It was special to all be together this Christmas.
The guys
The girls
Having grandchildren adds a new dimension to our christmas celebration. The babies were great and the cameras were flashing constantly. We thank the Lord for our children and granchildren and the joy they bring into our lives.
Jesus is the Gift!
The land of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali was once disgraced, but the future will bring honor to this region. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. They lived in a land of shadows but now the light is shining on them.
Isaiah 9:1,2
The Lord says, " The time is coming when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel...I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people. None of them will have to teach his fellow countryman to know the Lord, because all will know me, from the least to the greatest.
Jeremiah 31:31, 33, 34
We despised him and rejected him; he endured suffering and pain. But he endured the suffering that should have been ours, the pain that we should have borne. All the while we thought that his suffering was punishment sent by God.
All of us were like sheep that were lost, each of us going his own way. But the Lord made the punishment fall on him, the punishment all of us deserved.
He was treated harshly, but endured it humbly; he never said a word. Like a lamb about to be slaughtered, like a sheep about to be sheared, he never said a word.
Isaiah 53:6,7
The Lord says, "It was my will that he should suffer; his death was a sacrifice to bring forgiveness. Isaiah 53:10
After a life of suffering, he will again have joy; he will know that he did not suffer in vain. My devoted servant, with whom I am pleased, will bear the punishment of many and for his sake I will forgive them.
And so I will give him a place of honor, a place among great and powerful men.
Isaih 53:11, 12
The desert will rejoice and flowers will bloom in the wastelands. 
Give strength to hands that are tired and to knees that tremble with weakness. Tell everyone who is discouraged, "Be strong and don't be afraid! God is coming to your rescue, coming to punish your enemies." Isaiah 35: 3,4
The blind will be able to see, and the deaf will hear.
The lame will leap and dance,
and those who cannot speak will shout for joy. Isaiah 35:5,6
There will be a highway there called "The Road of Holiness." No sinner will ever travel that road; no fools will mislead those who follow it. No lions will be there; no fierce animals will pass that way. Those whom the Lord has rescued will travel home by that road. They will reach Jerusalem with gladness, singing and shouting for joy. They will be happy forever, forever free from sorrow and grief. Isaiah 35: 8-10
The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.
The infant will play near the hole of the cobra,
and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 11:6-9
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord - and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Isaiah 11:2-4
The Lord says, "Here is my servant, whom I strengthen - the one I have chosen, with whom I am pleased. I have filled him with my spirit, and he will bring justice to every nation...He will bring lasting justice to all; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth.
He will not break off a bent reed nor put out a flickering lamp.Isaiah 42:1-4
See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice.
Each of them will be like a shelter from the wind and a place to hide from storms.
They will be like streams flowing in a desert, like the shadow of a giant rock in a barren land.
In his last words Jacob prophesied that a king would arise from the tribe of Judah:
The king would come from the line of Jesse of the tribe of Judah. God told David, son of Jesse, I will make one of your sons king and will make his kingdom strong... I will make sure that his dynasty continues forever.
1 Chronicles 17:11
This king would arise after it seemed that the royal line had been cut off:
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him...
Isaiah 11:1, 2
In December I'd like to blog the Old Testament prophecies about the coming of Jesus. I'll add more as the month progresses. Let's start at the beginning...
God said to the serpent: I will make you and the woman hate each other; her offspring and yours will always be enemies. Her offspring will crush your head, and you will bite their heel. Genesis 3:15
God's promise to Abraham: I will give you many descendants and they will become a great nation. I will bless you and make your name famous, so that you will be a blessing... and through you I will bless all nations. Genesis 12:2, 3
