Prophecy 3

John 1:1-2

A few years back we gave our two sons some skateboard ramps. They came in a very large box too big to wrap so we left it in the garage. On Christmas morning we sent our boys out into the garage to get the box. They were amazed by the gift and wondered when we had gotten it. We explained that it had been sitting in the garage for weeks; they just hadn’t noticed.

The Gospel of John begins with some explanation as to the relationship of Jesus to God. Who is “the Word?” Where was “the Word?”

When we celebrate Christmas we often get caught up in the hurry and stress of all that needs to be done. We worry about our money. We worry about buying the perfect gift. We stress over cleaning our house to be ready for guests.

With all that occupies our minds we can easily forget what it is we are really celebrating at Christmas. We are celebrating the fact that God loves us so much that He was willing to send His Son, a part of Himself, to live on earth in human form.

That was a tremendous and wonderful gift that we have received. It is the ultimate gift and the ultimate expression of love. Such a gift was not an afterthought. It was not a gift hastily purchased or prepared.

The gift of Jesus was a gift that was intended from the beginning of all things. John tells us that in the beginning, when everything was just starting and nothing existed but God, Jesus – the Word – was with God. Jesus was God; he was part of the Almighty.

As we move into the Advent season and prepare ourselves to celebrate the precious gift of Christ, we need to remember that this gift has been waiting for us since before time began. The gift has been given. The gift is there ready for us to receive it. Have we noticed it yet?

DAILY CHALLENGE: How will you remember the gift of Jesus this year?

Prophecy 2

Isaiah 9:6-7

So often at Christmas some of our preparation is to buy a pack of batteries. We get them because we know that some of the gifts we will be giving will require those batteries. We get the batteries because we know what the gift is even though the one receiving it has not opened it yet.

The prophet Isaiah had a message from God about what was coming in the future. What was coming? What is said about this child who is given?

This passage does more than just give hope about what might some day happen. The prophet describes what will happen using words that imply it has already happened.

“To us a child is born, to us a son is given.” These seem to be more than words that predict the future. They come across as statements of fact. The child is born. The son is given.

These words were written hundreds of years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem and yet they were exactly true. God had imparted His plan to the prophet and the prophet knew in his heart that God would carry through on this plan. The birth and life of Jesus was in the works from the beginning of time. God was already preparing to give a gift that would save us all.

And it was no small gift. Jesus would take on the authority over all the world. He would come to reign as our Savior and Lord from his birth, to today, and on into the future. He would be and is the Mighty God, Prince of Peace.

We know the celebration of Christmas is coming. We may know what we are giving as gifts. We may even know what we might be receiving as a gift. But what we must remember as we celebrate Christmas is that this precious gift of Christ was planned by God for millennia. He had decided to save us and give us everlasting life for thousands of years before we even existed.

As we celebrate the gift let us also celebrate the love behind the gift. It is a love from God that has been there for a long time and will remain there for even longer.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How will you remember the reason for the gift of Jesus this year?

Prophecy 1

Jeremiah 29:11

Along with all the plans we were making for our home and our jobs when we were first married, my wife and I talked about how many children we wanted to have. We even came up with names for our children. As soon as each was born we talked about what type of person each child might grow up to be, what we expected to happen with them, and what we hoped would happen.

Things haven’t changed much in our lives. We still look at our children and think about what the future might be like for them. We consider what paths they might take and where they might go.

The interesting thing to me is that God has done the same with each one of us. In this passage from Jeremiah God has a message of hope. What does God know? What type of plans does He have?

This passage is an excerpt from a letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent to leaders in exile. It was intended to make them aware that God had not forgotten them in their exile. God still had plans for them, and those plans were for good things, happiness, prosperity, and success.

As we enter into the Advent season, that time in the life of the church when we prepare for the celebration of Christmas, we must know that the birth of the baby in Bethlehem was not some random occurrence.

God had plans for all of humanity from the beginning of the world. Although we as humans are separated from God because of our inability to be perfect, God still desires that we be connected to Him. He wants us to be able to be in His presence.

For that to happen God had to give a gift to the world, to all of humanity. That gift was Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. And this gift was planned for centuries and centuries. God had plans for all of humanity to be saved from sinfulness, to prosper and have hope. And all of these plans were fulfilled in the birth of Jesus.

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas this year may we remember that the holiday celebrates God’s love and mercy, a gift that was planned from the beginning of time and meant for each of us.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you be certain your holiday plans include celebrating God’s gift?

Picture What God Wants 1

Ezekiel 12:3-4

Married to a very creative and artistic person, I have come to trust in whatever Peggy plans to make for VBS decorations, Sunday school decorations, Christmas play sets, and so on. Frequently her descriptions of what she plans leave me shaking my head. I usually don’t see the picture completely until we are well on our way to making the vision a reality.

If we will see the church grow there may come a time when we must share God’s vision, no matter how difficult it may be to understand. One person who saw God’s picture was Ezekiel.

Ezekiel has been called to be a prophet of God and part of his duty is to show the people of Israel what will happen and what they can expect. What strange things is Ezekiel told to do? What caution is offered in verse 3?

The people of Israel were facing exile and Ezekiel had to show them there was no easy solution to the problem. So God was warning them of what would happen, and it fell to Ezekiel to show these people what that was going to be. God put a picture, an image, in his mind and it was Ezekiel’s duty to make that picture something others could see.

Not everyone is able to comprehend another person’s ideas, and not everyone is receptive to new ideas. If you will be a visionary for God, imagining new directions for the church, you will need to go through a few steps.

First, you must be certain the idea or vision you have is truly God’s vision and not simply your own. Second, you must share the vision with others so that they might understand it. Finally, the picture you receive from God should be one that others can support and be part of.

If we will do the work of God we must allow God to create a picture for us. Then, even if the picture may be a little intimidating, we need to work toward this image God has given.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you allow God to give you an image of what He wants?

Wonderful Counselor 2

Hebrews 1:1-3

When I was a teen-ager my family visited Germany to see my brother who was stationed there in the army. I had a year of German classes under my belt when we went. Because I could speak enough German to pass in many circumstances, at age 14 I became the representative of the family as we dealt with ordering food, finding directions, and paying for hotels.

The Book of Hebrews explains the holiness and purpose of Jesus in very plain language. How is Jesus different than what was experienced in the past? How is Jesus described?

For thousands of years God spoke to His chosen people through the words and writings of the prophets. Names like Isaiah, Joel, Daniel, and Ezekiel all come to mind. These were attempts on God’s part to communicate with His children, to persuade them to change their ways and to understand just who God was.

With the birth of Jesus the communication changed. God was able to communicate directly. He was no longer working through an interpreter, but was speaking in a language all could understand.

Jesus was God in human form. Starting as a newborn baby, then growing up through childhood and into adulthood, Christ was completely human. But (and this is beyond our comprehension) he was also completely divine. He was God.

As the author of Hebrews puts it, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.”

Although he seemed to be no more than any other person, although he seemed limited by human characteristics like anyone else, still Jesus was able to be God among us. Just as I was simply a teen-ager but still able to play an important part in our daily activities, Jesus – although human – was still able to be God.

By living among mortals Jesus was able to be that wonderful counselor to those in need. He could teach in ways that everyone could comprehend. He could understand people as well, empathizing with their struggles and hardships. Whatever we go through in life – the fears and doubts, the pain and sorrows – Jesus has experienced them himself. Therefore, God has experienced our troubles too.

As that human gift to God’s beloved children Jesus is able to be the close companion, that guide, that source of advice and strength that we need so often. With Christ as our counselor we are assured that God understands us. Through Christ we can connect directly to our heavenly Father.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What do you want God to understand about you?