Life This Side of Heaven

“With so much going on in the world right now …” Have you heard that phrase recently? It’s been used to launch any number of conversations and news stories this past year. But, it's also a phrase that's been used in almost every year. In the Christmas Gospel, Luke lifts our sight to see the hand of God at work in the midst of all of it. God was pleased to move empires and all of history to ensure...

It’s the kind of thing that you read and hear about, but you never expect it’s going to happen to you. Mary may have thought this as she heard the angel's announcement. As you hear the familiar words of the Christmas Gospel this week, we have read them and heard them before. But God wants you to know that these words of the forgiveness His Son came to bring are for you.

Living Christmas trees have caught on in recent years. As opposed to cut trees, these trees are sold in containers of soil and intended for replanting after its use as a Christmas tree. They usually usually include such varieties as Spruce, Pines and Firs. Hey, but what about ... an oak? Okay, chances are good that you may not think about an oak tree when we think of Christmas, but Isaiah uses thi...

Do you know what day it is today? Here's a hint: It involves a piece of clothing that you can wear at this time of the year. However, Isaiah describes something that you and I now wear every day through faith.

Have you ever played the game, “Who am I?” Here's one of those great, old parlor games that especially fun to play at Christmastime with your family. It almost sounds like the priests and levites were sent to play this game with John the Baptizer. You and I can play this game as well. It begins by recognizing who we are not and and who we are.

As parents, aunts and uncles continue toy shopping as Christmas approaches, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reminds them to watch out for those toys which present a danger to children. And they provide a number of useful tips. As we get ready to celebrate the birth of our Savior once again this year, Paul also gives us some useful safety tips to keep in mind.

Why can’t Christmas last all year long? That’s usually the lament that comes up shortly after the celebration on December 25. However, you and I are still ten days away from Christmas Day.  Here’s an opportunity to be proactive. So, before that morning, take a closer look at what the apostle means when he describes the source of endless joy, continual prayer and unshakeable thanksgiving that lasts...

Oyez, oyez, oyez! The town crier, or bellman, would inform the people of the latest news and important proclamations. In Isaiah, a message was heralded that has been heard down through the centuries all the way to you this day. Here's great news to be heard in these days leading up to Christmas.

Today is National Poinsettia Day. Have you ever wondered how poinsettias came to be associated with Christmas? There's a popular legend attached to them. However, as with so many songs and stories that crop up in Christmas celebrations, the focus often shifts to the gifts we bring to our Savior – rather than the gift that God has brought to us. When it comes to the question of what you and I shoul...

What do you make of the apparel of John the Baptizer? Some have wondered if it reflected the poverty of the prophet. But, actually, it has much more to do with his message than a money clip.

Clusters of mistletoe, with their tiny white berries, are hung as Christmas decorations and couples often share their affection by exchanging a kiss when they stand underneath them. Well, as you can imagine, this came to a screeching halt this year when COVID arrived. However, the Psalmist describes a kiss that at one time also seemed unimaginable. It’s found here in Psalm 85.

Like most homes you probably have a checklist of things to get ready for Christmas each year.  Mailing cards, wrapping packages, baking cookies ... As you and I approach the celebration of Christmas during this season of Advent, it’s useful to take note of the preparations that God made to get the people ready for the coming of His Son. Here's the important and useful preparation that can so easil...

A variety of delivery services have all indicated that the deadline for packages to be delivered by ground service in time for Christmas is fast approaching. They want people to be ready. However, with so many packages being shipped this year, some are saying that delays may be inevitable. There was no delay in our Savior's first coming and Peter assures us that the same is true for the day when H...

In the nineties a small, desert town built a sign that was to serve as a giant beacon promising weary travelers rest and comfort. In Isaiah, the prophet describes another beacon in the desert. And if you’re wearied by your sins, and feel far away from God, here’s wonderful good news.  Look up and see what’s coming. The voice of the Lord cries out, “Comfort.”

To avoid missing a good sale savvy shoppers have taken to downloading apps for their phones that track the prices of items they have their eye on. You enter those items on a “Watch List” and it will watch for you. And then, if there is a price drop, the app automatically sends you and notification so that you don’t miss the deal. The day dawns when Jesus will return again. So He told the disciples...

A number of years ago there were a series of billboards that appeared along highways across the county. There were a series of tongue-in-cheek quotes purported to be from God. One of the billboards had this slogan, “Don’t make me come down there. Signed, God.” In other words, if things get any worse, if people get any more evil, if we’re not careful, God’s going to have to come down here and strai...

So much of our holiday celebrations at this time of the year are wrapped around nostalgia. While bringing tremendous joy and satisfaction, all of this nostalgia may account for why Advent and Christmas are such fragile celebrations for many.  For as much as we embrace all those things that are familiar, if any change takes place it can often bring feelings of wistfulness and melancholy. But God re...

What makes pottery so fascinating is the love a care that the potter puts into each step. He has to mix the clay and molds and shapes it. It has to go through the extreme temperature as it’s fired in the kiln. And then it is glazed to reveal a remarkable finish. Our heavenly Father uses our circumstances, those things that you and face each day, to sculpt and mold us.

As Christmas approaches, it’s not unusual for kids to misbehave. So, over the years there have been a number of folk tales and jingles that have been created to tamp down the naughty and reward the nice. However, it has the effect of viewing gifts as something to be deserved. God's gift is specifically for those who don't deserve it.

Yesterday the first candle was lit on the Advent wreathes in our churches. That doesn’t seem like much when you consider that the culture around us has poured itself fully into commercial bonanza and tinsel explosion of the holidays. So, why one little candle? Paul puts his finger on it here in 1 Corinthians.

The announcing of an inheritance is bittersweet at best. Yes, you are there to receive a bequest but, in order for this to take place, the benefactor who has set this gift aside for you has died. However, here's what makes the description that Jesus gives us of the last day so completely different. Having died and risen for us, He will be the one who announces the inheritance Himself!

In Matthew's Gospel Jesus describes, for us and for all who trust in the salvation He has accomplished for us on the cross, a place that we will never see or even visit.

In the weeks and days leading up to today’s celebration, the Center for Disease Control has issued important guidelines for Thanksgiving. And they’ve done a very good job of getting the message out. However, it’s worth knowing that the apostle Paul has also released a number of important and helpful guidelines for Thanksgiving.  And he’s posted them here for us in Philippians.

Through faith, God makes sinners into His redeemed children. He makes goats into sheep! Of course, you and I could never effect this change in ourselves anymore than we can make a sheep into a goat – but God can and He has done it.

How would you feel if you new how long you could expect to live? Not surprisingly, most people shy away from wanting to know the answer.  After all, who wants to find out when death is looming on the horizon? On the other hand, David expresses his desire quite clearly here in Psalm 39. Here's why.