Month: December 2020

Advent 2020

Day 14

And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

 Matthew 2:11

Worship is what happens when a person truly beholds and believes in Jesus.  Jesus isn’t just a person to believe in but the One we believe on in this life.  Worship will characterize the one who has truly met Jesus.  They will hold on to nothing else tightly: not their pride, possessions, or plans.  They have met the King and nothing they have is more important or more valuable than He is.  He is who He said He is.  The light has brought us to this point and all we can do is get down before Him and give up all things to Him.  Believers don’t just give Him a moment or a memento but their all, their best, their everything.  Jesus said that those who worship Him will do so in spirit and in truth.  When we worship Him in spirit, we worship Him with everything we are & ever will be.

Advent 2020

Day 13

Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared

Matthew 2:7

We must understand that our enemy operates through manipulation, not motivation.  We don’t have to hide love, but we must hide lies.  Herod summoned the wise men secretly; he was going to manipulate the situation.  When it comes to discovering the truth and love, we can’t look at behavior, we must discover belief.  We don’t find love in behavior but in belief.  What we believe will determine how we behave.  Herod, like so many of us, faked it, saying that he too wanted to go and worship the child.  His real belief surfaced later when he killed the male children.  Belief determines behavior and behavior will eventually disclose belief.  Jesus once said, Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father”.(John 14:12)  We don’t have to hide love, only lies.

Advent 2020

Day 12

And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Matthew 2:6

To understand what is going on we can always go to God’s word.  God is able to do all the He says and doesn’t have to move around secretly and surprisingly.  God speaks His word and then performs His work/will.  Isaiah 55:11 says, “so shall my word that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but I shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”  The Wisemen had heard God’s word (Num 24:17) and had come to see God’s work.  Herod worked at life exactly opposite and what delighted the wisemen distressed Herod.  The Wisemen went to see the manifestation of God’s word.  Herod wanted to manipulate God’s word.  That is the difference between those who believe and those who do not believe.  Those who believe are delighted.

Advent 2020

Day 11

“Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:w

Our lives become defined by what we are looking for in this life.  The Wisemen were looking for the King of the Jews who had His own star.  They weren’t looking for possessions, persons or philosophies.  They were looking for the King of the Jews and they had come to worship Him.  And we don’t much more about these wise men, but we know what they were looking for and that is what defined them.  What we’re looking for in this life becomes what defines us.  They were looking for the King of the star and the person of the prophecy attached to this star.  They were looking for the ONE whom God said would come as King of the Jews.  It’s what we are looking for in this life that defines us in this life.  What we’re looking for had better be worth finding, it’s going to define us.  What we find will become what we worship.  He is worth finding!

Advent 2020

Day 10

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

 John 3:16-18

Love gives us someone or something to believe in; that is what love does.  Love creates hope that inspires faith.   Love creates hope and that hope inspires us to believe.  That is what God did sending His Son to give us eternal life.  Real life is on the other side of genuine love.  God sent His Son to save us, not sentence us.  Sentencing is what we feel when we are without love.  The guilt, shame and regret remind us that we rejected true love.  God’s love came as a baby, no threats, to give us a life of no regrets, glorious and real to live in everyday for eternity.

Advent 2020

Day 9

The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness, and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is Zion’s treasure.              Isaiah 33:5-6

The Lord is coming, and He will fill Zion, the city of God for the people of God, with justice and righteousness.  He will pronounce judgment on our enemy, and He will right what is wrong, and He will always do those things.  His faithfulness will be our stability, our confidence.  There will be an abundance of His salvation, wisdom and knowledge and we will live in His abundance.  That is who was coming on that first Christmas night in Bethlehem.  Always and abundance are two characteristics of His name, Jesus.  He will always be what He is, and abundance will always be how He works.  We can trust in Him and rest in Him, the King of Zion, and the Lord of lords. 

Advent 2020

Day 8

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; ² to proclaim the year of the LORD’S favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;
³ to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.  ⁴ They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. Isaiah 61:1-4

What else can you say?  Jesus came to bring beauty for ashes, gladness rather than mourning and praise rather than paranoia.  Praise God!

Advent 2020                 Day 7

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.  The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.                     Isaiah 9:6-7

That was a prophecy then but it’s a reality now.  Jesus wears the insignia on His shoulder and embodies the character of God in His steps.  He came establishing His government & He upholds it with justice and righteousness and so we pray for His divine law with His divine love to rule in our daily lives.  It’s His passion for us.  Today we call on His name for His justice and righteousness to rule in our world and our lives.

Advent 2020                        Day 6

I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.              Numbers 24:17

There would be a star and a scepter that would come out of Jacob.  A king with power and the authority to rule would come.  Balaam prophesied of David and Jesus who would come to rule and reign.  That star was the giant slayer, and that star would be a baby born in a manger.  The Wisemen would follow the star to the house of Joseph, a decedent of David and find the Star of Juda just as God had said.  This Jesus isn’t just a baby but the King of kings & Lord of Lords with power & authority to use it.  Remember that when you pray!

Advent 2020                          Day 5

God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him Genesis 17:19

There would come a child of covenant from Sarah.  This would be a work of God, no questions asked.  From Sarah would come nations, kings, and people but first from Sarah would come a child of covenant.  A child of covenant would come, and that covenant would be an everlasting covenant based on God’s word and not mans work.  God does not need our hands but our heart.  Abraham circumcised his whole house.  All a picture of what is to come to those who believe.  This life is about believing in God’s word, not our work.