Posts with the category “advent-devotionals”

Christmas Day is not just about family gatherings and exchanging gifts. It isn’t just about the Baby Jesus, meek and mild. It is about the Holy Son of God who existed for eternity in an intimate relat...  Read More

This prophecy from Isaiah sees a future with a restored creation.  The opening of blind eyes and deaf ears is precisely what Jesus did.  The healing of the lame and the mute were miracles Jesus showed...  Read More

The narrative of the birth of John the Baptist greatly affects the Christmas story. Without this narrative, the effect of a small baby who was Immanuel, God with us, would have very little effect. The...  Read More

It is a privilege to serve God’s purposes.  Mary was a simple, small town girl who loved God and was willing to be used by Him.  Because of her faith and acceptance of God’s calling in her life, we ha...  Read More

Mary was very surprised, perplexed, and afraid when she heard the words of the angel Gabriel.  Why would an angel greet her?  What did it mean that she was “highly favored” of God?  How was the Lord w...  Read More

In this mixed-up world, we equate material possessions with happiness.  But often those who have the most end up being the least happy.  According to Jesus, when we keep things for ourselves, we don’t...  Read More

It’s painfully ironic that Christmas, which ought to be a time of peace, joy, and celebration, is widely recognized as a time of stress, busyness, and depression.  At the core, I suspect our prioritie...  Read More

Are you a glass-half-empty or glass-half-full kind of person?  I admit that I have my cynical days, especially when I watch too much news.  It doesn’t take a genius to figure out something is broken i...  Read More

In the Old Testament, the Law required that a charge or allegation be verified by the testimony of two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15).  Jesus alluded to this in John 5:30-47, when he summoned ...  Read More

The things that are spoken of in this passage are given and attainable only by those who are also bondservants and disciples of Jesus.  Without the indwelling of the presence of the Lord in our lives ...  Read More

Henry Ward Beecher once said, “A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves.”  One of the keys to being joyful and content in life is humility, and one of t...  Read More

This beautiful psalm reminds us to sing praises to the LORD and to worship Him with a new song of music!  What a wonderful reminder in the season of Advent.  We praise Him with song and dance knowing ...  Read More

Whenever more than two people gather together, a discussion will arise. In Luke 22, the disciples selfishly asked who was the greatest. Jesus stated that while the world asks such questions, it is not...  Read More

Isaiah prophesied against the house of David because they tested God’s patience over and over again.  He prophesied that a virgin would conceive and give birth to a son and he would be called Immanuel...  Read More

The Advent season celebrates the reality that this glorious, heavenly King has rend the heavens and come down in Jesus Christ.  John made it clear that it was Jesus whom Isaiah saw sitting upon that t...  Read More

God is so concerned for our future that He makes this command “Do not put your trust in princes, nor mortal man, in whom there is no help.” He defines these men as those who “return to the earth” and ...  Read More

Who among us doesn’t appreciate a flashlight when we are confronted by the night? Jesus Christ did not just come to the earth as the Holy Baby in a manger.  He was born to die as our Savior so that yo...  Read More

This Psalm of David praises the Lord because everything in the world belongs to Him.  David reflected on bringing the Ark of the Covenant from Obed-Edom to Jerusalem.   He acknowledged the Lord as sov...  Read More

There will come a day when you and I will speak of the days before glory… the days before the King returned… the days before the Second Advent. But, for now we find ourselves caught in the middle of h...  Read More

As we draw close to the end of the year, it is important to ask the question of whether we are grateful to God for His greatness and His blessings, or whether we are resentful for how He has worked in...  Read More

The theme of the Psalm is expressed in verse 1.  David’s soul waited in silence and found rest in God alone.  God was his complete source of calmness when his world was falling apart.  He emphasized t...  Read More

Isaiah prophesied about a day in the future when Jesus Christ, the Messiah, comes and establishes His kingdom. This will be a time of peace and holiness when the nations flock to the mountain of the L...  Read More

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic novel, The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is forced to wear a scarlet “A” to identify herself as an adulteress.  Bearing the constant reminder of her transgression embl...  Read More

There are several applications we must not miss from this parable: First, the foolishness of being unprepared to encounter God when he arrives.  Of course, God is always present.  But at special times...  Read More

The miracle of God made flesh in Jesus Christ is the greatest miracle of all time. God clothed Himself with mere dust in the womb of a young, virgin girl. This is beyond our comprehension. He who crea...  Read More

The “Christmas story” of wise men, shepherds, and the baby in the manger comes from Matthew and Luke. But John’s gospel presents a different birth narrative, one that crystallizes the glorious truth a...  Read More

The last word from God had been over 400 years earlier. Malachi had written of Israel, of their sins and the judgment to come, “The great and terrible day of the Lord.” (Malachi 4:5). Then silence. Th...  Read More

I’m sure this isn’t the first time you’ve heard the term Lamb of God used to refer to Jesus, but it is somewhat an interesting title because while it’s referenced many times, the title itself is only ...  Read More

On that first Christmas morning, God set into action His plan of redemption.  God the Father gave His Son to take on human form.  The Christ Child was the God/Man and was given the name of Jesus.  The...  Read More

With this statement Jesus claims to be the source of both resurrection and life. For without Christ there can be no resurrection and without Christ there can be no eternal life. Salvation is found in ...  Read More

I am naturally a man of peace.  I don’t like conflict, in-fact I try and avoid it if possible.  I think that’s why God called me to be a “Peace Officer.”  It’s funny if you think about it…not liking c...  Read More

When my daughter was just a wee toddler, I got in the habit of tucking her into bed at night and telling her three things: “God made you… God loves you… and God will always be with you.”  It’s hard to...  Read More

Let’s get right to the point. CHRISTmas is about Christ—Jesus Christ. He is Jesus, the fully human Son of Man. He is the Christ,  the fully divine Son of God. Christmas is about the One who came to se...  Read More

John the Baptist is obviously one of the most important people in church history. In the New Testament itself he’s mentioned over eighty times. He held the very important job of being the herald, the ...  Read More

These beautiful verses speak to the fact that Jesus Christ is the Lord of All. Yes, He is Lord over our family, people in our community and workplace. But we must expand our thinking beyond that. Jesu...  Read More

If you’ve ever received a jury summons, you’ll know that getting out of that jury summons is your top priority!  However, if you’ve ever fulfilled your civic duty, you’ll know that it’s actually quite...  Read More

One of the strangest boxing matches I’ve ever seen was on June 28, 1997. In the third round of the Heavyweight Championship between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, Tyson bit off a piece of Holyfield...  Read More

As a parent, I am a big proponent of rewarding good behavior. I’d say to my kids, “If you guys are good, we’ll go get ice cream.” Or “If you guys clean your rooms, I’ll give you a dollar.” But when it...  Read More

After listing the Old Testament faithful in chapter 11’s “Hall of Faith,” the author of Hebrews gives his final example of faith: Jesus. Jesus modeled faith, the “conviction of things unseen” (Hebrews...  Read More

On a clear night, we can see about 6,000 stars in the sky with the naked eye.  But that’s just a fraction of the stars that exist.  Scientists estimate there are 2 trillion galaxies with 100 billion s...  Read More