The Eighteenth Day of Advent, 2016

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Therefore all generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the time of Christ fourteen generation.  Matthew 1:17

Forty-two generations! God promised Abraham that through him He would make a nation of people so great that they could not be counted (and that includes me as a spiritual child of Abraham), and it took forty-two generations just to get to Christ! The expected age was four score and ten, so that was a lot of years!

I live in a “five-minute personal pan pizza” generation! I want what is going to happen to happen now – no waiting, immediate gratification.  It’s amazing to see that God, who could have done everything by the snap of His fingers, by a simple Word from His mouth, waited so long to see His great purpose accomplished! I know that time for Him is not as it is for me, but I’m still amazed that He would allow so much time to pass, waiting for the perfect time to do something so absolutely spectacular as the birth of His Only Son.

The next time I am in a hurry for Christmas to get here, to “hurry up” preparation for all the wonder of the celebration, I need to remember that God waited patiently for forty-two generations!

I am really not good, Father, about waiting! I want to celebrate now! I want the warm and wonderful feelings of the Christmas season to come now! Remind me of your patience in waiting for the perfect time and of the importance of preparation for that time. And then don’t let me miss a moment of the wonder! Amen

And Then It Was Christmas: A Journey Toward Christmas
prepared for Homosassa United Methodist Church, 2006,
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator.

 

The Seventeenth Day of Advent, 2016

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

  

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the son of Abraham. Matthew 1:1

   

It seems funny to me that Matthew does not have even the slightest introduction to what he is about to write. It’s as though he wants to get down to the business of telling us who this man Jesus is. And he doesn’t even spare the ugly!

Jesus had some people in his family that we all know as the patriarchs of Israel – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon. But then there was Ruth. Ruth was a Moabite! Jews would never have bragged about a Moabite ancestor! And Zerah, who was, for goodness sake, an Edomite, a descendent of Ishmael, whom everyone knows is the son that Abraham had when he tried to fulfill God’s promise on his own, and whom he later sent away to keep peace in his family! We must not skip Rehoboam, whose mother was an Ammonite and who began as a pretty fair king but later with his people, engaged in idolatry! And these are just a few!

I didn’t look up all the people and their place in Israel’s history, but I looked at enough to know that Jesus – his human side – was much like me! He had some ancestors who surprise me! But He didn’t let that influence what He had come to do! I love having this new realization of just how human the human side of Jesus was!

Father, Thank you for not hiding things in the Bible, for letting me see that the people you used to bring about your plan for my salvation were not perfect, and through them you could bring my Perfect Savior! That helps me to believe that you can do something even with me. Amen

And Then It Was Christmas: A Journey Toward Christmas
prepared for Homosassa United Methodist Church, 2006,
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator.

 

The Sixteenth Day of Advent, 2016

Monday, December 12, 2016

  

And He will arise and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God . . . .  And this One will be our peace.  Micah 5:4a, 5a

Years ago, I learned that sheep are not the smartest of creatures! Wallace (my husband) told me that when a flock of sheep is to be loaded on a vehicle for transportation to market, there is no pushing, shoving, or coaxing necessary. All you need to do is find one mature, pliant one and lean him quietly up the ramp. All the rest will just follow. I don’t like to think about their destination, but they go rather peacefully, with little hesitation once the leader has led the way.

I am sad to realize how much like a sheep I sometimes am, following someone without asking any questions. He seems to know where he is going, seems to have a certain peace about his journey. He goes, and I too willingly go after him. My goodness! How badly I need a Good Shepherd, who can prevent me from boarding some vehicle that will ultimately take me to my destruction!

How blessed we are that on that first Christmas God gave us a Shepherd we can trust, a Good Shepherd who will not only lead us safely through life but who will be our peace as we travel! Isn’t that what He promised? This one will be our peace.

Father, in the Old Testament, you taught about yourself, by telling us that you are Jehovah-shalom, the Lord our Peace. Thank you for this greatest of all gifts at Christmas, the Lord Jesus Christ who is my Peace. With the angels I sing about these good tidings of great joy! Amen

And Then It Was Christmas: A Journey Toward Christmas
prepared for Homosassa United Methodist Church, 2006,
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator.

 

The Third Sunday of Advent, 2016

Sunday, December 11, 2016

The Bethlehem Candle

By Patience Fort

Back in the day, everything important took place in Jerusalem. To say that Nazareth and Bethlehem were considered insignificant and unimportant -- although less than 10 miles away -- might be an understatement. The fact that King David had been from Bethlehem seemed to be tucked away in history somewhere.

During this time there were some newlyweds trying to get their feet on the ground. Their love of God and of each other was very strong. Yet things weren't easy. Their family was growing very quickly. There were obstacles. There were difficulties.  And, to top it off, they were ordered by law to drop everything and travel to his hometown to be counted. What an unbelievable inconvenience. 

“So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who . . . was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”  Luke 2:4-7 NIV

Today's Bethlehem Candle serves as a reminder that God uses the insignificant -- the unimportant -- the forgotten -- to birth extraordinary, incredible things. 

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”  Micah 5:2 NIV

Jesus. 

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.”  Jeremiah 23:5 NIV

Jesus. 

From Bethlehem. 

Of course, it is important for us to understand that God can use us, insignificant though we may be, to be His instruments of ministry and love. 

But I don't want us to miss the fact that God also uses unbelievers to accomplish His plan, as well. Consider this. 

Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth. She was in her final month of pregnancy. The last thing on her "to do" list would have been to travel away from the midwives and family at home. But according to the prophecies, Jesus had to be born in Bethlehem. The only thing that would get this couple moving was a law. So God used a pagan ruler to come up with the crazy idea of counting everybody to set the stage for Jesus' birthplace. 

Bethlehem. 

I think that's pretty cool. 

God can do anything -- with little or nothing. 

Lord, I am but a speck on this vast planet. Even so, use me today to accomplish your will. Use the worldly things around me to fulfill your plan, as well. May you be glorified above all!

 

The Fourteenth Day of Advent, 2016

Saturday, December 10, 2016

And He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness.  Malachi 3:3

I love to think about the Lord as my righteousness or my shepherd or my peace. Those are very comforting thoughts that I can sit quietly and enjoy as I contemplate the breadth of their meaning. But Malachi presents another view of God, and I wonder if I really want to know Him in this manner.

I sometimes shy away from considering Him as my refiner, as my smelter and purifier. These are painful words, requiring the kind of work in me that will hurt, and on the surface not comforting at all! Not comforting, that is, until I get to the so that!

God wants to make me fit to make offerings to him in righteousness. He says so in this verse from Malachi. He’s speaking of the work He will do in the priests, preparing them to enter His presence on behalf of Israel. I might write this off as not referring to me if I did not know that Hebrews teaches that all believers are part of God’s priesthood, set apart for ministry to and for God’s church! He wants to get rid of all the impurities in my life so that I can come to Him on behalf of myself and others in righteousness, standing rightly without blemish before Him.

Even though the purification process may cause me pain, God’s plan is to prepare me for righteousness – to please Him.

Father, I trust you to refine my life to suit you, that I might present pleasing gifts to you. Help me not to pull away when it hurts. Amen.

And Then It Was Christmas: A Journey Toward Christmas
prepared for Homosassa United Methodist Church, 2006,
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator.

 

The Thirteenth Day of Advent, 2016

Friday, December 9, 2016

  

My God my God, why hast Thou forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning!  

Christmas is such a lovely time, such a happy time. I don’t like to have anything interrupt the mood as I sing, “Joy to the World.” It is so much more Christmas-like if I just look at the innocent face of the infant in some artist’s rendering of that first Christmas morning.

But the Psalmist interrupts my warm Christmas thoughts with these difficult words. They sound familiar, as well they should! Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani? [Translated, my God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?] The last words Jesus spoke before He died!

Personally, I would rather not think right here at this Christmas that my sin caused God for the first and only time in eternity – unable to look upon my sin – to turn away from Christ. That’s Easter, isn’t it?

Way before the birth of Jesus, David, led by the Holy Spirit, wrote that someday the Son of God would scream out in agony as God turned away from Him. Oh, the price of Christmas to Almighty God! How amazing that this little baby learned obedience, even obedience to the cross because of His great love for His Father!

Christmas is a wonderful time, especially when I remember the cost of that first Christmas present!

Father, Father! Thank you for caring enough to send the absolute best! Amen

And Then It Was Christmas: A Journey Toward Christmas
prepared for Homosassa United Methodist Church, 2006,
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator.

 

The Twelfth Day of Advent, 2016

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I shall raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land. In His days Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell securely; and this is His name by which He will be called, The Lord our Righteousness.  Jeremiah 23:5-6  

I have been intrigued recently by several Scriptures that reveal some aspect of the character of God through His very name. Often, they also teach me about my position with Him – just by telling me what His name is! This is one of those.

The term here, The Lord our Righteousness in the Hebrew is Jehovah-tsidkenu. It appears in several places in the Old Testament – which is wonderful since it shows that God has always been my righteousness, even before I knew it. There is nothing I can do to become righteous, and I don’t need to try because He is my righteousness! Jesus said, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied (Matthew 5:6).

In Jeremiah we are promised that we will not only be satisfied in our search for righteousness, for rightness with God, but that He will become our righteousness, our rightness! Incredible! Satisfied and filled with God’s righteousness!

I can almost hear God shouting out to us, Merry Christmas! I have got the best Christmas present ever just for you – my righteousness!

Father, Jehovah-tsidkenu, how can I ever thank you for being my own righteousness. Because of this, I do not need to be afraid to approach you this Christmas or ever! Amen

And Then It Was Christmas: A Journey Toward Christmas
prepared for Homosassa United Methodist Church, 2006,
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator.