Genealogies Matter

Matthew 1 contains some of the beautiful words written in the Scriptures.. ancestors. The line from Abraham to Jesus was both promised and fulfilled. God's word never fails. He uses rascals and rebels, as well as righteous and right!! God is in charge, even of the family of Jesus and yours.

1 This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David[a] and of Abraham: 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar). Perez was the father of Hezron. Hezron was the father of Ram.[b] 4 Ram was the father of Amminadab. Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon. 5 Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab). Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth). Obed was the father of Jesse. 6 Jesse was the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah). 7 Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam was the father of Abijah. Abijah was the father of Asa.[c] 8 Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram.[d] Jehoram was the father[e] of Uzziah. 9 Uzziah was the father of Jotham. Jotham was the father of Ahaz. Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh. Manasseh was the father of Amon.[f] Amon was the father of Josiah. 11 Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin[g] and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon). 12 After the Babylonian exile: Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel. 13 Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud. Abiud was the father of Eliakim. Eliakim was the father of Azor. 14 Azor was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Akim. Akim was the father of Eliud. 15 Eliud was the father of Eleazar. Eleazar was the father of Matthan. Matthan was the father of Jacob. 16 Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah. 17 All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.

The next time we complain or feel unjustly treated by being in such and such's bloodline, remember Jesus. He had several who were suspect in character, but strong in purpose.. God's purpose.

Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) - Bruce Springsteen

His energy is amazing and unmatched!! Great version!!!

The Small Town Boy

Matthew 2:5,6 (NCV)

“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’”

He was born in a small town and lived in small town.. (reminisce of John C. Mellencamp). God is partial to the small, the insignificant, the unimportant of the world. He sees the big in the small (Geoff Moore & the Distance). He sees winners, when they lose. He sees worth, beneath all the poor self images we have of ourselves. The small town boy changed the world forever.

Christmas: One Birth, Many Deaths

If you think on it, the birth of our Savior Jesus wasn't pleasant for all the families in the town of David. In fact, for many parents, it meant the loss of their son, on the account of the one born in Bethlehem.

13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, 15 and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”[e] 16 Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. 17 Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: 18 “A cry was heard in Ramah— weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.”[f]

So, the birth of Jesus resulted in the death of another Jesus, or Abraham, or Daniel, etc. He still changes families, some are torn apart because of his arrival. They can't stand the holiness which exposes their sin. God rearranges everything, which sometimes equals loss and pain. His purposes are beyond mine and I trust him anyway and fully, with my life.

"Praise Him!!" - Hillsong Live (2012)

Love the banjo in this!!

Passing the Torch

Leonard DeLautre was a dear friend, in my last few years of ministry in Georgetown, Kentucky. I was the Pastor of Central Church of God and he lived across the street from the church. I spent many hours sitting, listening, and learning from him. He gave me books every time I visited, and now looking back I wonder why I didn't see him more often. When I left the community in 2004, to move to Texas, he blessed and prayed for me and my family and believed in me. I will never forget him.