Ken Winter
On To Our Paran

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After having camped at Mount Sinai for almost a year, the cloud lifted and the Israelites set out on their three-day journey to the wilderness of Paran.(1) (You may recall that the wilderness of Paran is where Hagar and Ishmael found refuge when Sarah had Abraham send them away.(2)) The wilderness of Paran was bounded to the north by southern Canaan, otherwise known as the Promised Land. They were in the fourteenth month of their exodus from Egypt and they were now closing in on the prize that was before them – the Promised Land!

On To Our Paran
Ken Winter
Bread That Is Sufficient

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The day God provided a ram to be sacrificed in the place of his son Isaac, Abraham called that place Jehovah Jireh, meaning “The Lord will provide.”(1) That day was to be a reminder to all generations that the Lord will provide. He will be faithful to provide just what is needed at the exact time it is needed. He is seldom early; but He is never late! He seldom provides in the manner we anticipate; but He always provides in a way that is sufficient. That was true for Abraham and Isaac, it was true for Moses and the Israelites, and it is true for us today.

God promised Moses and the Israelites that each morning He would provide bread that would be sufficient for every person for the day – everyone would have their fill.(2) After the people had gotten over the shock that this “white, flaky stuff” was God’s bread for them, they set about the process of gathering what was needed for their household. God’s provision, though “packaged” in a very unexpected way, came with very specific instructions.

Bread That Is Sufficient
Ken Winter
Chosen to Serve

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There is no such thing as a perfect church. That statement does not come as a shock to any of us, whether we are a part of a church … or not. However, i do believe that those of us inside the church often tend to want everyone to believe we have it all together. We have a tendency to hide the “real me” behind a mask and cover up the things, the hurts, the doubts, and the imperfections that we don’t want anyone else to see. (It’s similar to the way most of us – believers and non-believers alike – tend to portray ourselves on social media.)

i also believe that those outside the church often project that false impression – that we think we’re perfect – upon the church, and enjoy highlighting the downfall of those within the church when they fall.

No, the church isn’t perfect, but then again, it never has been! But we endeavor to worship, follow, and follow the example of the only One who is and ever was perfect.

Chosen to Serve
Ken Winter
Perilous Times

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We live in a day filled with upheaval, confusion, and uncertainty. It therefore comes as no surprise that the rates of depression, anxiety, and fearfulness about the future continue to reach new highs  among adults in the U. S. according to a Gallup poll published in May 2023.(1) But as followers of Christ, we can take heart that the perilous times in which we find ourselves are also indicative of the days to come that Jesus described two thousand years ago. We can embrace the hope we have through the promises and assurance He gave to His disciples—and through them, to us.

Jesus was sitting on the slopes of the Mount of Olives with His disciples telling them about the perilous times that would signal the end of the age and His return.(2) The disciples, in turn, asked Him three questions:

1.    When will all this happen?

2.    What sign will signal Your return?

3.    What sign will signal the end of the world?

Perilous Times
Ken Winter
His Face Was Set

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The New King James translation of Luke 9:51 says “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Jesus to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.” The timeframe of this particular journey recorded in Luke 9 was well over a year before Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday. He still had much yet to do, messages yet to preach, and miracles yet to perform. But in this verse, Luke is reminding us that Jesus never lost sight of why the Father had sent Him. No matter what was on His “to do list,” His face was always set, His eye was always focused, and His stride never wavered from His ultimate purpose.

Sometimes, as we remember the events of Holy Week, we can fall into a trap of thinking that Jesus’s crucifixion was the result of Judas’s betrayal, the Sanhedrin’s envy and hatred, Pilate’s spinelessness, and the soldiers’ cruelty. We can be lulled into thinking His death was involuntary. And salvation was the result of God taking something that the enemy meant for evil and using it for His glory and our good.

His Face Was Set

Not Too Little To Know

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

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

* * * * *

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

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

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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….

Advent - Sarah's Story

Advent - Sarah's Story

NOTE: Three weeks ago i began posting a series of five short stories surrounding the incarnational birth of Jesus. These stories are fictional first-person accounts of the prophecies and events surrounding the advent of Jesus. Some of the characters and details are fictional, but you will find the truth they convey to be very REAL! My prayer is that, through the telling, you are reminded of the Good News of Advent this Christmas season. To that end, let’s look at the account through the eyes of five very different individuals:

Mary – the virgin (November 18)

Eli – the father of Mary (November 25)

Miriam – the hostess (December 2)

Sarah – the granddaughter of Miriam (This Week – December 9)

Levi – the rabbi in Bethlehem (December 16)

* * * * *

Hello! My name is Sarah and I am eight years old. I live in the town of Bethlehem in my grandparents’ home with my mom, dad, uncles, aunts, brothers, sister, and cousins. There are eighteen of us living in the same house. And my aunt is expecting a baby, so guess how many will be in our house then? Nineteen!

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