"Hark, The Herald Angels Sing" was written by Charles Wesley in 1739. The lyrics of the second verse are these:

Christ, by highest heav'n adored; Christ the everlasting Lord; Late in time behold Him come, Offspring of a virgin's womb. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail the incarnate Deity! Pleased as man with men to appear, Jesus our Immanuel here. Hark! the herald angels sing, 'Glory to the newborn King."

In case you hadn't noticed, the lyrics of this familiar Christmas carol affirm the virgin birth. The birth of Jesus Christ was something absolutely unique. … Continue Reading ››

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:3-6). Paul the apostle had a very special relationship with the believers in Philippi, a church … Continue Reading ››

Strategic prayer for missions involves an understanding of the life and work of missionaries. The Scriptures draw our attention to numerous aspects of the needs and struggles missionaries consistently face. The apostle Paul himself made reference on multiple occasions to his overwhelming need for the prayers of others. Consider Paul' s A to F prayer requests: A.   ACCEPTANCE by co-workers (other believers) - "...that my my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints" (Romans 15:31b). B.   BOLDNESS in witnessing - "And … Continue Reading ››

"And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. No man having … Continue Reading ››

"Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God" (Romans 15:7).

Friendliness is all about perception -- it's in the eye of the beholder. We may feel that we're friendly, but you never get a second chance to make a first impression! When God sends people to our church, it's a stewardship issue. Much time, effort and prayer is involved in getting these guests on our property, and how these individuals are treated the very first time they visit will … Continue Reading ››

"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Romans 8:3-4).

Notice that there are some things the law cannot do. The law is totally powerless to save, justify, or redeem the sinner. The law knows only justice. Its demands … Continue Reading ››

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). As we celebrate Independence Day on July 4, I am reminded that there is a greater liberty than that which we enjoy as citizens of the United States of America. I am speaking, of course, of the liberty we enjoy as Christians. Spiritual freedom from sin can be viewed in three distinct ways. First, when we believe upon Christ as our Lord and Savior and are born again, we are set … Continue Reading ››

"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers" (Ephesians 4:29).

God has a lot to say about what we say! There is a host of verses in Proverbs related to the tongue, lips, words, speech, etc., that govern the use and misuse of the gift God has given us to communicate. James 3:1-12 is an extended passage … Continue Reading ››

Memorial Day is a national holiday set aside to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives for our country and the freedoms we enjoy today. Perhaps some of you reading these lines were eyewitnesses to a fellow-soldier who died in combat and never came home. I am reminded of the saying concerning our military veterans, "All gave some; some gave all." This weekend we honor those who did exactly that -- they gave all so that you and I could live … Continue Reading ››

While we know that without faith it is impossible to please God, is our faith completely unsubstantiated? We have faith and believe in the unseen, but are there truly rational supports for believing in Jesus Christ, God in the flesh? There are innumerable reasons to be confident of His reality, but here are just 5:

1. The Bible:  The Bible is by far the most important support of our faith. Here are some facts concerning its reliability and viability. It is a reliable historical document (Matthew 5:18). … Continue Reading ››