Archive for December, 2022
Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
Psalm 95:6, ESV
To change the world, we have to start with ourselves.
How should we start?
Let us worship our Maker and Savior!
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12, ESV
Our world is shadowed in the darkness of sin and rebellion, but our Light and Lord has come to us.
Turn to Jesus, our source of life.
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
Isaiah 40:1-2, ESV
At Advent, we look back at why Jesus had to come, that He came, and then that He will come again.
Our sins have stacked up to heaven, deeper and more vile than we could know.
The pain those sins have caused have made this world and much of our lives dark and burdensome.
We have hurt ourselves and each other as we have ignored and run from God.
We have caused so much pain and grief to ourselves and each other as we acted selfishly and without regard for others.
We can prepare ourselves by beginning to look at our own wickedness and need for forgiveness.
We can prepare ourselves by seeking our Creator and Savior who is capable of removing our burdens and sins.
May we seek the Lord who offers His comfort, preparing ourselves by seeking His truth.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9, ESV
We seek God because He has giving us the gift of grace through faith, saving us from ourselves.
May we share the news of this gift with others!
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 9:6-7, ESV
At Advent, we look back at why Jesus had to come, that He came, and then that He will come again.
We may do horrible things to ourselves, to each other, and against God.
We tend to commit so many injustices against each other, to seek manufactured kindness and perceived justice that still harms others, even intentionally.
His Kingdom is growing in this world, but there is still much work to be done.
Our mighty God is destroying strongholds and bringing peace to individuals and groups.
He became one of us here onthe earth, being born in the natural way, but He is currently reigning from Heaven. He has sent His Counselor to live in and through us to spread His rule across the globe and time.
We have failed time and again, yet He works in and through us – the redeemed of the Lord – to bring about righteousness.
So we do not lose heart in this broken and wicked world, rather we join with our Lord in zealously seeking those whom will be saved and ushering in the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.
May we seek the Lord who works in us to spread His kindness and grace and justice.
Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men, and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is godless and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.
Isaiah 9:17, ESV
At Advent, we look back at why Jesus had to come, that He came, and then that He will come again.
We do horrible things to ourselves, to each other, and against God.
We don’t seek God, but instead we think we know better than He does.
We even accuse Him of evil and being a moral monster for not doing things the way we think He should.
As a whole, we have turned from God and chosen to do our own thing far more than we have chosen Him and His ways.
Look at history and see how much we have rebelled against God and hurt each other, through cults, tyranny, bullying, murder, war, and so many other horrible things.
Because “we know better.”
If we are ignoring God and His commands, why should He care for us? If we want nothing to do with Him, why should He be kind to us?
May we seek the Lord who has given us kindness and grace because of His great love for us.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
1 Peter 1:3, ESV
The Father draws us to the Son. By His grace, we seek Him and find everlasting hope.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope
Psalm 130:5, ESV
As we seek God, He grants us peace and we find hope in His promises, including His immenent return.
for those who guide this people have been leading them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.
Isaiah 9:16, ESV
At Advent, we look back at why Jesus had to come, that He came, and then that He will come again.
We do horrible things to ourselves, to each other, and against God.
We want to hear about the good things in this world and that good things will come to us.
We want to surround ourselves with people who will tell is what we want to hear. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
And there are people who are willing to tell us those happy things, saying many of the right things while also ignoring or omitting the things that don’t sound as good.
In other words, there are teachers willing to teach what others want to benefit themselves. (1 Timothy 6:3-10; 2 Timothy 3:1-9)
But this is not new. Many of the prophets and priests of Israel had done that for centuries (which is something Isaiah is talking about), and it clearly stretches throughout history.
The religious leadership added rules to or new interpretations of God’s Word. Balaam accepted money to speak and fight against Israel (even if he still only spoke blessings). All the way back to the beginning, the serpent twisted God’s Word to “help” people be more like God.
And we have allowed ourselves to be consumed with selfish lies.
May we seek the Lord who has given us truth through His Word (The Bible) and His life, death, and resurrection.
a simple man of God 