“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NLT) Suddenly, one raw November evening, my old tattered basketball burst. I had already patched the thing twice, which made it bounce funny, making one more …
And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. (Luke 2:1–2, NKJV) If I close my eyes just right, I can hear my grandfather’s raspy voice read the opening words of Luke chapter …
But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law. (Galatians 4:4, NASB) The fall of 1988 was the most challenging period of my life. My wife, Cheryl, and I moved from Oklahoma City to Dallas to attend DTS. I was thrilled to study God’s …
“For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” . . . And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” …
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15, NET) It was my freshman year of college, and I was looking forward to being home for Christmas. All semester long my roommate snapped pictures with her professional camera. My camera was tiny, and I dreamed of taking better pictures. So, having no idea …
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” (Luke 2:13–14, NASB) My favorite Christmas memory is not about a single celebration but a tradition we created for my wife’s family, which consists …
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NIV) If you are looking for gift ideas this Christmas, you might consider maple syrup. We often made maple syrup growing up on the farm in rural Ontario, …
“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10–11, esv) Christmas 2007 in Harare, Zimbabwe, was our most unusual ever. The economy of this country …
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6, KJV) My Story of Christmas has lyrics and melody. As a child, I loved …
For we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7, NASB) My most memorable Christmas story was my own. It was Christmas Day in 1957. The year that I accepted the Lord as my Savior, I had left home to attend a military boarding school. I went from dependence on my parents to strict …
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). (Matthew 1:23, NIV) Early that pre-Christmas morning, I darted to my bedroom window, my six-year-old saucer eyes ablaze with wonder. During the night, pristine snow had blanketed our Seattle suburb. Yes! No school! Downstairs, my …
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38–39, NASB) One of my most memorable …
There was also a prophetess, Anna. . . . She was very old, having been married to her husband for seven years until his death. She had lived as a widow since then for eighty-four years. She never left the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment, she came up …
“You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.” (Luke 1:31, NIV) Christmas 2012 in Texas is a favorite memory. If you’re thinking of “a first,” then you are correct. It was an unforgettable first for our family. The celebration was spontaneous and sensational. Our …
Wise men from the East came to Jerusalem saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1–2, NET) It was the longest trip in the world for a couple of youngsters. Two whole days before Christmas and we …
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law. (Galatians 4:4, ESV) Outfitted with secondhand furnishings, giveaways, and wedding gifts, our first apartment wasn’t much. What little money we had went to pay the rent on a place that overlooked its share of knife-fights, marital …
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45, NIV) I really wanted the Snoopy Drive-In Movie. I loved that dog. This toy played short clips from the shows I could only see once a year (no YouTube). …
[Christ Jesus], who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. (Philippians 2:6–7, NRSV) Last Christmas, my family and I experienced life in a different hemisphere. An alumnus’s family had invited …
“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? . . . If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:11–13, NIV) I …
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8, NASB) In December of 1993, I visited Germany for the first time, stepping from my comfortable American surroundings into an unfamiliar European culture. During the Christmas season, the already charming country of Germany transforms into an enchanting wonderland. I had never experienced such …
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2, NIV) Ephrata, my hometown, lies peacefully in central Washington State. In 1892 as the Great Northern Railroad completed its …
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6, NASB) The apartment on Swiss Avenue was rather bare, our plight being little different than …
“Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed.” (Genesis 3:15, NKJV) y father, a dance-band leader, did things on his own schedule. For two years the band families traveled from coast to coast for music bookings. One Christmas, Dad’s band was in Chicago at the Palmer House—a grand old hotel. As the …
Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem every year for the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. (Luke 2:41–42, NET) When Jan and I got married, we started our family Christmas tradition. Our siblings and we would spend Christmas Eve with one set of parents and Christmas …
So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations. (Matthew 1:17, NASB) At Christmas, I often tell anecdotes about my family emigrating from England sixty years ago when I was thirteen. I wish …
