Posts from December 2023 (Page 2)

  Discussion:                                      From the holly berries to Santa himself, red is by far one of the most prominent colors of the holidays. However, my favorite red items of the holidays are the Poinsettia plants used for decorations. There is an old Mexican legend about how Poinsettias and Christmas come together. It goes like this: There was once a poor Mexican girl named…

  Discussion:                               The Colors of Christmas: Black While not a traditional color of Christmas, without the black night sky, the Star to Bethlehem would not have been seen. The dark night sky of winter can be gloomy and depressing, but just as God lit the way to Christ, He uses His people to point others to Christ. During the holiday season, try not to get overwhelmed but remember that it is a time for faith, family, and…

    Discussion:                       Often times Mary, the mother of Jesus, is portrayed wearing blue robes. This began in medieval times when blue and purple dye was one of the most costly. Royal families and wealthy people would often be painted in blue clothes because of their esteemed status. This shows that Mary was seen as very important because she gave birth to the King of Kings! Mary was given a special gift and she was blessed because of it.…

  Discussion:                                  That picture-perfect gold star at the top of the Christmas tree comes to mind. You might also think of Buddy the Elf springing off the couch to put that perfect gold star on top of the massive tree in their living room. Either way, that precious gold brings to mind something that is special. After all, it was one of the three gifts that the wise men brought to the newborn Jesus.  Gold items are valuable and…

  Discussion:                                    Bing sang what many of us think: “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas.” White is often associated with purity and peace in western cultures. The snow of winter is also very white! White paper wafers were also sometimes used to decorate paradise trees. The wafers represented the bread eaten during communion when Christians remember that Jesus died for them. Many orthodox churches use white as the color of Christmas, when their altar is covered with a…

  Discussion:                                   Evergreen plants, like holly and mistletoe have been used for thousands of years to decorate and brighten up buildings during the long dark winter. They also reminded people that spring would come and winter wouldn’t last forever! The Romans would exchange evergreen branches during January as a sign of good luck. The ancient Egyptians used to bring palm branches into their houses during the mid-winter festivals. In many parts of Europe during the Middle Ages, “paradise…

  We have all heard that practice makes perfect. We say that so we can realize the importance of practice. However, we know practice doesn’t make perfect, but it does make permanent. If we practice piano, another instrument, a sport or hobby, we will keep those skills for a long time. In our spiritual life, we can train ourselves to read, study and pray just by practicing it. We can make the people around us happy by practicing good virtues.…

  As we’ve read this week, the kingdom of God was planned from the beginning, was promised and prepared, and will exist in power eternally. When Peter made his confession about Jesus in Matthew 16, Jesus promised that Peter would be the first to open the door of the kingdom/church and allow people entrance. That is exactly what happened on the Day of Pentecost. Peter gave the terms of entrance into the church, and three thousand took advantage of the…

  The Kingdom existed, and continues to exist, in power. The Holy Spirit came on the first Day of Pentecost at Jerusalem. People who believed, repented, and were baptized were added to the kingdom/church. From that point, the kingdom/church was spoken of as being in existence. Christ is now reigning in heaven over His kingdom, and he will continue to reign until He returns at the end of time to take His faithful followers with Him to heaven.   Prayer…

  The Kingdom existed in preparation. Christ began His personal ministry during the days of the Roman Empire. During His personal ministry, the kingdom/church existed in preparation. Both Jesus and John the Baptist preached that the kingdom was “at hand” or almost there. Jesus stressed that His kingdom was a spiritual institution and used the terms “kingdom” and “church” interchangeably. Jesus said that His kingdom would come “with power”. After His resurrection, He told the disciples that the power would…

  The Kingdom existed in promise. Throughout the Old Testament, the kingdom/church existed in prophecy and promise. Isaiah said that in the last days the Lord’s house would be established and the Word of the Lord would go forth from Jerusalem. Paul identifies the Lord’s house as the Church. Daniel prophesied that God’s kingdom would be established “During the time of the kings of the fourth kingdom.” History tells us that this fourth kingdom referred to was the Roman Empire…

  The first two chapters in the book of Acts gives us a front row seat to the establishing of the earthly “Kingdom” AKA “the Church. Throughout eternity, this Kingdom existed in the plans and purposes of God as written in Ephesians 3. Jesus even taught the apostles to pray for the coming of this Kingdom. Peter was told that he would be instrumental in the start of this Kingdom and we see just that in the first chapters of…