Jesus warned His followers that as they faced a hostile world they would also face persecutions, imprisonments, and be brought before rulers for His Names sake, (see Luke 21:12). He had already told them in Matthew 5:11-12 that under such circumstances they should “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad.” In Acts 16 Paul and Silas find […]
It is God’s will for His children to be filled with His joy! Jesus Himself though being “a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (literally pains and sickness – took upon Himself everything sin had bequeathed on us) Isaiah 53:3, was anointed “With the oil of gladness” even above His fellowmen, Hebrews 1:9. The […]
In Psalm 16:11 having just spoken prophetically of Messiahs resurrection (attested to by Peter in Acts 2:29-32) David declares “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” In spite of being “A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (while in […]
In Matthew 5:11-12 Jesus spoke of those who would be reviled, persecuted, and falsely defamed because of following Him. He said when this happens you are blessed, indicating that you are fortunate and well off! He then went on to say, “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so […]
If we consider Christmas as a celebration of the birth of Jesus, let us consider what His birth really means. We have a tendency to focus our attention on the humble surroundings of that magnificent occurrence, the heavenly annunciations of it, and the visitors that came in witness of it. His birth was not […]
As we approach the day we call Christmas we hear much said and sang about shepherds, angels, sheep, the manger; these however are not the real “Christmas” story, they are only props surrounding the real message of the occasion, the message delivered by the angel to the shepherds in Luke 2:11 was, “For there is […]
Singing is usually a sign or an overflow of what is in the heart. The “world” around us has many songs expressing sadness, brokenness, disappointments, and failed dreams; these are the lot of a “world” fallen into sin and apart from God. But those who have returned to Him through Jesus Christ are given a […]
Isaiah prophesied in chapter 9:1-3 of a time when a great light would shine into the darkness of this world and it would spring forth out of “Galilee of the Gentiles”, which was so known because of the strong presence of foreign immigrants living in its northern part, and so it was held in contempt […]
Often the words in Matthew 6:9-13 are referred to as “the Lord’s prayer”. However these words are not really a prayer, but are a model teaching us how to structure a prayer. John 17, the basis of today’s meditation, is the real Lord’s Prayer where Jesus prayed for His followers, including you and me, verse […]
Sorrow Turned Into Joy Following the death of a loved one there is great sadness and sorrow among family and close friends. It was no different when Jesus died, even though He had tried to forewarn them and tell them He would rise again (John 16:16-24; Mark 8:31) they had failed to grasp and fully […]