Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.
TO PONDER
The verse today is one we hear on Christmas Eve, in the Lessons and Carols service. The lessons begin with prophecies from the Old Testament, predicted thousands of years before they occurred. For those who prefer to wear the white hat (in Edward De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats), that is, those people whose faith walk is helped by facts and figures, did you know that there are 48 prophecies in the Old Testament relating to the New Testament. It has been calculated that the probability of fulfilling all 48 prophecies was one chance in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion (13)! All came true.
And then we are told the name of the son, which is Immanuel, meaning ‘God with us’. How comforting, that we know Jesus is with us, Jesus is for us, Jesus loves us not matter what, Jesus is at work in our lives whether we know it, or whether we believe it.
There’s 192 shopping days until Christmas – until we hear the wonderful story again of the God who comes for us. But you are allowed to celebrate it now – and every day.
PRAYER: Thank you Lord for providing many ways for people to connect with you. Thank you for the gift of Jesus to us. Help us to spread, with our words and actions, the gift of Jesus to all we meet. Amen.
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
TO PONDER
There’s something comforting about this verse – about the ‘forever’ bit. And establishing a Kingdom which never ends, unlike Kingdoms of the past.
History shows us there were many empires that lasted for a long time.
The leaders of these Kingdoms, often lasting between 500 and 1000 years, believed they would last forever.
Empires such as the Portuguese, the Ottoman, the Khmer, (which the Cambodian mission team will learn more about soon), the Ethiopian, the Kanem, the Holy Roman, the Silla, the Republic of Venice, the Kush, and the Roman/Eastern Roman, ruled for hundreds of years.
However, none of them are around any longer. Some of their buildings are, remnants of their laws are, but no sign of those Kingdoms and their rulers.
As people of faith, we have access to a Kingdom that is thousands of years old and will not end. That’s the promise God gives in the First Testament of our Bible. And God doesn’t break his promises. That is worth praising him for.
PRAYER: God of forever, thank you for establishing your Kingdom here on earth, so us to be part of. Forgive us when our actions show that we’re not choosing to be part of your Kingdom. Send your spirit to help us live as one of your Kingdom dwellers. In Jesus name we pray. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ “This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.
TO PONDER
I wonder if the writers of the Popeye the Sailor cartoon animation (first appearing nearly 100 years ago), knew of this verse from scripture. Gaining his strength from spinach, if Popeye had doubts about his identity, he would burst into song to remind himself and the viewers who and what he was. The song was called ‘I am what I am’ (actually, it was I Yam what I yam!).
God of course has no doubts about his identity and doesn’t need to remind himself. But his chosen people, you and me, do need the reminder. We forget that he’s in charge, that he has control over everything, that he will be with us forever. And we have that promise from God from thousands of years ago – a promise that continues from generation to generation.
As the final few lines of The Blessing say (look up this version - The Blessing Australia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOt7baaVSbE)
‘May His favour be upon you, and a thousand generations, and your family and their children, and their children, and their children’.
May his presence go before you and behind you and beside you, all around you and within you, He is with you, he is with you.
He is for you, He is for you, He is for you, He is for you’.
PRAYER: God of our ancestors, we thank you for being the God for us. Thank you for the faithful people that have gone before us who have passed on your great faith to us. Help us to be faithful in passing it on to others. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”
TO PONDER
Moses might well have been the first person recorded to suffer from ‘imposter syndrome’. This is a psychological occurrence in which people doubt their skills, talents, or accomplishments.
Moses was a bit nervous. Who wouldn’t be, turning up in front of the most important person in the land, to ask a favour – a favour that would mean losing much of the workforce of Egypt. It’s like me arranging an appointment with King Charles and asking him to stop the Australian Government taxing us.
We’ve all been there. Can you recall an event where you did not think you were qualified to comment, or you weren’t worthy being in the presence of someone important?
But read on. Because although Moses had his doubts, God had his back. Moses was unsure, but God was sure. He told Moses to do his stuff, and God would hang around. Always. No matter what. Which is his job.
PRAYER: Thank you, God, for being there. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to rely fully on you – to give ourselves totally over to your care. We’re not always good at doing that though – so help us do it better. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
Exodus 3:7-8a
The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
TO PONDER
It’s one of the characteristics of God that I wish I was better at – and that’s listening. It’s something we could all improve on.
At a session where we shared highs and lows, the leader asked all those present, to share their high and low point for the week. One of the mums in the group opened her heart, which was a real low about the hassles COVID 19 had caused with home schooling. She had some concerns about the education of her children and their welfare. This was a pastoral care issue. However, the leader continued around the group, then proceeded to tell his own story, which appeared to be the purpose of the exercise. It seemed to be ‘I’ll let you share your stories if you listen to mine…which is more important than yours!’. The leader did not listen to what was happening in the group. He missed a pastoral care response that needed prayer. During the session the game had changed, and no other stories were as important as that shared by the mum. Can you recall incidents like that?
God listens. To everything. And cares. Let’s thank him.
PRAYER: Father, we thank you for being there – for hanging around us, for listening to our every need. Remind us Lord, that you are the constant – never changing, and always loving. Amen.
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
TO PONDER
There is so much for us to learn from the life of Abraham. He was a man who moved his entire life, and family on the basis of a promise from God. And while Abraham certainly saw God deliver on his promise to give him and his wife an heir, most of what God promised, was only fulfilled long after Abraham had died.
I think this verse is also funny because if you know the story of Abraham, he and his wife didn't wait patiently. In fact, they got tired of waiting for God and took matters into their own hands.
But despite all this, God still delivered on his promises. Sometimes, despite our patience, we need to be just that bit more patient, but always trust that God keeps his promises.
PRAYER
Dear God, you are faithful in all your promises and perfect in all of your ways. Forgive me when I lose patience and complain that you are not doing things according to my schedule. Help me always to know that your timing is perfect and to trust you more completely. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
TO PONDER
I may have shared this story before, but my dad was a pretty successful fisherman. I don't recall having gone fishing with him very often and not coming home having caught at least something.
What my brother and I didn't realise so much when we were younger was that a big part of dad's success was going at the right time. Sometimes my brother and I would pester dad so much to take us fishing and not understand why he would be denying us a trip out in the boat to catch our own dinner. 20-30 years later and with some greater wisdom and the benefit of hindsight, most of the time dad refused to take us fishing was because he was fairly confident that the conditions would result in a fruitless fishing expedition.
Sometimes waiting for God to keep his promises can be like that. We expect God to answer immediately or with miraculous signs and wonders, in other words, to take us fishing just because we want to go. But God, a bit like a clever fisherman, knows when the time, tides, winds, and temperatures conditions are just right for the best result. Don't let God's 'wait' response to your prayers be discouraging. Instead be excited and expectant that God is simply waiting for the right conditions to produce the best results.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You often had to show patience with your disciples who rarely managed to see the bigger picture. Thank you for your patience with me when I fail to see the bigger picture and get disappointed when I feel my prayers have gone unanswered. Help me to also be patient as I wait for your perfect timing. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle.
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
TO PONDER
Betrayal is a universal human experience. Sure, people might experience it to varying degrees, but everyone experiences it in some form or another during their lifetime. Perhaps it is as small as the disappointment we feel when someone fails to come through with a task or favour at work or when a friend reschedules a catch-up in preference for some other commitment or opportunity. We tend to get over those minor betrayals fairly quickly. However, the breaking of marriage vows, major moral failures in our trusted leaders and professionals and the breaking of trust (and sometimes abuse) of those who are supposed to care most about us can be really debilitating experiences.
Sometimes we can feel like God has betrayed us when we find ourselves in the darkest parts of our lives. Perhaps we blame God for the loss of a loved one; maybe we blame God for the loss of income or property amid natural disasters like fires or floods? The number of ways that we can think God has let us down or betrayed our trust are as varied as we are. However, Here in 1 John, we hear that God is light, in Him there is no darkness at all. No deceit, no malice or hard feelings.
So what then are we to do when we feel betrayed or abandoned by God? The answer is easy to say but hard to do. At those times we feel most abandoned and betrayed by God is when we most need to call out to Him. The people if Israel did it in Egypt and then later in Babylonian exile, Job did it, most of the psalmist did it, many of the Old Testament prophets did it, the writer of Lamentations did it. God promises to be with us and bring light to our darkness. When things are their darkest is when we need his light the most.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, in the beginning you said, "let there be light" and light appeared. Would you bring your light into the dark places of my life and help me to trust that when I feel like all hope is lost and I feel most alone, that you will always be available to bring your light back into my life and make that light shine through me into the world.
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle.
"The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
TO PONDER
I have never had the need to make a claim against a lifetime guarantee, but I have always wondered about the terms and conditions of those kinds of promises. Is the lifetime guarantee for the duration of the life of the owner, of the product, or the manufacturer? What is the manufacturer goes out of business? What if I pass the item on to my children? Is the lifetime guarantee still valid? After all, in most of these lifetime guarantee situations, no on signs any paperwork agreeing to certain terms and conditions how am I supposed to claim against this guarantee even if I wanted to???
As Peter preached this message on that first Pentecost in Acts chapter 2, he gives a guarantee about God's promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was not just for the apostles or the early church, this promised gift was fully transferable, from generation to generation, it was valid in any country and included international roaming. God's promise was a lifetime guarantee valid for the lifetime of the one and only eternal God of all creation. That's a promise you can rely on - no disclaimers of fine print, escape clauses or loopholes. God has promised to live within you and all those who believe by the presence of His Holy Spirit - His gift to you as one of his dearly loved children.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit at work and alive in me. Help me to faithfully make use of the fully transferable nature of that gift by boldly sharing the hope and faith that you have placed within me with others. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle