I met a woman one time who told me she believed that God was real, but couldn't get her head around Jesus. She didn't believe in Him.
I wondered how I could approach this in a meaningful way, and as I was thinking about it, the Lord said to me, read Matthew chapter 1 to her. My immediate reaction was to think "that's the genealogy chapter, so and so begat so and so, what good would that do?" but in obedience to the Lord, I read Matthew chapter 1 to the woman.
Mat 1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Mat 1:2 Abraham fathered Isaac, and Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers.
Mat 1:3 And Judah fathered Pharez and Zarah of Tamar. And Pharez fathered Hezron, and Hezron fathered Ram,
Mat 1:4 and Ram fathered Amminadab, and Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon.
Mat 1:5 And Salmon fathered Boaz of Rahab, and Boaz fathered Obed of Ruth, and Obed fathered Jesse,
Mat 1:6 and Jesse fathered David the king. And David the king fathered Solomon of her who had been wife of Uriah.
Mat 1:7 And Solomon fathered Rehoboam, and Rehoboam fathered Abijah, and Abijah fathered Asa.
Mat 1:8 And Asa fathered Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat fathered Jehoram, and Jehoram fathered Uzziah.
Mat 1:9 And Uzziah fathered Jotham, and Jotham fathered Ahaz, and Ahaz fathered Hezekiah.
Mat 1:10 And Hezekiah fathered Manasseh, and Manasseh fathered Amon, and Amon fathered Josiah.
Mat 1:11 And Josiah fathered Jehoiachin and his brothers, at the time they were carried away to Babylon.
Mat 1:12 And after the carrying away to Babylon, Jehoiachin fathered Shealtiel, and Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel.
Mat 1:13 And Zerubbabel fathered Abiud, and Abiud fathered Eliakim, and Eliakim fathered Azor.
Mat 1:14 And Azor fathered Sadoc, and Sadoc fathered Achim, and Achim fathered Eliud.
Mat 1:15 And Eliud fathered Eleazar, and Eleazar fathered Matthan, and Matthan fathered Jacob.
Mat 1:16 And Jacob fathered Joseph, the husband to be of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.
Mat 1:17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations. And from David until the carrying away into Babylon, fourteen generations. And from the carrying away into Babylon until Christ, fourteen generations.
Mat 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was this way (for His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph) before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.
Mat 1:19 But Joseph, her husband to be, being just, and not willing to make her a public example, he purposed to put her away secretly.
Mat 1:20 And as he thought upon these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take to you Mary as your wife. For that in her is fathered of the Holy Spirit.
Mat 1:21 And she shall bear a son, and you shall call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.
Mat 1:22 Now all this happened so that might be fulfilled that which was spoken of the LORD by the prophet, saying,
Mat 1:23 "Behold, the virgin shall conceive in her womb, and will bear a son. And they will call His name Emmanuel," which being interpreted is, God with us.
Mat 1:24 And Joseph, being roused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took his wife,
Mat 1:25 and did not know her until she bore her son, the First-born. And he called His name JESUS.
The woman looked at me in amazement and said "thank you so much, I now believe in Jesus!" When I asked her why, she replied that she was into genealogy and I had just provided her with evidence that made sense to her.
I left rejoicing and amazed (I shouldn't be by now lol), that once again, God had led me to do something which seemed foolish in my eyes and turned it into something good.
He knows our hearts and so often, reaches out to bless us just because He is good!
Top
I wondered how I could approach this in a meaningful way, and as I was thinking about it, the Lord said to me, read Matthew chapter 1 to her. My immediate reaction was to think "that's the genealogy chapter, so and so begat so and so, what good would that do?" but in obedience to the Lord, I read Matthew chapter 1 to the woman.
Mat 1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Mat 1:2 Abraham fathered Isaac, and Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers.
Mat 1:3 And Judah fathered Pharez and Zarah of Tamar. And Pharez fathered Hezron, and Hezron fathered Ram,
Mat 1:4 and Ram fathered Amminadab, and Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon.
Mat 1:5 And Salmon fathered Boaz of Rahab, and Boaz fathered Obed of Ruth, and Obed fathered Jesse,
Mat 1:6 and Jesse fathered David the king. And David the king fathered Solomon of her who had been wife of Uriah.
Mat 1:7 And Solomon fathered Rehoboam, and Rehoboam fathered Abijah, and Abijah fathered Asa.
Mat 1:8 And Asa fathered Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat fathered Jehoram, and Jehoram fathered Uzziah.
Mat 1:9 And Uzziah fathered Jotham, and Jotham fathered Ahaz, and Ahaz fathered Hezekiah.
Mat 1:10 And Hezekiah fathered Manasseh, and Manasseh fathered Amon, and Amon fathered Josiah.
Mat 1:11 And Josiah fathered Jehoiachin and his brothers, at the time they were carried away to Babylon.
Mat 1:12 And after the carrying away to Babylon, Jehoiachin fathered Shealtiel, and Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel.
Mat 1:13 And Zerubbabel fathered Abiud, and Abiud fathered Eliakim, and Eliakim fathered Azor.
Mat 1:14 And Azor fathered Sadoc, and Sadoc fathered Achim, and Achim fathered Eliud.
Mat 1:15 And Eliud fathered Eleazar, and Eleazar fathered Matthan, and Matthan fathered Jacob.
Mat 1:16 And Jacob fathered Joseph, the husband to be of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.
Mat 1:17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations. And from David until the carrying away into Babylon, fourteen generations. And from the carrying away into Babylon until Christ, fourteen generations.
Mat 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was this way (for His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph) before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.
Mat 1:19 But Joseph, her husband to be, being just, and not willing to make her a public example, he purposed to put her away secretly.
Mat 1:20 And as he thought upon these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take to you Mary as your wife. For that in her is fathered of the Holy Spirit.
Mat 1:21 And she shall bear a son, and you shall call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.
Mat 1:22 Now all this happened so that might be fulfilled that which was spoken of the LORD by the prophet, saying,
Mat 1:23 "Behold, the virgin shall conceive in her womb, and will bear a son. And they will call His name Emmanuel," which being interpreted is, God with us.
Mat 1:24 And Joseph, being roused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took his wife,
Mat 1:25 and did not know her until she bore her son, the First-born. And he called His name JESUS.
The woman looked at me in amazement and said "thank you so much, I now believe in Jesus!" When I asked her why, she replied that she was into genealogy and I had just provided her with evidence that made sense to her.
I left rejoicing and amazed (I shouldn't be by now lol), that once again, God had led me to do something which seemed foolish in my eyes and turned it into something good.
He knows our hearts and so often, reaches out to bless us just because He is good!
Top