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Consider Him

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:2-3 Who could have imagined the sweet baby Jesus on the cross?  The babe of Bethlehem grew up into a full-grown, perfect, and sinless Man, the only One fit to die for the humans He created.  He was aware of this all of His life.  But He also saw beyond the cross to the joy.  I’m certain this joy centered in His Father and the multitudes He would bring to glory. …

The Third Candle: Joy

“The angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy  that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior  has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord’.” Luke 2:10-11 I wonder how those who waited for the birth of the Messiah expected Him to come?  Many were probably looking for a man to deliver them from the tyrannical government of that day and usher in a new kingdom where Israel ruled. Instead, God’s promised Deliverer was a helpless babe!  Those who had faith in God’s promises rejoiced at His birth.  Anyone looking for a man was disappointed.  His thoughts are not our thoughts, neither His ways our ways.  God is…

Gifts

My favorite Christmas gift when I was growing up was the Fisher Price dollhouse.  My imagination went wild with this house, as I lived out the perfect family life through the little people.  My dream was to live in a house with a second floor!  I thought that was a sign that you were rich.The sight of that house brings back precious memories of hours of play. The giving of gifts is a pleasurable tradition of Christmas.  We want to see the eyes of our loved ones light up and feel the warmth of their joy when they unwrap something they truly wanted.  Are gifts the measure of love or are they an obligation? Whatever our reasons for giving are, God had only one to…

Second Advent Candle: Love

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son…”    God is love.  What could be higher than that?  Love needs to be expressed, and He did, by giving His Son to an agonizing death on the Cross.  But before His death could occur, He had to come into the world in human form and live a pure, sinless life.  Celebrating the love of God this Christmas, we cannot forget why He came in human flesh.  While we decorate our houses, send our cards, shop for gifts, go to parties, and watch the Christmas movies, let’s never forget that sweet, innocent baby we celebrate grew into a Man to die for us and give us life.  Red and green are recognized as Christmas…

Another Waiting Room

“And there was a prophetess, Anna…She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers.” Luke 2:36-37 Anna lived in the presence of God.  She sought Him daily through prayer and fastings.  She was a prophetess, who took the messages of Jesus to the masses.  I wonder if she had any doubt that God would keep His promise of the Messiah?  If she did, the doubt quickly vanished in the presence of the One Who gave it.  She fasted, but her soul was filled with the delights of heaven.  She didn’t have time to fret and wonder.  She listened to God’s words and took them into her heart.  She left the temple only to spread the word, that the Savior was born. …

Life in the Waiting Room

“And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.” Luke 2:25 The first candle in the Advent wreath symbolizes anticipation.  Simeon’s life was wrapped in the promise of the consolation of Israel. God had also made him a personal promise that he would see the Lord’s Christ before his death. He looked for him  with the anticipation of a child waiting for his parents to come home with a special gift.  Spirit-filled, he went into the temple and was able to hold Israel’s Hope in his arms.  God blessed him that day with a double fulfillment to a double promise.  He could truly…

Waiting

When I was a teen I longed for friends, but was too shy to even approach someone.  Laura approached me and we quickly became friends.  One Friday afternoon when school let out she made an off-handed statement that I took to heart.  She said that MAYBE  she and her boyfriend  would stop by and pick me up for a night out.  That evening I got ready and sat on the sidewalk in front of my house to wait for them.  Darkness fell.  They never came. I was devastated. Why is it so hard to believe God will do exactly what He says He will do?  I am sure it’s because most times we have a lengthy wait between the promise and the fulfillment.  In the…

Hope

During the long wait for the Messiah, I wonder how the Jewish people were able to hold on and still believe?  They had hope, a hope put in their hearts by God with a promise.  The promise didn’t have an expiration date, nor would God forget.  The first candle of the advent candles is “Hope, anticipation”.  What about me this Christmas season?  Yes, I am waiting for the fulfillment of promises I’ve held onto over the months and years.  Does that mean God isn’t going to keep His promises?  As I contemplate the coming of the Messiah and look at other instances in the Bible when a promise was long in coming, I answer with a resounding NO!  His Word to me is:  “Trust in…

What is Advent?

A writer friend suggested writing a blog for the Christmas Season and the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea.  As the first day of Advent approaches, I’m looking up what all the symbolism means.  When I was a kid back in Omaha, NE,  the only thing a Christmas celebration meant was presents, a tree, and a day at my Granny’s house with myriads of cousins, aunts, and uncles.  I learned somewhere (our family didn’t attend church regularly) that it was also Jesus birthday. There were beautiful songs that played on the radio and houses were decorated with pretty lights.  My dad used to drive us around town to look at all the lights until the energy crisis came in and…

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