Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift (2 Corinthians 9:15)!It is the Christmas miracle – The Word become flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Jesus was the unique God-man.  As God, He walked on water, calmed the storm, healed the sick, and rose from the dead.  As man, He got thirsty and tired; He felt sorrow and pain.Jesus came to earth as a helpless tiny seed planted in the womb of a young...  Read More

When He comes into the world, He says, … BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD (Hebrews 10:5,7). Jesus not only comprehended the Father’'s will; He came to perform it.  This is the primary purpose of His Advent, to do the Father's will.  He commenced this theme here on Christmas Eve and concluded with it thirty three years later in Gethsemane's garden: "Not My will, but Yours, be done" (Luke ...  Read More

When He comes into the world, He says ….A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME (Hebrews 10:5).What a step form the splendor of heaven to the womb of woman and finally to stable in Bethlehem.  There is so much more behind those words "a body You have prepared for Me."  God is Spirit and yet He stepped into a body of flesh to identify with you and ultimately, to be your own sin bearer.This is condescension...  Read More

I come … to do thy will, O God (Hebrews 10:7). All over our world, churches large and small are presenting Christmas plays and pageants.  What amazes me is how much goes on backstage before the current ever rises.  There are props to be made, costumes to be sewn, music to be rehearsed, lines to be memorized, and so much more. On this Christmas, with all the attention on Bethlehem and the manger, t...  Read More

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them (Luke 2:20). How can you make the most of Christmas?  For some it is all about decorating the house or tree, getting that special gift, seeing relative, or getting invited to that certain party.  But making the most of Christmas is so much more than any of these things. Joi...  Read More

The angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 1:20). Joseph is the one person in the Christmas drama seldom mention and never quoted, yet the entire narrative hinges on his faithfulness.  Mary is quoted.  As are Elizabeth, Zacharias, the shepherds, the...  Read More

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart (Luke 2:19). Mary, a young girl playing in the streets of Nazareth with her friends one day and finding she is pregnant, though a virgin and unmarried, the next.  Her initial response?  "How can this be" (Luke 1:34). After Jesus was born, it all began to sink in, Mary pondered all these thing in her heart.  The word picture is of a cak...  Read More

She brought forth her firstborn Son … and laid Him in a manger (Luke 2:7). These words grab my heart more than any others - She laid Him in a manger.  Not a nice little wooden cradle like we see in a manger scene.  But a rock hewn cattle trough in a cavelike stable where your sandals squashed in the dung as you walked and the nauseating smell of the animals filled your nostrils.  She laid Him n a ...  Read More

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). What is a sign?  It is something that is intended to do two things; grab your attention and then tell you something.  You may be driving on a hazardous mountain road and see a flashing sign warning you to slow down for a sharp curve ahead.  Billboards a...  Read More

And they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us (Matthew 1:23). The name Immanuel is a translation of two Hebrew words expressing "God is with us."  God with us.  Not some prophet or teacher or holy man.  But God Himself clothed in human flesh – with us!  He came to where we are so we could go eternally to where He is.  God will always be with us. God – that is majes...  Read More

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). The name Jesus is a transliteration of the Hebrew name Joshua, which means "Jehovah saves."  His very name, Jesus, tells us of the mission upon which He came form heaven to earth to save His people from their sins. Jesus is our Lord's intensely personal name.  Have you ...  Read More

Thou shalt call his name JESUS.  They shall call his name Immanuel (Matthew 1:21, 23). There is an interesting psychology in the naming of our children.  Some are named with family names to retain a family heritage.  I am often asked what O.S. stands for – my initials represent family names Otis Swafford.  Now you know why I use O.S.  Others are named for an attribute their parents desire their ch...  Read More