Most people don’t understand that our worship affects others. Many people choose a church for what they can get from a church service. By definition, worship is “the reverent love and devotion accorded to God or the ceremonies, prayers or other religious forms by which this love is expressed.”[1] So, by definition, worship is what …
In our youth-orientated culture, we rarely see the value of the older generation. This is unfortunate because the older generation has much-accrued wisdom. Many times, the potential contributions of older folk are ignored. At the time of Jesus, the Jewish culture highly respected their elders. As Mary and Joseph went to the Temple to obey …
It won’t be easy. Would you continue a task if you received this warning? If the mission isn’t important, probably not. But if the job is critical, you would buckle down and move forward despite the hardships. As Simeon blessed Mary and Joseph, they were amazed at what he said. Jesus will fulfill the prophecies. …
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 …
Are you affected by what is going on in the world? Is it getting you down? Know that God can bring transformation through praise. The question is, how does that work? How can the Lord help me out of the muck and the mire? The Lord has given us praise as a tool. It may …
How do I live a life of faith in a changing world? Throughout history the world has been a chaotic place, yet the Lord calls His children to be the salt and the light (Matthew 5:13-16.) The Lord wants us to make a difference in the world and those around us. Becoming a Person of …