At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry was John the Baptist. We read in the gospel of Matthew that he was the one referred to by the prophet Isaiah, sent as a forerunner of the Messiah to prepare the way for His coming. (Matt 3:1-3) When John saw that many of the Pharisees and Sadducees were coming to him for baptism, he declared, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to [...]
And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief. Matthew 13:58 Matthew tells us that when Jesus visited His hometown, He went into the synagogue to teach, as He often did. We read that the people were astonished at His wisdom. They recognized there was something different about Him. But it ended up that “they took offense at Him (13:57).” Why? Because they thought they knew Him. They remembered Him as a [...]
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 Jesus talked a lot about faith. In fact, He frequently made comments like, “Your faith has made you well” when He healed someone, or “You of little faith…” when His disciples came to Him in fear or failure. When we talk about faith, we often use the word “faith” to refer to “my religious beliefs.” Sometimes we [...]
We celebrate the New Year with hope. The New Year gives us hope because it offers new possibilities and a chance to start fresh. New Year’s resolutions express our determination to do it better this time and not make the same mistakes. We are attracted to the new. Advertisers know it. They stamp “New and Improved!” on their products because they know it is sure to grab our attention. Kittens, puppies, newborn babies, and flowers [...]
