Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. — Luke 1:26-27 What if Joseph and Mary had shown up in furs with a…
Parkland, FL: We Need You, Lord
Parkland, FL: We Need You, Lord Editor’s note: Yet another unspeakable tragedy has shaken us. How can it be? Our hearts are broken for over the shooting in Parkland and for the community and every person and family whose life is forever affected by the shocking violence and indescribable loss. We need Jesus. He is…
The Lord of Heaven: Sutherland Springs, Texas
Editor’s note: Again, shots were fired. Blood spilled. Families lost loved ones. Hearts across the nation broke when the news hit of the church massacre at First Baptist in Sutherland Springs. It’s so easy to ask “Where were You, God?” in such a volatile and uncertain world. Pastor Max Lucado addresses this question in this…
Hate, Vengeance, and Satan’s Toolkit
Tools in Satan’s Toolkit How do we explain our stubborn hearts and conniving ways? How do we explain Auschwitz, human trafficking, abuse? If I were the devil, I’d want you to feel attacked by an indefinable force. If I were the devil, I’d keep my name out of it. But God doesn’t let the devil get away with…
Jesus Prays for Us
I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail. — Luke 22:32 On the night before His death, Jesus made this announcement: All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’…
Where Are You Empty?
Jesus fasted for forty days and nights. After this, He was very hungry. The devil came to Jesus to tempt Him, saying, “If You are the Son of God, tell these rocks to become bread.” — Matthew 4:2-3 God disciplines us for our good that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant…
Advent of Hope
I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. — Ezekiel 36:26 Jesus told a skeptical crowd, who wanted to kill Him for calling God His own Father, that they had missed something obvious in the Scriptures that they held so dear: It is [the Scriptures] that bear…
The Journey Isn’t Our Destination
We set our eyes not on what we see but on what we cannot see. What we see will last only a short time, but what we cannot see will last forever. — 2 Corinthians 4:18 NCV Jesus tells us to “Seek first the kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33). This is His invitation to us.…
Let the Walls Fall Down
The Falling of a Wall Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. — Acts 8:5 Do any walls bisect your world? There you stand on one side. And on the other? The teen with the tats. The boss with the bucks. The immigrant with the hard-to-understand accent. Or…