The real meaning of Christmas is often lost on us because of our lack of attention to the details of the original Christmas story. The story as we find it in the Gospels actually begins many years before Jesus became famous. It begins with some relatives of Jesus who had been childless until their old […]
Most of us know the miracle of the Christmas story. The virgin Mary encounters the angel Gabriel one night who reveals to her that she will have the privilege of bearing Israel’s Messiah and Savior, Jesus of Nazareth. Of course, Mary wonders how this can be, since she is a virgin. The angel then explains […]
When the virgin Mary heard that her older relative, Elizabeth, knew she was about to give birth to the Messiah, our Savior, Mary was bursting with excitement. She broke out in unbridled praise to God. Among the many things Mary praised God for in that incredible moment, was that “His mercy extends to those who […]
Mary had just received the news that she was about to be the mother of Israel’s long-awaited Messiah . . . as a virgin. Who, in the world, was going to believe that her pregnancy was not the result of immorality, but rather a miracle from God? Who in the world could she share this […]
Sometimes the sermons I preach Sundays result in some soul-searching in the Wallace household as well. A recent Sunday was an example. I preached on prayer—that if we believe prayer really makes a difference, then we’ll pray; for God’s Word, God’s Workers and God’s People. The fact is, I struggle with the very issue I […]
Do you ever wonder how God might use even your smallest attempts at sharing the Good News? I do! Last week the Lord gave me a glimpse of what sometimes happens as a result of one of those attempts. As the people who know me know, I ask God daily for divine appointments—meetings with people […]
Something that has gone missing in our current public and political culture is a little thing called “an apology.” A case in point is the furor that erupted over Nancy Pelosi’s appointment at a hair salon in San Francisco this past week. If by chance you haven’t heard, a video of the House Speaker walking […]
One of the most instructive and compelling statements ever delivered by our Lord Jesus came when He quoted the prophet Isaiah in Matthew 15:7-9: “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING […]
A knee on a neck for nine minutes. . . Heavy, merciless, stubborn, unmoved . . . . . . a recipe for death; a fuse that lit the fire of a national calamity. The kindling? Ahmaud Arbery, a bright 25-year-old black man innocently jogging through an Atlanta neighborhood, chased down by three white men—one […]
The year 2020 has certainly been one that will be remembered. The numbers themselves suggest a year of clear vision; an ability to see ahead with perfect acuity. However, what has happened this year demonstrates just how deficient every one of us is in this matter of predicting what the future holds. Imagine, for a […]