Rebel to Redeemed…Sharing HIS Kind of Love
Last week we discovered how righteous of a man Joseph was. He decided that he would quietly put Mary away privately. However, God had a different plan he was about to reveal to Joseph. In Matthew 1:20 “ But when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son […]
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Last week, we were introduced to Joseph, the husband of Mary. We know that Joseph was betrothed to Mary when the spirit came upon her and she was with child. Matthew 1:18-25 tells us the story of Mary, Joseph and the conception of Jesus. So, what are we told? 18 When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before […]
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Last Christmas, we studied Mary, the Mother of Jesus. So in the spirit of Christmas, it only seemed natural to take a look at Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. For the next eight weeks we will explore what scripture tells us about Joseph. The only information we know about Joseph comes from three of the four gospels. Joseph is […]
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We last saw Mary being rebuked by Jesus, when she came to him out of concern. Several years have passed during which Jesus was in the depths of his ministry. We’re not told which events in Jesus ministry, teaching and miracles Mary was there to witness. While she may not have been there for everything, it seems plausible that she […]
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Over a decade has passed since we last saw Jesus and his parents, Mary and Joseph. The family was fleeing to Egypt the last time we checked in with them. We’re not told what happened in the intervening years. At some point the family has returned to their homeland from Egypt. We do know they returned after the death of […]
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The time had come for Mary to return home after her visit with Elisabeth. One can only imagine how she must have felt. After all she was going to have to tell her parents and Joseph about her present condition. This was a situation that could not be hid for long. However, we know that from the beginning Mary had […]
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Mary has arrived to see her cousin, Elisabeth, who is also with child. Upon her arrival, the child within Elisabeth jumps for joy and the “spirit comes upon her” as she delivers a blessing on Mary. Mary answers this blessing with a song of her own. As a musician, I can envision Mary singing her response and the melody just […]
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Last week, we took a look at the angel appearing to Mary. He told her that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and she would be with child. Mary asked how can this be. After all, she’s only engaged and has never known a man. The angel explains that the Holy Spirit will come upon her. This is followed […]
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Mary, How Did You Feel?–Part 1 You were such a young girl When it all began Sprung from such innocence Oh, Mary how did you feel? What was it like to be so young? To become engaged at just fifteen Looking to build a home of your own Oh Mary, how did you feel? Then the […]
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Last week we took a look into the life of Mary. She was preparing for her marriage to a carpenter named Joseph, when an angel appeared to her. So what does the angel have to say? Luke 1:30-33 (ASV) And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive […]
Read more We’ve wrapped up our Second Chances and One Last Chance series. I began to think about how to enjoy the few weeks we have until Christmas. I thought about the one person in Jesus life that was there from the beginning to the end. That person was his mother, Mary. I soon discovered that while the majority of accounts in […]
Read moreToday is the second of our 12 Days of Christmas and it’s a joy to welcome Jennifer Car. She’s sharing a short excerpt from her book and then a Christmas devotional. Excerpt from The Lost and Found, by Jennifer Carr “As we consider the Christmas season, we are reminded of how Mary and Joseph were forced to leave the comfort […]
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Thanks to Caesar Augustus’s demand for a census, which Mary didn’t mind, since it rescued her from Nazareth, Mary and Joseph trod the same crowded road Mary had six months ago. The donkey plodded along, and she recalled arranging her clothing to mask her expanding abdomen when she’d walked back into Nazareth after her visit with Elizabeth. Mary planned to […]
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After a long journey, the wise men have finally arrived at their destination. Can you imagine the commotion as they ride up and tie their camels to the hitching posts? “We may well imagine their expectations were raised to find this royal babe, though slighted by the nation, yet honourably attended at home; and what a disappointment it was to […]
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In the past years, we have studied the eyewitness to Christmas from the viewpoint of the Virgin Mary, Elizabeth and Zacharias, Joseph, and the angels. This year, we are going to journey with the Wise Men or Magi to visit the Christ Child. “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory— this was during Herod’s kingship—a band of scholars […]
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The words and music of “O Come O Come Emmanuel” developed separately. The original text, which was in Latin, was first documented in 1710 in Germany. The tune has it’s origins in 15th Century France. In the early church something called O Anitphons were used. An antiphon is a response by the choir or congregation and used in the form […]
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After a long walk from Nazareth with Daniel’s family, finally Elizabeth’s shaky soprano drifted over her wall, her words from a psalm of David Mary recognized. “You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.” The swish of her broom kept time to […]
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1. On the first day of Christmas an Angel appears to Mary with the most unexpected news of all {Luke 1:26-38} 2. On the second day of Christmas Mary travels to visit Elizabeth and the babe within her leapt {Luke 1:39-45} 3. On the third day of Christmas an angel gives Joseph a vision to keep Mary as his own {Mathew […]
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The name Luke means light. Scholars believe he originated from the Greek city of Antioch. Luke wrote both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. Some historians believe he also contributed to the book of Hebrews. He is believed to have been a disciple of Paul. In Colossians 4:14, Paul refers to Luke as a physician. It is […]
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We’ve had an eyewitness to Christmas the last few years as we look at the Christmas story from the perspectives of Mary, Joseph, the angels, the shepherds and the Wise Men. This year we wrap up the series with a look from a completely different view point, that of the king. Herod the Great was king of Judea, part of […]
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