For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
TO PONDER:
Do you remember the Cadbury Chocolate Ads that used the Beach Boys ‘Wouldn’t it be nice’ song with reworked lyrics?
Wouldn’t it be nice if the world were Cadbury?You could surf inside a chocolate tubeRide your board across the wave foreverGet wiped out and never get a bruiseAnd if a shark came up and tried to bite youYou could say ‘I’m chocolate – I invite you’Wouldn’t it be nice?
Wouldn't it be nice...for a little peace in the world. For peace in the Gaza Strip. In Sudan. In Myanmar. Wouldn't it be nice if there was peace in our community...where gang violence was a thing of the past. Where we could let our kids roam the streets again without fear. Wouldn't it be nice for a little peace in our homes...where conflict in marriage was gone, where siblings stopped fighting. Wouldn't it be nice for a bit of silent night, where all is calm and all is bright? Researchers have found that in the 3400 years of recorded history that they can determine, that only 234 years have been lived in peace. That's less that 7% of the time. Wouldn't it be nice...but let's get real...it seems it is not going to happen.
We live in a world that is not the way it is supposed to be. But Isaiah tells us that the hope of the world lies in a child who will be born, a Son, Jesus Christ, who is peace, who will make peace, who will bring peace Into this world, by fighting everything that threatens the world's shalom. The Prince of Peace comes to bring about the restoration of relationships, a world in which every person and every creature is connected in a vast network of mutually edifying relationships in which each contributes to the flourishing of all. Now wouldn't that be nice.
How can you help someone today to flourish by celebrating what God is doing in their lives?
PRAYER:
Prince of Peace, come and bring your peace to our lives and this world as we reveal and celebrate that your Kingdom is here and among us. Amen.
“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
TO PONDER:
I sat across from this dishevelled man who had reached out through the media ads we played on the radio. The single bulb light in the lounge room her the coffee table was the only light in the room. All the curtains were drawn...it was the middle of the day. He pulled one used cigarette butt after another from a flower pot of butts that he had obviously collected from various places and he pulled out the remaining tobacco to roll his own, which he lit in front of me. He proceeded to tell me his story...a story that was told in a minor key. It was dark. It was sad. It was devoid of hope. But it was his question at the end that surprised me...'The radio program said that God is loving and just and always for the forgotten...but you tell me, where is the God of justice now?'
'Where is the God of justice?' That is the very question that lies behind the response given in the reading today. Israel had been asking the question a lot. Everywhere they looked, it seemed that God favoured the wicked while the righteous suffered. It had caused God's people to become disheartened and to lose hope. The God who would restore Israel seemed to be missing in action. So where is the God of justice. God speaks through the prophet Malachi and answers that recurring question. When you least expect it, when you have all but given up hope, the God of justice will come. The invisible God who seems to be missing in action, who seems to pay no attention to the evil and wickedness in this world will come to clean things up, to wipe away the guilt of sin and restore us to a relationship where we can confidently bask in his presence. That's a promise you can depend on. This cleansing, this purifying won't always be comfortable but the God of justice is faithful to all his promises and loving to all he as made. That's the hope that the first candle of Advent prepares us to receive.
What has you feeling disheartened today? What promise of God do you need to hold on to so you can live with hope?
PRAYER
God of justice, when I feel disheartened by the events of the world and my own life, fill me with the hope of your coming. Cleanse my heart, forgive my sin and lift up my head to watch and wait for your coming again to bring true justice to this world. Amen.
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
TO PONDER
Again we see that God had a plan in place well before the birth of Jesus. God knew how it would come about, who would be involved and had the whole thing planned right from the very beginning.
What is confronting in this particular prophetic word from Isaiah concerning the Messiah is how the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him. This is confronting because the apostle Paul in Romans 8 says, "the Spirit of Him who raised Christ from the dead is now living in you." Just think about that for a moment. Not only does the Holy Spirit, who raised Jesus from the dead, the same Holy Spirit that conceived the physical human form of Jesus in Mary's womb, now live in you and bring you new life, he also brings wisdom and understanding, counsel and power, knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Because Jesus came and restored our relationship with God, we too are able to have the Spirit of God rest on us, guide us and lead us, just as God always intended. That's the life that was lost to sin but has been restored because of God's pre-planned adventure to restore what had been lost.
So think about that this week. How is your new life in Christ marked by the wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, and faith, which the Holy Spirit brings to those who are in Christ Jesus?
PRAYER: Holy Spirit, come and rest on me today. Help me and guide me in your ways. Renew and transform my life so that I may be an effective part of God's plan to bring His restoration to all things, in Jesus name, Amen.
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
TO PONDER
The last bit of this verse is the best; ‘to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ’. Unity. All things. On earth. Including wars. Because there are some terrible wars at the moment. The war in the Ukraine continues, but we don’t hear much about it, because the war in the Gaza strip is taking the headlines.
No one wins a war.
Apart from praying, what can do about it?
Here’s something one of the LifeWay members did recently. He attended a Jewish synagogue with a Jewish friend. They were amazed. They were astounded, that a Christian would come and share their space, and pray for peace with them – because that’s what they did.
We start the season we call Advent tomorrow. This is the season to prepare for the birth of the Prince of Peace. As the silly season encroaches on us, stop and remember the reason we celebrate this time of year. Slow down and think about the baby born into a violent world 2000 years ago. Find the time to recall that wonderful story that marks the beginning of the rest of our lives.
We too are called to bring unity to the world. Give it your best shot.
PRAYER: As we begin the rush to Christmas Lord, give us the peace that only you can give, to help us cope with the craziness at this time of year. Keep us focussed on you and your message and help us to try and not let other stuff get in the way. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
TO PONDER
Do you recall the hymn, All things bright and beautiful? A lovely hymn that lists a bunch of stuff God created. Here’s a couple of verses:
(chorus) All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small
All things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all
Each little flower that opens, each little bird that sings
He made their glowing colours, He made their tiny wings (chorus)
The purple headed mountains, the rivers running by
The sunset and the morning, that brightens up the sky (chorus)
And our verse mentions that in God, all things hold together. God is the glue. God is the adhesive that holds all things together…but only if you’re ‘in’ him. Someone re-wrote the above hymn, mentioning all the harsh things in life, and telling us that God made them as well! But that writer was not ‘in’ God. They did not know the unconditional love God provides, the sacrifice God made, and the promise that He will be with us always.
PRAYER: Maker of all, thank you for keeping our world together. Thank you for blessings us with all the amazing things you’ve created for us to enjoy. Give us wisdom to discern that which is not from you. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.
TO PONDER
We’re heading up to Christmas. And Christmas isn’t really the time to talk about sacrifices, is it? Have you heard of Maximilian Kolbe? Maximilian was born in early 1900’s in Poland. He became a priest and started a monastery. When the Germans invaded Poland in 1939, Father Kolbe realized that his monastery would be taken over. The monastery became a refugee camp for thousands of Poles and Jews seeking escape from the Nazis. For this reason, Father Kolbe and his friars soon came under suspicion by the Gestapo. Father Kolbe was considered a threat to German domination. In 1941, he was arrested, and charged with aiding Jews and the Polish underground. He was sent to prison, singled out for special ill treatment, then he and four others were deported to Auschwitz, the labor and death camp. When they entered Auschwitz, The Commander told the prisoners that Jews had the right to live only two weeks, and priests one month. Father Kolbe was put to work carrying blocks of stone for the construction of a crematorium wall. A month later a prisoner escaped, and the men from Kolbe's bunker knew what to expect. For every one man that escaped, 10 prisoners were killed. One man from each line was selected at random, including a man named Francis. He cried out "My wife, my children, I’ll never see them again!" Then Maximilian stepped out from the ranks and offered to take his place. The Commander didn’t care who was sent to die, as long as there were ten of them, so he nodded. "Who are you?" he asked carelessly. "I am a priest. I wish to die for that man. Father Kolbe and the others were led to the death chamber.
An example of someone who sacrificed their life for someone else. A model of Jesus. Jesus, who was part of the masterplan from the cradle to the cross, which was the ultimate sacrifice, once and for all.
PRAYER:We cannot comprehend God, the amazing gift of your life you sacrificed for us. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
TO PONDER
Are you nervous about the bit that says, ‘everything is uncovered’? Nothing is hidden. Nothing is secret. Nothing is a mystery or confidential from God.
A favourite author of mine was asked this question from a reader.
‘What do you do personally to get closer to God?’ Her response was as follows:
"What? Nothing. Sounds like a horrible idea to me, trying to get closer to God. Half the time, I wish God would leave me alone. Getting closer to God might mean getting told to love someone I don’t even like, or to give away even more of my money. It might mean letting some idea or dream that is dear to me get ripped away".
She’s got it right. But that’s the reality of being as follower of Jesus; of getting close to God. But you know, God still wants to be in a relationship with you, and the Psalms tell us, that the past is forgotten. What has happened before, doesn’t enter into God’s head…or stop God from loving us.
PRAYER:Thanks Lord, for loving us, no matter what, no matter what we’ve done, no matter what we’ve said, no matter how we’ve acted. Help us to live as your children, every day. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
TO PONDER
What’s a disciple? How would you define it? The question came up in a session at a recent pastor’s conference. It will be an ongoing discussion over the next few years at our conferences. At this conference, many answers were given. But ‘follower’ seemed to be the answer given by most.
How well do we follow then? And do you blindly follow, or wait a little while and see how others go?
Not that long ago there was a children’s talk on the words ‘Come, follow me’. The pastor gathered the children, then simply said, ‘follow me’. The pastor went for a walk through the pews, crawled under the altar, climbed over a member, and balanced on the altar rail. Some children followed, some didn’t.
The message was that although God calls, it is still an invitation. And some will not respond or reject it. Some will trust the caller and follow no matter what. Some will struggle with the tricky bits of following but will know that God will help them through those trials.
How’s your disciple journey going? Are there times you forget who you are following, or when it gets hard, back away? You’re not alone if so.
PRAYER:Loving Jesus, when the going gets tough, remind us that you are near. When we struggle with the stuff of life, remind us that you too had struggles. When we feel like chucking it in, give us your strength and courage and love. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
“The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
“‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’
TO PONDER
There’s still room. Plenty of room. Heaven is like the universe…it goes on forever, and there will always be room.
And you know what? It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing. Because the poor, those with physical disabilities, the visually impaired, those with hearing loss, dementia suffers, those with intellectual disabilities, out-patients, can’t always afford the best clothes. But that doesn’t bother God. Because God looks at the heart. God looks at your inside. God is more concerned with what is going on in your heart, than in your head.
Sometimes we worry too much about what we look like. About what our neighbours think. And about saving face. So it’s a good reminder. A reminder to ourselves that others will know we are Christians by our love – not by our image.
PRAYER:Father in Heaven, thank you for keeping a spot for me in heaven. Thank you that there is no use-by date on that space you’ve left me – unless I choose to let it go. So help me not to let go of it, or you. Amen
Today's Devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping