Before the New Testament was completed, God’s people lacked direction for their daily lives. For that reason, God sometimes gave them direction through dreams and angels. Now that we have the complete Bible, God uses it to direct our lives. As we study the Bible and pray, the Holy Spirit will use His word to […]
Preparing for a long trip is always stressful. Thankful it is rare that we must take such a trip with just a minutes’ notice. That is exactly what happened with Joseph and Mary. Transition In this section of the Christmas Story we learn about a sudden move and a sicking murder, yet even in this […]
Have you ever tried to explain something, yet you just could not find the words to describe it? Our text today is about that kind of subject. Read 2 Corinthians 9:15. The word “unspeakable” does not mean that it cannot be talked about. It simply means that it is not able to be fully described. […]
Did the wise men travel by camel? Were they kings? What was their home country? How many of them came? Did the star they followed move? How did they know about the Messiah? We do not know the answers to these questions. We do know that they came to worship Jesus and travelled from the […]
We all enjoy encouragement. When we face difficult circumstances, a word of encouragement can be a huge uplift. A wise person has said that we ought to give ten complements for every one criticism. That is good advice, but not always easy to follow. Joseph and Mary were going to face difficult circumstances in the […]
The Bible records the biographies of many rich people. Job was very rich. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were rich. David was rich. Solomon was extremely rich. Jehoshaphat was rich. Joseph of Arimathaea was a rich man. Being rich is not evil, but it brings with it many dangers. Compared to many people of the world […]
Picture with me what it might have been like for the shepherds in the field the night Jesus was born. They probably had their sheep inside of a simple sheepfold, perhaps made of a stone fence with thorn bushes on top. They may have been sitting near the entrance around a small fire trying to […]
The hymn writer Emily Ellicott penned the following words to the hymn “thou Didst Leave Thy Throne” Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown, When Thou camest to earth for me; But in Bethlehem’s home was there found no room For Thy holy nativity. This evening’s portion of the Christmas Story is about […]
Jesus told of a man who made big plans but who never saw them fulfilled. (Luke 12:16-21) “And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:” (17) “And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my […]
I would guess that Joseph had been counting the days until his marriage to Mary. It appears that the date was very close. Mary had just returned from a three-month trip to the south of Israel to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Suddenly he dreams were shattered with the shocking news that Mary was expecting a […]