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Why Bethlehem?
During this time of the year, we in America often sing the Christmas carol, O Little Town Of Bethlehem. In England the children often sing the carol, Once In Royal David’s City. These two carols point to a great theological principle: God’s “sovereign specificity.” (I know that is a tongue twister.) God specifies certain things to happen, at a certain time, at a certain place, with certain people. God the Father specified that Jesus would be born at a certain time, in a certain family, in a certain place, in a certain way. That certain place was Bethlehem of Judea.
The Gospel According To Genesis
The term “original sin,” first used by St. Augustine, the African church scholar, has always provided a lot of theological pondering and debate. So let’s address some of the theological elephants in the room. These elephants always show up when the third chapter of Genesis is studied or discussed in Sunday School, Bible Class, or just in general casual conversations about the Bible.
Daniel: A Praying Prophet
We often hear from the news media the phrase, “Let’s get to the rest of the story’’ or, “We’ve talked about the main event, now, let’s hear the backstory.” Sometimes, the rest of the story comes before the conclusion, and sometimes, the backstory is the reason things had a successful conclusion. Sometimes, when we read familiar Biblical stories, we rush through them to get to the well-known victorious climax – and that is good - but sometimes, we need to go a little slower and see the backstory. Such is the case of Daniel’s deliverance from the lions’ den.
In Every Situation
Good literature reiterates what is expounded in the Bible. The story of Robinson Crusoe is a case in point. The story mimics the teaching of Apostle Paul. When Robinson Crusoe was shipwrecked on a lonely island, he listed in two columns what he called the evil and what he called the good. He was cast on a desolate island, but he was still alive. He was separated from the rest of society, but he was not starving. He had no clothes, but he was in a hot climate. He had no means of defense, but there were no hostile animals dwelling in the terrain. So, he concluded that there was not any condition in the world so miserable that one could not find something for which to be grateful.
How Can I Praise God In A Strange Land?
Order Of Service
Psalm 137:3-6
3. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a s...
Guilty, But Not Indicted
The Romans, in their pride of their Imperial city, said that all roads lead to Rome. The apostle Paul, no doubt, concluded that if all roads lead to Rome, then all roads must also lead “from” Rome. The Roman Road system was a technological marvel in its day. Many of its segments are still operable today. It was designed so messengers could keep the emperor abreast of all parts of the empire and also to facilitate the rapid movement of soldiers if unrest or insurrection occurred.
Paul had a brilliant strategic plan. “If I can get to Rome and share the gospel with them, since all roads lead from Rome, the Christian message will spread rapidly and reach the entire world.”
Not Just Another Face In The Crowd
God sees each of us as an individual. He knows our “down sitting and our uprising.” He knows our idiosyncrasies. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses. He has assigned a number to each hair on our heads. He keeps track of each individual sparrow. So, you know He keeps track of us. We can communicate with Him on a personal basis. To God, we are not just another face in the crowd. Each of us is a unique individual whom He loves.
Please, Don’t Whup Yourself
The Apostle Paul used many athletic figures of speech to express spiritual truths. In our Scripture today, he used two: the metaphors of a track star and of a prize fighter.
Evidently, he was a sports enthusiast. He probably became interested in sports when he was in Corinth. The city of Corinth was the seat of the biannual Isthmian games, which were second only to the Greek Olympic games.
A Bet That Satan Lost
There are many ways to approach the book of Job. Some focus on the theme of innocent suffering. Some see it as addressing theodicy, which is the study of the problem of evil. Some see it as a challenge to keep the faith.
As we celebrate the twenty-one years we have worshipped in this beautiful sanctuary, and to be relevant to the children and the youth who are worshiping with the adults today, let’s approach it as a bet or wager the devil made with God.
It Ain’t Fair, But It’s Good – Very Good
Jesus spoke often in parables. The classical definition of a parable is “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.” According to Mark 4:34, the parable was His main teaching method.
The parable of the laborers in the vineyard is well-known to many. However, please allow me to refresh your memory of it.
Fists Full Of Honey
Sampson is one of the better-known characters of the Bible. Like all of us, he had some great positive attributes and some grave negative attributes. Like all of us, he had some very high moments in his life and some very low moments in his life. The lesson for us is that we must capitalize on our positive qualities and control our negative inclinations. We must maximize our strengths and minimize our weaknesses.
Trust The Process While Waiting
Church family and friends, waiting has always been a test of faith. Let me take you back into the story of Israel. After 400 years of slavery, God finally sent Moses to bring His people out. You would think after all that suffering, God would rush them straight into freedom. But instead of taking them the direct route – what the Bible calls “the way of the Philistines” – God led them the long way around, through the wilderness toward the Red Sea.
Holy Habits
We are creatures of habit. Some call habits artificial instincts. Others call them learned repetitive behaviors. Everyone will agree that we do them without thinking. That’s great; our mental faculties can be directed to other less routine endeavors. Here is the challenge: we can develop positive or negative habits. It seems that habits are easy to learn, but very hard to break. This is why we should develop good habits - better yet, holy habits.
Keep Your Eyes On The Keeper
This psalm was originally written when the children of Israel were in captivity in Babylon. It was revised later and used as a psalm of ascent sung by travelers journeying to Jerusalem to celebrate the great feast days. Since Jerusalem sits on a hill and is one of the highest points in Israel, it was befitting for sojourners to sing this psalm as they anticipated their stay in the holy city.
The original intent was a psalm of self-encouragement by reaffirming one’s belief in the One True God. It is really a positive soliloquy.