Sorrow and mourning are natural parts of life. It is God who gave us the ability to cry. In fact, Warren Wiersbe says, “As you read the Bible, you get the impression that God expected His people to weep. ‘There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die… a time to weep and a time to laugh’”
Luke 6:20 reads, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” This resonates for us, doesn’t it? We all understand being poor: “Poverty is said to exist when people lack the means to satisfy their basic needs.”[1]
Many believe Biblical prophecy suggests the idea of future events that have little application for today. However, Scripture notes four reasons Biblical prophecy matters in our lives right now.
Many Christmas messages refer to the birth of Jesus fulfilling Bible prophecy. But what predictions did the coming of Jesus fulfill? Why do these prophecies matter?
It was my dear friend Sarah, an incredible Bible teacher, who first opened my eyes to the real beauty of this Bible story. In Mark 7 we have the story…
Imagine what it must have been like that night when the shepherds first heard of their Savior. When the darkness that surrounded them was overtaken by the radiance of God’s…
“Let us mark what kind of Being the Redeemer of mankind must needs be, in order to provide eternal redemption for sinners. If no one less than the Eternal God, the Creator and Preserver of all things, could take away the sin of the world, sin must be a far more abominable thing in the sight of God than most men suppose.”[1]
Christmas nativity scenes often include three wise men riding camels and bringing gifts for baby Jesus.
Many years ago I taught a Bible study entitled “Christ BC” (Christ Before Christ). It was a beautiful study of Jesus found in 12 or 13 people and events in the Old Testament. I was reminded of that study today as I read a challenge to look for the phrase “this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet,” or similar phrases in the Gospel of Matthew. Mind officially blown.
Are you ready for an Advent challenge? In Timothy Keller’s book Jesus the King, he explains, “When I went through confirmation classes in my church, I had to memorize Scripture. But during college the Bible came alive in a way that was hard to describe…”