Jesus rejected? How could that be? The people during that first Christmas were anxiously looking forward to a Messiah. Why would they reject Him? They would reject Him because Jesus would come in an unexpected way. The scholars of the day thought they had it all figured out from the prophecies. First of all, they …
God had chosen to work through His nation of Israel, the Jews, so they could be a light to the Gentiles, the non-Jews. The nation of Israel was at the crossroads of the ancient world. God placed them there to influence all the people traveling through the country. Moses had let the people in on …
In this week’s story, Simeon seems to be hearing from God for others. Mary and Joseph had come to the Temple to perform the firstborn’s redemption and the mother’s purification after the birth of Jesus. There they meet Simeon, and he recognizes that Jesus is the Messiah. Who was Simeon? Luke 2: 25 At that time, …
After the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph followed the Mosaic law concerning a newborn. I think they saw their obedience as worship. Both Mary and Joseph had supernatural encounters as God communicated with them before Jesus was born. They recognized the greatness of God and responded in the way they knew by following the …
Meditating on the goodness of God is uplifting and builds us up. Over the years, as I have spent time with the Lord in my devotions, it is always uplifting. I may start in a bad mood, but after spending time with the Lord, He lifts me out of the muck and the mire. The …
Telling others what God has done is a powerful testimony of the Lord working in your life. In what way has the Lord worked in your life that you could share? When my mother passed away, I gave the message at the funeral. My sermon included a call to salvation at the end. With every …
Faith gives us peace. That’s the beautiful thing about having a relationship with Jesus, our Savior. Life has many twists and turns. When life is difficult, the Lord can give me a sense of peace no matter what is going on in my life. You may have experienced this sense of peace at a difficult …
Great and lowly worship the birth of Jesus from the shepherds to the angels of heaven. In worship, we look up to God and give thanks and praise for all He has done and will do. I believe one of the most significant things we do as believers as we journey on this earth is …
The shepherds did not expect the message, “the Messiah has come.” The Lord loves to break into our lives, and this must have been an incredible announcement. All of heaven was rejoicing at the coming of Jesus! The prophets, such as Isaiah, talked about the appearance of the Messiah hundreds of years before it happened. …
God speaks to ordinary people, which includes people like you and me. The Lord desires to speak to you because He wants to involve you in His work, encourage you, and guide you. In the Bible, the Lord speaks to various people doing ordinary things, from shepherds to prophets. Sometimes we look for an experience …