HOW LONG BEFORE MISSING JESUS? Twelve year old Jesus traveled with his family to Jerusalem for the Passover festival as they did every year. They traveled with a large entourage of friends and family from Nazareth. It was a wonderfully joyous annual holiday. Yet, after traveling a day’s journey on the way back home, they
WISE LEADERSHIP SEEKS AND FOLLOWS WISE COUNSEL Just as it’s important for a nation to have “wise leadership,” so it is important for the individual and the family. This proverb gives a key principle in leadership, namely, seek wisdom from many counselors before making a decision. It has been said that those who don’t
A FATHER BLESSES HIS SON When it came time for John the Baptist to be born, his mute father opened his mouth and prophesied over him. Zechariah had been mute since the angel Gabriel had told him that his barren wife would soon have a son in her old age. He made him mute both
THE SYMBOL OF OUR SIN AND SUFFERING This is one of the more bizarre stories in the Bible. The Israelites were once again grumbling against God and Moses because of the lack of water and variety of food in the wilderness, so God sent poisonous snakes among them. God hates grumbling. Grumbling is the
IN GOD WE TRUST David wrote this psalm while he was on the run from King Saul and nearly captured by the Philistines in Gath. Everywhere David turned, enemies pursued him. Yet, he trusted in God, determined not to live in fear. He asked the rhetorical question: “What can mere mortals do to me?”
WHERE DO YOU PUT YOUR BURDENS? David’s psalm sounds similar to Christ’s invitation to “Come unto Me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). David had learned how to give his heavy burdens to the Lord and he shared this wonderful secret in this psalm.
JESUS WAS SILENT As Christ’s accusers made charge after charge against Him, the Roman governor was surprised at His silence. Pilate already suspected that the Jews were acting out of “envy” (Mark 15:10), but he was amazed that Jesus offered no defense. No doubt he was accustomed to seeing the accused blubber out a passionate
FIRST GIFTS ARE SPECIAL GIFTS TO THE LORD The Lord gave Moses specific instructions for the people of Israel concerning the offering of gifts. The gifts were to be brought from each persons own possessions, whether from their herds or flocks. When Israel offered their gifts according to God’s instruction, He promised that He would
INVITED TO PRAY WITH JESUS Jesus invited Simon Peter, James, and John to keep watch and pray with Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was the night of His betrayal, the day before His trial and crucifixion. He wanted them as prayer partners. They were willing, but their flesh was weak. It had been
ONLY WHAT’S DONE FOR CHRIST WILL LAST On the Wednesday of Passion Week, Jesus and His disciples took a day of rest a short distance from Jerusalem in a town called Bethany. While eating a meal at Simon the leper’s house, a woman anointed Jesus’ head with an expensive perfume worth a year’s wages. This