Advent Reflections on I Thessalonians 3:9-13

9How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? 10Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith. 11Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. 12And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. 13And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

The word Advent simply means "coming". During the Advent season we celebrate the fact that Christ is coming again, and we journey once again to the manger as we remember and pay attention to Christ's first coming.

In the process, we are called to live out spiritual practices that make room for God's grace to take up more space in our hearts and lives. Here, as we anticipate Christ's second coming, we are challenged to make room for God's love to move through us. Specifically, we are challenged to "increase and abound in love for one another" and to "increase abound in love for all".

We are to ask God to strengthen our hearts in holiness. This means we open our hearts to purity and to the working of the Holy Spirit to make our lives look more like Jesus'. 

How are you allowing this season to prepare your heart for Christ?

God's Promises

Jeremiah 33:14-16

¹⁴The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. ¹⁵In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.¹⁶In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.


One of the things that makes the story of Jesus so beautiful and compelling is that it was the fulfillment of a promise. It was, actually, the fulfillment of several promises, some more general and some more specific, that were given through several generations. For century after century, the people of God waited for a Messiah. And then, eventually, the Messiah came in the person of Jesus Christ. He was the fulfillment of the promises, hopes and dreams that God was leading his people toward throughout the entire Old Testament. 

Take time today to remember how God has been faithful to his word. Also, take time to trust him and his Word with the challenges you face today.

Reflections on Psalm 25

¹ In you, Lord my God,
    I put my trust.

² I trust in you;
    do not let me be put to shame,
    nor let my enemies triumph over me.
³ No one who hopes in you
    will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
    who are treacherous without cause.

⁴ Show me your ways, Lord,
    teach me your paths.
⁵ Guide me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are God my Savior,
    and my hope is in you all day long.
⁶ Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,
    for they are from of old.
⁷ Do not remember the sins of my youth
    and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
    for you, Lord, are good.

⁸ Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
⁹ He guides the humble in what is right
    and teaches them his way.
¹⁰ All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful
    toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
¹¹ For the sake of your name, Lord,
    forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

¹² Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?
    He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.
¹³ They will spend their days in prosperity,
    and their descendants will inherit the land.
¹⁴ The Lord confides in those who fear him;
    he makes his covenant known to them.
¹⁵ My eyes are ever on the Lord,
    for only he will release my feet from the snare.

¹⁶ Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted.
¹⁷ Relieve the troubles of my heart
    and free me from my anguish.
¹⁸ Look on my affliction and my distress
    and take away all my sins.
¹⁹ See how numerous are my enemies
    and how fiercely they hate me!

²⁰ Guard my life and rescue me;
    do not let me be put to shame,
    for I take refuge in you.
²¹ May integrity and uprightness protect me,
    because my hope, Lord, is in you.

²² Deliver Israel, O God,
    from all their troubles!

This Psalm calls out for a deliverer. It does not just ask for any deliverer though. It asks for a deliverer that is familiar with the person in need of rescue.

The Psalmist calls the one he is praying to the one whom he "puts his trust". He calls his deliverer his guide. He asks the one who he cries out to to see the best in him, to forget his sins, and to remember the love that He has for him. He looks in prayer for the strong man who is one his side, who can make his case, and rescue him.

What an appropriate Psalm as we approach the Advent season. When we look at Christ, we look at one who can identify with everything we went through because he came to earth and lived a life like we did. He can take away our sins, and he can both create a way for us to have new life and show us the way to live it.

What wonderful instructions and reminders this Psalm has. It gives us some great things to think about today!

Reflections on Hebrews 10

Hebrews 10

11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. 15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: 16 “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” 17 Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” 18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary. 19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

There is so much in this small section of Scripture. If we were preaching on this Sunday we would have to spend more than one day here!

As I read through this quickly I think there are several things that merit our immediate attention.

• Notice the repetitive nature of the temple sacrifice vs. the once and for all sacrifice of Jesus. Think about the burden of having to do the same thing over and over again just to try and maintain a relationship with God, and what his grace accomplished
• Note that Jesus says that God will "remember our sins no more" it is the one thing I have noticed in Scripture that God says at some point he cannot do. Once God forgives, he cannot remember our sins anymore
• Notice why the author mentions Jesus' sacrifice. He wants us to draw close to God and to one another
• Notice that the invitation to continue worshiping is couched in appeal to remember that Christ is coming soon,. Almost any time the end times is mentioned in the New Testament it is an invitation to live differently in the here and now

Mark 13:1-8: The beginning of birth pains

Mark 13 

 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” 2 “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” 5 Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

 A Few Questions to Consider

 What prompted Jesus to begin to talk about the end?

 Why does Jesus respond the way he does to his disciples admiring the temple?

 What reasons does Jesus give for sharing about the end times?

 Look closely. How does Jesus's description of the end times differ from many of those that teach about the end today?

What else do you notice? Feel free to share in the comment section!