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The First Christmas First-Look

A first-look is an exclusive opportunity or agreement that allows a person, company, or organization the chance to view or consider something before anyone else. In the world of weddings, it’s the moment a couple sees each other for the first time in their wedding attire.  It is supposed to be a moment marked by great anticipation and excitement. As we think of Christmas and the baby Jesus, who got the first-look at the long anticipated Savior, other than his mother and father? It could be that it was a bunch of animals.  After all, Jesus was placed in a manger (feeding trough) after His birth because there was no room for them in the inn. But if we want to consider who it might have been, as in people, that got that first-look, then we should take a look at what Luke recorded in his Gospel.  And from that account, that exclusive opportunity to view the baby Jesus before anyone else was given to a bunch of shepherds.  Come see: And in the same region there were sheph...
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Keep Calm and...

I am usually far behind the trends.  The “Keep Calm And Carry On” meme (and it’s many variations) hit the scene but has been fading and I am just now starting to appreciate it! If you do a bit of research, its roots date back to 1939 when the “Keep Calm And Carry On” quote appeared on a motivational poster created by the British government.  The intention was to raise the morale of the British public as they were threatened with air attacks during the war.  Then in 2012, one of the original posters was bought by the Antiques Roadshow and was made public.  The nostalgic saying quickly caught on and it appeared on things like posters, t-shirts, mouse pads and mugs.    Yet there is actually a “Keep Calm” that significantly predates 1939.   Take a look:  Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Rem...
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Betrayed!

While I won’t reveal my exact age, my white hair certainly provides indicators that I am no longer young.  Some would even say that I am so far over the hill that they can’t even see me anymore.  While others might say that I have many good years left in me. Regardless, I am feeling the aches and pains of an aging body.  I am finding that my stamina and energy have significantly decreased.  In addition, I don’t have the strength to do some of the things I once did.  And, if I ever get sick or suffer an injury, the recovery time seems to take so much longer than in the past. While my body testifies to the truths of 2 Cor 4:16 “Though our outer self is wasting away”, I don’t know that I always enter into or appreciate the phrases that surround the reality of what that verse points to.  The phrase that follows those words is “our inner self is being renewed day by day.”  The phrase that precedes those words is “So we do not lose heart.”  So in many...
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The Fewer, the Better and the Simpler, the Better!

Sometimes, the fewer the words, the better…  Many would probably argue that the most important words in the English language, when strung altogether in the right order, are just three simple words.  And each of those three words is just a one syllable word.  So, not only the fewer the better but also, as a bonus, the simpler, the better! Oh, the three words…they are “I love you” – few, simple and altogether meaningful!      God used them to encourage His people, the people of Israel :  “You are priceless to me. I love you and honor you. So I will trade other people for you. I will give up other nations to save your lives.” (Isa 43:4) The significance of the words “I love you” is inestimable, especially when used in a way that communicates value and commitment And when you look at Jeremiah 31:3, you see a past tense of those words so that “I love you” is “I have loved you”.  But that’s not all that the verse says, the “I have loved y...
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Can't Get No Satisfaction

One of the songs that were popular in my youth was not particularly upbeat or helpful but it probably did express some of the angst of my generation.  It was not one that particularly resonated with me but as I recently read the book of Haggai, it did come to mind, well, at least some of the lyrics did.  It was the Rolling Stones song with the lyrics “I can’t get no satisfaction”.  Take a look at the chorus of that bleak song:   I can't get no satisfaction; I can't get no satisfaction; Gonna try and I try and I try and I try; I can't get no - I can't get no –   Now take a look at Haggai 1:6 – “ You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” It sure sounds like the people of Judah couldn’t get any satisfaction with the things of life that normally should have brought some type of s...
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A Horse Of Course

In Biblical times, horses represented military power and strength.  And if you had both horses and chariots, well, that was the ultimate of military powers and wars were often won with them. Yet in seeking to have what would normally be considered insurmountable military strength, there was one factor that was often overlooked.  The Psalmist made it clear what that factor was when he wrote:  “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”   (Ps 20:7) While Israel did at times trust in the name of the Lord, there were other times when they tried to trust in horses and chariots to win their battles.  This is what the Lord spoke to Israel through the prophet Isaiah:  “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,   who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots   and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord .”  ...
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Stouthearted!

Steve the Stouthearted; it has a nice medieval ring to it, maybe even middle earth overtones.  I noticed that word “stouthearted” recently in Psalm 138, verse 3:   “When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted.”   (NIV, 1973) The word stouthearted is used in the Bible to describe individuals who exhibit courage, determination, and resilience, often in the face of adversity or opposition. This characteristic is seen as a virtue, reflecting steadfastness in faith and purpose. The stouthearted are those who remain firm in their convictions and are not easily swayed by fear or doubt (from The Bible Hub website). And yet to be bold and stouthearted for most is not something that just comes naturally, we need the Lord to make us bold and stouthearted.   And, from the verse above, it appears that he does so in response to us calling on him.   So it probably wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say that those who have been made bold and stouth...
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