Near to the end of his life, milk from the breasts of the virgin Mary as well as Joseph’s old pants… Wittenburg itself had an amazing assortment of these religious relics which were sanctioned by the Church to convey days, weeks, months, years, centuries and even millennia of time off in the place of purging, just by viewing them, the time being measured by the value and importance placed upon the relic. Continue reading
“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart…” – Jeremiah 15:16
As I type these words on my keyboard, next to my computer are seven different Study Bibles in five different English translations. Those are just the Bibles on my desk. On the shelf behind me, I have more. And that’s just my study. I have more in the living room, close to my comfy chair where I can sit and read without distraction with a cup of English tea (some traditions die hard).
Then there is the Bibleworks program loaded on my computer which has dozens more translations, including the original Hebrew and Greek texts (even though I have the same texts in book form). By any standard of measurement, the study resources at my disposal are very comprehensive. Added to this are the many commentaries and books in my possession written by some of the great Bible teachers in Church history, as well as in our own day – all of them are within easy access from my chair. Online, I have access to many more translations. I am blessed with amazing spiritual riches. I am a Christian in America.
Just a few minutes ago, I watched this video you will find below. My only reaction was to weep. Even now, tears roll down my face. These are tears of joy, you understand. Continue reading
“The Lord will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (God with us).” Isaiah 7:14
Each Christmas we hear the story about angels and shepherds, of wise men and strange sightings of a star, of a donkey, and of the Child that was laid in a stable manger. Yet the actual birth of Jesus, though highly unusual, was not entirely unique. Of course, not everyone is born to the sight of a star moving and coming to rest overhead, or to the sound of angelic announcements and trumpet blasts! Yet it is true to say that many children have been born in humble surroundings. Therefore, it was the manner in which Jesus was conceived that marks Him out from others. Continue reading