The Christmas season today doesn’t bring visions of sugar plums to our heads. Instead, “X’s” fill our field of vision with Xmas greetings, Xmas sales, and Xmas parties. But what does “X” mean? The letter “X” can have various meanings depending on the context. No matter what the context, though, believers should strive to be the X that marks the treasure—Jesus Christ. The Uses Of X Although not many words contain the 24th letter of the alphabet in them, an... Read more
The news brings daily reports of conflict and strife all over the world. While everyone longs for peace, the Christmas season, a time meant for joy, multiplies that desire. But peace in the sense of the end of war alone isn’t what the world needs. In fact, what the world really needs is the Prince of Peace—Jesus. The World’s Sad State of Affairs Tension and trouble abound across the globe. Political divisions reach boiling points causing societal distress. In some... Read more
Beautiful things fill the Christmas season—music, lights, greenery, decorations, etc. But a key item in the Christmas story isn’t what anyone would describe as beautiful. The manger where Mary placed Jesus was utilitarian, but more importantly it symbolized humility. Jesus gave up the glory of heaven to come to Earth in human form and lie in a smelly animal feeder because of His great love for us. Jesus’s followers should strive to pursue a manger mentality as well. The Christmas... Read more
With the advent of December, shopping for Christmas presents occupies our time, attention, and available finances. Often the biggest question to answer is what to give a specific person. Why not look to the Magi, famous gift-givers at the first Christmas, for guidance on Christmas gifts? Participants in the Christmas Story While baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, shepherds, the innkeeper, and angels play major roles on the night of Jesus’ birth in the Christmas story, the Magi showed up later. Because... Read more
The Christmas season draws us because of the plethora of smells tickling our noses. The scent of pine from our Christmas tree, the aroma of gingerbread baking in the oven, the fragrance of peppermint dispensed by our air fresheners all capture our attention and our imagination. While the holidays undoubtedly offer sweet scents and thus endear themselves to us, smells are given off all year long and by many things. One of those things is the Christian faith. Does it... Read more
The arrival of Thanksgiving provides Americans the opportunity to stuff themselves as well as turkeys. But in between mouthfuls of mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, Christians should ask themselves a very important question—one which does not relate to second helpings. That query is “Are you full of thanks or just full?” Having a table laden with delectable food and a stomach full of Thanksgiving dinner is, of course, a wonderful thing. But what about our hearts? Are they full of... Read more
The decision must be made daily. What to wear today? Factors to consider include the weather, scheduled activities, and the season. For Christians, the choice is straightforward. Paul instructs believers in Romans 13:14 (AMP) to clothe themselves with Jesus. The apostle’s direction seems simple, but how does a Christian clothe himself with Christ? In the Beginning Interestingly, when God created the world, He did not provide man with clothes. Gen. 2:25 Despite humans’ lack of clothing, He viewed His creation... Read more
On October 31st President Biden issued an official proclamation designating November as National Adoption Month. The concept is neither modern nor an American creation. Forms of the practice appear throughout history, addressed in the Code of Hammurabi and in Rome’s Codex Justinianus. Is the practice biblical though? A True Story Assuring a nurturing, loving environment for every child seems a goal every Christian could get behind. But, surprisingly, pushback from believers can come when birth parents consider the option of adoption. Consider... Read more
The wee ant darting about on the ground is smaller than a paper clip, and most humans view the insect as a pest at picnics. But despite its small size and annoying propensity to zero in on picnic food, the ant provides a big faith lesson to believers who thoughtfully consider its ways. Ant Basics An insect related to wasps and bees, ants have a distinctive body with antennae on their heads and a narrow waist. Their size ranges from... Read more
An essential accessory for many Christians? A cross necklace. But Jesus didn’t mean wearing this symbol closely identified with the Christian faith when He directed His disciples to take up their cross daily and follow Him. (Luke 9:23) And He certainly didn’t contemplate believers walking around each day under the weight of a physical cross. Since Jesus clearly instructed taking up a cross, Christians are forced to determine just what His words require them to do. The Cross as a... Read more
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