Advent Words Day 16 ~ Ponder

 

Day 16: Ponder

"Great are the works of the LORD;

they are pondered by all who delight in them.

Glorious and majestic are his deeds,

and his righteousness endures forever."

Psalm 111:2-3

 

Luke 2:1-20 tells the story of the birth of Jesus. We read in this passage that Joseph and Mary had to travel late in her pregnancy to go to the town of Bethlehem for a mandatory census. While in Bethlehem Mary goes into labor and her baby, Jesus, is born. Because they had not been able to find a room to rent, they had to use a stable. And so, Mary wrapped baby Jesus in cloths and placed him in a manger.

 

On that same night an angel of the Lord, shining with God's glory, appears to some shepherds at work in the fields. "Do not be afraid." He tells them. "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you: He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." At this news a "great company of heavenly host" appear. I imagine that they fill the sky and light it up as if the sun were shining. The angels begin to praise God.

"Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men on

whom his favor rests"

 

The shepherds immediately take off for Bethlehem and find Joseph and Mary and baby Jesus, wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger, just as the angel of the Lord had said. They spread the word the angel of the Lord had given them, that this baby lying in a manger is the Savior. He is Christ the Lord, the promised Messiah. All who heard this were amazed. The shepherds eventually returned to their home "glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard".

 

Stuck in this passage, right before the story ends, is one sentence with Mary's response to these events:

"Mary treasured up all these thing and pondered them in her heart."

We are given a clue to what Mary was treasuring and pondering in her heart. We have the events recorded by Luke in chapter 1 which reveal that Mary herself had been visited by an angel of the Lord. The angel had revealed to her the very things he revealed to the shepherds, so their words were not news to her, but rather confirmation. She had given birth to a king! Mary pondered the great, glorious and majestic works of the Lord. She reflected on them and treasured them in her heart. "The Mighty One has done great things for me - holy is his name." Luke 1:49

 

 

A line from the hymn Praise to the Lord, the Almighty comes to my mind,

Ponder anew what the Almighty can do…

 

I read about Mary's response and I think, "I want that kind of faith.” The kind of faith that immediately sees God's hand at work in every situation. A faith that is at rest in knowing that God will do as He has promised. Me, I probably would have focused on my circumstances, looking for a solution, and then turning to God in prayer once I had exhausted all of my own resources. But if you read chapters 1 and 2 of Luke, you see Mary, time after time, looking to the Lord and praising Him for His work in her life. You don't see a shred of doubt, not a glitch of worry or anxiety. She doesn't fret over her circumstances, or even try to manage them on her own. Mary is focused on God. For that kind of faith I think that Mary must have had a life that was filled with the Scriptures. And she alludes to that in her song in Luke 1:46-55, referencing the mighty works of the Lord in the past, in Israel's history. She would have heard in the temple the prophecies of the coming Savior, the Messiah - the One that was hoped for. When the angel came to her, she believed. I want Mary's kind of faith. I believe this is the role of the scriptures in our lives. I can read Mary's story and witness her faith and from it I can have hope. God used this young, humble teenage girl to birth the Savior of the world. Mary's faith in believing what God says he will do encourages me and is my example of how to live in faith and in hope.

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Advent Words Day 15 ~ Joy

 

Day 15: Joy

Today is the third Sunday of Advent. The theme for this week is joy.

“An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you: he is Christ, the Lord.”

Luke 2:9-11

 

I love the image that this scene in Luke's gospel brings to mind. Shepherds doing their nightly job of tending the sheep, when suddenly the sky is bright as daylight as God's glory shines and His angel appears. I imagine their great surprise and then immediate fear. But the angel of the Lord reassures them: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people."

During Advent we celebrate with joy Christ’s first coming – His coming in the flesh to walk and live among us. During Advent we also look forward with joy anticipating Christ’s second coming, “looking forward to [the promised] new heaven and new earth, the home of righteousness.” (2 Peter 3:13)

Advent is a journey to joy, but it is not we who are traveling. Joy is coming to us. ~ John Piper

At Christmas we are reminded that joy has come to us in human form. Joy has come to us to be our salvation, “You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) We join with those who witnessed His first arrival. We respond with joy as they did:

Mary’s response to having been chosen to bear God’s child: “And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” Luke 1:46-47 

The Magi: “When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” Matthew 2:10-11

The Angels: “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:14

"Good news that will cause great joy for all the people!"

A Savior has been born! Jesus, the one who would save people from their sins has come to earth. Emmanuel has come – God is with us. This is the Good News we still celebrate! Joy is at the heart of the life of the Christ-follower, for joy is our response to God’s gracious gift of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ.

"Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return.

    They will enter Jerusalem singing,

    crowned with everlasting joy.

Sorrow and mourning will disappear,

    and they will be filled with joy and gladness."

Isaiah 35:10 (NLT)

 

This week allow the journey of Advent to remind you of your joy in God’s gifts of grace, love and salvation given us through His Son Jesus Christ. And anticipate the joy we have to look forward to when He comes again.

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Advent Words Day 14 ~ Holy

 

Day 14: Holy

"Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;

make known among the nations what he has done.

Sing to him, sing praise to him;

tell of all his wonderful acts.

Glory in his holy name;

let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

Look to the Lord and his strength;

seek his face always.

Remember the wonders he has done,

his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced."

Psalm 105:1-5

 

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;

the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Isaiah 6:3

 

The Christmas carols that we are so familiar with hold so much truth and depth from the Scriptures. One of my favorites is ‘O Holy Night’.

 

O Holy Night!

The stars are brightly shining

It is the night of the dear Savior's birth!

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

Till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

 

"A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices" – The world seems overwhelmingly weary this year while we have faced a pandemic, multiple tragic hurricanes, wildfires raging out of control in the U.S. and Australia, politics raging out of control, divisiveness over everything from politics to mask wearing, the pains of racial injustice – the list could go on and on. It’s been a year full of tragedy, pain and suffering. The times have seemed dark and overwhelming and our weary souls need a thrill of hope to rejoice in. The Advent season reminds us that our longing for peace, for relief from pain and suffering, for ultimate justice and eternal hope is found in Christ. His coming is our 'thrill of hope'!

 

Fall on your knees

Oh hear the angel voices

Oh night divine

Oh night when Christ was born

Oh night divine

Oh night divine

 

 

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming

With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand

So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming

Here come the wise men from Orient land

The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger

In all our trials born to be our friend

 

 

Truly He taught us to love one another

His law is love and His gospel is peace

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother

And in His name all oppression shall cease

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,

Let all within us praise His holy name!

 

Fall on your knees

Oh hear the angel voices

Oh night divine

Oh night when Christ was born

Oh night divine

Oh night divine

 

So as we are reminded in the Advent season that the Savior has come, may we fall on our knees and look to a Holy God who brings us hope and life in the person of His Son. His law is love and His gospel is peace - Let all within us praise His holy name!

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Advent Words Day 12 ~ Grace

 

Day 12: Grace

"But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Romans 3:21-24

This passage, containing three brief sentences, contains the full gospel of grace. It contrasts for us the law and grace. What the law could not do, God did by grace for those who believe in Jesus Christ. We are reminded in this passage that we are all sinners. Everyone of us has sinned, but God offers us a gift we can freely receive by His grace through the redemption that came by His Son.

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

In the incarnation , Jesus made God visible to us. In the incarnation, God made grace available to us. Jesus, the Word, came from the Father full of  - abounding in - grace and truth. This is the Good News! Pastor Ray Pritchard explains the significance of the words grace and truth used together in this verse:

"These two words explain why Jesus came to the earth. They go to the very heart of the gospel. Because he was full of grace, he died for you and me while we were yet sinners. Because he was full of truth, he was able to pay for our sins completely. He forgives the sinner because he bore the sin himself. Here is truly good news for people like us. Because he is Grace-full, you can come just as you are. Because he is truth-full, you can come in complete confidence that he will keep his promises. When he promises a complete pardon for your sins, he means it. Do you need a trustworthy Savior? Fear not. Jesus is full of truth. Do you need a forgiving Lord? Come to him for he is full of grace."

Advent is a celebration of the incarnation - the gift of God's grace through His Son Jesus Christ!

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Advent Words Day 11 ~ Gift

 

Day 11: Gift

"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." John 1:12-13

 

Today's post is part two from yesterday, for in today's verse we also see a pattern similar to the one we saw yesterday in John 3:16-17.

Yesterday's pattern showed us God's gift of salvation. The pattern we see in the verse above shows the part we play.

We receive.

We believe.

We become.

God gives us salvation freely by grace, but He doesn't force it on us. God is interested in covenant relationships. We enter into that covenant when we accept and receive the gift of salvation He offers us through His Son. We receive that gift by believing in Jesus' name. Why is this so important? Because, as John points out throughout his gospel, believing in Jesus' name means we believe in everything He is, in everything He's done, and everything about Him. We believe He is who God says He is, and we believe in the power of His name. 

God freely gives us the gift of His Son, but He calls on us to respond and receive that gift by believing that Jesus is who He says He is, the One who saves. In receiving and believing we then become children of God. We are adopted into His family. Our adoption papers say "by grace".

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:8-10

By grace - God's kindness, unmerited favor and forgiving love - we are saved. We believe and we receive the gift of God - His Son.

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Advent Words Day 10 ~ Believe

 

Day 10: Believe

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:16-17

 

Today’s post is part of one I wrote a few years back. When studying this well-known verse I noticed a pattern I has not seen before. It bears repeating. 

The pattern we see in this verse is:

God loved.

God gave. 

God sent.

God saved.

  

Our word today is an important word in the Bible, and no more so than in the Gospel of John. John uses the word ‘believe’ 98 times in his gospel, that is more times than in the other gospels combined and more than double its use in any other New Testament book.

 

At the end of the book John stated his purpose for writing it this way:

"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." John 20:31

John's whole message in his book is about showing us the proof that Jesus is the Son of God, that He was sent to the world by the Father and that salvation comes through Him to those who believe in Him. But why is belief in Jesus so important to John? Let's dig into the answer to this question using our passages for today and the pattern I mentioned above.

Let's first look at what these passages tell us about God. First we see God's heart, "For God so loved the world...". Love is both God's motivation for His plan of salvation and His demonstration of it. He loved, so He gave. He gave, and in giving He showed His love. What did He give? A gift that was a great sacrifice for Himself personally. He gave us His Son, His one and only Son. He sent His Son into the world so that we would no longer be condemned to perish, but would instead be saved by His sacrifice. When we think of gifts this Christmas, we need to remember the greatest gift ever given. The gift God so graciously and lovingly provided through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:9-10

God's love led to His sacrifice. His gift brought us salvation. Our part is to believe the Son and receive God's gift.. Tomorrow we will look more at this gift. 

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Advent Words Day 9 ~ Kingdom

 

Day 9: Kingdom

"He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:32-33

 

"But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom." Hebrews 1:8

 

Throughout the pages of the Old Testament are woven the promise of a king who would come and rule in justice, righteousness and mercy. He would be a Redeemer King who would rescue God's people and bring them promised salvation. 

 

The promise of the coming king would first be made to David that the promised king would come from his descendants: 

"He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son...Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever." 2 Samuel 7:13-14, 16

 

The prophet Isaiah continued to proclaim God's promise of a king:

"For to us a child is born,

    to us a son is given,

    and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace

    there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne

    and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

    with justice and righteousness

    from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty

    will accomplish this."

Isaiah 9:6-7

 

 

The arrival of the Messiah inaugurates the reign of the promised king. In the gospels, and especially Luke's Gospel, the use of the term the "kingdom of God" is frequent throughout. The kingdom of God is used to refer to God's rule and reign, and more specifically in the gospels, to God's reign in the hearts of men. 

 

John Piper says of the kingdom, “The kingdom of God is God’s reign — his sovereign action in the world to redeem and deliver a people and then at a future time finish it and renew his people and the universe completely.”

 

Let's take a brief look at what the Gospel of Luke tells us about the kingdom of God:

We are told in the very beginning, with the angel's proclamation of the arrival of God's Son, that the Son "will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:33

Jesus spent his life on earth preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom. Luke 4:43, 8:1, 9:11, 6:16.

To the poor He promised they would possess the kingdom. Luke 6:20

To the disciples He revealed the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom. Luke 8:10

He sent the Apostles out to preach the kingdom and show the kingdom's power with healing. Luke 9:2, 9:60.

Jesus proclaimed the kingdom was here now, yet was also coming in the future. Luke 10:11, 11:20, 17:20-21, 21:31.

He called His followers to seek God's kingdom first, before all else. Luke 12:31

He proclaimed that the kingdom belonged to children and to those who were childlike in receiving it: Sincere, open, fully trusting and completely dependent on God. Luke 18:16-17

Jesus proclaimed that God is pleased to give His followers the kingdom. Luke 12:32

 

Blessed are we, whose God is the Lord, for we have a righteous, just and merciful King, who has brought us into the kingdom of God!

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Advent Words Day 8 ~ Peace

 

Day 8: Peace

Today begins the second week of Advent. The theme for this week and today's word is peace.

"For unto us a child is born, 

to us a son is given, 

and the government will be on

his shoulders. 

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government

and peace,

there will be no end.

He will reign on David's throne

and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

with justice and righteousness

from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the LORD Almighty

will accomplish this."

Isaiah 9:6-7

"He will stand and shepherd his flock

in the strength of the LORD,

in the majesty of the name of the 

LORD his God.

And they will live securely, for then

his greatness

will reach the ends of the earth.

And he will be their peace."

Micah 5:4-5

These two passages speak of the characteristics of the Messiah and what life will be like in His reign. I think these prophecies were meant to give the people who were looking for and longing for the coming Messiah a sense of peace and hope. The peace that the Bible speaks of is  more than  what we tend to think of as peace. We tend to think of peace as the absence of war or conflict, or we think of it in terms of calm and quiet. But the peace the Word of God refers to is a deep restoration of what is broken and painful in the world - separation with God as a result of sin. 

In Hebrew the word for peace is Shalom. Shalom is a sense of well-being and fulfillment that comes from God and is dependent on His presence. Shalom is wholeness, prosperity, security and fullness of life that only comes as a result of a restored relationship with God, through Jesus Christ. Ephesians tells us that the prophecy spoken of in Micah 4:5 has come to pass in the person of Jesus Christ ..."He himself is our peace." (Ephesians 2:14) On the cross Jesus Christ took on the sin that kept us far from God and made it possible for us to have peace with God. Acts 10:36; Romans 5:1-11; Ephesians 2:14-18, Colossians 1:19-22 are all passages that explain how peace with God is made through Jesus Christ by His blood shed on the cross.

Jesus is our peace. He is the instrument through which God brings us back – reconciles us – to Him. 

In a year such as the one we have been living through, it's hard to understand how God heals the brokenness of the world. It's hard to feel His peace in the midst of pain and suffering, losing loved ones to the virus, facing economic crisis brought about by job losses, trying to figure out how to feed our families and keep a roof over their heads, struggling in the face of racial injustice, trying to love each other in the midst of great divisiveness - all of these things can make peace hard to grasp right now.

But God wants us to know His peace in the midst of all of this. To know, that despite all that is going on, all that is going wrong in the world around us, His peace brings us comfort, because His peace is eternal. His peace withstands the trials and hard times we face. His peace brings us into the loving arms of Jesus who will wipe every tear, who will comfort every hurt, who will restore the broken hearted, who will fill you with His love and grace, and who will give you His Spirit to provide you with peace through prayer. True peace comes from knowing, "It is well with my soul".

If you do not feel you have peace with God, then please read the passages I spoke of above that show the way to peace with God through Christ. Pray over them. Then ask Jesus  for His forgiveness of your sin. Read Acts 10:43 and Romans 10:9-10 for more. Accept His gift of forgiveness for your sins. Do this and know that you have peace with God and let this Advent season be a time of celebration for His goodness, mercy and grace in your life.

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Advent Words Day 7 ~ Voice

 

Day 7: Voice

"You who bring good news to Zion,

    go up on a high mountain.

You who bring good news to Jerusalem,

    lift up your voice with a shout,

lift it up, do not be afraid;

    say to the towns of Judah,

    “Here is your God!”

See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,

    and he rules with a mighty arm.

See, his reward is with him,

    and his recompense accompanies him.

He tends his flock like a shepherd:

    He gathers the lambs in his arms

and carries them close to his heart;

    he gently leads those that have young."

Isaiah 40:9-11

“How beautiful on the mountains

    are the feet of those who bring good news,

who proclaim peace,

    who bring good tidings,

    who proclaim salvation,

who say to Zion,

    “Your God reigns!”

"Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices;

    together they shout for joy.

When the Lord returns to Zion,

    they will see it with their own eyes.

Burst into songs of joy together,

    you ruins of Jerusalem,

for the Lord has comforted his people,

    he has redeemed Jerusalem."

Isaiah 52:7-9*

Amidst the many voices crying out for our attention during the Christmas season, Advent is a time to slow down and hear the voice of God through the Scriptures and the hymns and carols of the season. Voices that proclaim the coming of the Messiah, that proclaim that God is with us!

God used Isaiah to be His voice to proclaim that He is the one who brings comfort to His people. Isaiah brought the good news of a future comforter who would be a mighty king (40:10), who would bring a reward for His people (40:10), and who would also be gentle like a shepherd (40:11). One who would bring peace, good news and salvation (52:7).

Isaiah's voice rang out: Behold, our God! Here is your God! God is with us!

 

He proclaimed of a time when with shouts of joy (52:8) the people would see the Lord "with their own eyes" (52:8). He called for God's people to sing songs of joy "for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem" (52:9). Isaiah's voice still calls out to us today. He calls us to shout and sing songs of joy that our Savior has come! The One whose strength and power comes wrapped in gentleness is here! 

 

We find God’s promises given through Isaiah fulfilled in the Incarnation. In Luke’s gospel an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds proclaiming:

“The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:10-14

 

We too are called by God to lift our voices, to proclaim: Here is your God! The Savior is born! Behold, our God is with us!

 

*My apologies, the verse reference's on today's calendar should have included Isaiah 52:7.

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