- araratchurch
- Dec 4, 2022
- 2 min read
“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!”
Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT
The coming of the Messiah seemed to have taken many people by surprise. Indeed, even those who were well acquainted with the Old Testament prophecies—the Jewish leaders—refused to recognize Who Jesus was.
The reality is, the Lord really wants His people to know what He is planning; and we only fail to know, when we don’t take the time to search His word and to listen to the instruction of the Holy Spirit. The prophet Amos tells us:
“Indeed, the Sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets.”
Amos 3:7 NLT
Interestingly, our opening scripture, although often quoted, is seldom examined within its context. Just before this passage we see these verses:
“Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory. The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.”
Isaiah 9:1-2 NLT
When Jesus began His public ministry, He did so in Galilee. As well, we see verification that this was the fulfilling of the above prophecy in the New Testament:
“When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee. He went first to Nazareth, then left there and moved to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This fulfilled what God said through the prophet Isaiah: “In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River, in Galilee where so many Gentiles live, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.””
Matthew 4:12-16 NLT
For today meditate on the fact that the Lord weaves the story of the future through the events of the past. Consider how the appearance of Christ was woven through all the Old Testament prophecies.
Additionally, consider what we are seeing today that was described prophetically in the Old and New Testaments concerning the time of Jesus’ Second Coming. Are you paying attention?
Peace to you.
- araratchurch
- Dec 2, 2022
- 2 min read
“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”
John 1:1-5, 10-14 NLT
For these days leading up to the celebration of the birth of Christ, please join Ararat Church in our own Advent adventure. On each of these 25 days we will take one portion of the true Christmas story as seen in the Holy scriptures. We will do so with limited commentary as this is a time for personal reflection and preparation.
Now, the method of observance of Advent varies from Western to Eastern observances, with even the days of observance varying. However, originally, they all had a common purpose.
The term “Advent” comes from a Latin word meaning “coming.” Traditionally this was a period of time used for preparation for the celebration of the birth of Christ as well as preparation for the Second Coming of Christ. Indeed, the liturgical meaning of the Advent season referred to the dual “coming” of Jesus. Sadly, for the most part, many Christians have neglected the latter emphasis on preparation for the Second Coming of Christ. Perhaps that is why even the other purpose of the observance of Advent has also been lost: preparation for the celebration of the Lord’s birth.
Now, we don’t generally think in terms of preparation for a celebration except in terms of the logistics of the celebration: attire, food, decor, gifts, music, and so on. But it is the preparation of the heart that is called for in terms of preparing for the celebration of the birth of Christ as well as preparation for the Second Advent (the Second Coming).
We begin today with a passage from the book of John which gives a concise—but complete—overview of what the celebration of Christmas is about: the Word became flesh.
Jesus said:
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 NLT
For today meditate upon the fact that the Power through which all things have been created condescended into a mortal body to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. As well, meditate upon whether or not you have true expectancy in terms of the Lord’s Second Coming.
Peace to you.