Tag Archives: Advent
It is Christmas Eve! Our Lord is coming!
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. -Revelation 22:16-17, KJV
In the beginning, God created everything, including us. We sinned and messed it all up.
God sent His messengers throughout history to warn us and guide back to Him, including the shadows of His own Son in people like Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, and King David.
Then Jesus came to redeem us through the line of David, by dying on the cross.
May we never grow weary of hearing it: He died to save us from our sins!
Those of us who believe it are members of His Bride – the Church – and He offers His Bride the living water that is the Holy Spirit.
We shall find an end to all suffering, pain, thirst, and hunger upon His return.
Therefore, we echo the words of Him and the Apostle John from Revelation 22:20:
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
1 Comment | tags: Advent, Amen, Bride, Bridegroom, Christ, Christmas, Christmas Hope, Church, Come, Coming, Creation, Holy Spirit, hope, Jesus, Living water, Lord, Peace, Revelation, Second Coming | posted in Creation, hope, Jesus
Welcome to the fourth week of Advent!
Tradition holds that the final week of Advent is all about Love and Adoration for our Lord and Savior.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. -Philippians 2:9-11, KJV
Jesus, the God-Man, came and lived as one of us to redeem us from death into life. Because of this, He has been exalted by the Father. How much more should we make Jesus famous around the world?
The day is quickly coming when the choice to love and worship Jesus will be taken away. We will either be in the group that gets to love and worship Him for eternity or the group that is in anguish and hates Him, so may we go out to help convince as many as we can to follow Him now!
Exalted Lord, thank You for loving us and coming for us. Help us to spread Your love to our world.
5 Comments | tags: Adoration, Advent, Christ, Christmas, Christmas Hope, Coming, Desire, Jesus, love, praise, Second Coming, worship | posted in desire, Jesus, Love
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. -John 18:36-37, KJV
Photo by Min An on Pexels.com
As we round out the third week of Advent, we shift our focus from the earthly ministry of Jesus to His Kingdom.
This world will never fully see the Kingdom of Heaven, just a taste through its subjects, we Christians who spread the Kingdom throughout this fallen world. We carry His voice to every corner of the planet.
And what is Jesus saying through us?
“You have rebelled against your Creator, and your sins are immeasurable. But I came to redeem you back to Me, to cleanse you of your sins, and one day I am returning to bring you home.”
Be of good cheer, dear Christian. You are cleaned and redeemed, and He is coming again soon!
King Jesus, continue to make us faithful citizens of Your Kingdom, and move through us to reach this world for Your glory.
1 Comment | tags: Advent, Christ, Christmas, Christmas Hope, Coming, Heaven, Jesus, King, Kingdom, Pilate, Pontious, Relationship, relationships, Reward, Second Coming, Word of the Lord | posted in Relationships, Reward, Word of the Lord
Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. -Hebrews 2:14-15, KJV
Through Mary came the first Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ – who, although He had the form of God, considered equality with God something to be grasped and therefore emptied Himself to take on the form of a servant (Philippians 2:6-7), took on flesh and blood to become one of us to take on our penalty for sin.
I will repeat it again, as I have in the past: the entire reason Jesus came was to die to remove our sin!
So, now we have a great joy, for we know that in His first coming Jesus overcame death and defeated the one who held the power to hold us in fear of death.
We have joy, because our enemies – death and the Devil – are defeated. The battles rage on, for now, but the war was won 2000 years ago, when Jesus smashed through Satan’s hold on us and made us children of God.
Lord of all, fill us with Your joy this season and all seasons as we remember what You have done for us.
4 Comments | tags: Advent, children, Children of God, Christmas, Christmas Hope, Coming, death, Defeat, Defeated, destroy, Destruction, Devil, Emptied, Father, Fear, God, hope, Jesus, Joy, Lord, Satan, Second Coming | posted in hope
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. – John 19:25, KJV
What was the whole reason Jesus made His first coming to the Earth?
To die as a propitiation for our sins on the cross.
And of all of the thousands who followed Him during His ministry, the 120 disciples who remained the most faithful, the remaining 11 Apostles, and His family, who remained nearby at His death?
The Apostle John and a few women, including His mother, Mary. She may not have understood everything Jesus did or taught, but she stayed near Him even at His supposed end.
And there is our example: like Jesus’ mother, we do not always understand how God is moving, how what is happening can work out for good, or how His Kingdom will come to full fruition; but we do know He has promised to return to fully redeem us and banish all evil pain and suffering, though we may not understand the whole plan.
And we, too, shall remain faithful until the end, by the power of blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. (Revelation 12:11)
Our great God, strengthen our faith, because You are faithful, and grant us peace, patience, and wisdom as we wait for Your return.
1 Comment | tags: Advent, Christmas, Christmas Hope, Coming, Faithful, Faithfulness, Follow, Follower, God, Gospel, Jesus, John, Knowledge, Mary, Mother, Patience, Peace, promises, Second Coming, The Cross, The Mary's, Understanding | posted in Faithfulness, Jesus, Peace, Promises
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. -Luke 2:19, KJV
The song “Mary, Did You Know” asks several questions about what Mary knew about her newborn Son before He grew up.
For most of those questions, the answer is basically “yes.” She may not have understood the full depth of things nor known of the specifics of how it would happen, but she thought about it.
She and Joseph wondered at shepherds and wealthy foreigners coming to visit this baby of hers. She heard prophecies about this boy growing up to bring peace and healing to faithful people of God, taking over the government, and suffering for the sins of the world.
And what does she do hearing all of this?
. . . but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. -Luke 2:51b
May we be a people who treasure God’s Word in our hearts and minds, pondering them and sharing the good news that Jesus has come to take away our sins, as prophesied, and is prophesied to come again for the full redemption of His faithful servants.
Lord Jesus, give us a love for Your Word, teaching us to memorize Scripture and share Your love and forgiveness, as well as Your immanent return.
1 Comment | tags: Advent, Affection, Christmas, Christmas Hope, Coming, devotion, Heart, Jesus, Joseph, Knowledge, Mary, Mary Did You Know, Mother, Ponder, Pondered, Second Coming, treasure, Word, Word of the Lord | posted in affection, Knowledge
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus. -Matthew 1:19-25, KJV
With Jesus’ first advent, we can not forget that His mother was yet unmarried at His conception . . . but she was betrothed to be married.
Just as Mary sought understanding about how she could be able to conceive without a man, Joseph wanted to do the right thing, and understanding was needed.
He had the understanding that Mary had cheated on him, because that was the obvious perception. Being an upright individual, he planned to discretely break up with her to prevent her having too much shame. It took God sending an angel to correct him, to see that God had indeed made this pregnancy happen to bring about the coming salvation of God’s people. He quickly changed his mind, and married Mary, even knowing he would have to wait until Jesus was born “to know her” and that it might even bring ridicule on himself, as well. (Either it appeared Mary was unfaithful, or that they had not waited until their wedding.)
Likewise, we should be slow to assume things about people based on appearances and ready to show grace and love toward them. We may go against what everyone else is saying and make ourselves look silly or “condoning of sin,” but it is what our Lord and His earthly parents did.
And claiming He is coming again looks foolish to our fallen world. (See 2 Peter 3) Following Jesus has a cost. (See Luke 14:25-33)
Lord, help us to be faithful servants who love the unlovable, as You did us, and to proclaim Your coming again!
1 Comment | tags: Advent, Appearance, Birth, Character, cheating, Christ, Christmas, Christmas Hope, Coming, Faithful, Father, Jesus, Joseph, love, Mary, Parent, Parents, Pregnancy, Repent, salvation, Second Coming, Silliness, Silly, struggles, Understanding, Unfaithful, Unlovable | posted in Fools, Love, Relationships
And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. -Luke 1:46-50, KJV
During Jesus’ first advent to among His people, we must remember that the God of all Creation came as a baby.
Contrary to recent ideas being offered, God did not force Himself on young Mary against her consent. In verse 38, we see her response to learning she would be mother to “the son of God”: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” She felt honored to be the one chosen for such an opportunity.
Do we feel this way about God’s plans, will, and expectations? Are we able to hear the call to serve, even when it will be inconvenient, potentially ruinous to our reputations, and possibly painful?
Can you reply like Mary? Can you say, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior?” Are you willing to to praise God and let Him do great things through you, especially sharing the good news of Jesus Christ to redeem lost souls?
Are you willing to help usher in Christ’s second advent?
Heavenly Father, give us a heart like Mary’s: willing to serve to and sacrifice for Your glory, even when it is inconvenient and painful, and praise You in the process.
1 Comment | tags: Advent, Christmas, Christmas Hope, Coming, Father, God, God the Father, God's Will, God's Word, Humble, Lord, Luke, Magnificat, Magnify, Mary, Mother, Rejoice, Rejoiced, Rejoicing, Second Coming, Servant, Son of God, Soul, spirit, Willing | posted in desire, Love
Welcome to the third week of Advent!
Tradition holds that the third week of Advent is about the joy and peace we find in the Messiah, with Mary, the mother of Jesus, being our example. We finally begin to see the the connection from seeing our need for a Savior to discovering and sharing the news of that Savior to beginning to see some of the rewards of following the Savior.
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. -Luke 1:38
But those rewards rest on our response to what God has done.
(This is not to claim that we can do anything to earn salvation. This is also not the place to have a major soteriological debate [hash out matters and merits of salvation, i.e. over Calvinism, Arminianism, and the like]. Please enjoy the thoughts today, and head over to the Proverbial Thought Extra Facebook page if you want to dialogue with us, or you can leave a respectful comment.)
Contrary to what many teach today, God will give us more than we can handle. It encourages us to rest in Him, trust that He knows what He is doing, and let His power flow through us by the Holy Spirit.
Case in point, young Mary – who is yet to be married to Joseph at this juncture in the story of Christ – is told she is to carry the Son of God and give birth to Him.
Think about it: a young female, not yet married, in a society that limits what women can do with a religion that shuns the sexually impure, being told she is about to be pregnant. She is risking being ostracized by family and friends, thought a liar and a slut, and severely limiting her prospects for the future.
And how does she respond to this news?
“I am the Lord’s servant.”
How willing are we to be willing to the call of God?
We do not have to carry the baby Jesus to term, but we are tasked with carrying His Gospel to a fallen world.
We do not have to risk being labeled liars, but we risk being ridiculed for believing a man is God in the flesh, was killed, and came back to life.
We may not have to risk family and friends thinking we are crazy and abandoning us …
Actually, yes, we do.
Such is the cost of believing in and following Jesus. It may even cost us our lives.
If we want to find the joy and peace that comes with following Jesus, we first must be willing to actually follow Jesus. With all that it may cost us.
Emmanuel, thank You for coming to save us. Give us the resolve to pursue you throughout the world, or even to our literal neighbors and family.
2 Comments | tags: Advent, Christmas, Desire, faith, Faithful, Faithfulness, God's Will, Handmaid, Joy, Mary, Mother of God, Peace, response, rewards, Servant, Son of God, Willing, Willingness | posted in desire, Faithfulness
Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.
Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.
Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare his praise in the islands. -Isaiah 42:10-12
For many, calling out sin may not seem like the most important part of Advent and wonder where more of the joy is.
When you discover you are under punishment and then someone takes the punishment for you, you would naturally be quite happy.
When looking at John the Baptizer, it can be easy to forget that he was preacher of righteousness . . . which includes praising God!
Let this be a reminder to us that, yes, we are to call out sin where we see it, and, yes, we are to show people who Christ is and what He has done for us, but we should also show the world the joy that comes in being the redeemed of the Lord.
We sing a new song, a song of our salvation and gratitude to our Savior, and we should sing them for the world to hear and learn. They can help to point to Jesus while teaching the faithful to worship with all of our being.
Heavenly Father, give us a new song, and teach us to share it with the world.
1 Comment | tags: Advent, Christ, Christmas, Coming, Jesus, John the Baptist, John the Baptizer, New Song, Second Coming, sharing, Sing, Singing, Song, worship | posted in Faithfulness
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