The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight (Mark 1:3 KJV) John the Baptist’s message to the Jews was “prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” John’s ministry was to go before the Messiah, prepare the people for His arrival, Read More
Christmas
How angels celebrate Christmas in heaven
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, Good will toward men (Luke 2:13–14 KJV) What was the response of the angels in heaven to the birth of Jesus? How did they celebrate Christmas? Luke 2 Read More
Meet prophetess Anna, a Christmas prayer warrior
And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the Temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night Read More
The mystery of the incarnation
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14 ESV) Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. However, nine months earlier, the real mystery took place when Jesus was conceived in Read More
Christmas in Prophecy
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us (Matthew 1:23 KJV) Matthew’s account of the Christmas story was written with a particular emphasis to show it was an unraveling of the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. Read More
You have found favor with God
And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God (Luke 1:30 ESV) Mary was an ordinary teenage girl minding her business when an unusual visitor approached her. The angel Gabriel was sent from God to tell Mary what had been decided in heaven already. As expected, Read More
Why did Jesus come to earth?
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16 KJV) There are many pieces to the puzzle of why Jesus came to earth. John 3:16 captures the critical parts of this vital question. It begins with the Read More
They shall call His Name Immanuel
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us) (Matthew 1:23 ESV) Matthew quotes the prophet Isaiah’s prophecy about the birth of Jesus here. First, Isaiah prophesied and said, “a virgin shall conceive and bear a son.” He then adds, “and they shall Read More