You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘advent’ tag.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all! Praying God’s richest blessings for you and yours at this time!
.
‘I believe in the poetic genius of a Creator who would choose to express such unfathomable power as a child born in straw poverty.’ Bono
.
Christmas begins the unfolding of the revelation of God’s love and salvation for all of us – it begins with a birth.
1 John 4:9-10 In this the love of God was revealed in us, because God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation concerning our sins.
Some Bible versions say “this is how God showed his love for us…” or “God demonstrated his love for us…” Love is shown in its actions. Its not just an airy fairy feeling, but a doing thing. In the birth of Jesus, in this man, the revelation of God’s love was shown as being real and powerful and personal. We can know that God loves us because of Christmas, because of Christ. Christmas is love living and breathing, active and alive!
Jesus is the demonstration of the love of God for us. He came and lived as a demonstration of WHO God is. Colossians 1:15 says that Jesus “is the image of the invisible God.” Colossians 2:9 says “For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.” As Jesus lived he showed us how God loves us – touching the untouchable, healing the sick, accepting the rejected, freeing the bound… Jesus not only in his divinity was God wrapped in flesh, but in the way he lived his life displayed the mercy, graciousness, compassion and power of God.
1 John 4:11-12 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and His love is perfected in us.
As God has demonstrated in the life and death of Jesus his great love for us, so we too should be demonstrators and do-ers of love. As Christians God calls us to be witnesses and ambassadors for Himself. We demonstrate the reality of God through the active ways we love.
People talk about the Christmas “spirit”, the joy, happiness and giving-ness of Christmas. People smile at each other, give seasonal greetings. Christmas shouldn’t begin and end in December – it should permeate every part of our life. That is – the whole thing of God loving us first and giving His Son Jesus so that we can have eternal life and know Him – should be demonstrated in our life at every minute. As God loved us we should go and do likewise.
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” Matthew 1:22-23
God with us.
in the good times, and the hard times.
in the day and the night.
today and tomorrow.
yesterday, in the past and in our future.
in the valley and on the mountaintops.
God, with us.
near, personal, close. with us.
The Word became flesh and dwelled with humanity. He was with us in body.
He is always with us because now He dwells within us, the Holy Spirit.
with us. always.
Immanuel, the promise of good news, that God would draw near and dwell with us.
the reality of christmas is all about celebrating who Jesus is and what He did. the audacity of His gift – His life.
This is what Jesus did:
John 1 says The Word became flesh and dwelled with man. Jesus came and lived with normal humans, as a human himself. The Word became flesh… and moved into the neighbourhood. One of the wonders of what Christmas really means is the reminder that Jesus demonstrates who God is to us. If we have seen Jesus we have seen the Father. Jesus made God real and real personal. He came and dwelled with His creation, He loved and touched and felt and lived.
"The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14 NIV)
"The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish." (John 1:14 The Message)
This is extraordinary! God, creator of the universe, namer of the stars, who spoke and formed the world from nothing, became one of the very creatures He created. He became a man. Christmas is a celebration of Jesus’ birth – the beginning of His earthly life. The official doctrinal name for this is incarnation. God dwelling in Christ, dwelling on earth.
Then Jesus left and returned to Heaven and sent The Holy Spirit to live within us.
Now the Spirit of God dwells in flesh, and our flesh continues to dwell with man.
In other words the Holy Spirit moves into us and thus continues to live in the neighbourhood – JUST AS JESUS DID.
Yes!!!
We are meant to be ambassadors and representations of Jesus here on earth. We are meant to demonstrate the same love and grace and holiness and truth as Jesus did while He lived on earth.
The Word became flesh first and then passed on the same mission to us.
This is also extraordinary!
How will the people around us know about the love and grace and salvation of God unless they hear it and know it through our lives, through what God is doing to us and through us?
We are called to be witnesses to our family, our friends, and complete strangers we meet. God has placed us in our neighbourhood, with the Holy Spirit alive and active and living in us, giving us power to live for Him.
Much of Jesus’ interaction with people was “normal” and common place interaction. The Bible contains but a fraction of Jesus’ life as a man on earth. “The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe.” John 20:30-31. While He did indeed do many miracles and healings, He also ate with people and talked with them as He walked. He went to the market, to the synagogue and encouraged them. Jesus shows us, both in what is said in the Bible and unsaid, that life is lived with people.
Jesus associated with fishermen, tax collectors (servants of Rome! traitors!), lepers, prostitutes, adulterers, religious men, children, women, servants, soldiers, mothers, fathers… He associated with all people. He loved them and revealed the love of God to them. Can we do the same to those around us?
We are called to be witnesses of God to those around us not just with our words but with the actions we use. We demonstrate His love by extending that same active love to others. We show that God is just by our unfailing commitment to what is right and good. We reflect the glory of God in our own simple lives. Just as Jesus reveals to us who God is, we too are called to reveal God. Micah puts it as “loving mercy, living justly and walking humbly with our God.” (Micah 6:8)
The wonderful mystery of Christmas is that God arrived with the wail of a newborn. Incarnation. The Word became flesh and dwelt with mankind. The wonder of Christianity is that there is a Boxing Day and the day after that and the day after that… that the baby grew up and became the man who died on the cross to reconcile us to God and that He calls us to be His representation in our own neighbourhoods – to continue to allow Him to dwell with mankind through us. Are we allowing God to be in our neighbourhood?
In final, C.S. Lewis says “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.” The birth of Jesus means that we too can be called children of God. One son born made the way for us all to be called sons and daughters. Amazing!
The night the baby was born
the cross was already raised
and the stone was rolled away.
~ Louie Giglio
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great Light; those who dwelt in the land of intense darkness and the shadow of death, upon them has the Light shined. Isaiah 9:2 AMP
this is a verse that appears in a passage so readily quoted at christmas time: isaiah 9:6-7
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.
but today the power and reality and promise of v 2 struck my heart.
to those walking in the darkness, in the darkness and oppression of life, in the sorrow and pain of grief, in the loneliness and despair of living in this generation… with poverty and depression, with economic recession and earthquakes and disaster… with divorce and death, sickness and fear… to those walking in the darkness, living in the land of intense darkness and struggle… a light has dawned.
a light has dawned.
a child given.
hope born.
life.
salvation has come.
to those far away and in rebellion, to those who have no hope and dont know the way or the answer
a light has dawned.
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:4-9
to those walking in darkness
a light has dawned
hope arises
life and love are here
born in manger
executed on the cross
light IS shinning upon you.
God’s grace is rich towards you.
mercy is here.
light has dawned.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 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 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.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” Luke 2:8-15
i remember i was listening to a message one day about christmas and it struck me.
the shepherds were in their fields, watching their flocks.
as per usual.
ordinary men doing ordinary work.
ordinary men going abut their everyday occupation.
and it was THESE men that God revealed the coming of the messiah to.
ordinary rough everyday blue collar hardworking men. men who were at their post, doing their job.
the whole of israel had being praying for the messiah to come, it was almost like their great obsession.
men dedicated their lives to the kingdom of israel and God, in preparation for the messiah.
they read the signs and studied the Word.
religious men who dedicated their whole lives to the signs of the times and the rules of religion.
this was their great passion.
yet God BIPASSED these messiah-dedicated people and spoke the message of good news to ordinary men doing ordinary work.
i just love that God does that.
do you feel ordinary today?
take heart – some of the greatest revelations in the bible were to ordinary people living ordinary lives who encountered the extraordinary God.
mary, the mother of jesus. ordinary.
peter, a fisherman. ordinary.
matthew, a tax collector – not really ordinary, more like scandalous!
david, another shepherd.
elisha, a farmer.
moses, guess what, another shepherd.
today, be who God has made you to be. follow wholeheartedly after Him where He has placed you. your hillside, watching the sheep by night, might be the position for encounter!
Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. Luke 1:8-11
i love this. by LOT Zechariah was chosen to minister in this special role. by CHANCE.
but with God there is no lots or chance – He determines our steps and promotes us to positions of privilege and revelation at the moments He orchestrates and organises. This was no accidental choosing of a priest, it was a divine appointment by God, a divine moment of encounter for Zechariah and his wife and future family.
Be confident and assured that God has your life in His hands, just as He had Zechariah.
that He works out the times and seasons, the promotions and the process. that He can arrange the doors to be opened, even those that seem impossible.
“Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 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 the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:30-33
we often read the bible with sanitised eyes. we know the Christmas story. we know about the angel Gabriel. we know away in a manger.
but the reality was that this news would have rocked Mary’s world.
she would be pregnant. and unwed.
shamed. rejected. shunned.
would Joseph stick by her? her mother? her friends?
what would people think?
what would she do?
but her response is one of faith and trust.
God had chosen her for one of the most amazing missions on the planet, ever.
to carry His Son to term, birth Him and raise Him, love Him, nurture Him, provide for Him.
Mary found favour with God. God chose her for this immense amazing task. And He would be with her.
and we see how God outworked His favour in her life…
nothing is impossible for Him
with Him all things are possible
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great Light; those who dwelt in the land of intense darkness and the shadow of death, upon them has the Light shined. Isaiah 9:2 AMP
this is a verse that appears in a passage so readily quoted at christmas time: isaiah 9:6-7
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.
but today the power and reality and promise of v 2 struck my heart.
to those walking in the darkness, in the darkness and oppression of life, in the sorrow and pain of grief, in the loneliness and despair of living in this generation… with poverty and depression, with economic recession and earthquakes and disaster… with divorce and death, sickness and fear… to those walking in the darkness, living in the land of intense darkness and struggle… a light has dawned.
a light has dawned.
a child given.
hope born.
life.
salvation has come.
to those far away and in rebellion, to those who have no hope and dont know the way or the answer
a light has dawned.
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:4-9
to those walking in darkness
a light has dawned
hope arises
life and love are here
born in manger
executed on the cross
light IS shinning upon you.
God’s grace is rich towards you.
mercy is here.
light has dawned.
we were blest, as always, with our christmas eve service. i love celebrating that Jesus was born and lived and died to save us all! this year our kids were in a nativity play, first time ever. evangeline was mary and caleb a wise man. all was going great until half an hour before it began and evangeline burst into tears and cried and cried and. but we pulled through and she did beautifully. i confess yes i did bribe her. but the nativity play went on and went well!
Recent Comments