Posts with the category “advent-devotionals”

The “Christmas story” of wise men, shepherds, and the baby in the manger comes from Matthew and Luke. But John’s gospel presents a different birth narrative, one that crystallizes the glorious truth a...  Read More

The last word from God had been over 400 years earlier. Malachi had written of Israel, of their sins and the judgment to come, “The great and terrible day of the Lord.” (Malachi 4:5). Then silence. Th...  Read More

I’m sure this isn’t the first time you’ve heard the term Lamb of God used to refer to Jesus, but it is somewhat an interesting title because while it’s referenced many times, the title itself is only ...  Read More

On that first Christmas morning, God set into action His plan of redemption.  God the Father gave His Son to take on human form.  The Christ Child was the God/Man and was given the name of Jesus.  The...  Read More

With this statement Jesus claims to be the source of both resurrection and life. For without Christ there can be no resurrection and without Christ there can be no eternal life. Salvation is found in ...  Read More

I am naturally a man of peace.  I don’t like conflict, in-fact I try and avoid it if possible.  I think that’s why God called me to be a “Peace Officer.”  It’s funny if you think about it…not liking c...  Read More

When my daughter was just a wee toddler, I got in the habit of tucking her into bed at night and telling her three things: “God made you… God loves you… and God will always be with you.”  It’s hard to...  Read More

Let’s get right to the point. CHRISTmas is about Christ—Jesus Christ. He is Jesus, the fully human Son of Man. He is the Christ,  the fully divine Son of God. Christmas is about the One who came to se...  Read More

John the Baptist is obviously one of the most important people in church history. In the New Testament itself he’s mentioned over eighty times. He held the very important job of being the herald, the ...  Read More

These beautiful verses speak to the fact that Jesus Christ is the Lord of All. Yes, He is Lord over our family, people in our community and workplace. But we must expand our thinking beyond that. Jesu...  Read More

If you’ve ever received a jury summons, you’ll know that getting out of that jury summons is your top priority!  However, if you’ve ever fulfilled your civic duty, you’ll know that it’s actually quite...  Read More

One of the strangest boxing matches I’ve ever seen was on June 28, 1997. In the third round of the Heavyweight Championship between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, Tyson bit off a piece of Holyfield...  Read More

As a parent, I am a big proponent of rewarding good behavior. I’d say to my kids, “If you guys are good, we’ll go get ice cream.” Or “If you guys clean your rooms, I’ll give you a dollar.” But when it...  Read More

After listing the Old Testament faithful in chapter 11’s “Hall of Faith,” the author of Hebrews gives his final example of faith: Jesus. Jesus modeled faith, the “conviction of things unseen” (Hebrews...  Read More

On a clear night, we can see about 6,000 stars in the sky with the naked eye.  But that’s just a fraction of the stars that exist.  Scientists estimate there are 2 trillion galaxies with 100 billion s...  Read More

Among other things, the Pharisees were joy-stealers. They thought that any form of celebrating was very unspiritual. In their twisted thinking, the religious life is one of self-inflicted suffering an...  Read More

In Ezekiel 34 you can read about the distinctions between “other” shepherds and “the good shepherd.” “Other” shepherds don’t strengthen the weak, heal the sick, bind up the broken, bring back what is ...  Read More

In this season we remember when Jesus was brought into the world. He came quietly, as an infant! Yet born a king. Few knew it. Mary had some inkling, and treasured it. The shepherds had revelation, an...  Read More

During the holidays our home is filled with various nativity scenes. They help me reflect on that moment in human history when Jesus Christ took on flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14.) However, there...  Read More

The New Testament alludes to Jesus Christ being the Cornerstone, which is defined as the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, all other stones are set in reference to this ston...  Read More

God declares Himself to be the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. What an incredibly powerful statement. Nothing came before Him, nothing will come after Him. As f...  Read More

Hopefully when you see a title like “the Rock” your first thoughts aren’t of Dwayne Johnson or that mid 90s movie with Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage. I admittedly thought of those things eventually b...  Read More

I love my Christmas tree. It is beautiful with all the twinkly lights sparkling their announcement that it is Christmas time. Truth is it would not look as lovely in my living room without the lights....  Read More

I know it would be natural to think of this literally, that if we believe in Jesus we will never go hungry or thirsty again. But it goes beyond this.  Jesus can provide for our physical needs but He w...  Read More

I like stories. One of my favorite parts of the gift-giving process is the story behind the gift. Whether I am the one giving or receiving, I think a good story makes a good gift even better. I love t...  Read More

The book of Isaiah was written approximately 750 years before the birth of Jesus Christ.  Isaiah prophesied that God the Father would give His Son and one of His names would be Wonderful Counselor.  T...  Read More

Peter stood there. The question had been asked. As he reflected on it, things went on in his mind. Jesus had just healed a blind man. “Who do people say that I am?” Jesus had asked.Peter’s attention t...  Read More

I love a good Christmas tree. There’re the ornaments, the star on top, and of course, presents underneath. Gifts are concealed in a box and a layer of wrapping paper then placed under the tree and we’...  Read More

After the angel explained to Mary that she was with child by the Holy Spirit, the angel went and told Joseph “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from t...  Read More

The joy of this day is that God the Father has done more than send his Son (v.7). He has also installed His King (v. 6). This One who came to earth in a humble manger as the Prince of Peace is now sea...  Read More

It is no surprise that Jesus quotes this verse when John the Baptist asks if Jesus is the Messiah promised by God (Matt 11:4; Luke 7:22). This chapter in Isaiah speaks of immense joy with the coming o...  Read More

The author of this Psalm remembers the redemption and restoration given by God. In the midst of a sincere longing for revival and rescue, he bears witness to the life-giving provision of salvation and...  Read More

I love that Mary went to the hill country, a pattern that we later see so much in Jesus' life. She was originally troubled at the saying of the angel when he told her she would give birth to the Son o...  Read More

Has the Lord ever asked the impossible from you? And if so, how did you respond? Listed below are some of his commands and potentially some of your responses:• "Love your neighbor..." But you responde...  Read More

The context of these verses is the impending judgment on Jerusalem and the foolish political alliance with Egypt (v. 18). The leaders of Jerusalem are ungodly, trusting in their own wisdom, rather tha...  Read More

Imagine for a minute the depth and dimension of the expectation illustrated in this prophecy of deliverance. The nation of Israel, after generations of fraill, ineffective human kings, longed for the ...  Read More

We have heard it. We know it. It's the most well-known Scripture of all time. Just ask the guy in the outfield holding the John 3:16 sign. It's the one Scripture that we can all recite—and we usually ...  Read More

This is a psalm of instruction and tells of the coming judgment on the great day of the Lord's return. We see that God is not impressed with our sacrifices if our hearts are not turned toward God. It ...  Read More

The purpose of Peter’s first chapter is to provide full confidence of one’s salvation. In the previous verses, assurance of salvation is found by spiritual growth of the characteristics listed. In tod...  Read More

In this passage Peter explained that God has given us everything we need for life and godliness (v. 3). He has even made us "partakers of the divine nature" (v. 4), which refers to our new birth. Then...  Read More