Marked for Protection “Cain said to God, “My punishment is too much. I can’t take it! You’ve thrown me off the land and I can never again face you. I’m a homeless wanderer on Earth and whoever finds me will kill me.” God told him, “No. Anyone who kills Cain will pay for it seven times over.” God put a mark on Cain to protect him so that no one who met him would kill him.” (Genesis 4:13–15, The Message) Marks... Read more
The Temptation at Christmastime “The Woman said to the serpent, “Not at all. We can eat from the trees in the garden. It’s only about the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘Don’t eat from it; don’t even touch it or you’ll die.’ ” The serpent told the Woman, “You won’t die. God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you’ll see what’s really going on. You’ll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all... Read more
Waiting for the Birth of Jesus “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of 12 stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in labor and agony as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: There was a great fiery red dragon having seven heads and 10 horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. His tail swept away... Read more
Psalm 110:1-7 Owning Christ This Christmas ’’Twas the day after Christmas ‘Twas the day after Christmas When all through the place There were arguments and depression— Even Mom had a long face. The stockings hung empty, And the house was a mess; The new clothes didn’t fit … And Dad was under stress. The family was irritable, And the children—no one could please; Because the instructions for the swing set Were written in Chinese! The bells no longer jingled, And... Read more
Pictures of God This Christmas Pictures of God This Christmas (Isaiah 9:1-7) INTRODUCTION: Queen Elizabeth II The song was written by Pastor Jack Hayford. He relates how he came to write this song (Majesty) and his interpretation: In 1977, my wife and I were traveling through Great Britain, from Wales to Scotland. It was the 25th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, and symbols of this event were everywhere. Pastor Hayford began to reflect on the fact that the provisions... Read more
Malachi 3:1-6 Getting Prepared for Christmas How do you get prepared for Christmas? Let me tell you how we get prepared in our home. SLIDE 1: Erwin Home Decorations First, we set up the tree and the decorations. I have some of them here for you. We also have an Advent wreath set up. On Christmas Eve, we set out cookies, sweets, “smoking man,” and other German-made decorations which have candles. We light them on Christmas Eve and then... Read more
Amos 8:1-14 Giving Christ First Place This Christmas Mountain Peaks of Prophecy Just as in other places (Isaiah 9:6, 61:1-2, Jeremiah 23:5-6, 1 Peter 1:10-11), the Old Testament prophets were able to see what is called “mountain peaks” of prophecy. It is like standing in front of a set of mountain peaks. You can see the peaks, but not the valleys in between. In the case of the Old Testament, these prophets saw parts of mountain peaks that related to... Read more
Reflecting God’s Nature “God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, And, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.” God created human beings; he created them godlike, Reflecting God’s nature. He created them male and female.” (Genesis 1:26–27, The Message) There are two ways humans can reflect God’s nature. First,... Read more
There Is Only One King of the Jews There Is Only One King of the Jews is a simple thought reflection from Matthew 2:1-9 about the fact that the wise men sought out the only King of the Jews – Jesus. When Jesus was born, kingmakers from the East came to worship Him. King Herod heard about them and asked them about their plans. He also inquired about the place and time when Jesus was born. In answering these questions,... Read more
The Ruler of Bethlehem and the Rebellion from Assyria The Ruler of Bethlehem and the Rebellion from Assyria is a simple thought reflection for Advent from Micah 5:2-6 about the contrast between the ruler of Bethlehem and the rebellion from Assyria. Jesus came from Bethlehem in Ephrathah as a baby during His first Advent. This passage even mentions His divine origin. Jesus will come as a supernatural baby. “Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; One will... Read more
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