Tag: scripture

Zacharias to have son . . .

old antique bible as an open book with sunlight bursting from the pages

Scripture is from the Holy Bible — New King James Version (NKJV)

John the Baptist to be born

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Lesson Scripture — Luke 1:5-25

5 — “There was in the days of Herod the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.”
6 — “And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.”
7 — “But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.”
8 — “So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division,”
9 — “according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.”
10 — “And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.”
11 — “Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.”
12 — “And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.”
13 — “But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.'”
14 — “‘And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.'”
15 — “‘For he will be great in the sight of t he Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.'”
16 — “‘And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.”
17 — “‘He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.'”
18 — “And Zacharias said to the angel, ‘How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.'”
19 — “And the angel answered and said to him, ‘I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.'”
20 — “‘But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.'”
21 — “And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple.”
22 — “But when he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.”
23 — “So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.”
24 — “Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived and she hid herself five months, saying”
25 — “‘Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.'”

~~~~~~~~~~

Notes on Scripture — by tkbrown

Above, I have presented the scripture in Luke Chapter 1 regarding the birth of ‘John the Baptist.’ (The apostle, John, was not John the Baptist. They are two different men.) Zacharias was informed by the angel, Gabriel, that his wife — Elizabeth — would bear a son, and they were to call his name “John”.

Zacharias did not understand how, at his and Elizabeth’s advanced ages, she could give birth to a son. He asked Gabriel how he would know this was true. Gabriel informed him he would not be able to speak (he would be mute) the entire time — nine months — until John would be born. This was the consequence dealt Zacharias for not believing Gabriel, the angel of God.

Then we see that Elizabeth, who is in awe of being with child. She hides herself away for five months before she tells anyone.

I stopped the scripture here, and next week I will begin with verse 26 — which is the beginning of Mary being told — six months after Zacharias was told of John’s impending birth —  she would give birth to Jesus. John was six months older than Jesus and would pave the way for Jesus’ ministry here on earth.

We will review the high points of Jesus’ life here on earth, and I will present scripture from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It will take a few weeks to cover all of this. Then we will look a bit more closely at Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection.

Please come back each week to study the scripture with us and learn of Jesus’ life here on earth.

Have a Blessed Week

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Lesson 1: Zacharias to Have Son . . . 

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Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth . . .

old antique bible as an open book with sunlight bursting from the pages

Scripture is from — “Holy Bible: New King James Version (NKJV)”

~~ Notes on Scripture Below ~~
by tkbrown

1 — “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

2 — “He was in the beginning with God.”

3 — “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

4 — “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

5 — “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

6 — “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.”

7 — “This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through the night believe.”

8 — “He was not that Light but was sent to bear witness of that Light.”

9 — “That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.”

10 — “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the word did not know Him.”

11 — “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.”

12 — “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name,”

13 — “who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

14 — “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:1-14 — “Holy Bible: New Testament, New King James Version (NKJV)”

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Notes on Scripture: by tkbrown

The New Testament reveals Christ, His church, His plan of salvation and a guide for living the Christian life. It also gives us a glimpse of the afterlife. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John each depict the life of Christ here on earth. They begin with His conception and follow with excerpts of His life as viewed by these four men who followed and assisted his ministrations closely. His crucifixion, burial, and resurrection are each presented as are the responses to each by friends and enemies. Events that occurred before and after His ascension, including His Great Commission to the apostles and to His followers, reveal the plan to extend His salvation to the Jew first and then to the Gentile. Over the next several months, we will search excerpts from each of these four Gospels. Please review my presentations with your own searching of the Scriptures so you can be assured that I present the Truth as it is presented in the Holy Bible.

Today’s scripture shows us that Christ — the Word — existed in the beginning with God. It reveals that the world was made through Him. I remember reading this as a child and being in awe of the fact that Jesus was with God when He (God) created the world and all that is in it. Then it went on to say, not only was Jesus (the Word) with God, but He ‘was God’. This was an awesome revelation to me. It said that this ‘plan’ God had for my own, personal salvation was in existence when the world was formed. Imagine that, God knew ‘you’ before the world was even formed! You were and are that important to God — important enough for God to send His Son (an extension of Himself) to earth so that ‘you’ might hear His word!

He came first to His own, but they did not receive Him. Then, He and His plan were extended to all the world. His love did not stop with His own people, it is extended to all those who receive Him. Each and every person who receives Him is granted ‘. . . the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. . . .” This ‘right to become children of God’ is taken one step further in Romans 8:17 which says: “. . . and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and Joint heirs with Christ. . . .”

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When Devout Women Pray

~~ a Devotional ~~

~~ by tkbrown
Source: Holy Bible — New King James Version (NKJV)

Lydia Becomes a Christian

Acts 16:11-15

  • 11 — “Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samo-thrace, and the next day came to Neapolis,”
  • 12 — “and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days.”
  • 13 — “And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there.”
  • 14 — “Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.”
  • 15 — “And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.’ So she persuaded us.”

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Lydia was a businesswoman who met with a group of women to make prayer on the Sabbath day by the riverside in Philippi of Macedonia. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira.

Paul and his party, who had just recently arrived in Philippi, joined the women. There, Paul met Lydia. “And the Lord opened her [Lydia’s] heart to heed the things spoken by Paul,” (Acts 16:14 NKJV). Thus, God had seen Lydia’s heart and had deemed her prayers worthy of being heard. He answered her prayers by sending Paul to speak with her.

Lydia and her household saw the truth in Paul’s teachings and were baptized into Christ’s church. Afterward, she begged of Paul and his team that they stay in her house if they judged her heart to be faithful to God. Paul said she persuaded them.

What this says is, even before she became a Christian, Lydia’s prayers were fervent enough to be heard by God and Jesus Christ. Her prayers were recognized as those of a woman who was truly searching for the truth, and He answered her prayers.

Typically, When the prayers uttered before becoming a Christian are referenced as being ‘heard’, it is those of Cornelius that are mentioned and studied.

Perhaps, as encouragement to devout women of faith, we should make an effort to show the same virtue and righteous recognition are given to Lydia’s prayers. Thus, when a woman of ‘faith’ prays, God hears and answers.

Lydia continued to support efforts to grow the church in Philippi.

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Photo Above: by reenablack @ pixabay.com.

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Thanksgiving

~~ a Devotional ~~

~~ by tkbrown

Note: If we believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, if we believe that He was sent to this earth to die for the sins of all mankind, if we believe He rose again three days after His death, and if we believe He ascended to heaven to be with God, His Father, once again, then we must believe He will come again to receive us unto himself, when it is time!

— Philippians 4:4 — “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice!”

— Philippians 4:5 — “Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.”

Note: I am amazed at all God has provided for me and mine. He has left no need lacking. With a prayerful heart, I give Thanks this day for His abounding provisions. He makes His love for me known by providing all for which I have need!. I am, daily, amazed at the unlimited bounds of His love.

— Philippians 4:6 — “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God,”

— Philippians 4:7 — “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

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~~ Please join with me in an ongoing Prayer of Thanks. ~~

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Pick Yourself Up . . .

Picture Quotes
picturequotes.com

~~ an Essay ~~

~~ by tkbrown

When I was growing up, my mamma and daddy quoted a lot of ‘old sayings’ in response to situations encountered in daily living. Oftentimes, when I was discouraged by not succeeding at something I had tried, my mamma would say, “Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try it all over again.” At the time, I did not realize just how much her sayings helped me to do just that — move on. Inevitably, when I tried again, I would move closer to my intended goal. This would encourage me, and I would keep trying. Each time, as I moved a little closer to my goal, I was encouraged just enough to ‘try again.’

I thought of and referred to the saying earlier tonight, and I decided to find out from whence the saying derives. So, I did a Google search on it. According to Wikipedia, the source most readily credited is The song, “Pick Yourself Up,” sang by Frank Sinatra, composed by Jerome Kern in 1936 with lyrics written by Dorothy Fields. Wikipedia provides some further information regarding the song. “Like most popular songs of the era, it features a 32-bar chorus with an extended coda. It’s rhyming scheme is AABA style, with some variations among the A sections.” The song was first introduced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the 1936 film ‘Swing Time.’ Astaire also recorded the song on his own that year for the Brunswick lable (Eds. Wikipedia). In addition, Wikipedia shows the song was recorded by several other artists and has been utilized by a number of television shows through the decades.

While I do not believe the ‘old saying’ originated with the song, I do believe it became more prominent with the publication; and it brought the words to my mammas attention. I am grateful it did. Many is the time that I relied on strength from these words. It is a strength I tried to hand down to my children; hopefully, they are now passing it down to their children.

Since I believed the song was not the origin of the saying, a bit more research reveals it probably stems from Isaiah 52:2 in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible.
“Shake yourself from the dust, arise;
Sit down, O Jerusalem!
Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck,
O captive daughter of Zion!” (NKJV)
This scripture, in combination with the rest of Isaiah Chapter 52, references the decline of Israel during and after their captivity in Egypt. In this chapter, Isaiah is telling Israel it is time to get over what has happened to them and start anew.

Thus, it is my belief that this ‘old saying’ derives from scripture — as does, in all probability, the song. Below, I provide the words to the song, as recorded by Frank Sinatra. I also provide links to YouTube recordings by Frank Sinatra and by Nat “King” Cole. Enjoy all three, then tell me what you think. Does this ‘old saying’ originate with scripture in Isaiah Chapter 52, Verse 2 — or does the song implement the saying?

Frank Sinatra
Photo from: biography.com
Pick Yourself Up
          Sang By:  Frank Sinatra

Now nothing's impossible, I've found for when my chin is on the
          ground,
I pick myself up, dust myself off, and start all over again.
Don't lose your confidence if you slip, be grateful for a pleasant trip,
and pick yourself up, dust off, start over again.
Work like a soul inspired until the battle of the day is won.
You may be sick and tired, but you be a man, my son.
Will you remember the famous men who have to fall to rise again?
So, take a deep breath, pick yourself up, start all over again.

You gotta work like a soul inspired until the battle of the day is won.
You may be sick and tired, but you be a man, my son.
Will you remember the famous men who have to fall and then to rise
          again?
So, take a deep breath, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all
          over again.

Once again now:
Will you remember the famous men who have to fall and then rise
          again.
So, take a deep breath, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start
          all over again.

That's enough now.

Source:
LyricFind
Composed 1936 by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Dorothy Fields.
Pick Yourself Up lyrics (copyright) Universal Music Publishing Group,
Shapiro Bernstein & Co. Inc.

The following link will take you to the performance by Frank Sinatra:
Argosy34 — You Tube — 10 July 2010.
https://youtu.be/3EFPJL1uQbs. 

The recording by Nat “King” Cole and George Shearing includes lyric variations. The following link will access their version:
Paolo Pineda — You Tube — 20 June 2011.
https://youtu.be/QqC5YtutWAU. 

Sources:
Eds. (2019). Bible Hub: Isaiah 52:2 — New King James Version (NKJV). (11 November 2019). https://biblehub.com/isaiah/52-2.htm.

Eds. (2019). Google: Pick Yourself Up. (11 November 2019). Google. https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ACYBGNRImrm4Hd_wNUA7FweTdlSVnmWCOg%3A1573457900640&source=hp&ei=7A_JXY6BJYexgget-pmYDA&q=pick+yourself+up+dust+yourself+off+and+start+all+over+again+lyrics&oq=&gs_l=psy-ab.1.4.35i362i39l10.0.0..7989…0.0..0.135.135.0j1……0……gws-wiz…..10.HCwL6mZ6lJU.  

Eds. (2 September 2019). Wikipedia: Pick Yourself Up. Wikimedia project, Powered by MediaWiki. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pick_Yourself_Up.

For God so Loved theWorld — Part 2

~~ Notes: by tkbrown ~~
Photo by: Comfreak
at pixabay.com
Source: Holy Bible (NKJV)

In Part 1, we discussed the choice to ‘believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God’ or ‘not to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ It is our individual, personal choice whether or not we are saved by God. If we believe, then He offers a plan — through Christ Jesus — whereby we can be saved. If we do not believe, then we have already condemned ourselves to an eternity of darkness without salvation. Here, we can read this message directly from His word (NKJV).

John 3:16 — “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.“

John 3:17 — “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

John 3:18 — “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he wo does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

While Jesus was on the earth in human form, He was given power to reveal this plan to all mankind through His personally chosen disciples. If we study the New Testament through, we can see how Jesus personally called His disciples — one by one — to follow Him and become ‘fishers of men.’ He did not choose these disciples from the educated and the elite of the synagogue or from the community. He chose ‘sinners’ whom He knew to possess the character traits necessary to understand His will and to relay that will to people from all nationalities and walks of life. Before He ascended back into heaven, He instructed these disciples in the manner to convey His power to those who would believe.

Matthew 28:18 — “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.'”

Jesus assured His disciples that His time on earth was to impart His teachings to all mankind via the disciples. He assured them that God is concerned even about the grass in the field which is here today and gone tomorrow. If God loves even the grass in the fields, how much more does He love us. We who are made in His own image are loved so much that He sent His only Son to die on the cross as payment for the sins of those who choose to believe — thereby choosing salvation and eternal life with Him. First, we must seek His kingdom and His righteousness, then these things can be ours.

Matthew 6:30 — “Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?“

Matthew 6:33 — “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.“

The New Testament is the ‘last covenant’ or ‘will’ imparted from God to mankind. If we are to know what we can inherit, we must study that will and obey the commandments outlined within it. The guidelines are all spelled out for us in the New Testament of God’s word – the Bible. If we believe Him, we will study this covenant which was delivered via His Son’s death and we will strive to obey the blueprint presented. Paul told Timothy to continue in teachings outlined in the Scriptures which provide all that is needed for salvation.

2 Timothy 3:14 — “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them.“

2 Timothy 3:15 — “and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.“

2 Timothy 3:16 — “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”

2 Timothy 3:17 — “that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Thus, if we choose to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, we will study His word — the Bible — to discern His guidelines by which we might be saved. Once we have studied and obeyed the plan of salvation outlined in the Holy Scriptures, we must continue in His teachings. Even in His kingdom, we find those who strive to obey and those who do not obey. If we believe, we will obey His teachings because we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to earth to provide a way by which we can be saved. Those who do not believe engage in profane babblings and wrest with the scriptures to their own destruction. Therefore, it is our will to be saved or to not be saved. God accepts the choice we make and will not force the issue. Do you believe? Will you obey? I pray that you will.

The Two Greatest Commandments

Photo by: aleteia.org
Source: Holy Bible (NKJV)

John 13:34-37 — “Love one another . . .”
John 13:34 — “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another: as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”
John 13:35 — “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
John 13:36 — “Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,”
John 13:37 — “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?”

John 13:38-40 — “Love the Lord they God . . .”
John 13:38 — “Jesus said unto him, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heaert, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.'”
John 13:39 — “‘This is the first and great commandment.'”
John 13:40 — “‘On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.'”

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Notes: by tkbrown

First, we are told to “Love the Lord thy God . . . ” above all others. If we do this, then the second – which is like unto the first – will follow. Jesus said, “This is the first and great commandment.“

Second, we are to “love one another . . . ” as Jesus loved us. By this, His disciples shall be known. If we strive to emulate Christ in our lives, others can see Him in us by the love that we have one for another.

Finally, He goes on to say that “on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” All else that we as Christians are required to strive toward hinges upon these two commandments. If we strive toward complete obedience of these two commandments, all else will fall into place.

“For God so loved the world “

~~ Notes: by tkbrown ~~
Photo by: Aaron Burden
at Unsplash.com
Source: Holy Bible (NKJV)
John 3:16-18

John 3:16 — “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.“

John 3:17 — “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him [His Son] might be saved.“

John 3:18 — “He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.“

The first of these three verses is probably the most “quoted” scripture in the entire Bible. It is, also, probably the most misrepresented scripture in most of the Bible. The reason being, it is typically quoted out of context, instead of continuing with the next two verses that explain John 3:16 more thoroughly. Those two verses, John 3:17 and 18, are typically ignored.

I would ask that you look at the three verses together, rather than taking John 3:16 out of context. When we read them as a unit (paragraph, if you will), we see that He is telling us: the result of Jesus coming into the world to save the world is an individual choice. Either we believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, or we do not believe. Either we believe God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our sins — or we do not believe.

He takes this explanation one step further by presenting a metaphor. When we read between the lines, He tells us that He will deal with each individual as a parent would deal with each of his/her children individually. A parent would not punish all of her/his children for the guilt of one — would he/she?

God explains that He did not send Jesus Christ, his Son, to condemn the world, “but that the world through Him might be saved.” In verse 18, He explains that he/she who believes in Jesus Christ as God’s Son is not condemned — “but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

So, when all three verses are read, and discussed, together — we see that each individual human being decides her/his own fate. Either he/she believes in the name of Jesus Christ as the Son of God — and we are then saved — because we will follow His commandments. Or, we do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and we are condemned already — because we do not believe, we have condemned ourselves.

It is as a parent disciplines her/his child(ren). The child who ‘took the candy’ condemned him/her-self by the taking of the candy. No one else forced her/his hand. He/she made that choice totally apart from the other child(ren). Those who were not involved in the taking of the candy, should not be punished for the sins of the one who did. That is how God deals with people in the world. It is a program of attraction or repulsion. Either the individual man/woman is believing in Christ Jesus and doing that which is right — and will, therefore, be saved by God. Or, she/he does not believe (a personal choice) — and has, therefore, condemned him/her-self to eternal damnation.

Which do you choose? Do you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God — sent to the earth by God to save those who believe? Or, do you believe Jesus Christ was just a man or a prophet — who died like everyone else, and was not raised on the third day? If you believe the latter, you have already condemned yourself. God is not the one who condemns the non-believer – the non-believer condemns her/him-self.