John 1:35-42

Two of John's Disciples Follow Jesus John was standing with two of his disciples and Jesus walked by and the two disciples followed Jesus. Jesus saw the disciples following Him and asked what they wanted. The two men wanted to know where the Rabbi was going. Jesus told them to travel with them and they went to a certain place and stayed there for whole day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. Andrew was one of the man that followed and he went to find his brother Simon Peter to tell him that they have found the Messiah. Andrew brought his brother to Jesus and Jesus said, :You are Simon, the son of John-but you will be called Cephas which means Peter. It is exciting to see how the first thing Andrew wanted to do is find his brother so he too could met Jesus who was the Messiah. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Where Did You Get Those Shoes I was finished using the gym equipment and I was changing back into my regular shoes when a male voice asked me where did I get my shoes. "I'm sorry, the man said, I thought you were my wife. You have the same white color hair and I wore glasses." The wife came and laughed and said, "I'm guess you are going home with my husband and I am going home with yours." I told her that my husband was going to work first. She decided she would stay with her husband.

John 1:29-34

Jesus The Lamb Of God Jesus was coming toward John and John cried out, "Look! There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He is the one I was talking about when I said, 'Soon a man is coming who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before I did.'" John then said, "I saw the Holy Spirit resting upon him and this, I knew was the one I was looking for. I Baptist with water but He baptizes with the Holy Spirit. I saw this happen to Jesus so I testify that he is the Son of God. Can't you hear the excitement in John voice as he sees Jesus coming toward them? He wanted all of them, without a doubt, that Jesus was the Son of God. I am so glad that he did and it was written down.

John 1:15-18

Today we are going to be looking at John 1:15-18. Read this Scripture in your own Bible and then look at the summary that I have written up. John bore witness of Jesus by crying out, "This was he of whom I spoke, He that cometh after me is preferred before me; for he was before me. An of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No Man has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." John was born first and then Jesus came along 6 months later as far as Jesus' human birth. Before His human birth He lived in heaven with His Father. No one has seen God except for His Son. Jesus was far greater than John because He existed long before John did. God's unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. Jesus talked about His Father and told them many things.

The Word

I received a new Bible for Christmas and I thought that we would do a Bible study on John. For the last couple of days I have heard it mentioned so thought would read it. Come join me. John 1:1-14 The Word Was God In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not the Light, but was sent to bear witness of tat Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came into his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. Notes There are a lot of things going on in these few short verses. The Word-This is another name for the Lord. All things were made by Him. John was going to bear witness of the Lord so all might believe and be able to become t the sons of God. Those who believe on the name of Jesus (the Lord) were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. The Word (Lord) was made flesh and dwelt among His people and He was full of grace and truth. Things Learned Word another name for Jesus. Jesus was Light in a dark world. The world did not receive Him. He was full of grace and truth.

Day After Christmas

I hope those reading this had a good Christmas Day. We did. It was a quiet one with just my husband and I spending the day together. We had a good lunch and during the afternoon and into the evening we watched Christmas movies. Today was back to work. On Monday I decided to get my hair cut. I decided to go to one of the local haircut places near my home instead of going to my own hair dresser. I have had my hair cut there before and liked how they cut my hair. However I got a person who never cut my hair before. I told her she could cut it the way she thought it would look good. Mistake number one. She cut it but didn't leave a bang, which I usually have, so I looked like a balding old lady. The old lady part is true. Let's say getting up in years (72) and I did discover that my forehead is getting higher. My husband didn't notice it while we were still in the shop but when we were in the car he couldn't help but laugh. I laughed right along with him as I did look quite a sight. I tried washing it but it didn't help anything as it was sticking straight up. Finally had to use a product to hold it down. I guess I should have waited and gone to my own hairdresser. I told my husband that if I ever write a book it would have to be one thing that goes into it. I will just have to keep working at it so I can go out in public again. I have been in hiding.

A Treasure Found

Last evening I went looking for a book that I wanted to continue reading on C.S.Lewis. I cleaned out my magazine rack and I didn't find the book I was looking for, but I found a small treasure in a small pamphlet called "The Christian and Mental Health." It is written by Richard W. De Haan. Since I have some issues with Mental Illness this has helped me just reading a few pages. I am looking forward to getting into reading and studying it further today. The thought through the first few pages is as follows: God made us like we are for His good purposes. Psalm 139:14 tells us "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are they works and that my soul knoweth right well. We were fashioned by the Lord, and He has a special niche He wants us to fill. Whatever your limitations they were permitted by God as part of His wise plan. See why I think this pamphlet is such a treasure. I believe God wanted me to find this treasure just when I did in order to help me along in my Christian walk and to help me become stronger in what I believe in and I know that He is guiding me at this time especially. May you all have a wonderful Christmas and may your New Year be a good one.

A Different Time

I discovered yesterday that it is best to post in the morning that way I know you will receive a post. Yesterday I thought I would wait till evening and then I might have more information to give to you. As it turned out we never got home until 7:00 p.m. and we both had a Hockey game on. I had to get supper and by the time I got settled in my game was going very well. Actually we won 5to3. By the time it was over it was way pasted 10:00. I then decided to write down things today. I like to do something every day, but sometimes my life seems very quiet and do the same thing every day. If this happens again I think I would fill in with Bible verses. We finally found out when our children are coming for Christmas. Didn't know until yesterday that two of our children and their families are coming on Sunday. Our oldest son is coming on New Years Day. He had a bathroom pipe break and his car needs some work on in order to pass inspection. It will be nice to have them all here even if it is on different days. Well I guess that is all for now. The Lord has been good to us and I am wanting to praise Him. We have such a good God and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus is the reason for this season. All have a good day.

Ears and Eyes

Today is one of those days in which I feel especially good. I feel the presence of the Lord in my life. The sun is shining outside and we have good music playing. I wanted to use a Scripture verse this morning and so I went to Proverbs 20 and found this one, "Ears to hear and eyes to see-both are gifts from the LORD. (NLT) Proverbs 20:12. It is one of those kind of mornings where I am feeling grateful for both my ears and eyes. What great gifts these are from the Lord. I need to make sure I am using both of them for good and not evil.

Busy Day

Today was one of those type of days that was very busy. I had an appointment at 10:00, then a class at 1:30 lasting to 3:00 and then a party at 4:00. I am still under the care of a counselor for my moods. I meet with my counselor about every two weeks. It was a good session today and got a lot accomplished. I met my goal for today and will continue to work on it more for my next visit. I am taking a class, again it is in the stage of making goals and meeting them by January 9th. So far I have met this goal and looking forward to work on it some more. In my spare time I volunteer for my local library and today they had a party for all their volunteers. It was a great party and we each got a small gift and plenty of food to eat. There was a lot of laughter and good time as we met together. I am so glad that I can still volunteer. It breaks up the week and I get to see all the new books that come in the library and I get to read them. Do you have any place that you volunteer for?

Time Well Spent

My time today was used in studying my words for sign language, reading my library book, and I decided to read in the book of Galatians. I learned a few more words in ASL, which I have made it my goal to learn at least six words a week or more, which I have been doing. I use sign language during our church service when we sing. My voice is not to good lately and it is hard to sing and then talk. So by doing signing I can enjoy the songs. I finished up my library book which was very good. It was a crime story. Galatians 2:20 reads as follows: (Amplified Bible):"I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]: it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me. What a great verse! I have been crucified with Christ it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me. I have faith in and complete trust in the Son of God. He loved me and gave Himself up for me. As I write this I am rejoicing in the Lord along with the other things that are mentioned. How about you? Can you rejoice along with me? I hope you can and are doing so!

My Hobby

I enjoy creating things whether it is painting with wax, pour painting, geli painting or doing zentangles. I look forward to a couple of magazines that are on the market and they are Where Women Create Work and What Women Create. I just picked up Where Women Create Work this afternoon. So if you enjoy reading about different crafts and how each person does their own craft I recommend these magazines. I find them in Barnes and Noble and Wegmans. To me God has given all of us things that we can do. I think mine is teaching, doing crafts. How about you? Do you have anything that you really enjoy doing as a hobby or a business?

I Love This Time Of Year

I have my shopping done, I am not baking anything as I do not have an oven, I don't need to wrap my gifts. I am enjoying just sitting and listening to the wonderful versions of Christmas music. Some of it is so relaxing and gets me thinking why we celebrate Christmas. I hope you are enjoying this precious time of the year.

Praising The Lord Today

One of my favorite verse is This is the day the Lord has made I am going to rejoice in it! Today I am really hurting from my fall yesterday but I still can praise the Lord as it is not an all-day hurting. Thank you Lord for helping not to hurt all day.

Almost Quiet Day

Now that we have talked about what Christmas is all about we will be looking into just general news. How the Lord is working in my life and lives of others. Today was almost a normal, quiet day. A busy one, as my husband and I went to the church to clean it for tonight. He cleans the church each week. I was so tired that I laid down on their couch they have and fell asleep. After my husband was through cleaning he woke me up and we left and went to Kentucky Fried Chicken House for our lunch. We had about an 1/2 hour before a meeting was to start that I needed to go to. We ordered our lunch but they were out of regular chicken and didn't have time to wait for the new batch to be ready. So we left the restaurant and went to one we had never been before. We had a great lunch and we got up to go to the car. I was ahead of my husband and didn't realize there was a step down and I fell and hit the door. I must say the Lord was protecting me as I could have injured the shoulder I had broken and also hit my head. I did not do either. I did get banged up a little. Scraps on my knees and one elbow but they will heal and will be back to normal in a short time. My husband told me he couldn't take me anywhere.

It Happened This Way

I was looking up a verse on laughter and when I opened up my Bible I came across the following verse, "Proverbs 19:1-Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is perverse in his speech and is a [self-confident] fool." (Amplifier Bible) This verse just grabbed my attention.

2 Years Later

Matthew 2:1-12 NLT) Wise Men Visit Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We have seen his star as it arose, and we have come to worship him." Herod was deeply disturbed by their question, as was all of Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law. "Where did the prophets say the Messiah would be born?" he asked them. "In Bethlehem," they said, "for this is what the prophet wrote; 'O Bethlehem of Judah, you are not just a lowly village in Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.'" Then Herod sent a private message to the wise men, asking them to come see him. At this meeting he learned the exact time when they first saw the star. Then he told them, "Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too! They entered the house where the child and his mother, Mary, were, and they fell down before him and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But when it was time to leave, they went home another way, because God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

It's Anna Turn

Luke 2:36-40 (NLT) Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, and was very old. She was a widow, for her husband had died when they had been married only seven years. She was now eighty-four years old. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about Jesus to everyone who had been waiting for the promised King to come and deliver Jerusalem. When Jesus' parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom beyond his years, and God placed his special favor upon him. Reading about Anna makes me think about how many people I know or heard about that would do such a thing as Anna did. Stay in a Temple, or today a place of worship, and not leave. She was their for years and worshiped, fasting and praying. If only we could do that today. A lot of people have problem just staying in church for an hour. How devoted Anna was.

Simeon

Luke 2:35 (NLT) Now there was a man named Simeon who lived in Jerusalem. He was a righteous man and very devout. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he eagerly expected the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah. That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God saying, "Lord, now I can die in peace! As you promised me, I have seen the Savior you have given to all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!" Joseph and Mary were amazed at what was being said about Jesus. Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, "This child will be rejected by many in Israel, and it will be their undoing. But he will be the greatest joy to many others. Thus, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul." Again we see where Mary was told many things that were going to take place. I wonder why only Mary was told about Jesus and not both Mary and Joseph. Joseph was probably close by and heard but Simeon was telling Mary all the things that would take place.

Jesus Presented in the Temple

Luke 2:24 Eight days after His birth Jesus was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given Him by the angel even before He was conceived. Then it was time for the purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took Him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. The law of the Lord says, "If a woman's first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord." So they offered a sacrifice according to what was required in the law of the Lord-either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.

Shepherds and Angels

Luke 2:8-20 (NLT) That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior-yes, the Messiah, the Lord-has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!" Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others-the armies of heaven-praising God: "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all who God favors." When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Come on, let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds' story were astonished, but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said. Angels were involved again this time talking with shepherds. They were the first people to see Jesus. And they told everyone about how the angels told them about Him as they went back to their sheep. What I find so fascinating is that Mary quietly treasured those things in her heart.

Birth Of Jesus

When we read Luke 2:1-7 it seems like such a simple birth of Jesus. In some ways it was a simple birth. Just like any other birth of a Jewish baby. But we know it wasn't as simple as it reads. First Joseph and Mary had to go to Bethlehem in Judea. It was a long trip both walking or riding on a donkey. It was twice as hard especially for Mary as she was almost ready to deliver her baby. When they got to Bethlehem there were so many people there that there was no room in the inn. Joseph and Mary were given a space in the stable and they were among the different animals that people had used or those of the inn keeper had. We don't know for sure if Mary had any help delivering the baby. Once born He was put in a stable and it was used as a bed. There is a little more to this event but we will look at the rest in our next post. Just think on these things and thing what it would have been like for Joseph and Mary.

Looking At Joseph

Matthew 1:18-25(NLT) Today we are going to read about Joseph in Matthew chapter 1. Then we will go back to Luke for the next part of the event. In Matthew chapter 1:1-17 we have the record of Jesus's ancestors. Among them we find Joseph, the husband of Mary. Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Messiah. Now this is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé, being a just man, decided to break the engagement quietly, so as not to disgrace her publicly. As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. And conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins." All of this happened to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet: "Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and he will be called Immanuel (meaning, God is with us)." When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord commanded. He brought Mary home to be his wife, but she remained a virgin until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus. Mary was afraid that Joseph may feel like this and that is why she waited three months to tell him that she was pregnant. The Scripture tells us that Joseph was a just man. He, had thought that Mary was unfaithful and he wanted to quietly break off the engagement so that she would not be disgraced or harmed in any way. Then, while he was asleep an angel appears to him and explains the whole thing to him. Joseph listened an went and brought Mary home and she became his wife and she had a baby boy and they named him Jesus. I am so glad that Joseph listened and believed the angel.

Zechariah's Prophecy

Luke 1:67-80 Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy: Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited his people and redeemed them. He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant with them, the covenant he gave to our ancestor Abraham. We have been rescued from our enemies, so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness forever. An you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God's tender mercy the light from heaven is about to break upon us, give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace." John grew up and became strong in spirit. Then he lived out in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.