The Day After Advent (Benediction)

Thursday, December 26, 2019

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide

Now to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior be glory and honor and majesty, now and forever. Amen

Jude 24-25

This wonderful benediction from the little book of Jude is just thrilling! Let’s take a careful look at ourselves when nobody can know what we are thinking but God.

Let’s think about what we’ve done and thought that we would not want to reveal on Sunday morning in church.

Let’s think about the good intentions we have had that never reached reality.

Let’s think about the many times we have neglected to seek God’s guidance and followed our own self-centered ways.

Let’s be honest as we remember all the times we have ignored his Word of direction.

Then let’s contemplate those same deeds and thoughts washed absolutely clean by God’s miracle of grace.

That’s what the above verse says. In spite of all we’ve done or not done, Jesus accepts our repentance, “keeps us from falling,” and will present us “faultless to his Father, “with exceeding joy.” Not our joy! His joy! He knows great joy in bringing us to God! We don’t fully understand that, but it’s true!

Father, As we have considered your gifts of faith, hope peace, and joy, given us through Jesus, we thank you. Please keep us mindful of the treasure that is ours – not just at Christmas but always. As he brought honor to you, help us to do the same. Amen

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide
prepared for First United Methodist Church of Homosassa, Florida
Winter 2009
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator

Christmas Day

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from thy presence, and do not take thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners will be converted to thee.

Psalm 51:10-13

Pastor Mark preached a sermon recently in which he reminded us that we have to know what we have to offer before we go to someone to make that offer. Remember how the clowns tried to blow up a balloon when they didn’t know how? Then when they learned how, they could teach others (and blow up a whole bunch of balloons).

This Scripture could easily have been used to illustrate that sermon. One of the reasons I love this Scripture is that I know that David had really messed up, big time! He had lusted for the wife of another man, had committed adultery with her, and had had her husband killed. There is not one of those things that is not on God’s list of abominations! Yet, with great contrition, David has the nerve to ask some pretty powerful things from God, things that we know must have pleased God, for he later says of him that David was a man after his own – God’s own – heart!

God wants us to come to him with contrite hearts, genuinely repentant for being self-seeking and self-willed. First God has to change our hearts, make us steadfast, assure us of our restored position with him, restore our joy of salvation, and make us willing to go out. Then and only then will we be effective in sharing the good news with another! Others need to hear. God wants us to go to them with joy of salvation.

Enjoy the real reason for Christmas – the joyous arrival of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And take that joy to the world!

Father, Create in us clean hearts; restore the joy of our salvation so that we may share that joy with others and bring honor to you this Christmas and all year. Amen

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide

prepared for First United Methodist Church of Homosassa, Florida

Winter 2009 

by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator

Christmas Eve

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide

These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

John 15:11

As we come to the eve of this most holy of holidays, it seems good to consider this lovely passage from John’s gospel, in which he talks so intimately with his disciples about their relationship with him and their position with the Father because they love the Son. He is just hours away from allowing cruel and evil men to take his life for the sake of a broken world, yet he speaks so gently and lovingly to the twelve about his love for them and his desire that they “abide” in him, a message not only for them but for us who will come after them believing the message they will take.

We know the story, but it bears reading over and over!

• “Abide in me and bear fruit.” 
• “Abide in me lest you be thrown away, withered.” 
• “Abide in me that my words may abide in you.” 
• “Abide in me that you may keep my commandments.” 
• “Abide in me that you can know the Father’s love” 
• “Abide in me that you may know my joy.”

Here we are on the eve of Jesus’ birthday. We’ll soon sing “Joy to the World,” light our candles, go quietly out into the night, remembering that a beautiful baby was born who changed our lives forever. Even in a world of pain and troubles, we are comforted by the warm joy that fills our hearts. No man can resist the joy of Christmas, but do we abide in it?

At least tonight we can be still and allow the wonder of this infant who changed the world to touch us.

At least tonight we know the miracle of faith, hope, peace, and joy that this baby came to bring.

Father, Thank you for Jesus. Awaken in us the reality of what you have done! Amen

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide
prepared for First United Methodist Church of Homosassa, Florida
Winter 2009
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator

The Twenty-third Day of Advent

Monday, December 23, 2019

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide

I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Luke 15:7

Usually when we think about joy, we are considering the things that bring joy into our own lives, the lives of those in our family, or to our church. In the passage above, the speaker is Jesus. The Pharisees are muttering and grumbling that he seems to pay more attention to “sinners” than to them, and he responds with the statement above.

The joy the Lord speaks of here is not ours but his! When one person realizes his need for a Savior, Jesus says that there is great joy in heaven! If we read this passage carefully, we realize that there is an absolute celebration in heaven when one person comes to Christ!

Shouldn’t that prompt us to ask, “What are we doing to bring joy to God, to Christ, to heaven?” How long has it been since we have introduced someone to the Lord? How long has it been since we have verbally shared the gospel – the good news – with another? Just before Jesus left this earth to go home, he told the disciples to go into the whole world with his gospel, the good news that he had come, lived, died, and been resurrected for the restoration of mankind’s relationship with our heavenly Father.

Wouldn’t it be a great Christmas present to give to Jesus this year, to share that lovely message with someone who doesn’t know that God loves them and has a plan for their lives? Maybe we need to spend more time thinking about bringing joy to Jesus than asking him to bring it to us!

Father, Help us speak the good news clearly so that others may come to you and bring joy to you! Amen

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide

prepared for First United Methodist Church of Homosassa, Florida

Winter 2009 

by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator

The Fourth Sunday of Advent: JOY

Sunday, December 22, 2019

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all. . . .

Philippians 1:3-4

I have been sitting here looking at this verse, thinking about what to write, and it has become very personal. Instead of focusing on the joy — because that is the focus of the week— my mind has been playing with the “you all” (maybe because I am Southern). And that has taken me to times with many of you. 

I went to visit someone today whom I knew had not been feeling well. I went out of concern for her, but I came away with real joy in my heart that she is my friend, and the remembrance of our visit brings joy to me as I write. 

A man came to my office recently, sat down and told me a secret. He said he wanted to do something special for our Haiti work, and he wanted me to help him but not to tell anyone. Remembering him as I write brings tears of joy to me now. 

A lady in our church came to help me with a project one day, and as we worked she told me some things that she was struggling with. As she left, she came around my desk and gave me a “thank you” hug — a thank you for listening. The hug gave me joy and remembering it renews that joy. I’m grateful she trusted me with her concern. 

A couple in the church asked me to dinner. They didn’t know that I was really lonely, maybe even depressed. Eating a beautifully prepared meal with them brought me joy at that moment, and, even though that was many months ago, remembering them and their caring brings joy now. 

Joy comes in the morning, the Scripture says. 

Father, Remind us to do the things for others that will cause them to know joy in remembering. Amen

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide
prepared for First United Methodist Church of Homosassa, Florida
Winter 2009 
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator

The Twenty-First Day of Advent

Saturday, December 21, 2019

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

If you are thinking that you have heard this verse just a few days ago, you’re right. But don’t stop reading. I also told you that it is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. Keep reading, please.

When we thought about it before, we were considering hope. Now we are focusing on peace and according to this Scripture that is one of the things with which our hope-filled God wants to fill us – peace. (Next week, we are going to think about joy, and I promise not to bring this verse back to you again, but I do hope you will remember that joy is a perfect companion for peace!) So how does this happen?

All of us know at least a little about physical laws. If we drop a pencil, we never look to the ceiling to see if it has landed there. No, the law of gravity takes our eyes to the floor. But we know less about spiritual laws, and this is, I believe, one of them. When we learn to believe God, this verse says we’re filled with peace – we need not look for confusion. The inevitable result of believing God is peace. Just as the pencil falls to the floor, peace enters the believing heart through faith. Natural and physical law.

Peace is a very important word in the Bible. It occurs about 200 times in the Old Testament and 50 times in the New Testament. Probably we can draw the conclusion that God really wants us to know peace – His peace.

Father, Help us to take the peace you want to give us and to allow that peace to prevail by not trying to take back control of our lives! Amen

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide
prepared for First United Methodist Church of Homosassa, Florida
Winter 2009
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator

The Twentieth Day of Advent

Friday, December 20, 2019

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Colossians 3:15

Sometimes we can expect blessings to happen miraculously, but other times. God intends us to have a part in bringing them to pass. Perhaps the above verse teaches that fact.

Notice that this is not like Jesus’ statement of blessing where he tells the disciples, “Peace I give unto you.” There we have nothing to do with the peace. He supernaturally imparts it to us.

In the verse from Colossians, however, we have to make a conscious decision to allow our hearts to be at peace. As an act of our will, we have to allow peace to prevail – in fact not just to be there but to rule! That’s a pretty strong challenge! When we are concerned about something, the tendency is to stew over it, try to figure a way out of whatever the dilemma is. In those cases we are not letting peace rule. We are the ones doing the ruling! So how do we overcome that?

That’s when we have to go back to the very first verse we had on peace (Isaiah 9:6), and ask the Prince of Peace do his princely work. We have to keep going back to the Lord, asking him again and again to be the Lord and to be in charge. It would be good to do that once and for all, but we’re pretty slow learners! God has to teach some lessons over and over, and this is none of them. We are prone to think, “What if. . . .” until we remember that circumstances do not impact his authority. Either he is in charge of our lives or he is not. The decision is ours. “Let the peace of Christ rule.”

Father, We’re trying to let peace rule. Please help us. Amen

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide

prepared for First United Methodist Church of Homosassa, Florida

Winter 2009 

by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator

The Nineteenth Day of Advent

Thursday, December 19, 2019

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide

For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Romans 8:6-8

Are you ever “hard on yourself?” Wallace used to tell me that I was my own worst enemy. I want to do things well, and when I don’t I am so tempted to berate myself for not taking more time, or planning further ahead, or seeking God’s help. I let Satan enter my thoughts and accuse me, even though I remember that the Scripture warns that Satan is “the accuser of the brethren.”

The above Scripture from a section in which Paul instructs us, “There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,” reminds us how prone we are to fleshly or human thinking. I believe that means to want things our own way! In other words, we say we are “entitled to be angry” or “have the right” to something or “deserve better treatment.” That’s “flesh” talking! Those are not the thought of someone whose mind is set on the Spirit.

When my children were little, when one of them was angry, I’d often say, “Honey, you don’t want to be mad.” Sometimes one of them would reply, “Yes, I do!” Flesh!

We miss a great promise if we persist in having it our own way! This Scripture reminds us that setting our mind on spiritual things brings freedom and peace. That’s the abundant life Jesus talked about, that huge inner peace that is beyond understanding.

Father, Cause us to set our minds on you so that you may impart your holy freedom and peace to us. Amen

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide
prepared for First United Methodist Church of Homosassa, Florida
Winter 2009
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator

The Eighteenth Day of Advent

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide

. . .Now, Lord, thou dost let thy bond-servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou has prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel.

Luke 2:29-32

If there is any story in the early life of Jesus that can really touch our hearts, it is this one! Old Simeon had been promised by God that before he died, he would see the Messiah! And he believed that so strongly, that he went regularly with expectation to the temple to wait for him. Now that is faith!

One day as he waited there, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to dedicate him to God (a wonderful story within itself that we could easily focus on). The Holy Spirit revealed to Simeon that this tiny baby was the Messiah! So he took the infant in his arms, the Scripture says. In other words, he held God in the cradle of his arms and looked into the infant eyes of God! I cannot imagine the joy he must have felt! But his words give us a hint.

“Now, God, let me die!” This man calls himself a bond-servant of God. That means he had been a slave but had been granted his freedom, yet he had had an awl, a ring, put in his ear to indicate to the world that he chose to remain a slave, only this time a slave to God! He had waited and waited, with great expectation, and new he is please to die in peace.

Later in an epistle, Paul will tell us that faith is “substance.” Simeon has seen the “substance” of his faith, and that is what he has been living for! This same baby that he holds will later promise “peace that passes understanding.” Simeon knows that peace.

Father, Thank you for this beautiful story of realized faith! Help us to be as committed to your promises that we cannot wait to see as was Simeon. Amen

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide

prepared for First United Methodist Church of Homosassa, Florida

Winter 2009 

by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator

The Seventeenth Day of Advent

 Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide

The steadfast of mind thou wilt keep in perfect peace because he trusts in thee.

Isaiah 26:3

Many years ago, when I was in my late twenties, I had a very serious illness that caused a dangerous endocrine imbalance in my body. I was sick for about two years, and at times I really didn’t want to live. I hated being nervous all the time, being short tempered with my children and husband, living in what I know now was clinical depression. There was no peace in me – ever. During that time, I found this verse, and I tried so hard to appropriate it to my life, but it was a long time before I realized I was going about it all wrong.

I focused constantly on the peace promised, but the peace did not come. I failed to recognize that I should have been focusing on the God of that peace. Amazingly, when I really heard God (remember how many times Jesus said, “if you have ears to hear, hear”?), miraculously the peace came along with an immediate release from the depression! I was so dramatically changed that my husband and children noticed, my friends began to comment about it! I had learned / was learning to trust God! The King James Version of this verse is the one that I memorized and I will always love its rendition: “Thou shalt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee.” Staying one’s mind on God is not an easy thing to do, but oh, how marvelous and long-lasting are the consequences of learning to do it!

I would not take anything for having gone through those years, for it was there that I learned probably the most important lesson of my life. God is. God loves even me.

Father, Thank you for anything you must take us through to bring us to you. Amen

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide
prepared for First United Methodist Church of Homosassa, Florida
Winter 2009
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator

The Sixteenth Day of Advent

Monday, December 16, 2019

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide

Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than when their grain and new wine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for thou alone, O LORD, dost make me to dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:7-8

Just as many of you do, I have an alarm system in my house. I set it when I go out, in the evening when I sit and read, and before I go to bed at night. It would warn me if an intruder broke a lock or a window. But that system does not help me sleep!

Years ago, I found the verse above, and it revolutionized my nights! I have a terrible habit of not being able to “turn off my brain.” I read or plan or work on projects in the evening, and then when I lay my head on the pillow, I continue to work on those projects when I should be going to sleep. Using this very verse, God has helped me to learn to turn off my brain, let my heart’s gladness redirect my thinking, and go to sleep in peace. It’s wonderful, and it works! Oh, sometimes I forget the lesson, and he has to teach me again, but most of the time, I go to sleep almost as soon as my head hits the pillow!

The root word for “safety” is the same as for “save.” When we recognize our “safe” or “saved” position, accomplished by the Prince of Peace, by some miracle of grace, that wonderful promised peace takes over, dispelling fear, apprehension, insecurity, and anything else that keeps us awake!

God, who made us and knows all the things we need to be prepared for living, protects even our sleep by helping us lie down and rest in peace. We only have to learn to receive from him this peace he wants to give.

Father, help us to learn to receive from your hands the gift you want to give. Help us to receive with gladness the peace that you want to give us, even in rest. Amen

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide
prepared for First United Methodist Church of Homosassa, Florida
Winter 2009
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator

The Third Sunday of Advent: Peace

Sunday, December 15, 2019

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on his shoulders; and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6

Sometimes things become so familiar to us that we don’t even see them. Like the Scripture above. We hear these words sung every Christmas in the “Messiah.” They are so familiar, we barely hear what we are saying. Listen to who this baby Jesus is to be.

·       Wonderful Counselor

How desperately we need Counsel.

·       Mighty God

Though born humbly as a human, Jesus is God!

·       Eternal Father

He told us, “I and the Father are one.”

·       Prince of Peace

The world is crying for peace and here he is right here in our hearts! Not an infant, but a prince in charge.

We fail to realize that he is not talking about the peace that the world seeks. The messenger to Isaiah isn’t talking about the absence of war, the absence of marauding gangs, the absence of terrorists! He’s talking about the “peace that passes understanding” that Jesus talked about in John 14. He’s talking about “my peace, not as the world gives!” He’s talking about the “peace of God” that Paul says should rule in our hearts! The Prince of Peace rules in a heart kingdom and destroys wars in the person!

Why are we not crying out to the world that the peace they seek is Jesus?

Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace, speechless we come to you in awe and expectation. Amen

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide
prepared for First United Methodist Church of Homosassa, Florida
Winter 2009
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator

The Fourteenth Day of Advent

Saturday, December 14, 2019

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

This may be my absolute favorite verse in the entire Bible! If not, it is surely on the list of favorites that I never want to forget. I only found it a few years ago, but every time I read it my heart is warmed and tears usually come to my eyes. Look at it closely.

First of all, this wonderful hope that we seek comes from the very God of hope! Paul prays for us to be given this hope, and the very Christ who inspired him to write this prayer is right now at the right hand of God asking that God do as Paul requested! And that hope is going to produce something tremendous in us – joy and peace in believing God! Not even in just believing anything, but in believing God! And not in believing in God but just believing God! Is it any wonder that when that occurs, we are going to abound in hope? God says it; we believe it! How simple but how complex!

What usually produces despair in us? Lack of faith, doubts, insecurity, fear, a sense of being unloved and alone. Once we reach a place of absolutely believing God, all these despair producers will disappear! If we believe God, will we ever feel alone and unloved? Will we ever lack faith? Can doubt and insecurity touch us if we believe God never leaves us or forsakes us? Can we be afraid if we believe God, that he has overcome all fear?

And to add icing to the cake, that the power of the Holy Spirit – that’s the same power that raised Jesus from the dead – is going to accomplish all this! Awesome. Wonderful. Amazing!

Father, Father! How we praise you that you want to fill us with joy and hope in believing you! Fill us more and more! Amen

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:

An Advent Devotional Guide
prepared for First United Methodist Church of Homosassa, Florida
Winter 2009
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator