Once a year (usually in January), we enjoy girl’s day. My daughters and granddaughters get together for fun food and camaraderie. Since it will be February tomorrow, we also made Valentines and talked about Aunt C’s wedding plans. Tears came to my eyes as I watched my daughters together, both intelligent and wonderful women.

The “daughter of Zion” in this passage refers to those believers in Messiah. The bride of Christ, aka the church, was soon to be established in Matthew’s gospel. The people shouted “Hosanna” for Jesus’ entry (with their hope of deliverance from Roman oppression), not realizing what God was doing would change history.

As our king, Christ Jesus the Lord offered Himself as a redemptive sin offering. Not only did He deliver us from living in fear of an oppressive world system, but from the curse of an inherited sin nature over our lives. (Romans 6:23)

The King is also our Redeemer, humbling Himself to death on the cross. No wonder God required the consecration of all the firstborn sons and even male animals (in the second passage below). They were commemorating their deliverance from Egypt (as slaves), we too are delivered from being slaves (to sin), now we have become alive to God in Christ Jesus (Roman’s 6:11).

This precious gift to the world (His only Son- John 3:16), was the way God could look on us, His creation, with a tear in His eye. How wonderful we are to Him!

Lord, may we not forget the price that was paid for our redemption and the forgiveness of our sin. May we always be grateful that you bought us back to your good purpose and will. -Teresa ❤️

Matthew 21:1-5 (ESV)

The Triumphal Entry

21 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.”⁴ This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,

⁵ “Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
    humble, and mounted on a donkey,
    on a colt,^[b] the foal of a beast of burden.’”

Exodus 13:1-15 (ESV)

Consecration of the Firstborn

13 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.”

The Feast of Unleavened Bread

³ Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. ⁴ Today, in the month of Abib, you are going out. ⁵ And when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month. ⁶ Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. ⁷ Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory. ⁸ You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ ⁹ And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt.¹⁰ You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.

¹¹ “When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, ¹² you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord’s. ¹³ Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. ¹⁴ And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. ¹⁵ For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’

Each new family unit signifies the beginning of blessing because of the generations on whose shoulders we stand.

Joseph was a “type of Christ” who blessed his family’s survival for generations to come (plus he inherited two portions, as his two sons were considered their grandfather’s sons as well).

Judah was Joseph’s brother, only inheriting one portion, but significantly being the son chosen by God to produce the lineage of Christ himself. (The Lion of the tribe of Judah)

Whoever comes before you, be sure to remember the blessing they bestowed upon your life. If you can’t find a blessing, then you may be the generation to begin anew for God’s glory. It only takes one generation for a family to decline or be renewed.

Who will be willing to bless those in the future with a heart for God? -Teresa #HisSon #ChristJesustheLORD

Genesis 48:1-16 (ESV) (bold added)

Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh

48 After this, Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill.” So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. ² And it was told to Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to you.” Then Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed.³ And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty^[a]appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, ⁴ and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’

 ⁵ And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. ⁶ And the children that you fathered after them shall be yours. They shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance.⁷ As for me, when I came from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance^[b] to go to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

⁸ When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” ⁹ Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” And he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.” ¹⁰ Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. ¹¹ And Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.” ¹² Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. ¹³ And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. ¹⁴ And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn). ¹⁵ And he blessed Joseph and said,

“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
    the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,
¹⁶ the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys;
    and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
    and let them grow into a multitude^[c] in the midst of the earth.”

Footnotes

1. (a) Genesis 48:3 Hebrew El Shaddai
2. (b) Genesis 48:7 Or about two hours’ distance
3. (c) Genesis 48:16 Or let them be like fish for multitude

Micah 5:2 (NIV) (bold added for emphasis)

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

  though you are small among the clans of Judah,

 out of you will come for me

  one who will be ruler over Israel,

 whose origins are from of old,

  from ancient times.”

The Pharisees were full of condemnation in this passage over how Jesus chose to heal on the Sabbath. In fact, they conspired how to destroy Him.

Jesus was not deterred. He withdrew from there but continued His ministry of healing.

If you find others wanting to condemn your ministry or expressing a desire to destroy God’s work in you, look to Jesus as an example of resilience.

The Gentiles now have hope because of His character/name. He was not exclusively healing the Jews, instead He brought justice for all.

However quietly, you also must continue to bring your Holy Spirit gift to the world. Do not allow criticism or “mean” insinuations discourage you.

Withdraw into Christ and find comfort and renewed devotion to be united with Him. -Teresa

Matthew 12:15-21 ESV

God’s Chosen Servant

¹⁵ Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all¹⁶ and ordered them not to make him known.¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁸ “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,
    my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.
I will put my Spirit upon him,
    and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
¹⁹ He will not quarrel or cry aloud,
    nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
²⁰ a bruised reed he will not break,
    and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;
²¹     and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”Read full chapter

I graduated from seminary in 2013, retired from my professional job in 2021 and completed my “formal” theological education in 2026 (BWGI Institute).

My journey of learning and ministry has been a pathway to understanding the verses in Isaiah 53 (being healed from sin sickness).

Not only has Jesus Christ, God’s Son, fulfilled the prophecy of being my suffering servant but He has healed me through the forgiveness of sins.

To be cleansed from illness is a reason to rejoice, but to have another bear the consequences of my disease is a matter of pure devotion.

Thank you, LORD, for your steadfast love. -Teresa

Isaiah 53:4-7 ESV[4] Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. [5] But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. [6] All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. [7] He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

Matthew 8:1-4; 14-17 English Standard Version

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

8 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. ² And behold, a leper^[a] came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” ³ And Jesus^[b] stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. ⁴ And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”

Jesus Heals Many

¹⁴ And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever.¹⁵ He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. ¹⁶ That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”Read full chapter

Footnotes

1. Matthew 8:2 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
2. Matthew 8:3 Greek he
3. Matthew 8:9 Or bondservant
4. Matthew 8:10 Some manuscripts not even in Israel

We took a morning drive, (instead of walking today). Lo and behold there were not just 2,4,6…but 8 deer 🦌 🦌 🦌 🦌 🦌 🦌 🦌 🦌 running along the sidewalks of suburbia!

We felt blessed to spot such a rare occurrence in this beautiful neighborhood.

Last week, we watched two full grown coyotes roaming the wetlands for their jack rabbit snack. The week before, one of our friends showed us a picture of a huge cougar crouched in a tree (not more than two miles from our home).

Are the predators drawing closer to the neighborhoods because of the abundance of game?

Those who are greedy for unjust gain may in fact try to infiltrate the community. They are the ones who desire to take advantage of all this delicious “game”, but is that a legitimate reason for the rest of us to join in?

Rather, it’s important to hold back our consent. It may seem unpopular and even scary when the entire group dynamic is greedy for gain.

More importantly, wisdom teaches us not to be enticed by their “fake” values but to value life itself. The amassing of wealth through the demise of the innocent brings about cultural collapse.

Wisdom teaches us to value the innocent instead of taking advantage of their trusting hearts. Jesus loved the children for this very reason. He encouraged His disciples to have faith like a child.

I watched the Prime Video selection, “Little Boy”, yesterday and appreciated the film’s message of powerful faith being as small as a grain of mustard seed. It may have been satirical but the overall message of how love overcomes hatred was not missed.

Our Heavenly Father has indeed given us wisdom through Christ Jesus our Lord. May we possess wisdom vs. desire for unjust gain. Lord, help me to trust your Word and embrace your values. -Teresa #Ibelieve #eternalife

Proverbs 1:10-19English Standard Version

¹⁰ My son, if sinners entice you,
    do not consent.
¹¹ If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;
    let us ambush the innocent without reason;
¹² like Sheol let us swallow them alive,
    and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
¹³ we shall find all precious goods,
    we shall fill our houses with plunder;
¹⁴ throw in your lot among us;
    we will all have one purse”—
¹⁵ my son, do not walk in the way with them;
    hold back your foot from their paths,
¹⁶ for their feet run to evil,
    and they make haste to shed blood.
¹⁷ For in vain is a net spread
    in the sight of any bird,
¹⁸ but these men lie in wait for their own blood;
    they set an ambush for their own lives.
¹⁹ Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;
    it takes away the life of its possessors.

Read full chapter