…
Click the pic for full size.
Coffee with Jesus is a comic strip produced by Radio Free Babylon. They’re for people with a sense of humor and this one helps teach an important lesson.
The End of Advent: Lighting the Christ Candle
The Christ candle is traditionally lit during either a Christmas Eve service or perhaps on Christmas Day. Christmas just happens to be on Sunday this year. What ever you do this weekend is fine with me as long as you remember that Christ is the gift and God is in the manger.
Today is Christmas Eve, the last day of Advent. Tomorrow is Christmas, the first of the 12 days of Christmas, which culminates in Epiphany. An epiphany is a great discovery or revelation of prolific truth. The January 6th Epiphany celebrates the wise men finding Jesus.
Advent is the season of waiting and preparation. If we’re being technically correct in our worship (and I’m not one that cares as much as some do) we should have been singing Advent hymns up to this point, such as O Come Emanuel. It is now time to sing Joy to the World, proclaiming that the Lord is come.
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”(Luke 2:10-14 ESV)
Can I Interest You in Hebrews?
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. (Hebrews 1:1-4 ESV)
Jesus alluded to this truth in the parable of the tenants. Colossians 1 describes the preeminence of Christ in all things, calling him the images of the invisible God. Galatians 4 describes how God sent his son “when the fullness of time had come.” Ephesians 2 elaborates on Christ making peace by the blood of his cross. But this passage in Hebrews has a poetic quality to it. This one paragraph encompasses all of these other references in one beautiful synopsis. It’s about Old Testament prophecy and New Testament fulfillment. It tells the reader who Jesus is and what he has done. It describes the incarnation, ministry of Jesus and his current office as high priest.
I find this short passage simple, beautiful and powerful. This is just the opening statement; have you read the rest of Hebrews lately?
Tebowing
Okay, so here’s one more Tim Tebow blog post. How can I talk about media saturation and then write another article? Well, if it helps, it isn’t really Tim Tebow I’m ranting about/worshiping.
These kids are in trouble for Tebowing in their school hallways. Some Christians are up at arms over rights of expression. Some athletes are ranting about Tebow getting media coverage for either winning games and/or for being a Christian while their accomplishments and faith are overlooked. My beef is this: kneeling on one knee and bowing the head is now called Tebowing. Who gets the glory there? Continue reading
The Fourth Sunday of Advent
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
In Luke 2 the sky was filled with the heavenly host proclaiming the gospel of peace to a few lowly shepherds. Last week, Joy, was about the shepherds. They found the baby as the angels had said, and went out of Bethlehem rejoicing and praising God. This week we celebrate Peace and light the Angels’ Candle. Continue reading
The Third Sunday of Advent
The third week of Advent is about Joy and we light the Shepherds’ candle.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:8-14 ESV)
Christmas Card Theology
I wrote a post two years ago with the same title. It’s very short, here’s a link. In that post I begged the question what if everything we know about Christmas we learned from reading Christmas cards? You know, details such as exactly 3 wise men were at the manager with the shepherds on the night Christ was born, and that angels are beautiful women with blonde hair, hymn books and choir robes. I worked that into a sermon last year and it’s a shame I don’t have all those pics online somewhere.
Well, here’s a Christmas card that I like.
The Second Sunday of Advent
The Second Sunday of Advent is about Faith, and we light the Bethlehem candle. Matthew 1 describes the encounter Joseph had with the angel Gabrielle, who told him that Mary’s child was of God. In faith Joseph took Mary as his wife. Luke 1 tells how the same angel spoke to Mary, explaining that the Holy Spirit would come up on her and that the child she would carry would be the Son of God. In faith Joseph and Mary make the journey to Bethlehem, believing God and waiting for the Promise. Continue reading
On the Lighter Side
If this is too small to read on your screen, click the pic to view full size.
via: Radio Free Babylon
The First Sunday of Advent
Advent is a season of waiting and preparation for the nativity of Jesus Christ. I have been pleased to see many friends doing the “30 days of Thanksgiving” thing on Facebook. I’m more encouraged by 30 days of Thanksgiving than by 60 or even 90 days of Christmas. If you watch some classic movies, from say the 40’s or 50’s, you’ll see Dad bringing home a tree on Christmas Eve! The family decorates the tree, hang their stockings, then celebrate Christmas the very next day. Part of the beauty of Christmas is waiting for it to arrive. Continue reading
