In 1 Peter 5:8, the apostle warns us that spiritually every Christian lives in lion country.  Satan, our adversary "prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  We must be guarded, girded and grateful if we are to survive and thrive in this dangerous terrain believing that the roar of the lion has been met and muted by the silence of the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world.   

There is a seismic shift and monumental move in Chapter 7 of the Book of Romans.  The Apostle Paul begins with a searing critique of human good but concludes with a soaring celebration of heavenly grace.  Our good is never good enough.  Only grace is!  

The Apostle Paul conducted a spiritual appraisal that revealed resources that could be leveraged to unify the church at Phillipi.  In a key passage that bridges Chapters 1 and 2 of the epistle he reminded them that they are a church that has the “since” to stand together. 

In the fortieth chapter of his prophecy, verses 25 – 31, the prophet Isaiah is reinforcing to a proud and pompous people the hard lesson that their disobedience and defection had taught them.  God has no equal!  Search the vast array of nations of the world or among the pantheon of illusive idols and distant deities and there are no matches found!  

In the Gospel of John, Chapter One, verses forty through forty-two, three things occur in the life of the Apostle Peter that galvanized his role as the unlikely leader of the early church.  Each of these things is evidence of the grace that Peter experienced and became the lens through which he would see himself as God saw him.  We can learn from his example!  

In 2 Timothy 4:16-18, imprisoned and experiencing several departures, desertions and disappointments in his personal circle, the Apostle Paul acknowledges the faithfulness of God who never leaves us or forsakes us. God stayed with him, stood with him and strived with him.  In life and in ministry, God is the “Exceptional Exception"!

Faith in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the foundation of the believer’s sense of well-being.  This message based on Chapter 7, verse twenty-five of the Book of Hebrews, offers four assurances that encourages anyone who is facing a crisis of faith.  

Simeon was an aged and devout Jew who was “waiting for the consolation of Israel.”  This man whose name means “hearing” was reverent before God and righteous before men.  In Luke 2:25 – 32, Simeon shows us that there is worth in waiting and that serving the Lord will pay off afterwhile.  Upon seeing the baby Jesus, and the Holy Ghost upon him, he launches into a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.  So should we!  

In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2, verses eight through twenty, shepherds watching their flocks in the field at night were summoned by the angel of the Lord to be witnesses of the birth of Jesus.  Viewed as common laborers by some and ostracized by others, they still teach us by their example how to observe Christmas.  

During Advent, the nativity narratives in the Gospels remind us that God came into this broken world in the person of Jesus Christ.  This “Messianic Migration” culminates in the Book of Revelation, Chapter 3, verses 20 – 21 where Jesus stands at the door and knocks.  The symbolism is an urgent summons to the Church, every child of God and the world to “let Him in!”