Worship 1

This week we begin a four part series inspired by "The Advent Conspiracy." You can learn more about what we are doing as a church and what's going on here. We've also got the video clip that we showed in church this morning. I hope you'll watch it again and really pray that God will show you how he wants to you to worship Him this Advent season!

Isaiah 9:1-2

It isn’t always easy to get ready for the holidays. In fact there are times when it feels that it isn’t ever easy to prepare for the holidays. Trying to organize all the parts of the worship services, to plan out the activities, to set schedules and events, to gather the materials can be a tremendous task and there are many times when things just don’t seem to come together.

But one thing I have learned over the years is that there is always a solution to the problem. Things work out.

It may be difficult in our current society to put ourselves in the position of the Israelites before Jesus. There was a hope that often fell back into hopelessness as they waited for the Messiah. Or perhaps we can identify with them as we look at our present circumstances and feel totally lost facing financial problems, challenges in relationships and troubles in our lives.

In spite of the darkness around us there is a light. And that light is the light of love from God expressed in Jesus.

The prophet Isaiah offers some words of hope. What assurances does he give? What hope do the people have?

This prophet from so long ago knew that the Lord was coming. He would be from the area of Galilee and he would offer a tremendous hope and promise for a brighter, happier, more contented life. We know the story of Christmas. We know the story of Jesus and the light he brought.

But we can allow our culture and our hectic holiday schedule to overshadow that bright love from God. We can allow our Christmas time to be a time of worry and stress and fear and upset.

We need to cling to these promises from Isaiah. Christmas should be a time of hope and celebration. Most importantly it should be a time where we worship the gift of Jesus Christ, a gift of love from God. There is a solution to the crazy holiday rush and stress. The solution is to focus on the light which has dawned for all of us. The solution is to worship God and turn our holidays back into a time of praise and celebration of God’s love.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Christmas is usually a time of traditions. Which tradition of yours helps you to worship God at this time?

Zechariah 1

Luke 1:8-17

The other night at a gathering of people I was reminded of the first indications that I was being called into the ministry. Those incredible moments when God broke into my heart were not on a mountaintop or in a grand cathedral. They happened while I drove home from work or attended a small service at a local church.

God’s incredible presence can be found in the everyday occurrences of our lives.

How was it that Zechariah was in the temple? Who appears? What will happen with Elizabeth? What can Zechariah expect from his son?

This is the earliest beginning of the Christmas story. An angel appears to a man named Zechariah, a priest in the temple. The angel predicts the birth of a son to the priest, not the Messiah, but the one who would prepare the way for the Messiah.

The angel has some incredible information and incredible predictions for John. Verses 15-17 give us some profound statements about the child who would become John the Baptist.

What strikes me, however, is the “when” and “where” of the appearance of the angel. The angel appears in the temple, true, but not on a special holiday nor during some grand ceremony. Zechariah was going about his duties, a commonplace occurrence for him, when the angel announces such awe-inspiring news.

This was a message of earth-shattering importance, a message of hope for a people who had no hope. And the angel came during an average day in a familiar place.

But that is the story of Jesus Christ – a profound Savior who comes to the ordinary person. And that is the message of Christmas – a story of hope that breaks in to our everyday lives.

This Advent season, be a messenger of hope for other people, not in grand and elaborate ways, but in the everyday, common times of life. Tell others the story of Christ.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Find someone you see almost every day who needs to hear about Jesus and tell them about him.