[After Christmas, new articles in The Brook Letter by Mel Lawrenz: sign up.] The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. –Luke 2:20 At the birth of Jesus, amidst the dirt and straw of a stable, millennia of promises, prophecies, […]

There, on that small blue circle, the entire drama of human history has unfolded: the Creation, the Fall, war, exploration, feast and famine, marriage and divorce, birth and death. And to that blue circle God came, at just the right time, to begin to make things right in the human race.

This is post #23 in the Christmas devotional “Christmas Joy.”Read more devotionals by Mel Lawrenz. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen

After Christmas, new articles in The Brook Letter by Mel Lawrenz: sign up. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel. – Luke 2:30-32 The winter solstice on December 21, the darkest day

The word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us. – John 1:14 Not only did the Son of God become a baby, but also he became flesh. Divinity joined to corporeal muscle, blood and bones. In this humbling of the eternal Son of God, the Word who was with God from the beginning and

This is post #20 in the Christmas devotional “Christmas Joy.”Read more devotionals by Mel Lawrenz. They went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. – Matthew 2:9-10 In

[After Christmas, new articles in The Brook Letter by Mel Lawrenz: sign up.] After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and

Learn how “spiritual influence” works. See the survey. And he will be called…Prince of Peace – Isaiah 9:6 In ancient times, princes, whether they desired it or not, often became warriors. Rulers of nations may talk about peace, but nothing is more elusive than peace. And so, when Isaiah talked about a child who would be

This is post #17 in the Christmas devotional “Christmas Joy.” Want to read more devotionals by Mel Lawrenz? And he will be called…Everlasting Father. –Isaiah 9:6 What a remarkable string of names in Isaiah 9:6! Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Now, these were radical statements indeed, and they described the one

This is post #16 in the Christmas devotional “Christmas Joy.” Want to read more devotionals by Mel Lawrenz? And he will be called…Mighty God. – Isaiah 9:6 In the Old Testament, some of the prophecies about Christ are mysterious statements. They were so bold and so large that they were treasured through the generations, until

See “A Call for Wisdom in Washington.” For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders…and of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it

This is post #14 in the Christmas devotional “Christmas Joy.” Mel Lawrenz is Minister at Large for Elmbrook Church and directs The Brook Network. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting

This is post #13 in the Christmas devotional “Christmas Joy.” After Christmas, new articles in The Brook Letter by Mel Lawrenz: sign up. My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. -Luke 2:46-47 One of the worst things that can happen to a person is to live with a shrunken

Learn how “spiritual influence” works. See the survey. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” –Matt. 1:22-23 My wife and I have only seriously lost

This is post #11 in the Christmas devotional “Christmas Joy.” Christmas Joy as eBook HERE. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. –Luke 2:4 Bethlehem was like any other town in the