Tag: advent
Forth Candle–We are getting close.
The fourth candle stands for love. That deep Agape kind of love.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love endures misfortunes and troubles. It perseveres bravely with patience. Love is slow to anger or to punish. True love acts with kindness. Love does not burn with anger or envy. A person acting out of agape love doesn’t go around bragging or building themself up. This love behaves itself in a respectable manner; it is not selfish. This love is slow to anger, and does not keep track of the things that have been done wrong. Agape does not approve when unjust things happen to others, but, rather, celebrates the truth. Agape endures everything. The person expressing agape love shows trust, hope and faithfulness.
We know a few things regarding God and love.
We know that God is love. (1 John 4:8)
We know that God loved us.
John 3:16 16 : For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life
Jesus, who was worshipped by angels, stepped down from heaven to take the form of a simple baby. Think about how helpless a baby is. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords allowed himself to become totally dependent. He humbled himself in true agape love.
The man who grew from the baby walked the earth – not as a mighty ruler – but as a poor teacher. He cared for the outcasts.
Then, without cause, he allowed Himself to become a sacrifice for our sins. He suffered torture and disgrace for our sake – always with you and I on his mind.
Jesus demonstrated what Agape love looks like.
Prayer: Dear Lord forgive me for not loving with Agape love. I cannot love with complete sacrificial love without you. Please love through me.
Mediation: Think of examples in normal life when you have seen Agape love shown from one person to another.
Action: Write my thoughts about how much God loved me to be willing to leave heaven and take a human form for me. The bible makes it clear that if I were the only lost sheep Jesus would have come just for me.
Luke 15
3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying,
4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
If Jesus loved me enough to step down from heaven to save me, and all He asks of me is to love His sheep, shouldn’t I make it my highest priority?
They Will Know You by Your Love
I Love You; You Love Me; We are a great big family. My daughter loved Barney when she was young. Horror of horrors if she ever reads this and finds I let out her secret. But the second advent candle represents Love. And the Christian love is much like that song. God loved me; I love Him; He wants me to love all his children so we will be a great big family.
God gave us the ultimate present one night two thousand years ago and He gave it out of love.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Jesus guides us in three areas of love:
1) Love the Lord with all our heart, mind and soul
2) Love our neighbor as our self
3) Love our Christian brothers and sisters as Christ loved us.
1 John 4 verses regarding love.
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
Christ instructed us to love our neighbor, but my understanding of the verses above and the verse in John 13:34-35 is that we are being given a higher command than to love everyone as we love ourselves. We are being commanded to love as Christ loves and we are not capable of this with our human selfishness.
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
This love as Christ loves is not for everyone but for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are not capable of this level of love on our own. Only through the Holy Spirit living and working in us can we live out this kind of love. This love sacrifices self for others. This love humbles itself to wash the feet of the lowliest member of the family. This love says I will do without so you can have. This love does not enable but also does not make excuses for not helping. This love always has the other’s best interest at heart.
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”
Can people tell I am a Christian by my love?
Prayer: Jesus please fill me with your spirit and help me to love. I must pray sincere prayers for those who I have trouble loving.
Meditation: Does my life show love or does it show selfishness?
Action: Find the people who I know are disciples by their love. How do I know they love? Journal what tells me they love.
Words Just Words
December arrives with all its winter charm and celebrations. Close behind comes the controversy known as “The War on Christmas”. Those who love Christ should re-evaluate their involvement in this battle. The fight is about traditions and not about what is Holy.
I hear people upset that stores, politicians and commercials have started saying “Happy Holidays”, but those who celebrate their Lord’s birth should not be upset. Christians should embrace this salutation.
Holiday derived from the words “halig (holy) plus daeg (day)”
A politician declares a tree to be a Holy Day Tree; what is that to us? Use the comment to remind yourself of The Holy Son of God who stepped down from heaven to enter the world in the form of a little baby.
We are wished Happy Holidays by those who mean it as a way of equalizing all religions. Why should we expect someone who does not know the child that was born so long ago to hold as special the day of our Savior’s human birth?
Thank the person who is, if somewhat unknowingly, reminding you that this is a holy season. Slow down from the chaos our secular society has built around this season. Spend a moment in communion with the Lord who lived before this world existed.
I hear Christians arguing for Christmas to be left alone because it is a secular tradition in this country. What are you doing? It is better for that remnant that remembers the reason for the season to stand alone in celebrating the birth of the Lord than for the traditions of Christmas to steal away the Holy meaning of the Celebration of Christ’s Mass Day.
I challenge you each time you are wished “Happy Holidays” to stop and say a prayer of praise to the Lord.
Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest and peace, goodwill toward men
Where is my Hope?
The first candle of Advent represents Hope.
Merriam Webster defines hope as follows:
intransitive verb
1: to cherish a desire with anticipation <hopes for a promotion>
2 archaic:trust
transitive verb
1: to desire with expectation of obtainment
2: to expect with confidence :trust
Where is my hope?
People like Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:26-38) longed to see the Messiah. They were rewarded for their faithfulness. When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple, they knew he was the promised one. Imagine they held in their arms the one they long to see.
Meditation: Do I long for Christ’s return? Do I even think about Jesus’s return on a regular basis? If I daily think about HIs return and have confidence that He will return, would I live my life differently?
Prayer: Each day during this season, I will pray “Come, Lord Jesus” an echo of John’s words in Revelation 22.
Action: Go out each day and look towards the eastern sky. And think about Christ’s return and talk with the Lord about helping me to live my life in expectation of his return. I want to hear the words “Well done my good and faithful servant.” I know I am cleansed of my sins. I know I will live with Christ forever. But I want to know He will be pleased with how I lived my life.
Advent Challenge
Advent represents a time of preparation.
Not just preparation for the Celebration of Jesus birth,
but preparation of the heart for his return.
I intend to challenge myself this year with a commitment to prayer, focused meditation and action each day of this advent season. It is a fast of sorts. A fast from the commercialism of the season by changing my focus (as cliche as it sounds) to the reason for the Season.
I will post my daily challenge in case anyone wants to join me in this fast.
Fourth Candle = Love
The fourth candle stands for love. That deep Agape kind of love.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love endures misfortunes and troubles. It perseveres bravely with patience. Love is slow to anger or to punish. True love acts with kindness. Love does not burn with anger or envy. A person acting out of agape love doesn’t go around bragging or building themself up. This love behaves itself in a respectable manner; it is not selfish. This love is slow to anger, and does not keep track of the things that have been done wrong. Agape does not approve when unjust things happen to others, but, rather, celebrates the truth. Agape endures everything. The person expressing agape love shows trust, hope and faithfulness.
We know a few things regarding God and love.
We know that God is love. (1 John 4:8)
We know that God loved us.
John 3:16 16 : For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life
Jesus, who was worshipped by angels, stepped down from heaven to take the form of a simple baby. Think about how helpless a baby is. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords allowed himself to become totally dependent. He humbled himself in true agape love.
The man who grew from the baby walked the earth – not as a mighty ruler – but as a poor teacher. He cared for the outcasts.
Then, without cause, he allowed Himself to become a sacrifice for our sins. He suffered torture and disgrace for our sake – always with you and I on his mind.
Jesus demonstrated what Agape love looks like.
Journal Exercise
Identify examples of Agape love you have seen.
Identify times you have loved with agape love.
Write your thoughts about how much God loved you to be willing to leave heaven and take a human form for you. The bible makes it clear that if you were the only lost sheep Jesus would have came just for you.
Luke 15
3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying,
4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
Light the Rose Candle of Joy
Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.
The third candle of advent is different from the rest. The rose color candle represents the Joy of the coming of the Lord. The custom comes from the Pope handing a rose to a person on the third Sunday of Advent.
The news of Jesus arrival was to bring great Joy to those who love God.
The song Joy to the World was written in 1719 based on Psalms 98
98 O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.
2 The Lord hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.
3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
5 Sing unto the Lord with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.
6 With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King.
7 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
8 Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together
9 Before the Lord; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.
Christmas should be a time of great joy, but so many find the season sad. The lights, the music, the family gatherings, the parties leave them feeling depressed.
But, the joy of Christ goes beyond the revery of a song and dance. The joy of our salvation comes from a contentment in our inner being. We are assured that even in the bad times God is in control. This world is a journey filled with highs and lows, sometimes very low lows, but God who created the universe is on his throne. He works all things for good even when we can not see how.
John 15:1111 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
Journal exercise
Do you have the deep inner joy of knowing Christ?
Are you aware of people who are sad during this Christmas season, maybe they are alone, maybe they lost someone they loved?
Can you think of any way you might bring joy into their life?
Focus during this season not just on purchasing gifts for your family, or even giving gifts to those in need. Keep your eyes open, looking for those who you might share the joy of Christ with.
Season of Love
Research the meaning of the advent candles and you will find slightly different meanings for the candles. For the most part, the candles represent similar concepts presented in different ways. But the second candle has a wide variation of meanings attributed to it.
One meaning for this candle is love and I choose to focus on this one. Why? Because I believe the whole season of Christmas –Advent, Christmas Day, the 12 days of Christmas –everything about this season has to do with Love. We could call it the Season of Love.
Christmas starts with God loving us.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life
He gave us the ultimate gift out of love. And because He loved us so much we love Him.
1 John 4 19 We love him, because he first loved us.
Jesus says if we love Him that we should keep His commands. And what does Jesus command.
John 15
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Christmas is the celebration of the day God showed us how much He loved us by sending his Son. Jesus lived the perfect life and then died on the cross for our sins all out of love. We love God because He first loved us and what does the object of our love request of us? He asks that we love one another.
Exercise
Do you love others in your life, not just your family, but the strangers who pass your way?
Do you love as Christ loved you?
Write your thoughts about God’s love for you, and what it means to love someone as Christ loves you.
Stripes On Our Door
The next tradition started later, but has really taken off in later years.
The 19th century version of our current Advent Calendar was white chalk marks on the wall. They marked a line for each day counting to 24. A second variation was 24 candles attached to a surface. A new candle for each day. Now we have printed calendars, books, trees, and a million other versions of the same idea.
The purpose is to remember each day that we are in a time of waiting for the arrival of Christmas. But it is just as important to remember every day that we are waiting for Christ’s return. In the business of the world, we lose focus. The Advent calendar forces us to stop for a second or a few minutes and think about the coming of the Lord.
This year, if you have an advent calendar, when you open the slot or place an item in the pocket, don’t just think about the first coming. This year focus on the second coming of the Lord.
Jesus said in Mark 13
32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
34 For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
Exercise Questions for your journal
Are you watching for Jesus return?
If Jesus returned to day, do you belong to him?
Would he find you living for Him?
Do you love God more than anything or anyone?
Do you love your fellow Christians as Christ loved them?
Do you love people who might hate you?
Do you see feed the hungry, care for the sick, the poor, the prisoners?
Are you watching for Jesus or are you living as if He will not return?
Fourth Day Adventures 