For Christmas Day 2016 When the wise men come to Jerusalem and inquired about the king who had been born, their arrival amazed the whole city. The thing was news, and the city was stirred up by it. Herod was troubled by the news, and the whole city with him (Matt. 2:3). Herod, for his …
Advent Adventure: Advent IV
Introduction: Our word Advent comes from the Latin advenire, which means “to arrive.” It obviously looks forward to the arrival of the Messiah, the birth of the Prince, the coming of Immanuel. Our word for adventure has the same root, but comes to us by a different route. From wandering, traveling, happening upon things by …
Advent Running Over: Advent III
Introduction: We have been considering Advent as a time of anticipatory celebration. It is a time of joy, longing, joy, yearning, joy, and preparation. It should not be a time in which you afflict your souls. We do not intend to mark Advent as a penitential season. A penitential season should follow sin, not anticipate …
Adverbial Advent: Advent II
Introduction: Jesus came to this world to save His people from their sins. And so as we celebrate Advent, we should be on tiptoe in excited anticipation of something good. We want to spend this Advent contemplating the way God wants us to mark and celebrate things. It is not just what we celebrate, but …
A Simple Church Year
“During the first half of the Christian year, remember the five evangelical feast days – Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, Ascension and Pentecost. Do not look for any commemoration of St. Alphonse the Lesser, patron saint of three-legged cats. When everything is special, nothing is” (God Rest Ye Merry, p. 112).
The Coming Christ Who Came: Advent 1
Introduction: We have often reminded you that ownership of time is inescapable. Either we will mark and define our days with reference to God and His Christ, or we will allow the calendar to be defined by unbelievers. So, for example, either your year will be defined by holidays like Christmas and Easter, or it …
Thanksgiving 2016
“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ . . .” (Ephesians 5:20). For various reasons, Thanksgiving ranks with the great holidays. Other holidays mark—and wonderfully mark—specific things that God has done for us, whether that be the grace of the Incarnation or the …
Authority and Power
Introduction: We always mark and commemorate what we believe to be important. From birthdays to anniversaries, from independence days to holidays, we will take note. The issue, therefore, is what we find to be important. Attempts to banish this reality will only have the effect of selecting the wrong things to commemorate. The Text: When …
The Resurrection of the Entire Cosmos
Introduction We know from Scripture that Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion. Jesus died and Jesus was raised. But what power did the raising? How was this done? We know that Jesus was raised, but who raised Him? The Text: “I am the good shepherd, and know my …
The Last Human Sacrifice
We are told in Scripture, in numerous places, that the death of Jesus was a death for sin. It is therefore not possible to meditate responsibly on the crucifixion of Jesus without reckoning with the fact and reality of sin. If Jesus was a dragon-slayer in His passion, and He was, then we must understand …