Rebel to Redeemed…Sharing HIS Kind of Love
Jacob is the son of Isaac and Rebekah and has a twin brother, Esau. “Jacob is an outstanding illustration of the presence and conflict of the two natures within a believer. Similar to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of Robert Louis Stevenson’s story, Jacob is good and bad; he rises and falls, yet in spite of his failures was a […]
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Jeremiah 8:22 says “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wounds of my [God’s] people?” {Gilead also mentioned in Jeremiah 46:2,11 and Jeremiah 22:6} It is believed this passage inspired the spiritual There Is a Balm in Gilead. The song emphasizes the comfort found in the Lord God, […]
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The Wise Men have worshiped at the feet of the Christ child or baby Jesus. They then bestow three gifts to him of gold, frankincense and myrrh. When they leave, they probably planned to head back to Jerusalem and inform King Herod of the child’s location as he requested. “We do not find that the wise men promised to come […]
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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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Mary was a popular name during Biblical times and remains a popular name today. Hence, to defferentate the various Mary’s there are relationships mentioned. This is true for Mary, Mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses and Mary the wife of Clopas. The name Mary means bitter, beloved, rebelliousness, and wished-for-child. Mary, the wife of […]
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As is often the case with scripture, we know almost nothing about this woman, other than she has two sons James and Joses. James, the less, was one of the apostles of Jesus. “Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedees children.” {Matthew 27:56} and “ and Mary the mother of […]
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Judas Iscariot has betrayed Jesus, who has been crucified and risen from the grave. Judas was remorseful for his actions and killed himself. Jesus has ascended to heaven and the disciples gather in the upper room waiting for the Holy Spirit to descend. Here were are introduced to two followers of Jesus, who have been following him since his baptism […]
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We first meet Thaddeus in the list of disciples of Jesus. “…Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddeus.” {Matthew 10:3} The name Thaddeus is believed to be a Aramaic form of the Greek name, which means a courageous heart. The name Lebbaeus is a form of Judas or Jude, to which it is believed he is often referred to later in scripture. […]
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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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Philip is a Greek name meaning friend and friend of horses. Many believe the disciple Philip may have spoken Greek. We first meet Philip right after Jesus has called Andrew and Simon Peter to follow him. It is possible that Philip was one of two {the unnamed} disciple who was following John the Baptist. When John the Baptist saw Jesus […]
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As we wrap up the sons in the Bible series, it is fitting to end with the ultimate son, who is also the sun. Jesus Christ is the son of God. On earth, he was the son of Mary and Joseph. His birth was foretold and he was born of a virgin. The Lord announced his arrival to the shepherds […]
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Hail, Columbia was composed by Philip Phile in 1789. He composed the song for the first inauguration of George Washington and titled the song “The President’s March”. In 1798, Joseph Hopkinson added lyrics and the song became known as “Hail, Columbia”. During the 18th Century, Columbia was a poetic name often used to identify the United States. The song was […]
Read more We took a look at the sons of Jacob {Israel} who became the forefathers for the 12 tribes of Israel. So where were the tribes located and what happened to them? Tribes of Israel: Reuben– occupied land allocated on the eastern side of Jordan River and Dead Sea; may have been an enclave in the territory of Gad; divided into […]
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Jacob fled to his Uncle Laban, where he met his cousins. He immediately fell in love with Rachel and worked for her 7 years, which felt like no time. However, he was tricked into marrying Leah. After their wedding week finished, he also married Rachel. Rachel was jealous when her sister provided Jacob with children and she could not. She […]
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Abraham and the Lord made a covenant. The Lord promised him that he would be the father of many nations and have sons more numerous than the stars. However, there was a catch. Abraham had no children and his wife was well past her child bearing years. Sarai {Sarah} grew tired of waiting for a child and did not trust […]
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The name Immanuel is spelled both Immanuel and Emmanuel, meaning God is with us. The word derives from the Hebrew words עִם which means with and ל (‘el) which means God. The word describes the incarnation and God becoming flesh and dwelling among us. {John 1:14} The birth of Jesus by a virgin fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14. “Therefore the […]
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Jesus has been arrested, tried and sentenced to death. Each of the gospel accounts mention the women gathered at the cross to witness the crucifixion of Jesus, either by name or as a group. {Matthew 27:55-56; Mark 15:40; Luke 23:49}. However, none of the other gospels mention the disciples. We know Judas is remorseful and commits suicide. Peter is remorseful […]
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Mother Teresa was admired by many for her charitable work among the poor in Calcutta, India. She was born Anjezë Gonxhe {Mary Teresa} Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1910 in the Ottoman Empire. Her parents were Nikollë and Dranafile Bojaxhiu. She was baptized the day after her birth and always considered August 27th her “true birthday”. According to biographer Joan Graff […]
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Joseph Henry Gilmore was a seminary professor, Baptist minister, and author of several textbooks in Hebrew and English. However, he is best remembered today for his hymn He Leadeth Me. The year was 1862, and the Civil War was raging all around. Gilmore later wondered if God was leading him to focus on His {The Lord’s} leadership. He was invited […]
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