A Long Time ComingAfter their secret conference with Herod, the wise men took his advice and turned toward Bethlehem.Up to this point, one could argue that their getting this far was merely happenstance. Jewish exiles happened to talk about the future promises of their God. These notions happened to work their way down through academic circles in Babylon and later, Persia. A handful of wise men ha...  Read More

The Last LegA new star. Ancient scrolls. Legends of a rising king handed down through generations of wise men from a revered, transplanted sage. These components got the wise men so far, but not far enough. The capital city seemed like a logical destination to visit a new Hebrew king, but considering the lack of public response, no one seemed to know what they were talking about.Can you imagine th...  Read More

I See the LightLong ago, in a land far away, a wealthy, Persian caravan encamps outside Jerusalem. Distinguished, educated men move through the capital city asking about the location of the new king who was announced by an extraterrestrial abnormality.This is a stop on the wise men’s journey that we often forget about. Why didn’t they go straight to Bethlehem if that’s where the star was leading t...  Read More

Oh, It's PersonalThis is a tale of two invitations.A new star appears and is noticed by a group of sage-astrologer-scientist types in Persia. The wise men may not have been the only folks to notice the new star – after all, since Creation, new stars just don’t appear. But if others outside of royal courts did notice, few had enough exposure to other cultures or the linguistic and literary training...  Read More

More to the StoryFamiliarity breeds contempt. Or so the saying goes. If that proves true, that’s a particular danger as we read or teach through familiar biblical passages.  Why? Because if a passage has become familiar, that’s usually because it’s a crucial event or doctrine of the faith.When we are familiar with a text, we are tempted to skim and then possibly edit or add because another fly-by ...  Read More

Faithful Through Every GenerationWhen my son, Alvin III, departed for Australia in his twenties, seeking his own way, he went with my fervent prayers. Immediately upon arriving, he received an invitation from his new roommate, Wally, to attend a discipleship ministry school at Melbourne Life Christian Church. With no other plans, Alvin reluctantly agreed to join.At the ministry school, God lit fir...  Read More

Zechariah 12: 10 I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn....  Read More

Optimizing Divine AppointmentsAs we seek to pass faith on to the next generation, we will face moments where we have no idea what to do. When my son moved to Australia to get space from us and do his own thing, my husband and I had to let him go and trust his path to the Lord. But as I prayed for God’s will to be done in my son’s life, the Holy Spirit, knowing all the hearts involved, and the mind...  Read More

Putting in the WorkI wouldn’t say growing up in the Winans household was like boot camp, but my parents definitely ran a tight ship. For my first four years of life, I was the only girl among seven older brothers. You can imagine the chaos created by seven young men living in cramped quarters!When my parents were home, however, order reigned. They both believed discipline was a virtue. And when we...  Read More

An Underutilized ToolWhen I was a child, the Winans family was in church every Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Mom Winans didn’t care if we fully paid attention, she simply wanted us to be in the “atmosphere” of God’s house and God’s people.When I had my own children, we also made it a priority to attend church as a family. My children understood church was not optional. And that church was a safe...  Read More

Recognizing the BattleIn 2012, when my husband, Alvin, and I decided to pastor a church, the catalyst came through our son, Alvin III. In his mid-twenties at the time, our son was going through a crisis of faith. To get some distance from Mom and Dad, he moved from Nashville, Tenn. to Melbourne, Australia. Alvin wasn’t making terrible choices, but he was consumed with his music. He had earned a mu...  Read More

Zechariah 9:9-10Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.   will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; And the bow of war will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations; And His domi...  Read More