Sometimes we enjoy great success (a win, victory) in some endeavor: but someone comes along to point out a negative (a defeat) instead of being happy for the win. My friend, we shouldn’t let these people bother us.   To “snatch victory from the jaws of defeat” means that, in spite of the fact that... Continue Reading

Believer, the dragon has been slayed. We don’t have to be riddled with anxiety; we don’t have to be driven to despair and feel hopeless.   What’s bogging you down this morning, Christian? Is there something that’s nagging you, that’s getting at you and you can’t stop thinking about it? What is going on in... Continue Reading

Glory to God in the highest. Peace on earth. A baby in a manger, and the world’s true census beginning. Not names for an empire, but souls gathered for a kingdom that will not crumble.   Luke 2:10–14 My ink froze on the nib before my fingers did. That is what I remember first. The... Continue Reading

This Christmas, may we not treat the incarnation cavalierly. Let us live in the tension of glorious praise that we who were far off have been brought near, and holy reverence and fear, that deity, the King of Kings, the consuming fire who is our God, is so accessible in all his glory, to sinful... Continue Reading

“Everlasting Father” deliberately evokes covenantal kingship language from the ancient Near East. In doing so, the announcement of the Son’s birth declares He’s the King of kings and His kingdom has no end.   Every Christmas, churches around the world celebrate the incarnation of the Son using titles taken from Isaiah 9:6: “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,... Continue Reading

Both Matthew and Luke have different purposes in their gospels. One wishes to show the royal linage of Jesus that qualifies him to be the Messiah. The other wants to show the presumed biological line of Jesus.   Lots of people have noted that we have two different genealogies in Matthew and Luke’s gospels. There... Continue Reading

As you are faced with the call of God upon your life to follow Him, submissively, obediently, what will you do? Your actions will indicate what you have fundamentally decided.   Every person must make the choice. It will be revisited in every act of the common day, but it is the foundational choice. All... Continue Reading

Music is a gift. It can help us express what’s in our hearts. It can bring us joy and help us understand the world. Yet, like all good gifts, it can become a poor master if given too much of our time and mental space.   It is commonplace for many people to listen to... Continue Reading

The prophesied names of the promised Messiah painted a picture of who He would be. He would be Immanuel, God with us, Wonderful Counselor, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Yet we call Him Jesus, as the angel instructed Joseph, “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will... Continue Reading

The doctrine of Providence is the believer’s strong tower. It assures us that we are not adrift in a chaotic universe, nor are we the playthings of fate. We are the subjects of a wise, holy, and powerful King. Whether we face the malice of men, the failure of means, or the corruption of our... Continue Reading