Author: missionspaul

Who is Addi?

Luke 3: 28 “the son of Addi”

It means adorned or an ornament (worn on the body).

Beautiful that might sound but a story is familiar to us.

In chapter 32 of Exodus the people being impatient waiting for Moses to come down Mount Sinai had created a golden calf angering God. Moses intervenes confused because he thought they were going to build a tabernacle for the presence of God but God told them they would now leave, but leave without Him!

Exodus 33: 5-6 “Tell the Israelites, “You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.”’ So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb (Sinai).”

 

The Israelites had carried with them gold from Egypt and used this to create the calf. The presence of God was there on that mountain but instead they looked back to their materialism of the past. They didn’t surrender all the gold to make the calf, just some of it, the rest they left hanging round their necks, both men and women. God was saying that His presence could not be with people who were not fully surrendered to Him. The fact that God asked them to physically take off the ornaments was an outwards sign of what He wanted to do in their hearts to be His people.

 

The ornaments were positive memories of their past in what God had done at the Exodus. They were also negative memories of their sins.

We need to take off the ornaments of the past both our successes and failures.

The story ends with them actually using their gold ornaments for the tabernacle, in Exodus 35: 22 “All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewellery of all kinds: brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the Lord.”

 

If you want the presence of God then lay your trophies and your burdens down. They will both stop you knowing His presence. Come as you are is not good enough if you have known His presence for some time. There is more!

If you are building a place for Him then take off your ornaments.

Who is Melki?

Luke 3: 28 “the son of Melki”

This is the shortened name for Malkijah, which means “Yahweh is my king”. It is the second Melki in Luke’s list.

Yahweh is not only King he is MY King.

Is He?

How is that seen?

In the use of your time?

In the use of your finances?

In the use of your energy?

A King to be worshipped and a King to be obeyed.

A King to stand to attention to and a King to fall down in surrender of.

A King to protect and a King to proclaim.

Many have heard or read the following but it is worth another read this morning from this exciting gospel preacher …

That’s My King! SM Lockridge

“The Bible says my King is a seven-way king..

He’s the King of the Jews; that’s a racial king..

He’s the King of Israel; that’s a national King..

He’s the King of Righteousness. He’s the King of the Ages.. He’s the King of Heaven. He’s the King of Glory. He’s the King of Kings, and He’s the Lord of Lords. That’s my King.

Well.I wonder, do you know Him?.

David said, “The Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork.”

My King is a sovereign King. No means of measure can define His limitless love. No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supply. No barrier can hinder Him from pouring out His blessings.

He’s enduringly strong. He’s entirely sincere. He’s eternally steadfast. He’s immortally graceful. He’s imperially powerful. He’s impartially merciful. Do you know Him?

He’s the greatest phenomenon that ever crossed the horizon of this world.

He’s God’s Son. He’s a sinner’s Saviour.. He’s the centrepiece of civilization. He stands in the solitude of Himself.

He’s awesome. He’s unique. He’s unparalleled. He’s unprecedented. He’s the loftiest idea in literature. He’s the highest personality in philosophy. He’s the supreme problem in higher criticism. He’s the fundamental doctrine of true theology. He’s the cardinal necessity of spiritual religion. He’s the miracle of the age. He’s the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him. He’s the only one qualified to be an all sufficient Saviour I wonder if you know Him today?

He supplies strength for the weak. He’s available for the tempted and the tried. He sympathizes and He saves. He strengthens and sustains. He guards and He guides. He heals the sick. He cleanses lepers. He forgives sinners. He discharges debtors. He delivers captives. He defends the feeble. He blesses the young. He serves the unfortunate. He regards the aged. He rewards the diligent. And He beautifies the meek. I wonder if you know Him?

Well, my King is the King. He’s the key to knowledge. He’s the wellspring to wisdom. He’s the doorway of deliverance. He’s the pathway of peace. He’s the roadway of righteousness . He’s the highway of holiness. He’s the gateway of glory.

Do you know Him?

Well. His office is manifold. His promise is sure. His light is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His Word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous. And His yoke is easy, and his burden is light.

I wish I could describe Him to you, but He’s indescribable. He’s incomprehensible. He’s invincible. He’s irresistible.

Well, You can’t get Him out of your mind. You can’t get Him off of your hand. You can’t out live Him, And you can’t live without Him.

The Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but they found out they couldn’t stop Him. Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him. The witnesses couldn’t get their testimonies to agree. Herod couldn’t kill Him. Death couldn’t handle Him, And the grave couldn’t hold Him.

Yea!, that’s my King, that’s my King.

Father, Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory Forever and ever, and ever, and ever, and ever.

How long is that? And when you get through with all the forevers, then AMEN and AMEN!

Who is Neri?

 

Luke 3: 27 “the son of Neri”

 

So there is a slight problem …!

According to 1 Chronicles 3: 17 “The descendants of Jehoiachin the

captive: Shealtiel his son…” so not Neri?

According to Matthew 1: 12 “After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel”

Luke …!!

 

Who was the father? Neri or Jeconiah or Jehoiachin?

The easy bit, Jeconiah and Jehoiachin are the same person, he was also known as Coniah (Jeremiah 22: 28 KJV), a king of Judah taken into Babylonian captivity in the 6^th century BC. God curses this man because he was evil, it is found in the same chapter in Jeremiah, God likens him to a signet ring he will pull off. He will be childless, never prosper and there would be no descendent ruling after him.

 

But where is Luke’s man, Neri?

 

Let me stress again that both Matthew’s genealogy and Luke’s are right. The Jews would have certainly questioned these important lists if they had been wrong, they have survived the test of time. Secondly, the early readers of these lists would have known the story thread of these lives which not unlike 2019 when the story of families seem to have many twists with their being many ‘father’ and ‘mother’ figures and children being adopted into new names etc.

 

What could have happened very simply put is either there was a levirate marriage once Jehoiachin was taken into Babylon (his wife being permitted to take another, being Neri) their firstborn, Shealtiel, would have legally been Jehoiachin’s son; or there was an adoption process taking place, in that Neri was actually Shealtiel’s grandfather but who had no sons so was permitted to take the sons of his eldest daughter who was married to Jehoiachin. Or even the adoption took place after Jehoiachin’s death, Neri taking Shealtiel has his adopted son.

 

Neri’s name means ‘God is light’ and in the confusion for us over these genealogies then perhaps we need some of that light! Certainly the name doesn’t reflect Jehoiachin’s behaviour or his curse.

Unless of course there is a simpler solution …!

That is that God reversed the curse on Jeconiah because he repented in Babylon. Indications of this can be found in that the ‘signet ring’ references are found down the generational line in Zerubbabel’s blessing. Plus rabbinical sources say he did! If that be the case then as was popular custom, a name change wasn’t out of the ordinary to indicate a new day, the most famous being Abram to Abraham.

Then his name was changed to mean ‘God is light’ the darkness was over, he was a changed man and actually the curse was then reversed. He did have children, he actually did prosper (2 Kings 25:27-28) and he did have descendants on David’s throne, ending with Jesus.

 

Is it possible that a man can change and then change his name to reflect that change?

Is it possible that a man can totally repent?

Is it possible that the curse on that man be reversed and he be brought into blessing?

YES!!

God is still changing lives in 2019 as much as thousands of years ago!

So who was the father? Neri, Jeconiah, Coniah or Jehoiachin? Yes, that man!

A man who God changed in captivity. He still does this miraculous work today!

Who is Shealtiel?

 

Luke 3:27 “the son of Shealtiel”

 

Do you carry appreciation? Not from people but for people, do you appreciate them?

 

The name means “I have asked of God” in Hebrew.

Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel

 

The Hebrew actually means “I asked El (for this child)”. Zerubbabel is an answer to Shealtiel’s prayer to God (El) for a child.

 

The final element of his name is El, which was the prominent Canaanite god but whose name became applied to the God of Israel, for example, Elohim which simply means God.

 

Maybe the father of Shealtiel named him so because he had a change of heart, a change of worship from that of a god (el) to God. More of that tomorrow.

 

How would it be for you if you realised you are an answer to someone’s prayer?

Can you imagine?

Perhaps you are.

How would you live if you knew that people really appreciated your life, not only for what you have done but who you are?

Shealtiel spent his whole life being reminded every day he was the outcome of a request to God for his life.

Do you have someone who appreciates you that much?

May be you can begin to list names: your parents, grandparents even, that close friend who has always been there and has prayed for you through it all, your spouse, your Church leader, the list can go on. But you have names of people who either prayed for your life or prayed for you to live in this life. Thank them today.

 

 

Who is Zerubbabel?

Luke 3: 27 “the son of Zerubbabel”

The name means ‘offspring of Babylon’. He was the governor of Jerusalem having returned with the people of God from exile.

Joshua was the high priest serving alongside Zerubbabel.

On arriving back to Jerusalem he and Joshua set up the altar and laid the foundation of the Temple.

He faced much opposition and the work was soon stopped. It looked like a huge mountain to move to get the permission to continue and then the people motivated to build again.

God raised up the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to move His people back into action. They brought messages alongside and in support of Zerubbabel.

He completed the work of the new Temple within 4 years and it was dedicated.

The message that all of us remember the most is this:

Zechariah 4: 6-7 This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty. ‘What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of “Grace, grace to it.”

So …

1. It doesn’t matter if you are the offspring of a past captivity you can rise to become the leader of people.
2. Whatever you do in life first build an altar of worship.
3. Doing the work of God means you will face opposition but compared to the Spirit it is nothing.
4. God will raise the prophetic voice to help you.
5. You will complete what He has called you to do.

Who is Rhesa?

Luke 3: 27 “the son of Rhesa”

1 Chronicles 3 tells us that Zerubbabel had 1 daughter and 7 sons and the firstborn son was Meshullam. The name Rhesa means ‘prince’ or ‘head’ and it is highly probably this title was given to Meshullam as the representative of the Jews in captivity.

So here is someone in the ancestry of Jesus who isn’t named except for his title. That has to have a degree of importance about it. I wonder if he could cope with that. Give someone a title and you soon find out what they are really like. But I’m not against them.

Titles can bring confidence in those who are needing help from that person. It means that person has credibility.

Titles bring respect, a recognition that the one with the title is in a more knowledgeable position that the one coming to see them.

Titles can release the person to serve better because it gives the authority perhaps that is needed.

On the other hand …

Titles are all people have left when their ministry/office/work is fading.

I think in my culture we should leave the titles to Jesus:

“These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.” Rev. 17:14

 “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Phil. 2:9-11

In some places we have de-titled the One to no more than a friend, a mate and at the same time held on to our own titles. Someone gave me his business card once and it took me a few minutes to finish reading the titles he had given himself which were printed all around the sides of the card.

 

My name is Paul, it means small.

Who is Joanan?

Luke 3: 27 “the son of Joanan”

He was the grandson of Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah who laid the foundation of the second Temple. During the time of trying to motivate the people, an angel spoke to him, “What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” (Zechariah 4:7)

The name of Joanan means “Yahweh has been gracious.”

Whenever Joanan was called or used his name ‘Grace’ was shouted! Whenever he saw people going into the Temple he knew it was because of Grace.

Grace attaches itself to who we are and our identity. We become gracious. We sow graciously, reap in grace, move in grace and give with grace. In Acts 4: 33 it says “And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.”

All of your life and achievement, all that you own or have become, it’s not yours by entitlement, God has graced it to you for others.

If you really want to gauge your love for God then look at your love for people.

Jesus did not spend time with the sinners who may have stopped reading their Bible that morning. But he spent time with people society called sinners.

When we get to heaven we will be standing with countless people dressed in white robes according to the Revelation. Who will these people be? Will it be those who have ticked all the right boxes of Christianity?

The people who knew all there was to know?

Or do you not think there will be the prostitute who found herself in this situation by deception and lies; the sexually abused boy who is now selling his body; the addict; those in debt; those scorned and shamed; how did they get here?

I was welcomed into a Church recently where the person at the door made a sarcastic remark about gays not being welcome. I was appalled. It made me sick.

I challenged the person later and what shocked me the most was that there was no hint of grace.

I want to shout from the rooftops over every Church in the UK, “Where is grace? Show me grace!”

The key to revival is grace.

There is no Church without grace.

Joanan and his grandfather would come today and point the church outwards to a needy broken and sinful world and say the kingdom of God still needs building.

How will this mountain be removed?

By means of strategic strength, might, energy, power?

But by grace!

Joanan! Grace! Grace! Grace!

Who is Joda?

Luke 3: 26 “the son of Joda”

This name along with his grandson Semein is unique in this ancestry of Jesus. There isn’t any similar names nor is there any definition and neither is he listed anywhere else in the Old Testament.

There isn’t anyone like him.

And there isn’t anyone like you also!

I have just had a few days rest beside the sea. Yesterday the sea battered the sea walls shooting huge waves into the air. This powerful energy was attractive but it can also of course be devastating, which breaks into pieces anything that stands in its way.

What do you fear? Is it the sea?
Are you being knocked about? Are the attacks coming like wave after wave crashing in on you? Is your circumstance speaking louder than you can think?

But there was something else that I walked on in the last few days that is as powerful and even more so.

Genesis 22: 17 “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.” This was the promise to Abraham.

A recent newspaper article stated: “Viewed at a magnification of over 250 times real life, tiny grains of sand are shown to be delicate, colourful structures as unique as snowflakes. When seen well beyond the limits of human eyesight, the miniature particles are exposed as fragments of crystals, spiral fragments of shells and crumbs of volcanic rock.”

God’s promise to Abraham is that his descendants (that is Joda, you and me) would be colourful structures as unique as snowflakes.

There is no one like you! You are unique, Joda!

 

Who is Josek?

Luke 3: 26 “the son of Josek” (or Josech)

So a quick delve into the books reveals that no one can agree what the name means. Actually they all do agree that Josek is an uncertain derivation of something else, though the Revised Version goes for it and uses the name Joseph. Google will keep asking you ‘are you sure? Don’t you mean Joseph when you type Josek?’ So whether it is spelt Josek or Josech it seems an uncertainty clouds his name.

But his name speaks to us today doesn’t it?

Many can find themselves uncertain from all they knew, from people they loved and their purpose for life. Uncertain about their past and future whilst trapped in the grip of an enemy. Uncertain about who they are and where they fit into this life.

The things you face today and the uncertainty of your life may have chased you into a place where you are now surrounded by enemies of fear, doubt and of pain.

Those around you may not know how things will become certain for you or how you will get free from this enemy plaguing your life.

But Josek/Josech in all of the uncertainty sits in the line of Jesus. The voices around you and within you may sound an uncertain message and yet God is for you and with you and the One who saw your beginning will make a way to the end.

Even if in years to come people come across your name and don’t understand who you were, they may say it all seems uncertain. But you were here, you made a mark on the earth, you played a part in God’s story here. You were meant to be.

So in the uncertainty of tomorrow perhaps, in the uncertainty from others perhaps, where there seems to be little meaning, be certain of one thing, you are here, you are meant to be, you can play a role that only you can fulfil, you can serve a living God, you can impact your day, you can worship the Alpha and Omega and you can love others. Now that is certain.

Who is Semein?

Luke 3: 26 “the son of Semein”

In brief it means to hear or obey.

The mark of discipleship are these 2 traits. Hearing and obeying.

Autobiography in 5 short chapters by Portia Nelson

Chapter 1: I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the pavement. I fall in. I am lost. I am helpless. It isn’t my fault. It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter 2: I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the pavement. I pretend I don’t see it. I fall in again. I can’t believe I am in the same place, but it isn’t my fault. It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter 3: I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the pavement. I see it is there. I still fall in. It’s a habit. My eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately.

Chapter 4: I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the pavement. I walk around it.

Chapter 5: I walk down another street.

 

In Hebrews 5 the writer tells us that Jesus struggled in prayer and cried out with tears to the One who could save him from death. In this place of prayer where he was heard but where he also heard he learnt obedience. The writer more than anyone else is the one who declares time and again that Jesus is perfect. So what is learnt obedience? It is tested obedience. Every response to every test was perfection.

 

It isn’t until you sit with someone starting out in ministry with all their youthful energy and passion to change the world that you realise hearing and obeying is something that isn’t high on the agenda. It is to be heard and to be obeyed which is the loudest voice. Similarly, it isn’t until you stand with someone at the end of their ministry, retired even, (though in some places I find that strangely the word ‘retired’ has become slanderous) that you realise hearing and obeying has been replaced by many experiences often hurtful ones and that the spiritual deaf aid went in ages ago and the self-preservation wall was erected soon after.

 

Hearing and obeying is a journey of discipleship till we die isn’t it?

If it was good enough for Jesus then surely …?!

 

Today be Semein. Hear through opening your eyes, slowing your life down, in prayer, meditation of the Bible, reading this blog (!), listening to others. Some have already decided they will not hear through certain perfectly good channels. Why? Why block out what could be God speaking?

Obey through change, through the difficult day of testing, it may not be the devil having a go, it may just be the testing and perfecting of your obedience by God. So don’t run ahead thinking that hearing and obeying doesn’t apply and it is too slow a process for you and don’t become embittered by your life like one man who recently boasted, “No man can take me on, I win every argument.”

 

Hear or obey. Let’s do both.