Yesterday was a busy day for all of us. Mostly because we went on a two mile hike up into the moutians. That was Averys first real hike so it was pretty fun. She rode on daddys shoulders most of the way but she did take turns on Aunt Laurie and Aunt Dianes for a little bit as well. She enjoyed it and did a little walking herself.

We came home and watched Transformers and then went to dinner at a new barbeque place at the mall. Pastor Danny mentions it alot so now i know what he is talking about in her Sermons when it comes up. We are going to church later this morning though he wont be there, still should be good to visit Water of Life. Its been a while since we have been and i always enjoy going to my home church.

Jon, Jess, and Lexi came over for dinner and to hang out with us for a while last night. Avery did not take to Lexi the way we thought she would. She kind of just tolerated her presence, thinking this was her territory. Kind of the like the dogs have been doing here. Dianes dog Tasha, and mom and dads dog Tawny have been much that way. Lexi just played with the toys and eventually Avery was playing to, but not really together so much. Maybe when they get older. Anyway it was great to see them all last night, i wish we had more time to spend with them.

the week is going by well for us on vacation. It is good to get away from the norm of life. Of course we still touch base with the home office as much as we can. Avery seems to be enjoying herself, very happy baby having all of mommy and daddy to herself along with Aunt Laurie, Diane, grandma and grandpa. Tonight we will see Jon, Jessica, and Lexi. That will be great.

last night Holly and I went to see the new National Treasure: Book of secerts. It was good and we enjoyed it. I like anything that takes me into the History books of our country or any history for that matter. It is my favorite subject next to Literature. Anyway the mountians here are breath taking during the winter, its still pretty cold but at least i dont have to worry about ice or snow. Rain maybe, but havent seen any of that yet either.

Christmas morning we rose up from our beds and went to the tree to open gifts as a family. Avery was a lot more active this year than last of course, and enjoyed her presents greatly. She got a bouncing zebra to ride on, a giant pink chair, sammy starfish from her swim school, and some books. Holly and my group gift this year was the dinning room table, but other than that she bought me a dual handset home phone system. I got her a statue from the willow tree collection, Child of Mine. We collect those and so far have maybe 20 or thirty. Well more so now since we got more from my parents too.

We went over to Hollys moms after we got through out presents and packed for our trip a little. There were presents to open and given there. Avery of course got a lot of fun stuff to play with and wear. Then we went home and got ready to take our plane trip to California.

Avery did pretty good on the plane for the most part, no major crying. We did have to expend some of her enegery by letting her roam around the airport, with daddy of course. But it was a good direct flight. Flying on Christmas isnt to bad. We arrived last night and ate some waffles and eggs my dad made. Aunt Laurie and Uncle Jason were there as well as Aunt Diane and her dog Tasha. We gathered around the tree and opened gifts.

One tradition my parents started is the code word tags which means we dont right actual names more like titles for each person. Like if the gift is for Holly from me it would say to Honda Lover from Toyota boy. Or something like that. Its fun. Avery was very tired by this time but enjoyed the presents and helped unwrap a little bit. Finally she fell asleep in grandpa's arms.

Now its the next morning and i just got done enjoying a nice hot bath in my parents wonderfully deep tub. Just wanted to update things. It is good to have family around during the holidays, and good to see those you have not seen in a while. I look forward to the week ahead and seeing Jon and his family too.

Merry Christmas from our little wonderful family. Hard to believe its already Christmas eve, seems like the time just went right on by. Yesterday was Hollys 26th birthday and we had a good time with that. We woke up and i gave her a beautiful set of earings and necklace with Avery's birthstone. Avery gave mommy a kiss and some very very soft socks from Bath and body. Very good gifts. Then we went to Church and afterward had cake and ice cream at grandmas. Then I took Holly up to Jarrett Farm bed and breakfast, which we have been to before. We just ate this time though, we didnt stay the night. Last time were were there, we had been married for six months. Its a great place to go.

Today i worked till 4:15 then rushed home to the family Christmas party, this year at Nicoles. There was good food and presents to enjoy. Now we are home and the little one is fast asleep. Momma is worn out from a day of cooking, taking care of Avery, and wrapping gifts. I just finished putting together Avery's bouncing zebra toy and inflatable pink chair. She has that and the rocking chair granny bought her. The kid has lots to enjoy now. She already did of course. Tommrow we will wake up and it will be Christmas and in the afternoon we fly to California. Cant wait! Lots to do tonight though, Santa coming and all.

We took Avery out last night with the Erwin family to the college light display. That was a great deal of fun just seeing all the lights. Its sad with the tree damage that parts were closed, but that is all due to the weather. Its just so good to have power and heat in the house now. Last night we came home and the cable, ph, and internet services were back up and running, we were of course very thrilled about that. I had left the channel on the Christian music station with the tv off but the sound box on so it was neat to walk into the house with worship music.

Speaking of worship we tried out a new church this past sunday that reminds me of a small Water of Life from back in California. The worship was good with a lot of songs by Chris Tomlin and some others. We will go back this Sunday which is also Hollys birthday. Hard to believe how fast the time goes, just sitting here looking at pictures from last year. And here we are at Christmas again. Last Saturday we went to eat at Mazzios with Hollys dad and stepmom to celebrate their birthdays along with Holly and Nicoles birthday. Today we are going out to Grannys house for a Christmas celebration and birthday as well. Should be good.

I praise the Lord for all He has done this holiday season. Even in the midst of the storm we had through here there was provision for our daily needs. Never once did i feel like he was not present with us. This has been a good Christmas even with all the bad weather and falling trees.

Our yard looks like a war zone. Granddady and Mema came out Thursday and helped me get the tree off the main line outside. We still have a lot of tree work that needs to be done out there. But some of that might have to wait till after the holiday. For that matter they expect it might snow again today. I look forward to what is ahead.

Sunday evening the ice storm came into our area and pretty much wiped out everything in its path. We lost tree branches which in turn knocked out our power and cable lines. Our backyard looks like a war zone, which i might post pics of later if i get a change. We moved into Hollys moms house for now till we can get power back up and running, so there is not a lot we can do for the holidays. Avery loves grandma's house so she doesnt mind so much, she is her normal little precious toddler. Always a bit winy when tired though. We love her so much! Im looking forward to things getting back to normal and getting the yard cleaned up. Seems like trees just havent been good for us lately. Ill have to make sure our next house doesnt have any. At least not any large trees.

It is hard to believe that in two weeks we will be getting ready to celebrate Holly's birthday, and then move into the Christmas celebration. December is moving right along, quickly. We had had mild cold weather so far but are in for a blast of ice in the coming days.

This morning we went and saw Santa Clause, Avery didnt enjoy that to much. Then we went and bought a new dining room table with four chairs and a bench that matches along with it. Its our gift to each other this year. I am excited about it and it will give us more room to have people over for dinner.

All other events are just moving along and we still must remember the real reason for this season. Our Lord Jesus in all of His glory came down in the humble state of a baby and was born in a small town, in a barn. He came to bring us hope and salvation. How wonderful.

Avery helping mommy and daddy with the tree.

Thanksgiving has come and gone for us this year. So why don't i recap just a quick minute here. Wednesday Holly got off early to get everything ready for our usual small family gathering. That grew this year. Of course We had the three of us along with Nicole and her family, Hollys dad, and Hollys other sister Haylie, and Hollys granny. So there were a few people and the food was great. Holly did a great job. Avery loved eating and then when she finished threw her tray down on the ground to tell everyone she was done.

Thursday we went to Hollys Mema's house which is an hour drive. We often go out there for the day and enjoy some more good home cooking and turkey. Avery loves that time as well. We play bingo, watch a movie and enjoy good family.

Friday i worked so Holly went out to the city with her mom and Avery to do some Christmas holiday shopping. Hard to believe its really that time of year again. She did pick up a six foot pre lit tree this year which makes it easlier on us to decorate and all. Today we put it up after we got back from going to her Grannys house. I got some of the lights up and the tree looks amazing. Ill try to get a pic on here later of our little sprout. She is growing so fast. I look forward to the days ahead.

Avery is at it again, being adorable and completly wild. She loves wandering around and getting into whatever her little hands will find. She is saying more words here and there. One of her words is 'more', she says that alot when we are feeding her and she wants to get more food. She also says milk and mama. Of course there are a few other words here and there, but mostly just those for now. She is growing so fast, hard to believe really.

This is the week when things start getting crazy for thanksgiving. We are working on our Christmas pictures, dinner preparation, and of course thinking about what gifts to by for all the family and friends. There are a lot.

We also have a jacket for Avery which bundles her up nice with the cold air coming in. Its almost feeling like winter is here, though you can tell its still fall. Ill get some new pics up when i can. We have some cute ones.

Matthew 4:5-7

Friday is here and the weekend is all we tend to look forward to. I have to remind myself that every day is a day God gives for us to use for Him. Its just not always so simple. Pray for darling Avery to get over her cold, and the rest of us for that matter. Thank you much and have a great weekend.

David

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Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 
      ‘ He shall give His angels charge over you,’
  and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
      Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’”

Matthew 4:5-7
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Satan always misquotes anything that the Lord says, and this passage is no exception. The verse misquoted is from Psalm 91:11.12, a very important phrase is left out that says the Lord will ‘guard you in all of your ways.’ Jesus is here being tempted to test God. Whenever there is a message you wonder about, always go to the Word and see if it lines up with the truth. If there is discrepancy, throw out it out. 

Our Lord does allow us to test him in one area of life. That is the area of giving and tithing found in Malachi 3. We are told to give to the Lord and see to it that He will give back 100% in return to us. The idea here is not to give so that we will get back, but to give because we are supposed to. Offer your life as a sacrifice and give offerings unto the Lord. He doesn’t need our gifts, but he is pleased when we give.

When the Lord speaks, listen to what he is saying. There are going to be many voices you will hear in this world, they are not all good to listen to. We know that when the Word is spoken it is truth. Do not allow someone to misquote the Word to you or ever take it out of context to prove their own belief. The Word should define our Truth, not our truth define the word. Praise Him and give to Him all of your life.

Avery was a white kitty for Halloween this year. We tried to go to the trunk or treat but the line was to long and it was to cold for us to stand out there and wait. We did go to one hour across the street from us and of course grandma came over and saw her in her cute costume. Her granny made the costume so that makes it even more precious.

So now November is finally here and we look ahead to the Holiday season. I love this time of year with all the lights and cheer and music. Something about it is just peaceful. Though there is so much to do and so little time to accomplish any of it. But that is okay. Holly stayed home from work today and we hung out and watched some movies. It was good to have just family time. We did go for a walk in the park since its one of the last cool days before it gets too cold to go out. Avery had her first swing ride which was on daddy and mommys lap. Then she went to swim class and tonight had her first bubble bath to clean up. WIth the weather she has gotten a little sick again with runny nose and all. We will have to go get a vaporizer, hopefully it helps.

Right now i am going through some old messages from Pastor Danny and enjoying those in my car and my lunch time. Its good to get some solid teaching from the Word. Life gets so busy and crazy that i need to be able to have a place to stand, and the Rock is the best place. Jesus is my rock and fortress. As we go on ahead with the coming weeks I know He will be with us and watch over every step we make. Praise Him.

Matthew 4:3-4

November is finally here and already I hear the sound of Christmas music and feel the cool crisp air of the holidays. I love this time of year, though it can be a little too cold around here for my taste. Either way its going to be good. Avery looked very cute in her white kitty costume last night. She got a little bit of candy too. Ill try to get some pics posted to my blog later. Be blessed today

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Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 4:3-4
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Jesus had a mission when He came to earth, he knew that mission and apparently the devil was well aware of it as well. We will see in the things he tempted Jesus with that they go against his mission and humanity. 

This first temptation actually should read as, “prove you are.” The question implies that the devil knows Jesus is the Son of God and wants him to do something only God could do. The Word of God is always used in Jesus’ response. Jesus knows the importance of the Word as our refuge. He quotes from the book of Deuteronomy more than any other book in the Old Testament. 

Reading and understanding the Bible is our key to protection from the lies of the devil and the world. The way to stand firm is to know the Scripture and be ready. Anyone that says they don’t need to read the Old Testament, does not realize how much of it is in the New Testament. It also plays the main source material for sermons given in the book of Acts, as well as main points in the other letters written to churches. We must read the Word daily, for it gives us life and refuge.

Matthew 4:1-2

Avery's second Halloween is today, though I don’t think she remembers her first that much. This year daddy wont try putting her in a pumpkin. Our little darling had a rough night with being sick so please pray for her and Holly who also is sick. Thank you for your prayers my friend and have a safe night, whatever you have planned. As for us hopefully it will be some trunk or treating. If the little one is up to it.

David

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Matthew 4:1-2
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 
And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.

After Jesus was baptized he was immediately taken into the wilderness to be tested. Matthew points out several key points we need to grab hold of here. Jesus was led by the Spirit in His life, much in the same way we all are. We must allow the Spirit to lead our lives and direct us to where God wants us to be; even to the wilderness. 

Israel was a picture of baptism when it walked through the Red Sea. After the Sea, Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years. Jesus is here seen fasting in the wilderness for forty days and being tested by the devil. Interesting thing with fasting is that the body gets used to the fast after three days right up till about 37 days when the body is in need of food desperately. 

We learn a few important things about the devil from this passage. For one, he is very much a real person who has real power and authority, also defeated. We should never forget he exists while at the same time never put to much credit to him. He cannot be everywhere, but has location. After he tempts Jesus, he leaves. 

I believe the Lord will always take us into the wilderness for periods of time for testing. He always does this to help us grow and learn more about Him. We will face trials throughout our life of ministry. We all are called in various ways to be a light to the world. Don’t be surprised if you go into such testing; be encouraged that the Lord you follow knows what you are going through.

Matthew 3:13-17

Hard to believe this month is nearly over. Here comes the busy holiday season. I always enjoy this time of year though because its full of so many memories and new ones to be made. I look forward to seeing what is ahead. I hope you have a good day today.

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Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” 
But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3:13-17
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John knew instantly when he saw Jesus that this one who should be doing the baptizing, for John was not worthy to do so. This is a common reaction for people who see Jesus for the first time. When you looked into his eyes you knew you were a sinner. Jesus came to the Jordan to be baptized. The question many ask is, why did he get baptized? Did Jesus need to repent and confess anything? No! He was sinless in every way, but was baptized to begin his ministry and identify with sinners. 

Jesus was born without sin and lived a life free from sin. (2 Cor 5:21; 1 Peter 2:22; and 1 John 3:5). What he was doing now was fulfilling all righteousness. That word ‘righteousness’ means to have right standing before God. To live holy and do what is good and pleasing.  We learn the valuable example to follow as Jesus entered into the water to be baptized so we to are to following Jesus into baptism. Paul the Apostle will write many things about how we have all died with Christ and are raised up with Him.

Baptism is a symbol of what the Lord has done with our soul and brought us into new life in Him. Jesus showed us that the reason for baptism was to identify Himself with us so that we in return can identify ourselves with Him when we too are baptized. And through the expression of our faith in Him, the Lord gives us the Spirit and is pleased with us. Just as this baptism declared Jesus’ ministry was about to begin, so it does for our own ministries when we are baptized and declare publicly that we are His servants.  

Once the baptism is complete we hear the message from Heaven declaring the Son is pleasing to the Father. This could have been seen and heard by the Baptist or possibly everyone around. Either way it was a proclamation from the Lord. We pictured the trinity with the Spirit in the form of a dove, the Father’s voice, and of course the Son being baptized.

Matthew 3:7-12

Friends. We get into another week and you will be on my mind while I go to work as I hope we are on yours. Please pray for us in the coming weeks as the weather is changing and Avery is getting sick again. Being back in daycare isn’t helping much. But we must trust the Lord in all things.

In Him, David
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But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Matthew 3:7-12
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When the religious leadership comes to confront John at the Jordan, he gives them a harsh rebuke. He calls them the children of snakes which is a allusion to the serpent in the garden of Eden. He knows they are not there to repent, but to see what John is doing. They had the people under their own control and power, they refused to imagine God’s Kingdom as being better than their own. 

Pharisees also called “separatists” were the legalists of the Jews. They were the root of the Talmudic Jew. Devoted to the Law of the Lord, they forgot the Spirit of the Law and the mercy of the Lord. They went extreme with their oral tradition of the Law. Sadducees were liberals and rationalists who denied the inspiration of the Word and did not believe in the resurrection. 

Baptism by fire could mean the coming judgment of the Lord on the earth since it is written God will destroy the earth by fire in the end times. There might also be a double meaning here in that the fire is the Holy Spirit coming on us and revealing our hearts to make us more like Christ. Fire is often seen as judgment in the Bible. There is a lot of discussion around the water and the fire. It was the works of the religious leadership and the people that John is here describing. Our own works before the Lord will be tested. Not to prove our faith but to express and define our faith.

Matthew 3:1-6

Friday is here and it doesn’t feel like we got to much sleep this week. At least the weekend if almost here. Continue praying the fires will stop in CA. Pray for Avery in daycare, I wish we didn’t have to put here there but the Lord will be with here there. Thank you for your prayers.

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In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:
      “ The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
      ‘ Prepare the way of the LORD;
      Make His paths straight.’”
Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. 

Matthew 3:1-6
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We approach chapter three of Matthew and now thirty years have passed since the events of the previous chapters. Now we will see Jesus being baptized and then tempted in the wilderness. Matthew introduces a man called John the Baptist who is yet another fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. From Luke’s account we learn that John is Jesus’ cousin born three months before Jesus. John is also the son of a priest and is bringing a message of repentance to the people outside of the city, where most people would be preaching. He wore the clothes of an Old Testament prophet and ate the traditional food of the desert.  He stood announcing the coming of the Christ. 

Judaism was expecting three different people to appear based on various Old Testament passages and traditions. For one they believed in the Messiah coming, they did not know who it would be but it was often thought one Messiah would be a suffering servant and the other a victorious King. Elijah was also prophesied to return which is why many Jews leave an empty chair by their tables when they eat, ready for his return. Also there is a Prophet mentioned in Deuteronomy 18, that is also to appear. John denies being all of these in the Gospel of John (the Apostle not the Baptist). He does testify to Jesus’ pre-existent nature, though he was born three months before Jesus. 

John challenged the actions of the people and held a strong stance against iniquity. He preached repentance to a people who had not heard a message from the Lord in over four hundred years since the last Old Testament prophet had spoken. Jesus tells us later that the Law and the Prophets ended with John. He was the close of one period, while Jesus was going to reveal something new. 

It can often seem difficult for us to go against the authorities and ideas of this world. Even harder is standing for truth and righteousness when sin is so abundant. God calls us to individual and corporate repentance. A confession of our hearts must be made, for it is through confessing that we will find freedom.

One year! Avery has grown so fast in just a year, its hard to believe how fast time goes. Really we have to cherish each and every moment. I keep looking at her pictures over the months and see how much my girl has changed. She is back into day care now, this was her first week. She seems to be doing okay with it but we can tell she is rebelling against it. So we are experincing some parenting behvioral issues now it seems. I know its a passing phase though. She is very precious. She did enjoy her birthday party, so many guests were there, the house was packed. She got some good toys and had fun in her cake too.

Matthew 2:19-23

Morning my friend. Please pray for Avery, she hasn’t been in a good mood since Sunday. I think it might be rebelling against day care, or she just might not be feeling well still. Thank you for your prayers. Blessings to you.

David

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Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
Matthew 2:19-23
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Jesus’ family returns from Egypt and makes a home in Nazareth in fear of King Herod’s son. Isaiah tells us that a Child would be born, and a Son given. Both the Son of Man and the Son of God, Jesus is man and God. He was not just a good man, or one like God, but was God in the fullness. 

To be a Nazarene was usually used as a put down, or to be considered ignorant. This came in part to its being found in the Gentile region. The word Nazarene actually comes from a root word meaning branch or sprout. Several times in the Old Testament the Messiah is said to be a Branch from the line of David, or a sprout from Jesse the father of David. So it is prophetic that He could be a Nazarene. Matthew enjoys pointing out the Old Testament being fulfilled whenever he can. Zechariah 6 is a good reference of Jesus being the Branch. 

We learn a great deal just in the first two chapters of this Gospel. Matthew is just beginning to set the stage in showing us that Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior of the world. It was prophesied even from the beginning with Adam and Eve, throughout the Bible, that Jesus would come and bring everlasting righteousness.

Matthew 2:16-18

We have so much devastation going on in California right now due to the fires. Houses are gone and people are losing everything. Please keep them in your prayers and pray that the Lord will reveal himself to them during their difficult time. It seems these fires happen a lot around this time of year. Thank you for your prayers my friends. And I will pray for you if you are in the midst of the fires now.

David
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Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 
      “ A voice was heard in Ramah (Bethlehem),
      Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
      Rachel weeping for her children,
      Refusing to be comforted,
      Because they are no more.” 

Matthew 2:16-18

Herod was very much a proud and paranoid ruler in his time. He killed so many of his close friends and family that it was said to be safer to be a dog in his house then a member of the family. We imagine Jesus was probably around one since Herod goes after all the children two and under, he is probably being overly cautious. We forget that this was Joseph’s home town and though he got Mary and Jesus out, many of his relatives would suffer that night. 

Rachel is here linked to not only Bethlehem but also as the mother of Israel. Her death is recorded in Genesis 35 and it always bothered me as a casual reader of the Bible. As Rachel dies she gives her last child the name Ben-Oni, but Jacob changes the name to Benjamin after she has died. After checking what the names mean, it makes more sense to why the change was made. Ben-Oni means ‘son of my suffering,’ while Benjamin means, ‘son of my Right Hand.’ Jacob loved the Rachel and honored her by giving him that name. We learn in Isaiah 35 that Jesus would be a man of sorrow. We also know that Jesus is reigning at the Father’s right hand. Both are pictures of Christ. 

Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fled the hand of Herod and the plot of Satan to destroy the Messiah. Throughout the Bible we see similar acts of terror and even history since the days the Bible was written. This is a Jewish family, and we must never forget that our Messiah is the Savior of Israel first and then to the world.

Matthew 2:14-15

Morning is here, shouldn’t it be daylight savings soon or something. Seems like its running late this year. The week is always hard to push through but still we must remember that God wants to be part of our work life just as much as anywhere else. So doing our jobs in service to Him is the goal then. We can only ask for His strength to help us do that.
Be blessed today.

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When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” 
Matthew 2:14-15

The Gospel writer is quoting from a passage out of Hosea 11 (written 700 years prior) which speaks of the Lord freeing the people of Israel out of Egypt. Only problem is that Matthew uses it to apply to Jesus which is pulling the passage out of context and using it in a different way. What we must discover from this is that prophecy is different from what we imagine it to be. The message and picture is what repeats itself throughout history. In other words, prophecy has a past meaning and a future meaning. 

When Abraham left Egypt the Lord God judged Pharaoh. The same occurred when Moses led the Nation of Israel out of Egypt and the Lord again judged Pharaoh with plagues. Now Matthew is showing that Jesus who is standing in the place of Israel as Messiah must come out of Egypt and a different King will be judged; Herod. 

Egypt is most often referred to as the world and for the believer, through resurrection we are taken out of the world. Because of this there must be a judgment of sin which has reigned in our lives. This is so the Lord can be King in our hearts. So examine your heart and your life so that you will know you are out of the world and no longer serving any other king.

Matthew 2:10-13

Monday morning and its cold and rainy. I guess that means its fall and will soon be winter. We had a great birthday weekend for our precious Avery. Today she returns to daycare after being at home for so many months. Please pray hard that she stays safe and healthy. Also pray for Holly to have strength since I know its hard for her. Pray for me to understand God's purpose and plan. Thank you for your prayers. So lets start the week out with the Word. 

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Matthew 2:10-13

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. 
Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” 
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We hear a lot about these three gifts brought to Jesus by the wise men. There is no way to tell if it was only these or if there were others as well. Again it was more likely a whole party of wise men who were there to worship the King. With them they brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

Gold is here symbolizing deity, as it always does throughout the Bible. The frankincense is used by the priest and therefore revealing the priesthood of Jesus. Myrrh is a salve used for healing wounds, which is a foreshadowing of what would soon come with the death of the King. The Prophet Isaiah speaks of the Reign of Christ and how people will bring him gold and frankincense but not Myrrh, since his death will be behind him.  

What manner of gift is fit to bring to the Messiah? Could we give of our entire lives and still have given enough? All we can do is give till there is nothing left for us to give. Remember He is the Son of God in the flesh, the one who takes the place as high priest before God to intercede for us. He has already died for all of us, and promises for us to live in Him. What will you bring to your King?

Matthew 2:1-9

God's grace is sufficient for all of your needs. That is something we learned a year ago this week, and its something we are learning again. Our darling Avery is a One year old! That is simply hard to believe but its true. Our Lord is awesome and able to fully supply all of our needs. As we celebrate Avery's birth today, we will start out by remembering our Lord Jesus' birth. Enjoy the Word.

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Matthew 2:1-9

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.”
When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 
So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 
‘ But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
  Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” 

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.
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Matthew takes us into a little more background and gives us events surrounding Jesus in Bethlehem sometime after the events spoken of in the first couple chapters of Luke’s Gospel. Here again we see a very Jewish perspective pointing back to the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah. This chapter probably takes place about a year after Jesus was born and at this time Mary and Joseph have settled into a house. Remember Bethlehem is where Joseph’s family is from, and is also the same town of Ruth and Boaz, and King David.

King Herod was a Roman appointed over the throne in Israel. He was not a Jew, but from Edom, therefore not very much liked taking the place as ruler. When the wise men come into town proclaiming a coming King, Herod is disturbed. The whole city was in an uproar so we can see it was more then just a few wise men, but most likely a whole caravan. 

The Wise men of the east have their historical roots pointing as far back as Daniel in the Persian Empire. They were a group which spent their time interpreting dreams and visions among other things. The star they saw which lead them to Israel was something we believe Daniel prophesied, though there is no Biblical record of the star. We do know these men were waiting for something that would lead them to the Messiah. Micah 5:2 reveals the location from where the Messiah would come. One who is has been from everlasting, the pre-existent One. The One who has always been and will always be!

Matthew 1:18-25

A large storm system moved through here knocking out my Internet for a while. So here we are this morning with the Word. The storm also knocked down some more limbs on my tree, I think I need to go get a chainsaw and have at it. Anyway I hope you have a great day today.

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Matthew 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.

So often we forget how amazing the birth of Jesus really is, and how it has impacted the lives of so many people. It really began with Joseph and Mary who were two ordinary people, not perfect, just ready to be used by the Lord for whatever He asked. They were willing to take on the responsibility of parenting the Lord and watching over Him. Even more they were going to give birth to God in the flesh.

Before the creation of the world, God knew that mankind would need a savior. From before the earth came to be, Jesus was already in existence as the Son with the purpose to come and redeem man. The Word came and dwelt among us as the Gospel of John tells us so poetically. He came as promised and prophesied thorough the scripture. Just as in the Old Testament an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream to reveal the birth of Jesus was fulfillment of Scripture.

Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, came down to this earth and became a man so that as a man he could take our place and die on the cross. In that death he saved us all from the penalty of sin, that sin which came from Adam, the first man. He lives now and brings us life in His resurrection. Praise be to the Lord Mighty and Awesome are His works.

Averys birthday is tomorrow! I sit here and just think about how fast this last year has gone. She went from being such a small little baby to sitting up, crawling, now walking around. She has teeth, she eats, she sleeps almost through the night. She is our little princess, which is the theme of her party we will have Sunday. For tomorrow we will have a small cake, and open presents from mommy and daddy to Avery.

Swim class is going well still. She has a ribbon for being able to lay on her back and recognize songs. So all in all she is growing. She is also learning how to climb which will help her in the pool later on as well/ We bought a ceiling fan for the living room, finally and she is using the box as a playground for the moment till we have it installed.

This is her last week home before we get her into daycare again on Monday. I hope the transition goes well. We have had Holly's mom watching her on Monday, Hollys stepmom watching her on Tuesday, a lady from church watch her on Wed and Friday, and of course i watch her on Thursday which wont change for now. I know it will be good for her and will get her into socializing with other kids more. Still its going to be different.

For now we will enjoy what is ahead with her birthday and party this weekend! Should be fun!

Matthew 1:7-17

Its interesting, the more I study the more new truth I discover. There is just so much to be found. I hope you are enjoying this so far, I know we often skip right over genealogy but this section will yield a great reward. 
Be blessed my friend.

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Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa. Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah. Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon. And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.

Matthew 1:7-17

While Matthew is tracing the line of Jesus down through David and the Kings one problem does rise up with King Jeconiah. In Jeremiah 22:30 we learn that the Lord has placed a blood curse on the royal line because of the sins of Jeconiah. There were many evil deeds done in those days, but finally the Lord has enough and that blood curse was made, which causes an issue in the line of David leading toward Jesus. 

An important exception to the Jewish Law is made with the daughters of Zelophehad, found in Numbers 27 and Joshua 17. The inheritance was known to pass down through the male line but in the case where there were no sons, the daughter was given rights to inherit. When this occurred the daughters Father would adopt her husband as a son. In this way the inheritance would pass through by marriage. We see in the Gospel of Luke that the writer traces Jesus’ blood line down to Mary. Mary’s father had adopted Joseph giving the legal rights. This is why the virgin birth is the foundation of our faith. 

Genesis 3:15 tells us that the Messiah would come as the seed of the woman. Isaiah 7 promises us that a virgin would conceive and bring forth the one who would rule. And now as we have been it is required due to a blood curse that Jesus be born in this manner. I hope this helps our understanding of the virgin birth and why it is so important. Our Messiah is in both the legal line and the blood line through Joseph and through Mary. He came as a man to die for our sins, and will return in victory as our King.

Matthew 1:2-6

Fall is getting to feel a lot like winter, though not quite yet. Hopefully the day is sunny and warm enough for Avery's party. Hard to believe its almost here already. My little girl just walks to the door now when she sees daddy is home. Life is just so precious. 

Lets get into some more of Matthew.

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Matthew 1:2-6

Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king, David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah..
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After listing off several male names we get to the name Tamar who bore a son for Judah out of marriage. We learn from the story in Genesis 39 that Judah refused to give his youngest son to Tamar as a husband because the Lord had killed his oldest after they sinned before the Lord by refusing to bear children. Tamar was actually within her rights to expect Judah to provide a child according to the Law. Also the Law teaches that one of illegitimate birth will not enter the Lord’s presence till the tenth generation (Deut 23:2). 

Now the third woman who comes up on the list of Ruth who married Boaz and they had a son named Obed. In the book of Ruth the people bless Ruth and give a special prayer that their son will be like the son who Tamar bore to Judah. That would make David the tenth son from the one born by Tamar. David would become King of Israel and the Lord promised that from His throne would come the King of Kings.

Matthew is a tax collector by trade, a government official and still a devoted passionate Jew. He begins His gospel with a message that our Lord Jesus is from the line of King David but reminds us that it wasn’t a perfect and righteous line. Verse six even points out David’s own sin by taking Bathsheba. The Spirit does not point out anything else other than David’s own failure. He had forgiveness with consequence. The people who came before were just that, people. The only righteousness we can ever have is that given to us by the Lord, right standing before Him.