December 15 ~ Things in the Bible not really in the Bible…and a few surprises

Oops of the Day

The wise men arrived at the stable along with the shepherds right after Jesus was born.

Matthew 2:7 – Matthew 2:9-11 

Fact  of the Day

No!  Stop believing all those Christmas “nativity” depictions   “The East” was around Persia (today’s Iran).
It could have taken the wise men two years to get there. After learning when the star had appeared in the east, Herod had all two and under aged boy babies in Bethlehem killed.

 
 

December 14 ~ Things in the Bible not really in the Bible…and a few surprises

Oops of the Day

The wise men followed the star all the way from “the East” to Bethlehem.

Matthew 2:1-2, 7, 9-10

Fact  of the Day

No!  Stop believing everything the Christmas carols say.   The wise men saw his star while they were in the east.  Then, nearly two years later when they arrived in Jerusalem and after talking to Herod and Bible scholars, they headed toward Bethlehem.  Suddenly the star reappeared that they HAD SEEN while in the east.  They had been in the east, not the star. Why else did they rejoice when they suddenly saw the star if they had seen it their entire trip?  

 
 
 
 

December 13 ~ Things in the Bible not really in the Bible…and a few surprises

Oops of the Day

The angels sang to the shepherds on the night Jesus was born.

Luke 2:8-13 – Revelation 5:11-12 

Fact  of the Day

No!  Don’t believe everything the Christmas carols say.  The Herald angels did not sing.  The myriad of angels that appeared to the shepherds SAID, DECLARED, ANOUNCED.  But they did not sing.  Angels do not sing.  There is no angel chorus in heaven.  When the angels celebrated Jesus, they SAID.
 

 
 
 
 

December 12 ~ Things in the Bible not really in the Bible…and a few surprises

Surprise of the Day

In what way did the Holy Spirit overshadow Mary to make her pregnant with the Son of God/

Luke 1:35 – Genesis 1:2

Fact  of the Day

The word “overshadow” that the angel said the Holy Spirit would do to Mary is the same word in Hebrew where the Holy Spirit “hovered” over the waters to create the earth and dry land.
 
 
 
 
 

December 11 ~ Things in the Bible not really in the Bible…and a few surprises

Oops of the Day

When Joseph concluded pregnant Mary had been untrue to him, all he had to do to divorce her was to have her served with the “bill of divorcement”.

Matthew 1:19 – Deuteronomy 22:13-21

Fact  of the Day

No!  The Law of Moses said a woman who was not a virgin when married and publicly exposed by her new husband was to be stoned to death at the door of her father.
 
That’s why Joseph decided to divorce her privately – to spare her being stoned to death.
 
 
 
 
 

December 9 ~ Things in the Bible not really in the Bible…and a few surprises

Surprise of the Day

How did God predict that John the Baptist would come as a messenger preparing the way of the Lord”

Malachi 3:1

Fact  of the Day

The name, Malachi, in the Hebrew language means messenger.  So, when God predicted he would send his messenger to prepare the way of the Lord, he was saying, “I will send my malachi.”
 
 
 
 
 

December 8 ~ Things in the Bible not really in the Bible…and a few surprises

Surprise of the Day

The prophet Zechariah predicted Jesus would be both priest and king and how he would remove sin in one day.  A detailed account of the crucifixion followed.

Prophet Zechariah

Fact  of the Day

 
-High Priest is Joshua [Hebrew for Jesus in Greek] (3:1)
-The Branch will remove sins in one day (3:9)
-Joshua/Jesus is to be given a king’s crown and rule as priest-king (6:11-13)
– He will be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver (11:12)
– When the betrayer realized his mistake, he threw them back at the priests who used to it buy potter’s field to bury strangers in.(11:13)
-People of Jerusalem will crucify Jesus, then repent (12:10-11)
– And on that day, a fountain will wash away sins (13:1)
-His hands will be wounded (13:6)
-He will die alone (13:7)
– There will be darkness in the middle of the day(14:6-7)
-On that day, waters of life will flow from Jerusalem (14:8)
-Then the Lord will be king of all the earth (14:9 & 16)
 
 
 

December 7 ~ Things in the Bible not really in the Bible…and a few surprises

Surprise of the Day

When people hold back from giving to God because they must cover a personal need,

they lose more than if they had made their contributions in the first place.

Prophet Haggai

Fact  of the Day

“Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses,
while this house remains a ruin?” 
This is what the LORD Almighty says:
“Give careful thought to your ways.” 
Haggai 1:4-5
 
“You have planted much, but have harvested little.
You eat, but never have enough.
You drink, but never have your fill.
You put on clothes, but are not warm.
You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” 
This is what the LORD Almighty says:
“Give careful thought to your ways.” 
Haggai 1:6-7
 
“You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little.
What you brought home, I blew away.
Why?” declares the LORD Almighty.
“Because of my house, which remains a ruin,
while each of you is busy with his own house.”
Haggai 1:9
 
Therefore, because of you the
heavens have withheld their dew and
the earth its crops.
Haggai 1:10
 
The silver is mine and the gold is mine,
declares the LORD Almighty.”
Haggai 2:8
 
When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures,
there were only ten.
When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures,
there were only twenty.
I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail,
yet you did not return to me,’ declares the LORD.
Haggai 2:16-17
 
Is there yet any seed left in the barn?
Until now, the vine and the fig tree,
the pomegranate and the olive tree
have not borne fruit.
Haggai 2:19
 
 
 

 

December 6 ~ Things in the Bible not really in the Bible…and a few surprises

Big Surprise of the Day

GOD SINGS!

Zephaniah 3:17  and  Psalm 42:8

 


Delightful Fact 
of the Day

The LORD YOUR GOD is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with SINGING!”

Zephaniah 3:17

By day the LORD directs his love,
    at night HIS SONG is with me—
    a prayer to the God of my life.

Psalm 42:8

December 5 ~ Things in the Bible not really in the Bible…and a few surprises

Surprise of the Day

The Prophet Who Put God On Trial.

Habakkuk

Fact  of the Day

First Habakkuk demands to know why God tolerates such evil (1:1-4) so God answers (1:5-11). 

Second, Habakkuk demands to know why God delays stopping evil people (1:14-17), so God answers (ch. 2). 

Habakkuk’s VERDICT: 

Boomerang. 

What evil ones have done to others will be done to them.