the coming Messiah

Easter! Just ahead is the one day to celebrate the cross and the resurrection. Literally this is the central truth of our salvation and the Gospel story. We must not overlook it believing it is more important than Christmas.

This week we are looking at five promises from the Old Testament of the coming messiah. Jesus, the one sent from God and set apart to change the world. My payer and hope is that we will prepare ourselves for Easter through seeing the coming of Jesus and meaning of the resurrection.

Isaiah was written during difficult times for the nation of Israel. God’s people wee being threatened by many enemies. This prophet over and over warns the children of Israel about the consequence for their sins, but they continue to ignore the warnings. The consequences come to pass. The northern kingdom of Israel is destroyed by Assyria, and later the southern kingdom of Judah is conquered. God’s people are sent into exile in Babylon.

Despite these hardships and pain, the prophet goes on to speak words of hope and the promise of an eventual restoration. This was for now, for God’s chosen people, but also for us. Isaiah talks of restoration for the whole world, through the work of a Messiah, the soon coming of Jesus.

Isaiah 11:2-5 NLT

And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. 4 He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked. 5 He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment.

That is where we find Jesus. Not only did the people of God find one who would lead them to peace and safety. But this Messiah knew their burden, their struggle and did something about it.

That is where we find resurrection truth and the Gospel. We need Jesus. The world needs Jesus.

Let’s tell the story of who brings righteousness. He was sent for us, and Jesus the one who will forever remind us and the world that God alone is the one we should lean on and trust in of life, health, peace and so much more.

Let’s get ready for Easter and celebrate who Jesus is!

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!

Have you heard of EDITH BURNS?

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas . She was the patient of a doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith Burns. One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her. Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved. Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying,"My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Beverly said, "Why yes I do." Edith said, "Well, what do you ...

wash feet, sharing hope

John 13:4-5,14 NLT So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him… 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. Jesus set the example we follow. He served. He valued and gave value to others. That is why we choose to serve. For 18 years our church has shared an outreach called back2school, and for 16 of those years we have chosen to give students brand new shoes and socks as well as washing their feet. It is one of the most important parts of this event. Washing feet is a humbling experience where both the give and the receiver learn how to share some moments that might change their lives. Jesus said we should do this. See the verse above. Follow His example, do what He did, and give far more than you will ever know....

Michael Harrison's e-devotion

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