This Advent season as a church, we decided to ‘steep’ in the word Joy. Christmas is about Joy, the Christian faith is a joyous faith, and throughout scripture, we see the people of God expressing joy. As we conclude the advent season, I’d like to reflect on one more group that expressed joy. Today, January 06, is known as the Day of Epiphany. This is a day to reflect on one final group in the birth of Jesus narrative.
Read MoreWhat a great question to ponder, "To what extent did Mary know about what would happen with her baby Jesus?" Did she know that her baby was going to walk on water? Did she know her baby was going to be the ultimate sacrifice?
Read MoreIt’s only because I was given the “second birth,” only because I was born again of the “imperishable seed” of grace, that I discovered my need of the gospel and was able to obey the truth of the gospel by believing it. You get all the credit, Jesus, from beginning to end. Salvation is of the Lord!
Read MoreAfter the events of the last year and a half, many of us would say that our joy has been shaken. My response to such a statement would be to ask, have we experienced joy?
Read MoreMany of us believe hope is just positive thinking. So much so, that we think if we believe something will happen, it can happen. If we drown out the negatives and only focus on the positives, our hopes will come to fruition. But I would argue that what I have just defined is no more than positive thinking and is not the true hope that has been created within us.
Read MoreWe don't need to be educated on how disparity feels. We have all experienced moments, maybe even now, when it feels as if the chaos, the disparity, and the hate drowns out any hope or thought of peace. And as we reflect on the past year, the disorder is loud. The division is palpable. The hatred is strong.
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