Have you ever read over a portion of Scripture and sensed something deeply significant about the passage? Sometimes when I sense this I rehearse the passage over and over by reading it, memorizing it, meditating on key words or phrases and pausing at different places as I look over the text. This is what I want to do as a church family over the next four weeks together in the Word. As Christmas approaches the very famous passage of the Bible in Isaiah will be central in many churches.
Isa 9:6-7 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever... NIV
We will look at this passage of Scripture each week from four different perspectives. Interestingly Ezekiel 1 speaks of the four faces of God which also align with these four revelations of Christ. You can learn more about these things in a series provided on our website www.destinychristian.com/Jesusinthebible
Each of the Gospels sheds a different light on Jesus. In Matthew Jesus is revealed as our King. Mark reveals him as the obedient Servant. Luke helps us see how Jesus is the perfect Man. John shows us how Jesus is the divine Son of God.
The book of Matthew was written to the Jews. His purpose was to clearly present overwhelming evidence that Jesus was Israel’s long awaited Messiah: The Lion of Judah, the King of Israel. The bookopens with the ever-important lineage of the Messiah listing this lineage from Abraham to King David (Matt 1:1-17).
The first miracle in Matthew was the cleansing of a leper, was highly symbolic for Israel. Leprosy was viewed as a punishment for sin, and cleansing a leper signified taking away the sin of the nation. Matthew’s gospel ends with the resurrection signifying God’s promise that David’s Kingdom would last forever.
The most frequently used phrase in Matthew’s Gospel is it was fulfilled.
Jesus fulfilled more than 300 written about his coming in the Old Testament. Matthew references these prophecies more than any other of the gospels.
There really is so much God wants us to learn by reading and studying Scripture. It is our desire at Destiny is not only inspire you as a church attender but to empower you as a self-feeder.
If you only eat spiritually when somebody else is feeding you then you’re going to live a life that is constantly spiritually malnourished. #destinyokc
We are huge on a simple plan for reading your Bible. We call this the Turn The Page Challenge and it really is simple: Get an old-fashioned Bible and start in Genesis. Every day turn at least one page writing the date at the top of the page along with anything meaningful that may be going on in your life that day. This not only becomes a tremendous heirloom for your children and your children’s children but it also becomes an inspiration to generations who are yet to be born.
As you read you won’t always understand. Even if your mind doesn’t understand keep reading, keep studying and keep asking God for wisdom. You are nourishing your spirit and whether you realize it or not and you are growing stronger spiritually.
Faith comes by hearing God’s Word. Why not accept the challenge to turn the page and invite others to join you on this journey of more intentionally knowing Jesus through his Word. As you read you will progress through the 66 books of the Bible. Each time you get to another book take the time to listen to the message online about how Jesus is uniquely revealed in that book.
In Matthew we see how the Jews were engaged in empty religious activity. These were people who were so disconnected from God’s desires that they completely missed it when Jesus showed up. Religion tends to make a person feel like they’re in trouble with God. This keeps the individual nervously engaged in trying to obey to appease God’s wrath.
This King didn’t come to make you nervous or to manipulate your emotions. This King! This King! This amazing King whose eyes are filled with compassion and his heart is filled with love – He came to awaken his love in our hearts to set us free. He didn’t just come to set us free but he came to awaken something within us to set other people free!
What are you doing with your freedom!!! You have resources! You have time. You have money! You have relationships!
Do the resources of your life produce a reflection of your King? #destinyokc
Unto us a child is born. Then this child grows up and stands in The Temple fulfilling verses from this same book that prophesied his coming.
Isa 61:1-4 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. 4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. NIV
What happens when heaven comes? That depends upon our response! Your King calls you a rebuilder of ruin and devastation! When you surrender to this King you aren’t merely equipped to address your own problems. You are equipped to address the problems of the world. You haven’t been given just enough joy to conquer your depression. You have enough joy to actually conquer all the depression that ever existed in our world!
It’s more tragic to be alive and not know why than to be dead and not know life.
We will be looking at this amazing revelation during this season of Christmas! I want to awaken this within you then empower you with a pursuit as we explore the 21 day Daniel Fast as well as focusing on 40 days of praying, serving, giving and rehearsing a New Year’s Revelation!
A New Year’s Resolution is wonderful but a New Year’s Revelation is better. A resolution is all about working on an area of your life that you desire to improve. A New Year’s Revelation has to do with what God wants to focus on in your life for the next year. Taking time to invite God’s input into your life to know what your focus will be for the next year empowers you to seek him more strategically and cooperatively.
GP2RL: Begin praying about your New Year’s Revelation personally. God has something in mind for you in 2019!