Christ Emmanuel, Christian icon with riza by Simon Ushakov, 1668 "Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." - Matthew 1:22-23 How lonely Joseph must have felt, not to mention Mary’s loneliness. God chose two lonely young people to use as a vehicle for the end of loneliness. To be a virgin and conceive is an unparalleled experience. Conception always involves... Continue reading

This salvation that He brings is not just from the destructive power of armies or the oppressive arm of dictators. It is also from ourselves, our sins, our choices. It is the offering that He brings with His life, death, and resurrection. Continue reading

Photo by Andy Grizzell on Unsplash "...Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east and are come to worship him." - Matthew 2:2 There is one flower that reminds us of a star and there was a star that pointed some people outside of Israel’s fold and covenant to the Savior of the world. God uses all sorts of means to draw people to Himself. Christmas flowers are special gifts. For one thing, we do not expect to have many flowers in the winter. For another, they remind us... Continue reading

"Adoration of the Child " Honthorst, Gerrit van, 1590-1656 "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." - Matthew 1:21 Call his name, “Jesus.” It was the core of the angelic message that was delivered to Joseph. Mary would have a son. There were no ultrasound tests in those days that could have predicted gender. Only God could know. Only God could know the meaning of that life. God knew and shared that knowledge with Joseph through His angel. You will call Him Jesus –... Continue reading

Sometimes it takes a messenger from God, human or angelic to interrupt our thinking and redirect our beliefs so that we can see that the seemingly negative events in our lives are nothing less than something conceived by the Holy Spirit. Is that not what we need to hear in the midst of our despairing conundrums? We need to know that however convoluted the circumstances and what we believe about them, that the Spirit of the Living God is at work and is working out His eternal purposes. Embracing that word, we are set free from fear. Continue reading

The world scoffs, but the true believer keeps testifying to the power of the miracle. That is because we know it is true. We have experienced it. Like Joseph, we are dumbfounded and receive the gift with joy. Continue reading

Attached to this blog is J. Vernon McGee's wonderful sermon on Joseph, "The Man Who Had Nothing to Say." Continue reading

May the milestones of your life Be the ammunition to Confront the millstones in your way. May each be smooth enough To give pleasure to your touch Before you launch them ruthlessly Into your obstacles Shattering them into a million Milestones. Continue reading

"In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD." – Isaiah 19:19 We mark things. It is our habit and it is a habit born of need. We need to remember and to remember, we need to be reminded. That is why the children of Israel built altars. That is why we build monuments and put plaques on our walls. That is why we surround ourselves with pictures, awards, memorabilia, and subtle hints to refresh our recollections of times gone... Continue reading

God speaks in advance of our need. He looks down the road and knows what we are going to face. He sees the challenges before we do. He experiences our pain before it ever comes to us. He understands our sorrows and frustrations. He anticipates our doubts and every temptation we will ever face... Continue reading

Evaluate, excavate, eradicate, emancipate your thinking. Continue reading

There is a sort of spiritual depression that can either rise to or complicate emotional, mental, and physical depression. It is, in Greek, "barew," a verb meaning "to weigh down or depress." Depression has spiritual, emotional, cognitive, physical, and biochemical dimensions. One can lead to the other. In the spiritual realm, there are spiritual remedies that can intervene. Continue reading

This is is a rather courageous prayer for any to make. He makes it from the dual standing of God's faithful love and his own integrity. The greater appeal is to God's character and all he has in his own is his earnest desire to align with that. To ask to be refined and purified is no small matter. Am I willing to pray it? Am I ready to commit to it? "Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind. For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness." -... Continue reading

" And all flesh shall see the salvation of God." - Luke 3:6 1. It is VISIBLE salvation. 2. It is a VAST salvation - not intended for a few, but for many. 3. It is a VICTORIOUS salvation. So celebrate! We have been VISITED! "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people," - Luke 1:68 Continue reading

Photo by Alex Gindin on Unsplash “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord …” – Luke 1:46 The Magnificat remains one of the most glorious expressions of praise in all of musical literature. Perhaps, someday, in Heaven, God will allow us to hear a replay of the day Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth or the day the angel visited Mary and announced God’s intentions to her. We would hear that conversation that altered history and sweet sound of her acceptance of God’s great gift of His Son to and through her. The music of absolute surrender would call... Continue reading

"It is in pardoning that we are pardoned." How can I, God of mercy, How can I humble myself To seek Thy forgiveness If I am haughty enough to demand retribution From my neighbor? How can I seek pardon, Guilty as I am, If I withhold it from one who has offended me? Is there not one entry way to my soul for That which flows in and That which flows forth? If I close down the outflow of mercy, How can I drink of its inflow? God of love, I am a stained as anyone. I am as needy... Continue reading

Show me your pain and I will show you your passion. It is the same and it is transforming, first, by transforming itself ... into joy! Without the pain, there is no passion, Without the passion, there is no joy. Without the joy ... Without the JOY!?!? You must be kidding me! Without the joy, I'll go back to bed. But with joy, I'm going out there to passionately, make a difference today. And let me never forget, Oh One Who came to suffer and to serve, that it was through pain that You brought us life and through Your... Continue reading

"For it is in giving that we receive ..." Yes, it is. Only with an open had can I do either ... And the same hand that gives, receives. Lord, guide my intentions to give today. At the moment, my hand is empty, But I hold it out so that You might place in it ... What my neighbor needs and that I May not grasp it as my own. Amen. Continue reading

Beyond alarm, beyond our pain, beyond all that is immediate in our lives is gratitude and submission. God has given us so much; all of Himself. We wonder what on earth we could do to show ourselves grateful. First, he says, we take the gift. We take the cup of salvation. We call on the Name of the LORD. First, we receive. The first act of gratitude is to receive the gift being offered. Then, we worship, we pay our vows. We do it in the presence of the people. We live our lives of faith and devotion to God... Continue reading

Is David prideful, deluded, or something else in making these claims? He, after all, has not always made the best choices. It must be something else - the same something else available to us: a heart known by God, bathed in mercy, covered by grace, seen through the eyes of love, and living in a constancy of repentance, reorientation, and direction toward God, flawed, forgiven, rebounding, resilient. He is a fully integrated human with a singular, though imperfect heart for God. His life is oriented around an enduring center. That is the nature of integrity. "Vindicate me, O LORD, for... Continue reading

Dayspring comes. It bursts forth in the darkness and illuminates every hidden thing. With Him are freedom, hope, consolation, and joy. In Him all of our longings are answered. Anticipation is rewarded and gifts are abundant. Come, Thou long expected Jesus! Continue reading

Teach me to love by loving through me. Teach me to love by knowing again and again and again, how deep, How wide, How long, How long-suffering, How patient is Your love for me and that ... It is all I need. So, filled with love, I can give love. In the Name of the Lord of Love, Amen. Continue reading

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8 Everything is wrapped up in the babe who was wrapped in swaddling clothes. In a tiny bundle of newborn humanity is the sum total of all truth and meaning. In that crude cradle of creation, lay the Creator of the universe. His Incarnation condensed onto one representative human life the start and finish of history and the cosmos. Though He presented Himself in time and space as a participant our history, He is... Continue reading

Losing heart is simply not an option - even when we know that the heart that can be warmed by a loving embrace can be broken by pain. No walls are allowed here. All protective devices are disabled. We must be vulnerable and valiant and that is the path of joyful calling. Keep on keeping on! Continue reading