Advent Devo 12/6

HE Made Peace

We are a divided people.

That's a no-brainer.

But what Jesus calls us to is Unity. Unity with each other, deep love for each other, and to take care of each other.

These are the things that Jesus said would make us stand out in the world... more than that, these are things that the Global Church should be marked by.

I have found that everyone loves the idea of unity... until they have to actually get dirty.

We all feel that others should bend to our way of doing things, we want the least amount of compromise as possible.

However, there is also something about the Christmas season that allows us to forgo some of our stubborness. This is the season where churches across denominational lines do more together than any time else. It's also a time that is noted for being a season where people can come together for common causes.

I love that. It is definitely a step in the right direction in my eyes... but I want to call us to something deeper. I think the root cause of most of our divisiveness is a lack of peace.

We don't have peace of mind ourselves. We lack peace in our relationships. And... we have a fear of a lack of peace with God. We have sayings like "He has to make his peace with God."

The problem with that mentality is that we can't make peace with God.

It's impossible.

That's why God did it for us. He made peace with Himself, for our sake.

Today, dwell on that. Remember that Peace, which even now seems so unattainable, was attained for us. Rest in that. Worship in that. Revel in the mystery of Christ unfolding before our very hearts.

And... ask yourself, who can you make peace with this Christmas season? What steps can you take to make peace with a fellow Christian, friend, or people group? Be honest with yourself with who you may need to make peace with, and take a step today toward making that a reality.

Advent Devo 12/5

Hope For All The World

                 

My thought today is simple, short, but also challenging.

Yesterday we lit the Peace candle. We prayed that Christ would bring the peace of God into our hearts. We prayed for peace with each other, peace in he midst of our struggles and bad circumstances.

As I read this passage I am reminded of His peaceful voice, of His peaceful presence. 

I'm also reminded that we are nothing like that. We don't like being called servants, yet Jesus, the righteous King became a servant to us. We love to be heard, especially in a shouting match or a debate, Jesus however chose a quiet confidence. According to Isaiah, He didn't shout or raise His voice in public. He is gentle, a flickering flame can survive his breath, a bruised reed remain intact despite His touch. For us, it seems every day we find new ways to inflict violence upon each other.

He is committed to justice, and He is the Hope of the entire world.

What if we looked more like Him? What if we made those kinds of commitments? What if we led out our calling as the Church to BE the Hope and Light of Jesus to the world? What if we cared about justice as much as we cared about winning an argument? What if we stopped treating Jesus like a good idea, a moral to ascribe to, a club to join, and instead pledged our allegiance to His Kingship...what if we obeyed like never before? What if we became radical about loving others?

What if, instead of praying for peace for ourselves... We became the miracle of peace in someone else's life?

Just something to think about.

Scripture Readings:

Advent 2016: Peace

Today is the second Sunday of Advent, where we move our focus on the theme of PEACE.

Peace. It is hard to even contemplate what the word means anymore. We no longer live in a world where we experience the meaning of peace. But did we ever live in such a world?

The people of the Old Testament had recognized the promise of God in sending a savior. They were rooted in that hope. But Peace is what they needed.

Psalm 85:6-13 says-

Won’t you revive us again,
    so your people can rejoice in you?
Show us your unfailing love, O Lord,
    and grant us your salvation.
I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying,
    for he speaks peace to his faithful people.
    But let them not return to their foolish ways.
Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,
    so our land will be filled with his glory.
Unfailing love and truth have met together.
    Righteousness and peace have kissed!
Truth springs up from the earth,
    and righteousness smiles down from heaven.
Yes, the Lord pours down his blessings.
    Our land will yield its bountiful harvest.
Righteousness goes as a herald before him,
    preparing the way for his steps.

How heavy is your heart this Christmas season? In a world of chaos, shadow, hurt, disappointment, eagerness… is it even possible to contemplate what peace truly means anymore?

Beyond the shopping. Beyond the rushing around. Beyond the presents and toys. Beyond the friendly gatherings. Beyond the chaos of life. There lies a child, in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. He is heaven’s answer to our troubled world. He is Heaven’s blessing poured down, unfailing love, truth meeting together in a peaceful sleeping infant.

This precious, innocent, infant would grow up to be our reconciler with God and humanity. Do you hear his voice? It is soft, it is easily forgotten, like the cry that cracked the silence of God for over 400 years, it is easily missed. But He speaks peace to you, right where you are.

We remember the words of Jesus on the night he was betrayed, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again.” And “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

When the prophets spoke of peace, they didn’t just mean making everything calm, they were talking about peace for the whole of life. Jesus taught us the same thing. As the Prince of Peace, Jesus came to put everything right. He came to help us love one another and accept one another, even when we are very different or even disagree with each other. He came to include the poor, the lonely the unusual and rejected. He came to bring peace between one another. He came to show us that God forgives us for all the wrong things we do and that we can be at peace with God.

The Advent Candle today represents Peace. Just as on the night when Jesus was born, peace came into the world, so today, as we invite Jesus in and live in his way, his peace can transform our fear, hurt, anger, and resentment. As we light this candle and read a Scripture, think about who you may need to make peace with.

Isaiah 26:3-19-

You will keep in perfect peace
    all who trust in you,
    all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Trust in the Lord always,
    for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.
He humbles the proud
    and brings down the arrogant city.
    He brings it down to the dust.
The poor and oppressed trample it underfoot,
    and the needy walk all over it.
But for those who are righteous,
    the way is not steep and rough.
You are a God who does what is right,
    and you smooth out the path ahead of them.
Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws;
    our heart’s desire is to glorify your name.
In the night I search for you;
    in the morning I earnestly seek you.
For only when you come to judge the earth
    will people learn what is right.
Lord, you will grant us peace;
    all we have accomplished is really from you.
O Lord our God, others have ruled us,
    but you alone are the one we worship.
Lord, in distress we searched for you.
    We prayed beneath the burden of your discipline.
Just as a pregnant woman
    writhes and cries out in pain as she gives birth,
    so were we in your presence, Lord.
We, too, writhe in agony,
    but nothing comes of our suffering.
We have not given salvation to the earth,
    nor brought life into the world.
But those who die in the Lord will live;
    their bodies will rise again!
Those who sleep in the earth
    will rise up and sing for joy!
For your life-giving light will fall like dew
    on your people.

Prayer:

Lord, in this holy season of prayer and song and laughter, we praise you for the great wonder you have sent us:

Jesus, your Son, our Advocate of peace, the Elegant Champion of reconciliation, Your victories echo harmoniously. You teach us the way towards peace, help us as we carry the torch of peace to our homes, our workplaces, our neighborhoods that it may reside within our hearts and radiate in our surroundings. Through the grace of Your power, transform the world into a Heaven. You are the only hope of mankind.

In our world this day Give peace, we pray. Because there is no one else who will fight for us If not You, our God.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.


Individual Readings:

Advent Devo 12/3

Why Christ Came

           

The incarnation of Christ is one of the greatest mysteries to ever behold... And yet, much of our belief system rest upon it. Why did Jesus come? He tells us why He came when Mark recorded Him saying, "to seek and to save the lost."

Why did He come the way He did? Why as a human? Hebrews 2 gives us that answer. Becoming fully human was the only way He could die. Think about that. Let it resonate within you. Most people spend their lifetime looking for ways to avoid death, or at least to postpone it as long as possible. Jesus came as His number one mission to die. God came down to die. The only way He could achieve that is to become one of us, truly, wholly, one of us.

Why did He have to die? Hebrews tells us that too. Only by dying could he break the power that death has upon us all. Only by dying Himself could he take away the devil's greatest weapon and turn it into the gateway unto Life. I know that in the midst of this happy season of preparing for family, partying, buying gifts, enjoying those Lifetime/Hallmark Christmas movies, and singing songs about Grandma getting run over by reindeer it is so easy to focus on us. Advent calls us to focus on Him.

However, the Christmas sermons and even the best of Advent devotionals, designed to help us remain true during this season, can also sometimes forget to draw us back far enough to see the whole picture. We aren't remembering just the baby in the manger. We aren't thinking only about Jesus coming again. We must remember the purpose for which He came the first time: to die.

This is usually what we focus our thoughts on during Good Friday, but perhaps it is good to remember it during Advent too. God left heave, wrapping Himself with flesh, becoming of the same substance that He formed Adam to be...down to the molecular level. Jesus experienced everything about humanity that we all experience. And then He laid it all down and submitted His own body, His own glory, His own humanity upon a Roman cross.

For us.

Us.

We who know nothing but how to sin. We who had brought death into the world to begin with. We who have crafted and invented the most tortuous ways to inflict pain and bring about death toward our fellow Creation. We who have so mismanaged our own time given to us to live, move, and Be upon this planet... We killed the author of Life.

And in return... He loves. He forgives. He renews. He offers Life.

But don't despair, we know that Easter tells a different ending than what would be expected. We also know that because of the death of Death, we are offered Life.

Because of Jesus, we are no longer slaves to fear, not even the fear of death.

Advent Devo 12/2

They Shall See a Great Light!

This is one my favorite passages in Scripture. Not only because of the great imagery, the great promise, and the hope it inspires... but because of how many times the New Testament alludes to the imagery found in this passage. The Apostle John wastes no time exclaiming that Jesus is that light that has come in his Gospel account of Jesus' life.

John the Baptist proclaims that he is paving the way for the coming of the Lord, the coming of this Messiah who will rest the government upon His shoulders.

Paul makes it clear throughout his life actions and his writings that Jesus is the fulfillment of everything we have hoped for... that He is the light to a darkened world, and that His Kingdom is far greater than anything we could ever comprehend.

I love how Isaiah incarnates the entire Godhead in who this Light will be... Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace... Jesus isn't the Father, but He shows the heart of the Father to the world. He isn't the Counselor, but he showers the love and power of the Holy Spirit upon all who listen to His words. All of God was and is involved in this Light coming, and the redemption of the Universe drawing nigh.

This promise isn't one that has just a singular fulfillment though... this promise is one that we cling to as Christ followers. It is a promise we proclaim to the world. Sin's shadow is still upon this earth. The fog of disillusionment is blinding. It is seemingly an unstoppable contagion.

Death still holds our humanity in check.

There are still so many people who live in a land of darkness. There are so many who walk along in the pitch.

The thing about darkness is that there can never be too much darkness that a single ray of light cannot penetrate.

This promise is for us: For we still are led to valleys where the shadow of death overwhelm our weak hearts. We cling to this promise because we know our Shepherd, who will guide us, comfort us, and lead us will never be extinguished by a Shadow. Death holds our humanity in check, but Our King holds Death in checkmate.

This promise is for the world: A world that is still walking in darkness, whether it be cultural bondage, inward slavery to self-gratification, bondage to specific habitual sins, geography, persecution...

Maybe it is the millions who live in war-torn regions, poverty stricken communities, drought and famine plagued countryside.

Perhaps the millions who are threatened with violence, they who live steeped in gloom, and despair... Light has come. This promise is for them: Light is coming. Light is what is living inside of the Church. Light is what they need. This world has been walking in darkness too long... This world needs hope.



And the local Church holds the hope of the world.

You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

-Matthew 5:14-16

Advent Devo 12/1

God works all things together for the Good!

We have heard it quoted, and tossed around so often that it is easy to let the weight of that truth lessen and lessen.

It's a phrase found from Paul's letter to the Romans.

I think it is something that is proven true when we look at the Christmas story.

Do you remember the circumstances surrounding Mary and Joseph's trip to Bethlehem?

A tax collection. The Roman emperor wanted a census taken for tax purposes. Luke records every level of government being involved. More taxes upon an already oppressed people... just what Israel needed. What a wonderful time to celebrate.

“At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.”

-Luke 2:1-7 NLT

The strange thing is, that even though this was burdensome to an entire nation, specifically very burdensome to a young, poor carpenter from Galilee and his pregnant fiancée, God used it to bring about a number of fulfilled prophecies as well as bring Jesus to exactly where he needed to be born for a number of things to take place.

So the question then is... what circumstances do you find yourself in today? The ones that may not make any sense. The ones that may be hard, sad, and unprovoked.

How do you find yourself this Christmas/Advent season?

Perhaps not everything is going well right now, maybe you are scratching your head and wondering if God is really on your side?

Can I remind you of something?

Bethlehem wasn't a 5 star resort. Jesus understands hard times. He was born in a stable. He isn't apathetic to your needs or your problems.
Bethlehem was a very humble beginning. Jesus made himself low. He didn't come with power and might. He didn't come as a retributive force. He isn't angry with you.

Bethlehem was the last place you would expect God to make himself visible... and yet... there He was... in a manger, visible. He isn't absent.

May your hearts be like Bethlehem. May Jesus be welcomed into your life fully and completely. May he not be turned away, because your inn is full. May your life, and your circumstances become mist as you gaze upon the God in a feeding trough.

Advent Devo 11/30

              

Pay close attention to these words from Luke 1. They are Zechariah's words spoken over his new son John. This is the same John who became known as John the Baptist, that is, the one who God sent to prepare the way for Jesus.

As much as these words are about John and what he will accomplish in his life while serving God and preparing the movement for Jesus' ministry, these words are also about God. God has remained faithful to His people. God is sending a deliverer. God is speaking. The times of silence are over. The times of confusion have past. God is speaking... Are we listening?

“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant— the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham. We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live. “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You 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 1:68-79 NLT

Today's other readings:

Psalm 124

Isaiah 54:1-10

Matthew 24:23-35

Advent Devo 11/29

“Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones. He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful. For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.””

-Luke 1:46-55 NLT

Mary responded to the announcement given by the angel Gabriel with the above song. It is commonly referred to as her Magnificat. Gods message through Gabriel was that God was going to make much of her, that He has picked her. She was chosen. She had been highly favored. God was magnifying her  in a way by choosing her to be the mother of the Christ, Jesus.

What is very telling and truly beautiful about Mary's spirit is that she in turn makes much of God. She worships Him.

             

Mary stands in the Biblical tradition of Jael and Judith, the other two women within Jewish literature to be addressed as "Blessed are you among women." Moreover, her song (the Magnificat), reflects the revolutionary words of Miriam's song (Exo 15), Deborah's (Judges 5), and Hannah's (1 Sam 2). Furthermore, Mary's commission is very similar to the call of Moses (Exo 3:2-6, 10-12) and Gideon (Judges 6:11-24), both who played a major part in God liberating His people.

Protestants have long missed out on looking to Mary as a true role model, both for men and women. Her spirit of submission to God's call upon her life, her willingness to be used by Him in a way that would surely >rob her of her reputation, her strength and dignity that she carried herself with, and everything that went into raising the Savior of the Universe is something to admire and venerate. 

Out of caution to go too far and worship her as some Christians fall into the trap of doing, we can easily go too far and diminish her. This Advent, I pray and hope that you will see Mary for who she was: a true, humble servant of our King. Let us strive to emulate that.

Advent Devo 11/28

Each day there will be some readings, taken from the Revised Common Lectionary. I will also provide some words to accompany one or two passages to focus our thoughts and time each day.

Today we prepare ourselves for the beginning of this journey. Advent is after all a journey, we are pursuing Christ's coming into our world, into our own lives by perusing the Scriptures and allowing those sacred words to mold our thoughts during this time. 

Today we have one passage to meditate on. The angel Gabriel said these words to Zechariah about his son-to-be, John the Baptist. John's words and legacy propelled Jesus' ministry forward. His job was to prepare the people for the coming of Christ. How will you prepare this Advent season? What can you do, what will you do, to meditate upon what the coming of Christ means today?

Advent 2016: Hold On To Hope

What is one thing that you cannot live without?

If we did a survey or even just a simple Google search I am sure we would come up with all the obvious ones, as well as some of the superficial ones.

Your job? Your family?
How about your pets?
The beach?
Your hobbies?
Maybe, for you it is WiFi, or at least it seems that way when you can’t seem to ever get a connection.

We could go down an endless list, but what I don’t think we would find listed anywhere is hope.

I’m not sure anything is more essential to getting out of bed in the morning, and yet it is not something we think of often. In fact, it seems the only time we think about hope is when we feel hope-less.

Hope may not be in the front of our minds, but it certainly seems to be everywhere else. We see it on political signs, Hallmark cards, we name our little girls after it. Fifteen cities in the U.S. are named Hope, four more in Canada, two in the United Kingdom, and one in New Zealand.

Hope is the name of five movies, a TV network, a computer programming language, sixteen ships in the Royal Navy, a Slovakian Political Party, three different colleges and universities, an island, and a railway station.

Hope is everywhere.

Except sometimes… we have the hardest time finding it inside of ourselves.

We all need hope.

The people of the Story, (what I like to refer to the real people who lived thousands of years ago in the Biblical record), needed hope.

And they found it, in the most unlikely of places… and the most unlikely of persons.

Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear.

We are separated from the people of the Old Testament by more than just time. Sure, time may be the biggest issue, but there are other significant cultural, geographical, worldview, and general mindsets that separate us. The angst of life without the ease and comfort that technology beckons us with was categorically different for the people who lived in the Story of Scripture.

However, something that is true for all people, at all times, and in all places is that we all need hope.

The people of the Story found themselves in a sticky situation. Well, they found themselves there a whole lot. Whereas their situation was deeply spiritual, just like us, they always got caught up with the political, economical, and social issues on top of it all.

These people weren’t experiencing a spiritual exile alone, they were also experiencing a physical exile. Something most of us will never experience.

But just like us today, where it is so easy to be distracted by all the things we think we could not live without… the Story shows us that they felt that way too.

To them it wasn’t an iPhone, it was their land.

They didn’t try keeping up with Mr. and Mrs. Jones, but they were trying to communally keep up with their actual enemies.

They clung for and longed for the realization of their hope, that God would provide for all their needs.

God did not always rescue them from their enemies in the moment. He didn’t split the Red Sea for every situation. Sometimes He let them be dragged away. Sometimes He let the enemy destroy their city, their home, their land… their temple.

Sometimes He let Rome invade and subjugate them. Sometimes He allowed them to be exiled even whilst living in their home.

How often have we felt that God has abandoned us? We aren’t alone.
How often has it seemed that God made a mistake? We aren’t alone thinking that either.

But, we cry out, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel… and we are reminded of His Word:

Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory. 

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine... 

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called:Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His government and its peace will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!

This first week of Advent we remember that God provides HOPE in the midst of chaos. He will come through and make every Right and Just. He alone brings Peace. He alone is passionate about His commitment to us.

When the storms come… and they come all the time… Our God gave us HOPE to hold on to.

At His word, the storms cease. At His Word we find redemption and at His Word, we find our Hope.

Hold onto that…

We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) 

-Romans 8:23-25 NLT