Signs & Wonders of Christ's Arrival - - Generations & Genealogies

 

Matthew 1:17

So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 1074
Generations: race, family;  if repeated twice or with another time word, practically indicates infinity of time. 

From the Greek word 'genea' (pronounced ghen-eh-ah')  

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 1078

Genealogy: origin, birth, descent, lineage

From the Greek word 'genesis' (pronounced ghen'-es-is). 

GENERATIONS (BRANCHES)

     Length of time within a generational period varies as it is measured by the age a man first becomes a father. Some historians give the age of a generation as low as 25 years, some say 40 years. Therefore the length of time in measuring out generations cannot be exact. We do know that at the very least more than 1000 years had passed from Abraham to Christ's birth. 

GENEALOGIES (ROOTS)

    Genealogies, on the other hand, were from father to sons and daughters, at times with only the first born son of the father listed in the  recitation of  generations within the genealogy. The genealogy is the bloodline, the family tree in which each generation within the genealogy can trace its roots and branches. Which is why only the firstborn is listed in the genealogies of Christ in Matthew 1:1-16. 

SON OF DAVID

Psalm 132:11

The LORD has sworn in truth unto David; He will not turn from it; Of the fruit of your body will I set upon your throne.

Matthew 21:9

And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest."

SON OF ABRAHAM

Genesis 22:17, 18

17. " That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

18.  And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

SON OF GOD, SON OF MAN

Son of God, Son of David

Luke 1:32 "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David."

 

Jesus is Son of Man for He is born of a woman (Galatians 4:4, 5), born under the law of Moses that He would be able to bring about the reconciliation of mankind with God (Romans 1:3, 4). 

Jesus is Son of God because God declares it to be so. At no other time in history has the voice of heaven said, "This is My Son." Matthew 3:17 "And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”

Jesus referred to Himself as Son of Man on a few occasions:

• Luke 7:34
• Luke 9:58
• Mark 8:31
• Mark 9:12
• Mark 2:10, 28
• Mark 10:33
• Mark 13:26
• John 1:51

    Daniel saw the Son of Man in a vision (Daniel 7:13). Stephen saw the Son of Man as he was dying (Acts 7:56). Though I have yet to meet Him face to face, His Spirit called to my spirit and I answered with the voice of faith, "Lord, I believe!" On my belief in Jesus Christ as Lord, I was grafted into the Vine (John 15:4, 5): I became the planting of the Lord, a tree of righteousness ( Isaiah 61:3; 1 Corinthians 3:9). I became an inheritor of grace, a daughter of faith, a seed of Abraham, of righteousness; I became a daughter of God, a friend of Jesus, a sister in the Lord. 

    I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the only begotten Son of God. That Jesus is the Son of Man and the Son of God; that He is the Son of Abraham, the Son of David. I believe and it is counted to me for righteousness. In His righteousness I am clothed and covered. 

    He's returning soon and I'm going to be ready. My garments are being washed whiter than snow. My soul is preparing herself as a bride prepares for her groom. 

    Are you ready for the return of the King? Humble yourselves. Look into your hearts and see if you can see Jesus. There is a hunger and a thirst. An ache, a longing for something, for Someone to fill that void, to empty, scatter, the darkness that threatens to overtake you. Ask Jesus to come into your hearts, to fill you with Himself, with the Light and the Love of God. Make room in your hearts, the inn of your soul, for the Son of God. Because He's here now, knocking on the door of your hearts, and asking, Open the door and I will come in and dine with you, and you with Me. (Revelation 3:2o)

A STRANGE WAY TO SAVE THE WORLD by 4Him

HE IS CALLED JESUS by Todd Agnew

MESSIAH by Francesca Battistelli

I SPEAK JESUS by Charity Gayle

NO HEIGHT, NO DEPTH by The Worship Initiative ft. Davy Flowers

LESS LIKE ME by Zach Williams

I SURRENDER by Hillsong Worship

Signs & Wonders of Christ's Arrival - - The Traveler

 

Matthew 2:20

Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. 

*Strong's Ex. Conc. 4198

Go: I travel, I journey, I go, I die

From the Greek word 'poreuomai' (pronounced por-yoo'-om-ahee). 

Remember the context in which the word is used. Transporting from one location to another. 

Here we see Jesus on the road again. A nomadic birth and childhood He had.

LEAVING HEAVEN

God Sent His Son

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life

Galatians 4:4, 5

4. But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

5. to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.

LEAVING BETHLEHEM

Matthew 2:13-15

13. When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.”

14. So he got up, took the Child and His mother by night, and withdrew to Egypt,

15. where he stayed until the death of Herod. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

LEAVING EGYPT

Hosea 11:1

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son.

Matthew 2:20, 21

20. Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. 

21. So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and went to the land of Israel.

LEAVING BETHLEHEM, AGAIN

Matthew 2:22, 23

22. But when he learned that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee,

23. and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

Isaiah 11:1

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 5342

Branch: a sprout, a shoot

From the Hebrew word 'netser' (pronounced nay'-tser). Indicating a branch, or city of Nazareth. 

The Lord's travels did not end there either, as some of us know. In Luke 2:41-52 we read of Jesus and His family's journey to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover, a journey they took every year. But this year was different. When the feasting ended and the family caravan left, Jesus stayed behind. He was teaching in the temple to the astonishment of everyone who heard Him, including His parents when they found Him. 

Not until He was grown and began His ministry did He travel permanently. Luke 9:58 "And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere He might lay the head." Always on the road, no home of His own, no bed to lie in at night. Not until His ministry ended here did His travels end.

LEAVING THE GRAVE

Matthew 28:6; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:6, 7; John 20:1-18

LEAVING EARTH

Acts 1:9

After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.

Now, His travels are done in us. We who serve the King go where He leads. We journey with Him, for He is ever with us. We are never alone, so we walk faithfully, speak boldly but gently, work obediently in His fields and wait patiently for His return. Jesus is coming and He is coming back soon.  For Christ has said, in Mark 16:15 "And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." And also in Matthew 28:19, 20 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Yes, every believer in their generations has said this. Days could be years, years could be centuries, millenia. Seconds turn into forevers. We say it all the time: this is taking forever! and we get impatient with the situation we are in. Forever cannot be measured by time. But someday after all is said and done, forever is where we will stay. With Jesus. Our travels will be ended and we will rest in Him. O Glorious Day! 

Make sure you have your passport ready to leave this earth. Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Simple faith. 

LIGHT OF THE WORLD by the African Children's Choir

I FEEL LIKE TRAVELIN' ON by Gloria Baily & Sylvester Morgan

I MUST HAVE THE SAVIOR WITH ME by Gloria Baily

Signs & Wonders of Christ's Arrival - - Gifts For The Gift

 

Matthew 2:11

On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, and frankincense and myrrh.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 1435

Gifts: present, sacrifice {offered to God}, something not coerced, spontaneous, offering

 From the Greek word 'dóron' (pronounced do'-ron). 

(cf) Matthew 5:42 "leave your offering at the altar"; Luke 21:1-4 "the widow's mite" (sacrificial offering).

THE FIRST GIFT

The first gift given was their time. They used their time in their homeland to research the birthplace of the King they had come to know in their studies of old manuscripts and they watched the night skies for the star that would rise in His honor.

THE SECOND GIFT

The second gift the wise men gave the Christ was their worship. They fell down, kneeled, prostrated themselves before him (face to the ground) and worshiped Him. Not His mother. She was the vessel of honor by which He came into this world, but worship is given to her Son Jesus Christ. Worship is an act of humility, it is humbling ourselves before the King of kings and giving Him our all: our hearts, our lives, our bodies; for His service, for His glory, for His honor. Out of their hearts the wise men gave. Out of their treasuries they gave. So, too, should we be prepared to come into the presence of God with our worship. Before we ever get to church our hearts need to be ready to receive what God has to give. And we need to be ready to give what God desires of us.

THE THIRD GIFT

The third gift they gave was gold. A precious commodity no matter what age you live in. It acknowledged His Kingship and Authority to rule. This gold was an offering, a sacrifice, a parting of their wealth to render unto the King what was due Him. We, too, need to render a monetary offering unto God. We call it tithing and love offerings. Because we love Him, we want to give Him everything, even our monies, which, while God does not need our money, He still requires us to be obedient in giving to Him. 

 

THE FOURTH GIFT 

The fourth gift given was frankincense. A costly fragrance used in the making of incense. The incense God instructed Moses to make included frankincense. It was laid before the the Most Holy Place before the priest could enter.

Exodus 30:34-37

34. The LORD also said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense—in equal measures,

35. and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy.

36. Grind some of it into fine powder and place it in front of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you.

37. You are never to use this formula to make incense for yourselves; you shall regard it as holy to the LORD.

THE FIFTH GIFT

The fifth gift they gave Him was myrrh. This was common spice used to anoint the dead, that their bodies would not stink while decaying. 

(cf) Mark 16:1 "When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so they could go and anoint the body of Jesus." 

Also, myrrh was a fragrant perfume used to anoint the king's wife (Esther 2:12), or the king himself (Song of Solomon 3:6). A precious oil reserved for precious beloved people. 

All the gifts given to Jesus not only acknowledged who He is, but foretold what would happen in His life. 

Time: He only had a short amount of time to make the biggest impact during His three year ministry. John 12:35 "Then Jesus told them, “For a little while longer, the Light will be among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going."

Worship: John 4:23, 24 Worship God: "But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth."

Gold: In heaven pure, unadulterated gold is used for  pavement and building material in the new city which God has prepared for His people. Revelation 21:18, 21. 

Gold is also the crown which Christ wears: Revelation 14:14 "And I looked and saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was One like the Son of Man, with a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand."

Frankincense: A bitter, pungent fragrance used primarily for incense. 

It was placed on the table of gold near the showbread in the temple of the Lord (Leviticus 24:7) as a memorial portion, an offering to the Lord. 

Myrrh: Used as an ointment (to heal wounds), a burial spice and a burnt offering (releasing a sweet odor/aroma). John 19:39 "Nicodemus, who had previously come to Jesus at night, also brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds." In their love for Him, Joseph and Nicodemus received permission to remove His body from the cross to bury Him properly. Even though they believed He would rise again, the nearness of that rising was hid from them. Therefore, Jesus needed to be buried in a clean place and anointed with fragrances that would keep Him pure for awhile. 

In today's market value that much myrrh is estimated to cost $150k. Whoof. Pricey. And yet worth every penny. Yet these gifts do not even compare with the Gift which God has given to mankind.

THE BEST GIFT

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

John 6:40

"For it is My Father's will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

Romans 5:8

But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 10:8-10

8. But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:

9. that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

THE GIFT OF GRACE

Now is the time to receive God's gift. Now is the time to open your heart and believe. Now is now, later may be too late. 

Many say we are living in the last days. So, too, did the disciples of Christ in their day in the beginning of the age of the church. Do not delay your day of salvation according to your timetable. Until Christ returns, every day is the last day. Only God knows the hour in which He will send His Son to gather up His bride, the church (Matthew 24:36; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17). 

This is not manana time. There is no tomorrow to plan for. Today is your day of salvation. Today is the day you should open God's gift of salvation through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, the Messiah. 
We beg you to reconsider your decision and not walk away. We implore you to come to the altar now. To humble yourselves  and kneel before God in repentance, to receive His forgiveness and grace. 

Ephesians 2:6-9

6. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus

7. in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

8. For by grace you are saved through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

9. not by works, so that no one can boast.

COME WORSHIP THE KING by Michael W. Smith, Shane & Shane

REFINER'S FIRE (Purify My Heart) by Vineyard Wordship

I GIVE YOU MY HEART by Hillsong 

 

Signs & Wonders of Christ's Arrival - - Exceeding Great Joy

 

Matthew 2:10

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 4970

Exceeding: very much, greatly, go all-out, extreme, deeply

From the Greek word 'sphrodra' (pronounced sfod'-rah). 

Also used to describe great fear, as in Matthew 17:6.

Used to describe a level of emotion being felt or the quantity of wealth or lack thereof.

(cf) Matthew 26:22; Matthew 27:54; Luke 18:23; Acts 6:7; Revelation 16:21. 

Upon seeing the star the wise men 'rejoiced' with 'exceeding great joy'. Not a calm delight, nor mere inner peace, but over-the-top joy. Pure joy because they knew they were getting close to where the new King was. Pure joy for they knew they would soon and very soon see His face. 

Pure joy because they could not contain such ecstatic joy within themselves. 

I don't know about you but when I experience uncontainable joy, I sing. Can you imagine the ruckus they made after leaving Jerusalem to travel northwards to Bethlehem? Three grown men, traveling on desert animals themselves and with pack animals loaded with their gear: clothes, bedding, foods, shelter. Having traveled from the land east of Jerusalem for two years they would have needed a goodly supply to get them through. Even if they stayed at the local inns occasionally. 

Now picture all of that and them singing, too. Rejoicing with exceeding great joy. Being wise men, they were learned men. They knew the arts, including music. Songs of praise never sung before would have welled up within their hearts and poured out from them. One could imagine a bass, a baritone and a tenor; at least I can. 

Having pored over the prophecies and written books of what we call the Old Testament, the Word being in them to lead them and guide them through said prophecies may have put the words of great joy into their mouths, as well. Do you not know that when we who write songs under the guidance of the Holy Spirit have already dug deep into the Scriptures, too? (And I'm still digging). 

David knew such joy. He wrote hundreds of songs about God in The Book of Psalms. Such as Psalms 148:1 "Hallelujah! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise Him in the highest places." Isaiah wrote, "Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, O depths of the earth. Break forth in song, O mountains, you forests and all your trees. For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and revealed His glory in Israel." 

Zephaniah 3:17 even tells us that God will sing over His people with joy, when He restores them, "The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.”

How can we not shout to the Lord with a voice of triumph, as in Psalm 98:4, "Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise." A joyful Noise, a Loud noise: shouting high praise to God. As the angels sang to the shepherds, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

JOY TO THE WORLD by Chris Tomlin

THERE IS A KING MEDLEY by Elevation Church

HE IS EXALTED MEDLEY 

Signs & Wonders of Christ's Arrival - - Not All Who Seek Him Find Him

 

Matthew 2:3, 4

3. When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

4. And when he had assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 

He asked not out of good intentions, for his heart was evil. 

In these next few verses, Matthew 2:5-8 and 16-18, we see the result of Herod not finding Jesus. Jesus had only just arrived; it was not His time yet to be found by those whose sole desire was to kill Him.

#Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 5015

Disturbed: agitate, stir up, trouble

From the Greek word 'tarassó' (pronounced tar-as'-so). To put in motion (to agitate back-and-forth, shake to-and-fro); (figuratively) to set in motion what needs to remain still (at ease); to "trouble" ("agitate"), causing inner perplexity (emotional agitation) from getting too stirred up inside ("upset"). 

The result of Herod not finding Jesus where He was said to be was that all boys two years old and younger in Bethlehem and it's surrounding areas were immediately murdered by Herod's men. Sadly, this fulfilled another prophecy from Jeremiah 13:15 "This is what the LORD says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” (Matthew 2:17, 18) 

Who knows the intentions of the heart better than God? for the heart is what He looks at when He looks in our direction. Are the hearts of men/women in this day and age still looking for Him to worship Him or to seek His destruction? We can only answer for our own hearts. 

Having been unable to take out Jesus at His birth, the devil tries to destroy Him during His ministry, but it wasn't time. When the time did arrive, the devil's plans backfired: for the crucifixion of Christ overcame for once and for all all of the devil's stratagems.  Joy to the world, indeed. Now, through Christ, we too can overcome the enemy of our souls. 

Seek Him with a desire to know Him and He will surely reveal Himself. He does not hide Himself from the people who truly desire to know Him, love Him, adore Him.

Choose wisdom. Follow after it like the gold seekers of times past, for the wisdom of God is a far greater treasure than any earthly treasure that could be gained. 

The reason so many people do not understand the Bible, and why many misinterpret it, is because they do not want to know the God of the Bible. They are looking constantly for ways to deny Him, His existence. Some believe theories instead of facts because facts obstruct their beliefs. But what is a theory? Conjecture, speculation, assumption, ideology, philosophy are but a few words that mean the same thing as theory. ( I looked in the Thesaurus). 

Conjecture is 'what if'. Speculation is 'maybe'. Assumption is assuming something to be so without actual facts to back it up. Ideology is 'the body of belief or doctrine upon which a person or persons builds their life'. The dictionary has several definitions of Philosophy, none of which contradict each other, but the main theme is that Philosophy is the study and basis of rational thought, rational existence and conducting one's life with studious thought on how to behave. 

Theory is not fact. A fact is known entity. A theory is an unknown entity. Not the same. Wisdom of God is a known entity. The wisdom of men changes with the wind: for whichever the wind blows, man in and of himself, allows himself to be bent by the winds of heresies, false doctrines and the false prophets who spew them into the hearing of the hearts that reject Christ as Lord and Savior of their souls. 

Whose voice are you hearing today? Whose steps do you follow in? Who is your king?Where is your heart? I know where my heart is. For the Bible says, "Where your treasure is, there your heart is." (Luke 12:34) And my heart is with Jesus. 

O Come Let Us Adore Him by Elevation Church

 

The LORD IS -- July

 

SKANDALON PETRA

(pronounced skan'-dal-on pet'-ra)

ROCK OF OFFENSE

Romans 9:33

As it is written: "Behold, I lay in Sion a Stumblingstone and Rock of Offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."

Isaiah 8:13-14

The LORD of Hosts is the One you shall regard as holy. Only He should be feared; only He should be dreaded.  And He will be a sanctuary—but to both houses of Israel a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, to the dwellers of Jerusalem a trap and a snare. 

Isaiah 28:16

So this is what the Lord GOD says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken. I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the level. Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies, and water will flood your hiding place."

IMMANUEL

GOD IS WITH US

Isaiah 8:10

Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God Is With Us.

Isaiah 7:14

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.

Matthew 1:23

"Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel" (which means, "God with us").

Isaiah 41:10

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 

Romans 8:31

What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

ELOHIM MAGEN

GOD OUR SHIELD

Psalm 84:9

Behold, O God our Shield, and look upon the face of Thine anointed.

Genesis 15:1

After these things the Word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy Shield, and thy Exceeding Great Reward.

2 Samuel 22:31

As for God, His way is perfect; the Word of the LORD is tried: He is a buckler to all them that trust in Him.

Proverbs 30:5

Every Word of God is pure: He is a Shield unto them that put their trust in Him. 

YAHWEH KABOWD

LORD MY GLORY

Psalm 3:3

But You, O LORD, are a Shield around me, My Glory, and the One who lifts my head.

Pronounced: yah-way kaw-bode'

GLORY: Honor; Beauty, Adornment, Crown, Majesty

This is a declaration of faith which King David made to God while running away from his son Absalom, who wanted to kill him and take his place on the throne (2 Samuel 15). But David knew God would protect him from his son the upstart. He knew God as his Shield, his protector, the God Who encompasses His people with His own Strength. 

David recognized God's Kingship over all. Therefore he knew that God was his Glory, that God's glory is God's Majesty. 

Psalms tells us we worship God "in the beauty of holiness", in God's holiness, God's beauty. Hebrews 2:9 reminds us that Jesus is Crowned with Glory: "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, because of the suffering of death, having been crowned with glory and with honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for​ ​everyone​." 

DAVID RHIZA

(pronounced dahb-eed hrid'-zah)

ROOT OF DAVID

Revelation 5:3

Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep!" Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals."

Rhiza: root, source, that which comes from the root

 

Isaiah 11:1

 And there shall come forth a Rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

Acts 13:22-23

After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’  From the descendants of this man, God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as He promised. 

Revelation 22:16

"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star."

The word 'root' is both noun and verb. As a noun we see that it takes hold of its surroundings and establishes a firm hold. As a verb we know that a root can be implanted or establish deeply within. 

John 15:5

I am the vine; you are the branches. The one abiding in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit. For apart from Me you are able to do nothing.

Colossians 2:6, 7

 Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

 

Intelligent Worship -- Submit to God

 Intelligent Worship brings us into the presence of God through Submission to God. 

Part 12.

And now we come to the final installment of this series. That part which seems to keep a lot of folks from fully surrendering to God's will for their lives: letting go of self-will and submitting to God's will. But, really, once we have placed ourselves at His feet and received His mercy, there truly is no better place to be than in God's perfect will. 

It is a life that is lived in internal peace. Though the world fractures around us, though the enemies of the cross are many and threaten our lives, this peace that passes understanding can only be obtained through daily submission to the Word of God. 

You've heard the phrase, "It's my way or the highway"? Same concept applies here. In order to worship God and be in His presence, we must walk the narrow road, the old path, in order to walk with God and commune with Him. In other words, it's "His Way or the highway". Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."

Submission to God leads to a thwarting of the devil's plans.

James 4:7

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Submission to God renders us His humble servants. 

1 Peter 5:6

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you.

Submission to God means complete and absolute surrender to God's will for our lives.

Romans 12:1

Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship.

Submission to God is an intentional recognition that we do not belong to ourselves any more; now we belong to God.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.

Submission to God begins when we believe that Jesus Christ is Lord. 

Romans 10:9

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him out from the dead, you will be saved. 

Submission to God removes anxiety and worry from a believer's heart. 

Matthew 6:25

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

James 4:14

You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Every act of worship requires the worshiper to be a born-again believer. There's no getting around that one focal point. All I can say is, if you aren't, what are you waiting for? Hebrews 3 speaks over and over again on the urgency of the day, of to day, being our day of salvation. For tomorrow is not promised to anyone. To day could be your day of salvation. Why not make it so? 

Intelligent Worship -- Worship God -- Part 4

 

Here we are on Part 4 of our Intelligent Worship Series. You get them in the order I was given them by the Spirit: all of are equal value in our study Intelligent Worship. 

DON'T WORSHIP OTHER (manmade) GODS

Exodus 23:24-25

You shall not bow down to worship their gods, nor serve them, nor do [anything] in accordance with their practices. You shall completely overthrow them and break down their [sacred] pillars and images [of pagan worship]. You shall serve [only] the LORD your God, and He shall bless your bread and water. I will also remove sickness from among you. 

WORSHIP GOD and none other. We have already read that God's name is Jealous. He desires our worship. When we worship God, we are acknowledging that only He Is God and that all that we have comes from Him, even the air we breathe and how we breathe it. 
We can cross reference this passage with Exodus 20:1-6 where God gives the Ten Commandments to Moses. While verses one and two are God reminding us Who He Is, verses 3-6 are the First Commandment: Worship God and none other.

1. And God spoke all these words:
2. “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
3. You shall have no other gods before Me.
4. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath.
5. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
6. but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Psalm 29:2 tells us to "Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." Psalm 113:3 reminds us "From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised." Worship of God should be ever in our hearts (gratitude attitude) and on our lips. 

You and I like to be praised for what we do. Why are you surprised that God likes to be praised? "The LORD inhabits (dwells, lives in) the praises of His people." (Psalm 22:3 "But You are holy, O You that inhabits the praises of Israel." Other versions use the word "sit" or "enthroned upon". Knowing God is not limited by time or space we know He is not limited to just dwelling on our praises. We can consider our praises to be one of His thrones, for He has a few. 

WORSHIP GOD ONLY

Matthew 4:10

Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.’”

 Deuteronomy 6:13

Fear the LORD your God, serve Him only, and take your oaths in His name.

1 Samuel 7:3

Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, "If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines."

Isaiah 30:22

So you will desecrate your silver-plated idols and your gold-plated images. You will throw them away like menstrual cloths, saying to them, "Be gone!"

Joshua 24:14

Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve the LORD.

Pretty plain and vivid speaking here, wouldn't you say? If we put anything or anyone else first in our lives instead of God, His wrath and His judgments will fall on us, too. Other gods are not always idols, sometimes it's ideologies (doctrine, myth, belief that guides a person or the society in which they live) or cultures (civilization, education) or traditions (that's the way we've always done it mentality). 

When we put what we want ahead of what God wants for us, then we are making ourselves gods and serving our needs and desires instead of His. That's not right. We can justify our argument all we want but we're still wrong in our decision process. 

1 Samuel 12:14-15

If you will fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, and if both you and the king (governmental authority) who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God, it will be well. 

But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you and your king.

Nobody speaks plainer than God. As Joshua wrote, "And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Intelligent Worship -- Seek God -- Part 2

 Now that we recognize the Authority of the One True God, we earnestly desire to know Him better, so we Seek Him out, craving with all our hearts to hear His voice more clearly, that we may understand His Word more readily.

Isaiah 55:6

Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.

Matthew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Luke 11:9-10

So I tell you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 

In Isaiah 55 it is the Lord God Who is speaking. From verse one all the way through, we read and hear the Lord God speaking to us: from the promise to the warning to the reward. 

The Lord God will not always be found for one day He will not only pull His church from the face of the earth, but His Holy Spirit will leave, too. He will be sought by many who waited to long to surrender their hearts and their decision to believe in Him will be at the cost of their lives. 

Revelation 14:14-20

They who do not take the mark of the beast will be made to suffer and be killed for their decision. Many will refuse to take it and not still not believe the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. But those people who do believe will be added to the growing list of martyrs whose names are written in the Book of Life (Revelation 17:6). 

You know, once you start reading Revelation it's really hard to stop. Seeking the Lord is fulfilling to the heart and the spirit of me, as it surely and hopefully is to you, too. 

David wrote in Psalm 34:8 "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" To 'taste' here means 'to perceive, to know, to examine by tasting' in small quantities at a time to the goodness of the Lord. 

Synonyms for 'taste': Perceive, Discern, Savor (upon the {spiritual} tongue); Understanding, Desire, Heart; Appreciate, Have Knowledge Of. 

When I seek God, I want to know more than I already know. I started studying deeply before I became a minister of the Word. Just reading my Bible every day wasn't enough: I had to know, I craved the meat of the Word because I was growing up in Him exponentially. I still am. Some days I run, some days I walk, but every day I am in the Word. It is as much a part of me as breathing is. 

Philippians 1:20-21

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have complete boldness so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. or to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.