Bethlehem, though you are small out of you something big is going to come. In Matthew Chapter 1, Matthew is writing to the Jews trying to prove Jesus is the Messiah, the King. This wouldn’t be some aristocratic, untouchable, blue blood Messiah. This would be God sending a Savior who would identify with the people, the common blue collar people.
The New Testament opens up with a sketchy list of people who all come from the same family, the Jewish lineage that promised the Messiah. It begins with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It includes David who we can identify with because he messed up, royally. Oddly, it lists three women. Tamar - a battered wife who, Rahab, the harlot, prostitute, and Bathsheba - the wife of Uriah, the woman who committed adultery with King David, of whom it would be said about Jesus who is the Root of Jesse, the father of David.
Why long lists of names in the Bible? People matter to God, He makes a promise/covenant to someone, and not matter how crooked the people may be, we see that God is faithful.
Big things or good things or, better yet, great things and people come from broken families. All great things start small. You have to be filled with Holy Spirit inspiration and sight to be able to see potential in all situations. God sees differently than we do. He works in sketchy ways, more sketchy than your ways and my ways. But, He is effective in His sketchiness.
04.21.24 Banks Ramsey: Empowered to Witness
04.21.24 Order Week 11: Ordering Your Finances
04.14.24 Order Week 10: Order in Marriages and Families
04.07.24 Pastor Munn: Replenish
03.31.24 Resurrection Sunday
03.24.24 Palm Sunday Observations
03.17.24 Order Week 9: Rooted in his Presence
03.10.24 Special Guest Dr RT Kendall: Total Forgiveness
03.03.24 Order Week 8: Your Body, His Temple
02.25.24 Order Week 7: You Had One Job Part 2
02.18.24 Order Week 6: You Had One Job
02.11.24: Order Week 5: A Winner's Mentality "Learning how to effectively deal with your flesh"
2.04.24 - Order Week 4: The Struggle is Real
1.28.24 - Order Week 3: Swept Clean, in Order, Filled with the Holy Spirit and Rooted
1.21.24 - Kairos:What Time is it?
1.14.24 Order Week 2: Back to the Future
1.07.24 Order Week 1
12.31.23 Pastor Dylan Ogle: Pruning
12.24.23 The Womb of Christmas: Christmas Eve
12.17.23 Womb of Christmas: The Way of the Womb
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