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Showing posts from December, 2018

Have you left Jesus behind in 2018?

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Luke 2:48 : ……His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” According to the Jewish customs, when Jesus was 12 years old Mary & Joseph brought him to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Passover.   After traveling a whole day on their return journey, Mary and Joseph realized that Jesus was not among them; neither was he with their relatives or friends. They started to panic, and worry and were overcome with grief.   They decided to travel back to Jerusalem in search of Jesus.   After three days on finding him in the temple, Mary asks Jesus , “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” In modern day America , Mary and Joseph would have perhaps faced serious charges of negligence. As parents of a 12 year old child, they would have been responsible for the whereabouts of Jesus.   They assumed that he was with their family.   I presume that they were too busy

No Room in the Inn

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Whenever we read the Christmas story, we are always reminded of this verse from Luke 2:7  (ESV) 7  And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn . Isn’t intriguing to see that “there was no room in the inn” for Joseph, Mary and for the birth of baby Jesus. In the story of Christmas, we see an obedient young virgin girl Mary who was doing what God said to her through angel Gabriel. One would imagine if God has given her this task then God too would help them through it.   But the story of Christmas tells us differently. The story starts with Joseph thinking to divorce Mary, since she was pregnant, but through an angelic revelation he willingly accepts Mary. Right before the delivery of the baby, there is a decree from King Herod forcing Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem.   Travelling through the rugged terrain of Israel, they hope they will find a good place to stay.

Are your Hearts Burning?

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Luke 24:32 They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?" It is the 3rd day after the crucifixion and Jesus has just resurrected from his death on the cross.   On the same day we see two people walking to a “ village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem ”.   After a few moments Jesus appears to them and starts walking with them.   These people did not recognize Him and he jumps into their discussion.   However, only later in the evening when they were going to eat dinner did they recognize the person who was walking with them from Jerusalem .   As soon as they recognize Jesus, he disappears from their sight, and that is when these words were spoken by these men.   I believe the words spoken by these men communicate a truth, which many times we ignore.   That is, when Jesus spoke and opened the Word of God to them, every word spoken by Him made their hearts burn.   As I