Don, Author at Discover Historic Jesus

The Mystery of the Magi

The Mystery of the Magi ✝️

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His STAR in the East and have come to WORSHIP HIM.” – Matthew 2:1-2

WHO WERE THE MAGI?

600 years before the birth of Yeshua Jesus, the king of Babylon (now Iraq) and his armies invaded the Holy City of Jerusalem. Among the spoils they took was a young teen named Daniel. Daniel began his life under the rule of king Nebuchadnezzar as a slave. Among these was a caste of people who are known as the Chaldeans. In Daniel Chapter 2 we learn more about them. They were wise scientists of that day, Astrologers who were capable of interpreting dreams. But this time, King Nebuchadnezzar demanded that they not only interpret his dreams, but that they do so without knowing what the dreams were! Just before the King dispatched them all for their incompetence, they produced the young slave Daniel, who had been included in this group because of the powers that the God of Israel had given him. Young Daniel was of the tribe of Judah and he worshiped the true God of Israel. Daniel saved the Chaldeans that day by giving the king just what he asked for. From that time on, the Chaldeans listened to Daniel and believed in his God, as did king Nebuchadnezzar himself!

Renowned author and Bible teacher Hal Lindsey once told the story of the Chaldean Magi. It is fascinating to think that Daniel shared with them the secret of Jesus coming. Daniel served with them on the king’s court for over 70 years. Believers since they met Daniel, the Chaldeans now studied the Scriptures! And they knew of the prophecies of the coming Messiah. And through the generations, these Gentile Chaldeans continued to follow the Scriptures, understanding that Jesus was to be born in Bethlehem. And they knew of the prophecy of Daniel himself (in Daniel 9) that revealed the exact time that Jesus would enter Jerusalem as king on Palm Sunday. And it was Daniel who would have shared the secret of the Star of Bethlehem with the Chaldean Court members during that time. And they passed that knowledge on, generation by generation. And we all know the story. Centuries later, the Magi used their knowledge of the Scriptures and the Star of the Bethlehem to find Jesus!

Friend, like Daniel, we live in an enlightened culture. Our heritage is rich with the Scriptures and knowledge of Jesus Christ. In fact, the Bible says in Romans 1:20 that we are “without excuse”. The prophet Daniel was able to predict the very day that Jesus entered Jerusalem. Over 300 Old Testament prophecies about Yeshua Jesus have been fulfilled. The Bible has been validated by secular historians and archaeology. The Dead Sea Scrolls are proof of its miraculous preservation through the centuries.

My friend, there is an abundance of scientific REASON to believe. But if that is not enough, believe this: Believe that YOU are REASON that He gave His life. You are the REASON He suffered and died. To a world that was lost He gave all He could give… YOU are the REASON He lived. ❤️

Watch: Hal Lindsey and the Mystery of the Magi

Don2021-12-23T16:42:25+00:00Jesus in the New Testament, Uncategorized|

World needs Jesus

“World needs Jesus” Arranged by Don Ives. Original by River Valley Worship

When our homes are hit by heartbreak
Let Your presence meet us there
When the pain seems overwhelming
We hold onto You

When the streets are torn by chaos
We will be Your hands and feet
When the darkness brings division
May we be Your light

‘Cause we know our world needs Jesus
We know that our world needs freedom
So give us eyes to see the hurting and the broken
And let our lives align with every word You say

When the nations ache from violence
We will be Your blessed peace
When the headlines scream injustice
May we shout Your name!

‘Cause we know that our world needs Jesus
We know that our world needs freedom
So give us eyes to see the hurting and the broken
And let our lives align with every word You say!

So let every heart turn to Jesus
Let every voice sing of Your great name
Let all the earth know Your freedom
‘Cause we believe for more
We believe for more!

‘Cause we know that our world needs Jesus
We know that our world needs freedom
So give us eyes to see the hurting and the broken
And let our lives align with every word You say!

‘Cause I know that I need You, Jesus
And I know this heart needs healing
So from my knees I lift this prayer to You, my Savior
For my life and for the world, You’re the answer
Jesus

When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. – Matthew 16:2

Are we in the end times?

Jesus gave us signs to recognize the season of His return.

In Matthew 24: 4-5 Jesus said, “…take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.”

Folks, many families today are experiencing the heartbreak of children and grandchildren who have left the Church and are following what the great Apostle Paul called “another gospel”.

In fact, most of us know someone who says “I am The Christ”.

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!” – Galatians 1:8

And as a result, curses have rained down.

According to the CDC, over FIVE MILLION have died worldwide as a result of Covid-19 to date.

In Matthew 24: 6-8, Jesus foretold,

“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.”

Over TWELVE MILLION people have died at the hands of another human in the past 50 years. And, tragically, over THREE MILLION, mostly children, have starved to death. Often at the hands of their own political leaders.

In Matthew 24: 9-10, Jesus continues,

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.”

U.S. Abortion statistics tell the story. Since Roe v. Wade, SIXTY ONE MILLION innocent lives have been taken. Every 37 seconds, another child is barbarically murdered.

According to Open Doors USA, over THREE HUNDRED AND FOURTY MILLION Christians are living in places where they experience high levels of persecution and discrimination. In the past year alone:

4,761 Christians killed for their faith.
4,488 churches and other Christian buildings attacked.
4,277 believers detained without trial, arrested, sentenced or imprisoned.

In Matthew 24: 11-13, Jesus continues, “And many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

In the USA alone, over ONE MILLION violent crimes are committed each year. America is number 1 for cases of rape in the world – averaging well over ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND each year.

All this has led to despair, and many young people have turned to gender reassignment and mutilation of their bodies. Self-loathing and despair has caused many teens to suicide. THEY HAVE LOST ALL HOPE.

Is there an answer for our World?

YES

OUR WORLD NEEDS JESUS

Friend, do you know you need Him? For God so loved the world… SO LOVES YOU, that He gave His only Son. JESUS LOVES YOU so much that He gave his life. That YOU might live.

Find your way to your knees and pray to Him now. He is waiting…

“I know that I need You, Jesus.

And I know this heart needs healing.

So from my knees I lift this prayer to You, my Savior.

For my life and for the world, You’re the answer.

Jesus. Oh, Jesus. YOU are my hope.

I will follow YOU, now and forever.

Amen.”

Don2021-11-10T16:47:11+00:00MUSIC|

Magnify

Christ be Magnified – Arranged by Don Ives and written by Cody Carnes

Oh, MAGNIFY the Lord with me – Psalm 34-3

Were creation suddenly articulate

With a thousand tongues to lift one cry

Then from North to South and East to West

We’d hear Christ be magnified

Were the whole Earth echoing His eminence

His name would burst from sea and sky

From rivers to the mountain tops

We’d hear Christ be magnified

Oh! Christ be magnified

Let His praise arise

Christ be magnified in me

Oh! Christ be magnified

From the altar of my life

Christ be magnified in me

When every creature finds its inmost melody

And every human heart its native cry

Oh then in one enraptured hymn of praise

We’ll sing Christ be magnified

Oh! Christ be magnified

Let His praise arise

Christ be magnified in me

Oh! Christ be magnified

From the altar of my life

Christ be magnified in me

I won’t bow to idols, I’ll stand strong and worship You

And if it puts me in the fire, I’ll rejoice ’cause You’re there too

I won’t be formed by feelings, I hold fast to what is true

If the cross brings transformation then I’ll be crucified with You

‘Cause death is just the doorway into resurrection life

And if I join You in Your suffering, then I’ll join You when You rise

And when You return in glory with all the angels and the saints

My heart will still be singing, my song will be the same

Oh! Christ be magnified

Let His praise arise

Christ be magnified in me

Oh! Christ be magnified

From the altar of my life

Christ be magnified in me

Oh! Christ be magnified

Let His praise arise

Christ be magnified in me

Oh! Christ be magnified

From the altar of my life

Christ be magnified in me

And Mary said, My soul doth MAGNIFY the Lord – Luke 1:46

I tell you that if these keep silent, THE VERY STONES WILL CRY OUT – Luke 19:40

It seems fitting to introduce our AVENT 2021 series on Jesus in the TENAKH – The Hebrew Old Testament – by starting at the VERY BEGINNING. The Apostle John records the earliest record of, not the first human, or ape-man, or animal, or plant, or microbe, or atom… but, indeed, the infinite, absolute, BEGINNING:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. – John 1:1

In fact, in Colossians 1:16 we learn that Jesus was the Creator Himself, and that all Creation, including you and I, were Created for Him…

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. – Colossians 1:16

Therefore, when we read Genesis 1:1, the first words of the first book of the Bible, we clearly see Jesus…

In the beginning God Created the heavens and the earth – Genesis 1:1

Indeed, It is JESUS who holds all things, every proton, neutron and electron on this earth, together…

The Son is the gleaming brightness of God’s glory. He is the exact likeness of God’s being. He uses his powerful word to hold all things together. – Hebrews 1:3

JESUS is our reason for being. He is our beginning and our ending. Our Author and Finisher. We read in the book of Hebrews…

…looking unto Jesus, the AUTHOR and FINISHER of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:2

Oh, Christ be magnified! If we remain silent, the very stones will cry out!

Friend, do you know Him who flung the stars into the sky, who poured out the oceans, and whose fingers formed the dry land… Do you know your Author, your Creator, who wants to shape you, and mold you, so that you MAGNIFY His likeness and Glory?

Friend, He is waiting now… for you.

Don2021-11-06T01:48:26+00:00Jesus in the Old Testament, MUSIC|

Anchor

ANCHOR arranged by Don Ives and written by Hillsong

I have this hope

As an anchor for my soul

Through every storm

I will hold to You

With endless love

All my fear is swept away

In everything

I will trust in You

There is hope in the promise of the cross

You gave everything to save the world You love

And this hope is an anchor for my soul

Our God will stand unshakable

Unchanging One

You who was and is to come

Your promise sure

You will not let go

There is hope in the promise of the cross

You gave everything to save the world You love

And this hope is an anchor for my soul

Our God will stand unshakable

There is hope in the promise of the cross

You gave everything to save the world You love

And this hope is an anchor for my soul

Our God will stand unshakable

Your Name is higher

Your Name is greater

All my hope is in You

Your word unfailing

Your promise unshaken

All my hope is in You

We have this HOPE as an Anchor for the SOUL – Hebrews 6:19

Friend, if you believe in JESUS, you have a LIVING HOPE that ANCHORS your soul. And Anchor holds secure because it is lashed to the steadfast Word and immutable character of GOD. He is FAITHFUL, and His promises are TRUE (Joshua 21:45; Psalm 33:4; Hebrews 10:23). Imagine an anchor chain that extends from heaven to earth that will hold fast. With Jesus as our anchor, no power of darkness and no earthly opposition can harm us (Romans 8:31–34).

Friend, do you know the ONE that calms the waves and rebukes the storm? Trust Him now. He is JESUS who SAVES.

Don2021-11-04T01:05:08+00:00MUSIC|

No ONE but YOU

“No one but You” Arranged and performed by Don Ives. Written by Hillsong

Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever – Psalm 73:25–26

Who can melt the hardest heart

And speak life into my soul

Who can spin the world around

And hold me ever close

Who can search the depths of me

And love me to core

Who controls the world I see

And walks me through it all

No one but You

I’ll sing of Your love

I can’t get enough

I just want You

The Lord of my soul

The king of my heart

Jesus it’s You

Who has made the righteous bright

Who has paved my way with grace

Loved me through my darkest hours

A thousand different ways

No one but You

I’ll sing of Your love

I can’t get enough

I just want You

The Lord of my soul

The king of my heart

Jesus it’s You

And I’ll sing of Your love

I can’t get enough

I just want you

The Lord of my soul

King of my heart

Jesus it’s You

No one but You

“Lord, bring to me a sweetness surpassing all the seductive delights that I once pursued. Enable me to love you with all my strength that I may clasp your hand with all my heart. . . . You, Lord, are my king and my God.” – Augustine

No One but You, Lord. You are better than riches, far better than power or fame. You have searched me and known me since the dawn of Your Creation. You have transformed my heart of stone into a heart of flesh… filled with your Spirit. A heart that beats only for You, my dear, sweet Savior.

Friend, do you know Him? Have you met the One who bled and died to set you free? If you believe this, pray with me now:

Dear Jesus, I come before you, just as I am: A wrenched sinner. I humbly bow before you, to ask your forgiveness.

And Lord, I believe in You today! I know you hung, and bled, and died on that lonely cross to pay my debt. And you arose from the grave to set me free, so that I can be together with You for eternity. I receive You now as my glorious Lord and Savior. I am Yours now and forever. Amen

Don2021-10-25T03:31:55+00:00MUSIC|

This Is Love

Performed by Don Ives and written by New Wine Worship

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8

Oh, the mystery

You crossed the great divide to show your love for me

As you hung upon the cross and spilt your blood for me

And now I see

My sin that held you there it has no hold on me

For you rose again and now you have the victory

Forever I will sing

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the cross

And how I love you, Jesus, you have won my heart

This is love, this is love

All of me

I give my life to you, receive this offering

It’s all I have but you deserve my everything

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the cross

And how I love you, Jesus, you have won my heart

This is love, this is love

Majesty, Majesty

You laid your glory down for me

Majesty, Majesty

Amazing love how can it be?

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the cross

And how I love you, Jesus, you have won my heart

This is love, THIS IS LOVE

I assigned myself a seemingly simple task this morning… To put down in my own words… why I love Jesus. This song opens with my first reason… because, as the scripture says, He first loved me. (1 John 4:19). As deplorable as I was, and am, He chose the nails for my sake. He bore every sin I’ll ever commit on that tree. And oh, how I love Him for that.

But there is more… This is where I have to dig deeper… Why do I desire Him more than life itself?

I remember the day I loved Him that way for the very first time. I was struggling in my relationship with Him. I had known Him all my life, growing up in the Church. And, of course, if you asked me, I would tell you I loved Him. But on that day, in that moment, as I listened to a young woman sing a song about love from 1 Corinthians 13, I suddenly realized I was IN LOVE, for the first time, with JESUS. From that moment on I not only loved Him, but I was passionately, deeply, IN LOVE WITH HIM.

And that explains it… Why I am drawn to Him like a moth to a flame. And, as the Bible says, NOTHING can separate me from His love (Romans 8:31). I want to know HIM more and more… I want to be with HIM more that anything else. And I desire HIM more that life itself.

Friend, have you fallen in love with the Savior? Perhaps you know Him. Perhaps you even love Him, for what He did on the Cross, but do you LOVE Him with a deep, burning passion? Do you think of Him as you fall asleep, and again as you rise each morning? Is it your heart’s desire to know Him more and more?

My friend, He is the true lover of your soul. Let Him enter your heart. And I pray that you experience JESUS… for the first time.

THIS IS LOVE…

Don2021-10-22T00:00:48+00:00MUSIC|

Altar Call

“Altar Call” Performed by Don Ives and written by Keith Green

Because I love you with an everlasting LOVE.

Jeremiah 31:3

The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying:
I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with loving-kindness.

There is nothing more difficult to endure than knowing a loved one has walked away from the Savior. Oh, how it grieves His heart as it does mine. How He wants them to come back, as do I. Oh, How He loves them!

That deep, deep love that never fails. An unconditional love that desires nothing back. A perfect love that passes understanding. A love that gives everything and wants nothing. That’s the love of Jesus.

Son, I have loved you since before you were born. And so has Jesus. There was never a time in all of eternity when you were not loved by Him. He calls out to you, even now…. “My beloved, return to Me”.

Most people don’t find out

‘Till it’s too late

That someone has to pay the price

You can pay it yourself

Or let someone else

But who would be that nice?

To pay a debt that isn’t His

Well, I know someone like that

And He’s your best friend

He really is

He really loves you

Most people don’t find out

‘Till they’re half dead

That they need another life

You say you’ve heard everything

That’s ever been said

About the Way the Truth, the Life

You say you’ve heard lots of preaching

All before

So many times

But did you ever open up your door

Give him a chance

To prove himself

Well, He’s real, you know

I hope you find out

Before it’s too late

That there’s really nobody else

You know it’s breaking his heart

The longer you wait

Cause you’ve only been lying to yourself

Cause no one believes a thing you say

Not even you

You know

You’re gonna find out that He’s the way

No matter which way you choose

But I pray you

Find out by His love for you

Don2021-10-12T00:20:19+00:00MUSIC|

Thankful Heart

THANKFUL HEART performed by Don Ives and written by Bob Hartman

THANK YOU FOR THE CROSS ✝️

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! – 2 Corinthians 9:15

Pastor Greg Laurie once told a true story about a couple visiting a jewelry store. As the jeweler showed them various cross necklaces, the woman commented, “I like these, but do you have any without this little man on them?”

It’s a funny story, but with an element of Truth:

That’s what so many people want today: A cross without Jesus. They want a cross without any offense . . . because The Cross shows us the depths of our sins. We don’t want to face what sin is in the sight of God–how deeply it offends Him and how it separates us from Him.

The Romans chose crucifixion because it was meant to be a slow, torturous death. It was designed not only to kill someone, but to utterly humiliate them as they died. Crucifixions outside Roman cities served as warnings to anyone who would dare oppose the rule of Rome.

God Himself said in Isaiah 53, that He was “Pleased to bruise Him”. He wasn’t pleased to torture His beloved Son. He was pleased with the outcome.

Jesus prayed in the garden that there be ANY OTHER WAY that the cup, the cup of OUR SIN, yours and mine, that He was facing could be removed. Do you think if there were any other way that God would have allowed His Son to suffer like this? If there had been any other way we could have been forgiven, God surely would have found it! But there was, and is, NO OTHER WAY. He had to settle our debt. Pay the price for our sin. At the Cross, Jesus purchased the salvation of the world.

The Apostle Paul describes it best:

“God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the Cross” – Colossians 2:13–15

Friend, if you were ever tempted to doubt God’s love for you, even for a moment, then take a long, hard look at the Cross of Calvary and the lonely figure hanging there. Nails did not hold Jesus to that Cross. HIS LOVE FOR YOU DID. ❤️

Thankful Heart

There is no way to begin
To tell you how I feel
There are no words to express
How you’ve become so real
Jesus you’ve given me
So much I can’t repay
I have no offering

I have a thankful heart
That you have given me
And it can only come from you

There is no way to begin
To tell you how I feel
There’s nothing more I can say
And no way to repay
Your warming touch
That melts my heart of stone
Your steadfast love
I’ll never be alone

I have a thankful heart
That you have given me
And it can only come from you
I have a thankful heart
Words don’t come easily
But I’m sure you can see
My thankful heart

Help me be a man of God
A man who’s after your own heart
Help me show my gratitude
And keep in me a thankful heart

I have a thankful heart

That you have given me
And it can only come from you

I have a thankful heart
Words don’t come easily
But I’m sure you can see
My thankful heart

Thankful heart…

Don2021-10-01T13:53:09+00:00MUSIC|

Lay your BURDEN down

“Lay your BURDEN down” Performed by Don Ives. Written by Chuck Girard.

Every one of us carries a burden. Let’s face it. Life has a way of beating you up some times. Many lately have lost jobs, homes, marriages and loved ones. I pray for you now, whoever you are. Take your burden to the foot of the Cross, and Lay it down…

In a short time you will no longer see me, and then a short time later you will see me again.’

Then some of his disciples said to one another, ‘What does he mean, “In a short time you will no longer see me, and then a short time later you will see me again,” and, “I am going to the Father”? What is this “short time”? We don’t know what he means.’

Jesus knew that they wanted to question him, so he said, ‘You are asking one another what I meant by saying, “In a short time you will no longer see me, and then a short time later you will see me again.”

‘In all truth I tell you, you will be weeping and wailing while the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy. A woman in childbirth suffers, because her time has come; but when she has given birth to the child she forgets the suffering in her joy that a human being has been born into the world.

So it is with you: you are sad now, but I shall see you again, and your hearts will be full of joy, and that joy no one shall take from you.

– John 16:16-22

Give us the words, Lord, when we don’t know what to say to those who are grieving a loved one lost to Covid. Lord, give us YOUR HEART of perfect love and the healing touch of your hands as we touch their lives.

Don2021-10-01T00:57:32+00:00MUSIC|

I am not alone

I AM NOT ALONE written by Kari Jobe and performed by Don Ives

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior… – Isaiah 43:1-3

Uncertainty. Doubt. Overwhelming fear and despair. Oh, how we need the Savior! He knows there are times when we are drowning in so much fear and uncertainty that we lose sight of His presence. He knows we face trials so overwhelming that we question whether He really loves us…

Friend, He has been there all along. HE IS THERE. He is there in our suffering. He is there in our pain and in our grief. He is there in the fire. The Bible says that He will NEVER leave you or forsake you.

My friend, run to Him now. Let Him hold you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

When I walk through deep waters
I know that You will be with me
When I’m standing in the fire
I will not be overcome
Through the valley of the shadow
I will not fear

I am not alone
I am not alone
You will go before me
You will never leave me

In the midst of deep sorrow
I see Your light is breaking through
The dark of night will not overtake me
I am pressing into You

Lord, You fight my every battle
Oh, and I will not fear

I am not alone
I am not alone
You will go before me
You will never leave me

You amaze me
Redeem me
You call me as Your own
You amaze me
Redeem me
You call me as Your own

You’re my strength
You’re my defender
You’re my refuge in the storm
Through these trials
You’ve always been faithful
You bring healing to my soul

I am not alone
I am not alone
You will go before me
You will never leave me

I am not alone (no)
I am not alone
You will go before me
You will never leave me

I am not alone
I am not alone
You will go before me
You will never leave me

Don2021-09-03T12:59:22+00:00MUSIC|

Shelter

SHELTER written by Vertical Worship and performed by Don Ives

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. – Psalms 9:9

Overwhelmed. So much pain. So much suffering in this fallen world.

Did you know that God never intended it this way? But in this fallen world, the Bible says, “the whole creation has been GROANING as in pains of childbirth right up to the present time”- Romans 8:22

No doubt we have all groaned in pain. A toothache, an earache, a stubbed toe. Or something more intense, like a kidney stone. And some of us have groaned in heartache at the loss of a loved one. And when we tune in the news, we learn of the collective suffering of races, peoples, and nations. Overwhelming. Creation groaning.

So much suffering.

But did you know that sin is the root of suffering, and the root cause of a fallen world? Sin leads to consequences that cause the sinner to destroy others and eventually themselves. Jesus knew that there was only ONE who could end it. ONE perfect life. ONE without sin. There was no other way. So He chose the Cross. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” – John 3:16

He suffered for our sakes.

Overwhelmed. Broken. Like a puzzle with missing pieces. That was my life before Jesus. But God’s redemption, by His grace, healed the brokenness inside me.

He made me whole again.

Friend, are you overwhelmed? Give your life to Jesus. He will give you beauty for ashes and turn your graves into gardens. Jesus does not promise we can avoid all suffering… indeed, The Lord Himself suffered greatly on the Cross. But He does promise us a way through it.

For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. – Psalms 27:5

Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. – Psalms 32:6-8

God is our protection and our strength. He always helps in times of trouble. So we will not be afraid even if the earth shakes, or the mountains fall into the sea, even if the oceans roar and foam, or the mountains shake at the raging sea. Selah There is a river that brings joy to the city of God, the holy place where God Most High lives. – Psalms 46:1-4

You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. Away from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God! Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed. Uphold me, and I will be delivered; I will always have regard for your decrees. – Psalms 119:114-17

You have been my refuge, a tower of strength against the enemy. I would like to be a guest in your tent forever and to take refuge under the protection of your wings. Selah O God, you have heard my vows. You have given me the inheritance that belongs to those who fear your name. – Psalms 61:3-5

Don2021-08-24T02:04:31+00:00MUSIC|

More Like Jesus

MORE LIKE JESUS written by Passion and performed by Don Ives

Set our minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. – Colossians 2:2-3

As believers, we know that Jesus was and is perfect. The One perfect life. And scripture tells us that through His substitutionary death on the Cross, Christ was able to open the very gates of heaven for us.

But scripture doesn’t stop there… because those of us who are reading and writing this, at least, are still here on earth, in our old earthly bodies. Our bad old selves!

The Good News is this: The Bible tells us that …we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10

We are clay in the Hands of the Master Potter. And by DAILY YIELDING our lives to His Spirit, our minds are filled with the truth of heaven.

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” – 2 Corinthians 3:18

Friend, do you know Him? Do you know the one who made the lame to walk and the blind to see? He can calm the waves of your life as surely as He calmed the waves in the storm. Come, and see. And fill your mind with the truth of heaven.

Don2021-08-20T01:27:56+00:00MUSIC|

IS HE WORTHY?

IS HE WORTHY – Written by Andrew Peterson and performed by Don Ives

You are worthy to take the scroll,

And to open its seals;

For You were slain,

And have redeemed us to God by Your blood

Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

And have made us kings and priests to our God;

And we shall reign on the earth. – Revelation 5 ✝️

DO YOU FEEL LIKE GIVING UP? To be honest, sometimes I do. Sometimes, I am just tired. Tired as I watch the deepening shadows of this broken world we call home. But John 8 tells us that we are not lost to that darkness because HE IS OUR LIGHT. And He will restore you. ❤

DO YOU FEEL THE WORLD IS BROKEN?… that you just don’t belong here? I do. All the time. But 1 Peter reminds us that we are strangers; aliens who are not of this world. Indeed, Romans 8 tells us that all creation is groaning with us… and that ALL THINGS WILL ME MADE NEW… and you will belong ❤

DO YOU EVER FEEL UNLOVED? The Bible says that the Father loves us with an everlasting love. 1 John 3:1 tells us that He has lavished His love upon us, that we may be His children. And John 3:16 tells us that the Father gave HIS ONLY SON for us. That’s how much HE TRULY LOVES YOU. ❤

DO YOU EVER FEEL LOST AND ALONE? Friend, once you belong to Jesus, He will HOLD ONTO YOU for eternity. Isaiah 46 reminds us that He will be yours throughout your lifetime – until your hair is white with age (LIKE MINE!). I made you, He says, and I will care for you. I will carry you… and save you. Indeed, we are far from alone. ❤

The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave… The Lamb who died to ransom the slave. Indeed, HE IS WORTHY. ✝️

Friend, run to Him… He who is Worthy. Find Him. For HE HAS CHOSEN YOU. ❤

Don2021-08-18T01:16:02+00:00MUSIC|

Châyâh – God of Revival

Song :”God of Revival” written by Brian Johnson and performed by Don Ives.

The word REVIVAL, or “Châyâh” In Hebrew, is used 264 times in the Old Testament. To the Ancient Hebrew, a REVIVAL from God was defined as being restored from physical or spiritual sickness to health, and from physical and spiritual death to Eternal Life.

Friend, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” – John 14:6, and “For unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins” – John 8:24.

Perhaps you are already a Christian but one who needs revival in your hardened and fallow heart.

The Prophet Hosea talked about that:

Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you. – Hosea 10:12

Friend, do you want REVIVAL?

You must till the fallow ground of your heart. Fallow ground is ground which has once been tilled, but has since gotten hard and now lies waste. It needs to be broken up and made soft again, before it is ready to receive seed. If you mean to break up the fallow ground of your heart, you must begin by looking at your heart – examine carefully the state of your mind and see where you are. Many people never even seem to think about doing this. They pay no attention to their own hearts, and never know whether they are doing well in their walk with the Lord or not – whether they are bearing fruit or are totally barren. REVIVE US, OH LORD!

Remember… Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; FOR IT IS TIME TO SEEK THE LORD, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you. – Hosea 10:12

Don2021-09-02T23:35:52+00:00MUSIC|

Berakah – The Blessing

THE BLESSING

Music written by Kari Jobe & Cody Carnes and performed by Don Ives.

The word Blessing, “Berakah” in Hebrew, is used 70 times in the Old Testament. But what does it MEAN to be Blessed by God?

To be Blessed by God means that “God is FOR you” (Romans 8:31). It’s His FAVOR, wisdom, protection, abundance, ability, grace, joy, freedom, peace – all resting upon you and whatever you put your hand to.

The ancient Hebrew saw God’s Blessing as an ANNOINTING. Jacob wrestled God Himself and refused to let go until he received God’s Blessing. The ancient Hebrews believed God’s Blessing meant they were ANNOINTED to WIN and EMPOWERED to OVERCOME.

The ancient Hebrew understood that God’s Blessings were not only for one’s lifetime but for GENERATIONS. In Genesis 17:7 God said to Abraham, “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.”

To be Blessed by God is to be LED by Him in your life’s work. Psalm 90 says, “May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.”

To be Blessed is to be CHOSEN by Him. Indeed, Jesus Himself said in John 15:16, You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

HOW do we receive God’s Blessing?

Like Abraham, God desires to BLESS each one of His own, and our families, and our children, and their children for generations. Indeed, the GREATEST BLESSING that we can receive is the gift of God’s only begotten Son, Jesus, who gave paid the ultimate price so that we too could become one of God’s own (John 3:16).

Oh, friend, how God desires to Bless your life through the gift of His Son Jesus. How He longs to bless your family, and your children, and your children’s children… How He wants to be there, FOR YOU, in the morning… and the evening. In times of weeping… and rejoicing. How He wants to Bless you and keep you; to make His Face shine upon you and give you peace. My friend, receive Jesus today. And be Blessed. Because God is FOR you. He is FOR you. Because He loves you.

Don2021-08-12T01:10:17+00:00MUSIC|

The Passion Week

Don2021-04-01T18:02:52+00:00The Passion Week|

The Amarna letters

Hebrew Bible: On that day David had given orders, “Whoever would strike down the men of Jebus, let him reach them by way of the water tunnel… (2 Samuel 5:8)

Amarna tablet: “The Habiru are now attempting to take Jerusalem” (EA287)

The Amarna Letters from Tel el Amarna in Egypt are important in the study of Biblical Archaeology because they refer to events in the middle east going as far back as 1500 years before Yeshua Jesus was born. They refer to the Hebrews, they give evidence of the trustworthiness of the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings. They discuss Canaan, the half of Israel to the west of the Jordan. The Amarna Letters from Jerusalem are of interest as they come from Jerusalem a few centuries before King David would vanquish the Canaanite population of Jerusalem and claim it for Yahweh (2 Samuel 5).

The Amarna Letters are a group of inscribed clay tablets discovered around 1887 at Amarna, a site in Egypt on the east bank of the Nile about 190 miles south of Cairo and were likely a part of the personal libraries of the Egyptian Pharaohs. The tablets total almost 400 in number and are 3 inches wide and from 3 to 9 inches in length, and they are inscribed on both sides. The letters were written in Akkadian, which had been the language of international relations for some time. Today the Tell el Amarna Tablets are mainly in the BRITISH, Berlin and Cairo museums.

See: The Nebuchadnezzar Chronicle

Don2020-09-17T00:53:13+00:00Egypt|

The Chaldeans

The Ziggurat of Ur

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.” – Micah 5:2

Chaldea was an ancient land in southern Babylonia, on the Persian Gulf near the delta of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. As far as can be traced, the Chaldeans themselves descend from Shem’s son, Arphaxad, who is also an ancestor of Abraham and Israel. The study of Astronomy (which is concerned with the observation of the motions of celestial bodies, and the reduction of these observations to mathematical order) is said to have been instigated by the Chaldeans in Mesopotamia in the fourth millennium B.C. The Chaldeans of Abraham’s time were pagan and built idols and temples such as the Ziggurat of Ur. The structure is a temple to the moon god Sin (or Nanna, as known in Ur). The Ziggurat was constructed in the 21st century BC and completed by King Shulgi. Abraham was a resident of Ur, and spent his childhood living near the famous Ziggurat, where his father was an idol maker. The boyhood home of Abraham stands about 500 meters from the Ziggurat.

At the time of Daniel, Babylon was the intellectual center of western Asia, and the Chaldeans were renowned for their study and knowledge of science, especially astronomy. They kept detailed astronomical records for over 360 years, which can help us understand how the wise men from the East would have been able to identify the star that marked the coming of the Messiah. The star marked the time. The scriptures like Micah 5:2 told them where and who the Messiah was. These Chaldean wise men and their families spent their lives, generation after generation, in anticipation of the Savior. They had only a few prophecies and a new star. Yet they remained true to their mission.

Friend, are you searching with all your heart for that star? Are you following the scriptures that lead you to Him? He died so that you could live. Find Him now. He is waiting for you.

See: The Astronomical Diaries of Babylon

Don2020-09-16T04:19:24+00:00Babylonian Chronicles|

The Astronomical Diaries of Babylon

Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. – Daniel 12:3

Discovered in the library of the Assyrian king Aššurbanipal in Nineveh, the Astronomical Diaries are stone tablets that date from 650 to 60 BC that are now displayed in the British Museum. The Chaldeans of southern Babylonia (Iraq) were the scientists of the day and the tablets record what is likely the longest research program ever. The Chaldeans who authored these seventy tablets believed that the gods had created the movements of the planets to give the people on earth indications of the future. The interesting thing is that these predictions were not, like the horoscopes in our newspapers, invented by charlatans. On the contrary, the Chaldean astronomers used a purely scientific method. They observed the skies, collected data, discovered regularities, and warned the authorities when they knew something bad was about to happen. The Chaldean astronomers of Assyria and Babylonia are the originators of the scientific method used by astronomers and, in fact, every discipline of science today.

See: The Nebuchadnezzar Chronicle

Don2020-09-15T23:24:54+00:00Babylonian Chronicles|

Babylonian Chronicles – The Nebuchadnezzar Chronicle

Daniel praised the God of heaven and said:

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
    wisdom and power are His.
He changes times and seasons;
He deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise
    and knowledge to the discerning.
He reveals deep and hidden things;
He knows what lies in darkness,
    and light dwells with Him.”

The Babylonian Chronicles were discovered in 1860 in the region of Nineveh. The oldest and most-populous city of the ancient Assyrian empire, Nineveh is situated on the east bank of the Tigris River and now encircled by the modern city of Mosul, Iraq.

The Nebuchadnezzar Chronicle records the King’s siege of Jerusalem on March 16th, 597 BC. The chronicle is written on a clay tablet that is now kept in the British Museum.

In Daniel 1 we learn that during the siege, slaves were taken that included four of the finest young Hebrew men. Daniel 1 says that they were to be young men without physical defect, handsome in appearance, skilled in all wisdom, quick to learn, prudent in how they used knowledge, and capable of serving in the king’s palace. They were to learn the literature and language of the CHALDEANS.

The CHALDEANS were secular, educated people from Southern Babylonia. The scientists of that day. Some were Astrologers. Some were capable of interpreting dreams. Upon experiencing a very troubling dream, King Nebuchadnezzar demanded that these wise men not only interpret his dreams, but that they do so without knowing what the dreams were! Just before the King dispatched them all for their incompetence, the young slave Daniel saved them by giving the king just what he asked for. From that time on, the Chaldeans watched Daniel and had faith in his God Yahweh. Daniel went on to serve on the Chaldean Court of Babylon for 70 years. He was a prophet of Yahweh and revealed prophetic secrets to the court that were passed on for future generations of Chaldeans.

Fast forward 600 years. Since the time of Daniel, generations of Chaldeans had studied the Hebrew Scriptures and the prophesies of Daniel. They had passed this knowledge on… generation after generation. And combined with their knowledge of the Scriptures, they were able to use the star to find Yeshua Jesus. They gave precious gifts that later would sustain the Holy family as they fled from Herod to Egypt. And they threw the evil King Herod off of their trail!

Yahweh God used the Chaldeans of Babylon in a mighty way. He used a young Daniel and his friends as a powerful witness. And the stone record of the Babylonian Chronicles is an important example of how the science of Archaeology authenticates the Bible.

See: The Astronomical Diaries of Babylon

Don2020-09-15T23:27:44+00:00Babylonian Chronicles|

House of Abraham

ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE BIBLE: HOUSE OF ABRAHAM

The LORD spoke to him (Abraham), “I am the LORD, who brought you from UR of the CHALDEANS, to give you this land as an inheritance.” – Genesis 15:7

The house of Abraham in Ur in southern Iraq is mentioned in the Bible Genesis 11:28: “and Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldeans”. The house dates to 3000 BC. It was discovered by British Archaeologist Sir Charles Leonard Woolley in 1929.

Ur Kaśdim, commonly translated as Ur of the Chaldeans, is a city mentioned in the Bible as the birthplace of the patriarch Abraham father of Isacc and Ishmael. In 1862, Henry Rawlinson first identified Ur Kaśdim with Tell el-Muqayyar, near Nasiriyah in southern Iraq. It wasn’t excavated until the 1900’s.

References

Sinan Salaheddin (4 April 2013). “Home of Abraham, Ur, unearthed by archaeologists in Iraq”.

McLerran, Dan (2011-06-23). “Birthplace of Abraham Gets a

New Lease on Life | Popular Archaeology – exploring the past”. Popular Archaeology. Archived from the original

“Journey of Faith – National Geographic Magazine”. Ngm

“City of Biblical Abraham Brimmed With Trade and Riches”. 11 March 2016.

“Ancient site unearthed in Iraqi home of Abraham”.

David, Ariel (22 March 2018). “Archaeologists Glance Into Fox Burrow in Iraq, Find 4,000-year-old Sumerian Port” –

A. T. Clay, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 1915: “kal’-dez (‘ur kasdim; he chora (ton) Chaldaion)

Research by Archaeologist Esther Lovado

Don2020-09-15T16:53:45+00:00Archaeology and the Bible|

Oldest Gospel of John fragment

THE RYLANDS LIBRARY PAPYRUS P-52, ALSO KNOWN AS THE ST. JOHN’S FRAGMENT, IS A FRAGMENT FROM A PAPYRUS CODEX, MEASURING ONLY 3.5 BY 2.5 INCHES AND HELD AS THE OLDEST KNOWN FRAGMENT OF THE NEW TESTAMENT IN THE WORLD.

Comparison to contemporary papyri have given it a standard dating of AD 125, though the date range is given between AD 94 and 138. This makes this fragment the earliest known papyrus of a New Testament scripture, written in codex form in large print, showing that it was made for public reading.

The dates show that this copy of the gospel of John was written possibly before the death of John, but certainly within just a few years of his death. Glue found on the fragment show that it was written in codex form, not a scroll. Codices were relatively new at the time of the New Testament, but adopted widely by the early churches because of its ease of use.

The P52 papyrus contains a small portion of the following scripture text:

Front: John 18:31-33 Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death: 32 That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die. 33 Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?

Back: John 18:37-38 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. 38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.

Don2020-09-14T18:02:38+00:00Origin of the Greek New Testament|

The Pilate Stone

ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE BIBLE – THE PILATE STONE

“Pontius Pilatus, Prefect of Judea, has dedicated to the people of Caesarea a temple in honor of Tiberius.”

In 1961, archaeologists discovered a plaque fragment at Caesarea Maritima, an ancient Roman city along the Mediterranean coast of Israel. The plaque was written in Latin and imbedded in a section of steps leading to Caesarea’s Theater.

The “Pilate Stone” is historically significant because it dates to Pilate’s own lifetime. It is contemporary evidence. Yet — powerfully illustrating the distinctly random nature of archaeological discovery — the excavators could easily have missed it, simply discarding it as rubble. By the fourth century, it had been incorporated into a set of stairs in Caesarea’s Herodian theater. There, the inscription faced downward — fortunately, because that position preserved it from being worn away!

Don2020-09-03T03:57:23+00:00Archaeology and the Bible|

King Herod’s Temple Coin

ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE BIBLE – KING HEROD’S TEMPLE

A simple coin gives us the image of King Herod’s Jerusalem Temple that we read of in the Gospels. The sela or tetradrachm features what may be the most accurate representation of the Jerusalem Temple that was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. The Coin depicts the entrance of the Temple in Jerusalem with the Ark of the Covenant inside , surmounted by a star with inscription in Paleo-Hebrew.

This coin was issued when part of the Jewish population in Judea revolted against Roman rule, in AD 132, under the leadership of a man named Simon ben Kosiba. He was thought by Jews of the time to be the promised ‘Messiah of Israel’, and was given the surname Bar Kokhba, ‘Son of a Star’, as fulfilment of a prophecy: ‘there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel’ (Numbers 24:17). In AD 135 Bar Kokhba was defeated, and the Roman emperor Hadrian expelled Jews from Jerusalem.

The tetradrachm was made by overstriking a Roman coin. It is possible to see traces of the portrait of the Roman emperor Trajan (r. AD 98–117) on the reverse. The legends on the coin are in Hebrew. The coin depicts the Temple of Jerusalem, which was destroyed by the Romans during the first Jewish revolt in AD 70. The reverse represents the palm branches (lulav) and a citrus (etrog) used for the feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), during which the Jews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple (following Leviticus 23:40).

Thanks to Archeologist Esther Lovato for this research.

Don2020-09-01T18:39:09+00:00Archaeology and the Bible|

The destruction of Herod’s Temple

ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE BIBLE – DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE

As Jesus left the temple and was walking away, His disciples came up to Him to point out its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” He replied. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” – Matthew 24:1-2

Perhaps one of the most famous passages in which Jesus addresses the Temple is Matthew 24. Here Jesus prophesies the complete destruction of the Herod’s Temple.

Herod began construction on the Temple and its surrounding buildings in A.D. 20, the eighteenth year of his reign. John 2:20 states that the temple took 46 years to build – a time span longer than Herod’s reign. He never lived to see the entire structure completed. Indeed, Josephus tells us (Antiquities 20.219) that final embellishments and repairs on components of the Temple were just being completed at the time of the Jewish revolt in A.D. 70. It was at that time that Titus came into Jerusalem with the 10th Roman Legion and razed the Temple to the ground, burning it, dismantling it, and plowing the entire Temple Mount to the ground, exactly fulfilling the words of Jesus in Matthew 24.

(Thanks to the ancient Historian Josephus and to the amazing researchers at Epic Archaeology for this research)

Don2020-09-03T14:43:13+00:00Archaeology and the Bible|

The Pool of Bethesda

ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE BIBLE-

THE POOL OF BETHESDA

Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. – John 5:1–9

The Apostle John wrote about the existence of a pool of Bethesda (John 5:1–9) and said that it was located in the region of Jerusalem, near the Sheep Gate, surrounded by five colonnades. For many years, some have argued that no such place exists outside of John’s gospel. This might support an argument that John’s gospel was written late in history by someone who was unfamiliar with the features of the city. In 1888, however, archaeologists began excavating the area near St. Anne’s Church in Jerusalem and discovered the remains of the pool, complete with steps leading down from one side and five shallow porticoes on another side. In addition, the twentieth-century discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls also provided us with ancient confirmation of the pool’s existence. The COPPER SCROLL (written between AD 25 and AD 68) described a list of locations in Jerusalem that included a pool called “Beth Eshdathayin” located near a porch. The claims of a first-century gospel writer are corroborated by archaeology!

Don2020-09-03T14:51:54+00:00Archaeology and the Bible|

The Copper Scroll

DEAD SEA SCROLLS – THE COPPER SCROLL

“Forty two talents lie under the stairs in the salt pit … Sixty five bars of gold lie on the third terrace in the cave of the old Washers House … Seventy talents of silver are enclosed in wooden vessels that are in the cistern of a burial chamber in Matia’s courtyard. Fifteen cubits from the front of the eastern gates, lies a cistern. The ten talents lie in the canal of the cistern … Six silver bars are located at the sharp edge of the rock which is under the eastern wall in the cistern. The cistern’s entrance is under the large paving stone threshold. Dig down four cubits in the northern corner of the pool that is east of Kohlit. There will be twenty two talents of silver coins.” – Translated from the Copper Scroll.

While most of the Dead Sea Scrolls were found by Bedouins, the Copper Scroll, which is now on display at the Jordan Museum in Amman, was discovered by a Jordanian archaeologist. It was found on March 14, 1952 at the back of Cave 3 at Qumran. It was the last of 15 scrolls discovered in the cave and is thus referred to as 3Q15. While the other scrolls were written on parchment or papyrus, this scroll was written on copper. And rather than being placed in clay jars, it was found on a hidden man-made shelf in the back of the cave. Scholars believe it dates to the First Jewish Revolt against Rome in the first century C.E. (c. 66–70 C.E.) and place it right before the Romans destroyed the Jerusalem Temple in 70 C.E. The Copper Scroll is a VERBAL TREASURE MAP that leads to OVER 168 TONS of treasure that many researchers believe dates back to King Solomon’s Temple. As fascinating as that may be, the Copper Scroll also describes locations such as the POOL OF BETHESDA, thus corroborating the Bible.

The Copper Scroll is unique in all of antiquity. It represents a growing body of archaeological evidence that leads us to the TRUTH of the Scriptures and their focal point… Yeshua Jesus.

Don2020-09-01T18:30:46+00:00The Dead Sea Scrolls|

The Meeting of Jesus and Nicodemus

THE MEETING

Nicodemus wrapped his Sudarium cloth around his head and pulled the ends around to conceal his face. ‘It wouldn’t do to be recognized on the streets of Jerusalem tonight”, he thought. He then stepped into the cool darkness, lifting his fine linen robe to avoid dragging the long tassels. He had arranged for a secret meeting with a most controversial Rabbi named Yeshua. “I’m a respected member of the Sanhedrin court, a devout Pharisee”, he said under his breath. He hurried along the dark streets. “I have memorized the Torah. I have interpreted it thoroughly with the Mishna. I have read all of the commentaries of the Talmud. Why do I need to consider this man?” Nicodemus continued to question his own logic as he arrived at the secret meeting place. Yeshua was there waiting.

Nicodemus had thought of his opening line in far in advance of their meeting. The miracles Yeshua was performing, such as the healing of a leper, had never been performed since the giving of the Torah. Indeed, the Babylonian Talmud confirmed it. Only the Messiah could perform this miracle. He had remembered the message Yeshua sent to the imprisoned John the Baptist when asked if He was the Messiah…

“Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.”, Yeshua had replied. (Luke 7:22)

Yes… all these miracles, they are the very ones deemed unique to the Messiah in the Talmud. He must tactfully put Yeshua on trial to prove His identity. So as Nicodemus approached the young Rabbi, he began with flattery:

“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”, Nicodemus said as he sat facing the younger man.

The flattery fell flat as Yeshua responded, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again”.

Nicodemus was not surprised. A skilled debater and teacher himself, he well understood the rabbinical method of using figurative language to teach spiritual truth. So he continued on using Yeshua’s symbolism:

“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

But Yeshua… JESUS… HEARD A HEARTFELT CRY through the wordplay: “It’s too late for me to go back. I am an elder, a Pharisee of Pharisees. I can’t just start all over!”

He then looked deep into the eyes of Nicodemus and answered,

“Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

Nicodemus was suddenly reminded of the words of the prophet Ezekiel:

“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will REMOVE FROM YOU YOUR HEART OF STONE AND GIVE YOU A HEART OF FLESH. And I will put my Spirit in you… and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

“NO! NO! this CAN’T be right!”, Nicodemus screamed silently, “The Mishna, the Talmud… I… I am a Pharisee of Pharisees!”. His thoughts betrayed him.

“How…How can this be?”, He heard himself transparently asking the Rabbi.

“You are Israel’s teacher”, the Rabbi replied, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

Nicodemus was beginning to understand. It was as if, suddenly, the Torah itself began to point him to Yeshua Jesus. As if his eyes were opened for the very first time. He felt born again.

“FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.”, Yeshua went on. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

Nicodemus was filled with emotion at this Word, this Man, Yeshua Jesus. “Truly this is the Son of God”, he mumbled… and he believed.

As he left their meeting, Nicodemus no longer crept quietly along the streets of Jerusalem. Indeed, he found himself singing the psalms of joy as the warm Israel sun began to rise in the east.

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning”, sang Nicodemus, as he made his way home.

Don2020-09-03T15:05:29+00:00Characters in the Gospels|

Caesar Augustus Coin

ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE BIBLE – CAESAR AUGUSTUS

“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.” – Luke 2:1

This bronze coin was issued in Ephesus to celebrate Caesar Augustus (27 BC-14 AD) and bears his image. Caesar Augustus unknowingly fulfilled Bible prophecy when he made the decree that everyone in the empire should be enrolled in a census,

“So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child” – Luke 1:4-5

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.” – Micah 5:2

Don2020-09-03T14:23:23+00:00Archaeology and the Bible|

Isaiah’s Signature Seal

ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE BIBLE – ISAIAH’S SIGNATURE SEAL

But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way;and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. – Isaiah 53

The signature seal of the Prophet Isaiah has been discovered at the Ophel excavation site, just south of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, about 3 meters away from where King Hezekiah’s royal seal was found. In the Bible, Isaiah is described as an advisor to King Hezekiah in 2nd Kings.

Friends, Jesus said of those proclaiming Him Lord, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” – Luke 19:40

Don2020-09-03T14:56:13+00:00Archaeology and the Bible|

The Isaiah Scroll

DEAD SEA SCROLLS – THE ISAIAH SCROLL

Your country lies in ruins, and your towns are burned. Foreigners plunder your fields before your eyes and destroy everything they see. – Isaiah 1:7

The Isaiah manuscript is one of the seven scrolls discovered in Qumran in 1947. It is the largest and best preserved scroll among the Dead Sea Scrolls library, and represents the only biblical book that has survived in its entirety. The fifty-four columns contain all sixty-six chapters, without a marked division between what modern scholarship regards as First and Second Isaiah. The scroll is one of the oldest Dead Sea Scrolls – it dates from about 100 BC and is older by about one thousand years than the oldest biblical manuscripts (such as the Aleppo Codex) known prior to the Qumran finds. The text, which is written clearly enough to be understood immediately by readers of modern Hebrew, substantiates to a remarkable degree the wording and orthography of medieval manuscripts.

Don2020-09-03T14:16:35+00:00The Dead Sea Scrolls|

Deuteronomy Scroll

DEAD SEA SCROLLS – DEUTERONOMY SCROLL

Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands! If they did, they and their descendants would prosper forever. – Deuteronomy 5:29

The Deuteronomy Scroll was found in cave four in Qumran which was discovered by Ta’amireh bedouin in August, 1952.

Don2020-09-03T14:19:10+00:00The Dead Sea Scrolls|

Hosea Scroll

DEAD SEA SCROLLS – THE HOSEA SCROLL

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. – Hosea 4:6

The Hosea Scroll was found in Cave 4 at Qumran in the West Bank. The parchment dates to first century B.C.E.

Don2020-09-03T14:20:39+00:00The Dead Sea Scrolls|

A different kind of King

Joseph got up, took the child and His mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. – Matthew 2: 14-15 ✝️

I love to imagine the little details between the lines of God’s word. It was John the Apostle that said,

“Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.” – John 21:25

For instance, Yeshua Jesus spent the first years of His earthly life in Egypt. The gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh that Yahweh provided through the Magi were likely used to finance that trip (but that is another entire story). Jesus would have been about four or five when they returned to Israel after Herod had died.

I love to imagine the young Yeshua Jesus walking among the Pyramids and looking at the Sphinx. For these things were ancient monuments even then! What a perspective the Creator of the universe would have had as He viewed these monoliths.

Would He have been awed by them? Admired them? Or would He have had a different perspective… one which encompassed a culture of slavery in which not only the Hebrews, but an entire people was enslaved? In fact, the Great Pyramids represent an entire people dying for their King.

My point does not end here, though. Many such monuments, such as Auschwitz, are not beautiful nor do they represent something or someone we admire. But they are there so that we NEVER FORGET. So that history never again repeats itself in such a horrific way.

WE MUST NOT ERASE THESE MONUMENTS AND MEMORIES FROM OUR CULTURE, OR OUR CULTURE WILL BE DOOMED TO REPEAT THE VERY HORRORS THEY REPRESENT.

It’s amazing to think that Jesus once viewed the monuments of Egypt and that we can view them ourselves today, and to realize that an entire people died for their King, so that the King would live eternally through the Pyramids. But it’s even more amazing to realize that another King, the true King, did just the opposite. He died for His people. Yeshua Jesus, King of all Creation, died for each and every one of us, so that we might live forever through Him. ❤️

Don2020-07-02T05:18:19+00:00Jesus in the New Testament|

The Woman with the Issue of Blood

THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT ✝️

“If only I could touch the hem of His robe”, she thought… Mariam hurried towards the crowd on the Galilean shore. She had heard about the Rabbi Yeshua Jesus; how His teaching amazed even the Pharisees and how He claimed to be the Son of Yahweh. She had yearned to follow Him, but, for Miriam, it could never be.

Her childhood had been magical. Her parents owned a little shop in Galilee that sold fine linens and silks from the far East. She had traveled often with her father to purchase these treasures. “Miriam, you are gifted in business”, her mother often told her, “You will go far in this world”. Her father was equally proud of her. And her many friends admired her. But then tragedy struck her young life. At the age of twelve, her body betrayed her. She began bleeding continuously, and as the law required, she was to stay seclusion until seven days after the bleeding stopped. But for Miriam, the bleeding NEVER stopped. She was considered unclean according to the Mosaic law and was shunned by her family and friends as if she was a leper. Her father had hired many doctors to heal her, spending his fortune, but it was no use. She was not only an outcast of society, but chronically weak and her cheeks were pale from loss of blood. She was now 24 years old, and for the last 12 years had lived a life of misery …

Miriam finally reached the crowd. Oh, how she longed to be identified as a disciple of Yeshua Jesus. She recalled something long ago, from her childhood travels with her father. She had learned that in the Ancient Near East, the corner of a person’s garment represented his identity; it was a symbol of who he was and what he stood for. She remembered her father’s words… “That’s why Ruth, when she was seeking marriage to Boaz, asked him to spread the corner of his garment over her.” (Ruth 3:9). How Miriam longed to be identified with Yeshua Jesus… If only she could touch His hem!

Mariam struggled towards the tall, robed figure at the head of the crowd, her hand outstretched. Suddenly, she was jostled forward by the crowd and she stumbled towards Him, falling at His feet … and SHE TOUCHED THE HEM OF HIS ROBE!

– Immediately, her blood flow stopped. Yeshua said, “Who touched Me?” When everyone denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds are surrounding You and pressing in!” But Yeshua said, “Someone touched Me, for I recognized power going out from Me.” Then seeing that she did not escape notice, the woman came trembling and fell prostrate before Him. In the presence of all the people, she confessed why she had touched Him and how she had been healed immediately. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well.” – Luke 8:44-48

Tears flowed down Miriam’s pink and radiant cheeks and she knelt before her Savior. For, at long last, she was His disciple. And she was healed. ❤️

Don2020-06-17T02:17:52+00:00Characters in the Gospels|

The Woman at the Well

Inside out – John 4 ✝️

Camilla visited Jacob’s well nearly every day. She had met many travelers there, some of them wealthy, a few of them handsome, and many of them more than willing to part with their silver for her female company. The other women had gotten their water for the day early in the morning. But Camilla waited nearby for another thirsty traveler who might be willing to part with his Shekels.

Her mother had named her after the legendary warrior maiden Camilla. Indeed, she was a fighter. Her life had not been an easy one. Born a Samaritan, she was considered a mixed-breed by both the Jews and Gentiles, whose prejudice ran deep. She frequently felt marginalized and dismissed. She was often ridiculed. She had endured rejection and shame in this life. She was searching for something more.

It was now noontime and the middle eastern sun bore down heavily on the weary traveler who stopped at the well. His name was Yeshua Jesus, a Jewish Rabbi. His disciples had gone into the nearby village to buy food for lunch. Jesus sat at the edge of Jacob’s well as Camilla approached with her water pot.

The Rabbi looked into her eyes. “Would you give me a drink of water?”, He asked. Camilla knew this game well. She had played it many times before.

“How come you, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?”, she retorted.

Jesus answered, “If you knew the generosity of Yahweh God and who I am, you would be asking ME for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water”.

At that she laughed to herself. This man would not be an easy Shekel. “Sir, you don’t even have a bucket to draw with and this well is deep. So how are you going to get this ‘living water’? Are you a better man than our ancestor Jacob, who dug this well and drank from it, he and his sons and livestock, and passed it down to us?”

The Rabbi again looked deeply into her eyes. “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. But anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst again. The water that I will give them will become in them a spring which will provide them with life-giving water and give them eternal life.”

Suddenly, the game had changed and Camilla longed for something more meaningful than silver. “Sir, give me this water so I won’t ever get thirsty…”, she implored.

The Rabbi replied, with eyes that pierced her soul, “Go, get your husband and return.”

Camilla suddenly felt exposed. “I have no husband”, she countered.

The Rabbi reached into the depths of her being. “Yes, you are right. You’ve had five husbands, and the man you are living with now isn’t even your husband”, He said knowingly.

As the Rabbi spoke, a flash of shame rushed over Camilla. Jesus had crossed cultural, political, and religious chasms to reach the very depths of her heart. He had searched her from the inside out and reached her soul. He didn’t care that she was a Samaritan, a woman, an outcast. He saw her, rather, as He did every human – rich or poor, male or female, black or white. A sinner in need of redemption.

As Camilla opened her heart to Jesus, she was changed from the inside out by His beautiful, convicting and transforming words. Her long search had ended. Camilla had found what she was looking for.❤️

Don2020-07-02T05:20:47+00:00Characters in the Gospels|

Jesus in Malachi

Jesus in the book of Malachi – OUR KING OF GLORY! ✝️

Months ago, I set out to find Jesus in every book of the Old Testament. This morning I find myself at the end of my quest, with the book of Malachi. 70 years of exile had ended, and Israel was granted the right to return to their homeland. But during their exile, many had lost their faith. And Malachi was a messenger who warned them. Their problem was nothing new. And it is the same problem we face today.

THE HEART OF THE HUMAN PROBLEM IS THE PROBLEM OF THE HUMAN HEART.

Malachi was a MESSENGER, an AMBASSADOR for God. And he told of another MESSENGER, who would come hundreds of years later, to PREPARE THE WAY for the KING:

“Behold, I send My MESSENGER, And he will PREPARE THE WAY before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His TEMPLE, Even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. BEHOLD, HE IS COMING,” Says the LORD of hosts.” – Malachi 3:1

“There was a man (MESSENGER) sent from God whose name was John. He came as a WITNESS to testify concerning that light, so that all through him all might believe.” – John 1:7

Jesus rode as a King of peace, with palm branches before Him, to the TEMPLE in Jerusalem. A week later, He laid down His life for our sakes. Paul says in 1st and 2nd Corinthians that we as believers are the TEMPLE of the HOLY SPIRIT. Peter calls us as believers “Living Stones”. Indeed, Paul calls us “AMBASSADORS for Christ”.

After rising from the grave, Jesus appeared to the disciples on several occasions. Be for He left them to join the Father, He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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 everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Folks, we have been commissioned by the King Himself. We have been given a MOST IMPORTANT assignment. Indeed, aside from turning your life over to Him, this is the most important thing YOU will ever do. THEREFORE GO. Make disciples. GO. Go to your job. Go to your Facebook. Go to your friends and neighbors. GO. Go out into the world as a MESSENGER, an AMBASSADOR for Jesus Christ.

When John was still in his mother’s womb, he leaped for joy as He heard the news that his cousin, Jesus was to be born. We share a message of JOY to the world. Of REST for the weary. Of HOPE for the brokenhearted. And we are commissioned to PREPARE THE WAY for the KING OF GLORY to return. BEHOLD, HE IS COMING! – Revelation 1:7 ❤️

Don2021-12-22T21:09:12+00:00Jesus in the books of the Minor Prophets|

Jesus in Zephaniah

Jesus in the book of Zephaniah – OUR MUSIC ✝️

The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. – Zephaniah 3:17

The Prophet Zephaniah preached in Jerusalem in the time of king Josiah, after Josiah discovered the long lost Scrolls of the Law. Those must’ve been exciting times. To find something long lost, to rediscover something that had once been so important. Something of great value; of tremendous worth.

600 years later, Yeshua Jesus told a story:

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” – Luke 15:4-7

My friend, are YOU the lost sheep? Have you strayed far from your Shepherd? The Bible says that the angels in heaven, and indeed God Himself, will rejoice over finding YOU! God paid the GREATEST price imaginable for YOU. It was His perfect plan, for His Glory. For He is The Mighty One who SAVES!

He will rejoice over YOU with gladness, He will quiet YOU with His love, He will rejoice over YOU… with singing. And in return, you will join the heavenly hosts of Angels in worship of the King and sing,

“Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” – Luke 2:14

GLORY TO GOD! ❤️

Don2021-12-22T20:15:49+00:00Jesus in the books of the Minor Prophets|

Jesus in Micah

Jesus in the book of Micah – OUR ETERNAL RULER ✝️

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.” – Micah 5:2

The Prophet Micah lived about 150 years before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians and 700 years before Yeshua Jesus walked the earth. Yet his prophecies stretched from the beginning to the end of time. For he heralded the one, the Alpha and Omega, The King of kings, the Lord of lords. Micah prophesied of not only the first but the second coming of our Messiah, our Deliverer, Yeshua Jesus.

As magnificent and glorious as Micah’s prophecy is, there are many today who fail to recognize their perfect Messiah. There are those that believe that somehow, Yeshua Jesus was a human genius, or perhaps inspired by a divine force that enabled Him to time each of the more than 300 prophecies He fulfilled…including His birth…perfectly!

Mathematically speaking, the odds of anyone fulfilling this amount of prophecy are staggering.

Mathematicians put it this way:

1 person fulfilling JUST 8 prophecies:
1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.
1 person fulfilling 48 prophecies: 1 chance in 10 to the 157th power.
1 person fulfilling 300+ prophecies: ONLY JESUS!

Friend, their is no human logic to explain it. There is no other religion, no other science, no other philosophy… NO OTHER. Only HIM. ONLY JESUS.

So, dear friend, I humbly submit this to you: If your truly understand the significance of Yeshua Jesus’ fulfillment over 300 prophecies, and the significance of these Prophets, many hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, accurately predicting these things, how can you not turn your life over to your Messiah, your Sin – Bearer, your Savior and King, Jesus Christ?

My friend, even now you give me many reasons. But they are all based on human pride, even those cloaked in humility! Deep in your heart of hearts, YOU KNOW I speak the truth. Friend, run to Him, embrace Him, receive Him and His glorious forgiveness.

In the timeless words of the Prophet Micah,

“Where is the god who can compare with you—
wiping the slate clean of guilt,
Turning a blind eye, a deaf ear,
to the past sins of your purged and precious people?
You don’t nurse your anger and don’t stay angry long,
for mercy is your specialty. That’s what you love most.
And compassion is on its way to us.
You’ll stamp out our wrongdoing.
You’ll sink our sins
to the bottom of the ocean.
You’ll stay true to your word to Father Jacob
and continue the compassion you showed Grandfather Abraham—
Everything you promised our ancestors
from a long time ago.” – Micah 7:18-20 ❤️

Don2021-12-22T15:17:39+00:00Jesus in the books of the Minor Prophets|

Jesus in Jonah and Nahum

Jesus in the books of Jonah and Nahum – OUR MERCY ✝️

“BUT HE answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed, a greater than Jonah is here.” – Matthew 12:39-40

Nineveh was SIN CITY. The Prophet Nahum said this of Nineveh:

The Prophet Jonah said, “… Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.” – Jonah 3:8

Some things never change. Sin is nothing new. The Apostle Paul says in Romans 3:23: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Two things stand out here. First, “ALL have sinned.” We are ALL guilty, like Nineveh was. Second, we ALL fall short of God’s GLORY. Yahweh God desires and deserves GLORY. In fact, Isaiah 49 tells us that OUR SALVATION IS FOR GOD’S SAKE! HE CREATED US FOR HIS GLORY! The Bible is clear: Yahweh God desires, for His own GLORY, that we be restored to a right relationship with Him.

Jesus gave us a sign. A “greater than Jonah”. He “was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. THE THIRD DAY, HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.” – From the Apostles Creed.

Folks, we are hopeless sinners, in desperate need of redemption. We are buried under the disorienting blindness of our sins (Ephesians 2:1), BUT GOD. We are ruled by our self-determination; deceived by the devil (Ephesians 2:2), BUT GOD. We are enslaved to the passions of our flesh (Ephesians 2:3), BUT GOD. We are God’s enemies (Romans 5:10), hating Him (Romans 1:30), and children of His wrath. BUT GOD.

“BUT GOD, being so very rich in MERCY, because of His great and wonderful LOVE with which He loved us, even when we were spiritually dead and separated from Him because of our sins, He made us spiritually alive together with Christ”– Ephesians 2:4-5 amp

My friend, Yeshua Jesus left us a sign, the RESURRECTION. It is well documented in History. Don’t look for another! Jesus said, “The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because THEY REPENTED at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed, a GREATER THAN JONAH is here.”

My dear friend, the hour is late. Repent. Yahweh God has left you a WAY BACK HOME… for HIS GLORY. ❤️

Don2021-12-19T13:38:50+00:00Jesus in the books of the Minor Prophets|

Jesus in Obidiah

Jesus in the book of Obadiah – OUR IMMANUEL

“Though you (EDOM) soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” declares the LORD – Obadiah 11:4

King Herod the Great came from the land of EDOM, South of Bethlehem. He married into Judaism for political gain. The Kingdom he built in Jerusalem and Southern Israel was like none before or since. But the Prophet Obadiah predicted the fall of this great King some 600 years before he was born!

EVERY KINGDOM HAS A KING

King Herod tried to kill a newborn in a manger, who was worshiped by Magi and Angels, two centuries ago. He was doomed to fail. The book of Matthew records the royal lineage of Yeshua Jesus. But His credentials exceed human genealogy. The Bible tells us that Jesus “had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of Himself that He had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, He set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, He stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, He lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.” – Philippians 2:5 msg

His birth was supernatural. He life was WITHOUT SIN. His death ATONED FOR THE SINS OF HUMANITY. These are His credentials. It’s one thing to be a Son of David. It’s quite another to be THE SON OF GOD.

Emmanuel, “God with us”, was infinitely rich yet became utterly poor, assumed our humanity, entered our sinful world without ever being tainted. He took our guilt, bore our grief, carried our sorrows, was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our inequities. And by His stripes, we are healed. Emmanuel. God with us. Our King.

EVERY KING HAS A THRONE

Friend, a choice lies before you. Like King Herod, you can remain KING on the THRONE of your own life. And your end will be the same. Or, you can give your life, your throne and your crown to the one who created the universe, the I AM who brought it all into being with a simple WORD. Your rewards will be eternal. Who then, will you choose to serve?

Don2021-12-21T22:21:59+00:00Jesus in the books of the Minor Prophets|

Jesus in Amos

Jesus in the book of Amos – OUR GOD OF THE ANGEL ARMIES

I love the story of the birth of Jesus. I love that each December, hundreds of thousands are retelling that story of the very first Christmas through beautiful pageants, songs, and manger scenes. I love that His story is read out loud by millions of families each Christmas eve. What’s not to like? It is a story of mystery, a star, of angels, of kings and magi. And from the beginning, there was a plot to murder Him by no less than the king himself. Indeed, Jesus was unexpected, unwanted, even hated from the time of His birth by King Herod… who desired to TAKE HIS LIFE.

The prophet Amos was a lot like Yeshua Jesus. He was an unknown, from out of nobody and nowhere important. He was unwanted. Indeed, he was ordered to pick up and go home by the priest of Bethel. But he had an important message for the people. A message of that could GIVE THEM LIFE.

My friends, there are thousands, millions in fact who, like the Christ Child, are unwanted. They will never hear the story of the first Christmas. They will never hear their mother’s loving voice. They will never see their grandchildren in a Christmas pageant. THEY WILL NEVER TAKE A BREATH OF LIFE. Like Yeshua Jesus, they are unexpected, unwanted, even hated. And like the Christ Child, there is a plot to murder them by the rulers of our land.

This Christmas season, the story of the Christ Child challenges us to think about the most unwanted in our society today…. our unborn children. The story of Christmas is the story of the unwanted child. There was no room for Him in the inn. There was no room for Him in the kingdom. No room for Him in the hearts of men. He came, not as the God of Glory that He is, but as a tiny, defenseless, voiceless child. Completely vulnerable. And He felt what it is to be unwanted.

The Prophet Amos looked forward to that first Christmas, centuries later, when a star led the wise men and angels spoke to shepherds about the birth of the Savior: “Behold!”, he said,

“Look who’s here: Mountain-Shaper! Wind-Maker!
He laid out the whole plot before Adam.
He brings everything out of nothing,
like dawn out of darkness.
He strides across the alpine ridges.
His name is God, God-of-the-Angel-Armies” – Amos 4:13 msg

Don2021-12-21T19:13:48+00:00Jesus in the books of the Minor Prophets|

Jesus in Joel

Jesus in the book of Joel – OUR AVENGER

Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand– a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come. – Joel 2:1-2

Whenever I think of Yeshua Jesus, I think of Love. I think of what He did for me on the Cross. Indeed, there IS no greater Love than His. He is the Suffering Servant. The innocent Lamb. But the Bible shows us another Jesus, still a man, still bearing the nail scars, as He returns to the earth He created and was crucified upon. This Jesus is riding a white horse, all powerful, commanding a legion of angels. This is what the Prophet Joel predicted, centuries before:

“Before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine. The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty are those who obey his command. The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?” – Joel 2:10:11

The Prophet Isaiah also spoke of this day:

“See, the day of the LORD is coming –a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger– to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins… I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the LORD Almighty, in the day of his burning anger.” – Isaiah 13:9-13

And Yeshua Jesus Himself spoke of it:

“But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken… And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.” – Matthew 24:29-30

The Prophet Joel looked forward through the Cross, through the Millennia to a time in our future. Yeshua Jesus said of that day,
“no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.” – Matthew 26:36

But He also said this:

“You fools! You know how to interpret the weather signs of the earth and sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the present times.” – Luke 12:56

My friend, can you see the signs of the times? Can you see the clouds beginning to form on the horizon? We live in a rapidly evolving world. Up until 1900 human knowledge doubled every century. By 1945, it was doubling every 25 years. By 1982, every 12-13 months. Today, human knowledge is doubling EVERY 12 HOURS. The world is changing quickly… But God never changes.

The Bible says,
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8

Friend, Jesus is your constant in a world that is spinning out of control. Reach through the darkness to find His hand. Colossians 1:17 says He “Holds all things together”. Cling to Him now. Take hold of His nail-scarred hand… before it is too late.

Don2021-12-21T14:58:26+00:00Jesus in the books of the Minor Prophets|

Jesus in Hosea

Jesus in the book of Hosea – OUR SALVATION

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my Son. – Hosea 11:1

So he (Joseph) got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my Son.” – Matthew 2:14-15

The name Hosea means “Salvation.” The prophet Hosea lived some 700 years before the birth of Yeshua, who’s name also means “Salvation”. Most of us remember this long suffering Prophet for the story of his unfaithful wife, Gomer. God told him to marry her, yet she became an adulteress. Yet Hosea remained faithful to his bride, even as she cheated on him and eventually left him. But God said, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress.” So… he BOUGHT HER with a PRICE. And he loved her back.
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How so is the love of our Lord! When we, by our very nature, throw God’s love away, He redeems us. For GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD… that He gave us Yeshua Jesus. He called Him to humble Himself, become a man… and pay the ultimate price for His bride.

Friend, have you been faithful to Him? How long has it been… since you talked with the Lord, and told Him your heart’s hidden secrets? Has it been so long that you have found other loves? Or have you left him completely?

Ephesians 5:2 tells us, “He (Jesus) didn’t love in order to get something from us BUT TO GIVE EVERYTHING OF HIMSELF TO US.” What kind of Love is that? A tender, longsuffering love that passes all understanding. That is His love for you.

How long has it been? Can you call him your friend? How long has it been…since you knew that HE CARED FOR YOU?

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Jesus in Daniel

Jesus in the book of Daniel – OUR ANOINTED ONE

600 years before the birth of Yeshua Jesus, the king of Babylon (now Iraq) and his armies invaded the Holy City of Jerusalem. Among the spoils they took was a young teen named Daniel. The story of Daniel is one of the most amazing tales in the Old Testament. The most enduring theme in this fascinating book is the steadfast faithfulness of Daniel to Yahweh God in the midst of the most extreme political circumstances imaginable. And in turn, God was faithful to Daniel.

I’d like to look at just one amazing prophecy that you will find in this book:

“The Lord has commanded 490 years…It will be 49 years plus 434 years from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One comes!…” – Daniel 9:24

Ezra 7 tells the story of when the commandment was given to rebuild Jerusalem on March 14th, 445 B.C.

Using the Jewish calendar, we can count 49 + 434 = 483 years from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem (March 14th, 445 B.C.) until Anointed One comes.

On that EXACT PREDICTED DATE, Palm Sunday, April 6th 32 A.D., Yeshua Jesus rode a donkey into the City of Jerusalem… and the people threw palm branches before Him, anointing Him King! (Matthew 21:7-10) With fulfilled prophecies like this, it is no wonder that so many trust every word in the Bible as TRUTH!

Daniel was an authentic Prophet of God. He lived in extreme political times. In fact, when his three friends were commanded to renounce their faith by King Nebuchadnezzar, they chose the fiery furnace instead. But God preserved them for His purpose. And as they stood in the fire, unharmed, there was a fourth man among them!

“Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” – Daniel 3:25

You see, friend, when YOU are in your darkest hour, when your situation seems hopeless, Jesus will be there with YOU in the flames. For your greatest sins He has already suffered. From the fiery pit of hell He has rescued you. Reach to Him now, friend. Jesus will NEVER leave you or forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6) Trust in Him today.

Don2021-12-20T19:40:16+00:00Jesus in the books of the Major Prophets|

Jesus in Ezekiel

Jesus in the book of Ezekiel – OUR RIGHTEOUS JUDGE

The prophet Ezekiel lived hundreds of years before Yeshua Jesus was born. He and his people were exiles, captives of Babylon. He was a prophet during hard times and he prophesied of more hard times for the nation of Israel. He predicted the DIASPORA –

I will disperse you among the nations and scatter you through the countries… Ezekiel 22:15

As an authentic prophet of Yahweh God, Ezekiel had a vision. Indeed, he was not only able to predict the diaspora, but he predicted the time when it would be ended, the time when Israel would be regathered to the land, to await the return of the King. He was able to see FAR into the future, into OUR future, when Christ returns to Reign on this earth!

Ezekiel encounters the Lord Jesus in the very first chapter:

“high above on a throne was a figure like that of a man… glowing… as if full of fire… and brilliant light surrounded him.” – Ezekiel 1:26-27

This is not the “suffering servant“ Jesus that is portrayed by Isaiah. This is not the Jesus we read of in the Gospels. This is the Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, when He returns in all His Glory!

Ezekiel’s vision is remarkably similar to another vision in the Bible, the vision that God gave the Apostle John, while a prisoner on Patmos. There are in fact OVER EIGHTY PARALLELS between the prophecy of Ezekiel and the prophecy of John in Revelation. For example, in his vision, John identifies the Lord Jesus as the:

“Alpha and Omega, now reigning in heaven” – Revelation 1:5-8

“…I turned and saw… someone like a son of man… his eyes were like blazing fire… his face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.” – Revelation 1:13-17

“…there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it… from the throne came flashes of lightening, rumblings and peals of thunder…”- Revelation 4:2-5

Like John, Ezekiel finds it difficult to describe what he has seen. He speaks of “the figure like that of a man” who had:

“the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord” – Ezekiel 1:28

The ”glory of the Lord”, here clearly refers to the presence of God revealed in a person. A person, who, in the fullness of time,

“became flesh, and dwelt amongst us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father” -John 1:14

The apostle Paul also describes this person in Philippians 2:

“Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself even to death on the cross” – Philippians 2:6-8

Jesus in Ezekiel is revealed as God who became man.

Friend, do you know Him? Do you recognize Him? Hundreds and thousands of years before He was born, The prophets recognized Him. Abraham knew Him.

My friend, the final hour is near. Time is short. Jesus is coming…in flashes of lightning and peals of thunder! The nations of the earth will come against Him. And, the Bible says, EVERY knee shall bow and EVERY tongue confess that HE IS LORD. Run to Him now, before it is too late.

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Jesus in Lamentations

Jesus in the book of Lamentations – OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS ✝️

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling. Look, your house is left to you desolate. And I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’ – Yeshua Jesus, from Luke 13:34-35

How deserted lies the city, once so full of people! How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations! She who was queen among the provinces has now become a slave. Bitterly she weeps at night, tears are on her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is no one to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies. – Lamentations 1:1-2

The Prophet Jeremiah, believed to have written Lamentations, was a type of Jesus Christ. When you read the first chapter of Lamentations, you can feel the anguished Heart of our precious Lord in the words. Yeshua Jesus had a deep, deep love for His culture, His people, Israel. Although He was fully God, Jesus was also fully man. Although as God, He knew his people deserved judgement, He wept for them as a man.

Isn’t that just like our Lord? He knows we deserve judgment. The Bible says in Romans 3:10 that “As it is written, ‘There is none righteous, no, not one’”. Paul is quoting Psalm 143:2 which says “…no one alive is righteous before You.” And in Romans 3:23, “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. Paul is quoting from Ecclesiastes 7:20, “Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.”

None righteous. Not Abraham. Not Paul. Not me. We are all guilty of Sin: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” – Romans 6:23

So how can we be justified before Yahweh God? In an act of PURE LOVE, Jesus took our place, our punishment, our death, on the Cross. He is our justification before the judge, before God. Justification means that God sovereignly declares the repentant, believing sinner righteous in His sight. You are declared to be righteous in your standing before God. You stand acquitted of your sins.

Friend, have you been acquitted? Are you ashamed and repentant for the sins you have committed before your Holy, Perfect Creator? Jesus loves you. He weeps for you. His Holy Spirit pleads for your very soul. He was fully God, yet fully man. He knows your struggles. He cares deeply for you. Sinner, come home. ❤️

Don2021-12-19T15:07:45+00:00Jesus in the books of the Major Prophets|

Jesus in Jeremiah

JESUS IN THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH – OUR BLOOD COVENANT

In the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel, we learn of a Priest named Zachariah. Zachariah became famous for being stricken mute after his disbelief in God’s promise that he and his wife Elizabeth, the cousin of Mary, would be blessed with a son in their old age. And after the birth of his son, he regained his voice after naming him John. He became the father of John the Baptist, making John the cousin of Yeshua Jesus. The Priests in those days performed a BLOOD SACRIFICE that fulfilled a COVENANT with God and cleansed the sins of Israel, a foreshadowing of the atoning death of Jesus on the Cross.

The Prophet Jeremiah lived during the most crucial period of Judah’s existence as a kingdom. He predicted, “This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years”, in Jeremiah 25:11. And he saw the destruction of Jerusalem and the holy Temple. And when the catastrophe finally overwhelmed his people, he was the one who bitterly lamented Israel’s terrible fate in the Book of Lamentations. Although Jeremiah was most certainly a type of Jesus Christ in many ways, let’s focus on just one:

Jeremiah Prophesied, “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a NEW COVENANT with the people… “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God… and will remember their sins no more.”

About 600 years later, a Jewish Rabbi named Yeshua Jesus gathered with His disciples in an upper room. He took the bread of the Passover meal, gave thanks and broke it, gave it to them and said these now famous words:

“This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the NEW COVENANT in my blood, which is poured out for you.” — Luke 22:19-20

What is the NEW COVENANT that Jeremiah spoke of 600 years before? It was the blood of Christ. John the Baptist called Jesus the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). There are many references to blood in the Old Testament, like the sprinkling of innocent BLOOD on the Hebrew doorposts when they were held in bondage by the Pharaoh of Egypt.

“In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of BLOOD there is no forgiveness.” – Hebrews 9:22

After centuries of the shedding of the innocent blood of a lamb, Yahweh God provided a NEW COVENANT, a way to finally make us right with Him, by the BLOOD OF HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, JESUS, THE LAMB OF GOD.

Friend, are you covered by the Blood? Have you met Jesus in that upper room? Has HE poured Himself out for YOU, for YOUR SIN, so that once and for all, you may be FORGIVEN? He drank from the cup, the cup of the wrath of Yahweh God, to pay your debt. Go to Him now, friend. Repent of your past… and become NEW in Him.

Don2021-12-19T14:44:17+00:00Jesus in the books of the Major Prophets|

Jesus in Isaiah

JESUS IN ISAIAH PART 4 – OUR GUILT OFFERING

Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and to cause Him to suffer; …His soul is made a guilt offering… Isaiah 53:10

WHO KILLED JESUS? I awakened today with this question on my mind. Like anyone else, I did a quick google search on my phone to find out! The top result was Wikipedia: “According to the canonical gospels, Jesus was arrested and tried by the Sanhedrin, and then sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged, and finally crucified by the Romans.”

But there are many more results. Most of them blame the Jewish Sanhedrin, but, since it was Pontius Pilate who actually sentenced Him, some put the blame on this unfortunate Roman magistrate. A few purists say it was the Roman guards… After all, they performed the actual execution. And then I remembered when I was 17 years old, a brand new Born-Again believer, sitting in the pew in the Catholic Church looking up at the Crucifix. I was overcome by emotion as I thought… “I am responsible. My SIN put Jesus on that Cross!”

These are all valid answers to the question of who killed Jesus. BUT THEY ARE ALL WRONG. Yeshua Jesus made a clear statement about who had the actual power to take His life:

“The Father loves me because I SACRIFICE MY LIFE SO I MAY TAKE IT BACK AGAIN. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.” – John 10:17-18

On the Cross:

Then Jesus shouted out again, and HE RELEASED (DISMISSED) HIS SPIRIT. – Matthew 27:50

From His grave:

His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for HE IS RISEN… – Matthew 28:3-5

Just as He said.

The book of Leviticus describes five offerings of Old Covenant Worship. One of these is called the GUILT OFFERING. The guilt offering focuses on the need for PAYMENT for SIN. The sacrifice of a pure, innocent lamb was considered restitution. The idea is that it’s not enough to be forgiven, we need to make things right to clear up our GUILT.

Let’s look again at Isaiah 53:10 – “Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and to cause Him to suffer; …His soul is made a guilt offering…” Isaiah 53:10

The word used for “offering for guilt” is the exact same word used in Leviticus 5:15 to describe the compensation or guilt offering of the innocent lamb.

Friend, Yeshua Jesus made things right between you and God. He gave His sinless life as an offering; a PAYMENT IN FULL for YOUR SIN. Once you receive it, you are declared righteous. NO LONGER GUILTY. If you have ears to hear, believe and receive Him now. He is waiting. He loves you.

Don2021-12-18T22:45:09+00:00Jesus in the books of the Major Prophets|

Jesus in Isaiah

JESUS IN ISAIAH PART 3 ✝️

OUR SUBSTITUTE

He was beaten, He was tortured, but He didn’t say a word.
Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, He took it all in silence.
Justice miscarried, and He was led off— and did anyone really know what was happening?
He died without a thought for His own welfare, beaten bloody for the sins of my people.
They buried Him with the wicked, threw Him in a grave with a rich man,
Even though He’d never hurt a soul or said one word that wasn’t true.
STILL, IT’S WHAT GOD HAD IN HIS MIND ALL ALONG, to crush Him with pain. –
The plan was that HE GIVE HIMSELF AS AN OFFERING FOR SIN so that He’d see life come from it—life, life, and more life. And God’s plan will deeply prosper through Him. – Isaiah 53: 7-10

The Prophet Isaiah penned these infamous lines some 70 years before Jesus walked the earth. But the verbs are in past tense. Isaiah was really LOOKING BACK from a future time, near the end of the age, when the NATION OF ISRAEL will finally recognize the Suffering Servant, Yeshua Jesus, as their King. Isaiah 53, in fact, is the lament; the repentance of the Nation Israel. These are words which the nation will speak in their brokenhearted confession of the worst sin imaginable, the SIN OF REJECTING THE CROSS OF CHRIST.

Friend, are you tired of running? Is there a “Lament” that you need to recite in your own heart? Yeshua once looked upon the city of Jerusalem and offered His own mournful lament,

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets, and stone them which are sent unto you, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not!”

A week later, His face marred beyond recognition, His body torn and lifeblood draining, Jesus was suspended by cruel nails from a wooden cross. He looked down from His agony, at those who were torturing Him, and spoke these words…

“Abba, selach ‘ethon la nakhru mah h’mon pelalin” – “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

You see, my friend, Jesus wants to pardon you. There is no sin to great for Him to bear. Just like the Nation of Israel, you too can repent. I pray you do so now, before your last breath, when YOUR SIN becomes UNPARDONABLE. ❤️

Don2021-12-18T18:01:51+00:00Jesus in the books of the Major Prophets|

Jesus in Isaiah

JESUS IN ISAIAH PART 2 ✝️

OUR ANSWER

Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. – Isaiah 53:4-6

What is the MOST important question?

An educator might say, “what should we do with knowledge? A businessman might say “what shall we do with money?” The philosopher might say “what is the meaning of life?“

These are valid questions. But they are not the right question. The most important question in the world is:

“HOW CAN I BE RIGHT WITH GOD?”

That’s the most important question. How can a sinner be right with God? How can a perfectly Holy God declare a sinner righteous? This is the question. This is the great moral dilemma that exists in the world.

Friend, it is precisely to answer that question that the Bible was written. It is precisely to answer that question that Isaiah 53 was written, hundreds of years before the ANSWER hung bleeding and beaten …on a lonely Cross.

Perhaps that is why so many copies of Isaiah 53 were found intact in the Dead Sea Scrolls, matching copies scribed 1000 years later, word for word. Perhaps that is why Isaiah 53 is considered the “5th gospel“; Why the writer of this astounding piece of literature was said to be martyred, literally sawn in half for his faith. This message was preserved for us, at great cost, for one purpose. To answer that question.

Friend, a priceless gift lay before you. The gift of eternal life. Many lives have been given and many taken throughout history for the sake of this gift. But there is only ONE SUFFERING SERVANT who poured out His own life to make YOU right with God… so that YOU might live eternally with Him. ❤️

Don2021-12-18T17:32:34+00:00Jesus in the books of the Major Prophets|

Jesus in Isaiah

JESUS IN ISAIAH PART 1 – OUR MESSIAH KING ✝️

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. – Isaiah 40:3-5

God is the author of history. Because history is really HIS STORY. God is also the inventor of time. He is eternal, with no beginning and no end. Yet, for the sake of our salvation, He set up a perfect timeline that is recorded in the Bible, from the beginning of creation to the Millennial Kingdom and beyond. As we walk through this Advent season, we can look back over 2000 years, and further, another 700 years before Christ, to the book of Isaiah the prophet.

Isaiah gives the message of another, known as the “last of the old testament prophets”, John the Baptist. John had a simple message: Repent, prepare your parched heart. Jesus is coming! In my early teens I was fascinated with the character of John the Baptist, a real “man’s man” who told it like it is, no matter the cost. A few years later, at age 17, John’s voice broke through the wilderness desert of my heart. I understood the true meaning of repentance and asked Jesus to be my Lord and King, forever. And I have never looked back.

Friend, have you heard the voice? Have you prepared your heart? God’s timeline is nearing the end. And Jesus is returning for His bride. Will you be ready? He is thinking of you now, even as you read these words. He loves you so much. ❤️

Don2021-12-18T17:03:46+00:00Jesus in the books of the Major Prophets|

Jesus in Song of Solomon

JESUS IN THE SONG OF SOLOMON – OUR BRIDEGROOM ✝️

My beloved spoke and said to me, “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me.” – Song of Solomon 2:10

King Solomon was the wisest and wealthiest man in the world… blessed by God. But something went wrong and he began to drift away from Yahweh later in life. Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes towards the end of his life. Proverbs was written in the middle. And although he later had many wives, I believe his first love was this dark-skinned peasant girl from Song of Solomon, a poem about his FIRST LOVE, written at the beginning.

Elena, my beautiful bride of more than 40 years, often tells me I see her through my “love goggles”. I don’t know about that. But it’s true that, when I look at her, when I hear her voice, it stirs something inside me. One thing is true. I love her unfailingly.

Friend, your identity rests on one thing, and one thing alone. No, it’s not your looks or fame. Not your wisdom or accomplishments. Not even How lovable you are!

Our identity as believers rests solely on this: Christ’s unfailing love for us! Paul says that this is the mystery of Christ and the church…. Jesus loves His Bride completely, unfailingly, unstoppably!

When we pattern our own lives after HIS agape love, we are suddenly empowered by the Holy Spirit. We are filled with HIS insight, HIS compassion, HIS empathy. When we place our identity in Christ, we are able to love the unlovable, just as HE did. And that, my friend, is who we are to be. ❤️

Don2021-12-17T15:13:54+00:00Jesus in the books of Poetry and Wisdom|

Jesus in Ecclesiastes

JESUS IN ECCLESIASTES – The WISDOM of GOD ✝️

But to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, CHRIST is the POWER of GOD and the WISDOM of God. – 1 Corinthians 1:24

King Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes, was blessed with wisdom. And although he had enjoyed everything “under the sun” and had everything a man could ever hope for, he recognized the hopelessness of it all. “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless”, he penned at the end of his life.

Ecclesiastes expresses our frustration of living in a fallen world. The Bible says that YESHUA JESUS is the WISDOM OF GOD who became one of us to share our common experience; a life of tears, exhaustion and heartache in a world corrupted by sin.

And yet, Jesus conquered all of it… through a wooden Cross on a lonely hill.

My Friend, I am hoping that by now, as we go through each book of the Old Testament, you are beginning to realize this profound truth: It is not just ancient history.

It is, in fact, HIS STORY.

Jesus said it Himself; “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures THAT TESTIFY ABOUT ME…” – John 5:39

We have learned so far that Jesus is the perfect Adam who was tempted in the wilderness, not the garden. He is the Ark of Noah. He is the offering of Isaac by his father Abraham on the Jerusalem mount. He is Joseph, who, at the right hand of the King, forgives those who betrayed Him and uses His power to save them. Jesus is Moses who stands as a mediator between humanity and Yahweh. He is the Lamb of the Passover! He is Joshua who leads us into a land of eternal life. Jesus is Job, the suffering servant. Jesus is King David, with a throne in the heavenly Jerusalem. He is Esther who not only risked His life as she did but GAVE HIS LIFE to save others. And the Bible goes on to say that Yahweh God loves YOU so much that HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON, Jesus, for your sake.

Friend, we are reading nothing less than a profound love story, written in blood… on a wooden cross. Authored by a loving father who, arms outstretched, welcomes you back home. My friend, fall into His loving arms today. Take hold of Him now… and never let go.❤️

“Then I said, “Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me.” – Psalms 40:7

Don2021-12-17T14:25:14+00:00Jesus in the books of Poetry and Wisdom|

Jesus in Proverbs

JESUS IN PROVERBS – OUR WISDOM ✝️

In Him lie hidden ALL the treasures of Wisdom and knowledge – Colossians 2:3 NLT

Proverbs is one of the Wisdom books in the Bible. These books, that include Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon, deal with our human struggles and real-life experiences.

Yeshua Jesus is the embodiment of Wisdom. Even those who reject him as Savior acknowledge His great Wisdom as a teacher. In fact, the words of Jesus are the most quoted, memorized and printed in all of history. But all of human knowledge in all of history combined cannot compare to His Wisdom as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.

The words of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, written two Millennia ago, compare man’s philosophies to that of his Creator:

The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It’s written, I’ll turn conventional wisdom on its head, I’ll expose so-called experts as crackpots. So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn’t God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb- preaching, of all things!–to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation. While Jews clamor for miraculous demonstrations and Greeks go in for philosophical wisdom, we go right on proclaiming Christ, the Crucified. Jews treat this like an anti-miracle–and Greeks pass it off as absurd. But to us who are personally called by God himself–both Jews and Greeks–CHRIST IS GOD’S ULTIMATE MIRACLE AND WISDOM ALL WRAPPED UP IN ONE. – 1 Corinthians 1: 18-24 msg

Friend, I pray you are one of those personally called by God Himself. I pray you will experience the miracle of salvation today. Time is running out. The wisdom of the world cannot sustain you. Only Jesus Christ, who holds all things together, has true Wisdom to save you. Trust in Him today, friend, and receive His Mercy and Grace. It’s the wisest choice you’ll ever make. ❤️

Don2021-12-16T14:03:31+00:00Jesus in the Old Testament|

Jesus in Psalms

JESUS IN THE PSALMS – OUR ENDURING ONE ✝️

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?… I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads…a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet…They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. – Psalm 22

Before he became King, David endured intense physical and emotional distress. He was relentlessly pursued by then King Saul and his armies through the dry desert.

The Bible says in 1 Sam 23:14 “…Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.”

Imagine being on the run and in fear for your life from a person you honor though he was trying to kill you!

David wrote Psalm 22 during one of those times of intense suffering, a Psalm that clearly foretells of our precious Savior Yeshua Jesus’ suffering as He faced the Cross of Golgotha. It takes us to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus sweat drops of blood….

“And his sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground.” – Luke 22:44

My friend, Jesus is FULLY GOD and yet, FULLY MAN. He suffered pain, humiliation and death for our sake. And in His ultimate suffering, He fully understands ours. And He will bring you through the dry deserts of this life. Jesus’ mission cost Him His life because His mission was to save us. He endured the Cross for us.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” – John 15:13

Oh, how He loves us! Oh, how He loves us!

Oh, how He loves you and me. ❤️

Don2021-12-16T15:01:59+00:00Jesus in the books of Poetry and Wisdom|

Jesus in Job

JESUS IN THE BOOK OF JOB – OUR SUFFERING SERVANT ✝️

Considered the most ancient of all Biblical texts, the book of Job is a poetic masterpiece that tells the story of a suffering servant, forsaken by both God and man. But is Job only primeval poetry? Could this most ancient of tales also contain a hidden treasure of prophecy? Could Job be a type of Christ?

As I began to dig deeper into this text, its cracked layers of plaster fell away to reveal a beautiful mosaic of Yeshua Jesus, the Suffering Servant. Explore the following verses with me:

“They gape at me with their mouth, they strike me reproachfully on the cheek, they gather together against me (Job 16:10, about 4000 years before Christ).

“They gape at Me with their mouths, like a raging and roaring lion” (Ps 22:13, 1000 years before Christ).

My friend, as you close your eyes and meditate on these verses, you will see our Savior Yeshua Jesus, the Messiah, as He stood trial. He is before the Sanhedrin. You see them, mouths agape as He declares Himself God. The temple Guard slaps Him…

But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!” Jesus said to him, “IT IS AS YOU SAID”. – Matthew 26:63-64

And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?” – John 18:22

Friend, that very night Yeshua Jesus stood trial in your place and was sentenced to torture and death, forsaken by both God and man. Jesus is the true Suffering Servant, a King who died for His people, a Creator who gave his life for His creation as it cursed Him.

There is no other story like it. My friend, make Jesus YOUR story. He loves you more than you can imagine.❤️

Don2021-12-16T12:24:56+00:00Jesus in the books of Poetry and Wisdom|

Jesus in Esther

JESUS IN THE BOOK OF ESTHER – OUR DELIVERER

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? – Esther 4:14

Esther is the beautiful story of an improbable yet extraordinary young woman who dared to pursue her destiny despite all personal cost. Indeed, she had everything. She was queen of a great nation. But her destiny was not yet fulfilled.

Was Esther a TYPE of Jesus? Look again at her story:

God raises up a savior.
She gives her life selflessly, on behalf of her people.
Through her willingness to die for others, God’s enemies are defeated and God’s people are given life and honor.
She is vindicated and honored.

So too with Yeshua Jesus. God chose to accomplish the greatest triumph of human history through the lowliest of means: a pregnant virgin, a humble carpenter, an improbable savior who was rejected and crucified.

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! – Philippians 2:6-8

Friend, Yeshua Jesus prayed for any other way, yet in obedience fulfilled His destiny and went to the cross for you and me.

My friend, I have another question that ONLY YOU CAN ANSWER:

Have YOU fulfilled your destiny in Christ? God is sovereign and He will accomplish His will with or without you. It is your choice.

For who knows, but that YOU have come to your position in life FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS.

Don2021-12-12T20:33:42+00:00Jesus in the books of History|

Jesus in Ezra and Nehemiah

JESUS IN THE BOOKS OF EZRA NEHEMIAH – OUR HEALER

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!” – John 5:39

Ezra and Nehemiah are books about renewal and restoration. The city of Jerusalem and Solomon’s temple had been destroyed. The people of Israel had been in exile in Babylon for 70 years. But then the Gentile King Cyrus allowed three key figures to begin the restoration of the people, the temple and the city walls of Jerusalem. Our Savior is TYPIFIED in Zerubbabel, the rebuilder of the temple; Nehemiah, the rebuilder of the wall and Ezra, the restorer of the people. Indeed, Ezra’s primary focus was the altar of their hearts. Isn’t that the very focus of our Savior, Yeshua Jesus?

And they told me, “The remnant who survived the exile are there in the province, in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.” When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven. – Nehemiah 1: 3-4.

As He (Jesus) approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it – Luke 19:41

Friend, Jesus weeps over you. He loves you more than you can imagine. Jesus is your ultimate Ezra, your perfect Zerubbabel, your incomparable Nehemiah. He wants to renew your broken heart, to refresh your weary soul and heal your tattered body. Fall into the loving arms of the Savior, Yeshua Jesus… before it’s too late.

Don2021-12-15T19:24:51+00:00Jesus in the books of History|

Jesus in Chronicles

JESUS IN THE BOOKS OF CHRONICLES – OUR ETERNAL KING

I will be His Father, and He will be My Son. – 1 Chronicles 17:13

The Bible is a colorful, layered tapestry that, when carefully studied, reveals the deeper truths. As we move from the Books of 1st and 2nd Kings to the books of 1st and 2nd Chronicles, we begin to see King Solomon as, in fact, a TYPE of Yeshua Jesus. A TYPE, or túpos (Greek τῠ́πος) is a New Testament term used in passages like Romans 5:14 –

“Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a TYPE of Him who was to come.”

Like the word SHADOW (Greek σκιά), a TYPE is something from the Old Testament that we can now understand through our New Testament lens. As Saint Augustine once said,

“The Old (Testament) is in the New (Testament) revealed, the New is in the Old concealed.”

“Therefore, no one is to act as your judge in regard to food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon, or a Sabbath day— things which are only a SHADOW of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.” – Colossians 2:16-17

Now let’s look at the Book of Chronicles through our New Testament lens:

In 1st Chronicles 17, Nathan the prophet gives a message from Yahweh God to King David:

…. “I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor. I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever.”

Of course, David’s son Solomon did succeed him. And God did establish his kingdom. But three times God uses the word “FOREVER”. That does not apply to Solomon’s kingdom at all! Less than four hundred years later Judah and Jerusalem were totally sacked by the Babylonians, and thereafter never again did any descendant of Solomon rule as a king from Jerusalem. EVER. If we read the 1st chapters of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke in the New Testament, we see that Jesus is a descendant of King David. If we look further into the New Testament, we find this in the book of Hebrews, speaking of Yahweh’s (God the Father’s) relationship to Yeshua Jesus:

“…I Will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son.” – Hebrews 1:5

This was the writer of Hebrews, speaking of Yeshua Jesus and quoting from 1 Chronicles 17:13!

If we begin to read the Bible as a tapestry that reveals Yeshua Jesus on every page, we realize that the ancient writings of the Old Testament are worth far more that gold or silver. Consider this story, long before Christ, from the book of 2nd Chronicles (Chapter 34) in the days of King Josiah:

At that time, the temple that King Solomon had built was in ruin and the people of Judah, Josiah’s Kingdom, worshiped idols. So, Josiah ordered the Temple of Yahweh to be rebuild. As work progressed, the workers began uncovering the ruins of the old Temple and something was discovered and brought quickly to the King. Was it silver or gold? No, in fact. It was a PRICELESS BOOK. It was the long-lost book of God’s law, that we now know as DEURTERONOMY. And not with gold or silver, but with that book, King Josiah began to rebuild not only God’s Temple but the Kingdom itself.

You see, friend, there is something infinitely more precious than all the riches on earth for you to discover between the pages of the Bible. Yeshua Jesus is woven deep into the tapestry of the Bible from the ancient books of the law to the final book of the New Testament. He is, indeed, the AUTHOR OF LIFE and the PAINTER OF BOTH YOU AND ME. My friend, to DISCOVER HISTORIC JESUS is discover the meaning of life itself. Your life. He is reaching out from these ancient pages of 1st and 2nd Chronicles today, offering a nail-pierced hand to His bride.

Don2021-12-11T15:00:21+00:00Jesus in the books of History|

Jesus in Kings

JESUS IN THE BOOKS OF KINGS – OUR GIFT-GIVER

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love… Give your servant therefore an understanding mind” – 1 Kings 3:5-14

And to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God – Ephesians 3:19

Solomon had already received the greatest treasure in life—the steadfast love of the Lord. So he humbly asked for wisdom. That same steadfast love of the Lord that Solomon experienced some three thousand years ago has been offered to us through the work of Yeshua Jesus. And His wisdom is here in His Word.

Friend, He loves you so much, enough to die in your place. Not because you deserve it, but even though you don’t. Indeed, His steadfast, unfailing love tugs at your failing heart this very moment. Come to Him now… and be healed.

Thanks be to God for His Indescribable Gift – 2 Corinthians 9:15

Don2021-12-08T16:29:35+00:00Jesus in the books of History|

Jesus in Samuel

Jesus in the books of Samuel – OUR MERCY & GRACE

The LORD brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up. – 1 Samuel 2:6

The story of MEPHIBOSHETH

Disaster! My life is over! I’ve rehearsed this ending to my story a thousand times. And it is now playing out, just as I feared. Oh, I started out in life with such promise… The grandson of the Great King Saul, and the son of Jonathan, heir to the throne of Israel. But something went terribly wrong…

My grandfather Saul seemed to get crazy in his old age. He drove my father’s best friend, David, out of the Kingdom. He was threatened by David, who remained loyal to my grandfather and faithful to God. And when my grandfather Saul and father Jonathan went to war with the Philistines, they were both killed in battle. I was only five years old at the time. But even then, I knew that David would become King and destroy me, an heir to the throne.

My nanny also knew this, and she protected me. She held my hand tightly as together we ran from the Palace to safety. But I could not keep up, so she picked me up and continued running down the steep steps of the Palace. It was then that the next disaster of my life took place. My nanny lost her balance and fell headlong down the great steps and I fell with her. And both of my ankles were broken. Even then, my nanny was faithful. She made sure I was taken far from the Palace to the home of a trusted friend in Lo Debar. There my legs mended, but badly, and I was lame. And I have harbored deep resentment and hatred for King David for destroying my life.

I have managed to hide out from the King for fifteen years before the law caught up with me. And now here I am, kneeling before The King. I HAVE REHEARSED MY FATE A THOUSAND TIMES. He will condemn me to death, for I am an enemy of The King.

“MEPHIBOSHETH!”, The King spoke with authority from His judgement seat.

“Sir”, I mumble as I stare at the marble floor at my feet. I am waiting for the sword. Then I hear His powerful voice again.

“Don’t be frightened,” I hear Him saying. “I’d like to do something special for you in memory of your father Jonathan. To begin with, I’m returning to you all the properties of your grandfather Saul. Furthermore, from now on you’ll take all your meals at my table.”

Is this some kind of a trick? I know I DESERVE DEATH for the thoughts I have had for the past ten years about this man. But as I stutter, unable to speak, I am being ushered into the royal household; being treated as one of the King’s own sons. I am bathed and dressed in fine linens and brought to King’s table where I am served alongside of Him. Indeed, I have found GRACE, unmerited favor, from the King this day.

My past has been forgiven and forgotten. And I will serve this King for the remainder of my days.

Sincerely,

Mephibosheth

There is perhaps no better picture of God’s undeserved Mercy and overwhelming Grace towards us than the story of Mephibosheth in 2nd Samuel 9. Mephibosheth was a grandson of King Saul, the first king of Israel who started out well but then turned away from the God. He then plotted to destroy David, God’s chosen one. Thus, there was alienation and enmity between King David and the dynasty of Saul. Mephibosheth was crippled since childhood from a fall. He had lived a miserable life and deserved a sentence of death from King David.

But David not only showed mercy to Mephibosheth, but instead treated him as a son. Not because of anything Mephibosheth had done, but because of David’s love for Jonathan his father, who died to save the kingdom.

Friend, we are hopelessly crippled by sin. We deserve death but are instead offered God’s undeserved Mercy and overwhelming Grace because of Jesus’ substitutionary death on our behalf.

My Friend, are you crippled by your sin? Do you deserve only death? Jesus died to save you. He loves you with an everlasting love! Believe in Him and receive eternal life today.

Don2021-12-06T15:28:49+00:00Jesus in the books of History|

Jesus in Ruth

JESUS IN THE BOOK OF RUTH – OUR KINSMEN-REDEEMER

Then the women said to Naomi, ‘Blessed is the LORD who has not left you without a Redeemer today, and may His name become famous in Israel – Ruth 4:14

The story of Ruth and Boaz takes place in Bethlehem. Ruth was a Gentile whom Boaz purchased as His bride and in doing so redeemed Naomi. Boaz was uniquely qualified. The name Boaz means ‘ability’. You see, according to the law, a kinsman-redeemer must not only be a relative but must also be free of debt.

Some 1300 years later, in the town of Bethlehem, another kinsmen-redeemer was born. He purchased His bride at a great price. Indeed, Yeshua Jesus is uniquely qualified, having become one of us, yet without sin.

Friend, do you know this Kinsmen-Redeemer, Yeshua Jesus, who will redeem His people Israel through his bride? He holds out His nail-pierced hand to you now, to take you as His bride. He has paid your debt with His blood, so that you can be redeemed.

Don2021-12-05T15:12:34+00:00Jesus in the books of History|

Jesus in Judges

JESUS IN THE BOOK OF JUDGES – OUR WARRIOR-SAVIOR

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. – Hebrews 11:32-35

Perhaps the best translation of the word “Judges” from the Old Testament is Warrior-Savior. In this unlikely book we can glimpse our own great Warrior-Savior, Yeshua Jesus, in the imperfect forms of heroic men and women who, at great personal risk and sacrifice, saved the nation of Israel from destruction. They are part of the epic cosmic warfare of the ages that began in a garden many centuries ago. Jesus our Warrior-Savior is first found in Genesis 3:15 when Yahweh promised a seed who would be born of woman, engage in mortal combat with the serpent, and ultimately crush his head. Throughout redemptive history there is a recurring echo of this glorious promise as seeds born of women such as Jael and David become warrior-saviors who crush the skulls of the likes of Sisera and Goliath. These are imperfect types of our own Warrior-Savior, Yeshua Jesus, who will ultimately crush the skull of the serpent.

In the book of Judges we can also wince as we glimpse into our own desperately wicked hearts. As much as we cringe at the sin and rebellion found in this book, we see ourselves in a mirror. And the only answer is a Warrior-Savior-King with a bloody robe who says, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

Friend, have you given your heart to the Warrior-Savior Yeshua Jesus? At great personal risk and sacrifice, He paid the ultimate price to save you from destruction. Believe and receive today.

Don2021-12-04T15:31:29+00:00Jesus in the books of History|

Jesus in Joshua

JESUS IN THE BOOK OF JOSHUA – OUR CONQUEROR

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”
“Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell face-down to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”
The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. – Joshua 5 13-15

Jesus, Yeshua, Joshua!

The Greek form of the name “Joshua” (“Yahweh saves” or “Yahweh is salvation”) is “Jesus.” As Joshua led Israel to victory over her enemies and into possession of the Promised Land, and as he interceded for the nation after it had sinned and been defeated, so does Jesus.

But did the Joshua of old actually meet Yeshua Jesus? Who was this “Captain of the army of Yahweh?” “The captain of the Lord’s host said to Joshua, ‘Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is Holy.’ And Joshua did so.” Was there another such appearance of Jesus to Moses… in the Burning Bush? What did He say?

The appearance of Jesus in the Torah or Old Testament is called a Theophany or Christophany. Yeshua Jesus later said, “If you love Me you will keep My commandments.” Joshua did not have any problem with obedience. He obeyed. If we love Him, we will obey Him. It is a question of LOVE and Joshua obeyed!

Don2021-12-03T20:49:36+00:00Jesus in the books of History|

Jesus in Deuteronomy

But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. – Luke 2:52

JESUS IN DEUTERONOMY – OUR BROTHER

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” – Deuteronomy 6:6-9

First-century Hebrews like Yeshua Jesus were home-schooled during their youth and learned by repetition and recitation of Gods Word. They would often begin with the book of Deuteronomy. It was common for children to have most of the Torah committed entirely to memory by the age of 13. The Talmud emphasizes the importance of reviewing the scriptures frequently: “He who studies the Torah and does not review is like one who plants and does not harvest.”

I must confess that I have spent little time in the book of Deuteronomy in the past. But it’s never too late for a fresh look. To hear this verse afresh is to be convicted again for my children and grandchildren. Let us examine the way we choose to educate our youth. Are we following our Creator’s way or giving in to pagan culture? Lord, help us find the way back home

Don2021-12-02T17:57:18+00:00Jesus in the Torah|

Jesus in Numbers

JESUS IN THE BOOK OF NUMBERS – OUR REDEEMER

The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

– Numbers 21:8-9

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

– John 3:14-17

Nowhere in the Torah do we find a more striking symbol of the Cross of Christ than in Numbers 21. In the Hebrew mind, to hang someone’s body from a tree after death was a sign of God’s curse:

If someone guilty of a capital offense is put to death and their body is exposed on a pole, you must not leave the body hanging on the pole overnight. Be sure to bury it that same day, because anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse. You must not desecrate the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

– Deuteronomy 21:21-23

Jesus took our Sin upon Himself. He was literally cursed by God the Father for our sakes.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”

– Galatians 3:13

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

– 2 Corinthians 5:21

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus. -Hebrews 3:1

Friend, do you know Him? Do you know the one who suffered and died for your Sin, your rebellion against God? The ONE who took your Sin upon Himself and was hung on a tree to be cursed by God in your place? God our Father invites you to come to the Cross of Christ just as He called Israel to look at the snake on the pole… and see not your Sin but the ONE who took the consequences of your Sin in your place – Yeshua Jesus.

Don2021-12-01T22:20:36+00:00Jesus in the Torah|

Jesus in Leviticus

JESUS IN LEVITICUS – OUR PERFECT SACRIFICE

The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! – Hebrews 9:13-14

…and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. – Ephesians 5:2

The Bible tells us that our Sin has separated us from our Creator. But it is our Creator’s deep desire to fellowship with His human creation. Before the foundations of the world were laid, the Creator had a plan for our redemption. Thousands of years before Yeshua Jesus walked the earth, His offering was foretold!

This was a sweet savor offering (Philippians 2:8). The burnt sacrifice was to be a male animal without blemish, portraying the One “who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God” (Heb 9:14). It was to be made voluntarily. Our Lord said, ”No man takes it (life) from Me, but I lay it down of Myself” (John 10:18). Like that of our Savior, this sacrifice was ordered by God. It was flayed upon and laid upon the wood. As the sacrifice was made the guilty put his hand upon this innocent, spotless one to identify with it, as this was the ONLY WAY to be seen pure in the eyes of a sinless, perfect Creator. And the relationship was restored.

Friend, do you have a relationship with the perfect One who loved you enough to be flayed and laid upon the wood for your sake? God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God – 2 Corinthians 5:21.

How then should we respond?

Don2021-12-01T23:06:16+00:00Jesus in the Torah|

Jesus in Exodus

JESUS IN EXODUS – OUR SUFFERING SERVANT

But if the SERVANT declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free’, then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and PIERCE his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life. – Exodus 21:5

Freedom should never be taken for granted. History is replete with examples of oppression, not the least of which is the inhuman practice of slavery. And how our Creator abhors it! He provided a path of freedom for slaves and indeed the book of Exodus is largely about that very subject. We as sinners can be set free by following His path – by keeping our eyes on the Cross of Christ. And as beautiful as this allegory is, I believe we can go deeper!

Jesus gave everything, including His freedom, out of love for His bride. Isaiah tells us that Jesus was (would be) “PIERCED for our transgressions”. But rather than with an awl in His ear, it was with nails of iron and a cross of wood that Jesus paid the ultimate price for us.

The Apostle Paul explains:

Who, being in very nature of God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a SERVANT, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! – Philippians 2:6-11

Friend, are you a slave to sin? Jesus has given everything for you. He has taken on your slavery that you should be free. He was PIERCED for you. How will you respond?

Don2021-12-01T22:55:03+00:00Jesus in the Torah|

Jesus in Genesis

JESUS IN GENESIS – OUR HIGH PRIEST

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. – Genesis 14:18

The mysterious man Melchizedek is mentioned ten times in the Bible: once in Genesis (Gen 14:8), once in Psalms (Ps 110:4), and the rest are in Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 7 is devoted to discussing his priesthood. His name means King of Righteousness and His title King of Salem, שלום (Shalom), meaning Peace. It is also interesting that Salem was the ancient name for the City of Jerusalem – In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion. -Psalm 76:2

Hebrews 6:20 tells us that Jesus has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. Not of the order of the Levites, which represented a mere shadow, but of the ETERNAL order of Melchizedek.

In the order of Melchizedek, King, High Priest, Righteousness and Peace are combined. In this way Melchizedek foreshadowed the work of the Cross, where “mercy and truth met together, and righteousness and peace kissed each other” – Psalm. 85:10.

The High Priest King Melchizedek celebrated communion with Abraham as he looked forward thousands of years, into an upper room in Jerusalem where the Rabbi Jesus celebrated a solemn final Passover meal with His disciples:

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘TAKE AND EAT; THIS IS MY BODY’. Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, ‘DRINK FROM IT, ALL OF YOU. THIS IS MY BLOOD OF THE COVENANT, WHICH IS POURED OUT FOR MANY FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS’. – Matthew 26:26-27

In 1st Corinthians 11:26 the Apostle Paul reminds us, “Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. The bread represents His body that was given for us. The cup is the new covenant of his blood, shed for the remission of sins.”

Because His body was broken and His precious blood was shed, we can also look forward to the crown we’ll receive on the day when we’ll all be together with our High Priest in His Kingdom. Not because we’ve done anything for Him, but because He’s done EVERYTHING for us.

Don2021-12-01T22:38:17+00:00Jesus in the Torah|

Don

About Don

The Mystery of the Magi

World needs Jesus

When our homes are hit by heartbreak Let Your presence meet us there When the pain seems overwhelming We hold onto You

When the streets are torn by chaos We will be Your hands and feet When the darkness brings division May we be Your light

‘Cause we know our world needs Jesus We know that our world needs freedom So give us eyes to see the hurting and the broken And let our lives align with every word You say

When the nations ache from violence We will be Your blessed peace When the headlines scream injustice May we shout Your name!

‘Cause we know that our world needs Jesus We know that our world needs freedom So give us eyes to see the hurting and the broken And let our lives align with every word You say!

So let every heart turn to Jesus Let every voice sing of Your great name Let all the earth know Your freedom ‘Cause we believe for more We believe for more!

‘Cause we know that our world needs Jesus We know that our world needs freedom So give us eyes to see the hurting and the broken And let our lives align with every word You say!

‘Cause I know that I need You, Jesus And I know this heart needs healing So from my knees I lift this prayer to You, my Savior For my life and for the world, You’re the answer Jesus

When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. – Matthew 16:2

Are we in the end times?

Jesus gave us signs to recognize the season of His return.

In Matthew 24: 4-5 Jesus said, “…take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.”

Folks, many families today are experiencing the heartbreak of children and grandchildren who have left the Church and are following what the great Apostle Paul called “another gospel”.

In fact, most of us know someone who says “I am The Christ”.

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!” – Galatians 1:8

And as a result, curses have rained down.

According to the CDC, over FIVE MILLION have died worldwide as a result of Covid-19 to date.

In Matthew 24: 6-8, Jesus foretold,

Over TWELVE MILLION people have died at the hands of another human in the past 50 years. And, tragically, over THREE MILLION, mostly children, have starved to death. Often at the hands of their own political leaders.

In Matthew 24: 9-10, Jesus continues,

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.”

U.S. Abortion statistics tell the story. Since Roe v. Wade, SIXTY ONE MILLION innocent lives have been taken. Every 37 seconds, another child is barbarically murdered.

According to Open Doors USA, over THREE HUNDRED AND FOURTY MILLION Christians are living in places where they experience high levels of persecution and discrimination. In the past year alone:

4,761 Christians killed for their faith.

4,488 churches and other Christian buildings attacked.

4,277 believers detained without trial, arrested, sentenced or imprisoned.

In the USA alone, over ONE MILLION violent crimes are committed each year. America is number 1 for cases of rape in the world – averaging well over ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND each year.

All this has led to despair, and many young people have turned to gender reassignment and mutilation of their bodies. Self-loathing and despair has caused many teens to suicide. THEY HAVE LOST ALL HOPE.

Is there an answer for our World?

YES

OUR WORLD NEEDS JESUS

Friend, do you know you need Him? For God so loved the world… SO LOVES YOU, that He gave His only Son. JESUS LOVES YOU so much that He gave his life. That YOU might live.

Find your way to your knees and pray to Him now. He is waiting…

“I know that I need You, Jesus.

And I know this heart needs healing.

So from my knees I lift this prayer to You, my Savior.

For my life and for the world, You’re the answer.

Jesus. Oh, Jesus. YOU are my hope.

I will follow YOU, now and forever.

Amen.”

Magnify

Oh, MAGNIFY the Lord with me – Psalm 34-3

Were creation suddenly articulate

With a thousand tongues to lift one cry

Then from North to South and East to West

We’d hear Christ be magnified

Were the whole Earth echoing His eminence

His name would burst from sea and sky

From rivers to the mountain tops

We’d hear Christ be magnified

Oh! Christ be magnified

Let His praise arise

Christ be magnified in me

Oh! Christ be magnified

From the altar of my life

Christ be magnified in me

When every creature finds its inmost melody

And every human heart its native cry

Oh then in one enraptured hymn of praise

We’ll sing Christ be magnified

Oh! Christ be magnified

Let His praise arise

Christ be magnified in me

Oh! Christ be magnified

From the altar of my life

Christ be magnified in me

I won’t bow to idols, I’ll stand strong and worship You

And if it puts me in the fire, I’ll rejoice ’cause You’re there too

I won’t be formed by feelings, I hold fast to what is true

If the cross brings transformation then I’ll be crucified with You

‘Cause death is just the doorway into resurrection life

And if I join You in Your suffering, then I’ll join You when You rise

And when You return in glory with all the angels and the saints

My heart will still be singing, my song will be the same

Oh! Christ be magnified

Let His praise arise

When our homes are hit by heartbreak
Let Your presence meet us there
When the pain seems overwhelming
We hold onto You

When the streets are torn by chaos
We will be Your hands and feet
When the darkness brings division
May we be Your light

‘Cause we know our world needs Jesus
We know that our world needs freedom
So give us eyes to see the hurting and the broken
And let our lives align with every word You say

When the nations ache from violence
We will be Your blessed peace
When the headlines scream injustice
May we shout Your name!

‘Cause we know that our world needs Jesus
We know that our world needs freedom
So give us eyes to see the hurting and the broken
And let our lives align with every word You say!

So let every heart turn to Jesus
Let every voice sing of Your great name
Let all the earth know Your freedom
‘Cause we believe for more
We believe for more!

‘Cause we know that our world needs Jesus
We know that our world needs freedom
So give us eyes to see the hurting and the broken
And let our lives align with every word You say!

‘Cause I know that I need You, Jesus
And I know this heart needs healing
So from my knees I lift this prayer to You, my Savior
For my life and for the world, You’re the answer
Jesus