Are you frazzled, tired, weary, or worse, do you feel alone?
The good news of Christmas is that you are never alone! We have IMMANUEL, God is with us!
What the prophet Isaiah predicted has come true!
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son. And they will call Him, IMMANUEL, God with us.” Isaiah 7:14
What a mind blowing promise it was to the Jewish people and to all of us!
To the Jewish people God was someone who was over them. He spoke to them through prophets and on mountain tops. Now, through Jesus Christ, God’s Son, He wouldn’t just be above us, He would be WITH us!
He would identify with us on every level. He would feel hunger like we do, he would feel pleasure like we do and he would feel pain like we do. Yet, the miraculous would remain, He is God, and now He is WITH us!
We have a Savior who came at Christmas time as a baby in a manger, who by His life on earth and His teachings showed us the way back to God!
We are never alone. God loved us so much He came to this earth to show us the way to live with Him forever!
Today’s ADVENT focus is my favorite! Don’t get me wrong…they are all AMAZING and powerful. Each holds a very important and crucial aspect of the ADVENT of Jesus Christ.
None is more important than another as each carries out its own vital role in the anticipation of Jesus’ arrival.
But today we talk about a young woman who has her entire life in front of her. As a young Jewish woman her life is just beginning. She has been promised, engaged to a young Jewish man, Joseph. Her dreams of being chosen and desired have come true. She is full of anticipation of a life filled with hope and promise.
Suddenly, that life is abruptly interrupted!
“Gabriel appeared to her, (Mary), and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.”
Mary is going about her everyday life, planning and dreaming of her wedding day. She falls asleep after a full day of preparations to be awakened by an angel!
In the book of Luke, chapter 1 verse 29, it tells us that she was, “CONFUSED and DISTURBED.”
Now that is an understatement if I’ve ever heard one!
I can think of a few more words to describe being awakened by an angel in the middle of the night…scared, freaked out, stunned…just to name a few!
The angel speaks words of comfort to her next and explains his visit.
“Don’t be afraid, Mary, the angel told her, for you have found favor with God.
You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name Him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of The Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David. And He will reign over Israel forever; His Kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:30-33
Does any of this sound familiar to you?
A visit from an angel.
A proclamation.
A miracle that only God could bring about.
Our friend Zechariah from last week’s ADVENT blog was also visited by an angel.
There are similarities between both announcements. Both did indeed receive a visit from an angel of God and both were also startled (Now this point seems obvious to me, they were woken up in the middle of the night by a heavenly being, but it is a similarity nonetheless)! Both were commanded to “Not be afraid,” and both were told they would have a son.They both also knew that this would be humanly impossible. It could only be accomplished by God!
The similarities are hard to miss. But it is the difference that makes this ADVENT story my favorite!
When Zachariah is visited by the angel and told he would have a son he basically asks for proof.
When Mary is visited by an angel and told she would have a son she responds with FAITH,
“How will you do it?” Luke 1:34
Mary believes and demonstrates her FAITH with a FAITH filled question!
She does not try to weasel her way out of it. She does not ask what this will cost her. She does not question the God she knows and loves, she simply asks, HOW?
This announcement would cost Mary every dream and plan she had made for her life.
The angel answers her and tells her that The Holy Spirit of God will come upon her and the power of The Most High God will overshadow her in Luke 1:35.
Mary’s response to the angels answer is one of the most profound statements of Faith;
“Mary responded, “I am The Lords’ servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” Luke 1:38
TRUTH BOMB
MARY RESPONDED WITH FAITH INSTEAD OF FEAR!
The trajectory of her life is forever changed! Her future marriage and livelihood is in jeopardy. Her social standing and credibility are ruined! Yet her FAITH is strong and firm.
What is our RESPONSE to Christmas? When we know that Christmas is the celebration of Jesus Christ arriving on earth as God’s own Son to save us from our sins, how do we respond?
I pray that this year I will respond with greater Faith. I will cease to be overwhelmed and overcome by stresses, situations and sadnesses, and I will instead embrace the anticipation of Jesus coming and of His return!
Last week we defined ADVENT as the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.
We further defined the meaning of ADVENT as it applies to Christmas.
“The anticipation of Jesus’ birth at Christmas time and the preparation we do as Christ followers for His second coming.”
So, given all of these definitions, we know that the first part of what we are “anticipating,” is more of a preparation of our hearts to celebrate the amazing event that already occured over 2000 years ago. However, the second part, Jesus’ return, we do not know the length of time before its’ occurrence. This can make the anticipation difficult.
How do we wait when there is no end date? How do we sustain our faith when time seems to be endless? How do we stay positive when the arrival feels out of reach?
We take our example from a righteous and blameless couple before God; Zechariah and Elizabeth. We encounter them up close and personal in Luke’s Gospel chapter 1, in the first 25 verses.
The scriptures tell us that this couple was “advanced in years,” and “had no child.” To be childless in ancient Judaism was seen as a sign of reproach or sin. This couple had endured many years of social shame and disappointment. To compound the struggle they were enduring, they also had been living with 400 years of silence from God!
For over 400 years, God had not spoken to His people through a prophet or any other way. Yet this couple served God faithfully while they anticipated God’s Savior for His people. What a beautiful example this couple lived!
So we ask, How do we wait when there is no end date? We live a life of righteous obedience to our God even as our years advance and our prayers have not yet come into completion! That’s how? Is it hard? You bet it is! But God gives us faithful examples to follow as we wait.
The amazing part of Zechariah and Elizabeth’s story is they were able to experience the long awaited anticipation of their lives. God spoke to Zechariah, ending His four hundred year silence, and told him that, even in their old age, he and his wife Elizabeth would have a son, and that son would grow up and be filled with The Holy Spirit.
“And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of The Most High, because you will prepare the way for The Lord.” Luke 1:76
The long anticipation they had endured would come to a beautiful fulfillment.
First through their son John, and then through God’s Son whom John would announce.
“You (John, my little son,) will tell His people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give LIGHT to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”
Luke 1:77-79
TRUTH BOMB
ANTICIPATION CAN INCREASE OUR FAITH IF WE CONTINUE TO BE OBEDIENT TO GOD THROUGH IT!
What a wonderful way for God to break His silence and bring forth His Salvation plan for the world!
Let’s commit to be faithful to God as we anticipate His birth and second coming!
ADVENT is simply defined as “the arrival of a notable person, thing or event.”
The key word here is ARRIVAL. It implies that something or someone is coming…they or it will arrive. Thus begins the waiting!
When, where, and how, seem to be the immediate questions we begin asking. The anticipation grows as the questions go unanswered. The anxiety rises as the unknown seems to grow bigger than the anticipation of the arrival.
The word ANTICIPATION itself can cause us to be anxious! Whether or not the “something“ being anticipated is good or bad, the waiting is hard!
The word ADVENT actually comes from the Latin word, Adventus, which means “coming.” It’s coming but it is not here yet. There’s that waiting again!
So what is it that you are waiting for?
Is it the answer from the job you applied for? Is it the result from that test you took? Is it the end or resolution to that conflict you are in?
I believe that no matter what we are waiting for, the ADVENT of Jesus arrival, both in His first coming as we wait for Christmas to come, and in His second coming as we wait for His return, can teach us vital lessons for living while we wait.
The meaning of ADVENT for Christmas is the anticipation of Jesus’ birth at Christmas time and the preparation we do as we wait for His Second Coming.
Thousands of years ago many looked to the coming of the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Prophets foretold His coming, but still they had to WAIT!
When we wait for something it is important that we look to what is being pointed to.
If we are waiting the affirmation of a job offer we must look to the qualifications we have in that field. If we are waiting for test results from a medical professional we must look to the integrity of the institution performing the work. If we are waiting for conflict resolution we must look to the effort of the parties involved.
If we are waiting for the coming of Jesus Christ then we must look to our Heavenly Father as He points to His Son!
I know waiting is hard. It takes diligence, patience and trust! Will you practice diligence, patience and trust with my this ADVENT season as we wait for the birth of God’s Son, Jesus?
God points us to Him through the gospels in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John! He gives us promises, faithfulness, responses, joy and love, but most of all HOPE!
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ The Lord.” Luke 2:11
The wait is worth it! Jesus Christ has been born! Let’s celebrate and grow closer to Him as we anticipate His arrival!
TRUTH BOMB
ADVENT IS A CELEBRATION OF ANTICIPATION OF THE ARRIVAL OF JESUS CHRIST TO EARTH!
In two days we will celebrate nationally the day of Thanksgiving!
Most of us will gather together with family and friends and eat many of the same traditional foods. I do not know about you, but I do not serve cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes with gravy and pumpkin pie with whipped cream at my dinner table on most nights. But you better believe they will be on my Thanksgiving table!
Why is it that I will spend more money than I normally do on a traditional meal, search high and low for the perfect Turkey, spend countless hours baking everyone’s favorite dessert, fret over setting the “perfect” table yet so quickly forget that it is all a representation of what should be a daily practice? A practice that should flow from my heart as easily as breathing flows from my lungs.
A day set aside to Give Thanks is wonderful! An opportunity to gather with family and friends great! And a reason to overindulge in delicious food is thrilling. It is all well and good as long as the meaning is not lost.
Giving Thanks, AKA THANKSGIVING, is a daily practice that God is deserving of and our lives can be transformed by!
“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
I Thessalonians 5:18
TRUTH BOMB
IT IS GODS WILL THAT WE GIVE THANKS ON THANKSGIVING DAY AND EVERY DAY!
As we get closer and closer to the day that we set aside each year(Wow, one whole day! That is SO Big of us! There is a whole blog series just on that, but for another time), it would seem that it should get easier and easier to GIVE THANKS!
But I am embarrassed to say, that for me, it feels harder and harder!
I have no idea what kind of a “SEASON” you are right now, or have been, going through in your life. For me, it has been one of the most difficult and long-lasting, seasons I have ever found myself in! I have cried out, even screamed out, to God over and over to PLEASE bring it to an end. But to this day, He has not yet completed whatever it is I need to endure, so on it continues!
So, I start out this beautiful season of Fall and Thanksgiving with great hope and joy and before I know it, the heaviness that wears on me due to my circumstances, tries to kill and destroy it! How do I fight it? Do I throw my hands up in the air and give into it, or do I lift up my head and look to the One who deserves all my Thanksgiving?
Why? Because in giving thanks to God, I am made whole, regardless of my circumstances!
TRUTH BOMB
THANKSGIVING MAKES US WHOLE!
One of the stories in the Bible that proves this point is the story of Jesus encountering the ten lepers. Jesus is with His disciples on their way to Jerusalem.
By the way, Jesus knows what awaits Him in Jerusalem. He is on His way to His death and resurrection. Now talk about difficult circumstances!
Still Jesus has time for compassion and healing for those in need.
Now, on my worst day, and yours too for that matter, we are far better off than a leper.
Ten lepers see Jesus and call out to Him, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!“
When Jesus saw them He said, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.”
They did and they were healed!
Great day, right!? You would think they would be jumping up and down!
But just like us, they can be so caught in their negative circumstances that they forget how to GIVE THANKS!
Only one of the ten lepers gave thanks! He actually did three things to thank God.
First, he praised God with a loud voice!
Second, he threw himself at Jesus’ feet showing that Jesus was Lord!
And, third, He thanked Jesus for His miraculous healing! AKA, HE GAVE THANKS!
Jesus responded,
“Arise and go: your faith has made you well.“
You see friends, we do not give God thanks because everything in our lives is going well. We give thanks even when things are not going well because of our faith in the One who deserves all our thanks!
This week I pray that you will give God Thanks for who He is whether your circumstances are good or extremely difficult. Believing that God will take care of all our needs, Amen!
It’s cold outside, it’s raining(at least here in California), I’ve pulled every sweater out of storage that I have, the fireplace is lit, and I’ve finally pulled a pair of socks onto my feet!
With November comes shorter days. The shorter days call for longer nights spent cuddled in a blanket with a warm cup of tea reading a book. I would love to tell you that I do this every night, but far too often, distractions take the place of this God-ordained time of “slowing down,” we call Winter.
We tend to complain that the days are too short and there is not enough sunlight. I get it, I love my walks in the evenings as the sun sets. I love my bike rides down the vineyard paths watching the green leaves on the vines turn to gold and orange.
But what would happen to the state of our souls, our inner beings, if instead of seeking the sunlight, we started craving the SONlight? What if we allowed the pause of winter to enter our souls and cause us to seek the son, Jesus Christ, The Son Of God.
Your body will not go into atrophy, I promise! You do not have to give up your active lifestyle, you just have to start a bit earlier and look for the sunrise instead of the sunset!
In all honesty, I believe God created the seasons with a rhythm that we should pay more attention to.
Spring offers that beautiful transition between some cold days and some warm. We get outside and get a little work done and then the rain drives us back inside for a time.
Summer draws us outside even before the sun is up, as the temps grow warmer and warmer. We are drawn to the warmth of the sun and the coolness of shade, and we stay and play all day long, well into the night.
Fall brings relief as we grow weary of long hot days. The days of Fall shorten gradually and the breeze cools and the colors beckon our attention.
Finally, it’s winter and days are short, nights are long and the cold weather can only be endured for a short amounts of time. We are drawn inside, to get warm, find protection and comfort.
In this state of “winter,” we can find true warmth, protection and comfort when we sit and draw in the SON!
I can think of no better way to begin this season of winter and drawing close to the Son, than to give thanks to Him. It is after all, the season of Thanksgiving, so let’s practice all this month!
“Praise The Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” Psalms 106:1
Gather up your coziest blanket, grab a cup of your favorite hot beverage, and turn off your cell phone! That’s right, you read that correctly…TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONE! Now, speak this Psalm of Praise to God. Allow the pause of winter to calm and draw you into God’s presence. Give Him thanks for His love and goodness. Then just sit and soak in the warmth your soul really needs, the warmth that only the SON can give.
TRUTH BOMB
Winter offers the perfect pause to draw warmth from the SON!
It’s November 1st, and I could not be happier! I have often been quoted as saying, “November 1st is my favorite day of the year!” Is it because I love November? Is it because two of my favorite boys were born in November? Is it because Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday? Is it because the days are growing colder? Is it because it is Daylight Savings and I get to stay snuggled under the covers longer?
NO, NO, NO, NO AND NO! While all of these statements are true of me, they are not the reason November 1st is my favorite day of the year. There is only one reason it is my favorite and that is because Halloween is over.
That’s right, I said it, I’m that person, I do not like Halloween! I realize I have possibly excommunicated you from ever reading my blog again, but it’s true. Today is November 1st, and I woke up with a smile on my face and joy in my heart simply because Halloween is over!
I also know that I am automatically putting myself in a very small, if not tiny to minute, population. That is why today’s blog comes with a caution sign…
BEWARE; THIS POST MAY CONTAIN A TREAT OR A TRICK! READ ONLY WITH AN OPEN HEART AND MIND!
You may be in the larger population that has absolutely no problem with Halloween. You love dressing up and having an opportunity to express your creative, kooky, fun side. You love gathering together with friends and attending trunk or treats at your local churches, bobbing for apples and eating popcorn balls with your neighborhood friends. You may love getting great exercise as you walk around your neighborhood gathering as much candy as possible or opening your door and handing it out to those cute little trick-or-treaters! You may love pumpkin carving, pumpkin seed roasting, and eating all things pumpkin! None of this is bad or wrong in anyway! To shame anyone who likes Halloween is not at all what this post is about. This post is to simply share my heart on the love I have for November 1st, which happens to be today, knowing Halloween is over!
My spirit is sensitive to the possibility that saying, “Trick or Treat,” on Halloween may be the reverse of what we should be saying or at least thinking!? Treat or Trick may be the more accurate statement.
Ask yourself if you are being tricked or treated on Halloween?
If you are being “Treated,” then indulge and enjoy! Dress up to your hearts delight and indulge in ooey gooey pumpkin treats or the sweetest of candies! Celebrate with family friends and neighbors and have a great time doing it!
If you are being “Tricked”, then you may want to take a step back, ask the God and creator of every day, if His Light is being dimmed by the dark you are celebrating?
We are cautioned by God that in Him there is no darkness at all!
“And the judgement is based on this fact: God’s LIGHT came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the LIGHT, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the LIGHT and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. BUT THOSE WHO DO WHAT IS RIGHT COME TO THE LIGHT SO OTHERS CAN SEE THAT THEY ARE DOING WHAT GOD WANTS.” John 3:19-21
So, if there is any part of your HALLOWEEN that is “DARK,”‘ then you are being TRICKED not TREATED by the great Deceiver. Jesus calls him the Father of lies. He makes darkness look like light, deceiving us into thinking it is just an area of gray, AKA “harmless fun.”
TRUTH BOMB
Light will always drive out darkness!
So let’s have all the fun that this life holds as we walk in the LIGHT of Jesus Christ!
If you ask me what I don’t understand, the list is very long!
I do not understand trigonometry. If you asked me to define it, I can look it up in the dictionary just like everyone else. When I do, it explains to me that it is the branch of mathematics that deals with the relations of the sides and angles of triangles, and other angles.
Now, I understand triangles! Triangles are shapes with three straight sides and three angles. They are all about the three’s! A triangle is also a musical instrument and can be a relationship or situation involving three people. A triangle is even the correct term used for the device that positions the balls on a pool table.
However, I am still stumped on the understanding of trigonometry and truthfully, even on the need for studying it. Needless to say, my brain is not a mathematical one. But this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to not understanding.
I do not understand why people get sick when they seem to be so healthy!
I do not understand why Autumn is not cool and breezy allowing me to wear sweaters and watch leaves fall and sip warm beverages.
I do not understand why some people are mean and hurt others with seemingly little to no remorse.
I do not understand why greed takes over a person and causes them to lie, cheat and steal.
I do not understand why life seems to favor some and fall hard on others.
I could go on and on and on, the list of what I do not understand is endless!
If you ask me what I do understand the list is very short!
The only thing that I truly understand is that God is God and I am not!
Understanding is a truly difficult concept!
Last week we talked about enduring. We endure difficult situations and experiences and we survive, but do we understand why? Enduring is “Faith in Action.” It is actively engaging in difficult, hard and even unjust situations because we know God has called us to endure. We know that in doing so, no matter how difficult, God is producing His character in us as we endure. Enduring is active, understanding is not.
We may have absolutely no clue as to why we are called to endure certain situations.
Our finite brains can no more comprehend why pain and suffering are necessary than they can why bad things happen to good people.
But we have a Heavenly Father who does understand. Our God is Good! He loves us with a love that is supernatural and cannot be fully understood with our human brains.
Our God is faithful to us, protects us, stretches our faith, builds endurance in us and above all knows, fully understands and does what is best for us!
God’s BEST is not always what we want at the time, and much of the time is not something we fully understand. However, like any loving, faithful, compassionate parent, God gives us what is BEST for us.
Imagine a child out on a boat tour of the Pacific Ocean. You pull away from the shore and out into the rolling, white with foam waves that break into crystal blue water. The child peers overboard and is in awe. They stare into the glassy ocean like it is a mirror reflecting their own image back to them. They jump up and down with exhilarattion and beg you to let them jump in.
You, as a loving, protective, compassionate parent tell them NO! They raise the level of their voice screaming and crying and jumping up and down demanding you let them jump in. “The water is so pretty,” they say. “The waves are rolling and look like so much fun,” they scream. Still as a loving parent you hold your ground, knowing that they are unable to understand the danger and risks they are asking to take.
God answers us in a similar way, just like any good and loving parent would.
“I know what’s best for you, trust me when you can’t understand it yourself.”
Do you trust Him? Are you willing to believe that all that He is doing in our lives is what’s BEST for us? Even if we do not always get what we ask Him for?
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
He is stretching our faith, building endurance in us, and being a good Father that works all things out together for our good.
So, I ask you again, “Do You Trust Him?”
Do you believe that even when you do not understand, God is strengthening you, showing you His faithfulness, and preparing you for the future?
TRUTH BOMB
GOD IS A GOOD GOOD FATHER, WE CAN TRUST HIM EVEN WHEN WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND!
Endurance is not fun! It hurts, it stretches, it pushes! Endurance even pulls at us and sometimes against that push and pull we can feel like taffy! The problem for me is…the taffy seems to go through the grueling process of push and pull, and comes out from under it to become a delicious candy that is not too hard and not too soft. It seems to have arrived at the perfect place of candy perfection!
Why then, when I am pushed and pulled, stretched and challenged, tested and tried, do I come out feeling like I am still on the taffy pull? Am I not complete, am I not finished, have I not yet arrived?
As much as I would love for this to be a feel good blog post, it’s just not. The Truth is when we speak the truth in love, we must be willing to face both the easy stuff and the hard stuff.
I am at professed optimist who always sees the cup as half full! But even this eternal optimist must face the whole truth of the Word of God and not just the parts that she likes!
If God has truly given me a voice for Him, and I am called to speak His Truth in love, then I must speak the whole truth and trust that because it is from God, it is all in love! God‘s love is not like our love. God knows all things. God knows the beginning from the end. God knows that the tough stuff along with the easy stuff, will make us who He intends us to be!
The truth is we live in a fallen world where sin has entered and in too many places has taken root! The trials that we face are part of the fact that we live in this world. We will have troubles, and we will make mistakes, we will experience disappointments even from God‘s people. We will also cause disappointment and hurt to God’s people. We will experience loss and we will grow weary, as hard as we try not to! We will also hit spiritual walls and face times that we want to quit. But the question we must face when we come to those times is the one I posed in the beginning…
“Dear Jesus, Why must we endure?”
Jesus answers us back, “endurance is what you need to keep living by faith!”
“Consider it great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces ENDURANCE!”
James 1:2-3
ENDURANCE means that we are still in it! No matter how low we have sunk, no matter how hard that wall is that we’ve hit, no matter how great the pain of our circumstances is, when we are trusting Jesus and living by faith, Jesus is producing endurance in us! And to endure means that we are getting through it!
TRUTH BOMB
THE ONLY WAY THROUGH THE “TAFFY PULL” OF LIFE IS TO ENDURE!
That is why we can say along with James, that we can consider it joy when we experience trials because we know that it is producing the way through our trials, ENDURANCE!
It is hard to endure. But endurance is a way of getting through something, a certain strength that can only be built when we stay with something and do not quit!
This is only possible through the power and strength of our Lord Jesus Christ! He alone holds all power and when He is living in us we access His power to endure!
Will you choose to access His power with me and endure? Believe me, I don’t want to sometimes! However, I do know that I want to live a life marked by faith and the only way that I can do that is to let my faith be tested to produce endurance, His endurance, not mine!
speaktruthlove 