Early on I grew up with great Christmas's. Though my mother was an Atheist at the time of my childhood she still loved the holiday. Our house was decorated to the hilt and on December 25th presents abounded. We even had a tradition of setting up an old manger scene which she had received, I believe, from my late grandfather, who she had deeply loved. Because it was from h...

The following is an excerpt taken from Serrene's blog: Immovable Rock. ------------------- "To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One. (Isaiah 40:25). God surpasses all. There is no real comparison between the mighty works of Jesus and the achievements of Amazon, but I believe Amazon's global reach makes it a good reference point that people ca...

"In the fullness of time God sent his Son" (Galatians 4:4-5) to just the right placeBethlehem. Throughout scripture the events of Divine intervention often happened at small and insignificant places. The fulfillment of Micah's prophecy of the incarnational birth of Christ Jesus made the insignificant place of Bethlehem extremely significant. "But you, Bethlehem Ephratha...

Several years ago I went to see a planetarium show in Bradenton, Florida. The most impressive part of it was a segment narrated by Tom Hanks that graphically depicted the size of the known universe. He started with the Solar System and, as he spoke, our point of view kept zooming out from the "local" star system, to the Milky Way, then to our "local" galaxy, and so on unt...

One of the reasons Jesus came to earth is so we will never thirst again. In John 4 verses 13-14 Jesus tells a Samaritan woman that "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I give him will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life." Earlier in the chap...

"In the fullness of time" Paul wrote, "God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under the law (Galatians 4:4-5). What was the "fullness" of time? Why and how was the time just right? First, several innovative conditions in the Greco-Roman world unified the nations and population groups. There was the construction of roads that made travel faste...

Even during this season I'm not sure all we who call ourselves Christ-followers give much thought to the profoundevent that we are about to celebrate, the miracle that exists at the very center of our faith. The Advent on earth of the Universal God in human form is a mystery both blessed and sublime. We are all missing out spiritually if we do not take time now, or at any ...

A voice of one calling: "In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken." ...

Even during this yuletide season I'm not sure that we who call ourselves Christians often give much thought to the profoundevent that we are about to celebrate, a miracle that exists at the very center of our faith. The Advent on earth of the universal God in human form is a mystery both blessed and sublime. We are all far the less spiritually if we do not take time at thi...

One evening when I was 19 years old, I wandered into a church service that forever changed the trajectory of my life. I was living on my own in LA and having a really hard time. I had somewhat come to the end of being my own master. Then a young couple who I barely knew invited me to their church for a Wednesday night service because they were getting baptized. And God ha...