Holiday
Why a Baby?
The Israelites understood from prophesy that God intended to send them a Savior. But the only hint on how the Messiah would come is found in Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (God with us).”…
Read MoreThe Importance of the Celebration
A number of Christ-followers, including myself, have looked at Christmas as the celebration of Jesus’ birthday. That view is supported in Western culture with the emphasis on manger scenes featuring a beautiful, helpless baby. Certainly the reminder of what Jesus did for mankind in leaving His glory in Heaven to…
Read MoreIf He’s Not the Reason, Then…
A number of years ago the phrase, “Jesus is the Reason for the Season,” became popular for Christmas cards, plaques, ornaments and the like. It has now been around long enough to become trite to some, and to receive only casual nods from others. Spiritual detractors of Christmas argue that…
Read MoreThe Cure for Negativity
Sometimes it seems there is not much to be happy about these days. COVID variations still threaten people world-wide, US mandates threaten freedoms and livelihoods, and the unrest that follows threatens peace and security in families. Anxiety and depression are at peak levels. Many believe that finding a cure for…
Read MoreThe Holy Night of Birth
I grew up in the mountains of southwest Virginia where it was fairly common to have snow for Christmas. My most wonderful memories are not of falling snow, but taking “nature hikes” in the moonlight after a satisfying meal of leftovers. Whether the sky was clear and dark, or whether…
Read MoreThe Party of the Year
Some people like parties more than others, but almost everyone will make an effort to celebrate a birthday, largely because it is an opportunity to honor a person close to us. Although God did not command we celebrate birthdays like He commanded the ancient Israelites to celebrate specific festivals, I…
Read MoreThankfulness Reset
Many of us have experienced surprising joy by simply adopting an attitude of being thankful. While it is more natural to have an initial “screaming meemies” response to difficulties, navigating to the other side of the issue generally elicits relief and gratefulness. That was where the Pilgrims found themselves after…
Read MorePermitting Reality to be Real
It is far too easy to read words on a page as informational, rather than becoming involved in the story to the degree of actually living it. The difference might be similar to reading about a bank robbery, versus personally experiencing the horrors of a mugging. A robbery is usually…
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