Posts Tagged ‘Christmas’
God’s Good Pleasure at Christmas
Every year I select a theme for a series of messages in December, centered in some way around the Incarnation of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Over the years, these messages served to deepen my love for our Saviour. Someone (who unfortunately came to hold that we shouldn’t celebrate Christmas) once charged me with…
Read MoreA Christmas Reading
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, Come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; Come and behold Him, born the King of angels; Chorus: O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord. Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation, Sing all…
Read MoreA Root Out of Dry Ground
Who Has Believed Our Report? Who would have believed it? Can we start with the words, “No way!”? “Not a chance!” “It isn’t going to happen!” (Or as some say, “Never happen, captain!) “There’s no path to success!” “Finished before He could even get started!” “You can’t get there from here!” So let’s start there.…
Read MoreChristmas in Light of Eternity
Last year, about this time, news came that a beloved member of my extended family passed away unexpectedly of a heart attack. My heart aches for my uncle, for my cousins, and for all who loved my aunt Debbie dearly. It’s not what we expected. Unmet Expectations The unexpected loss of my aunt stands out…
Read MoreCompeting with Christmas?
Emily and I have a deep-seated desire raise our 4 year-old daughter with Christ at the center of our family this Christmas. However, it can be hard to compete with the excitement of presents, the glow of lights, and the taste of treats. I have confession to make — it’s not just my daughter who…
Read MoreThe Glory of the Branch
Zechariah 3:1-9 As we approach this season, we will once again hear the story of Christ and of Christmas. We will exchange the traditional greetings of “Merry Christmas!” “Happy New Year!” We will speak of joy, hope and peace. Nevertheless, we must ask, “Is this real?” Is there any hope of joy and peace in…
Read MoreThe Perfect Christmas Present
Do you have a wishlist? Recently I began the arduous task of sifting through various wishlists to pick out just the right present for each person. But, to me, the best gifts are not the ones found on a list, but the ones discovered in the little moments of life. Perhaps it’s happened to you-…
Read MoreGood Tidings to Shepherds
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Luke 2:10 A particularly interesting word in the King James Version is tidings. The translators gave us a number of different translations for it. The word in the original language is…
Read MoreThe Blessings of the Branch
Things looked bad for Israel, and even worse for Assyria. Yes, the Assyrians would invade (Isaiah 10:5-6; 36:1-2), but after they destroyed Israel, the army would meet their doom. The British poet, Lord Byron (George Gordon) described the story recorded in Isaiah 37:14-38. The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold, And his…
Read MoreA Wise Holiday Ambition
The annual, year-end holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve provides a wonderful opportunity for Christians to shine as lights in a dark and bungling world. During this time, as the bitter cold and darkness increases, the behavior of nonbelievers increasingly reveals their spiritual darkness and blindness towards God. Lampposts in the Snow A…
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