Luke 2:21-35;Advent 2021 concludes in the NT with Joseph and Mary having the Christ-child circumcised on the 8th day in Bethlehem. Then they traveled to Jerusalem to consecrate Him to the Lord at the temple, according to the Law of Moses. The Holy Spirit promted an older man named Simeon to pray over and bless […]

Psalm 89:19-21; Our Advent focus remained in the book of Psalms for the annual Christmas message. Ethan the Ezrahite, the writer of Psalm 89, was calling out to Yahweh-God to remember His covenant promises to David for a warrior king to deliver Israel from peril. There are messianic overtones throughout this special passage that point […]

Psalm 67:1-7; Continuing the exploration of Advent through inspired ancient foreteilling in the book of Psalms. Although Psalm 67 is not typically considered a messianic psalm, the theme of salvation through Yahweh-God and encouragement to share knowledge of the Lord with the “nations” has a clear NT application to the mission of Jesus Christ.

Psalm 2:1-12; Peace is the theme of the 2nd week of Advent. In keeping with our focus on messianic prophesies in the Book of Psalms, we unpacked David’s inspired insights on the “two paths”. The way of rebellion, autonomy and war results from the unrepentant heart of sinful earthly leaders. The Way of God is […]

Psalm 45; The Torah or Old Testament Scriptures provided a wide variety of indicators to recognize the arrival of the long awaited Messiah. One of the prominent books of prophesy was the collection of hymns we call the Psalms. Devout Israelites engaged various psalms in their regular worship, but the connection to Jesus was denied […]

Colossians 3:12-17; Last week we unpacked an OT psalm of thanksgiving, so it was fitting to prepare for our national day of thanks by unpacking a NT passage focused on gratitude to the Lord for all He has done for us. Paul writes both exhortation and admonition to the church in Colossae, urging them to […]

Psalm 66:1-20; Taking a seasonal break from the ongoing Light and Darkness series, we unpacked the psalmist’s call for songs of joy and praise to God. This psalm focuses first on the nature of ‘General Revelation’….the reality that nature reveals the handprint of God. Then narrowing down to the Lord’s work through Israel and even […]

Luke 9:21-27; Sacrifice is a popular theme around national holidays such as Memorial Day, emphasizing the heroism of people who offered up their lives for the cause of freedom. However Jesus is our primary example of self-sacrifice as He offered Himself for the sins of the world. He plainly instructs the disciples and anyone who […]

Matthew 25:31-46: Belief has been a key theme during Easter 2021, as we have seen Jesus challenge His doubting disciples after the Resurrection. The foundation of their ministry to the early church was unwavering belief in the Person and Work of their Lord, which is likewise required of future generations of believers that have not […]

John 12:4-8; Luke 22:1-6, 20-22; Matthew 27:1-10: One of the most shocking aspects of the BTK serial killer story is the fact that he was an involved church member and even in a high leadership role. Like Judas in the gospel accounts, it is clearly possible for some to be exposed to the message of […]