He Arrived: A Christmas Poem

He arrived. In the midst of darkness and sin, the Promised Child of the Ages came to the scene. Unpretentious. Without fanfare. Quietly . . . on a still night in Palestine. To ordinary people. He arrived. For the brokenhearted and those filled with shame, the Immanuel came to the scene. A little child . READ MORE

Four Pieces of Advice from the Lives of Wise Men

Matthew 2:1-12 paints a compelling portrayal of bravery and determination, unpacking for all the story of magi who make their way toward Bethlehem from some distant land in the east. Contrary to conventional thinking, and the accompanying legends and carols, the magi likely many long months or perhaps even a year or so after Jesus’ READ MORE

A Rustic Stable

When the rough and tumble shepherds gathered into the rustic stable Joseph hardly knew what to do. No doubt, fear gripped him as they assembled around the little boy in the manger. Mary—startled from her much needed sleep by the commotion—looked up with bewilderment. What do these men want? The answer came quickly. With an READ MORE

Hope to Overcome our Fears

Fear and failure and insecurity make for a three-headed monster that too often roars in our ears and hides in our shadows. These things can be extremely draining, sucking life from within our souls. And, in typical fashion, we will often cope with these by furiously scrambling to make our lives work, to take control READ MORE

“Behold, the Man!”

With Christmas looming I can’t help but think, yet again, about the raw humanity of our Lord Jesus. After all, his was not some noble appearing, a supernatural being whose other-worldliness kept him remote from time and space. He was not, as the ancient Gnostics declared, one who only seemed human. Jesus was flesh and READ MORE