December 15, 2025
HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
Here at the Communion table, we gather as wanderers who have come home and are part of God’s forever family: his church.
Articles for tag: Bethlehem
July 29, 2024
POURED OUT
Whenever we take Communion, we have before us symbols of a sacrifice.
December 22, 2022
‘All Is Well’
Christmas means many things to David Empson, with most of his thoughts centering on family gatherings and music.
December 19, 2022
December 25 | Lord of All
The babe of Bethlehem (and Messiah of Matthew’s Gospel) is Lord of all—even wise men. Matthew devoted only one verse to the birth of Jesus (1:25) even though he spent many verses tracing Jesus’ human and divine roots. Then, a good length of time after Jesus was born, the Magi from the east came to Jerusalem.
November 1, 2022
The Stories God Tells
By Michael C. Mack Who doesn’t love a gripping story of adventure told by a master storyteller? Some of my favorites are epic sagas: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, National Treasure, and the like. I was reminded about the adventures of the Pilgrims as I read Bob Russell’s feature article about Thanksgiving in this issue. It’s a true story about religious convictions, bravery, suffering, perseverance, and faith. God uses stories like that to teach us and transform us. It’s why Bob used this and a story about his grandson Charlie in his article, and it’s why I often remind our writers
December 23, 2021
This Wasn’t in the Script
"It’s the late 1990s, and I’m sitting in the audience of the annual Christmas production at my suburban megachurch when something happens that’s obviously not in the script (or the Scriptures, for that matter)," writes Austin Gohn, lead pastor with Bellevue Christian Church in Pittsburgh.
December 16, 2021
THROWBACK THURSDAY: ‘Good Tidings of Great Joy’ (1956)
Luke takes us to Bethlehem and gives us a glimpse of the events that transpired on that memorable night when Jesus was born. No other message in all literature has so blessed men, women, and children as this account of the birth of Jesus as recorded by Luke, the physician.
November 22, 2021
Nov. 28 | Join the Ranks of the Faithful
The writer of Hebrews encouraged readers not to give up, to look to faithful examples, and to consider Jesus. Therein we can join the ranks of the faithful.
October 26, 2021
HIU Prof Seeks to Help Readers ‘Rediscover’ Jesus at Christmas
Professor of New Testament Dr. Carl N. Toney has written academic books in the past, but with "Ruining Christmas—Rediscovering Jesus," he targets a wider Christian audience.
July 1, 2021
Mary: Waiting with Faith
Mary used her mind to inform her heart. She observed, she listened, she reflected, she sought wisdom and understanding. We can do the same.
May 10, 2021
May 16 | Kingly Character: Courage and Heart
David vs. Goliath is more than a story about the underdog winning.
December 14, 2020
Lesson for Dec. 20, 2020: Fulfilled through Promise (Matthew 2:1-15)
Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in the December 2020 issue of Christian Standard + The Lookout. (Subscribe to our print edition.) ________ COMPANION RESOURCES “The Day I Visited a King’s Palace” by David Faust (Lesson Application) Discovery Questions for Dec. 20, 2020 ________ Lesson Aim: Let the fulfilled promise of Jesus’ birth lead you to worship. ________ By Mark Scott The Old Testament repeatedly says, “Someone is coming.” The end of the Bible says, “Someone is
December 14, 2020
The Day I Visited a King’s Palace (Dec. 20 Lesson Application)
This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Dec. 20, 2020: Fulfilled through Promise (Matthew 2:1-15) ________ By David Faust While in Israel filming a documentary about the basics of the Christian faith, I visited Herodium, the palatial residence designed for King Herod’s protection and pleasure. By all accounts Herod was paranoid and cruel. He tortured and killed family members, servants, and bodyguards. Ironically, this ruthless ruler who destroyed so many lives was an innovative and prolific builder who oversaw the construction of enormous forts, palaces, water projects, and Jerusalem’s crown jewel, the Jewish temple. Herodium (also known as
November 22, 2020
The Anxiety Antidote (A Study of Luke 2)
Two Announcements of Peace and How We Live In Between And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people” (Luke 2:8-10). What a sweet story. We can almost hear Linus recounting the entire passage in “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” We see images of sweet children in a
December 20, 2018
‘Glory to God’ Must Come First
– Dec. 22, 1945 – As promised last week, here’s another Christmas editorial—this one from Dec. 22, 1945, just a few months after the end of World War II. The tone of this editorial by Burris Butler is revealing. There is relief that the war is over, but a high degree of unsettledness that is predictive of the decades to come. _ _ _ ‘GLORY TO GOD’ MUST COME FIRST We all need to pause a little while to listen with the shepherds of long ago to the song of the angels which rang out across the Judean hills and
December 17, 2018
Lesson for December 23, 2018: Whole Prophecy (Luke 2:1-14)
Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 13 (weeks 49–53; December 9–30, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Aim: Marvel at how God wholly fulfilled prophetic promises in Jesus. ______ By Mark Scott One evidence that the Bible is divine is the record of fulfilled predictive prophecies. The Bible was written over a period of 1,500 years by at least 40 different human writers. The evidence of fulfilled prophecy is extremely faith
December 11, 2018
A Second Coming
(This Communion Meditation originally appeared online in December 2012.) By Lee Magness So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David. . . . He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child (Luke 2:4, 5). As the time approached for him to be taken up, . . . Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). They journeyed to Judea—Joseph closing his shop, Mary pregnant, too pregnant for such a taxing trip. To Bethlehem, with its
December 4, 2018
A Sign and a Prediction, Both Fulfilled
(This Communion meditation originally appeared in our December 1, 1998, edition.) By Kent Fillinger The year was 734 BC. King Ahaz of Judah was under attack by the countries of Syria and Ephraim, which were trying to dethrone him. In order to encourage King Ahaz, God told King Ahaz to ask Him for a sign. When the ruler asked, God said, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14, New International Version). “Immanuel” means “God with us.” This
November 27, 2018
Redemption Drawing Near
(This Communion meditation originally appeared on our website in December 2011. Advent is this coming Sunday, Dec. 2.) By Robert F. Hull Jr. Millions of Christians around the world celebrate this coming Sunday as the beginning of Advent, the first of four Sundays of preparation for the grand festival of light we know as Christmas. No matter how often we have observed Advent, for many of us the first Sunday still comes as a shock, for its focus is on the second coming of Jesus, not the first: People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on
December 20, 2017
In Season, Out of Season
This Christmas editorial from December 20, 1969, was written by Edwin V. Hayden, who served as editor of Christian Standard from 1957 to 1977. ___ By Edwin V. Hayden We observe, without being greatly disturbed by it, a growing tendency for Christmas to be observed as a season rather than as a day. For many it is a season of merchandising and merriment, merely extending what they have always done with the day. For Christians it is a season for becoming acquainted with Christ, and the more greatly that is extended, the better! It is hard to pinpoint Christmas, even as a
