Ken Winter
His Dwelling Place

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What does it mean to live in the shelter of the Most High and to find rest in His shadow? This is how Psalm 91 begins—a psalm many attribute to Moses. i believe that attribution is fitting. Moses is the one who carried Jehovah God’s instructions to His people for constructing the Tabernacle in the wilderness. He witnessed the fabrication of each part and completed the last of the work.

The Tabernacle was completed exactly as the Lord specified and was erected on the first anniversary of Israel’s departure from Egypt. That day, the Lord’s glorious presence descended upon it, covering and filling it with His awesome glory. His presence, previously seen in the guiding pillar of cloud, now took residence within His dwelling place among the people. From that day on, as His Spirit led, the people moved forward; when His Spirit remained in the Tabernacle, the people encamped.

His Dwelling Place
Ken Winter
An Unknown God

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In many ways, our world today mirrors the one in which the apostle Paul set out to share the Good News of Jesus. We have become so post-Christian that society now resembles a pre-Christian culture, where there is little knowledge or memory of Jesus. In this sense, we are not unlike the city of Athens, where Paul once preached.

After leaving Thessalonica, Paul brought the gospel to Berea. When the Jews in Thessalonica heard that the message had reached Berea, they traveled there to disrupt his work. Despite the opposition, many in Berea believed in Jesus. Sensing the danger Paul was in, the new believers encouraged him to leave the city. Some of them accompanied him as he departed for Athens, while Silas and Timothy remained to disciple the new believers.

While waiting for Silas and Timothy in Athens, Paul went to the synagogue on the Sabbath and spent the other days in the public square….

An Unknown God
Ken Winter
Between the Already and the Not Yet

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* * * * *

As Jesus sat on the slopes of the Mount of Olives, teaching His disciples, He began this particular discourse with the admonition, “be on the alert,” and concluded with the exact same words. In reading His words in the Gospel of Matthew, we see that He directed this message to four distinct “audiences.”

First, He addressed His disciples' specific questions. Second, since Jesus’ earthly ministry focused primarily on the Jewish people, this message was also directed to them. Third, He spoke to His church—those who would follow after Him, including us today, who will be with Him in heaven before the Tribulation. (By the way, as a side note—as His people we will escape the Tribulation, but He never promised that we will escape tribulation.) Fourth, He was speaking to His followers who would come to faith in Him during the Tribulation (after the rapture, but before His second coming).

For those of us in that third group—believers following Him today—we live in a place between the “already” and the “not yet.”

Between the Already and the Not Yet
Ken Winter
Simple Stories, Profound Truths

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When Jesus spoke to the crowds, He often used simple stories (parables) to communicate profound truths about the Kingdom of God. Have you ever gotten confused over what Jesus was saying? If so, you’re in good company because even the apostles were confused—until they were filled with the Holy Spirit. The good news is, if we are followers of Jesus, we have that same Holy Spirit inside of us to reveal all truth.

Once, the disciples asked Him, “Why do You use parables when You talk to the people?” Jesus replied, “To those who listen to My teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.” He added, “I use parables because they look, but don’t really see. They hear, but don’t really listen or understand.”

Jesus was emphasizing profound truths ….

Simple Stories, Profound Truths
Ken Winter
No More Manna

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Have you recently lost a job or seen a significant income stream dry up? Are you feeling discouraged or confused about what’s happening? Are you struggling to make sense of an unexpected change in your life? There’s a lesson to be learned from the Israelites’ experience soon after they crossed into the Promised Land.

Few Israelites were old enough to remember the days before they ate manna. For them, it had become a basic staple of their diet—like fresh ground peanut butter is for me today. The generation that perished in the wilderness had been the ones grumbling, “If only the LORD had killed us back in Egypt… There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”God responded to their complaints and miraculously provided them with manna.

No More Manna

Advent

A Story for Advent: Ashriel

A Story for Advent: Ashriel

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NOTE: This week i am posting the last of my four stories for the season of Advent about the incarnational birth of Jesus. My hope is that the stories become a part of your Advent tradition as you remember and celebrate the Good News of the advent of our Lord and Savior.

Each of the four stories is an adolescent’s eyewitness account of the circumstances surrounding the advent of Jesus. The last three eyewitnesses are fictional and represent the many who would have been present at the advent of Jesus, but are not named in Scripture. Though some of the characters and details contained in each story are fictional, you will find that the truth they reveal is very REAL!

To that end, this week we will hear from Ashriel, the great-grandson of Simeon.

 

Part 1 as told by Isaac, the son of Abraham (November 29th)

Part 2 as told by Salome, the friend of Mary (December 6th)

Part 3 as told by Yanzu, the servant of Balthazar(December 13th)

Part 4 as told by Ashriel, the great-grandson of Simeon (This week - December 20th) 

* * * * *

My name is Ashriel and I am ten years old…..

A Story for Advent: Yanzu

A Story for Advent: Yanzu

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* * * * *

NOTE: As you probably already know, i am posting a weekly story for the season of Advent about the incarnational birth of Jesus. My hope is that the stories become a part of your Advent tradition as you remember and celebrate the Good News of the advent of our Lord and Savior.

Each of the four stories is an adolescent’s eyewitness account of the circumstances surrounding the advent of Jesus. The last three eyewitnesses are fictional and represent the many who would have been present at the advent of Jesus, but are not named in Scripture. Though some of the characters and details contained in each story are fictional, you will find that the truth they reveal is very REAL!

To that end, this week we will hear from Yanzu, a servant who accompanied the magi.

Part 1 as told by Isaac, the son of Abraham (November 29th)

Part 2 as told by Salome, the friend of Mary (December 6th)

Part 3 as told by Yanzu, the servant of Balthazar (This week - December 13th)

Part 4 as told by Ashriel, the great-grandson of Simeon (December 20th) 

* * * * *

I am an eleven-year-old boy named Yanzu….

A Story for Advent: Salome

A Story for Advent: Salome

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

NOTE: As i indicated last week, i am posting a weekly story for the season of Advent about the incarnational birth of Jesus. My hope is that the stories become a part of your Advent tradition as you remember and celebrate the Good News of the advent of our Lord and Savior.

Each of the four stories is an adolescent’s eyewitness account of the circumstances surrounding the advent of Jesus. The last three eyewitnesses are fictional and represent the many who would have been present at the advent of Jesus, but are not named in Scripture. Though some of the characters and details contained in each story are fictional, you will find that the truth they reveal is very REAL!

To that end, this week we will hear from Salome, a young neighbor who befriends Mary.

Part 1 as told by Isaac, the son of Abraham (November 29th)

Part 2 as told by Salome, the friend of Mary (This week - December 6th)

Part 3 as told by Yanzu, the servant of Balthazar (December 13th)

Part 4 as told by Ashriel, the great-grandson of Simeon (December 20th) 

* * * * *

My name is Salome and I live in the town of Nazareth….

A Story for Advent: Isaac

A Story for Advent: Isaac

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* * * * *

NOTE: Those of you who have subscribed to this blog for more than a year know that it is my annual practice to post a weekly story for the season of Advent about the incarnational birth of Jesus. My hope is that the stories become a part of your Advent tradition as you remember and celebrate the Good News of the advent of our Lord and Savior.

This year i have chosen to share the eyewitness accounts of four adolescents, beginning with Isaac, the son of Abraham. i have included his story so that we might be reminded of the promise of a Savior even dating back to the days of Genesis. The remaining three accounts are from fictional characters who represent the nameless individuals who experienced the circumstances surrounding the advent of Jesus. Though some of the characters and details contained in each story are fictional, you will find that the truth they reveal is very REAL!

To that end, let’s look at each part of this story through the eyes of these four very different eyewitnesses:

Part 1 as told by Isaac, the son of Abraham (This week – November 29th)

Part 2 as told by Salome, the friend of Mary (December 6th)

Part 3 as told by Yanzu, the servant of Balthazar (December 13th)

Part 4 as told by Ashriel, the great-grandson of Simeon (December 20th) 

* * * * *

My name is Isaac and I am the fourteen-year-old son of Abraham….

An Advent Story (Part 4) – Annas the scribe

An Advent Story (Part 4) – Annas the scribe

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* * * * *

NOTE: This is the last of four stories i have posted for this Advent season about the incarnational birth of Jesus. Each one, as you already know if you have been following along, is a fictional first-person account of the events that surrounded our Savior’s birth. Though some of the characters and details contained in each story are fictional, you will find the truth they convey to be very REAL!

Part 1 as told by Jacob the elder (November 30th)

Part 2 as told by Clopas the uncle (December 7th)

Part 3 as told by Eliezer the cousin (December 14th)

Part 4 as told by Annas the scribe (This week - December 21st)

This week you will hear from a scribe named Annas. His name should sound familiar to you. He would eventually become a high priest in Jerusalem, and he, together with his son-in-law Caiaphas, would be instrumental in the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus. At the time of Jesus’s birth, however, he would have been a young man. So, let’s consider the possibility that his first knowledge of the existence of the King of kings was at the time of Christ’s birth. Let’s listen to this young, ambitious scribe as he shares his eyewitness account of this portion of the Advent story.

* * * * *

My name is Annas and I am a young scribe serving in the court of King Herod the Great….

An Advent Story (Part 3) – Eliezer the cousin

An Advent Story (Part 3) – Eliezer the cousin

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* * * * *

NOTE: This is the third of four stories i am posting for this Advent season about the incarnational birth of Jesus. These are fictional first-person accounts of the events that surrounded His birth. Though some of the characters and details contained in these stories are fictional, you will find the truth they convey to be very REAL!

Part 1 as told by Jacob the elder (November 30th)

Part 2 as told by Clopas the uncle (December 7th)

Part 3 as told by Eliezer the cousin (This week - December 14th)

Part 4 as told by Annas the scribe (December 21st)

This week you will hear from a fictional character by the name of Eliezer. He is the son of Joseph’s fictional cousin, Achim. Achim, his wife Miriam, and all their family reside in Bethlehem. You heard about some of what Mary and Joseph encountered last week from Clopas. So let’s continue with the advent story through his eyewitness account.

* * * * *

I am Achim and Miriam’s youngest son, Eliezer….

An Advent Story (Part 2) – Clopas the uncle

An Advent Story (Part 2) – Clopas the uncle

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

NOTE: Starting last week and continuing for the next two weeks, i am posting a total of four stories about the incarnational birth of Jesus. They are fictional first-person accounts of the events that surrounded the advent of Jesus. Some of the characters and details contained in each story are fictional, but you will find the truth they convey to be very REAL!

My prayer is that through the stories you are reminded of the Good News of the Advent this Christmas season. To that end, let’s look at each part of this story through the eyes of four very different eyewitnesses:

Part 1 as told by Jacob the elder (November 30th)

Part 2 as told by Clopas the uncle (This week – December 7th)

Part 3 as told by Eliezer the cousin (December 14th)

Part 4 as told by Annas the scribe (December 21st)

This week you will hear from Clopas the uncle. Some historians and scholars believe that Clopas was the younger brother of Joseph, and as such, he would have had a unique perspective on the events that were unfolding. So let’s continue with the advent story through his eyewitness account.

* * * * *

My name is Clopas. I am the son of Jacob the carpenter, and the younger brother of Joseph. I was born in Cana of Galilee and lived there for much of my life….

An Advent Story (Part 1) – Jacob the elder

An Advent Story (Part 1) – Jacob the elder

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

NOTE: As has become my annual practice, beginning today and for the next three weeks, i will be posting a total of four stories about the incarnational birth of Jesus. They are fictional first-person accounts of the events that surrounded the advent of Jesus. Some of the characters and details contained in each story are fictional, but you will find the truth they convey to be very REAL!

My prayer is that through the stories you are reminded of the Good News of the Advent this Christmas season. To that end, let’s look at each part of this story through the eyes of four very different eyewitnesses:

Part 1 as told by Jacob the elder (This week – November 30th)

Part 2 as told by Clopas the uncle (December 7th)

Part 3 as told by Eliezer the cousin (December 14th)

Part 4 as told by Annas the scribe (December 21st)

* * * * *

I am Jacob, the leading elder and rabbi in Nazareth….

An Advent Story - Anna

An Advent Story - Anna

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

NOTE: This is the last of four short stories i am posting this Advent season about the incarnational birth of Jesus. They are fictional first-person accounts of the prophecies and events surrounding the advent of Jesus. Some of the characters and details contained therein are fictional, but you will find the truth they convey to be very REAL! My prayer is that through the stories you are reminded of the Good News of Advent this Christmas season.

The stories include:

Gabriel – the angel (December 1)

Zechariah – the priest (December 8)

Elizabeth – the cousin (December 15)

Anna – the prophetess (This week - December 22)

* * * * *

I am Anna, considered by some to be a prophetess….

An Advent Story - Elizabeth

An Advent Story - Elizabeth

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

NOTE: This is the third of four short stories i am posting this Advent season about the incarnational birth of Jesus. They are fictional first-person accounts of the prophecies and events surrounding the advent of Jesus. Some of the characters and details contained therein are fictional, but you will find the truth they convey to be very REAL! My prayer is that through the stories you are reminded of the Good News of Advent this Christmas season.

The stories include:

Gabriel – the angel (December 1)

Zechariah – the priest (December 8)

Elizabeth – the cousin (This week - December 15)

Anna – the prophetess (December 22)

* * * * *

I am Elizabeth, the wife of Zechariah, and I am a blessed woman….

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