Revenge builds a lonely house. Space enough for one person. The lives of its tenants are reduced to one goal: make someone miserable. They do. Themselves. No wonder God insists that we “keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time” (Hebrews…
The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi: Bethlehem
Where It All Began So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While…
Searching the Night for a Light
So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” — Matthew 1:22-23 On the night when Jesus was born, I…
Bethlehem: Church of the Nativity
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. — Micah 5:2 I was deeply disturbed when our tour group visited modern-day Bethlehem. Scripture tells us Bethlehem was…
Who Needs Christmas?: The Story Behind the Story
The story of Christmas doesn’t begin the way you probably think it does. It doesn’t begin with angels announcing the birth of a savior. It doesn’t begin with a young couple on an out-of-town trip trying to find a place to stay as the woman goes into labor. It begins all the way back in…
What Was Meant for Evil, God Uses for Good
Joseph Son of Jacob Graduate with honors from the University of Hard Knocks Director of Global Effort to Save Humanity Succeeded How? How did he flourish in the midst of tragedy? We don’t have to speculate. Some twenty years later the roles were reversed, Joseph as the strong one and his brothers the weak ones.…
10 Famous Sayings Surrounding Jesus’ Birth
Hear the Words of the Angels, Magi, Shepherds, Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, Simeon, and Herod Come to Life in a Whole New Way! The birth of Jesus is depicted in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew and is traditionally represented in nativities with the characters central to the story: Jesus, Joseph, Mary, the shepherds, the magi,…
Joseph’s Prayer
Joseph… did what the Lord’s angel had told him to do. — Matthew 1:24 The white space between Bible verses is fertile soil for questions. One can hardly read Scripture without whispering, “I wonder…” “I wonder if Eve ever ate any more fruit.” “I wonder if Noah slept well during storms.” “I wonder if Jonah liked fish or if Jeremiah…
Joseph: Relationship Reveals Your Purpose
Relationship Reveals Your Purpose Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers. — Genesis 37:5a NKJV We all have dreams for how our lives will – or should – turn out. Many times these are dreams that have been impressed on us by God Himself. But when will they stop being…
The Youth of Jesus
What do we know about Jesus’ childhood Luke 2 presents the one authentic biblical account of Jesus’ childhood, and the scene reveals a very normal boy with true-to-life parents. Joseph and Mary were traveling with a large caravan of friends and relatives from Nazareth to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem. No doubt hundreds of people from their community went together to…
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