Wilderness Wanderings

This is day three of our Wilderness Wanderings series on blessing with Rick Verkerk. Today I am going to teach some Hebrew as I return to the Priestly blessing and talk about the first blessing, focussing in on two words. Today's Scripture is Numbers 6:24:       ' The Lord bless you and keep you' The English word bless comes from the Hebrew word barak which means to kneel . The Hebrew word for ble...

We welcome Rick Verkerk as guest to Wilderness Wanderings. Today we will start looking that what is known as the Priestly Blessing (words often ending our worship services) and its different applications to our lives. We start by reading From Numbers 6:22-27 The Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: "The Lord bless you and keep you...

We welcome back Mr. Rick Verkerk as guest to Wilderness Wanderings. This is the time of year that we celebrate the birth of Jesus, His arrival here on earth being the first step towards our redemption that occurred later in his earthly life. In addition to celebrating this, as we leave a very disruptive year behind and head into a new one, it is also a time to consider how blessed we are. So, let'...

A Sunday sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings, preached by guest Seminarian, Jennifer Heidinga!  The text is Matthew 11-25-30 from the New International Version of the Bible. DIVE IN discussion/reflection questions can be found below! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube .  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping communit...

A special, extended Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15 from the New International Version of the Bible. To see this sermon in the context of the New Year's Eve worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube .  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC:  immanuelministries.ca

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusin...

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said thro...

When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied… Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too ma...

We cleaned up the audio for Sunday's Sermon!  Here it is. :) The text is John 2:1-11 from the New International Version of the Bible.  Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection. To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it  here on YouTube (this is the new, audio-fixed version).  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community...

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. (Matthew 2:1-3)   We're going to stick with the Christmas story this week in our devotions...

It's Christmas!  This then is the Christmas Sermon in the series on Romans 8, "A Pregnant Creation - Working for the Good" The text is Romans 8:31-39 from the New International Version of the Bible.  There are no Dive In discussion questions! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on - YouTube .  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping c...

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near (Hebrews 10:24-25). Here's a tidbit of personal information. At our house, for many years we were immersed in the Harry Potter saga, both books and movies. There is a scene in the sixth movie t...

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning an...

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down a...

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Fathe...

It's the 4th Sunday of Advent!  This then is the 4th Sermon in the series on Romans 8, "A Pregnant Creation - Working for the Good" The text is Romans 8:28-30 from the New International Version of the Bible.  Dive In  discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it  here on YouTube .  Or, head to our website to...

As Jesus went along, he saw a man who was blind. He had been blind since he was born. Jesus' disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned? Was this man born blind because he sinned? Or did his parents sin?" "It isn't because this man sinned," said Jesus. "It isn't because his parents sinned. He was born blind so that God's power could be shown by what's going to happen (John 9:1-3). We are exploring to...

Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.  When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted."...

Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish feasts. In Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate is a pool. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie down. One person was there who had not been able to walk for 38 years. Jesus saw him lying there. He knew that the man had been in that condition for a long time. So, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" "Sir," the disabled man replied, "I have...

Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.  When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) (John 4...

What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him (John 2:11). This Advent, we are focussing on Immanuel. During the first week, we looked at a variety of Old Testament stories in which God showed up on this earth. These gave us hints of what would happen when Jesus finally arrived. Last week, we meant to look a...

It's the 3nd Sunday of Advent!  This then is the 2nd Sermon in the series on Romans 8, "A Pregnant Creation - Suffering and Glory" The text is Romans 8:18-27 from the New International Version of the Bible.  Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it  here on YouTube .  Or, head to our website to co...

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Or again as Eugene Peterson puts it in The Message: "The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood."   Yup, same text again today.  There's one more thing I'd like to say about it before we move on. Our fa...

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Here is an earthier translation from The Message The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out,...

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. (Matthew 1:24-25)   The Gospel of Matthew starts off with the genealogy of Jesus.  Seventeen verses of it.  Now we all know that genealogies are dull, boring, and long but also probably impor...