Local Carpenter Wows Them at the Nazareth Synagog

Luke was a historian so he built his Gospel on historical evidence that proved Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ. Luke skipped some of the miraculous stuff that was reported in other Gospels like the wedding at Cana. Luke looked for the legal proof, it may sound that he was being legalistic but he was being legalistic. This is because he was living in a legalistic society and early Christianity was merely another facet of Judaism, so it made sense to concentrate on actual proof based on prophesy.

Luke covered the prophesies involving the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus then covered the actual births and circumcisions of both. Luke skipped the flight to Egypt, and I guess this is because even though it's an important narrative, it does nothing to advance the fact that Jesus is the Son of God and legitimately the Messiah.

What could be more beautiful than Luke's coverage of the Baptism of Jesus, explaining how Heaven opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus like a Dove and God spoke aloud “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” The only time the Trinity is mentioned together in the text of the Bible

Then Luke traced Jesus linage back from his legal father Joseph to David, and on to Adam proving legally that Jesus was of the linage of David, a needed item in the checklist of identifying the Messiah:

Twitter Account

Personally I think Twitter is going to do a Hindenburg in the near future. Twitters share price has fallen 45% in the past year. They've had nine straight quarters of declining growth and they have fired 9% of it's work force as a result. Several companies (Google's owner Alphabet Inc, SalesForce.com and Disney) walked away from a potential buyout. 

Their technology is stagnant while their rivals (Facebook, SnapChat) are constantly innovating. Twitter's interface remains almost identical to the interface I saw when I peeked at it years ago. Our President elect has spoken to the American public more in the past few weeks via twitter than the Previous president (Mr. Barack Milhouse Obama) has spoken us in the past 8 years via anything. But when Mr. Trump wants to stream live video he uses Facebook, not Twitter, which when you take in account Mr. Trump's love affair with Twitter, this is a bad sign for the little bird.

With all that going against it I figure why not? After all, I am a Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabers fan, So I threw my hat in the ring for the dying underdog. You can reach this blog, Asleep No More via Twitter easily, I'm hiding behind @W_A_Christian on Twitter. Not sure If I will be verbose, but then how verbose can you get in 144 characters?

Random Bits

"I walk through this sinful world as a 

pilgrim in a foreign country" - CH Spurgeon

Today is the 12th day of Christmas, so if you've been keeping track your true love should have showered you with  12 drummers drumming, 22 pipers piping, 30 lords a leaping, 36 ladies waiting, 40 maids a milking, 42 swans a swimming, 42 geese a laying,40 golden rings, 36 calling birds, 30 french hens, 22 turtle doves and 12 partridges in 12 pair trees for a total of 376 gifts.

It's also the Epiphany, the day we choose to celebrate the visit of the three wise guys magi. The word epiphany means “manifestation” or “revelation.” In essence we are celebrating the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, who were represented by the magi. For those of us with a liturgical urge this may be a bit more important than Christmas, because on Christmas Christ was born to save the Jews, but on the Epiphany we gentiles entered the picture and He accepted our meager gifts. Have an Exceptional Epiphany doesn't roll off the tongue as smoothly as "Merry Christmas" but it will if we all remember that this is the day that we, as wild as an olive shoot can get, were first grafted in to share the nourishing of God's grace (Romans 11:17)

A new country has been added to the Top 12 list of countries that persecute Christians. Anyone who didn't expect this hasn't been paying attention

This persecuted Christian needs your help

The US Senate takes the first step in defunding Planned Parenthood

Christianity Is The Most Persecuted Religion in 2016

“This is a new age of martyrs. It’s a time when those who believe in the transcendent generosity of Christ are driven from their homes to suffer exile. It’s an age of blood spilled at a ravaged cross.

Even Bethlehem, within living memory a majority-Christian city, has driven out the followers of Jesus until perhaps a dwindling eighth of the population is Christian.” - Col. Ralph Peters, US Army Retired

It's hard to believe but 90,000 of our brothers and sisters in Christ are gone just in 2016 alone. They were taken from us and taken to glory simply for their love of Christ. This is less than the 105,000 Christians that were slaughtered in 2015, That means 195,000 saints were taken in 2 years. This years total of 90,000 martyrs in 2016 is one Christian murdered for their faith every six seconds. 

According to Professor Massimo Introvigne, director of CESNUR, the Center for Studies on New Religions, approximately 70 percent of the martyred Christians were from "tribal villages" in Africa in tribal conflicts. There they are considered easy prey because they will not take up arms. The other 30 percent were Christians who fell victim to terrorism or governmental persecution.

Furthermore, there are between 500 and 600 million Christians who can not practice their own faith in complete freedom. (source). Think about it - we have 600,000,000 brothers and sisters who cannot even open a bible in a public space, that's almost twice the population of the United States. And now the rabble that slaughtered the Christians in the middle east are pouring into Europe, raping the women. 

Bad times are coming for us, the fire that tests Christian's faith and love for Jesus Christ is slowly enveloping the world. When the fire reaches you, you are going to have two choices; deny Christ to save your hide or to proclaim your love for him and suffer here on earth. Are you anchored in your faith? Look around your church next Sunday, how many congregants in your church would be willing to profess their love for Jesus Christ if their lives were on the line? Draw close to them.

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. 14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. (1 Peter 4:12-16)

Learn more about the persecution of Christians worldwide, and what you can do to help.

Source

2016

My dad, 12/25/1935

This past year started with the death of my father, he died just hours into 2016. I needed a doctor’s signature to travel, which was difficult to obtain on a holiday weekend. When I finally accomplished all that paperwork I returned home to take my dying dog to the vet to be put down.

At the funeral I found that my mom's dementia became so bad she has no idea who I was any more. 2016 didn't get much better, not long after returning from Dad's funeral, my wife's dog died also.

There were also problems with health insurance which involved getting a drug that would deal with my pulmonary hypertension, even my cardiologist was confounded by the paperwork battle.

Then in late spring I was suddenly afflicted with non-stop back pain, and my doctor kept cancelling my appointments forcing me to find a new doctor who sent me to therapy which helped for a little while, then the pain got worse

Meanwhile at work, my work team was shook up with management changes, work direction changes, and eventually 30% layoffs.

But we know from Romans 8:28 that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God

In the weeks before he died my father accepted Jesus as his Savior. Our dogs are out of their pain and our house is now filled with a new flock of rescued cocker spaniels. In August my wife and I were able to get away on a real vacation and spend some needed time together visiting friends and family in Florida and seeing New Orleans

The drug that my cardiologist fought for was effective and I am now able to hike up to 2 miles nonstop while at the beginning of the year a half mile mosey was the end of my limits.
In fact, most of my medical issues are slowly improving, while in Florida and Louisiana I was able to operate without oxygen

2016 was filled with sorrow and pain but also with joy and love and I spent in knowing that Jesus was with me every the way guiding me and giving me comfort, as was my church family.