Rebel to Redeemed…Sharing HIS Kind of Love
Scripture promises Jesus will return and only God in heaven knows the day and hour. Not even Jesus or the angels know when he will return. {Mark 13:32} Luke 21:28 says, “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” The song was written by Gordon Jensen […]
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Lot and Noah have a lot in common, in the fact they lived among evil people. When the Lord told Abraham he was going to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham begged him to spare the city if even ten righteous men could be found. {Genesis 18:16-33} Lot went out to meet the angels and even then the […]
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Swing Low, Sweet Chariot is a well-known and popular African American spiritual. The song was written by Wallis Willis, a Choctaw freedman in the old Indian Territory in what is now Choctaw County, near the County seat of Hugo, Oklahoma sometime after 1865. Historians believe he may have been inspired by the sight of the Red River, near where he […]
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As we wrap up this series, we’ve discussed the gifts the Wise Men brought the Christ child, the three gifts Christ gives us and the three gifts we can give to Christ. As we wrap up this series, we are going to discuss the three gifts Christ offers us. As we wrap up, there are three gifts we can give […]
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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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Bartholomew is almost always mentioned in connection to being with the disciple Philip. In the book of John, he is referred to as Nathanael. The name Bartholomew in Greek meaning son of Talmai or son of the furrows in Aramaic, while the Hebrew name Nathanael means gift of God or God has given. In the first three gospels, Bartholomew is […]
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“Gloria in excelsis Deo” is a doxology based on the words the angels sang to the shepherds. {Luke 2:14} “Gloria in excelsis Deo” is often referred to as the Greater Doxology. {Gloria Patri is the lesser doxology}. The Latin translation is attributed to Saint Hilary of Poitiers {310-367 AD}, the Bishop of Poitiers. This translation is believed to have […]
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Last year, I did a series on Mother’s in the Bible. This year, let’s take a lot at some daughters and sisters in the Bible. We will be spending time with these women for the next few months. As we begin, we will join two daughter’s whose name we do not even know. Yet, we can learn much about their […]
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While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks is a Christmas carol that describes the angels appearance to the shepherds as described in Luke 2:8-14. The song was written by Nahum Tate, who was England’s poet Laureate, and an Irish hymnists. He is best known for his adaptation of William Shakespeare’s King Lear. While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks is the only Christmas […]
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In discussing who in the New Testament deserves to be listed in the Hall of Faith, Mary Magdalene seems a very logical choice. Other than Mary, the Mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene is listed among the women who were the most faithful followers of Jesus. Her name derives from Luke 8:2 which says “Mary, called Magdalene.” The town of Magdala […]
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We discussed how Mary belonged in the Hall of Faith {although no one in the New Testament is mentioned in this list of spiritual giants}, but Mary was not alone on her journey. She had Joseph to walk beside her on this journey. We know little about Joseph, but we’re told he “went up from Galilee, out of the city […]
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No one mentioned in the New Testament is actually listed in the Hall of Faith. However, there are some in the New Testament that definitely deserves to be in the New Testament. More than anyone would be Mary and Joseph, the earthly parents of Jesus. They truly walked in faith and believed when the angel appeared to them. In the […]
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For years I’ve gone into nursing homes to sing and share my musical abilities. This experience actually opened the door several years ago when I was seeking a career change. Now, I work in my day job as an activities director. Today, I’m on the other side of the coin and looking for talent and people that are willing to […]
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Mary Magdalene arrives at the tomb on that first day of the week to discover the tomb is empty. They are afraid, but an angel tells them that Jesus is not there but has risen. The women rush to tell the disciples, who does not believe them. This is where we left off last week. Reading the gospel accounts, […]
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We left Mary Magdalene at the crucifixion. Jesus is dead and they have taken his body to the grave, but the Sabbath was beginning and the women could not prepare his body. So, they go home to follow the Jewish customs of the day. We’re not told where they were, but more than likely they were together. John 20:1 tells […]
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While scrolling through my Facebook feed, I came across this question: “If Jesus came back today, would you be ashamed of where He found you?” Jesus said in Matthew 24:36, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” […]
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Joseph witnessed the birth of Jesus and saw the magnificence of the angels and shepherds arriving to worship the Christ child. The next mention we have is of the parents taking the child to the temple. Luke 2:27, “and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, that they might do concerning him after the custom of the law” The […]
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As we wrap up our series on music next week,let’s discuss what does the Bible say about music? Ephesians 5:19 “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.” The book of Psalms is 150 songs of praise to God. Even when David starts out downtrodden, he turns to praising […]
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Last week, we discussed the angel appearing to Joseph and he was obedient to take Mary as his wife. We now switch over to the book of Luke for the next part of the story. Luke 2 says , “And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, to the city of David, which […]
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It Came Upon a Midnight Clear was a Christmas poem written by Edmund Sears. This is a Christmas Carol that doesn’t focus on the holy family, but the song of the angels. Luke 2:14 says the angels said “Peace on the Earth, good will to men.” Edmund Hamilton Sears was born in 1810. He earned a degree from Harvard Divinity […]
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