Author Archives: Brad Raby

6 For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us,and the government will be on his shoulders.He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.– Isaiah 9:6-7 Just about every epic story from Braveheart to Star Wars centers around the same theme: Freedom and Peace for beloved people.Continue reading “Advent Gifts: The Prince of Peace”

6 For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us,and the government will be on his shoulders.He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.– Isaiah 9:6-7 The Advent Gift, the Child given to us, is so magnificent our language cannot comprehensively describe Him. In this penultimate prophesy,Continue reading “Advent Gifts: Mighty God & Everlasting Father”

For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us,and the government will be on his shoulders.He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.– Isaiah 9:6-7 As we continue to reflect on the Gift of Advent, Jesus – Emmanuel, God with us, let us examine the beauty andContinue reading “Advent Gifts | A Wonderful Counselor”

The irony of the Magi presenting gifts to Jesus was that Jesus Himself was a gift to those kings. And not just to the Magi, but to all of humanity.

“And Mary said: “My soul praises the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, because he has looked with favor on the humble condition of his servant.”  Luke 1:46-48a In a world bereft of it, finding joy can be a tall order, not to mention a foolish expectation. Our encountersContinue reading “Joy for the Subordinated”

“and David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah…” – Matthew 1:6 No matter what happens in our life, good or bad, we can be confident that the list of Jesus’ ancestors in Matthew 1 is a testimony to God’s perfect and joyous design long before we were born and will continueContinue reading “Joy Comes in the Morning”

“Joy? JOY!? Where are you?” Proceeds to rummage around in the dark “I can’t find you.” shakily “If I just search long enough, or maybe, maybe if I try harder I can find you…” This time of year reminds me of a single-lit candle on a canvas of black. If you grew up in churchContinue reading “Where is Joy?”

“When [the wise men] saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” – Matthew 2:10-11 Here He is! The baby that soContinue reading “Overwhelming Joy”

Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say rejoice. – Philippians 4:4 I memorized this verse years ago, but I’m not sure there has ever been a year where I have repeated this verse more than 2021. Twenty years ago, I was unaware that the man who penned those words was bound in prison.Continue reading “Rejoice. Then Rejoice Again.”

“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? – 2 Samuel 7:18 David was the shepherd king of Israel. He was quite literally taken from the pasture to the palace and called a man after God’s own heart. He made many mistakes, experienced trials, enduredContinue reading “The Joy of a Promise Kept”