Year: 2020

“He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’” (Revelation 21:5) Someday, perhaps sooner than we think, the Lord Jesus whose birth we just celebrated will come again. And when he does, he will not be laid in a manger; he will come on the clouds of heaven in unimaginable glory.…

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:12) We decorate our house modestly for Christmas: white electric candles in most windows, a net of white lights on the corner shrubs,…

“The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins.” (Isaiah 51:3) Look to the rock; look to the quarry; look to Abraham; look to Sarah; lift your eyes to the heavens; look at the earth beneath. These are all words of encouragement from the prophet Isaiah to people who…

“There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one beside you; there is no one like our God.” (1 Samuel 2:2) Hannah is singing for joy! God has filled her mouth and her heart with praise for the gift of a child! But her song soon turns to darker themes, contrasting starkly…

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4) Here the apostle Paul, who endured many hardships for the sake of Christ, tells us to rejoice in the Lord always. And with enthusiasm he exclaims, “I will say it again: Rejoice!” In the coming week we may yet hear Christmas carols…

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) The gospels give a complete and trustworthy account of Jesus’ coming, but they don’t all repeat the same events. In…

“Praise be to the Lord … because he has come to his people and redeemed them.” (Luke 1:68) “I want one of these, and one of these, and …” The child went on and on, turning the pages of the Christmas gift catalog. Adults have their wants and wish lists too. The problem is that…

Is there any hope? Many of us have had that thought at one time or another. Using the image of someone drowning or trapped in a pit, Psalm 130 cries out for help. The sense of hopelessness is made worse because the psalmist knows the reason for the brokenness of life: sin. It is not…

“You are the light of the world … Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16) In his book “Christ in Crisis”, Jim Wallis says that the church has often failed to let its light shine. It has, he says, failed to…