Luke 2:46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Four things stand out in this verse. When Joseph and Mary finally locate Jesus, where is he? Jesus is found in the temple courts. The temple courts were famous throughout Judea as…
Jesus’ Early Years
This Saturday many in the religious world will celebrate Christmas. We do not read of Christmas in God’s word. It is a man-made holiday when many people celebrate the birth of Christ. The Bible doesn’t really have a lot to say about the birth of Christ. Matthew and Luke devote parts of two chapters to…
Seeking the Lord
2 Chronicles 19:3 There is, however, some good in you, for you have rid the land of the Asherah poles and have set your heart on seeking God. Those were the words of Jehu the seer to Jehoshaphat following his return from an unsuccessful campaign with the northern kingdom of Israel. Jehoshaphat, the fourth king…
Ezra 8:23 So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer. Before making any physical preparations for their long and potentially dangerous journey back to Jerusalem; Ezra and his companions made spiritual preparations. Their prayers and fasting prepared them spiritually and showed their dependence on God for protection, their faith…
in everything give thanks
In 1 Thessalonians 5, the apostle Paul, inspired by God, gives the church at Thessalonica a series of exhortations. As children of the day, who were anticipating the Lord’s return, they needed to live righteously. As a church, they needed to relate well to their leadership. Paul calls upon them to treat all their fellow…
God’s family
As children of God we belong to the family of God. One of our members recently put together a short video on the family of God here in Cloudcroft and posted it to his youtube channel. It is worth the watch.
Esther 4:14
And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? After the decree to kill the Jews was issued, Mordecai and Esther could have despaired, decided to save only themselves, or just waited for God’s intervention. Instead, they saw that God had placed them in their positions…
Mordecai, a man of integrity
Who was Mordecai? Esther 2:5-6 Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, 6 who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon… Mordecai was an Israelite of the tribe of Benjamin….
Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness
Ephesians 5:11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. Two commands are offered in this verse. First, Christians are to completely avoid participating in sin. The command here implies that sin is a waste of time and associated with darkness, which is opposed to the light of those…