Advent Devotional 2016

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our Heavenly Father responds in true love and generously gives us what we need – his Son.

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Read Matthew 7:7-11

Looking down into your child’s eyes and hearing them ask, “Daddy, can I have a candy bar?” is heart-melting. But then, seeing a child enslaved in the horrors of evil and hearing them cry, “Mister, can you take me out of here?” That’s heart-breaking. Anyone moved by love wants to respond in both situations. Giving the first child the candy bar and freeing the second child are responses to a child’s request – both gifts offered in generosity from the overflow of love. Yet, having the perspective of adulthood, true love is not giving the child simply what they want in the moment, but what they truly need in the timing they need it.

Generosity is the response of any loving father’s heart. John 3:16 begins, “For God so loved the world, that he gave...” As the Heavenly Father hears the deepest cries of his children, his heart melts and his heart breaks. His affectionate, compassionate, and adoring love for his children moves him to action. With an eternal perspective, our Heavenly Father responds in true love and generously gives us what we need – his Son.

Now, some people look at the times they’ve offended God or sinned against him and they think what we actually need is judgment. But, look how Jesus responds. It’s as if he says, “What loving father would really give their child a stone when they asked for bread? What loving father would send his one and only Son just to point fingers?” That’s not love. God didn’t give us Jesus for our condemnation (John 3:17). Neither did he give us Jesus to merely be a transaction for the forgiveness of our sins. Christmas reminds us that God generously gives us Jesus because he actually loves us. He passionately desires to rescue us with his generosity and invites us to accept his love by receiving the gift of his Son. When God hears the cry of every soul, he knows what we need and what we need is Jesus.

God’s generosity is demonstrated by offering the gift of Jesus to conquer sin and death on our behalf. In Romans 5:10, Paul says this gift is not just for friends, because Jesus came reconcile his enemies. We often give gifts to our loved ones around the holidays, but think of someone you’ve never been generous toward and offer them something with no expectation of return.

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By Yvonne Biel 

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Baby Jesus opens a new day with new life.

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 Read Ephesians 2:4-9

Every morning, there’s a point when indigo floods the horizon and the sun first breaks through the darkness. Rays of light begin to blaze. The first spring of a new day. It’s dawn. Unlike the moon, which comes and goes in phases, the sun rises every morning without fail. The dawn is evidence of God’s unfailing love. A love that shines like the day-spring and a beautiful gift we simply receive.

Christmas is also a day-spring. Jesus’ birth is one point on the horizon of history where human destiny is changed forever. God, motivated by love, sent his son from heaven to be the Savior of the world – to pierce every sinful heart with the light of his forgiveness. Just like we can do nothing to bring or stop the dawn, there’s nothing we can do to earn, buy or change God’s love. He is the source of love, and he gives it graciously to all who are willing to receive it.

Creation speaks of God’s love. Not only does God go to such lengths to create the beautiful dawn each day, but he reveals his never-failing, always-shining love for us. As Ephesians 2 explains, “But God… because of the great love with which he loved us… made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Baby Jesus opens a new day with new life. He is the day-spring and offers us the light of his love and forgiveness. This is the greatest evidence of God’s love. Jesus is God’s greatest gift of love for you.

The Love of God, is an old hymn written by Frederick Lehman. The last verse reads, “Could we with ink the ocean fill / And were the skies of parchment made / Were every stalk on earth a quill / And every man a scribe by trade / To write the love of God above / Would drain the ocean dry / Nor could the scroll contain the whole / Though stretched from sky to sky.” Every person’s story adds to the story of God’s love. Write out what you would say about the love of God if you were given ink and scroll.

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By Donna Burns

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Jesus opened the path and blazed the trail for us to meet God.

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Read John 3:13-15

If you’ve climbed to the summit of Mt. Rainer, scaled the volcano on the tiny island of Saba in the Caribbean, descended into the depths of the Grand Canyon or ascended the trail of any Colorado 14er, you’ve experienced the exhilarating feeling of accomplishment. The nation of Israel knew only one who had accomplished such a feat. The patriarch Moses ascended up Mt. Sinai and came back down. We, like Moses, can go up as many mountains as desired, but there is only one who has tasted the heights of heaven and brought heaven to earth. His name is Jesus.

Jesus is the only one who has ever come down to earth and then went back up to heaven. His descent and return is a grander feat than anything we might imagine accomplishing.

Jesus came down to show us the way back to God. He came down, identified with our humanity, walked in the tensions of sin and went through with the work God set before him to do. Then, just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so that the people would recognize God, the cross lifted Jesus up for all to see God’s redemptive gift (Numbers 21:9). Jesus is the gift of redemption Israel was longing for all along.

We go up and down mountains. Jesus comes down but before he returns to heaven, he tore the curtain in the temple, ripped it from top to bottom, opening the way into the holy of holies and the presence of God. Because of this, Jesus opened the path and blazed the trail for us to meet God. Jesus is the guide who has come down from heaven to lead us back by his redemptive work on the cross. The trail is clear. The path is sure. The curtain is torn. The way is open. Jesus has come to open heaven for us.

When Jesus models prayer, he says, “May your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:5-15). Praise Jesus for being part of the answer to his own prayer. Jesus brings heaven to us. He shows us how we can live as a part of the kingdom both now and forever. List some of the aspects of heaven can you enjoy now because Jesus came to earth.

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By Donna Burns

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Christmas isn’t just about a baby being born, it’s about eternal life being given.

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Read John 3:16-21

Scripture gives over 20 reasons Jesus came clothed in humanity. Of all the significant reasons for the incarnation, none may be as important as giving eternal life to humankind. The great sage in Ecclesiastes says, “God has put eternity into humanity’s heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). The desire for eternity is not a Christian longing; it’s a human longing. As humans, we know intuitively we’re created for eternity, and for that reason, it shouldn’t surprise us when Jesus gets into numerous discussions about eternal life. It’s the first question the rich man asks Jesus, “Rabbi, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

We may try to ignore the fact we’re made for eternity, but we’re reminded of our eternal longing every time we say goodbye to someone who passes away. There is something about death that just feels unnatural. But when Jesus comes, he opens the way to eternal life. Sin separates us from the life that flows from the Author of Life, but Jesus initiates the way home. Jesus said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Christmas isn’t just about a baby being born, it’s about eternal life being given.

Unfortunately, we have a misunderstanding about eternal life. We often think of eternal life as life in heaven with God. While that’s true, that’s not the only dimension of eternal life. We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to start living in eternal life with God! Dallas Willard wrote, “Eternal life is the interactive covenant relationship among the Trinity with a human being. It is a life lived in interactive, cooperative, and communicative relationship with God in God’s present and coming kingdom. The fullness of its dimensions is achieved over time through human effort and God’s grace.” The kind of life Jesus came to bring was life eternal in both duration and quality. Eternal life is the kind of life that lasts forever and the kind of life we want to last forever! It’s the kind of eternal life every human soul aches for.

God’s invitation through the Christ of Christmas is to step into this eternal life, today. Certainly, one day we’ll be with Jesus in heaven, but it also means we can be with Jesus right now. In John 17:3, Jesus proclaims, “This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” The season of Christmas invites us to dwell on the reality we’ll one day be face-to-face with God and there will be no more suffering, tears, or pain. But Christmas also invites us to recognize that the God of the universe is with us in the suffering, tears, and pain of today. Both of these realities are the essence of eternal life. Cultivate an awareness of God’s presence today, and step into the eternal life Jesus came to give!

In the third week of Advent, listen again to the song O Come, O Come Emmanuel. Pay attention to the lyrics about hope and eternity. Consider how the gift of Jesus opens eternity to us and spend a few minutes imagining heaven.

 

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
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By Ryan Paulson

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as long as we stay in hiding, fear continues to win

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Read Galatians 2:11-14

In The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis uses a fictional satire to imagine how Satan schemes, undermines the faith, and promotes sin. In this book, Screwtape says, “There is nothing like suspense and anxiety for barricading a human’s mind against the Enemy (God). God wants men to be concerned with what they do; our business is to keep them thinking about what will happen to them.” There is no mention of Satan working in Antioch, but his influence is notable. With one sniff of fear, Satan was at work in keeping Cephas focused on himself and afraid of what might happen to him.

Satan delights in causing confusion and disorder between Christian brothers and sisters and infecting the testimony of Jesus amongst onlookers, and he’ll use whatever open doors we give him. Fear may be one of his best tactics. C.S. Lewis goes on to imagine Satan saying, “It is far better to make them live in the future… it is unknown to them, so that making them think about it we make them think of unrealities…” Fear does just that – it causes us to act according to ideas that are not real. If Satan can take our ideas and convince us they are real when they are not, he’s done his job. This is where he leaves us stuck running around in anxiety.

Cephas’ ideas about what might happen to him began to control his every move. He was increasingly worried about what other people might think of him and what they might do when they found out about his behavior – so much so he draws back and separates himself from his community. This is what fear does. It paralyzes us from forward movement and makes us want to run and hide. But as long as we stay in hiding, fear continues to win. And when fears wins, Satan wins. We must recognize he takes pleasure in seeing us flounder in our faith, become paralyzed by fear, and live enslaved by unrealities.

Fear makes us want to stay in the dark, but love gives us courage to come out from hiding. The lyrics of No Longer Slaves say, “From my mother’s womb / You have chosen me / Love has called my name / I’ve been born again / Into your family / Your blood flows through my veins  // I’m no longer a slave to fear/I am a child of God.” Praise God for some of the ways you’ve experienced his love.

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By Yvonne Biel 

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We’re under the accusations of the evil one. He continues to try and turn our guilt into shame.

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Read Genesis 4:3-16

Although the enemy is never mentioned in this story, his deceptive influence saturates the entire narrative. Cain reacts in anger and complete dejection when God uses a simple offering as a teachable moment. Cain must have been listening to lies because he seems to believe that God liked him less and would not accept him due to the fact that he wasn’t enough. Instead of humbly admitting his behavior was not exactly what God wanted, he questioned God’s character and saw the offering as a major failure that began to define him and even control him.

If you’ve ever taught children, students or young adults and seen them over-react to a teachable moment, you’ll recognize what this would have looked like. Someone goes from admitting wrong behavior to becoming consumed by the shame of it. From that point on in the story, Cain only uses personal pronouns which indicates his focus – himself. This is the distinction between guilt and shame. Guilt focuses on behavior. Shame focuses on self. Guilt says, “I did something bad.” Shame says, “I am bad.”

No wonder Cain’s punishment seemed overwhelming to him and he wanted to hide his face from God. Cain’s identity and his character were brought into question. But not from God. It was from the enemy. Satan successfully convinced Cain it was all his fault, that God was no longer safe, and that God did not love him. In Revelation 12, Satan is named “the deceiver of the whole world… who accuses [the brothers] day and night before God” (Revelation 12:7-12). This means we too are under the accusations of the evil one. He continues to try and turn our guilt into shame so that we, like Cain, will feel completely responsible for becoming lost in lies and desiring to walk away from the presence of God. Watch out for this strategy and remind yourself that God doesn’t come to accuse, that’s the devil’s doing.

Satan loves to convince us our failures or lack of devotion are the very things that define us. He delights in leaving us stuck – believing we are the disappointment, the failure, the problem. But, we aren’t the problem, sin is. Jesus doesn’t point the finger, the enemy does. Which areas does the enemy most frequently accuse you? Write out a prayer of protection from the enemy accusations today.

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By Yvonne Biel 

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 Perhaps we can’t hear Jesus’ voice because the enemy’s lies drown out the voice of our shepherd.

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Read John 8:33-47

No one has to teach us how to lie. Children are born with an innate ability to sneak around to find hidden treats, to cover up disobedience with a devious smile, or to shift blame to nearby siblings. It’s obvious we’re born into a world deeply influenced by the “father of lies.” However, as children, we don’t yet know how to think about the process behind our suspicious behavior. But, there is a process. We think, “I don’t want to get into trouble, so I’ll try to cover up what I did to free myself from punishment.” Unfortunately, no one who tells himself or herself this is off the hook because it’s a lie. We can’t cover up or avoid punishment forever. The truth always finds us out (Numbers 32:32).

Jesus purposely refers to the enemy here as the “father of lies” to describe his character. Satan has been a liar from the beginning. That’s why when we read the narrative of the Garden of Eden, we know the serpent is Satan because he shows up as a mischievous liar, twisting the words of God and crafting deception to tempt both Eve and her husband. If Jesus gives Satan the title “father,” those influenced by his character are his children. Jesus pointedly calls out those who are listening to the world’s father – the liar – and names this relationship as the reason for their hostile, deceptive behavior and lack of connection with God.

If we’re honest, the father of lies all too often influences us as well. Without being conscious of the deceptive schemes under the surface, we run around as children directed by the way of the world and its father – the devil. Deception is the enemy’s trick to keep us responsible for our sin. Paul says, “God gave [us] up in the lusts of [our] hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because [we] exchanged the truth about God for a lie” (Romans 1:24-25). For this reason, Jesus refers to his children as sheep and urges them to learn his voice. He says, “my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). Perhaps we can’t hear Jesus’ voice because the enemy’s lies drown out the voice of our shepherd. Thankfully, we can learn to identify voices based on character. But remember, you will become like the voice you’re listening to.

Think about the character of Satan and write down what he would say about your doubt, failure, lack of devotion, anger, fear, and indifference. Then, consider the character of God and write down what he would say about the same things.

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By Yvonne Biel 

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Alertness makes us aware of temptations, more resistant to pressure, and careful in our responsibilities.

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Read 1 Peter 5:6-9

Hide and seek is an all time favorite childhood game. Kids love to play it with a parent, a friend, or even a babysitter. For some reason, the thrill of hiding, being found, and then being chased fills kids with howls of delight. Perhaps knowing it’s just a game and bonding with the person chasing you makes it fun. But, what if you were being chased and you didn’t even know it? That’s what our enemy is hoping for because he’s described as a lion chasing someone whom he may devour.

Peter lovingly warns his church to be on the lookout. The devil’s chasing us all the time. He is determined to destroy us and everything the Kingdom of God is trying to build. Destruction is his goal for every healthy church, family, and marriage relationship. Damage beyond repair is his desire for your reputation, your dreams, and your life. Often the devil employs the covert strategy to destroy us. He tempts us to chase “good things.” The world does have many good things to offer, but as long as we’re distracted with other pursuits, the enemy can succeed in his theft, murder, and disastrous results.

Satan’s out to steal, kill, and destroy our satisfaction and contentment. And, we become vulnerable to his attacks when we’re less vigilant. When we’re alone, feeling weak or walking through suffering, we can become focused on our own troubles. In these times, we forget to watch for danger. Alertness makes us aware of temptations, more resistant to pressure, and careful in our responsibilities. No one wants to be chased and destroyed, but the devil is conniving.  We must be sober-minded and watchful as Peter advises knowing the enemy’s threat to destroy is real.

If the enemy is sneaking around today, and he’s on a mission to steal, kill and destroy you, vigilance will be essential. Think through your day and ask yourself where the enemy might strategically place himself to reek the most destruction in your day. Use Ephesians 6:10-18 to pray the Armor of God over your life before you go into those particular battles.

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By Donna Burns

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Our hearts long for life. We yearn for comfort and relief. We cry for rescue.  

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Read 1 John 3:7-8

Experiencing the death of a loved one tops the list of stressors. The pain and hurt of saying goodbye to someone you dearly love touches the depths of every human soul at some point. Death simply doesn’t feel right because we weren’t designed for it. Our lives were created for grand fellowship with the Father God. But unfortunately, harmonious fellowship with God was broken in the garden – initiated by the enemy.

The devil’s been sinning from the beginning, and he’s been out for our death both physically and spiritually ever since. His goal is to kill and for the dead to feel separation from God in the depths of Hell. He starts by tempting Eve in the garden which brought death to all humankind. Then, the devil continues to destroy and kill our relationship with God. Sorrow is the result of both. Eternal death and broken relationship bring deep sorrow.

Death and sorrow go hand-in-hand and Jesus knew this well. John 11 records a story of Jesus losing a good friend, Lazarus. His sisters, Mary and Martha, experienced deep grief and loss. When Jesus came to visit, he felt their pain, was deeply troubled, and wept (John 11:35).

Often the holidays remind us of our sorrows and losses. They remind us we weren’t created for death. We were created for life. Yet, the enemy of our souls wants to keep us in the place of separation and sorrow. He wants to kill our joy and our hope. We long for the release from the curse of sin and death. We’re looking for someone to rescue us from the dark consequences of sin and someone to win back life and harmonious fellowship with God. Our hearts long for life. We yearn for comfort and relief. We cry for rescue.

During the hustle and bustle of the holidays, we sometimes avoid or suppress our grief rather than expressing it in healthy ways. Today, write down some of your sorrows from this past year and name the people who you’ve lost. Sit with God in your sorrow and pray for the warmth of his comfort. “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

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By Donna Burns

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 In the struggle to identify our shepherd’s voice, we can keep crying out, and we can keep listening, knowing our good shepherd is listening.

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Read John 10:1-5

Jesus alerts his listeners to a robber sneaking around. His name is Satan. Scripture calls Satan the thief, and his goal is to steal and kill and destroy. The thief enters the sheep pen in any way but the door. He comes in by surprise and takes what is not his because he cares only about himself and his schemes.

As Jesus describes the scene, he creates a contrast between the thief and the shepherd. The shepherd comes in through the door, not over the fence or by any other means. Of course, the gatekeeper lets him in because he recognizes his voice as he calls his sheep by name. Each sheep has a special name and knows the personal sound of the shepherd’s voice. The shepherd comes to intentionally lead his sheep. He doesn’t drive them away or take them against their will. The shepherd cares for his sheep and is willing to even give his life to protect them.

In this parable, Jesus is saying he is the shepherd. But, we still have to deal with one pesky robber. Satan is still a thief, and he continues to scheme against us. He desires to take us as far away from the shepherd as he can. He doesn’t want us to see the shepherd let alone hear his personal call. He wants to steal the truth of God from you and rob you of the joy and pleasure of a relationship with Jesus. In the struggle to identify our shepherd’s voice, we can keep crying out, and we can keep listening, knowing our good shepherd is listening. He will hear your cry.

S. Lewis imagines the voice of the enemy in The Screwtape Letters. The enemy says, “It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out.” What things does the enemy want to keep from you or steal from you? Write out a message for the enemy today.

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By Donna Burns

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