Go ahead and relax now that the Christmas scurry is over. And while you’re resting, think about all God may have for you to do in 2023.

Why don’t we all ask that question Ray Charles asks in his famous song: “Why can’t it remain all through the year?”

Over and over Jesus allowed sinful man to bind him, lead him, send him, take him, flog him, strike him, deliver him, and crucify him. No resistance, only humility and surrender motivated by love.

There is one familiar passage in Micah that always appears in Advent and Christmas celebrations. There is a second one in Micah that I would suggest we also consider during our Advent preparations.

Our focus this Advent should raise the question anew: Whom do we seek as we approach Christmas?

The words of this grand chorus come solely from scripture. Most of the lines come straight from the book of Revelation. You can hear the magnificent melody as you read this line from Revelation 11:15: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”

Only few saw the newborn King face-to-face, but his prayer is that one day all of us will see him and know God’s glory.

Every time I read the story of Mary and Martha, I feel convicted. The real goal is not the perfection I’m trying to create but the relationship I’m seeking to enjoy.

The specific prayers of Jesus for you and me never end, and there’s one prayer whose vision is most important of all.

The angels sang “Glory to God,” but Jesus demonstrated God’s glory in all he did and said.

Most of us have watched a child make his requests to Santa Claus. No harm in that, of course, unless we tend to think this is something like our relationship with God.

Jesus knew some would hate him and others would hate those who love him. Even though this is still happening today, we can move forward with love.

There always seems to be a frenetic pace in December. Everything we were doing the first 11 months of the year continues, but December adds a significant amount of extras.

Since loneliness is so rampant in our culture, how can Christians begin to address this issue? Three thoughts come to mind.

The message of Jesus to the churches who first received John’s Revelation was, “I know your works.” As we read, we can imagine him saying the same to us.

We need not debate about organic farming when we come to Christ’s command to bear fruit by staying connected to the true vine.

There is only one pathway to peace on earth. And the treaties and diplomacy of human governments will never achieve it, at least not for long.

We need more than magic at Christmas, and Dolly seems to know this. So does the apostle John.

With Christmas rapidly approaching, we may find ourselves making a mistake similar to the one the disciples made in the Upper Room.

My entire working life has been either as a professor in a Christian college or the preacher of a local church. It seems axiomatic that I would model faith in both of those contexts. But sometimes what we think is “axiomatic” may be a cover-up for what is utterly missing.