Hearts, candy, and romance are on the minds of most as February 14th approaches. While Valentine’s Day emphasizes romantic love, the Bible invites us to celebrate a deeper, all-encompassing love: Agape. Based on the Greek word for “unconditional love,” Agape transcends emotion. It’s the love God embodies—a love that gave rise to creation, sent Jesus […]
Beyond Roses: Celebrating Agape on Valentine’s Day Read More »
As we enter the hustle and bustle of the intensely commercialized holiday season, please take a reflective moment to forget about gift exchanging and festive foods, and instead meditate on the true reason for celebration, the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. The messenger Gabriel appeared to Mary, a young woman from Nazareth, over 2,000
The Christmas Glory Read More »
This month we celebrate with fireworks, parades, and barbeques the 2nd Continental Congress’s ratification of the Declaration of Independence that would lead to the formation of the United States of America, arguably still the best country on Earth. While evidence supporting that position is admittedly waning, it does not change one fact: we are dual
When I look at Augustine’s words—that Christ was born of a woman He Himself created, carried by hands He Himself formed, the Logos Word of God crying wordlessly in a lowly manger—I am struck by the magnificence of our savior’s sacrifice. It didn’t happen only at the cross. It began when He stepped down from
The Sacrifice of Birth Read More »
November is the month of Thanksgiving, but every day should be filled with gratitude for the blessings and salvation of our Lord. While it’s easy to find things to complain about, there is much more to celebrate if we gaze with open eyes. I think of Evangelists Nick Vujicic (born without arms or legs) and
What Are You Thankful For? Read More »
God richly blesses us in many ways: providence, giftings, anointings, healings, prosperity. But the reason for those blessings is not just for us personally. February is the month we celebrate love, and our Lord exemplifies love in a way far beyond anything we can completely reproduce. Yet we are made in His image, and we
Love’s Not Just For You Read More »
As the calendar flips the page into a new year, I’m reminded Paul gave us his example in Philippians 3:13-14 that we should forget the past and strain forward to the future, reaching for the prize of the call of God in Jesus Christ. It’s been a challenging two years. This has been our generation’s
As Halloween approaches, something I’ve thought of for years is the existence of vampires and werewolves. Not the fictional book and Hollywood types, but the spiritual equivalents of these mythological monsters which do NOT appear in scripture. These fantastical creatures originated in early European imagination but have gained a strong foothold in modern society as
Beware the Gruesome Beast Read More »
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday—but 2020 came along and will potentially change our normal plans. Sylvia and I are still deciding how best to celebrate, but with some of the risk categories in my immediate family, it’s unlikely to be the traditional elbow-to-elbow gathering gorging on copious unhealthy goodies we “thankfully” ingest but once per
Cancel Thanksgiving? Read More »
Inspired by a Latin American tradition in which New Year’s merrymakers would stuff dolls with objects representing bad memories they wished to discard and then burn them, the Times Square Alliance in New York City established their Annual Good Riddance Day celebrated at midnight each December 28th since 2007. Partakers of the event are invited
The Time of Good Riddance Read More »
