Advent Announced

The Christmas story found in the gospel of Luke culminates in a Heavenly vision to the most common of men. Angels appear to shepherds and they are among the first to hear of the amazing news that God has come to live among mankind as a man. This was just the beginning of God's demonstration of His great and undying love for us. 

Sure, the door's open, but do I want to go through it?

Christians often speak of being "freed from captivity." While this popular motif has come to represent a wide variety of things we are freed from (Sin, punishment, etc), one of the greatest things we are freed from is our own self-destructive behaviors. Ephesians 1:22 describes Christ's domination of all things - including the power to set us free. Do we want that power in our lives?

Fancy Meeting You Here

The Bible describes God as pursuing us, even when we are hidden in the sewers of our own bad choices (Psalms 139). The good news of the gospel is that God loves us and seeks us no matter what we've done or in what condition we find ourselves.

The Advent Season brings Hope

One of the many promises that Christians enjoy, is the hope of Christ's return. Although our efforts to encourage justice and mercy often fail, we cling to the strong hope that Christ will ultimately win these battles and bring us to a place of agreement and peace (Eph 2). Can you think of people of great vision who began a work that only succeeded after their deaths? 

Use the Right Tool

As Christians, we often feel helpless when faced with the injustices and fears around us. While we are morally obligated to take action, we often feel the inadequacy of our work. The Apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 10 that we are facing spiritual problems that require spiritual tools to solve. Perhaps we should consider spending great effort asking God to intervene. 

The poor public speaker

There are many great speakers who influence us with strong presentation skills. The Apostle Paul declared himself a poor public speaker who relied on the Holy Spirit of God to make his case (2 Co 10:4-6). Although education, abilities, and preparation are good, they will never have the same power that God's Spirit has in influencing others.

Sitting on the Money

In 2 Corinthians 8, we learn of poor believers who insisted on giving to another group that had experienced a great hardship. Paul commends these poor believers for understanding that it's God who provides for our needs. Like the bread provided to God's people in Exodus 16:20 , wealth is fleeting. What causes us to not give? Do we truly believe that all we have is by God's grace?