N T Wright on ABC Nightline – “Life After Life-After-Death”

Jesus WAS the Messiah the FIRST time on Earth – Contrary to Hagee’s Message

I have to say in no uncertain terms that to deny the Messiahship of Jesus, IN THE FIRST coming, is completely unbiblical.

Messiah is Kingship. Messiah is also a person not just his place as king. He was to be the one to fight for and win Israels’s peace.

Jesus directly told the woman at the well that he was the Messiah. Simon Peter’s heaven sent “from the father” confession was this:

“YOU ARE THE MESSIAH, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD.”

(Note that Both MESSIAH and SON OF GOD, are terms for the King of Israel in Psalm 2 – you will read the word “messiah” as “anointed one.”)

He processed into the city of David on a donkey, amidst palm waving, and was robed in a kings garment of purple and wore a kings crown (thorns). The charge and complaint of the Jews was EXACTLY that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, King of Israel. and was “exalted” (lifted up on the cross) under a sign in three languages that said, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.”

In FACT, the name “Christ” is Greek for “Messiah.” His most common appelation in the epistles is “Jesus the Messiah.”

His full and permanent earthly/heavenly reign has nothing to do with the question of whether he WAS ALREADY anointed to be KING.

David was anointed LONG before he ruled. He was already MESSIAH before he reigned. But, as soon as he was anointed, it was an obvious sin to fight against God’s chosen servant.

Jesus directly claims messiahship several times, and his followers almost always refer to him in this way. Hagee says that Israel cannot be said to have rejected His Messiahship (anointing) because he never in any way (“word or deed”) claimed to be Messiah.

This is either ignorance or a lie from Hagee, a man who should know better.

He DID claim it. And the DID reject him FOR EXACTLY the reason that HE CLAIMED TO BE MESSIAH.

Paul says that the GOSPEL is specifically that the resurrection and lineage from David prove Jesus to be Messiah (Romans 1.1-6).

For Paul, Belief that Jesus is already LORD/Son of David/Messiah [all Ps 2 and Ps 89 references), and is RAISED from the dead are the two prongs of the Gospel:

-Rom 1.1-6

1Paul, a servant of the MESSIAH Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for THE GOSPEL of God— 2 THE GOSPEL he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a DESCENDANT OF DAVID, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the SON OF GOD ["messiah" title in Ps 2 and in Ps 89] by his RESURRECTION from the dead: Jesus THE MESSIAH our Lord. 5 Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. 6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus the MESSIAH.

- 2 Timothy 2.8

Remember Jesus THE MESSIAH, RAISED from the dead, DESCENDED FROM DAVID. This is my gospel[.]

- Rom 10.9

That if you confess allegiance with your mouth, saying, “Jesus is LORD,” and believe in your heart that God RAISED him from the dead, you will be saved.

Expelled – The Movie

Wow.  What an interesting concept.

Expelled – The Movie

From: Muslims for Ron Paul Yahoo Group: “Ron Paul Black Man’s Best Friend.”

A quote from a Muslim site:

Is Dr. Paul a racist? No, Dr. Paul WILL SET YOU FREE. We need to
emphasize his prison release program and of make sure people realize
that Hillary and Obama are NOT going to end war, they want new wars.
Ron Paul is the Black Man’s Best Friend. He is going to bring your
sons home from the war and release all non-violent drug offenders from
prison his first day in office, he said.

Ron Paul has more Black supporters than any other Republican candidate and more active US military personnel supporters than any other candidate.

The Star of Jesus Birth (source – Anglican Mainstream)

from Anglican Mainstream

Some alteration of hyperlink placement on my part…

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That Star

I am impressed by Colin Humphreys’ “The Star of Bethlehem – a Comet in 5 BC- and the Date of the Birth of Christ” (click link to see original paper), [also in Qtrly Journal of Royal Astronomical Soc 32, 389-407 (1991)]. Colin argues that the ‘star’ was a comet noted in Chinese records. He gives lots of interesting detail, which includes:

–three striking celestial phenomena took place over two years (7-5 BC) of which the last was the ‘Star’ – a comet (so Jesus born in 5BC)

–Herod’s slaughter of two-year-olds is likely to be related to this timing

–references to a comet ‘standing over’ a place were standard terminology for historians (Dio Cassius, Josephus, Tacitus)

–the census was not for taxation but for oath of loyalty to Augustus, shortly before death of Herod the Great (which 6,000 Pharisees famously refused)

–the census was not ‘when’ Quirinius was governor of Syria, but ‘before’ that famous census Colin proposes the sequence:

• - Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.
• - Visit of the Shepherds
• - Presentation of Jesus at the Temple.
• - Visit of the Magi.
• - Flight to Egypt
• - Death of Herod.
• - Return from Egypt to Nazareth

and even gives dates to within a month or so.

Of course it makes sense that the Temple visit was before the Magi. Colin specifically refers to Raymond Brown’s work and answers it.

Dermot OCallaghan

Compare the interesting ‘Astrophysicist researches Biblical star of Bethlehem’, http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/12/astrophysicist_researches_bibl.php

 

Miscarriage

We found out yesterday that our 12 week pregnancy was carrying a child that had stopped development about 4 1/2 weeks ago. We have miscarried. We had the blessing of being sent to a Catholic hospital who treated us in a very godly way, with respect to the life of the child. They spoke of our child in the realest of ways, it is a child, it is a life. Their only allowed manner of disposition of the child is burial. We may have chromosomal testing which may tell us why the child died. It may also tell us gender.

We announced the pregnancy early for the same reason that we freely announce our loss. We wouldn’t hide another child in a room, or a grandparent – not only is a child a person, an IMAGE OF GOD, but it’s also a CHILD OF THE COVENANT.

Psalm 22

9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
10 On you was I cast from my birth,
and from my mother’s womb you have been my God .

Luke 18.15-17

15 Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

2 Chronicles 31.17-18

17 The enrollment of the priests was according to their fathers’ houses; that of the Levites from twenty years old and upward was according to their offices, by their divisions. 18 They were enrolled with all their little children, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, the whole assembly, for they were faithful in keeping themselves holy.

1 Corinthians 7.14

14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

Ps 71.4-6

4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.
5 For you, O Lord, are my hope,
my trust, O LORD, from my youth.
6 Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;
you are he who took me from my mother’s womb.
My praise is continually of you.

Immutability of God – [Anastasia's Wisdom]

From the Evening of 2007 November 13 Tuesday, at home:

Pleased to meet you [to imaginary people].

Anastasia, do you know how we say that at church? “The Peace of the Lord.” or “The Peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be always with you.”

“No variation or…” what’s the next word?

“Shifting shadow.”

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We talk about James 1 a lot. But her comment was “out of nowhere” as it were.

Dr. Jack Collins at Covenant Seminary said we shouldn’t water things down for children. Tell them things the way you want them to learn them… and let THEM grow into the knowledge you have given them.

Praying for Rain – Georgia Drought

Ga. Governor Prays for Rain at Capitol

By GREG BLUESTEIN

The Associated Press
Tuesday, November 13, 2007; 3:56 PM

ATLANTA — Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue stepped up to a podium outside the state Capitol on Tuesday and led a solemn crowd of several hundred people in a prayer for rain on his drought-stricken state.

————–more at original site: The Washington Post————-

My Question: Does anyone know if this was a restricted or inclusive gathering – was it Christians?  Or people of mixed views? 

I mean, I hope God sends them rain.  I just wonder what actual religious overtones were conveyed.

Baby Number 3 – and Paedocommunion

Welch Baby Number Three is on the way. We are in week four, so pray for stability. Fragility of the situation is characteristic of the first trimester. This gives me the opportunity to reflect on the question, when does faith begin, leading to the further question about infant communion:

I just want to point at some verses quickly, and I will take up the topic more in coming days.

Psalm 22.9-10 says:

Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
On you was I cast from my birth,
and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

Again, Psalm 71.5-6 relates these ideas to us:

For you, O Lord, are my hope,
my trust, O LORD, from my youth.
Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;
you are he who took me from my mother’s womb.
My praise is continually of you.

Further more, Ps 8.2 :

Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.

And the famous passage where “infants” are carried to Jesus for blessing, Mt 19.13-15:

Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away.

[I say "infants" because that is what Luke says - confirmed somewhat by the idea that they were brought to him, instead of coming on their own. In Mark's account, Jesus is indignant at the withholding of these infants from the blessing of their creator - and in all three accounts they, without age, are old enough to possess citizenship in the Kingdom. See the Luke and Mark passages.]