We read in Matthew 1:23, "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name 'Immanuel' (which means God with us)." During this season of Advent, we acknowledge that God is with us at our deepest point of need. Not only is God at the...
This Week at Hope
The Only Adequate Response
We read in Luke 2:20, “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” Praising God is the only adequate response when we behold God’s goodness and when He showers His love and favor in our lives. Is...
Offerings of Righteousness
We read in Malachi 3:3, “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.” When the Messiah comes, He will make our offerings...
Thank you, Lord!!
How many of you have watched the movie, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh? I watched that movie often when our children were young. One character in the Winnie the Pooh movie is Eeyore the donkey. Do you remember him? In contrast to Pooh, Eeyore is a...
The Narrow Gate
We read in Matthew 7:13, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.” In Jesus’ day, fortified cities had limited access. Many of the passages into the city were barely large...
Abiding in Jesus
Jesus declares in John 15:4, “Abide (or remain) in me, and I in you.” Abide is a beautiful word. It is a vital condition of fruitfulness. We can never bear fruit or become like Christ unless we abide in the Vine. This command to abide or remain in Christ comes to...
To Love Like Jesus
What is your standard of living? As followers of Jesus, love is to be our standard of living. Jesus gave us the command in John 13:34, “Love one another.” But Jesus did not stop there; he added a qualifying adverbial phrase to modify this new command. He said,...
God Sees Potential in You!
Are you aware that God sees positive potential in YOU? The Angel of the Lord addresses Gideon in Judges 6:12, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” The angel of the Lord didn’t see Gideon in his present situation. The angel of the Lord saw what Gideon...
One Another
We read in Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Probably the most threatening part of this verse is...
On Who’s Authority?
Referees are a great help in football, where the object is not only to score touchdowns but to score them in a way that does not infringe on the carefully laid-down rules. Likewise, umpires are indispensable to baseball where the outcome of the game may hinge on...