Experiencing the Manifold Grace of God
Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.Isaiah 11:1 (NASB1995) One of the rich themes I have noticed in many hymns of Advent is the mention of the prophecies of Messiah’s birth. The Isaiah passage above is just one of several Scriptures that refer [...]
For centuries Israel had expected the Messiah to come, but what did they expect the Messiah to do? At the time of Jesus’ birth, Israel was looking for a military leader to set them free from the oppression of Rome. They were looking for a physical kingdom, but Jesus came to establish a spiritual kingdom [...]
O Come, O Come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appears. “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” written in the 8th century, is one of the oldest hymns of Christmas. This hymn beautifully expresses a longing in Israel’s heart for the coming of Messiah. 400 years [...]
The Holiday Countdown is on! As of the date of this post, there are 37 days until Thanksgiving, 66 days until Christmas, and 73 days until 2021. I have to admit that 2021 can't get here soon enough! Even though most of us are ready to say goodbye to 2020, we don't want to lose [...]
We are living in the midst of amazing times. I opened my phone this morning and read these headlines: "Virus infections top 600,000 worldwide, long fight ahead" "DON'T COME HERE: FL Governor authorizes checkpoints at state lines to keep travelers from COVID-19 epicenters out" "NYC Mayor de Blasio: Religious services will be shut down; fines, [...]
Once again it has been several months since I posted. Lots has happened over the last year! Our son started college, our daughter graduated from college, and God moved us from the sunny southwest to a new church family in the northeastern United States. The summer has been hot, but I am just beginning to [...]
This week we are just going to cover the Preface of We Would See Jesus. It's all so good!! I have been exceedingly blessed by reading it again. I hope you are able to get your hands on a copy! Roy begins by discussing how easy it is to focus on making certain "aspects" of [...]
I am writing this on Saturday, March 10, 2018 and I cannot believe it's daylight savings TONIGHT, and that it's been almost a year since I've posted. Back in January, I began thinking and praying about a personal theme for 2018. Over the last 3 months, words like vision, sight, seeing and eyes have been [...]
Today is April 26, 2017 and I am reminded of the old saying, "April Showers Bring May Flowers." After the harsh winter when everything has died, and after enduring the relentless spring rain, suddenly new life emerges and hope of summer is here at last! I'm thinking God must have designed the seasons to give [...]
It's been a while since I've been here! My dad passed away six months ago now and the Lord has been working in my heart to post again. Whatever circumstance you find yourself in today, I want to encourage you to look UP! "Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights [...]
Simply Persuaded 