Horatio Spafford

MARY – HEART OF AN UNLIKELY HERO!

(December 20, 2023) Richard Winter challenges…

You can be anywhere in the world and know the essentials of the Christmas story. The basics are –

  • Mary, merely a young girl engaged to be married to Joseph, is pregnant.
  • Her explanation? It’s a miracle from God.
  • Trouble explodes! Joseph wants out and plans a quiet divorce.
  • God sends an angel to Joseph revealing it’s all OK – so go ahead with the marriage.
  • This baby is His and will be the Saviour of Israel and the world!

Thought: Aren’t you impressed with those ‘Christmas-centred’ angelic messengers? Boy, were they busy! There was Mary, visited by the archangel Gabriel (Luke 1:26-35), Joseph (Matthew 1:20), and the astounded shepherds (Luke 2:8-15).

But let’s think about Mary… though she has always been considered one of the heroes of the Christian faith, I think it’s safe to say she was an unlikely hero. She just doesn’t exactly fit a hero profile. Why unlikely? you might ask.

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STORMS OF LIFE…

(September 13, 2022) Brian Bell shares comforting words to those troubled in these uncertain times…

Think for a moment on Psalm 107:23NASB, ‘Those who go down to the sea in ships…’ What one natural element of creation did Jonah, Jesus’ disciples, and Paul experience in their lives?

  • Jonah…

The Lord had called him to go to Nineveh, but Jonah had other plans and took a to go in the opposite direction. A fierce storm beset the ship and caused him to end up in the belly of a great fish.

  • Jesus’ disciples…

They were quite familiar with the Sea of Galilee, yet while crossing the sea in their boatone day a great storm blew up causing even those hardened fishermen to fear for their lives.

  • Paul…

The apostle was on his way to Rome under Roman guard when the ship in which they were sailingwas caught in a severe storm and they were shipwrecked on the shores of the island of Malta.

Yes… storms! Contemplating vessels and storms, makes me think about sea and other disasters…

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