Words of Encouragement and Thoughts (6)

Beyond Sunday: Celebrating Advent

Focus Verse of the Week

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11-14)

Commentary

So, in an effort to slow down and focus on the true heart of Christmas, I've found myself returning to those blissful childhood days. This time, though, it’s not to relive the legend of Santa Claus or to justify eating an entire batch of cookies solo, but for one simple tradition: Advent.

You see, along with all the usual holiday trappings, I was raised in a family that practiced this ancient Christian tradition. Advent (which comes from the Latin term “adventus,” meaning “arrival”) is marked by the four Sundays preceding Christmas, and is a season set aside to help Christians prepare....

In layman's terms, Advent prepares us not only to commemorate Jesus' first, humble arrival in a manger, but also helps us more fully invite Christ into our present lives while anticipating His final, glorious coming. Christians of all backgrounds can benefit from preparing for Christmas through Advent. The spiritual focus offers a meaningful way to cut through the madness of the secular Christmas season as well as an opportunity to mature in our faith in Christ.

(Adapted from Renew Your Faith by Celebrating Advent.)

A Thought to Keep

As we remember the first coming of Christ, keep in mind the Second Coming. Find ways to celebrate and share the hope you have in our returning King.

Sovereign and Loving

And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” —Hebrews 12:5-6 (ESV)

How can God be both sovereign and loving? There is no doubt suffering exists in the world. If He could not stop the suffering, God would not be sovereign. But if He can stop it and doesn’t, how can God be loving? Here is what we need to comprehend. If God does not seem loving, it is because of our definition of loving, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8). Sometimes our perceptions need a reality check from God’s Word.

God’s love is not a pampering love—it’s a perfecting love. He does not spend each day thinking about how to put a bigger smile on your face. God’s love designs a plan to deliver the highest usefulness out of your life because He’s in the process of growing and changing you.

Hebrews 12:6 states, “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” In fact, if you’re without God’s discipline, the Bible says you are not really one of His children. When you’re experiencing His discipline, God sees the big picture while you can only see a part of it. Sometimes in His sovereignty, God decides (and who can explain it?), I will allow this.

Yet consider how often God protects us. Who would say, “Every terrible thing that could possibly happen to me has happened”? If you think that, you’re wrong. God promises that He always allows circumstances for a purpose. Rather than making the world perfect, God has sovereignly chosen to make the world free. He shows His strength and glory by giving His presence during trials to those who love Him.

Believers go through the same things people who don’t know Him go through. But God brings glory to Himself through the contrast made by His presence. Bad things do happen to good people. God is sovereign even over that. And His ways are always loving.

Journal

What circumstances in your life right now do you need to trust are part of His perfecting love?
What do you need to do to respond infaith?

Pray

Father, as I seek to understand Your loving discipline, I want to “consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that may not grow weary or fainthearted”(Hebrews 12:3).Your Son went through both the highs and lows of the entire human experience without complaint for Your glory. How can I claim to be Your child and expect anything less from Your wise and loving hand? Teach me to trust Your sovereign will, and lean into whatever You allow in my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Thought by Pastor James MacDonald

“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” (1 Peter 4:12-13 NKJV)

RUN WITH PERSEVERANCE

Christians today running the spiritual race are compassed about with a great cloud of witnesses of the victorious saints of old who had finished their race and kept the faith. They are cheering us on to persevere to the finished line so that we also may obtain our imperishable crowns.

The Christian race is certainly not a smooth, easy and short race, but a rough, rugged and marathon race. However, the records and testimonies of the past heroes of faith offer us the encouragement, hope and strength to endure whatever trial, tribulation or persecution we may encounter on the way.

There is no adversity or adversary that we shall encounter in the race that many of the saints of old did not face and overcome. If they overcame through grace and faith in Christ, we also surely can overcome today (1 Cor. 10:12, 1 Pet. 5:9, Heb. 10:35-36).

Like every other race, the Christian race has some spiritual rules and guidelines that we must comply with if we don’t want to be disqualified or end up running in vain.

The Scripture warns that “If anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.” (2 Tim. 2:5 NKJV).

In the first part of this piece we began to examine the God-set rules that every Christian running the race must observe and follow.

First, God prohibits or forbids us from running the race with any size, form or shape of weight.

The Scripture commands us to “…Lay aside every weight.” (Heb. 12:1 NKJV).

Whatever hinders or retards our spiritual growth, weighs us down, weakens our faith, clouds our minds, distracts us from following the Lord closely, or chokes God’s love in our hearts is a weight to be laid aside or put off if we desire to finish our race successfully like the saints of old.

Second, God commands us to “…Lay aside the sin which so easily ensnares us.” (Heb. 12:1 NKJV).

The Christian race is exclusively for the saints. No sinners can be admitted into the race (Isa 35:8). The ticket to join the race is the new birth experience. You join the Christian race the moment you put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work of redemption, confessing Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour and surrendering your whole life to Him (Matt. 7:13-14).

The born-again believers don’t retain their sin nature after the new birth because“our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” (Rom. 6:6 NKJV).

Nevertheless, the born-again believers are not exempted from daily temptations to sin because our souls and bodies are not yet fully redeemed from the corrupt effects of sin (Jam. 1:21, Phil. 3:20-21, Jam. 1:21, 1 Pet. 1:9).

While running the Christian race the devil will constantly appeal to your flesh to tempt, trap, or entangle you, thereby hindering you from reaching the finished line.

The devil will always seek to derail you from the Christian race through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). The devil will always seek to tempt or trap you at your weak points and unguarded moments.

This is why the Scripture admonishes you to "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matt. 26:41 NKJV).

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Pet. 5:8 NKJV).

Like Demas, many believers today have drawn back or fallen out of the race because they would not watch and pray. Paul said of Demas, “Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica.”(2 Tim. 4:10 NKJV).

God does not disqualify or evict the believers from the Christian race if or when they sin or fall into temptations. No one among the heroes of faith was without sin.

The Scripture warns, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9 NKJV).

However, if you constantly pamper, fulfil, gratify or yield to the cravings, passions or lusts of the flesh; you may not finish your race successfully. Self-indulgence will eventually derail you from the race.

This is why Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:
25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.
27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. (NKJV).

Third, God commands us to run the Christian race with perseverance or patient endurance.

The Scripture commands: “…Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.” (Heb. 12:1 RSV).

The Christian race is not a smooth and easy one; it often goes through the wilderness. You will encounter diverse trials, sufferings, tribulations, or persecutions for the sake of Christ along the race (Psa. 34:19, John 15:18-20).

This is why Jesus commanded you at the beginning of the race to deny yourself, bear your cross daily, and follow Him (Luke 9:23). It is only those who endure to the end that will be saved and crowned (Matt. 24:13).

Beloved, where are you now in the race that God has set before you?

Are you presently going through some fiery trials, sufferings, tribulations or persecutions for the sake of your faith or the gospel of Christ?
Are you presently facing many adversaries and adversities?

Hang in there, don’t quit, or give in to despair!

Whatever you are going through or facing in the race is nothing strange, unusual or uncommon to men, for all the past heroes of faith went through the same and came out victoriously, and many saints like you are presently going through the same and yet remaining steadfast in the faith. If they can, you also can!

Friend, you are not alone in the race; the Lord is with you and you are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses cheering you on to endure to the end.

Therefore, resist the devil, and “be steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” (1 Pet. 5:9 NKJV).

“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” (1 Pet. 4:12-13 NKJV).

Find out another spiritual rule or guideline for running the Christian race successfully in the next piece.

Prayer: My Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your promise that You will never leave me nor forsake me in the race. Help me to constantly draw from Your Word and Spirit the grace, hope, joy, comfort and strength that I need to run and finish my race successfully, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. 7 If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.-Phil 4:6-7 TLB

KNOW YOUR GOD

2 Peter 1:12-21

Throughout the world, and even within the church, we can find a wide variety of beliefs about the Lord. To avoid confusion and deception, we need to recognize that His Word is without error and that it reveals the truth we need to understand about our amazing triune God.

The inerrancy of the Bible. Unless a person has a firm belief in this doctrine, all of his or her ideas about the Lord will be subjective. Scripture is God’s thoughts written without error by men who were governed by the Holy Spirit. Fulfilled prophecy is proof that this book is never wrong (Isa. 48:3).

An accurate understanding of God. The Lord is one divine being expressed in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are equal in every way, but their jobs differ. Think of the Father as the initiator, the Son as the implementer, and the Spirit as the energizer. All three were involved in creation as well as the plan of salvation.

The Son, who existed in eternity past, came to earth by being born of a virgin. He is the God-man, having added humanity to His deity. He lived a perfect life, died a sacrificial death for our sins, rose bodily from the grave, and ascended to the Father in heaven.

The Holy Spirit is our power source. He indwells every believer in Christ, transforming character, revealing truth, and enabling obedience to God.

Our Creator wants us to know Him. Isn’t that amazing? He invites us to enjoy an intimate relationship with Him. Every day we have the privilege of opening His Word and speaking with our loving God. He’s waiting for you . . .

InTouch Daily Devotional by Charles Stanley

“By the Grace of God I Am What I Am”

By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain… —1 Corinthians 15:10

The way we continually talk about our own inabilities is an insult to our Creator. To complain over our incompetence is to accuse God falsely of having overlooked us. Get into the habit of examining from God’s perspective those things that sound so humble to men. You will be amazed at how unbelievably inappropriate and disrespectful they are to Him. We say things such as, “Oh, I shouldn’t claim to be sanctified; I’m not a saint.” But to say that before God means, “No, Lord, it is impossible for You to save and sanctify me; there are opportunities I have not had and so many imperfections in my brain and body; no, Lord, it isn’t possible.” That may sound wonderfully humble to others, but before God it is an attitude of defiance.

Conversely, the things that sound humble before God may sound exactly the opposite to people. To say, “Thank God, I know I am saved and sanctified,” is in God’s eyes the purest expression of humility. It means you have so completely surrendered yourself to God that you know He is true. Never worry about whether what you say sounds humble before others or not. But always be humble before God, and allow Him to be your all in all.

There is only one relationship that really matters, and that is your personal relationship to your personal Redeemer and Lord. If you maintain that at all costs, letting everything else go, God will fulfill His purpose through your life. One individual life may be of priceless value to God’s purposes, and yours may be that life.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

For the past three hundred years men have been pointing out how similar Jesus Christ’s teachings are to other good teachings. We have to remember that Christianity, if it is not a supernatural miracle, is a sham. The Highest Good, 548 L

My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers