So Joseph got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt. He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called my Son. ~ Matthew 2:14-15 (CSB), quoting Hosea 11:1 The book of Exodus… Continue reading Out of Egypt (an advent devotion)
Tag: advent
The Serpent Crusher (an advent devotion)
So the Lord God said to the serpent, “…I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head and you will strike his heel.” ~ Genesis 3:14-15 (CSB) As we enter into the Christmas season, we will take a look at a few of… Continue reading The Serpent Crusher (an advent devotion)
What Child Is This? (an advent meditation)
What Child is this Who, laid to rest On Mary’s lap, is sleeping? Whom angels greet With anthems sweet While shepherds watch are keeping? This, this is Christ, the King Whom shepherds guard and angels sing Haste, haste to bring Him laud The Babe, the Son of Mary! The Christmas song What Child Is This?… Continue reading What Child Is This? (an advent meditation)
O Little Town of Bethlehem (an advent meditation)
O little town of Bethlehem How still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go by Yet in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting Light The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in thee tonight The song O Little Town of Bethlehem speaks to the great… Continue reading O Little Town of Bethlehem (an advent meditation)
O Holy Night (an advent meditation)
O Holy Night is a Christmas hymn with which many are familiar (at least with John Sullivan Dwight’s English translation). Not only is the song beautiful in speaking about the greatness of our Savior and the good news of his work in the world, it also speaks about the gospel’s social implications. Written in a… Continue reading O Holy Night (an advent meditation)
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (advent meditation)
In this series leading up to Christmas 2016, we’ll take a look at some of the Christmas songs from our Baptist Hymnal and see the reasons we celebrate the birth of Jesus. O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer Our spirits by Thine Advent here Disperse the gloomy clouds of night And death’s dark shadow… Continue reading O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (advent meditation)
What Child Is This? (an advent meditation)
Christmas in our culture seems a mix of the sacred and the secular. As much as some people lament the idea of a “holiday tree” being sold in stores they frequent, let’s not forget that Santa Claus, songs that have nothing to do with Jesus’ birth, and Christmas movies about family get togethers and little… Continue reading What Child Is This? (an advent meditation)
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (an Advent meditation)
Imagine that you were among the shepherds in Luke 2. There you sat in the field at night, possibly chilled by the air and maybe tired from either ending a long day or beginning a long night. You probably gathered around a fire with the other shepherds, the flames to keep you warm and the… Continue reading Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (an Advent meditation)
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (a meditation on advent)
A lot of Christians have been celebrating Advent throughout December leading up to that time of Christmas. Now while we don’t know the exact day of Jesus’ birth (or really, actual time of year), for centuries many Christians have set aside December 25th as a day to commemorate his birth. While not an event that… Continue reading O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (a meditation on advent)
Advent / Christmas Devotion Books
If you're looking for an Advent / Christmas devotional book to do by yourself or with your family, you might want to check out the following from desiringgod.org. Both, written by John Piper and released the past couple of years, are available for free download (.pdf) or purchase of print copies. Good News of Great… Continue reading Advent / Christmas Devotion Books
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