His [John's] father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
TO PONDER
Yesterday we looked at the story of John the Baptist's ministry in the wilderness and along the banks of the Jordan river. Today's reading looks at the beginning of that story.
John might have been a man who heard God's voice and went about following God's instructions but his Father, Zechariah, had a bit more trouble. Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth, hand been barren and one day while Zechariah was serving in his role as priest in the temple, an angel appeared to tell him he had Elizabeth would have a baby that would proclaim the coming of God's Messiah.
You probably know the rest of the story, Zechariah had trouble believing the words of the angel and as a result he was made mute until the day that baby John was born. When the words of the angel finally came to pass and John was born, Zechariah was able to talk again and he sung the verse for today in praise to God.
Sometimes the words and promises of God can be hard to believe, even if they are spoken directly to us and delivered by an angel. This is because sometimes what God says is to good to be true, sometimes it is because it seems too outlandish or risky, sometimes it's hard to believe simply because it is not what everyone around us is saying. But one thing is for sure, the Word of God accomplishes exactly what he sends it for. We can choose to believe it or not, but how much better to have that Joy that Zechariah showed in todays verse, right at the beginning instead of having to wait for God to prove himself. It's one thing to hear the word of God but don't forget to believe it also!
PRAYER
God, help me to grow in my trust of your word and your promises. When they seem too good to be true remind me that you are the source of all good things. When every one around me is telling me something different, help me to know and listen to the voice of Jesus, the good Shepherd. Please help my voice to also be one that helps other to hear you calling to them. Amen
Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God’s salvation.
TO PONDER
There is something inspiring and impressive about those feats of engineering that produce massive structures like the Stockton bridge in Newcastle, the Harbour bridge and tunnel in Sydney, and the Sea Cliff bridge in the Illawarra. The effort, time and resources taken to build and maintain them is enormous but they make a way to travel from one location to another where there was no way before.
John the Baptist preached a message of repentance. Repentance is about 'turning around' or going a different way. In other words, turning you back on the way you have been taking and choosing a different path.
Bridges and tunnels often take you through difficult terrain. Repentance is not always easy and the path Jesus invites us to take is not always easy, but it does offer a smooth path through the difficult terrain of this life and the broken relationships, disappointments and heartaches it can bring.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, please help me to hear your voice calling me to repent and allow you to smooth the way for me in the rough parts of life. In Jesus name, Amen
And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
TO PONDER:
'Christians are a different breed of people!' It was the conversation I had with a person at a business luncheon, when he found out I was a Pastor. Unfortunately I'm not sure whether it was a compliment or slur, and we didn't have the opportunity to pursue the conversation as the speaker began talking at the podium. Christians are a different breed of people. That's true, for better or worse, hopefully better. There are new behaviours, new ways of speaking that accompany those who believe in Jesus Christ. There is a lifestyle change that goes along with confessing Jesus as Lord that should be evident to those who see us.
I wonder...are the signs in your life evidence of your faith in Jesus Christ? What would other's say about you? Would people remark that you are different from others they know? May you be a different breed of person because of who you know and what he has done for you today and every day.
PRAYER:
Lord, your Spirit at work in me makes me different. Help me celebrate that difference and use it to reveal your glory to the world. Amen.
This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
TO PONDER:
'In the dark' - it is a saying that we often use. A saying that has meaning on several levels. It can mean to be ignorant or not knowing about something. It can also mean to not be informed about something that would be good to know about. Nicodemus, is a knowledgeable man. He is a ruler of the Jews, maybe even a member of the Sanhedrin. His job was to teach the Jews about the things of God. Yet John tells us that Nicodemus is in the dark when it comes to Jesus - he comes to Jesus at night, in the dark. In John's Gospel, to be in the light is to know and believe. To be in darkness is to be in unbelief. So the picture we have is of a highly educated, highly knowledgeable, highly respectable, highly religious man who is open to new ideas but can't put it together when it comes to believing in God. He has seen the signs...the miracle of turning water into wine (John 2). He knows what the scriptures say, but he cannot put it together what he is hearing and seeing with what he knows. He can't read the signs that the person in front of him, Jesus Christ, is God himself.
I wonder...what are you in the dark about when it comes to Jesus? What do you struggle to believe, or to reconcile in your mind when it comes to your experience and what you have heard? Religion won't bridge the gap. Neither will education or knowledge. Only a personal encounter with the man Jesus, who is also truly God who loves the world so much that he can to save the world and invites us into a relationship with him can enable us to see clearly the signs for what they are, for who is at work behind them. May you see God at work around you today.
PRAYER:
Lord God, when I'm in the dark about things in my life or the world today, help me to see what you are doing and where you are moving, that I may walk confidently with hope. Amen.
Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. David said about him:“‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’
TO PONDER:
Her name was Karen...she has heard about Jesus at a rally the local churches put on in her High School. For years she had battled with anorexia and when she heard about Jesus, his love, his compassion and what he had done for her on the cross, there was a hope sparked within her that led her to receive the grace of God in her life. Our paths crossed briefly through a mutual friend and the following week when I was working on a car with my dad, mum came out and told me "Karen" is on the phone for you. It didn't immediately register that it was this Karen that I had briefly met...we really didn't have much of a conversation...but when I realised who it was I asked her how she got my number. Her response, "I just picked up the phone and dialled knowing that I would get you. There was something different about you and I just knew I could to talk to you." Wow.
The end result was that we met up later that afternoon and went for a walk along the beach. Ever since becoming a Christian, she had felt different. A load had been lifted. But her parents and brother were not so supportive. In fact, they pretty much told her that she was stupid for latching on to something that was make believe. They mocked her about it. She broke down in tears...."but I know he's real. I feel different inside now." And then she asked a question I will never forget...., 'Is the Holy Spirit that warm feeling you get when you become a Christian?' As a lifelong Christian, baptised at 4 weeks of age, I didn't know any different...I've always had the Spirit living in me, working in me...but it was like God slapping me in the face and giving me a wake up call..."Can't you see that you are different...you are my child." Karen had seen it...even if I couldn't see it...she saw the sign of the Spirit of Christ at work in me, something I had failed to recognise. Something I had become oblivious too. I wonder whether it is the same for you. Have you become so comfortable and content in your Christian walk, that you forget you are different. That you are a sign of hope in the world for others? That you are a light to which those who feel the darkness are drawn to? The Spirit at work in you, is a powerful sign of the work of God, the wonder of God who has revealed himself to us in Jesus.
Fast forward four months...It was Easter Sunday morning. I was sitting in Church with my family and Karen walks in, accompanied by her parents and brother. At the end of the service, when I spoke with her family, her dad said, "We gave Karen a hard time about becoming a Christian, something I am really ashamed of now. But the truth is, we couldn't deny the change that we saw in her life and we had to come to find out for ourselves, who it was that made such a difference in her life."
Does God still do mighty works today? Does God perform wonders and signs in our midst? You bet. I saw one that Easter morning. And the life and hope he brings is unmistakeable to see. You too, are a living miracle. You too, are a living sign of hope. Stand tall and let the Holy Spirit in you work through you to bring life to others today.
PRAYER:
Lord, help me recognise today that I am different because of what you have done in my life. Fill me with joy in your presence and help me celebrate that difference and be a sign of hope for others around me today. Draw to me those you want me to encourage, to strengthen or to share the promise of your life with today. Amen.
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
TO PONDER:
One of the wonderful things about the Advent season is seeing the signs that Christmas is coming...the radio is starting to play Christmas Carols, the trees and decorations are up in the shops, lights are starting to go in homes at night, advent wreaths are being lit in Church!. It's starting to look a lot like Christmas! As a kid, one of the things we would always like to do, was to shake/feel look at the presents that were placed under the tree. To start to wonder what was inside, to wonder who it might be for. There was a building anticipation.
God leaves us in no doubt as to what his gift to us will be. He will pour out, abundantly give himself to the world. He will pour out his Spirit on all people. He will give access to himself to sons, daughters, young and old, men and women. Before this gift, only certain people were given the gift of the Spirit, special access to God himself, and they were to mediate his blessing to the people. God promises...it will come to pass....that access to him by everyone will be possible. At the right time, it came to pass that God sent his Son, born of a virgin in a feed trough, poured out generously, lavishly for all the world that first Christmas. At the appointed time, Jesus fulfilled the will of his Father, and humbled himself even to the point of death on the cross to say it is finished...all now have access to the holy God through the death and resurrection of Jesus. At just the right time, God poured out his Spirit like rain on all people of all nations at Pentecost, giving hope, new life, new beginnings, new dreams, It has come to pass. It has happened. It means all of God's promises to all the people of the world regardless of gender, age, status, will happen...at the right time...because his unwrapped gift of the baby in a manger....his unwrapped gift of the Spirit that he pours out like rain....his unwrapped gift of himself to each one of us has changed the landscape of this world forever. There is hope. There is an opportunity to dream...to vision...to imagine...to be creative in sharing the gift of God himself with all.
So as you start wrapping presents and putting them under the tree to surprise those that you love, maybe you could pray a prayer over each present...that as they unwrap and discover the gift that is hidden by the wrapping, that they would also discover the gift of love which is God himself, given for all.
PRAYER:
Lord God, thank you for telling us exactly what your gift to us will be....the gift of yourself. Help me to savour that gift, to use the access that I have to you in every moment, every difficulty or opportunity; to so live today in your presence that it is a sign of hope to the world, that your promises always come true. Amen.
Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
TO PONDER:
"Turn over, you starting to snore already." How many times have I heard my wife tell me that. The problem is...I didn't even know I was asleep! But that's the thing about sleeping, you actually don't know you have been asleep until you wake up! Perhaps Jesus is saying to us today, 'stay awake' because the routine and ordinariness of everyday life is rocking us to sleep and we are not even aware of it. We have a rhythm to our lives but it has actually become a rut. Life is on autopilot, the same day after day, a going through the motions....and well, you are falling asleep spiritually and you don't even know it!
The question to ponder today is: Am I awake to the life of Christ within me and around me or am I snoring my way through life?
Advent is a season that interrupts our patterns and calls us to to get ready for the coming of Jesus. But more than that, it's living, sharing, growing in the future that we know Jesus offers and has made possible through his birth, through his death, through his resurrection and ascension. It's being awake to his presence in our lives. It living energised. It's dreaming, imagining, working to bring the colour of life to lives that have become dull and grey and which are lacking hope. It's being alert to the fact that in this hour, or the next, or in three hours time or in 24 hours, God may show up and surprise us in a way that makes us smile, gives us hope, fills us with wonder, and embraces us with love. Jesus wants us to be ready for that, to experience that. So don't hit the snooze button, wake up, get out of bed and starting looking for the surprises that God has left you to find and deliver today.
PRAYER:
Good morning, Lord...I'm awake and ready to be surprised by you today. Amen
How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.
TO PONDER:
The recent Medibank hacking and releasing of private information about people's personal lives on the web has left many people distraught. When Medibank wouldn't pay the ransom demanded, the hackers just turned up the volume to make sure that the company knew they were serious about their demands and increased the sensitivity of information released. Think of Daniel chapter 4 in the same vein. It's like reading King Nebuchadnezzar's personal diary that details the King's most humiliating experience and hidden secrets of his life. It also shows the lengths to which God will sometimes go to get our attention, and how he sometimes turns up the volume in our life until he gets our undivided attention.
To summarise chapter 4, the King is walking on the roof of the Royal Palace surveying his empire. He had every reason to feel secure, safe and satisfied with what he had achieved. There was not a person on earth who could challenge him. But that night he had a strange dream - an important tree was cut down and that tree turned into a person and then became an animal. In other words, this person would go crazy and lose their mind completely. Daniel 3:22 tells us that Daniel reveals to Nebuchadnezzar that he is that person who will lose his mind for seven years. The King is given 12 months to change his ways, to stop thinking he is God and taking credit for what God has done. But because the King won't listen, God turns up the volume and starts shaking the tree of his world to get his attention. The whole chapter shares the story and the humiliating experience that King Neb had to go through. But it also reveals the grace of God that can change a person't life when we acknowledge the God whose kingdom is above all and endures forever.
So today, spend some time reflecting on your life as we begin this Advent season. Where is God turning up the volume in your life to get your attention? What trials are you experiencing? What uncertainty or difficulty in your life at the current time could be God's way of getting you to listen to him, to acknowledge that he is God in your life? Where is God shaking your tree? Where have you run ahead of God and taken credit for what he has done, what he has provided in your life? They are not easy questions; they can be painful to acknowledge and be honest about. But God's purposes always are to bring you home to his presence where you let God be God in your life. That's where praise begins...that's where hope abounds and where peace is experienced. My prayer is that you experience that today in your life.
PRAYER:
Almighty God, help me recognise when you are speaking to me in your life, and give me ears to hear as painful as it sometimes is, for Lord, I know that you alone are God. Help me live today for your glory. Amen.
“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
TO PONDER:
It was my first time driving a left-hand drive vehicle. I came to the main road, looked to my right, then the left and there was not a car on the road. I took off over the three-lane road, turned right and headed down the road. I came up over a rise to suddenly see three lanes of oncoming cars bearing down on me. It was the fastest 180 degrees turn I have ever done and an experience that left me shaking.
Life is like that sometimes. World events, earthquakes, bushfires, floods, acts of terrorism and war can come over the rise and shake our very foundations. Personal or family tragedies, untimely retrenchments, or an unwelcome health diagnosis can feel like three lanes of traffic bearing down on us, causing our lives to go into a fearful spin.
When the oncoming traffic of this world and our lives looks ominous and we begin to grow afraid, Jesus tells us to lift up our heads and to see them as signs that he is coming again soon. We can live with hope and courage, confident that his ‘words will never pass away’, for the resurrected Christ has already written the end of our story for eternity.
What oncoming traffic in your life is causing you to be afraid or to live afraid?
PRAYER:
Lord of all hope, help me to lift up my eyes and journey this Advent with confidence, knowing that you are coming soon. Amen.