For the next four weeks we will be celebrating Advent. When December rolls around it is tempting to jump straight to Christmas. But much of what we do to celebrate Christmas is based on culture and tradition. There is nothing wrong with that, but we don't want to focus on Christmas trees, presents and carols to the point where we lose sight of the story of Jesus' birth and, just as importantly, His promised return. That is what Advent invites us to do; to remember that Jesus appeared as a baby long ago, but that He will return as Lord in the future. We want to remember not only His first advent, but His second advent as well. So over the next four weeks we will recall the tremendous gift given to us by the Father when His Son was born as a baby in Bethlehem, but we will also anticipate the tremendous gift we will one day receive when Jesus returns in glory.
My thoughts go to the hymn we sing: "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' love and righteousness." and the unimaginable love He has lavished upon us. May we remember and remain secure within His wings.
"May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones." (1 Thessalonians 3:13)
This verse reminds us where our hope lies. It is not in any person, place or possession. It is found in the promises of God, and specifically in this case the promise that we will one day stand in the presence of God because His Son will return to gather us together so that we might be blameless as we take our place among the holy ones. You and I will be experience plenty of problems and trials while we are here on earth. We will see some reject the faith. We will see saints we love deeply die. We will have trouble because of our faith. But this verse reminds us that those who do not reject the faith will be perfected. Those who die in the faith simply go home ahead of us. Those who have trouble because of their faith will one day be comforted. All of these things give us hope, and that hope cannot fail because it is based on the promise of God which cannot fail. That is our hope as we remember Jesus' first advent and anticipate His second advent.
In Luke 21:33 Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." It is Jesus' promises upon which our hope rests. This promise, that HIs words will never pass away, gives us the ability to hold fast to our faith no matter what may come our way. Hebrews 11:1 also tells us "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." We do not have some empty vague hope that things might turn out for the best. We have Jesus' assurance that they will, and that assurance helps make us sure or convicted of what we have not yet seen. But we do not base that on thin air, either, for we have experienced the presence of God and have seen Him keep His promises to us time and again. It is our relationship with God and the ability to rely on Him as He has proven Himself that further helps convict us and fill our hearts with hope.
Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
(Psalm 25:4-5)
The psalmist's hope was in the Lord so he sought to know the Lord's ways, to be guided and taught by the One in whom he had placed his trust. We can demonstrate that our hope is in the Lord in the same way, by seeking to walk according to HIs ways and to be guided and taught by our Savior. Doing so not only demonstrates where our hope lies, but also builds our faith and thus make our hope all the more certain.
Once again I am in awe of how the Spirit guides our congregation. Recently, in the various forms of communication with our church, we have a clear directive - learn from our Rabbi Jesus and walk as He would have us. Build that firm foundation.
“‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah. “‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’ (Jeremiah 33:14-16)
Here is our hope fully expressed: That we will be saved and live in security (that is, our relationship with God will be secure), and the city's inhabitants (in Jeremiahs' case Jerusalem, in our case, the new Jerusalem) will be holy as God is holy. That came to pass for God's people when they were restored to their land. It has come to pass for us through the sacrifice of God's Son, Jesus, whose death on the cross provided for our salvation and by the Holy Spirit, whose indwelling is a sign and seal of our security. And now we are called, through the power of that same Spirit, to live as God's holy people, set apart for His purpose as we walk according to His will, saved and secure according to His power.
Good Sabbath! People fail. Plans fail. Possessions fail. Sometimes it seems like the world, and maybe even our lives, is one long line of “fail.” And if our hope were in people, that would be true. If our hope were in our plans, that would be true. If our hope were in our possessions, that would be true. But that is not where our hope lies. Our hope lies in the Lord. Our hope is founded on God’s promise and cannot fail. We know that there will come a day when Jesus will return, gathering those who belong to Him to Himself, those who were redeemed and purified so as to be a people for His own possession. The proper response to that is gratitude and worship. See you at church!
For the next four weeks we will be celebrating Advent. When December rolls around it is tempting to jump straight to Christmas. But much of what we do to celebrate Christmas is based on culture and tradition. There is nothing wrong with that, but we don't want to focus on Christmas trees, presents and carols to the point where we lose sight of the story of Jesus' birth and, just as importantly, His promised return. That is what Advent invites us to do; to remember that Jesus appeared as a baby long ago, but that He will return as Lord in the future. We want to remember not only His first advent, but His second advent as well. So over the next four weeks we will recall the tremendous gift given to us by the Father when His Son was born as a baby in Bethlehem, but we will also anticipate the tremendous gift we will one day receive when Jesus returns in glory.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts go to the hymn we sing: "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' love and righteousness." and the unimaginable love He has lavished upon us. May we remember and remain secure within His wings.
Delete"May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones." (1 Thessalonians 3:13)
ReplyDeleteThis verse reminds us where our hope lies. It is not in any person, place or possession. It is found in the promises of God, and specifically in this case the promise that we will one day stand in the presence of God because His Son will return to gather us together so that we might be blameless as we take our place among the holy ones. You and I will be experience plenty of problems and trials while we are here on earth. We will see some reject the faith. We will see saints we love deeply die. We will have trouble because of our faith. But this verse reminds us that those who do not reject the faith will be perfected. Those who die in the faith simply go home ahead of us. Those who have trouble because of their faith will one day be comforted. All of these things give us hope, and that hope cannot fail because it is based on the promise of God which cannot fail. That is our hope as we remember Jesus' first advent and anticipate His second advent.
In Luke 21:33 Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." It is Jesus' promises upon which our hope rests. This promise, that HIs words will never pass away, gives us the ability to hold fast to our faith no matter what may come our way. Hebrews 11:1 also tells us "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." We do not have some empty vague hope that things might turn out for the best. We have Jesus' assurance that they will, and that assurance helps make us sure or convicted of what we have not yet seen. But we do not base that on thin air, either, for we have experienced the presence of God and have seen Him keep His promises to us time and again. It is our relationship with God and the ability to rely on Him as He has proven Himself that further helps convict us and fill our hearts with hope.
ReplyDeleteShow me your ways, Lord,
ReplyDeleteteach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
(Psalm 25:4-5)
The psalmist's hope was in the Lord so he sought to know the Lord's ways, to be guided and taught by the One in whom he had placed his trust. We can demonstrate that our hope is in the Lord in the same way, by seeking to walk according to HIs ways and to be guided and taught by our Savior. Doing so not only demonstrates where our hope lies, but also builds our faith and thus make our hope all the more certain.
Once again I am in awe of how the Spirit guides our congregation. Recently, in the various forms of communication with our church, we have a clear directive - learn from our Rabbi Jesus and walk as He would have us. Build that firm foundation.
ReplyDelete“‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.
ReplyDelete“‘In those days and at that time
I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line;
he will do what is just and right in the land.
In those days Judah will be saved
and Jerusalem will live in safety.
This is the name by which it will be called:
The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’
(Jeremiah 33:14-16)
Here is our hope fully expressed: That we will be saved and live in security (that is, our relationship with God will be secure), and the city's inhabitants (in Jeremiahs' case Jerusalem, in our case, the new Jerusalem) will be holy as God is holy. That came to pass for God's people when they were restored to their land. It has come to pass for us through the sacrifice of God's Son, Jesus, whose death on the cross provided for our salvation and by the Holy Spirit, whose indwelling is a sign and seal of our security. And now we are called, through the power of that same Spirit, to live as God's holy people, set apart for His purpose as we walk according to His will, saved and secure according to His power.
Good Sabbath! People fail. Plans fail. Possessions fail. Sometimes it seems like the world, and maybe even our lives, is one long line of “fail.” And if our hope were in people, that would be true. If our hope were in our plans, that would be true. If our hope were in our possessions, that would be true. But that is not where our hope lies. Our hope lies in the Lord. Our hope is founded on God’s promise and cannot fail. We know that there will come a day when Jesus will return, gathering those who belong to Him to Himself, those who were redeemed and purified so as to be a people for His own possession. The proper response to that is gratitude and worship. See you at church!
ReplyDelete