Praying ROM 15:13- HOPE

May the God of HOPE fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. -Romans 15:13

In my darkest hours, I've asked God to make me a prisoner of hope. Philosophy professor and author Cornel West once wrote "I cannot be an optimist but I am a prisoner of hope."

There are some circumstances that defy optimism. Age, disease, life. God doesn't prevent death, but He does offer eternal life in Heaven with Him. He doesn't prevent hardship or loss, but He does promise to get us through it.

I remind myself that no matter what my circumstances, God is with me and will get me through whatever it is I have to face.

As Christians, we are "called to hope" (Ephesians 4:4). While explaining the Spiritual 'Armor of God' in Ephesians 6:17, Paul says to put on the helmet of hope-in-salvation. If you keep in mind the ultimate hope we have of eternal life with God, thanks to the free gift of salvation through the sacrifice made by His Son Jesus on the cross- if you "fix your eyes upon Jesus," no matter how dark and ugly your present is, your future remains bright.

Praying ROM 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. -Romans 15:13

I used to like to write Advent devotions here on PPP. The last few years have just gotten to be too crazy-busy to make that work. Each of the candles on an Advent wreath represents a different virtue. There's the Prophet's candle of Hope, the Bethlehem candle of Peace, the Angel's candle of Love and the Shepherd's candle of Joy.

This past Advent, I'd been praying Romans 15:13 a lot. Mostly for myself, due to all the stress, depression and anxiety I'd been struggling with. But also for others. I genuinely wanted to share God's hope, peace, and joy with others whom I perceived really needed them.

In past Advent posts here, I've tried to explain or expound on each of these gifts. This time, I think I'd like to mash this list up with another list- the ACTS formula of praying (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication). 

We'll see how that goes, (if it goes for that matter, tomorrow's the first day of a new semester). Tonight, though, I just want to share something about just one of these four; which one is most important.

When my wife and I taught at Los Angeles Lutheran High, we coached cheerleading. For a while she coached Varsity and I coached Junior High. Eventually, I coached both toward the end. Of course LHS had a fight song that cheerleaders danced to at pep rallies, but we also had a school song, an slower anthem. The tradition at LA was for kids to gather at the end of football games, point one arm to heaven and join in the song.

I don't remember all of the lyrics, but one line sticks with me- "may faith be ever more thy fame and love be thy rule."

For some Christians,  our religion is all about all kinds of rules. Believe this, don't believe that, do this, don't you DARE do that. It leads to a lot of fear and judgement, misunderstanding and competition. For my money the whole Bible boils down to one rule. This is what Jesus said-

John 13:34-35
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love oneanother. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

So assuming I write at least four more posts in the next week or so about Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, keep in mind what Saint Paul wrote-

1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Lutheran High's School Song would make a pretty good mission statement, and for that matter, a pretty good epitaph for one's tombstone- I certainly want it to be true for this blog: May faith be ever more my fame, and love be my RULE.

This Advent, may HOPE take you prisoner.

Isaiah 2

New International Version (NIV)

The Mountain of the Lord

2 This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

2 In the last days

the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established
    as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
    and all nations will stream to it.

3 Many peoples will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
    so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
    the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He will judge between the nations
    and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
    nor will they train for war anymore.

5 Come, descendants of Jacob,
    let us walk in the light of the Lord.

Last Sunday's Old Testament lesson (above) was a wonderful reminder for me. Isaiah gave us an image of Heaven, where man "ain't gonna study war no more." 

Keep your eye on the prize, look past and through the darkness at the light at the end of the tunnel. Discouraged? Depressed? Frightened? Stressed? Look past your present circumstances and remember that whatever your're going through, it won't last forever.

If we put on the helmet of hope of salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:8 & Ephesians 6:17), God's hope will protect our heads- God will guard our minds (Philippians 4:7).

Lets face it, the holiday seasons can be stressful; work, family, finances. So guess what, maybe instead of focusing on everything you have to try to get done and who you think you have to please and how you're going to afford it- focus on Jesus. What a gift! The creator of the whole universe gave His only begotten son as a sacrifice for our sins so that we too can be His beloved children! 

When you keep that love in mind, it puts things in perspective. That perspective has given me a new motto:

“I cannot be an optimist but I am a prisoner of hope.” - Prof. Cornel West

And this is why I have been praying this verse so much for myself and for others-  "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." -Romans 15:13

Psalm 33:20-22

New Living Translation (NLT)

20 We put our hope in the Lord.
    He is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,
    for our hope is in you alone.

Advent2010- better to light a candle than curse the darkness

"Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I'll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns." ~Philippians 2:14-15 (the Message)

"better to light a candle than curse the darkness" is an ancient Chinese proverb used as a motto by the Christophers, a group founded by Catholics to promote tolerance, service, political honesty, caring for the sick and poor, and dealing with substance abuse.

It is a theme dramatically illustrated in this 1935 etching by Picasso, The Minitauromachy, in which even in the very face of death, destruction and evil, a little girl holds up a candle of hope against the onslaught of fascism, imperialism, and militarism symbolized by the minotaur.

This first week of Advent, the candle in the wreath is the candle of hope, sometimes known as the Prophets' candle. True, we often look to old testament prophecies of the coming messiah (Jesus), but in Philippians 2, Paul challenges us to be prophets- people who speak God's Word into a dark world. We can hold onto and carry the light of Christ's love into our daily lives, and into even the bleakest situations.

It's easy to become negative, either angry and cynical or discouraged and depressed- but God calls us to be different, to be full of hope. People with Jesus have hope, and people with hope have a sense of security and stability that the world really needs right now.

In a world of poverty, unemployment, alcohol drug abuse and dependence, divorce, non-traditional and broken families, my students sometimes think of me as boring, conservative or an anachronism. But they also see me as safe and steady, caring and approachable and I hope as trustworthy. I'm not the world's greatest teacher or coach. But I can try to be as patient, kind, empathetic, and caring as I can. 

It sounds Pollyanna or naive', but sometimes just being a decent person can make someone's world a better place. Certainly just being friendly and smiling can make someone's day.

This Christmas season, try lighting candles instead of just cursing the darkness. Try to be a prophet of hope.

"17 Life will be brighter than noonday,
and darkness will become like morning.
18 You will be secure, because there is hope;
you will look about you and take your rest in safety.
19 You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid,
and many will court your favor." ~Job 11:17-19

Advent Devotion: His name is our name too

14 " 'The days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.

15 " 'In those days and at that time
I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David's line;
he will do what is just and right in the land.

16 In those days Judah will be saved
and Jerusalem will live in safety.
This is the name by which it will be called:
The LORD Our Righteousness.'

-Jeremiah 33:14-16

Usually at Christmas, we think of the baby Jesus, being born into the family of mankind, God incarnated in lowly flesh. But it's important to remember why He did it- not so that He could be in our dysfunctional family, but so that we could become a part of His, complete, whole, perfectly loving family. 1 John 3:1a declares "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!"

When a child is adopted, they receive the last name of their adoptive family. You are no longer a John or Jane "Doe," unaffiliated, unclaimed, unknown, unassociated. Once adopted, you are no longer unsafe or unsaved.

Because Jesus was born on Christmas, and died for our sins on Good Friday and defeated sin, death, and the Devil on Easter morning- we are adopted as God's children. Christ isn't really a last name, it's a title- it means "anointed one." To be anointed means to be set aside for God's special purpose. To be "Christians" (little-Christs) means that we inherit that same purpose, the purpose is sharing God's love and the good news of His forgiveness through Jesus- our purpose is to enlarge the family.

Having the right name can make all the difference. In the movie "Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist" a group of New York teenagers spend all night trying to find the club that their favorite band will play. Most people have to stand in lines outside, few get past the bouncers- but Nora can get her friends in every time. The reason is because she's the daughter of a famous music producer with lots of connections. Her name gets her perks.

In Jeremiah 33, God promised a new branch in His family tree and He gives us His name as our new name- "The Lord is our righteousness." Without Jesus, none of us could ever be holy or worthy to be set aside for His purposes, let alone be His child. But once adopted, He no longer sees our own lack of righteousness, He IS our righteousness.

This Christmas, remember the Christ part of the holiday's name, because it is also OUR name if we are adopted into His family. "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!"

---

Know someone who's adopted? Pray for them this Christmas.

Are you facing an unplanned pregnancy? Adoption is a beautiful choice. Give your baby the gift of life and the gift of a loving family who're looking for a child to love and care for.

Got love and resources to share? Be like Joseph the carpenter from Nazareth, consider adopting or becoming a foster parent.

http://www.lfsiowa.org - Lutheran Family Services of Iowa

http://www.christianadopt.org - Christian Adoption Services

Waiting...

A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes ... and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent.

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer,
German pastor and philosopher (1906-1945) imprisoned and executed for his attempt to overthrow Adolf Hitler.

Reason to hope; Psalm 80:1-7

1 Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock;
you who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth

2 before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
Awaken your might;
come and save us.

3 Restore us, O God;
make your face shine upon us,
that we may be saved.

4 O LORD God Almighty,
how long will your anger smolder
against the prayers of your people?

5 You have fed them with the bread of tears;
you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.

6 You have made us a source of contention to our neighbors,
and our enemies mock us.

7 Restore us, O God Almighty;
make your face shine upon us,
that we may be saved.

A mighty good leader is on the way

Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous branch. This is the name by which He will be called: "The Lord is Our Righteousness." (Jeremiah 33:15)

He shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.


Jehovah Tsidkenu means "The Lord, our Righteousness." God's judgment would be terrifying were it not for God's mercy. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. Jesus is that righteous branch of the house of David, we can stand before God because of His righteousness, not our own. That should give us all hope.

Reason for Hope

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?...

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8: 35 & 37-39 NIV)

Neither financial struggles nor recession, neither mid-life crisis nor identity crisis, neither stress nor insomnia, neither your job nor your family, not illness, not accidents, not drugs and alcohol, not sexual identity, not suffering physical abuse, nor sexual abuse, not emotional or mental abuse, not depression, not anxiety, not anger, not even suicide.

That's right. You read it.

Recently my brother-in-law took his own life. He had suffered from alcoholism for decades. He'd been through rehab/recovery programs something like five times in the last 12 years. He'd been hospitalized and treated for depression, both with traditional counseling/therapy and medication. Mind you, I'm not excusing or condoning his decision, but I also recognize that mental illness is no less an illness than MS or Lou Gehrig's Disease, or Leukemia. And I know that my brother-in-law knew Jesus and loved Jesus and felt broken and like there was no escape and no cure. Others might accuse him of not having enough faith, that he just needed to trust God more. He knew he lacked faith, if he had had hope he would still be here.

My pastor offered us a beautiful quote from Martin Luther, "I am not inclined to think that those who take their own lives are surely damned. My reason is that they do not do this of their own accord but are overcome by the power of the devil, like a man who is murdered by a robber in the woods."

So, just like the loved ones of someone who's suffered from any other terminal illness for years, I know that now at last, his suffering is over. He is safe in his Savior's arms, cured and forgiven.

He very well may have felt that he was giving up on God, but God did not give up on him.

NOTHING can separate us from the love of God. Even in our deepest despair, even in our grieving, there is still hope.

Hope of a protector

Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.*

*The "Collect of the Day" for last Sunday (11/30/08) in the Lutheran Service Book.

Be ready

1 Peter 3:14-16 (New International Version)

14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened."15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

The theme of the first week in Advent is hope. Hope is what keeps our your head cool. The hope of salvation is part of the full Armor of God that Paul talks about in Ephesians 6. No matter what we have to go through or put up with, we don't have to be afraid. God's love drives out fear. Only Jesus gives us this kind of unflappable hope. We have hope because He saved us and we now belong to Him.

The first candle on the Advent wreath is the prophets' candle. Isaiah, Michah, Zecheriah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, these old testament prophets had hope because they knew that God was sending His messiah to Israel. Today, God asks us to prophesy (to speak His Words) to others. 1 Peter 3 tells us one way we can do that- if we have hope , especially at times when so many around us are driven by fear, we should be ready to explain where our hope comes from.

Mind you, (maybe a little like the disciple Peter) I know that I haven't always been great about doing it with gentleness and respect- but if we can manage that, to not just speak the truth but to make sure we speak the truth in love, then our most ardent opponents won't get far when they try to defame our characters.

Even pirates can serve God as His modern day prophets when we share the hope we have in Jesus. And by the way, with the exception of Jonah, most of those Old Testament prophets didn't come to outsiders, they came to Israel. Sure, God wants us to evangelize, to share Jesus with the un-churched, but He also calls us to speak His Word to our fellow Christians. When they come to you motivated by fear, of the unknown, of people or things they don't understand, of the end times, of the world and of the Devil, be prepared to answer those fears with the hope Jesus gives you- hope because the victory is already won, hope because He reigns with love and grace, mercy and forgiveness, openness and acceptance.

Does this sound familiar? Sure it does. President Elect Obama is not Jesus and he's not some kind of savior. If anything many of us are heaping way too many expectations on him, but he ran a campaign (yes, like Ronald Reagan's) based on confidence and optimism. He even had the audacity to use the word "hope" as a slogan until settling on "change" as a dominant buzzword. Coming from the faith traditions of the Black Church, he was comfortable with the concept of prophecy being something for the church in the here and now, not exclusively for the ancient Hebrews or for people desperate to divine the future and forecast the second coming. Maybe that's why Christian leaders from that same tradition, like Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke not only of Heaven and the Judgment Day, but of how we can positively affect the coming of God's Kingdom now, in our own communities. Because they served as God's advocates, His prophets, to their congregations.

This Christmas season, apply this kind of language and this kind of thinking in your personal life, and in your fellowships and relationships. Don't let it be catchy campaign rhetoric that's left behind on election day. Let it transform your thinking and guide your behavior.

Overcome fear with hope, and be prepared to tell people that Jesus gives you that hope.

My Advent prayer for all of you

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

~Romans 15:13

First Sunday in Advent

First Candle
Color: Purple
Theme: Hope

"May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!"

~Romans 15:13 (The Message)

"Fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more; whine less, breathe more; talk less, say more; hate less, love more; and all good things are yours." ~Swedish Proverb

First week in Advent

HOPE

“And HOPE does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” ~Romans 5:5

Hope is so important. We all get depressed, especially this time of year. Without hope, we’re lost. Suicide rates rise this time of year because people lose hope.

I know you might just be tempted to avoid watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” again this season because you’ve seen it a million times and it’s become cliché’, but I want you to make a point of watching it again and this time keep reminding yourself that it’s a religious movie.

That’s right. It’s a religious movie. It’s all about faith, worth, hope, and love. George was desperate and depressed. He thought he was worth more dead than a live and attempted suicide. God sent Clarence the angel to give George hope. By showing him how much God had used him throughout his life, Clarence helped restore George’s faith that he had hope no matter how dire his situation. Even more so because he had given hope to so many people throughout his life without even realizing it, you reap what you sow (Galations 6:7).

You have worth, belonging, usefulness, importance, AND hope. For every recession there is eventually a recovery. Every war ends, every storm ends, it’s just hard to remember that while you’re in the midst of it. God used George Bailey of Bedford Falls as His instrument for good. Will you let God use you to share the hope of Christmas with others?

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD , "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you HOPE and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Prayer:

Thank you, Holy Spirit

for filling us with a hope that won’t let us down. Thank you Lord, for including me in Your plans. Please help me to live with that hope and to share Your hope with others.

I love You, Jesus,
Amen.

First week in Advent

HOPE

“…we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But HOPE that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”

~Romans 8:23b-25

It’s not always easy to wait is it? It seems like the whole month of December is all about waiting. When we were kids we started waiting for Santa Claus. If you’re in high school or college, you might be counting down the days until vacation! Then you wait for family gatherings or friends’ parties. After Christmas we wait for New Year’s. On New Year’s Eve we wait for midnight. Then it’s only a matter of time till its back to school.

Thousands wait in line at stores and airports. We’re still waiting to receive some of the gifts we ordered for people on the internet to be shipped to us…

But what does it mean to wait eagerly for our adoption? For the redemption of our bodies?

It’s part of the “Now-Not-Yet” principle of prophecy.

Jesus has come and has defeated death and Satan, yet He is still coming again and will remove Satan and eliminate death once and for all. Hitler was doomed as of D-Day (June 6, 1944), but WWII didn’t quite end in Europe until V-E Day (May 8, 1945). When the Marines landed on Omaha Beach, millions of people were still stuck in concentration camps, waiting to be freed.

We already have salvation and a reconciled relationship with God thanks to Easter, but we continue to hope for Jesus’ SECOND coming promised in Revelation 20: 3-4 when God will live with us. We will be His people, and God Himself will be with us, He will wipe every tear from our eyes.

That kind of hope can get us through the hardest times. When I was depressed and exhausted by the worst summer jobs or the most difficult classes in school, I KNEW that it wouldn’t last forever. The summer would end and I could go back to school to escape that awful job. The semester would end and I’d swallow the poor grade and get to take a different class, hopefully one I’d enjoy more.

The point is I didn’t WISH the bad times would eventually end, I KNEW they would. That’s what real hope means. A genuine light at the end of the tunnel, but just a light, not the end. If there were no light, there’d be no hope. But if it were the exit already, you wouldn’t need hope. That’s the “Now-Not-Yet” principle.

Advent and Christmas are all about hope. We celebrate them to remind us that we only have to suffer in this world for a little while longer, Jesus is on His way.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus,

This Advent, help us to remember that we’re not just waiting for Christmas 2004 to arrive.

We are celebrating the victory that You have already won,

while waiting eagerly for you to liberate us from this corrupt and dying world,

our own frail and fickle flesh,

and the taunts and temptations of the defeated Devil.

Come Lord Jesus,

Amen.

First week in Advent

HOPE

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their HOPE in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their HOPE in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” ~1 Timothy 6:17

What do you hope Santa will bring you this Christmas? As a parent, I really hope that our daughters enjoy the presents that we’re getting them this year.

During the Vietnam War, ex Beatle John Lennon wrote a modern holiday classic.

And so this is Christmas, I hope you have fun! The near and the dear ones, the old and the young. A very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Let's hope it's good one, without any fear.

Lennon hoped that the war in Vietnam would end. Unfortunately, as long as there are people, there will be wars.

As Christians, we have hope, even during times of war, Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 4, “we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

In his letter to Timothy, Paul told the young pastor to make sure that the members of his congregation didn’t get too wrapped up in the temporary things of this world. Presents are not what Christmas is all about. Even “peace on earth” isn’t what Christmas is all about- not peace as we know it anyway.

True peace, the peace which passes all understanding, comes from hope. The hope that there is eternal life, eternal enjoyment, and eternal peace – an end to our spiritual war with God.

My hope for you is not that you get what you WANT for Christmas (presents, money clothes, etc.) Instead, I hope you get what you NEED; Faith, Hope, Love, and Peace in Jesus.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus,

Please protect our soldiers overseas this Advent.
Especially the ones in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Korea.
Boost their morale, Lord.
Remind them of the hope that eventually their tour of duty will end and they’ll get to come home to their families.
Help us to put our hope in You, not in money, toys, gifts, things, or even noble things like peace, but only in you.

I love you Jesus,
Amen.

First week in Advent

HOPE - PROPRHETS -DISCIPLESHIP

“also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

~Romans 5:3-5

You might have noticed that I have three words at the top of these devotions. The first is the theme that the candles represent, the second is the Biblical characters used to represent each theme. The third word that I’ve decided to add, represents each of the five purposes from the best-selling Christian book,‘A Purpose Driven Life” by Pastor Rick Warren. I think that these purposes fit in perfectly with the candles of the advent wreath.

Warren contends that in the Great Commandment (Matt 22:37-40) and the Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20), Jesus gives us five reasons for living. Five things that Jesus did on Earth and we should be doing as members of the Body of Christ (the Church on Earth).

Discipleship - you were created to become like Christ.
Fellowship - you were formed to be part of God's family.
Ministry - you were shaped for God's service.
Worship - you were planned for God's pleasure.
Mission - you were made to tell others about Christ.

A disciple is someone who follows a discipline. According to Webster’s Dictionary, a discipline is a field of study, a training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character, or a prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior.

If we follow Jesus, study His Word, and practice Spiritual disciplines like prayer, praise and meditating on God’s Word He will fill us with hope. But those things take work. Just like physical training for a sport. No pain, no gain.

Need help becoming self-disciplined enough to spend time with God everyday? Try Soul Journey they have cool daily devotions that you might want to check out- especially once Advent is over and I stop sending these to you!

Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Micah, Zechariah, and Malachi studied God’s Word and followed His ways even before Christ came. They persevered in cultures that ridiculed and rejected them. They held onto the hope that God would send His Son.

During Advent we hope that the baby Jesus will come at Christmas, but we also hope He will return in Glory to renew all of creation. Right here, right now, we hope He will live in us and speak through us.

But if we are going to have any hope at all, we must follow Him

Prayer:

Dear Jesus,

This Advent, I want to be Your disciple and your prophet.
Draw me into spending time with You- in Your Word and in prayer-time.
Teach me Your ways and mold my character,
so that I can be someone you speak through
and so that I can have the kind of hope that does not disappoint.

Thank you Jesus,

Amen.

First week in Advent

HOPE - PROPHETS - DISCIPLESHIP

“14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." 15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the HOPE that you have.”

~1 Peter 3:14-15a

There are five candles in an advent wreath. 3 purple or blue, and one pink on the wreath itself, and one white one in the center. Advent means coming. It is a season when we prepare for Jesus’ arrival. Purple symbolizes both His royalty and our repentance. The evergreen or holly wreath symbolizes both the eternal life He brings and the crown of thorns He wore to win it for us.

Each week a new candle is lit. each candle represents something.

The first candle is the “Prophets’ Candle.” It represents the hope that the people of Israel in the Bible had that someday their Messiah would finally come. His coming was predicted in the Old Testament by the prophets.

A prophet is not a psychic. A prophet is someone who speaks for God. Whenever we talk about God or His love for us, we are being prophets.

Last year kids from St. John’s Lutheran Youth Fellowship joined 600 other high school students from 60 different Iowa congregations in Des Moines last weekend for the annual District Youth Gathering.

The theme of the event was a Steven Curtis Chapman song, “Live Out Loud.”

We were reminded of who we are, loved and forgiven children of God. We were then challenged to live like who we really are without embarrassment, without hiding our love for Jesus. May your hope live out loud this Christmas.

Prayer:

Dear Lord,

This Advent, please remind me of the hope I have in You.

Help me to “Live Out Loud” for you

and to be prepared to explain where my hope comes from.

Thank you Jesus,

Amen.