God the Creator
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. (Isaiah 40:28) When I think of God as Creator, I am reminded that He knows and understands. Because God created me, He understands me. He knows how I function, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. He not only knows me, He knows all of His [...]
Advent Series: Christ
There is a simple Christmas carol called, I Wonder as I Wander (John Jacob Niles, 1933). Do you know it? With its haunting melody and simple words, it reflects the awe of the coming of Jesus as Immanuel, God with us. I wonder as I wander out under the sky How Jesus the Saviour did come for to die For poor orn'ry people like you and like I; I wonder as I wander out under [...]
Advent Series: Angels
When someone mentions angels in connection with the Christmas story, what do you think of first? The angel Gabriel announcing God’s plan to Mary? A great chorus of angels singing “Glory to God!” while the shepherds looked on in awe? Angels played an integral part in communicating certain specific instructions from God for events surrounding the birth of Jesus: Announcing the birth of John: An angel announced to Zacharias the birth of a long-awaited son. [...]
Advent Series: Shepherds
As I was thinking this morning about the shepherds, an image of Charlie Brown’s Christmas came to mind, particularly the scene where Linus explains to Charlie Brown what Christmas is all about. Linus walks center stage with his blanket, and recites Luke’s account of angels announcing the good news of the Savior to shepherds out in the fields: Luke 2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over [...]
Advent Series: Bethlehem
Pictured: A middle-eastern sheepfold. Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth… When we think of Bethlehem, we think of the manger. We think of Mary and Joseph traveling from their home in Nazareth while Mary was heavy with child. We think of their arrival in Bethlehem to find no room for them because of the crowds arriving for the [...]
Advent Series: Prophets
Advent is the name we traditionally give to the weeks preceding Christmas. In Latin, advent means “coming.” During Advent, we prepare to celebrate the coming of Jesus as a sweet, helpless infant sent to be our Savior. In this series, I invite you to join with me in contemplating the Christmas story from these perspectives: Prophets, Bethlehem, Shepherds, Angels, Christ. First, the Prophets. To fully grasp the significance of prophecy as it describes the coming [...]
Gratitude
What’s your favorite way to say thank you? Are you a note writer or a gift giver? Do you make a phone call or do you send a text? Maybe you prefer the personal touch – a quick hug and a big smile and a, “Thank you so-o-o much!” Thanksgiving. Giving thanks. There’s something about giving thanks that changes things. It makes a difference. As I was thinking about giving thanks on this Thanksgiving morning, [...]
Freedom: Claiming Your Freedom
[Continued from Freedom: Are You Free?] In the beginning, God gave to mankind the freedom to choose their own thoughts, actions and attitudes. We were never free to choose the thoughts, actions or attitudes of others. Freedom never meant freedom from responsibility or to choose the consequences of our actions; external laws and circumstances will affect us whether we want them to or not. For example, if I choose to jump out of a tree, [...]
Freedom: Are You Free?
Freedom is a concept that is often misunderstood. In America, we consider freedom, or liberty, to be one of the defining attributes of our nation and we fight vehemently to keep the hard-earned freedoms that our founding fathers provided for us. We hear references in the news to the many civil rights we enjoy in this country, and sometimes we argue over exactly how far those rights reach. But as cherished and dearly purchased as [...]
The Kingdom of Heaven is…
The Kingdom of Heaven is that nation of beings, both angelic and human, who hold Almighty God as Sovereign and who hold His laws and promises above those of any other nation or people, earthly or otherwise. The citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven claim God as their God, and He, in turn, claims them as His people. This citizenship is a matter of fealty over geography. Citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven recognize and [...]
More…
How big is infinite? Can you imagine it? Try it. Start with something large. Maybe an elephant. Now imagine something larger… like a mountain. Can you picture something greater in your mind? The earth perhaps? You have heard how big it is and you have seen pictures of it, but can you really wrap your mind around how extensive it actually is? What about the sun? Or the entire solar system? You have seen drawings [...]
Glorious
The few glimpses we have into the glory of our God are beyond our ability to even comprehend. Here are a few for you to read about and contemplate: God revealing Himself to Moses and the people of Israel from the heights of Mount Sinai. (Exodus 19:1-20:21) God revealing Himself to the prophet Ezekiel, seated on His glorious throne and surrounded by the enigmatic and glorious cherubim and seraphim. (Ezekiel 1-2) God revealing Himself to [...]