ADVENT MEDITATIONS - Part 3

DEC. 5 - FOCUS (Фокус)
Today's meditation focused on how the reason for Jesus' coming to earth impacted the way that He came. God in His sovereignty *could have* orchestrated the events of Jesus' birth differently, but that would have changed the course of everything. There was a specific plan for Jesus to fulfill on earth and a specific way for that to happen. Jesus was focused on fulfilling the Father's will.

 I chose to memorize Matthew 20:27-28 -- "And whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."

Dying on the cross, giving His life as a ransom for sinful people whom He loved -- this was the reason Jesus came. And He followed the path that God His Father had laid out for Him to accomplish this purpose, no matter how difficult it was. In the same way that Jesus did, I must be focused on the goal that God has for my life -- to be transformed to the image of His Son -- and recognize that every step along the way has been ordained by my loving heavenly Father to accomplish that goal.

DEC. 6 - PEACE (Мир)
Today's meditation was about peace. One of the most oft-quoted verses at Christmastime is the proclamation of the angels: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace among those with whom He is pleased." The last part of this verse is the important part.

I chose these verses for today. Romans 5:1-2 -- "Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God."

The only way to truly know God's peace is by being reconciled to Him through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus came to make this peace available to us -- and that's what we celebrate at Christmas.

DEC. 7 - ONE MESSIAH (Одна Миссия)
The theme of today's meditation was how Jesus is a Messiah for everyone. The salvation provided through Jesus' death on the cross is available to everyone - no matter what nationality, what family history, what life challenges - to everyone who believes in Him.

I chose the words of Simeon in Luke 2:30-32 -- "For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You prepared in the presence of all peoples, a 'Light of revelation to the Gentiles,' and the glory of Your people Israel."

We also must recognize that the birth of Christ was the revelation of God's salvation plan for ALL people, and we must continue to proclaim this truth to a world that is in need of the one and only Messiah who can save them from their sins.

CELEBRATING ADVENT: Peace

PROCLAMATION

Beginning in Genesis, and through to Revelation,

The Bible is one incredible proclamation.
Messengers don't need great power or even to be well-known; 
They simply have to share the truth they've been shown.
If we will proclaim God's true message of peace,
He will touch people's hearts and cause faith to increase.
 ~ Darlene Koop, Dec. 24-2012 ~

"Therefore My people shall know My name; therefore they shall know in that day that I am He who speaks: 'Behold, it is I.' How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, to Zion who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns!' " ~ Isaiah 52:6-7 ~

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord...that He may be glorified." ~ Isaiah 61:1-2a, 3b ~

There are all kinds of proclamations made in our world today, and especially during holidays like Christmas...but it may not necessarily be the truth that is proclaimed.

At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, but in essence, we are celebrating more than just that one glorious event -- we are celebrating Him and the reason WHY He came to earth as a baby, as a human. Yet that truth is not universally proclaimed and it is often tagged on at the end of the rest of the activities that we seem to think are so important.

I am thankful for my family, for the abundant blessings God has given me, and for all the things that make Christmas such a special time -- beautiful songs that proclaim His truth, lights and beauty, events that bring friends and family together to make memories -- but I feel the most joy when I celebrate Jesus and all that He is and what He has done for us.

The peace He came to bring is more than just a feeling -- it is a radically different way to live, to think, to love. And it can only be realized in our hearts and lives when we allow Jesus Christ to be at the center, to lead us in His way and to learn His truth and share that with others around us.

So what are we are going to proclaim this Christmas? And let us not just proclaim the message of Jesus Christ because we should, but because of what it says in Isaiah 61:3 -- in order that God may be glorified. Because,  it doesn't stop at the end of December, when our celebrations are finished and we return to the regular routines of life.

Through Jesus Christ, God has brought peace and joy to us who believe -- but His plan is not yet complete. There is still sin, evil and pain in our broken world, and He longs to set everyone free, to bring hope, freedom, life and joy to every person. And one day, every single person in the world will know and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, and in the new heaven and new earth there will be perfect peace and harmony like never before for all those who believe in Him.

But some may never know unless we speak the truth, unless we proclaim what God has made known to us and what we see when we recall how Christ was born and why He came...

Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised... honor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. Say among the nations, "The Lord reigns...For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with His truth."
~ Psalm 96:2-4a, 6a, 9-10a, 13 ~

MEDITATIONS ON THE PSALMS - Psalm 20

The psalmist David is reminding the readers that Yahweh is the One in whom they trust for salvation.

Three times in this chapter, it references "the name of the Lord." This is significant, because we know that there is power in the name of God.

Psalm 124:8 says that "our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."
Proverbs 18:10 says that "the name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."

John 3:18 says that "whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."
John 20:31 says: "But these things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name."

In Acts 4:10, after the lame man was healed, Peter declared that "it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed."

In Philippians 2:10-11 it says that "at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

God's name is so precious to us as believers because we know the strength and faithfulness of our God. The psalmist says 3 things about the name of the Lord in this chapter:

"May the name of the God of Jacob defend you" ~ God's name is a defense for us against evil and wickedness and trouble.

"In the name of our God we will set up our banners" ~ We should rejoice in the name of God and proclaim it to those around us.

"Remember the name of the Lord our God" ~ Our trust is in God and we need to remember this - AND remember who He is and what He has done for us, how He has proved Himself - especially when we are tempted to believe otherwise.

I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Oh praise the greatness of our God! ~ Deuteronomy 32:3