Advent 18

 When it’s dark outside, you cannot see much at all, even with the stars shining. I’ve used spot lights and headlights to find a missing farm animal and we’ve all stumbled around in a dark room before finding the light switch. Left unchecked, the darkness of our character can deteriorate faster than we could ever imagine. Temptations to enter doors of darkness abound and we can resist allowing light expose how dark it really is. But the light of Jesus entering into our lives penetrates what has never been revealed tk is to anyone. The longer we follow the Light, our darkness is cleaned up into the purity of His presence. 

“These prophecies remind us that the coming of Jesus is the result of the unstoppable zeal of a God of glorious redeeming grace. God wouldn’t leave his world in its evil-scarred condition of brokenness. He was unwilling to leave us lost in our sin and in hopeless bondage to the rebellion of our own evil hearts. He wouldn’t let his story end with dark moral failure and the requisite divine judgment.” - Paul David Tripp, Come, Let Us Adore Him: A Daily Advent Devotional

Advent 17

 The apostle John was a changed man. Jesus called him to follow, and he responded. The process of growth and maturity is evident by the change he made to write with such depth and love for discipleship. John’s first three verses demonstrate an understanding of Jesus that is timeless. How can we ignore the fact that the Creator of the universe entered time and space as the created, to redeem us from the consequences of being rebellious and self centered. He came to restore the plan that was from the beginning, to be fully accomplished at He return. 

“When a person starts to resist the light, something begins to change within him, and he comes to the place where he cannot believe. There is “judicial blindness” that God permits to come over the eyes of people who do not take the truth seriously. (The quotation of Isa. 6: 9–10 is found in a number of places in the New Testament. See Matt. 13: 14–15; Mark 4: 12; Luke 8: 10; Acts 28: 25–27; Rom. 11: 8.) It is a serious thing to treat God’s truth lightly, for a person could well miss his opportunity to be saved. “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” (Isa. 55: 6)” (p. 194).” - Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Alive (John 1-12): Come to Better Know the Living Savior

Yeshua - Names of Jesus

 WHO IS HE?

In Genesis, He is the seed of the woman.

In Exodus, He is the Passover Lamb.

In Leviticus, He is our High Priest.

In Numbers, He is pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

In Deuteronomy, He is the prophet like unto Moses.

In Joshua, He is the captain of our salvation.

In Judges, He is our judge and lawgiver.

In Ruth, He is our kinsman redeemer.

In I and II Samuel, He is our trusted prophet.

In Kings and Chronicles, He is our reigning king.

In Ezra, He is our faithful scribe.

In Nehemiah, He is the rebuilder of the broken down walls of human life.

In Esther, He is our Mordecai.

In Job, He is our ever-living redeemer: “For I know my redeemer lives.”

In Psalms, He is our shepherd.

In Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, He is our wisdom.

In Song of Solomon, He is the lover and the bridegroom.

In Isaiah, He is the prince of peace.

In Jeremiah, He is the righteous branch.

In Lamentations, He is the weeping prophet.

In Ezekiel, He is the wonderful four-faced man.

In Daniel, He is the fourth man walking in the midst of the burning fiery furnaces of life.

In Hosea, He is the husband forever married to the backslider.

In Joel, He is the mighty baptizer in the Holy Ghost.

In Amos, He is my burden bearer.

In Obadiah, He is mighty to save.

In Jonah, He is God’s great foreign missionary.

In Micah, He is the messenger of beautiful feet.

In Nahum, He is the avenger of God’s elect.

In Habakkuk, He is God’s evangelist, crying, “Revive thy work in the midst of the years.”

In Zephaniah, He is our Savior.

In Haggai, He is the restorer of the lost heritage of Israel.

In Zechariah, He is fountain opened up on the house of David for sin and uncleanness.

In Malachi, He is the Son of Righteousness arisen with healing in His wings.

In Matthew, He is the Messiah.

In Mark, He is the wonder worker.

In Luke, He is the Son of Man.

In John, He is the Son of God.

In Acts, He is the mighty baptizer in the Holy Ghost.

In Romans, He is my justifier.

In Corinthians, He is my sanctifier.

In Galatians, He is the redeemer from the curse of the law.

In Ephesians, He is the Christ of unsearchable riches.

In Philippians, He is the God that supplies all my needs.

In Colossians, He is the fullness of the godhead bodily.

In I and II Thessalonians, He is my soon-coming King!

In I and II Timothy, He is the mediator between God and man.

In Titus, He is my faithful pastor.

In Philemon, He is the friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

In Hebrews, He is the blood of the everlasting covenant.

In James, He is our Great Physician, for “the prayer of faith shall save the sick.”

In I and II Peter, He is my good shepherd.

In I John, He is love.

In II John, He is love.

In III John, He is love.

In Jude, He is the Lord coming with 10,000 of His saints.

In Revelation, He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

HE IS THE WORD OF GOD.

Sin of Obligation

 It’s easy to lose a direct focus on the Savior, casting my vision on earthly distractions or myself. Routines can become monotony, without the passion that was once present. Just like the Hebrews in the Old Testament, who had witnessed miraculous interventions and strong leadership, they forgot all about the demonstration of God’s grace. Routines become obligations without much thought. Habits become stale. Church attendance and doing good deeds become strained effort if the testimonial stories are never gold. Celebrations of baptism and child dedications are no longer important milestones to growth. 

Obligation seems void of the unconditional love demonstrated by Christ. Being obliged to do something is motivated by guilt, or by the fear of what others might think. Being passionate about a goal is full of commitment and a higher purpose than selfish gain. 

Symptoms of a faith motivated by obligation are: 1) no testimonies or stories being shared about the Lord’s leading, ) no child dedications - . Celebrations of a commitment to be a godly parent with church support, 3) no baptisms - celebrations of a conversion and sanctification. 

Obligation is not much different than a faith built on works, earning our way, comparing our inner circle to those who are not in the circle, a holy huddle fearing the outside world. 

Advent 16

 The arrival of Jesus as a baby in the lowest economic status is not what a world hungry for power and possessions expects. Failure to grasp the message of salvation and transformation leads to all kinds of distorted motives. We can easily manipulate the words to fit a personal, social or political agenda, rather than fall on our knees in worship. We can drift into a path of obligation and ritual with no passion. Let’s boldly pray that everyone within our influence falls deeper in love with our Savior. 

“Every day we must turn again to God’s acts of salvation, so that we can again move forward…. Faith and obedience live on remembrance and repetition. Remembrance becomes the power of the present because of the living God who once acted for me and who reminds me of that today.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer, God Is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas

Esther

 Joyce Meyer writes, ‘I believe that God has a great call and purpose for your life as he did for Esther’s. Your assignment may not be the deliverance of a nation, but whatever God has called you to is extremely significant. Whatever it is, be diligent to embrace the preparation process it requires so that you will be well-equipped when the time comes for you to act.’

Esther was not just a pretty face. She was someone in the right place willing to make a daring stand against injustice. She didn’t do it alone and she didn’t rush in. She prayed, planned, and made it happen at the right moment. She used a brilliant mixture of bravery, faith and skill.

Are there any opportunities for you to make a stand against injustice?

Value of water bottle

 VALUE YOURSELF: “A bottle of water in the supermarket is worth about $0.50. The same bottle in a bar costs $2. In a good restaurant or hotel it can be worth up to $3. At an airport or on the plane, you may be charged $5. The bottle and the brand is the same, the only thing that changes is the place. Each place gives a different value to the same product. When you feel like you are worth nothing and everyone around you belittles you, change places, do not stay there. Have the courage to change places and go to a place where you are given the value you deserve. Surround yourself with people who really appreciate your worth. Don't settle for less!” - Jeff Rock Sr.

Crumpled bill

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