A letdown sometimes follows a time of anticipation. In December, everyone looks forward to Christmas morning with great excitement. But once Christmas has come and gone, the mood often changes. Gifts need to be returned, the tree disposed of, decorations stored, and credit card bills sorted out. It may have even been a Christmas…
One of my favorite Christmas songs is “What Child Is This?” While we celebrate Jesus’ birth and the gift of salvation with joy and gladness, it’s important to acknowledge that our salvation has come at a great price. Set to the old English tune “Greensleeves,” the first stanza tells the story of Christ the King’s…
According to the latest statistics, 362,437 babies are born every day somewhere around the world. That’s a lot of babies. While each is unique in its own special way, there was one birth that stands out from all the rest. The Bible says in Luke chapter 2 that He was wrapped in swaddling clothes…
Luke 2:35, “A sword will pierce through your own soul also…” Having walked many dusty paths in Nazareth and around the Sea of Galilee, I have often tried to imagine what it was like 2,000 years ago. While Mary was not and is not who Catholicism has made her, she was a lady chosen…
The story of Zacchaeus has always fascinated me. Perhaps that fascination has been enhanced because of my visits to Jericho. Luke 19:1-10 tells of an occasion when Jesus was passing through Jericho. On this day, word began to circulate that Jesus was coming to town, and Zacchaeus wanted to get a glimpse of Him.…
I have so many heartwarming memories from my trips to the mission field. On one trip, I stopped to visit an obviously poor, older widow who had been a member of the church for many years. She was moved to tears that I would take time to visit her. As we were leaving, she…
Luke 12:16-21 contains a parable commonly referred to as “The Rich Fool.” The truths it contains should make us all stop and evaluate our priorities. On the one hand, you could say the farmer was a shrewd businessman. After an especially successful crop, he saw he needed bigger barns to store his grain. There…
The parable of the prodigal son in Luke chapter 15 is one of the most heart-stirring stories in the Bible. It’s about a young man who thought he could find happiness far away from home. The Bible doesn’t give an explanation as to why he had become unhappy at home, but he had. So, one…
I have said on several occasions that the expression, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” is a lie straight from the pits of hell. Broken bones will heal, but broken and wounded spirits have a difficult time recovering. Solomon says in Proverbs 15:4, “A healing tongue is…
While reading Psalms 1:1, I became curious about how various translations read. I like this one from The New Century version. Psalms 1:1, “Happy are those who don’t listen to the wicked, who don’t go where sinners go, who don’t do what evil people do. They love the Lord’s teachings, and they think about…