Entries for December 2013

THE END …?

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.....” Acts 2: 17

It is the end of the year, not the end of your life. It is necessary to note the end this year, so we can focus on the start of the new year. Holidays help us visualize special days by marked dates on our calendars.

The Scriptures show on God's calendar 'the last days' are not a few days, but are part of an age of grace;...(to read more click on article title)

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DEEP THOUGHTS ABOUT CHRISTMAS

“Mary kept all these things in her heart and pondered upon them.” LUKE 2: 15-20

She gathered up the disparate events of the last months and pondered them in her heart. Shepherds rejoiced, angels sang, the townsfolk gossiped and Joseph worried. What did Mary do? Mary sat deep in thought, and tried to make sense of it all.

It would require more than memories of the manger before Mary would begin to understand the full meaning of Christ's birth. Later, she would find it much harder to understand his death at the cross. Nothing would make sense at all until she would see the empty tomb.

What about the hard to understand things in your life and mine?..(to read more click on articel title)

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CONTINOUS CAROLS

“Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” Luke 2: 13,14

Why do we hear Christmas carols over and over all through the season? It seems compulsive, as though we must hear them and sing them, even though we may not believe all they declare.

When we hear the carols over and over, we discover our desire to seek the Lord increases. After the angels sang, the shepherds near Bethlehem were motivated to go and see what the Lord had made known to them...(to read more click on article title)

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THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS

“So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem...” Luke 2:1-5

“Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is quiet...” All is not quiet and all is not calm in our violent world. We long for quietness and fail to find it. We struggle to be calm and we try to avoid the confusion of the week before Christmas.

The original week before Christmas was the week before Christ's birth. A pregnant Mary and worried Joseph had been forced into an untimely journey. They were not calm nor were they among serene people, quietly at peace. Everyone was loud in protest against the injustice of a government who forced them into inconvenient circumstances...(to read more click on article title)

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GOD IS THOUGHTFUL

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11

The prophet spoke to a nation doomed to spend years in Babylonian captivity due to their disobedience and idolatry. Yet, it was mercy mingled with judgement. Even as they were being chastised, they were on God’s mind. (to read more click on article title)

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