Advent Day 1 - Messiah is Coming

This year's Advent devotionals are from A Celebration of Advent: A 25-Day Devotional
by New Spring Church of Anderson, SC
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“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given...and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” 

Isaiah 9:6    (full passage Isaiah 9:1-7)

When circumstances seemed most grim, Isaiah prophesied that a Messiah would come to redeem Israel and set everything right. Isaiah uses four titles to describe the Messiah’s role as the anointed deliverer: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah, is the Wonderful Counselor who makes decisions with divine wisdom. Mighty Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, was with God and was God in the beginning (John 1:1-3). It is through Jesus that we know the Everlasting Father. The Apostle John tells us, “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known”  (John 1:18 NIV). Jesus rules and reigns as the Prince of Peace, bringing dominion and peace that will never end.

For Israel, this prophecy of the Messiah brought joy and comfort in dangerous and unsettling times. Advent means Jesus, the Messiah, came, and we can know Him. Advent also means that He will soon come again. No matter what our circumstances, when we are in Christ, we find deep, abiding peace now and look forward in hope to His second coming when we will know Him in full.

REFLECT:
Of the four names Isaiah uses to describe the Messiah, which one means the most to you?

How have you seen Jesus fulfill each of these roles in your life?

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Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for sending Your Son to redeem us back to You. Thank You that He is everything and all that we need. Open our eyes to see Him in His fullness. Open our hearts to receive Him and our minds to comprehend what it means to trust You in all things. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

You Decide

And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
Matthew 11:2-6 NKJV

John knew Jesus was the Messiah. Scripture tells us The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’” (Matthew 3:3). He knew. But how many of us would have also wanted reassurance if we had spent our life in ministry for the Christ and wound up wasting away in prison?

I don't see this as a rebuke to John like some say. I'm more inclined to believe John may have had doubts about himself and might have needed the validation of his life spent in ministry for the right One. Whatever the reason, Jesus knew John knew. That's why He laid out the Truth for him. “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them." 

Now, based on what you know about Jesus, you decide. 

Prayer:

Father,
          There is no question. Jesus is the Messiah, the only pure and holy Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. You are the King of kings and Lord of lords, our Savior and our God. And we are so grateful! Let us never forget. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Through the Bible in a Year
Reading for January 15th
Genesis 31:17-32:12 

Matthew 10:24-11:6

Psalm 13:1-6

Proverbs 3:16-18

Expecting

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord - and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

Isaiah 11:1-5 NIV

For centuries, the Israelites had been taught the prophecies of the coming Messiah and they had been watching for Him. They searched the scrolls. They cross-referenced with the stars. They expected Him to come as a mighty King to deliver them from the hands of their enemies. They had all the knowledge and yet, they missed Him.

For millennia, the generations of mankind have heard and been taught about the second coming of Christ. We have searched the Scriptures and cross-referenced them with scientific discoveries and signs in the sky (Luke 21:25). What are WE expecting? More to the point - ARE we expecting? Are we waiting with eager anticipation for Christ's return? 

We have even more knowledge. Will we miss Him? 

Prayer:

Father,

          Remove the veil of sin from our eyes so we may clearly see Your glory. We want to see You. We want to know You in Your righteousness. Separate us from our human ignorance to reveal and impart Your wisdom and understanding to us. We don't want to miss You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Advent - Day 18 - Change

I have chosen a different devotional for the remainder of Advent. It is rich.

It is titled "Every Good Gift" and is written fully by Compassion Canada
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Jesus lived out His intimacy with God. Continually, He slipped away from His disciples and crowds of people to a quiet place to pray. Jesus was intentional to show us that it is only through constant fellowship with God and the Holy Spirit that we can do the will of the Father and bring the Kingdom of heaven to earth. Jesus’ life teaches us that prayer is essential.

“Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

A life of continual prayer is essential for us as believers. Prayer is the channel through which we commune with God and the pathway through which we call heaven to come to earth. It is the way we bring into manifestation the blessings that the Lord has promised us.

Jesus said, “When you pray, say: “Father hallowed be Your Name, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” (Luke 11:2-3)

Heaven on earth, God with us.

There were many who had awaited the coming of the Messiah. But there were those who travailed in fervent prayer for the coming of the Saviour. One of them was Anna the old prophetess, whom the Bible described as never leaving the temple, praying, fasting and worshipping night and day. (Luke 2:36-38) Another was Simeon, described as righteous and devout, who was also awaiting the consolation of Israel. (Luke 2:25-35) Both beheld baby Jesus as He was brought to be presented in the Temple. Their eyes had finally seen whom they had been praying for and it brought them great joy.

But even in those times when change tarries, we are called to pray still. Because as long as we keep praying, even when things seemingly remain the same, we are changed. As long as we keep coming to the secret place of prayer, the Holy Spirit continues to work on the renewing of our minds, the transformation of our hearts and the edification of our spirits. Just like on the Mount of Transfiguration, where the countenance of Jesus was altered, in the place of prayer we are also changed. We are also transfigured and transformed into the image of Christ. (Luke 9:29)

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, 

                  Pour upon me the unquenchable desire for prayer. Show me the way to the secret place where I can meet with God in ways I never have before. Help me to pray like Jesus did, so that I can be transformed into His image and likeness and live as He lived to glorify God. Amen.

Friends' Favorites - What Are You Expecting?

John, meanwhile, had been locked up in prison. When he got wind of what Jesus was doing, he sent his own disciples to ask, “Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?”

Jesus told them, “Go back and tell John what’s going on:
The blind see,
The lame walk,
Lepers are cleansed,
The deaf hear,
The dead are raised,
The wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.

Matthew 11:1-5 The Message

John and Jesus were cousins. They grew up together. Sometimes, when people read this passage, they speculate that perhaps John didn't know Jesus was the true Messiah. However, if you remember in chapter 3, Jesus went to John to be baptized and their interchange proves John knew Jesus was the Messiah. So, why was John questioning it now?

Put yourself in John's place. He'd spent his life faithfully preparing the way of the Lord. And there he was, stuck in prison for speaking truth. Sure doesn't seem fair, does it? I mean, if you're living a righteous life - you're the forerunner for the Messiah - you wouldn't think you'd wind up in prison, right?   

But then, so many people who lived in that time missed Him as the Messiah because He didn't arrive as they thought He would. He wasn't what they were expecting.

Jesus knew that John knew the writings of the prophets, so when He quoted Isaiah's prophecy about the blind and the deaf, John would know the prophecy was being fulfilled. It was a blessed assurance for a man wrongly imprisoned. 

We have to admit, we've all questioned God when faced with what we perceive are injustices or unfair situations in our lives. Are we missing Him or doubting Him because our life situations aren't going as we planned? Or do we know the Word well enough to remember that He told us in John 16:33, 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. 

So, what are you expecting? 

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and made The Way back to You. Open our eyes and our hearts to know You in Your glory and in Your Truth. Help us to keep our focus on You and Your Truth and not on life's situations. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen