Archives for December 2015

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Giving to God

Merry Christmas! Last night we all gathered to hear God’s word, sing, and fellowship. My son Sam had been saving up his allowance so that he could give. No one asked him to do this, but he wanted to. He has been talking about it for the last two weeks. His gift was the lion’s share of all that he has....

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The Star of Joy

What is there to be joyful about on Christmas if your heart is overwhelmed with business? What is there to be joyful about if there is no family to share it? What is there to be joyful about if finances or health is failing? Steady yourself, Christian. ...

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Come to Worship Him

It might sound crazy to leave your home in search of a king, but the wise men studied the stars and scriptures and then made a decision. They would travel a great distance to come and worship a newborn King. Their honesty is strikingly bold. ...

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Asking Questions

The wise men had very little fear. They ask questions because they are learners and not afraid of looking dumb. We have a saying at North Valley: the leaders are the learners. Learners ask questions. ...

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Step of Faith

The wise men were counselors and advisors to political leaders within the Roman Empire. These men studied astrology, dreams, sacred prophetic scriptures, and the arts of magic. At the time of the writing, Jesus had been born in the town of Bethlehem, during the reign of Herod the King...

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Confidence in God

I have good news, which I think will build your confidence. We have looked at God’s Word over the last twenty days, and we've seen how prophecies made concerning the coming Messiah have been fulfilled. ...

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King Jesus Forever

The Prophet Isaiah said that the Messiah’s kingdom would bring in peace, a peace that would have no end. This prophecy is fulfilled; from the time of Christ’s coming, the peace of God can rest in the hearts of man. Jesus is the peace for even the greatest conflict between good and evil. He is the conquering king. His rule has no end....

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King Herod’s Fury

Do you get furious? Do you have an anger issue? God’s Word tells us that “human anger does not accomplish God's righteousness” (James 1:20 NET). Who are you angry at? Is your anger solving the problem? Why are you angry?...

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Caesar Augustus: the King of Peace?

Augustus made peace where historically it had been impossible. His leadership and ingenuity led to the development and reform of the taxation system, roadways, armies, guards, mail systems, and more....

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What's the right thing to do?

As a dad of three kids, I try my best, like most parents, to teach them to do what's right. My goal is to help them become independent of me and dependent upon God. ...

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The Decree from Caesar

In the time of Christ, a decree was an authoritative legal order. If you have ever been evicted from an apartment, it was worse than that. Failure to comply with a decree would result in imprisonment, death, or at the least heavy fining. Luke’s gospel records that Caesar issued a decree that every resident within the Roman Empire should return to their home town to regis...

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Yes, Lord

Nine months before our Savior’s birth, an angel appeared to a young Jewish girl, Mary, whom Scripture describes as a virgin, engaged to a man named Joseph. Prior to that angelic visit, Mary must have felt great excitement as she anticipated her marriage. ...

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The Last Words of Christ in Heaven

As David’s greater son the Lord Jesus ultimately fulfilled this model. God’s will was fully accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ when He took on human form and completely obeyed the Lord’s good pleasure, finally to die on the cross and to be resurrected....

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Messiah

The babe in Bethlehem, whom we celebrate at Christmas, is “Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and … his kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:32...

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Looking at the Big Picture and Finding Hope

Scripture: "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons." (Galatians 4:45, NASB) Consider: That first Christmas, all eyes were on Augustus, the cynical Caesar who demanded a census so as to determine a measurement to inc...

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The Way

The Bible as a whole is a set of directives pointing the way to God...

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Fatherly

Unrecognized. Unseen. Undiscovered. Nobody knows. Nobody sees. Nobody cares. As long as there is plenty of food, lots of cheer, a plethora of tinsel, and a cornucopia of gifts, everyone’s happy. Jesus? ...

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A Minor Prophet with a Major Message

Imbedded in the memory of many of us who regularly celebrate Christmas is Matthew’s quotation of Micah 5:2. “And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; for out of you shall come forth a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.” (Matthew 2:6)....

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Given by God

The prophet Isaiah once said some 700 years before the birth of Christ, that all of this was for… us! The gift was for you and for me! ...

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The Lamb: Slain from before the Creation of the World

Christmas begins within the triune God...

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Empire of Grace

The birth of Jesus would fulfill God’s redemptive plan for humanity. Jesus as the Messiah would establish a Kingdom like as an empire of God’s grace. A Kingdom where God’s justice and mercy would rule and reign. An empire is…an extensive group of states or countries under a single supreme authority, ...

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Prince of Peace

We all long for peace, from major urban epicenters to rural run down villages peace is what we want. We want freedom from disturbance; we want quiet and tranquility. We want peace from war and violence. Today we shall find this in the person and work of Christ. As we look upon the forth descriptive name of the messiah in Isaiah 9:6. The Prince of Peace. This perhaps most c...

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Everlasting Father

Jesus Christ is everlasting, he has no end nor beginning. While he was born, he was still eternal....

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Wise Counselor

Here Isaiah describes the Messiah’s character with four specific names, each revealing our Lord Jesus Christ. Colossians 2:3 says “all treasures of wisdom and knowledge rest in Christ.” ...

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His Shoulders

Isaiah describes the Messiah as a king so great that he would have final authority not only over Israel (Micah 5:2) but also over the whole world. Jesus would later tell his disciples that all authority in heaven and on earth had been to him from above, thus claiming that he fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy (Matthew 28:18). The Apostle Paul also wrote that God made Jesus the ...

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