A Famine Not of Bread

February 29 is Leap Day, a timekeeping date added periodically to align our calendar with Earth’s revolutions around the Sun. It takes the Earth approximately 365.242189 days to circle the Earth. However, the Gregorian calendar has only 365 days in a year. To fix that discrepancy, February 29 is added to the calendar almost every year divisible by four (except for years evenly divisible by 100, but not 400). Throughout Scripture, leaping is often associated with joy. As the ark of the Lord was brought into Jerusalem, King David led the procession, “leaping and dancing before the Lord” (2 Samuel 6:16). When Mary, now carrying the unborn Savior of the world in her womb, greeted Elizabeth, her older relative told Mary that her baby (John the Baptist) leaped for joy in her womb. Jesus spoke of a “leap day” in Luke’s account of the Beatitudes: “Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets” (6:23). What prompts th...

"Get Behind Me, Satan" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. And Jesus went on with His disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they told Him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered Him, “You are the Christ.” And He strictly charged them to tell no one about Him. And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And He said this plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But turning and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” And He called to Him the crowd with His disciples and said to them, “If anyone would co...

"The Offering of Abraham" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. “After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here am I.’ He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” (Genesis 22:1-2). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The temptation of Abraham lasts three days. It is not the only time he is tempted, but this is brutal. He journeys through the wilderness with Isaac, his only son from his beloved Sarah. This miracle child was born when his mother and father were ninety and one hundred, respectively. Isaac’s name means “he laughs,” he is their laughter in their old age. But even more than that, he’s the child of the promise. The Lord has declared that Abraham will be the father of a great nation through Isaac. All of that seems in jeopardy now, endangered by ...

Click here to listen to this sermon. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2). Most Christians are familiar with the term “blessed to be a blessing.” It refers to the fact that God has blessed us and desires we bless others as well. The actual reference is from the biblical story of God making a covenant with Abraham, telling the patriarch that He would bless Abraham and would bless the nations through Abraham and his offspring. We know this was faithfully accomplished through Jesus Christ, the world's Savior. According to the flesh, there will be those from every people, tribe, and tongue who will receive the eternal blessing of heaven through Jesus, a descendant of Abraham. “Blessed to be a blessing.” I think this phrase is undoubtedly fitting to describe Carol and her life. The Lord blessed Carol in many ways, and she ...

"The Transfiguration" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. After six days Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them, and His clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is My beloved Son; listen to Him.” And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. And as they were coming down the mountain, He charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead (Mark 9:2-9). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus...