Lisa J. Camp

The entrance to the Church of the Nativity Bethlehem, Israel Have you ever wondered why God chose Bethlehem as the birthplace of Jesus?  There were other more appropriate places that would have been just as pleased to go down in history as the place the Messiah made His debut.  There were more logical places even. Just ask the wise men... when they saw the Star in the East they came to worship the promised one of Israel by making their way to Jerusalem to find Him.  Jerusalem was the hub of religious activity for the Jewish people - the place where they made their way for their sacrifices and for important holy days.  Jerusalem was a place of rich history for the Jewish people and the home of the Temple with its "most holy place".  So why wouldn't Jesus have been born at the epicenter of such an important city? Many would argue for Bethlehem simply because it was the place identified in prophecy as the birthplace of the Messiah.  It was also the land of Jesus'

Read Psalm 29 On Tuesdays I meet with a group of friends, study the Psalms, and pray with one another.  It is one of my favorite moments of the week as we open the Bible, grab our concordances, cross-references, and study guides and discuss verse by verse the truth of God's Word.  It is truly alive and so powerful for those who will receive it.  Tonight we delved into Psalm 29 for rich dialogue on the mind-blowing power of the voice of the Lord.  It was awe inspiring.  As I drove home, I thought of what a privilege it was to have heard that voice through the pages of the Bible and the humbling promise that His sheep know His voice and respond. Then I realized that all the things that His voice does on the earth as outlined in this text, His voice also does in the human heart when we submit ourselves to hearing, receiving, and obeying His Word, His Voice.  Take note of all the verses in this passage that talk about God's voice and let's break them down. Verse 3 The

My Dad passed away on October 15th of this year.  We have assurance from the Bible that we'll be reunited again some day in the next reality, but it hasn't kept us from all the grief and sorrow that comes with the separation of death.  We have hope, but there's still mourning. Preparing for Dad's memorial service, we pulled together what pictures we could find for a video tribute to his life .  It was fascinating to see his story from beginning to end and realize the great work that God did in him over those 75 full years.   One picture seemed to stand out to me... the one you see here.  I remember it vividly.  This was taken in the mid-80s when Dad really began to write prolifically.  His poetry from this time in his life is profound and beautiful and has touched many.  He professionally printed and distributed scores of copies of his poems "Little Girl", "Little Boy", and "Mystique".  We used his poem "The Cross, The Cap and th