presence ⁽⁶⁵⁾

Matthew 2:1–12, John 12:1–11 The Magi’s visiting Jesus presented 3 gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh. Often they are respectively tied to Jesus’ roles as king, prophet/priest, sacrifice/savior. How accurate that is may be questioned. That they were costly and significant gifts is not questionable. Gold is…

Deuteronomy 14:22–26, Acts 2:36–42 Feasting in the presence of the Lord is a strong theme in all the Jewish feast times. Feasting in God’s presence provides a physical reminder that it is by God’s grace and power that there is something to feast with. It…

Psalm 104:1–15, John 6:53–58, 1 Corinthians 11:17–11:27 From the Christian perspective, God breathed life into us. We’re not just talking about the lungs, but the spiritual life, too. God is the great sustainer. While there are those whose perspective of God is the Clockwork God…

Psalm 22, Genesis 28:10–22, Luke 20:27-39 Jacob’s vision encouraged and assured him that God was real, and God had something planned for him. What the vision didn’t do was say everything was going to be easy, and that he (and his family) would always be…

Psalm 99, Exodus 34:29–35, 2 Corinthians 3:12–4:2, Luke 9:28–36 Sometimes things we are unaware of about ourselves become a separator be us and others. Imagine Moses already feeling the pressure of leading these people. The strain of leadership along with the regular stubbornness of the…