August 2  2008

The Dedication of Christ

By: Timothy E. Davis

 “The child’s mother and father marveled at what was said about him.  The Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother,” this child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel , and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.  And a sword will pierce your own soul, too.’ Luke 2:33-36 (TLB)

  Mary and Joseph have gone to the temple to dedicate Jesus to the lord.  It was required by the law of moses that every firstborn son be dedicated to Jehovah.  Even though they knew of the future of their son, and who he was going to grow up to be, they still followed the Jewish laws on circumcision and female purity after the birth of a child.

 Surely their hearts would have been brimming with pride; hearing such glorious things being said by the prophets and their little baby, just eight days old.  The tiny Redeemer, messiah, King of kings, and the son of almighty god.

 But Mary also received the news that she would lose her first born son in a terrible and painful way. (A sword shall pierce your own soul, too. Luke 2:35 (TLB)    This foreshadowed the agony of Christ on the cross, as mary stood there and watched the life slowly fade from her tortured and abused son's Murder.  even as she wept, she took comfort in knowing his kingdom was not ending, but would extend for eternity.
 

Jesus bought your freedom at a great price.  Your forgiveness and right standing with God was paid for with his lifeblood.  It soaked into the arrid ground of Mount Calvary almost 2008 years ago, and has been cleansing the hearts of believers ever since.  There is one who stands between us and Paradise.  He is the Son of Almighty God, Jesus Christ.  Won't you ask Him to forgive your sins today?  You have no promise of tommorow.
 

 Daily Manna July 9

 

Walking Deep In The Shadows

By: Timothy E. Davis

 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."   Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

 

  Our lives are not guaranteed to be trouble free. You did not sign a contract with God in which He promised to only send you wine and chocolates.  To borrow from an old seventies song, Jehovah never promised you a rose garden. We will all  have seasons when we must walk in the dark and deep shadows.

We will feel abandoned by our King, alone, and uncertain.

 

But He has given us a promise for all eternity.  A promise that never expires, a covenant never to be altered.  In  Deuteronomy 31:8,  we are told "The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed."   No, the Master has not promised we will never have to walk in the long, dark, shadows, but He has given His inalterable Word we will not be walking through them alone

    

 

   Jesus: The Key to Eternal Life

By: Timothy E. Davis

                                            
"I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am
alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death
and Hades."  Revelation 1:18 (NIV)

I think everyone has shared the experience of standing
in the rain, at night, going through the keys,
desperately trying to find one that fits the door.
You may have a lot of keys that look like the door
key, but they do not fit.  There is only one key that
is the right key, and, once you find it, you do not
have to look anymore.

Christ is the key to the gates of Heaven.  We are
issued this key after we do two things.  First,
accepting Messiah's death on the cross as the free
gift that reconciles us with the Father, and washes
away all our sins, with the blood of Jesus.  Secondly,
we must accept the Master's broken and beaten body, as
the clothes that cover our sinfulness.  Once these two
things are done, our standing with the Father is
reconciled, our sins are remembered no more. 

God scatters them as far away as the east is from the
west, and no longer sees us as sinners who anger him,
but as children that love him. Then we know that we
hold the key to the riches and glories of Heaven, and
we can stop wasting time with all the keys that don't
fit.

                                   


     
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                            

   

 

 

 

 


 


 

                                                                                                                         

 

        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                         

       Prelude to an Execution Part IV

 

                                By: Timothy E. Davis

 

 "Thou shalt not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14)

 

Chaplain, aren’t there some things, like adultery, that God will not ever forgive?  He thought that over for a minute, and then said “Do you remember the story of King David?”  No, I didn’t.  King David was called both a “Friend of God” and “A Man after God’s own Heart.”  Not only that, but a promise was made to him by God.  “What promise”, I asked?   He was promised the Messiah would come from his bloodline, that an eternal dynasty of King David’s sons would be established by God, because of the way David served God. “David must have been almost perfect”, I said.  The ancient Chaplain shook his head.  Far from it, my son.  Very far from it.  How can someone like that be called a “Friend of God”, and “A man after Gods own heart.?  We will learn it is what you do after the sin that makes you a Friend of God.

The story was so interesting that I had forgotten where I was.  In the Death House of my states Maximum Security Prison, being prepared to be electrocuted. The Warden looked at his watch and cleared his throat.  He asked the Chaplain if he was about finished.  He looked at me, and I shook my head.  We will probably need 45 minutes to an hour.  The Warden turned a dark shade of red, looked like a tea kettle just before steam came boiling out, but thought a minute, and said o.k.   The Death Penalty opponents had begun monitoring the time convicted prisoner has with his Chaplain. State Law actually gave a prisoner 2 hours  to talk to the Chaplain.  Some Chaplains had complained they were rushed through their time.  So that’s what prompted the Wardens accommodation.

 We will read about two major ethical and moral mistakes made by King David in Prelude to an Execution Part V.

 

This is part IV  of a seven story series called Prelude to an Execution.  It will be a little different than my other articles, but will contain a powerful spiritual message and dramatic tension that culminates into an ending you won’t believe!

 

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Copyright 2007 Spotless Lamb Ministries

 

The author grants permission for the re-use and re-printing of this article as long as the Copyright notice, by-line, links, and support request remain. 

 

 

 

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