Day No.2: Do Not Be Overcome by Evil

But rather, overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21) This is the first Word the Holy Spirit spoke to my soul this morning. In seeing all that is evil, broken, wrong and just miserable in the world, it is so easy to become overwhelmed, weary and despondent. In depression, all one wants to do is sleep and "disappear". I have those natural inclinations which is why it is absolutely necessary for me to hide myself in Christ and Christ, who is my life appears, I will appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:4).

Now is the time to wake up from sleep for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. (Romans 13:11). It is time to really know Christ to not just have devotions and be "saved" but to become is disciple in earnest because the days are wicked and like those of Noah and very, very short.  (Luke 17:26).  

For ninety days, (Lord willing) I would like to start truly seeking Christ and strive, through His Spirit, to know Him and become like Him, loving Him because He first loved us. For I have resolved to know nothing while I was with you, except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:2)

I will read through the four gospels and pray to be "there" with Him. The purpose is to stop calling myself a Christian but not seeing anything different in my life. "When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized they were unschooled, "ordinary" men, they were astonished and noted that they had been with Jesus". (Acts 4:13). And so it begins.

Matthew begins the history of Jesus with His genealogy; fourteen generations from Abraham to King David and then fourteen generations from King David to the captivity in Babylon. (Matthew 1:17). What is the spiritual significance of the number fourteen and why does Matthew reference it: "In the Bible, the number 14 has a double meaning. It refers to the numerical value of the name David in ancient Jewish numerology. It also references the number seven, which in ancient Jewish numerology is the number for spiritual perfection. As 14 is twice seven, its use implies a double measure of that virtue"(biblical commentary). There is some thought that Jesus died on April 3, 33AD at 3pm but that is conjecture but He was the Passover lamb so He did die on Passover though scholars are not sure if it was 30AD or 33AD as they still place His birth around the Spring or summer of 5-1BC. Anyhow, moving on, Matthew records the birth of Jesus and relates it first to his earth father, Joseph, finding out that Mary is pregnant after they have been betrothed. It states that he was a just man (Matthew 1:19) and he did not want to embarrass her or have her killed. Chances are if he made it public, then by the Jewish law, she would have been stoned. By the grace of God, the father chose Joseph which is interesting because when you look back at the lineage of Jesus, it leads to the lineage of Joseph (not Mary), yet Jesus was not Joseph's natural born child. Interesting. What was Mary's lineage I wonder. An angel, perhaps Gabriel, it does not say, and perhaps the same one who appeared to Mary, tells Joseph (son of David), not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife