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Advent Devotional Day 5: The Son

Scripture: Genesis 22:1-13; John 1:29

Years later, after Abraham and Sarah had been given their son Isaac, God asked Abraham to take another step of obedience.  

   “Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.” (Genesis 22:1–19, NIV)  

By this point Isaac was a 30-35 year old man. In his willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac (through whom God had promised to build his nation), Abraham displayed his faithfulness and obedience to God.  God delivered Isaac through a substitute, a ram, provided by God.  A beautiful display of God providing.  With this image we remember that God also provided another son to be sacrificed, Jesus, God’s “only son.”  God made an even greater sacrifice.  God sent his Son to earth, to live as on of us, to proclaim the message of God’s Kingdom, and to die for the sins of all humanity. In the gospels when John the Baptist saw Jesus he said, “Look, the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).  Jesus, another 30-35 year old, willingly took our sins on himself so we could know God.

How can I celebrate the work of Christ in me today?

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Advent Devotional Day 4: Abraham

Scripture: Genesis 12:1-7; Hebrews 11:8-12

As humanity again filled the earth God had in mind to raise up a people who would be his representatives on the earth.  In Kingdom language, they would be his ambassadors.  The Father of these people was a man named Abraham.

“The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.” (Genesis 12:1–5, NIV)

“So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”” (Galatians 3:6, NIV)

“By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.” (Hebrews 11:9–12, NIV)

One of these descendants was Jesus himself, as is said at the beginning of Matthew:

“This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:” (Matthew 1:1, NIV)

How might God be calling you to obey him in faith today?

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Advent Devotional Day 3: The Ark

Scripture: Genesis 6:5-8

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23, NIV)

All of humanity was impacted by Adam and Eve in their sin.  As the population of earth grew, so did their wickedness and desire to live apart from God.

“This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.” (Genesis 6:9–18, NIV)

What set Noah apart from the rest of humanity?

“Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” (Genesis 6:22, NIV)

God brought the flood and destroyed all life on earth but Noah passed through the flood safely.

“But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.” (Genesis 8:1, NIV)

God made a covenant with Noah…

“I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”” (Genesis 9:11, NIV)

And sealed it with a sign…

“I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” (Genesis 9:13, NIV)

“By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.” (Hebrews 11:7, NIV)

Just like Noah and his family went through the door into the ark and were rescued Christ invites us to to be rescued by him.

   “I am the door (Jesus). If anyone enters by me, he will be saved…” (John 10:9, ESV)  

Do I regularly keep a short account with God and confess my sin to him and receive his forgiveness?

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Advent Devotional Day 2: The Fall

Scripture: Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-10, 23; Isaiah 53:6

“And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”” (Genesis 2:16–17, NIV)

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”” (Genesis 3:1–10, NIV)

“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6, NIV)

Adam and Eve were not equal with God.  They were created beings and God gave them an incredible opportunity to care for each other and all of creation.  God gave them the freedom to make decisions and have purpose in creation.  He made one rule, “Don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”  Being tempted by Satan one day, pride krept in and they saw an opportunity to be like God.  They saw an opportunity that they thought would lead to greater freedom.   In their pride they ate the fruit and chose to live independent from God.

The words to best describe what happened, “I was afraid…so I hid.”  Gone was freedom, gone was security, gone was harmony, gone was unity, gone was safety.  Things were not as God had intended them to be.  Relationships were broken?  Humanity had made a choice to sin and be independent from their creator.  On their own they could no longer bridge the gap between themselves and God.  So God began a work in history to close that gap.

How has my pride taken me down a path of independence from God?  

How might God be inviting me back into a relationship with him?

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Advent Devotional Day 1: The Beginning

Scripture: Genesis 1:1, 2:15-17; Psalm 90:2; John 1:1-4

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1, NIV)

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”” (Genesis 2:15–17, NIV)

“Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” (Psalm 90:2, NIV)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” (John 1:1–4, NIV)

The story begins with God who has always been.  He is the only one who as always existed and is the same today as he has always been.

The story begins, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”  By his word everything that exists came into existence.  Through him, the universe was made, with galaxies, stars, planets and Earth.  On earth God created a special place, a garden, called Eden.  In Eden he placed the pinicale of his creative work, man and woman.  Adam and Eve were created in the image of God.

What was this new creation like?  Words come to mind, harmony, unity, intimacy, security, safety.  Go had created an environment where people could know each other and God fully.  Nothing was hidden.  Nothing was feared.  There was complete innocence.  Complete freedom.

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;

With only one step of obedience

but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”” (Genesis 2:15–17, NIV)

What do you think it was like in this new creation?
What do you think it means to be made in God’s image?

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Hope

Good afternoon folks. I’m thinking about my day, my thoughts, my tasks, and my relationships. I realize I need hope and I need to bring hope. This song by Switchfoot really expresses what I want to say. “Hallelujah Nevertheless.” Hallelu=Let us praise jah=God. What brings you hope today?

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Miss Your Faces

As I was thinking about the church today, I have felt loss.  I miss seeing people in person and not over a screen.  How many times can I look up into the nostril of someone who is holding their phone on their lap instead of out in front of them.  How many times can I think, “You have really nice nose holes.”  Maybe its time for some exploratory mining, “Booger Nuggets” (Thanks Bob and Doug).

We’ve had a few people over to sit in our carport (At least two meters apart).  Had lunch on our driveway with others.  Gone for walks as a family almost everyday.  Now I am sitting in my office thinking about this change.  I’ve noticed that less and less people are talking about getting back to the way things were.  More people are talking and thinking about what will be the new normal.  I think this is a good thing.  It gives me hope.  I believe something had to stop the world.  Our pace, or maybe I should say, my pace was not sustainable.  I was forgetting people, forgetting responsibilities, forgetting being present with others.  Forgetting those close to me.  Now, I feel like I have some breathing room (I emphasize feel because I have been busy in this season). 

Now I have a chance to stop and see how much I love the church as the people not the building.  The building is sitting empty.  We have a few spots set apart for filming and broadcasting.  A few of us still come into the office to get some essentials done.  I used to hate it when people said, “I’ll meet you at church.”  Sometimes I wanted to say, “BUT WE’RE RIGHT HERE!  We can’t go to church, we are the church!”  I see the convenience of saying, “I’m going to church”, instead of, “I’m going to the building where some of the church gathers every Sunday to sing and learn together.”  Now we get to say, “I’m going to church online”, instead of “I’m going to watch a service online with some of the folks that make up the church.”  I love gathering as the church.  I think coming together is an essential spiritual, social, emotional and physical component in the life of a follower of Jesus.  “Do not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing” (Hebrews 10:25) is just as important now as it was before our formal gatherings stopped.

But stopping has brought me back to my earlier, more idealistic years in being part of the church (Again, the people not the building).  I miss being together as a family of believers.  Something I forgot.  I think of the words from Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

“It is easily forgotten that the fellowship of Christian brethren is a gift of grace, a gift of the Kingdom of God that any day may be taken from us, that the time that still separates us from utter loneliness may be brief indeed. Therefore, let him who until now has had the privilege of living a common Christian life with other Christians praise God’s grace from the bottom of his heart. Let him thank God on his knees and declare: It is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed to live in community with Christian brethren.”

So, I say to my friends and family in Christ, “I need you and you need me.”  To those who don’t follow Jesus I say, “This is a pretty great family to be part of and you are welcome.  You just have to put up with Cousin Karen who thinks holding the phone at an angle that gives clear line of sight into her frontal lobe is the way to engage online.”  We still love you Karen, and all eight of your nose hairs.  You are my sister in Christ, and I am for you! (Karen is a purely fictional character and bears no resemblance to the other nostrils I have seen.)