12.26.22 Interestingly, it was the shepherds, the humble, common folk, who first saw the baby Jesus. Later the Magi, wise men or kings, came from far away to bow before Him who was “born king of the Jews (Matthew 2:2).” Their search for the Messiah greatly disturbed King Herod who would have liked […]
The long-awaited birth of Jesus happens after Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem to register for the census decreed by Caesar Augustus. He was born in a manger because there was no room at the inn (Luke 2:4-7) Nearby, there were shepherds taking care of sheep, when an angel appeared to them, “and the glory […]
Belief in God is an important first step in dedicating our lives to loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and loving our neighbor as ourselves. But, it is not the end-all-and-be-all of the Christian life, just the first step. Believing in God and all that He promises us depends on […]
12.12.22 Mary stayed with Elizabeth and Zechariah for three months. We can only imagine what those three months were like for her–pregnant and maybe just beginning to show. Many questions to ponder as she imagined what Jesus would be like; what her life as a mother and wife would be and many more, I […]
12/5/22 After the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, announcing to her that she would bear a son, Jesus, Son of the Most High, Mary hurried off to visit her much older cousin, Elizabeth, who was now six months pregnant with John, who would precede Jesus in declaring the Good News and baptizing people. When […]
11.28.22 Advent The celebration of the birth of Jesus gets lost from the beginning in the Black Friday sales which are advertised in the weeks before Thanksgiving. Commercialism had taken over Advent over the last century, so that any church celebrations become just a footnote to this major gift-giving season. It’s sad because, for […]
11.21.22 Gratitude I believe that gratitude to God for the life He has given us, for His presence in our lives, for all the blessings, and even for all the challenges and pain is the very essence of our love for God. When I look back on my life, I was most burdened by […]
11.14.22 “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in the spirit and of one mind. Do nothing […]
11.14.22 The greatest change in our lives as we follow Jesus is in developing true humility. As we give up the issues that consume us, the values the world insists that we live by, as we live into the healing that God offers us for all our pain and suffering, we find that the […]
11.7.22 When God created this universe and our home planet Earth, He gave man dominion over it [Genesis 1:26-28]. That is the translation of both the KJV and RSV versions. The NIV and The Message give a slightly different slant: NIV translates it “may rule over” and the Message says “be responsible for.” God […]