and His mother.  But when he learned the new ruler was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid.  Then, in another dream, he was warned to go to Galilee.  The they went and lived in a town called Nazareth.  This fulfilled what was spoken by the prophets concerning the Messiah: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

Luke 2:39-40: When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee.  There the child grew up healthy and strong.  He was filled with wisdom beyond his years, and God placed his special favor upon him.

Prophesies for the birth of Jesus

Since we are in the Christmas season, I wanted to do a few posts that centered around the birth of Jesus.   To start, I wanted to provide some prophesies of Jesus' birth.   Many of these prophesies came from the time of Abraham in Genesis.   Some (Hosea 11:1) didn't seem like prophesy at the time, but when the Apostles looked back on them, they could see that it was not only a reference to history, but also a prophecy of what was to come.  

Below are the prophesies followed by the scripture in which it was fulfilled:

Child of Abraham, would come from the tribe of Judah, and be a descendant of King David

Genesis 22:16-18: "This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed Me and have not withheld even your beloved son, I swear by My own Self that I will bless you richly.  I will multiply your descendants into countless millions, like the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore.  They will conquer their enemies, and through your descendants, all the nations of the earth will be blessed - all because you have obeyed me."

Genesis 49:10:  The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will obey.

Jeremiah 23:5-6:  "For the time is coming," says the Lord, "when I will place a righteous Branch on King David's throne.   He will be the King who rules with wisdom.  He will do what is just and righteous throughout the land.   And thus us His name: 'The Lord Is Our Righteousness.'  In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety.

The above is fulfilled by Jesus' genealogy as provided in Matthew 1:1-16:

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

Abraham was the father of Isaac.
Isaac was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (their mother was Tamar).
Perez was the father of Hezron.
Hezron was the father of Ram.
Ram was the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.
Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
Salmon 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.
Jesse was the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon (his mother was Bathseba, the widow of Uriah).
Solomon was the father of Abijah.
Abijah was the father of Asaph.
Asaph was the father of Jehoshaphat.
Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram.
Jehoram was the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah was the father of Joham.
Joham was the father of Ahaz.
Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh.
Manasseh was the father of Amos.
Amos was the father of Josiah.
Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon).
After the Babylonian exile:
Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel.
Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel.
Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud.
Abiud was the father of of Eliakim.
Eliakim was the father of Azor.
Azor was the father of Zadok.
Zadok was the father of Akim.
Akim was the father of Eliud.
Eliud was the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar was the father of Matthan.
Matthan was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

Born of a virgin

Isiah 7:14: All right then, the Lord Himself will choose the sign.  Look!  The virgin will conceive a child!  She will give birth to a son and will call Him Immanuel - 'God is with us.'

This is again foretold/fulfilled by the angel speaking to Joseph in a dream.   At this time, Joseph had learned that Mary was pregnant and had decided to break the engagement quietly, so as not to disgrace Mary publicly.    In Matthew 1:23 the angel says:  "Look!  The virgin will conceive a child!  She will give birth to a son, and he will be called Immanuel (meaning, God is with us)."

Jesus would come as a baby

Isiah 9:6-7: For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.   And the government will rest on His shoulders.  These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Might God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  His ever expanding, peaceful government will never end.  He will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of His ancestor David.  The passionate commitment of the Lord Almighty will guarantee this.

Luke 2:6-7: And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.  She gave birth to her first child, a son.  She wrapped Him snugly in strips of cloth and laid Him in a manger because there was no room for them in the village inn.

Born in Bethlehem

Micah 5:1-2: Mobilize!  Marshal your troops!  The enemy is laying siege to Jeruselem.   With a rod they will strike the leader of Israel in the face.  But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village in Judah.  Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past.

This prophesy is fulfilled in Matthew 2:1-2:  Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod.  About that time, some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem asking, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews?  We have seen his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him."

Would be given gifts

Psalms 72:10: The western kings of Tarshish and the islands will bring Him tribute.  The eastern kings of Sheba and Seba will bring Him gifts.

Fulfilled in Matthew 2:11:  They entered the house where the child and his mother, Mary, were, and they fell down before Him and worshiped Him.   Then they opened their treasure chests and gave Him gifts of gold, frankincense and Myrrh.

Herod's killing of babies is foretold

Jeremiah 31:15: This is what the Lord says: "A cry of anguish is heard in Raman - Mourning and unrestrained weeping.   Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted - for her children are dead.

Matthew 2:16: Herod was furious when he learned that the wise men had outwitted him.  He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, because the wise men had told him the star first appeared to them about two years earlier.

Would flee/be called out of Egypt

Hosea 11:1: When Israel was a child, I loved Him as a Son, and I called me Son out of Egypt.

Hosea 11:1 was originally written as a statement of history, but Matthew used the words to refer to the Messiah.

Matthew 2:14:  That night, Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, His mother, and they stayed there until Herod's death.  This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: "I called my Son out of Egypt."

Jewish Wedding Traditions in Biblical Times

This post may not be all that interesting to most people.  However, I wanted to go ahead and provide it as background for some of the future posts that I am considering/praying about.   I am finding that some of the teachings and story's in the Bible are much easier to understand if we have a better understanding of the traditions the Jewish people had around marriage and marriage ceremonies in Biblical times.   This doesn’t include all of the information I found but includes a great deal of it.

Hopefully you find this material interesting.   I know that I learned a great deal in doing the research and putting it together.

Jewish Marriage and Wedding Customs in Biblical Times

It all starts with the Betrothal process.   The Betrothal process involves the establishment of a marriage covenant or contract.  By Jesus' time it was common for the marriage covenant to be initiated by the bride groom.  To establish the marriage covenant, the bridge groom traveled from his father's house to the home of the prospective bride.  There he would determine / negotiate the price he must pay to purchase the bride.   This price was known as the Mohar.

NOTE: The Mohar is a gift paid by the groom to the bride's family.  It ultimately belongs to the bride and changed her status and set her free from her parents household.   It was customary for a father to either give the entire Mohar or a portion of it to his daughter.   A father who kept the entire Mohar for himself was considered to be unkind and harsh.  

Anthropologists call the Mohar a gift or “bridewealth.” It is found in many societies throughout the world and is not considered a sale by people in those cultures—Israelite wives were not thought of as slaves in biblical texts.

The portion of the Mohar the bride received from her father were not the only possessions she brought into the marriage.   It was also common for a rich father to give his daughter land as well as female slaves.

Once the Mohar had been paid, the marriage covenant was established.   At this time, they were considered to be husband and wife.   From this moment on, the bride was declared consecrated or sanctified (set apart) exclusively for her groom.  As a symbol of the covenant relationship, the bride and groom would drink from a cup of wine over which a betrothal benediction had been pronounced.
In the marriage covenant, the groom promises to love and care for his bride and give himself for her.   He has also paid the Mohar for his bride.   The bride promises to pay her dowry - her financial status - that of her yielded life and keep herself for him.  It was also customary for the groom to give his wife a gift known as a Mattan.   The Mattan was to remind her of him while they were apart for the next 12 months.

With the covenant established, the groom would leave and return to his father's house.  This time allowed the bride to gather her Trousseau and prepare for married life.   The Trousseau are the clothes, household linens and other belongings collected by the bride for her marriage.   While the bride was preparing herself and gathering her Trousseau, the groom spent his time preparing a place for he and his wife to live in his father's house.

In biblical times the groom most often did not build a new home.  Rather he would add additional rooms to his father's existing home.   It was also customary for the Rabbi's to determine that the place to which the bride was to be taken be better than the place where she had lived previously.

It was not up to the groom to determine when the place he was preparing was ready.   His father would make that determination and give the go ahead for the groom to go and receive his bride.

At the end of the twelve months and after the grooms father had determined that the place was ready, the groom would come to take his bride.  This usually took place at night.   The groom, best man and other escorts would leave the groom's father's house and conduct a torch light procession to the home of the bride.

The bride took the betrothal process seriously and while she know the approximate time her groom would come for her, the exact hour or day was uncertain.  As a result, it was customary for the groom's party to go ahead of the groom and shout "Behold!  The bridegroom comes!"

This would be followed by the sounding of the Shofar, a musical horn made from ram's horn.

At the sounding of the Shofar, the entire wedding processional would go through the streets of the city to the bride's house.   The groomsmen would again setup the Huppah.

Within the Huppah:

• The couple would say a blessing over the cup of wine.
• The ceremony finalized the promises and vows.

After the groom has received his bride and her female attendants, the enlarged wedding party returns from the bride's house to the groom's father's house.  On arrival, the wedding party find the wedding guests have already assembled.

Shortly after arrival, the bride and groom are escorted by the other members of the wedding party to the bridal chamber.   Prior to entering the chamber the bride remained veiled so no one could see her face.  While the groomsmen and bridesmaids waited outside, the bride and groom enter the bridal chamber alone.   There in the privacy of the bridal chamber, they enter into the physical union for the first time and consummate the marriage that had been Covenanted earlier.

After the marriage is consummated, the groom announces the consumption to the wedding party waiting outside the chamber.  The wedding party then passes the news of the marital union to the wedding guests.  Once the news of the marriage is consummated is received, the wedding guests feast/make merry for the next seven days.

NOTE: Family honor was of vital importance in biblical times.   The food and wine for the feast over the seven days was provided by the bride and grooms families and was freely available.   If you ran out of either it implied the host was either thoughtless or poor and would bring dishonor to the family’s name.

During the seven days of the wedding festivities, the bride remains hidden in the bridal chamber.  At the conclusion of those seven days, the groom brings out his brides - now no longer wearing her veil - so that all can see who is bride is.  Once the festivities were over, the husband was free to bring his bride to their new home to live together as husband and wife in the full covenant of marriage.

I hope you found this interesting.   I know that I found the parallels in today's christian marriage interesting and also found it very interesting that, contrary to what appears to be popular belief, great care was taken of the bride.  She wasn't considered property and, based on my research, great care was taken to ensure she was going to a better place and also had her own belongings, etc.   I'm also sure that you can see the parallels between the Jewish marriage traditions and how Jesus has claimed us all as His own - but I'm going to leave much of that discussion for future posts.

Resources
http://www.biblestudymanuals.net/jewish_marriage_customs.htm
http://messianicfellowship.50webs.com/wedding.html
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/ancient-jewish-marriage/

Where is your faith?

In Luke 8:25, Jesus asks the disciples, "Where is your faith?"   To be fair, the disciples had just been "rescued" from a storm in the middle of a lake.  A storm, so they thought, we going to take their lives.  Jesus asks the question because they had -as they often did - missed that He is God and that they had nothing to fear.   Resulting in the question: 

Where is your faith?

I believe Jesus would ask us this exact same question today - Where is your faith?   How would we respond?   Given our actions, could we honestly answer that our faith is in Him?   Look around, we don't have to look for to see that our faith is largely in other people, processes, laws, government, jobs, and spouses.   We place our faith in anything and everything but God.   

Don't get me wrong, I don't believe that anyone can live without faith.   The difference is largely in where we place our faith.   Face it.   The difference between Christians and non-Christians is not that one has faith and the other doesn't.   It is where we place our faith - though if we looks at many Christians posts on social media - I think an argument could be made that a large number of Christians have also misplaced their faith.   

Are we spending our time in prayer and study of God's Word looking for answers?   Are we calling out to God to come and save us (all of us - not just those who believe as we do) or are we:

• spending time sharing / making inappropriate posts on social media; or 
• searching out evidence in the news/media demonstrating that "they" are wrong, supporting "we" are right?;  or 
• pointing out other items demonstrating how those we disagree with are wrong - while ignoring the actions of others or even our own actions may be equally as wrong.  

Do any of these items really represent how we would want to be treated or demonstrate the love of Jesus in any way?   Didn't Jesus indicate that the greatest two commandments were:

Matthew 22:37-40: And He said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.   This is the great and foremost commandment.   The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend the whole law and the prophets."

Based on our actions, can we really say that our faith is where it belongs?   If we answer honestly, I think many of us will see that there really isn't an obvious difference to non-believers between Christians and non-Christians.   No wonder we are called out for our hypocrisy!   

If we are honest with ourselves, we as Christians will quickly admit that not many of us really are that interested in practicing what we preach.   Not many of us are willing to put the work in that demonstrates our faith.   If we did that, then we wouldn't have any time for other things that distract us from what our real priority should be - God.   

Where is your faith?

We quickly spend our time chasing after idols and other distractions provided by this world.   "Idols!?!?!  I don't worship idols!"   Before you commit yourself to that statement, stop and consider that while an idol is generally considered to be an object of worship, that and idol can also be something that captures a large portion of our time/attention.   These things can be our jobs, families, video games, sports, and various other causes can be just as easily considered to be a form of idolatry as they take our focus away from God.   In them becoming idols, we may start doing things through our own efforts and understanding vs. demonstrating any faith in God.   Apart from God, we are severely undercutting our ability to do anything or are putting our faith in the wrong place as faith placed outside of Jesus doesn't work.   

John 15:4-5 "Remain in Me and I will remain in you.  For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from Me.   Yes, I am the vine and you are the branches.  Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will product much fruit.  For apart from me, you can do nothing."

What if instead of placing our faith in people and processes, things that will ultimately fail and disappoint us, we instead placed our faith in Jesus?   What if we started working and actually obeying Christ's teachings and loved each other?   What if in doing so, we started looking out for each other?   What if, instead of depending on others to do the work of taking care of "the least of these" we took some responsibility and did some of the work ourselves vs. just talking about it?   Wouldn't the world be a better place?   Wouldn't we actually draw some positive attention to Christ's message?   Wouldn't we become the change we all so desperately wish to see in the world?   This isn't something that is impossible.   Philippians 4:13 tells us "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."   

So, how do you answer?

Where is your faith?

Ramblings......

I've take the day off from work today.   As I am sitting on the coach waiting on it to be time head into the events of the day, I keep trying to occupy myself with reading and other games that I play on my phone/tablet.   I keep going in a circle - reading/playing/reading/playing - mostly trying to get away from the thoughts rambling around in my head.   I've finally decided to give in and sit down and write them out as that seem to be what I am being led to do at this moment.

The world is so overcome with struggle.   Everyone is chasing after something.   To get out of debt, a better house, an education, a better job, or just trying to pay the bills and keep food on the table.   However, if we are honest with ourselves, we are all looking and digging for something.   At the heart of what we are looking for is to be loved and accepted - not because of what we have or can do for someone else - but for what we are.   We have an internal yearning to receive exactly the type of love that Jesus provides for all of us, but when it comes to Jesus, we are too concerned about what our friends or family's reaction will be to us acknowledging Jesus that we do everything we can to run away from Him.   At the root of it, we let fear stand between us and a lasting relationship with Christ - despite God telling us repeatedly to be "strong and courageous."    Joshua 1:9 - I command you - be strong and courageous!  Do not be afraid or discouraged.  For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

For those of us that acknowledge Jesus, we tend to do so on our own terms.   Rather than letting go and fully relying on Jesus to come into our lives and provide for us, dieing to our own desires and living for God, we tend to let our desires and cultural influences shape the truth God provides.    Instead of us allow God to refine and shape us in His perfect image - we use our desires to shape God into our image.   How much we all are missing out on because we can't let go of our own selfish wants?   How much of an impact could Christains make on the world if we let go and actually let God lead the way?   How much do we let our own insecurities and perceived weakness hold us back.   What if we followed Paul's example and let go?  What is we all let God's power work in us?   2 Corinthians 12:9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness."  Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weakness, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

How many Christians who have the ability to profess God's word and lead other's to Christ neglect to do so?   How many of us believe that the "Great Commission" is only for missionaries?   Matthew 28:18-20 says - Jesus came and told His disciples, "I have been given complete authority in Heaven and on earth.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."   How many of us pray each day that the Lord would use us to lead others to Christ?   I think we have all missed out on the fact that Jesus simply directs us to "Go".  He doesn't say where or how far.  He doesn't even say that we will come back.   He simply says to "... Go and make disciples....." Yet many of us can't be bothered to get off the couch and cross the street to share the gospel with our neighbors or even take notice of someone in need of assistance as we walk down the street or shop at the grocery store or market.

There's so much more that is on my heart and in my head right now.   However, this is all I can write conherently right now, but I just have this unshakable feeling and concern that we have watered down Christianity to the point that in many ways it isn't what Jesus intended.   We have simply become too comfortable.

Qaado ilmahayga!

I have recently been reading a book by Nik Ripken titled "The Insanity of God."   I am only about half way through it, but there was a particular part of a chapter that really spoke to me - though perhaps not in the way the author may have intended.

In the chapter, Nik and his wife - Ruth - have established an relief organization in Africa; working to feed and spread the word of God.   As the story goes, Nik is traveling to some of the more remote parts of Somalia and finds that many of these areas have not been able to feed themselves adequately for more than four years.   They find that some towns have completely disappeared - all of the inhabitants having starved to death.  In other towns, the parents gave all of the food to the children, and died of starvation - leaving only the children to survive.  In others, the children have all starved or died of sickness leaving the grieving parents.   Nik and his team find a stark view of suffering that many are not prepared for.

As the team approaches another town with trucks filled with medical supplies and food, things get really tense as several people approach the trucks and are shouting.   They are instantly filled with fear as they think the people approaching the trucks are coming to stop the trucks and steal all of the supplies.   However, as the situation develops, Nik hears one of the mothers yelling out "Qaado ilmahayga!" As she tries to push her baby thru the open truck window.   "Please take my baby!   All of my other children have died, please save this one!"   They quickly find that the people approaching the trucks are the mothers of the area towns that still have children and are so desperate for their sons/daughters to survive that they are willing to give them up to strangers in a hope that they will live a long life.   

As I read that section of the book, I was struck by not only the suffering the Somali people were going thru, by the powerful demonstration of love, but also by the strength of the love that God must have for each of us that He sent His only Son to live as an example for and to die for all of us so that we may have the promise of eternal life with Him.   Just as the Somali mother's were willing to give up their children so that they may live, God gave up His Son so that we might live.