10 Days Until Easter

Yesterday I took a day off, but we're back in business today posting prophecies from the Old Testament  about the coming Messiah and their fulfillment in the New Testament.  Shall we continue right along?

Prophecy: The Messiah would speak in parables
Old Testament: 

Psalm 78:2-4: I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us.

Isaiah 6:9-10: And he said, "Go, and say to this people: "Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.'  Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."

 New Testament:

Matthew 13: 10-15: Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" And he answered them, "Yo you is have been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.  For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.  This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.  Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: ""You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive." For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.'

Matthew 13:34-35: All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable.  This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world."

Prophecy: The Messiah would be sent to heal the brokenhearted
Old Testament: 

Isaiah 61:1-2: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn...

New Testament:

Luke 4:18-19: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." [Spoken by Jesus in the the synagogue

The Messiah would be a priest after the order of Melchizedek
Old Testament

Psalm 110:4: The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek."

New Testament:

Hebrews 5:5-6: So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, "You are my Son, today I have begotten you"; as he says also in another place, "You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek." 

source: http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefactsandlists/a/Prophecies-Jesus.htm

 

 

 

 

 

12 Days Until Easter

The Old Testament has, some Biblical scholars suggest, more than three hundred prophecies which find fulfillment in the New Testament in Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ.  Here are two that I'm sharing with you today.

Prophecy: The Messiah would be declared the Son of God
Old Testament:

Psalm 2:7: I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you.

New Testament: 

Matthew 3:16-17: And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

Prophecy: The Messiah would bring light to Galilee
Old Testament:

Isaiah 9:1-2: But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish.  In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made the glorious way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.  The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.

New Testament:

Matthew 4:12b-16: ...[Jesus] withdrew into Galilee.  And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-- the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.

source: Source: http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefactsandlists/a/Prophecies-Jesus.htm

 

13 Days Until Easter

I am counting down the days until Easter-- only 13 more to go-- with Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah and their fulfillment in the New Testament in Jesus Christ.

Prophecy: The Messiah would be rejected by his own people

Old Testament: 

Psalm 69:8: I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother's sons.

Isaiah 53:3: He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

New Testament:

John 1:11: He came to his own, and his own people did not know him.

John 7:5: For not even his brothers believed in him.

Prophecy: The Messiah would be a prophet

Old Testament:

Deuteronomy 18:15: The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me [Moses] from among you, from your brothers-- it is to him you shall listen...

New Testament:

Acts 3:20-22: ...that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all things which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.

Prophecy: The Messiah would be preceded by Elijah

Old Testament:

Malachi 4:5-6: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.  And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.

New Testament:

Matthew 11:13-14: For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 

Source: http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefactsandlists/a/Prophecies-Jesus.htm

14 Days Until Easter

It's only a fortnight until Easter and I'm highlighting some of the passages in the Old Testament which find their fulfillment in Jesus in the New Testament.

Prophecy: A massacre of children would happen at the Messiah's birthplace

Old Testament:

Jeremiah 31:14: Thus says the Lord: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping.  Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more."

New Testament: 

Matthew 2:16-18: Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.  

Prophecy: A messenger would prepare the way for the Messiah

Old Testament:

Isaiah 40:3-5: A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.  Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places plain.  And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

New Testament: 

Luke 3:3-6: And he [John the Baptist] went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  As it is written in the book of the word of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.  Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."

source: http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefactsandlists/a/Prophecies-Jesus.htm 

15 Days Until Easter

Tonight we're continuing our look at Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah and how they have been fulfilled by Jesus in the New Testament.

Prophecy: The Messiah's throne will be anointed and eternal
Old Testament:

Psalm 45:6-7: Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.  The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness; you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.

Daniel 2:44: And in the days of those kings by God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people.

New Testament:

Luke 1:33: "And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." [Prophecy given by Gabriel to Mary before the birth of Jesus.]

Hebrews 1:8-12: But of the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.  You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions." And, "You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; that will all wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed.  But you are the same, and your years will have no end." 

Prophecy: The Messiah will be called Immanuel
Old Testament:

Isaiah 7:14: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.  Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

New Testament:

Matthew 1:22-23: All of this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us).

Prophecy: The Messiah would spend a season in Egypt
Old Testament:

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

New Testament:

Matthew 2:14-15: And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod.  This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt I called my son." [Joseph flees Bethlehem with Jesus and Mary.] 

source: http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefactsandlists/a/Prophecies-Jesus.htm

16 Days Until Easter

A few more Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled by Jesus in the New Testament:

Prophecy: The Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah
Old Testament:

Genesis 49:10: The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

New Testament:

Luke 3:33: ...the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah... [The genealogy of Jesus]

Hebrews 7:14: For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah... 

Prophecy: The Messiah would be heir to King David's throne
Old Testament: 

2 Samuel 7:12-13: When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.  He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. [The Lord to David through the prophet Nathan].

Isaiah 9:7: Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.  The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

New Testament:

Luke 1:31-33: "...And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  And the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." [Spoken to Mary]

Romans 1:3: ...concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh...

source: http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefactsandlists/a/Prophecies-Jesus.htm

17 Days Until Easter

In the weeks and days leading up to Easter, I'm looking at some of the prophecies from the Old Testament about the Messiah and their fulfillment in Jesus in the New Testament.

Prophecy: The Messiah would be born of a virgin
Old Testament: 

Isaiah 7:14: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.  Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel

New Testament:

Matthew 1:22-23: All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us).

Luke 1:26-31: In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  And the virgin's name was Mary.  And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord if with you!"  But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.  And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus..."

Prophecy: The Messiah would come from the line of Abraham
Old Testament:

Genesis 12:3: "...I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." [Spoken to Abraham] 

Genesis 22:18: "...and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." [Spoken to Abraham] 

New Testament:

Matthew 1:1: The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Romans 9:5: To them [the Israelites] belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

Prophecy: The Messiah would be a descendant of Isaac
Old Testament:

Genesis 17:19: God said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac.  I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him..."

Genesis 21:12: But God said to Abraham, "Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman.  Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named.

New Testament:

Luke 3:34: ...the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor... [the genealogy of Jesus]

Prophecy: The Messiah would be a descendant of Jacob
Old Testament:

Numbers 24:17: I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moam and break down all the sons of Sheth.

New Testament:

Matthew 1:2: Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers... [the genealogy of Jesus]

source: http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefactsandlists/a/Prophecies-Jesus.htm

18 Days Until Easter

With Easter just around the corner, I thought I'd post each day a few of the messianic prophecies about the Messiah that are found in the Old Testament, and the New Testament scriptures that show that Jesus fulfills those prophecies.

Prophecy: The Messiah would be born of a woman
Old Testament:

Genesis 3:15: I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

New Testament:

Matthew 1:20: But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 4:4: But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law...

Prophecy: The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem
Old Testament:

Micah 5:2: But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

New Testament:

Matthew 2:1: 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...

Luke 2:4-6: This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.  All went to be registered, each to his own town.  And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.  And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 

source: http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefactsandlists/a/Prophecies-Jesus.htm 

Redeeming Love Has Been My Theme and Shall Be Till I Die.

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.
Washed all my sins away, washed all my sins away;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.
Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.

E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.
And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.

When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.
Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy power to save,
I’ll sing Thy power to save,I’ll sing Thy power to save,
Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy power to save,

Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared, unworthy though I be,
For me a blood bought free reward, a golden harp for me!
’Tis strung and tuned for endless years, and formed by power divine,
To sound in God the Father’s ears no other name but Thine.

~Praise for the Fountain Opened, William Cowper

Easter Sunrise Service: He is risen!

   There was still a little bit of bite in the air as we hunkered down in our folding chairs this morning, towels draped over our knees to keep warm.  How does one dress in the desert?  It's cold only while the the sun hangs his head behind horizon, but once he rises, it's quite H-O-T.  This morning the faithful, bleary-eyed but joyful, assembled on a beach in Jumeirah to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, the son of God. It was glorious-- we gathered in the darkness-- a nod to the darkness that descended upon the earth at the hour of Jesus's death (Matthew 27:45)-- but then Hope returned, and the sun rose, and we were reminded of the moment that Jesus rose from dead, victorious over death.  What a wonderful way to ring in Easter.

  I've included above the lyrics of one of my favorite hymns.  Those opening lines are epic.  And this: Redeeming love has been my theme and shall be until I die.  William Cowper, one of the most popular poets of his day, wrote this hymn shortly after his first major bout of depression.  He's a man that interests me because he clearly clung to the cross, and yet he struggled throughout his whole life with depression, attempting suicide at least three times.

  I hope on this Easter day that you turned to God and thanked Him for sending His son to die for you that you might live.  Read the Gospels and fall in love with Jesus.

Good Friday Service: It is finished!

His Wounds Have Paid My Ransom

How deep the Father's love for us

How vast beyond all measure

That He would give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the chosen One

Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross

My guilt upon His shoulders

Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice

Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no powr's, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom

I Love These!

Designed by my supremely talented friends, Charl and Donna.  

If you're in Cape Town, VOX City Church is a new church community starting up in the City Bowl of Cape Town.  You can visit their website here for more information.

Please note: Friday's service has changed locations to Baran's Restaurant in Green Market Square. 

Easter Sunday on the Beach

In October of 2007, I headed to Dubai, United Arab Emirates for three months to try my hand at modeling over there. I had heard rumors that it was the land of plenty-- that they were putting up buildings at breakneck speed, and that models were needed for advertising. Moreover, Dubai was positioning itself to be the city of the future, what with the world's tallest building (the Burj Dubai), the first 7-star hotel (the Burj al Arab), and other modern "wonders of the world."

I did have a wonderful time, and was happy that I took the risk and went. Aside from the job opportunities that presented themselves (I worked a ton!), one of the best parts of that trip were the friends that I made. I joined a local church there, the United Christian Church of Dubai, where I was immediately welcomed by their large multinational congregation.

The United Arab Emirates is a Muslim country (located on the Arabian Peninsula, it is sandwiched between Saudi Arabia and Oman) and, as such, the practice of Christianity there is a bit, well, tenuous. Prior to visiting for the first time, I read that I would not be able to bring my Bible into the country. While this may be technically true (I'm not really sure), I didn't have any problem bringing my own in. There are some discernible differences between here and there-- namely, that instead of having churches in various locations, they're all located on one little track of land, which was bestowed as a gift from the Sheikh.

My experience there was that they (the Arabians) were fine with us (the non-Arabs) doing our Christian thing as long as we didn't try to bring it to them. Their policy seemed to be that as long as we kept it to ourselves, we could practice it.

That's why this is amazing and is probably the first time such a thing has been done in Dubai. The following video shows about 200 worshipers from UCCD (my former church) on the beach at Umm Suqueim taking part in the Easter Sunday Service.

The original video is posted here. Please note that the video seems to run in Explorer and Safari but not in Firefox.

XOXO,

Happy Easter

"Washington Rabbit: 1911" via Shorpy

I had a quiet Easter. I woke up early and went to church with my family. Afterwards, we headed to Cracker Barrel for a nice, country lunch. I spend way too much time on my computer-- today I was composing a letter to my friend using this fun Apple application called Pages. It made my letter look like a newsletter with pictures and other elements. I love all of the wonderful things we can do on computers, although I daresay that I feel the need for power-- I really wish I had Photoshop and Illustrator. I learned those programs in college as part of my Apparel Design degree, and I must say that they really spoiled me.

This evening my brother and I went to the University of Delaware Trabant Center to watch the Oscar-nominated animated film Waltz with Bashir (nominee for Best Foreign Film). It is an Israeli documentary dealing with the war in Lebanon in 1982. Aside from my Lebanese friend, Farah, telling horror stories about that time in Beirut, I'm afraid this is a topic I don't know much about. My eyes have been opened a little wider, and now I will be turning to trusty Wikipedia to see what else I can learn on this subject.

Yesterday I went scouting for more vintage finds. I didn't come up with anything really amazing, but hopefully found some pieces that will fit in well in my store. Check back in a few days (probably in a week) for pictures of my new items and hopefully they'll be posted in the store soon!

On this day, I remember the Lord of the universe who died so that I might have eternal life. Thanks be to God for sending his son to die on the cross for us. He is Risen indeed!

XOXO,

Full-time job

I must admit that this has not been an illustrious start to my very first blog. To be fair, I've never followed through with anything in my life-- except that which I was under supervision, or was required. I should say I've never voluntarily followed through with anything.

On Sunday, we went to church as a family-- mom, dad, sister, sister's husband, and niece-- for Easter to celebrate the risen Lord. Afterwards, mom cooked a delicious, albeit small-ish (for holiday fare) meal. We had ham with glaze; my green beans with almond slices and garlic; cauliflower with cheese; and my sister's strawberry, cream cheese, and pretzel concoction.

When my sister left to return to her house, she left something very precious behind: her 15-week old Papillon puppy. There are actually two puppies, but she thought it would be helpful if I took one for the week so that the twins can get individual attention. I, of course, took the cuter one (in my opinion). His name is Cole, and he's a really sweet teddy bear of a pup, except when he's keeping me up at all hours of the night with his insatiable need to go out. Like clockwork every night around 3am, I hear his little 5lb body stir, which means that I need to move fast, or there will be a mess for me to clean up. I've taken to sleeping with my coat and shoes on so that I, like Paul Revere, will be ready at a moment's notice. I'm also sleeping on the floor next to Cole's crate as he seems to really miss his sister, and whimpers unceasingly if he does not sense anyone is near. Individualized attention indeed!

I am exhausted, and unable to get much of anything done around the house. I am eager to get him back to his mother, which will be on Friday. During the day when he is sleeping, he seemingly has a halo placed above his head, but come nighttime, he begins to bare his teeth, and has enough energy for three. I am thankful to my parent's dachshund, Oscar, who keeps little Cole busy by tackling him and encouraging him to play chase.