Skip to content

Church Year

Behold the Glory of the King of Kings

As we come to the close of the Christmas season, we hear once again the remarkable account of how, by God’s guidance and grace, the Wise Men from the East came searching for the one “who has been born King of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2), so that they might bow before Him and worship Him. In this event we see the beginning of the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy regarding our Savior. “The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising” (Isaiah 60:3).

While it is unlikely that these Magi were kings, they were powerful men in the world who very likely had their place in the king’s court. And yet they were more than ready to fall down before the Child Jesus and worship Him. By faith they recognized the majesty and glory of their Savior and King in the young Christ-Child.Read More »Behold the Glory of the King of Kings

Our Unchangeable God in an Ever-changing World

With the passing of each year we observe changes in our lives and in the world about us. While some of the changes are good and beneficial, others are not. Were it not for the assurance of the abiding presence of our unchangeable Lord, our spirits would be greatly distressed and our hearts would melt out of fear and worry.

The sure and certain Word of our God comforts us in the knowledge that the Lord Jesus who rules over all things for our sake (see Ephesians 1:22,23) is “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8), and that He has given us this unfailing promise: “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).Read More »Our Unchangeable God in an Ever-changing World

The Festival of the Father

He (God) did not give His Son for the purpose of coming to straighten us out.

Of all our customs at Christmas time, gift giving is perhaps the most universal. It may also be the most exciting custom, at least in the minds of children who can’t wait to see what they will get for Christmas. When a gift is received, it’s natural to want to examine it carefully. It is exciting to get something new and to try it out.

However, we don’t want to forget the giver. The gift means so much more when it is given by someone who loves us. While a new shirt or piece of jewelry is nice to receive and a new toy can be fun, the real gift is the love of the person who chose that particular present and paid the price to give it to us.

Isn’t that really what the festival of Christmas is all about? We have received the most incredible gift of all – the eternal, holy Son of God, wrapped in the flesh of a little baby. We rejoice in that gift. He is beautiful and wonderful. We want to examine Him carefully and use Him and find our joy in Him.

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”
1 John 3:1

At the same time we don’t want to forget the Giver. We can often tell a lot about the heart of the giver by looking at the gift. When we really love and care for someone, we as the givers don’t want to get any old piece of junk just to have something to give. Instead, don’t we spend time searching for something that will be meaningful and will last?

Also, the more the person means to us, the more we will be willing to sacrifice to get something really special, because love knows no bounds. The greater the sacrifice, the greater the love of the giver.Read More »The Festival of the Father

What Should Christian Pastors Preach About On Christmas?

“Christmas is giving!”

How often haven’t we heard that statement? And properly understood, it is correct.

However, the majority of people who hear that statement would think of the giving of gifts, the giving of love, the giving of help and kindness. None of that is wrong except that it misses the real point of Christmas, the real reason for our worship, the real reason for this holiday!

“I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”  John 8:12 So what should Christian pastors preach about on Christmas? No doubt we’d be surprised by the answers if we asked the question of people on the street. We might even be surprised by the answers some church members might give. In fact, we might even be surprised by the answers some pastors might give.

We would probably hear answers that would range from “pastors should preach about love and sharing” to “pastors should preach about working at bringing about peace on earth among nations and people.” We might hear answers such as “pastors should preach on the grace of giving or how we should feed the hungry and house the homeless.”

But this article was not written to find out what I think pastors should preach about on Christmas nor what you or any other person thinks, but what God thinks.

And that is exactly what Christian pastors should preach about on Christmas — about what God says: His Word (and not only on Christmas but everyday)!

During the Christmas season Christian pastors should preach THAT GOD’S GRACE IN CHRIST SAVES.Read More »What Should Christian Pastors Preach About On Christmas?

Firstfruits for Life

A drive through the countryside shows that this year’s long harvest season is finally drawing to a close. After a very wet October and long backups at the grain elevators in November, the crops are finally in.

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that our annual Thanksgiving celebration comes at this time of year, at the close of the harvest, when we can clearly see how the Lord has blessed the land and us.

In Bible times it was different. Their thanksgiving came at the beginning of the harvest. The farmers would take the very first of their produce, put it in a basket, and present it before the Lord as their offering of “firstfruits,” as it is described in Deuteronomy chapter 26. In this way they gave honor to God. It was their way of saying “This is just the beginning, O Lord, and it all belongs to You, for it is You who made the soil and the sun. You are the one who brings the rains, and causes the seeds to grow.”

Our annual in gathering of crops should be a reminder to us all of a greater harvest day that is coming. It will be a harvest of all people, on the day that our Lord Jesus will return and raise all the dead. He will gather all His believers to His right hand side and invite them to enter with Him into eternal life. The Bible says that there will be a great many others who will not be a part of this harvest that leads to life, but will instead be condemned for eternity.

Will you and I be at the Lord’s right hand side on that day? How can we know?Read More »Firstfruits for Life

Thanks, But No Thanks

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.” — Psalm 100:4-5

I invite you to consider with me two common expressions with the word “thanks” in them, and to apply them to spiritual matters.

The first is “Thanks, but no thanks.”

This expression is used in our society as a polite way of acknowledging the generous offer of someone but then for whatever reason declining the offer. Perhaps we don’t want the contents of the offer or we may think that the offer is too much and we are undeserving of it.

During this month our country as well as many others set aside a specific day to remember to give thanks for what we have been given.

Thanksgiving was declared a holiday by our government in 1863 during the Civil War, and a fixed day—the fourth Thursday in November–was set by Congress in 1942 during World War II.

Surely there is nothing wrong with a day devoted to giving thanks, although for a Christian it is appropriate to do so every day. And certainly there are many reasons for Americans to be thankful–food, shelter, family, freedom, and so on.

But this holiday, like many others, would be empty without the main reason for giving thanks to God. That reason is Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins. “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32)

Unfortunately, many people are blind to this true reason for giving thanks. Perhaps they don’t want what Jesus has to offer. Perhaps they feel the offer of forgiveness of sins is too much and they are undeserving. For them it is “Thanks, but no thanks.”Read More »Thanks, But No Thanks