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PAGE 5 - THURSDAY,
JANUARY 10, 2013
Intriguing Facts Front Jesus' Genealogy
Almost everyone knows the
names of his/her father and
grandfather. A lesser number
can name his/her great grand
father, while few individuals
can identify his/her great,
great grandfather. This is not
the case for Jesus, because
Matthew’s gospel provides
the names of Jesus’ ancestry
dating back 42 generations to
Abraham. Although Jesus—
bom to a virgin~was not
biologically Joseph’s son,
Matthew lists Jesus’ great,
great grandfather of record as
Eleazar. No biblical informa
tion exists on Eleazar. My
brother, Dwayne, conducted a
comprehensive genealogy of
the Powell family dating back
to the early 1700s. Dwayne’s
records show that my great,
great grandfather was William
Gibson Powell, great grand
father was William Griffin
Powell, grandfather was
William Thomas Powell, and
father was William Lee Pow
ell. Whereas Dwayne reached
into history some 300 years
to capture the Powell family
tree, Matthew’s genealogical
research on Jesus spanned
over 2000 years.
In ancient Palestine, an indi
vidual did not use a surname,
but was known by his given
name, sometimes qualified by
his town of residence. Jesus,
for example, was known as
Jesus of Nazareth. Matthew’s
42-generation ancestry of
Jesus is grouped into three
successive periods of Jewish
history. (1) Fourteen genera
tions of lineal descent from
Abraham to David: Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez,
Hezron, Aram, Ammi-
nadab, Nahshon, Salmon,
Boaz (mother was Rahab),
Obed (Ruth was mother),
Jesse, David. (2) Fourteen
generations from David to
Babylonian captivity: Da
vid, Solomon (Uriah’s wife,
Bathsheba, was his mother),
Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa,
Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah,
Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah,
Manasseh, Amon, Josiah,
Jechoniah. (3) Fourteen
generations from the end
of Babylonian captivity to
Jesus: Jechoniah, Shealtiel,
Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim,
Azor, Zadok,Achim, Eliud,
Eleazar, Matthan, Jacob,
Joseph, the husband of Mary,
of whom was bom Jesus, who
is called the Christ.
Based on Matthew’s
genealogy, Abraham was the
grandfather of Jesus prefixed
by 38 greats. King David was
the ‘25 great’ grandfather of
Jesus. Jesus’ lineage includes
three women of disreputable
character: Boaz’ mother, Ra
hab, was the harlot of Jericho;
Obed’s mother, Ruth, was a
socially shunned Moabite;
and Solomon’s mother, Bath
sheba, was unfaithful to her
husband, Uriah, and bore a
child by David who later died.
Whereas Matthew provided
Joseph’s lineage 42 genera
tions from Abraham, Luke
traced the Virgin Mary’s an
cestry in reverse lineage back
to the time of creation, docu
menting 76 generations from
Mary to the first man, Adam.
Luke’s genealogy lists Mary’s
father as Heli. Her grandfather
was Matthat, and her great
grandfather Levi-who also
was the ‘maternal’ great, great
grandfather of Jesus. Nothing
biblically is known of Heli,
Billy Powell
Columnist
www.billypowellbooks.com
Matthat, or Levi.
Although Jesus was con
ceived in Mary’s womb with
out the sperm of an earthly
father, God evidently blocked
the transfer of Mary’s genetic
makeup, including man’s
sinful nature, to the holy fetus.
This inference is reinforced in
the Nicene Creed which states
that Jesus is “the only-begot
ten Son of God, begotten of
the Father before all worlds;
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God; begot
ten, not made, being of one
substance with the Father.”
Even Mary was incredulous,
asking the angel, “How shall
this be, since I am a virgin?”
The angel explained, “The
Holy Spirit will come upon
you, and the power of the
Most High will overshadow
you. The child to be bom will
be called the Son of God.”
This Is What New Looks Like
It was just before New
Year’s and the Gracious Mis
tress of the Parsonage and
I were relaxing after a busy
week of toil and labor. Not
paying much attention to my
surroundings, I had immersed
myself in a favorite book.
As far as I am concerned,
nothing compares to a favorite
book when you are trying to
relax and unwind. I turned the
page and happened to notice
on the other side of the room
my wife was all a twitchy. I
have seen this behavior before
and I knew she was anxious
to say something. I pretended
not to notice.
Finally, it was as if she ex
ploded. ”1 can’t wait for the
New Year. Aren’t you ex
cited?” I answered in the af
firmative to try to keep the
conversation as minimal as
possible.
”No, I mean aren’t you re
ally excited about the New
Year?”
I knew if I was going to get
back to my book I would have
to let her say, what was on her
mind. According to her, the
approaching New Year was
going to be spectacular. Ev
erything old, she explained to
me, would be new again.
We have been in this New
Year for a couple of weeks
now and, I will not contradict
my wife, at least aloud, but
this New Year looks suspi
ciously like the Old Year.
I am not quite sure what
she thought would be differ
ent this year, but to me it is
just the old year run through
again. And, that is good with
me. I am not one of these per
sons that needs the latest flash
in the pan. I quite prefer the
tried and true.
It was about two weeks af
ter the New Year and my wife
said, ’’I’ll be back in an hour
or two, I’m going shopping.”
It did not dawn on me at the
time but about 10 minutes lat
er, it did. The reason my wife
was so excited about the New
Year was that she was going
to go out and buy some new
clothes.
After all, according to her
calculations, the New Year
deserves new clothing.
I smiled as I thought about
her going to the store try
ing on dresses, seeking one
that would fit her both in size
and in fancy. As for me, I am
quite comfortable in my old
clothes. They fit me just fine,
thank you.
Women have to look fine
all the time. Men, on the other
hand are not that particular
about what they wear. I can
wear the same shirt for days
on end and feel just as com
fortable as the first day I put
it on.
My clothing does not make
me feel any younger. I go
along with the saying that
says you are only as old as
you feel. Of course, I do have
some of those Methuselah
moments.
Everything old was once
new and if new last very long
it ends up being old. There
fore, whatever is old was once
new and whatever is new will
one day be old. This is where
most people make their mis
take. They fail to see the re
lationship between old and
new.
For example, as much as
our culture pretends to be
youth oriented, it does every
thing to get old while looking
young. I often have this con
versation with my wife. I am
not old, I am just getting older
and my plans are to get older
and older and older.
The great object in life is
to get as old as you possibly
can while looking and feeling
new. Nothing to me is sillier
than a 40 year old trying to
act 20. The mind may say 20,
but the body really knows it
is 40.
If people would put the
money they spend to look
young in a 401 (k) their golden
years would truly be golden.
How much money is spent
each year on plastic surgery?
What I want to know is, who
in the world do they think they
are fooling? Their mirror?
Right after the New Year’s
celebration, I got up one morn
ing feeling terrific. There was
a bounce in my step, a giggle
on my tongue; I was feeling
like I was 20 something. I had
not felt this good since I can
not remember how long. Then
it happened.
No matter how good you
might feel some day, there is
always something or some
one who can undermine that
Out to Pastor
Rev. James L. Snyder
jamessnyder2@att.net or
whatafellowship.com
and put you in your proper
place.
My mistake was going into
the bathroom. There in the
bathroom for all the world
to see, especially me is this
ghastly object called a mir
ror. When I looked into the
mirror, I was shocked to see I
was not alone. I thought I had
come into the bathroom by
myself but there in the mirror
was this old guy I hardly rec
ognized.
My first reaction was to
ask him to leave the bathroom
and then I noticed something.
That person in the mirror was
me! All of those exhilarating
feelings dissipated as reality
grabbed hold of my soul and
soundly shook me.
In my Bible reading that
morning, I read what the
apostle Paul said. ’’And be
renewed in the spirit of your
minds; and that she put on the
new man, which after God is
created in righteousness and
true holiness” (Ephesians
4:23-24 KJV).
Only God, in His wisdom,
can create in me something
that is truly new.
Rev. James L. Snyder is
pastor of the Family of God
Fellowship, PO Box 831313,
Ocala, FL 34483. He lives
with his wife, Martha, in Sil
ver Springs Shores. Call him
at 1-866-552-2543 or e-mail
jamessnyder2@att.net. His
web site is www.jamessny-
derministries.com.
Church Happenings
Prayer Line, Tuesdays and
Thursdays, Christ Abundant
Life Ministries, S. Dugger
Ave., Roberta. Call 478-
836-3912.
Word of God Tabernacle
invites you to join us for the
following weekly services:
Sunday Prayer at 9:00 a.m.,
Sunday School at 10:00 a.m.,
Sunday Service at 11:00
a.m.; Monday Prayer at 9:00
a.m.; Wednesday Prayer
at 9:00 a.m., Wednesday
Bible Study at 7:00 p.m.;
Friday Prayer at 9:00 a.m.
Everyone is invited. Pastor
Frank Martin, Sr.
Springhill Baptist Church
is providing free Tutoring
Service every Monday at
5:30- 6:30 p.m. 71 Springhill
Church Rd. Roberta.
Revival, Monday through
Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Open
Bible Tabernacle Baptist
Church, 6490 Sandy Point
Rd., Lizella, GA. Bro.
Kenny Greenway from High
Point, NC will be preaching,
Sunday, January 27, 10 a.m.
and 6 p.m. Special music by
New Grace from Roberta at
6 p.m. For information call
478-935-8163.
New Haven Independent
Baptist Church, 106
Hortman Mill Road,
Roberta, Sunday, January
13, 11 a.m. service will
feature the Potter’s House.
Potter’s House helps women
get back on track with the
Lord. Everyone invited to
hear the testimony of these
ladies. For information call
Denise at 478-957-3559.
The Kingdom Heirs and
The Jordans in concert
at Byron Baptist Church,
Friday, January 25, 7-10
p.m.
Deadline for Church
Happenings: Friday 5pm
Pastor Phillip Bakon and Mt. Zion C.M.E. Church
members prepared goody bags and delivered them
to residents at Roberta Nursing Home for Christ
mas.
Revenge
Have you ever been
falsely accused or badly
hurt and wanted revenge?
We can be honest with
God even if we are filled
with anger and despair
because He knows us
thoroughly and wants the
best for us. Because we
trust in our all-powerful
God, we don’t have to be
weighed down by what
someone is doing to us.
Be honest with God and
He will turn your attention
from yourself to Him. We
cannot control all of life’s
circumstances but we can
control ourselves in the
circumstance.
When people are
trying to “do you in”,
don’t get bitter; get better.
Instead of striking back,
and taking matters into
your own hands, take it
to the Lord in prayer and
He will plead your case.
God said, “Vengeance is
mine”; I will repay. Don’t
give your enemy what
you think they deserve.
Forgive them. Returning
evil for evil hurts you
just as much as it hurts
your enemy. Even if your
enemy never says they are
sorry; forgiving them will
free you of a heavy load of
bitterness.
Remember, God is
watching how we treat
our enemy. Although it is
not always easy to bless
those who persecute you
and say evil things against
you, God tells us to rejoice
and be glad, for great is
our reward in heaven.
We must show love just
as Jesus did on the cross.
He said, “Father forgive
them, for they know not
what they do.” Now that
was love. Forgiveness
involves both attitudes
and actions. Only God
knows when we have truly
forgiven and He will judge
us. We are hypocrites if we
claim to love God and hate
each other. Our attitude
toward others, reflects our
relationship with God. Be
Blessed!
The LORD is good to those whose
hope is in him ; to the ones
who seek him...
—Lamentations 3:25
McLeighton Funeral Service
obituaries at www.mcleightonfuneralservice.coin
375 S. Dugger Avenue
Roberta, Georgia
478-836-3336
David & Donna
McLeighton - owners
’Our Family Serving
Your Family
Granite • Marble • Bronze • Coping • Monument Cleaning • Sandblasting
”Serving all Middle Georgia cemeteries 33
Kade E. Rooks
P. O. Box 1711, Fort Valley, GA 31030 *478-825-2424 or 478-951-1571 *Fax: 478-825-3794
