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Here is your mother
When Jesus was on the cross He was surrounded by scoffers, soldiers and a few followers. The first mentioned was Mary, His mother. Even while He suffered excruciating pain He was taking care of her. As the oldest son it was His responsibility to look after her and that’s exactly what He did. Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.…
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Emmanuel God With Us
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6 God has a beautiful plan for your life. And He wants to lead you each step of the way. That is why one of the names of God, Emmanuel, means “God with us.” God wants to be intimately involved in our lives. He wants us to know His voice and follow Him. In fact, He wanted to be with us so strongly that He sent His Son to physically walk the earth. That baby in the manger was God and He is…
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Mary Did You Know?
One of my favorite Christmas songs is Mary did you know. The lyrics remind me of the awe and wonder that surrounds our Savior. When I hear the song I try to imagine Mary’s response and picture her kissing her child while he sleeps. We could ask the same questions of ourselves. Do we know? Do we know Jesus as the Lord and Savior of our lives? Take a moment and hear the words again. Read them slowly and be reminded of what you know about Jesus. Mary did you know? Mary, did you know that your baby boyWould one day walk on water?Mary, did you know that your baby…
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A Sufferer’s Holiday
I was reminded yesterday that not everyone is happily celebrating the holiday season this year. A friend shared her tears and pain at the loss of a loved one that is dearly missed this year. My heart broke for her as she courageously tried to find some joy, but the sadness was too much for her. In the Grief Share program “Surviving the Holidays,” one of the counselors reminds us that Jesus came into the world to end sin and death. Those two things cause so much suffering and heartache, but His birth is a reminder of the promise of God to send a Savior that would conquer both. “And…
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Blessed Is She Who Has Believed
You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said. – Luke 1:45 Do you believe in the promises of God? After all He is infinitely powerful, completely trustworthy and ever loving. One of the key verses in the story of Mary is that she was blessed because she believed. Sometimes we just need a reminder of what God has promised and those reminders are found in His Word. Below are 10 promises of God just for you. Spend time in His Word to discover even more and experience what it’s like to be blessed. God promises to strengthen you. … God promises to give you…
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The Magnificat: Mary’s Song of Praise
The Magnificat is Latin for “My soul magnifies the Lord.” It contains the worlds that Mary said after she was first visited by the angel Gabriel and is found in Luke 1: 46-55. Mary’s Prophetic Song And Mary sang this song: “My soul is ecstatic, overflowing with praises to God! My spirit bursts with joy over my life-giving God!For he set his tender gaze upon me, his lowly servant girl. And from here on, everyone will know that I have been favored and blessed. The Mighty One has worked a mighty miracle for me; holy is his name! Mercy kisses all who fear him, from one generation to the next.Mighty power flows from him to scatter all those who…
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The Bigger Picture
The story of the Mary becomes quiet for sometime after the Jerusalem visit when they found Jesus at the temple. After that she is only mentioned a few times between Jesus’ temple visit and Jesus’ death. She was present at Jesus’ first public miracle – when he turned the water to wine at the marriage ceremony in Cana and the next record of her is when she and her other sons came to visit Jesus while he was intently teaching a large crowd. Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. Someone told him, “Your mother and…
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Straighten Your Crown
As the holidays approach my job has become more and more busy. People are excited to be seeing family that they missed with the lock down a year ago and they are planning their winter get-a-ways more with each passing snow storm. One day last week it felt as though I was struggling to keep my head above water when I moved some files from my desk and a note card fell out on the floor. The note read, “Whenever you feel overwhelmed, remember whose daughter you are and straighten your crown! Thank you Lord!! That perfectly timed message put a huge smile on my face and reminded me that…
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The Ordinary Becomes Extraordinary
The bible tells us that Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. I imagine that Mary, like most mothers was very proud of her son and excited to see Him learning and maturing. He began to call disciples to follow Him and on one occasion ended up at a wedding in Cana. Mary was with Him. During the celebration the wine supply ran out which would have caused great embarrassment to the hosts. But Mary brought the situation to Jesus and informed the servants to do whatever He asked. She took the problem to the one who could help and in faith was prepared to…
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Pierced Her Soul
Jesus’ father and mother were speechless with surprise at these words. Simeon went on to bless them, and said to Mary his mother, This child marks both the failure and the recovery of many in Israel,A figure misunderstood and contradicted— the pain of a sword-thrust through you—But the rejection will force honesty, as God reveals who they really are. – Luke 2:33-35 I can hardly imagine all the thoughts and emotions that Mary experienced as the mother of Jesus. This young girl was encouraged by angels, her cousin Elizabeth, the shepherds, the wise men and now Simeon and Anna. Prophesies were being fulfilled in the most miraculous ways and future events were predicted…