Hope Alliance Bethlehem

The gospel of John reminds us that the resurrection isn't just factually true, but also the climax of God's grand narrative of creation.   And so its no surprise we find Jesus in a garden being mista…

God continues to respond to the rebellion of the Israelites with grace.  In this case, he graciously reaffirms the role and responsibilities of the Levites and the role and function of the priests to…

Korah leads a rebellion assuming that his standing means he can assert himself as a priest.  But God reminds all of Israel that he has chosen rightly with Aaron.  Whereas Korah attempted to elevate h…

The story of the 12 spies shows us that is entirely possible to be presented with the same facts on the ground and come to entirely different conclusions.  That is, as people of God, we can either vi…

As grumbling overtakes Israel, Moses is overwhelmed and Miriam and Aaron are envious - two emotions that are common amongst us!  To each of them God demonstrates his grace, just in different ways.  G…

Three days into the journey and the Israelites are grumbling.  How does this happen?  The same way it regularly happens in our lives.  We cling to a sense of entitlement that shifts our perspective o…

The cloud not only demonstrated God's purpose, but it would lead God's people on their journey.  And in his kindness he provided two silver trumpets to help clarify this leading.  Just like the Israe…

Passover was a mandatory celebration for God's people because it helped them remember and embrace their identity.  But Passover was always pointing to something greater.  In Jesus, we have the ultima…

Israel was God's people.  He had adopted them, literally placing his name on them.  And in so doing he promised to bless them.  Blessing meant keeping and protecting them, taking delight in them, ext…

Impurity amongst the people of God is a big deal in the face of a holy God.  And as God is about to depart with his people on a journey he wants to know if they are going to be faithful.  The book of…

The role of the Levites was critical to the function of the people of God.  They protected, assisted with and transported the tabernacle in the wilderness.  Through Jesus the presence of God is once …

Why start a book with a census?  To demonstrate the faithfulness of God to his people.  What started as a promise of a great nation had played out before their eyes.  What's more, God not only keeps …

Gabriel's final statement to Mary is the closing argument to his plea to not be afraid.  Nothing is impossible with God.  This no doubt brought to mind the power of God in creation and in keeping his…

God delivers on His many promises from over many years to crown a new King David.  Jesus reigns with the heart of God and delivers his people to salvation, justice, and righteousness.  

When Gabriel tells Mary her baby will be the Son of God, he is saying that the child will be Israel's long awaited Messiah - chosen by God to rescue his people and in so doing announce their forgiven…

When Gabriel tells Mary that she is going to have a child, her mind must have heard the echos of Abraham and Issac, but mostly Samson.  Just like Jesus, Samson's birth was announced to a common and u…

What does it mean that Mary found favor with God?  Simply speaking, God had extended himself toward her in grace.  And just like Noah and Moses before her, God intended to demonstrate his glory and f…

The people of God are called to be generous because God is generous.  But living in generosity can be a challenging reality because we often have misplaced hope.  It is only through hope rightly plac…

Elders are entrusted to oversee the church toward gospel fidelity, doctrinal purity and fulfilling Jesus' mission for the church.   They do this not for personal gain or positions of power and status…

In the same way as gathering is an important part of our identity as the people of God, so too is our scattering.  We have been commissioned to make disciples and this takes place literally "as we ar…