Rebel to Redeemed…Sharing HIS Kind of Love
After eight days passed, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple for circumcision and to offer a sacrifice, per Jewish custom. While at the temple, the family met two very special elders. Luke 2:25-26 (ASV) And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of […]
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Luke 2:8 (ASV) And there were shepherds in the same country abiding in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. Shepherds stayed out in the fields tending to the flocks all year long. This could be a very mundane job at times one would think. Luke 2:9-11 (ASV) And an angel of the Lord stood by them, […]
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Luke 2:7 {ASV} And she brought forth her firstborn son; and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Joseph must have been frantic to find somewhere for Mary to rest. They were both exhausted after traveling for days. Now the baby was on the […]
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Mary is drawing close to her time to give birth, however she has a long journey ahead of her. Luke 2:1 (ASV) Now it came to pass in those days, there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be enrolled. This is so that the prophecy would be fulfilled that the Messiah would come from […]
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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 […]
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The story of Ananias and Sapphira are found in the book of Acts, in the New Testament, as we wrap up this series on last chances from God. Jesus has recently ascended to heaven and the first followers of Jesus have bounded together. In this time followers of Jesus “did not consider their possessions to be their own but held […]
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Jehoram followed his father, Jehoshaphat, as King of Judah. Jehoshaphat worshiped the Lord. However, his son, Jehoram “did evil in the eyes of the Lord” {2 Chronicles 21: 6} and “forsake the Lord, the God of his ancestors.” Edom rebelled against him, but he escaped when they surrounded him. Elijah, the prophet, sent him a letter declaring that because of […]
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After the Battle of Jericho, all of the pilfer was “consecrated unto the Lord.” Achan took some of these devoted items. Joshua traveled to Ai, where he was directed the items stolen were now being stored. He directed the people to “consecrate themselves” because “you cannot stand up against your enemies until you remove them.” The people were given that […]
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The Ark of the Covenant was sacred. There were certain rules God laid out about who could touch the ark and how. Uzzah and his brother, Ahio, drove the cart on which the ark was placed. This was when King David requested the ark brought to Jerusalem. On their journey the oxen stumbled and Uzzah reached out to steady the […]
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King Saul began with so much potential, but ended in disgrace. The people of Israel wanted a king. God asked them if he wasn’t enough but the people were persistent. God finally agreed to their demands. Saul, the son of Kish, was appointed king by God and anointed by the prophet, Samuel. Samuel anointed him in private. Later, the people […]
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The children of Israel rebelled against God. However, Aaron dealt with this rebellion in his own home. Aaron and his wife had four sons. Aaron and his sons were the first priest appointed by God. His two oldest sons were Nadab and Abihu. These sons knew God was real. They even accompanied Moses and Aaron up Mount Sinai. While on […]
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Korah was one of the conspirators that rebelled against Moses. He was a descendant of Levi, one of the sons of Jacob {Israel}. Numbers 16 tells us that Korah was one of the leaders to oppose Moses. Aaron called him out and told them, “you have gone too far…why do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?” Moses told Korah […]
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The book of Genesis ends with Joseph moving his family to Egypt. In the beginning of Exodus, a few hundred years have passed. The Israelites are now slaves to the Egyptians. However, God sends Moses to lead them out of slavery. Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt and time and again the see miracles, such as when God parts […]
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Er and Onan were the sons of Judah. In case we need a refresher course, Judah was the son of Jacob and Leah. He was one of Joseph’s brothers. Jesus ancestry was through the line of Judah, who was also an ancestor of King David. Er was the oldest son of Judah and his wife. He married Tamar, but he […]
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The story of Lot and his wife are interspersed with the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot was the nephew to Abraham. He and his uncle travelled for a while, before going their separate ways. Lot and his wife saw the faith and power of God during their time with Abraham and later when they were saved from captivity. Lot […]
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When one thinks of sin, often Sodom and Gomorrah is the first place to come to mind. Genesis 13 tells us “the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord.” A battle among the five Kings and cities along the River Jordan resulted in these two cities “spoiled of their goods and captives were taken, including Lot.” However, […]
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