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Adventus Daily Devotional

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Daily devotional for the Christmas season.

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Adventus Daily Devotional The Adventus Daily Devotional is designed to take the reader on a spiritual journey toward a deeper understanding of the arrival of Christ. Monday through Friday of each week leading up to Christmas day, this devotional will take us from Creation to the birth of Christ. We will focus on a different element of the Advent each week: Week 1 “The Problem” Nov. 28 – Dec. 2 Week 2 “The Promise” Dec. 5 – 9 Week 3 “The Plan” Dec. 12 - 16 Week 4 “The Provision” Dec. 19 - 23 Encourage your family and friends to take this journey with you and try spending time discussing what God is teaching you or showing you through these daily devotionals. Our prayer is that we will all focus on Jesus as the true reason we celebrate Christmas and this great season. Chris Swain Life Formation Pastor SouthCrest Church

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ADVENTUS

WEEK 1: THE PROBLEM

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Monday – Week 1 November 28

It Starts with God

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God… It all starts with God. As we begin this devotional, we must first stop and recognize what it is all about. Rather, whom it is all about: God. This journey will take us many places and allow us to see through the eyes and hearts of many different people, but make no mistake. It is about God. This is His story. His Advent. Adventus is Latin for the word Advent, which means “coming into place, arrival, or approach”. More specifically for us, it means the coming of Jesus Christ, the arrival of God in human form on the earth. It’s easy, this time of year, to focus on so many things: gifts, finances, family get-togethers, travel, productions, and food. What if we committed to making this season about Jesus? What if we started with focusing on God and allowed everything else to fall in line after Him? Perhaps some of the other things might even fall completely off our radar. And maybe that’s a good thing. After all, Christmas is really about Jesus. Oh, we say it, we sing it, wear the shirt, and have the bumper sticker. We all know that Christmas is about Jesus. But what if we lived it? What if we stopped Christmas as usual and lifted Jesus high for the next few weeks? What if we let Him make a difference in our lives and let Him use us to make a difference in the lives of others? We celebrate the birth of our savior on Christmas day, but let’s not wait until then to make Him the focus. As we embark on this journey, let’s start with Jesus. Read: Genesis Chapter 1 Pray and Reflect: Reflect on the different ways you have observed the Christmas holiday over the years. Pray and ask God to strengthen you and your family’s focus on Jesus this Christmas.

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Tuesday – Week 1 November 29

God Pursues Genesis 3:9

“And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?"”

Genesis 3:8-9 “Where are you?” This is an interesting question for God to ask. God knows all things, so He definitely knew where Adam and Eve were hiding. So why ask? Think about the story from Adam and Eve’s perspective. They have chosen to disobey God. This is a first. The first act of disobedience mankind has ever committed. They have hidden themselves from Him and they were afraid of God. They were afraid of the consequences for their disobedience. But the question, “Where are you?” is interesting because even though God knew the answer, He was making Adam and Eve really look at where they were. Not just the spot in the trees in which they hid, but their whole predicament. They were out of God’s will. They were on the run from their Creator. They were hiding and they knew they had done wrong. In that moment, God pursued them. He went looking for them. He didn’t wait until they came groveling before Him. God looked for them. God still pursues us, sinners, today. No matter where you and I may try to hide, God pursues us. He loves us; He wants a relationship with us. Just like Adam and Eve, God wants us to understand our own predicament; that without Him we are lost and hopeless. We will still face consequences for our actions in life, but ultimately, a loving Creator God pursues us and offers us forgiveness and hope.

Read: Genesis Chapter 3 Pray and Reflect: How has God pursued you? Think of who God is in your life now and how He has come after you at different times in your life. How have you responded to God pursuing you?

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Wednesday – Week 1 November 30

The Wrath of God

Genesis 6 On May 2, 2011, terrorist Osama bin Laden was shot and killed by a team of Navy SEALS and CIA operatives. Perhaps you remember the response as Americans filled the streets and cheered the death of this man and an end to a decade-long search. I remember feeling satisfaction myself that bin Laden was dead. I felt like it was an appropriate fate for such a heinous leader who was responsible for the death of so many innocent people around the world. I felt like it was a just resolution. And this begs the question: is there justice in the pouring out of wrath? If so, who is to decide what is just and what is unjust? Many would argue that the shooting of bin Laden was a “fair” response, and with good reason. But what determines the “fairness” of wrath? When we look at the Bible, we see God pour out His wrath on several occasions. The worldwide flood in Genesis Chapter 6 is one example. We see that God decided to pour His wrath out on man, who had turned to wickedness and abandoned God. Some might say it was not “fair”. But should mankind – the creation – judge the actions of God – the creator? We must understand that God defines right and wrong, not man. God’s “righteousness” is holy, just as God Himself is holy. Therefore, any definition of morality, justice, or “fairness” must be based upon God. Man has simply turned it upside down and demanded that God abide by our definition of these things. So when God pours out His wrath, or judgment, upon His creation, it is always merited. It is always “fair”. And, as we observe in Genesis Chapter 6, God demonstrates His wrath as only He can: a worldwide flood that will literally wash the earth clean of mankind and his wickedness. We must determine to look at God’s wrath through the lens of His word and the fact that He defines morality for us, not vice versa.

Read: Genesis Chapter 6 Pray and Reflect: How have you struggled with God’s wrath on a personal level? Maybe you have seen God’s judgment in the life of a friend. We must be careful not to allow our circumstances, even if they are difficult, to be twisted by the enemy into something that causes us to see God as anything other than righteous, holy, and pure. Pray that God will give you eyes to see from His perspective in all things.

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Thursday – Week 1 December 1

A Way Out Genesis 8

Genesis Chapter 8 begins with an awesome message: “But God remembered Noah….” Wow! The God of the universe sends a flood to cover the earth and in the midst of this He finds favor with one man, Noah. And for Noah, God provides a way out. Imagine spending a year on an Ark as the world around you is flooded and washed away. Waiting for the rain to stop. Waiting for the floodwaters to subside, just you and your family (and some animals), adrift and unsure of your fate. This probably put the concept of “Cabin fever” to the ultimate test! But when the Ark once again tasted land and Noah and his family stepped out, they could testify to the fact that God provided a way out. No matter the size of the storm, God can provide a way out. God still provides a way out for us today. Understanding this basic principle about God is very important. As we have already observed this week, God created, pursued, and poured out His wrath on man. But in the midst of it all, He has found it important to extend grace. How we view God and His heart for us is vitally important to our relationship with Him. The God of the Bible is not a distant figure that turns a cold heart toward His creation, but a loving God who is interested in us and gives us a way out. In life, we all face challenges and we may even feel we are in the midst of a personal flood, of sorts. Know that in those times when all seems lost, when we are in the valley looking up – God remembers us. He is there and He is the way out.

Read: Genesis Chapter 8 Pray and Reflect: How has God provided a way out for you? Are there difficult times that you have gone through that seemed endless at the time? Are you in that moment now? Know that God not only provides the way out – He is the way out. Reflect and pray about this aspect of God.

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Friday – Week 1 December 2

Lead by God

Exodus 14 There was quite a bit of time between Adam and Moses. More than a couple thousand years separated them, yet we find God still reaching out to His people and leading them to salvation. Moses was the deliverer of the Hebrew people from the tyranny of the Egyptians, specifically Pharaoh. God used Moses to lead the people out of bondage. They followed God’s man across a parted sea into the wilderness. And there they wandered for many years. God continued to lead and they continued to follow, because He promised to deliver them to a special place He had prepared for them. As we saw yesterday, God provides a way out but He doesn’t stop there. He walks with us toward the destination. God doesn’t check off a box and say, “Ok, I’ve saved you, now get along.” He walks with us and wants to continue to walk with us on our journey of life. Every single day we have to make the decision to follow Him or follow something else. And daily, millions make the decisions to follow wealth, fame, self, and other earthly aspirations. God wants to lead us every day. He wants to be the focus of our lives. If we are going to truly experience life as it was meant to be experienced, then we must follow Him. As we wrap up week one of Adventus, we are left with a big problem. Man has chosen to disobey God. Because man has sinned, there is a separation between Him and us. That’s the bad news. The good news is coming, though. In a most unconventional way, we will see over the next few weeks a God that continues to pursue us, provide a way out, and lead us to a deeper life that we were meant to live all along. Read: Exodus Chapter 14 Pray and Reflect: The scripture this week tells one of the most iconic stories of the Bible: the parting of the Red Sea, a miracle that delivered the people from bondage. This miraculous move of God echoes forward to the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. Just as God provided a way out for the Hebrews, Adventus is really about the arrival of Jesus, our ultimate “way out”. Pray that God will continue to focus your heart on Christ through this season.

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ADVENTUS

WEEK 2: THE PROMISE

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Monday – Week 2 December 5

A Promise Isaiah 9:6

We aren’t very good at keeping our promises. Perhaps someone has broken a promise to you. Maybe, like me, you have broken a promise to someone else. It’s never easy when you have to deal with the fallout of broken promises. It’s also hard to believe that there is someone who has never broken His promises. Ever. But God, unlike us, has always delivered on His promises. And, at a time in history when all seemed lost in terms of the spiritual climate, when man had turned his back on God – He gave a promise. Perhaps the greatest promise in history, the promise of a messiah. 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, a prophet named Isaiah told of His birth. That’s pretty amazing in and of itself, but factor in that it had been about 700 years since the parting of the Red Sea. That means this promise from God had been a long time coming in terms of God’s people. A lot had happened and lot more would happen before the arrival of the Messiah. And the promise didn’t come with a timetable. If anyone was listening to Isaiah at the time – and most were not – they might have thought the child was going to be born in their lifetime. As hundreds of years passed, likely people’s hope began to fade. It’s our nature, unfortunately, and yet God promised…and the one thing we can be sure of is that God delivers on His promises. It might not be the timetable we expect or want, but God delivers. It might not be the answer we had hoped for, but God always delivers on his promises. We see it over and over again in the Word and in our lives. Just ask anyone who has been a believer for any length of time. God does not break His promises. Read: Isaiah 9:6 Pray and Reflect: Are there some promises from the scripture that God has fulfilled in your life? Are there some things you are holding onto God’s promises for right now? Pray and thank God for delivering on His promises. Ask Him to continue growing you spiritually if you are waiting on His promises now.

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Tuesday – Week 2 December 6

Wonderful Counselor

Isaiah 9:6 Have you ever had a friend you could confide in? Someone you could tell anything and everything? Someone who could help you and walk with you through your struggles? That’s what a wonderful counselor is. Knowing that this was an aspect of the promised messiah to come had to encourage the people of God. But it was also strange. Up until Isaiah prophesied about the promise of a messiah, God’s people dealt with God from a bit of a distance. Only the high Priest could enter into the “Holy of Holies”. Personal communion with God was a rarity experienced by the few. Because of our sin we had separated ourselves from our Creator. But here Isaiah says a child will be born and he will be a Wonderful Counselor! Not only would our savior come to earth, He wanted to have a personal relationship with us! This was a major shake up of the status quo. It probably didn’t make the priests too happy either. There were probably some who whined and complained about this promise. Sadly, most just wrote it off and ignored it. Know that God is our Wonderful Counselor still today! Through His Holy Spirit, God is our Wonderful Counselor and He is available at all times ready for you and I to embrace Him and trust Him with all of our problems, flaws, and issues. Be thankful today that we do not have a God who is unapproachable, but we have a God who wants to walk with us through every area of our life. Read: 1 John 5:13-15 Pray and Reflect: After reading 1 John, think about all of the things you have asked God in your prayer life. Are there some promises from the scripture that God has fulfilled in your life? Are there some things you are holding onto God’s promises for right now? Pray and thank God for delivering on His promises. Ask Him to continue growing you spiritually if you are waiting on His promises now.

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Wednesday – Week 2 December 7

Mighty God

Isaiah 9:6 Think about the word ‘mighty’ for a moment. More than likely you attribute the word to strength or power. And that is correct – God is strong and powerful, all-powerful to be exact. But ‘mighty’ means a lot more than that: vast, enormous, expansive, impressive, monumental, immense, and titanic. But this definition of mighty is a bit different. The word ‘mighty’ in Isaiah 9:6, in the original language, is gibbor. Gibbor is most often used to describe a warrior or fighting man. When Isaiah promised a child would be born and one of his names would be Mighty God, he was speaking to the aspect of our God a mighty warrior or special guard. Picture the most elite trained soldier you can imagine. Maybe from a movie or something you’ve read, maybe even someone you know. Whether it’s the fictional Jason Bourne, MMA fighter Chuck Liddell, or a Navy SEAL, picture them a moment. And then imagine that they were your personal bodyguard. When trouble shows up, they are there to take care of the battle. As awesome as it would be to have a warrior trained and ready to fight your battles, it is even more awesome to know that the God of the universe is on your side! The great news is that God is a lot more ‘mighty’ than any one of the hypothetical warriors we could imagine. He is on our side, and He does fight our battles! To understand this aspect of God is to experience the freedom of running to Him in times of need. Read: Jeremiah 20:7-13 Pray and Reflect: Jeremiah the Prophet was having a difficult time when he referred to God as “a mighty warrior”. He knew that even in the midst of his struggle god would deliver him. How do you need to personalize this aspect of who God is in your life? What areas of your life do you need to surrender to the Mighty Warrior, our God? Pray and ask God to reveal these things to you and remind you that He is there, ready to fight your battles.

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Thursday – Week 2 December 8

Everlasting Father

Isaiah 9:6 The way you think about your earthly father has a great deal of impact on how you think about your heavenly father, God. This has been proven in psychological testing and over years of research. The problem is, our earthly father is not perfect. For those of us who had an angry father or even an abusive father, it may be a struggle to see God as loving and gracious. For those who never had the presence of a father at home, the idea of a relationship with our heavenly father could be even more difficult. Looking at our heavenly father through the lens of our earthly father will never allow us to see God as He truly is. We must strive to understand God, the Father, as the Bible defines Him and not as our personal experiences do. Although our experiences with God will ultimately grow us into a deeper relationship with Him, it is the Word that is the foundation for truly knowing our God. And the Word says He is an Everlasting Father. At a time when marriages do not last and men prioritize their jobs over their families, this is a very encouraging truth about God! He is in it for the long haul! God is a Father who will be there for His children. He does not abandon or walk out on us. With assurance that God is our Everlasting Father, we can depend on God and on him being there for us. Although we may struggle at times to hear His voice, we can trust the Word that He is a Father who loves us and wants to be present in our lives. Read: John 10:27-29 Pray and Reflect: If you had one present, what was your relationship like with your earthly father? Do you think this has impacted the way you relate to your heavenly Father? Is there anything you need to address because if this? Knowing that God is our Everlasting Father is a powerful way to find comfort in our relationship with God. It is very important that we allow Bible to define who He is and not our own experiences. Pray and ask God to help you remove any lens you that might skew the way you see God and help you to see Him as He really is.

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Friday – Week 2 December 9

Prince of Peace

Isaiah 9:6 What a powerful way to end the “Promise Week” of Adventus, to reflect on the name of God that represents peace. We know that “Peace on earth, good will toward men” is a saying that goes with Christmas. It finds its roots in the coming of Christ and the truth that, His arrival gives us hope and the prospect of peace. When Isaiah prophesied about the coming messiah, war raged among the nations. We live in a similar time of war even now. Nations and ideological groups fight daily around the globe. With the events of 9/11 2001, we live in a heightened state of alert. In the midst of the turmoil that our world faces daily from the war, we have this promise from Isaiah, the same promise delivered to the people of his day: the messiah will be a Prince of Peace. No matter the circumstances, no matter the struggles, Jesus can bring peace in the midst of storm. It’s not just something He can do, it is a defined name and aspect of who He is: Prince of Peace. Regardless of what you are facing, Jesus is the calm in the midst of your storm as well. His very presence in the storm with you is what makes the difference. Peace isn’t the absence of the storm, but knowing that Jesus is there with you in the midst of the storm. Throughout scripture God brings peace to His people. Whether it is on a boat in a raging sea, or to His warrior rushing toward the Giant on the field of battle. He is the Prince of Peace and we can rest in Him and have that peace in our daily life. Read: Mark 4:35-40 Pray and Reflect: As week two of Adventus comes to an end, reflect on each of the names of God as presented in the promise from Isaiah. Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Pray and ask God to reveal each of these aspects of who He is to you as you pursue a deeper relationship with Him over the advent season. If you have a spouse or children, pray that God would show Himself to each of them in these ways as well.

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ADVENTUS

WEEK 3: THE PLAN

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Monday – Week 3 December 12

Ordinary People

Luke 1:28-29 God’s plan always involves normal people like you and me. It had been 700 years sense Isaiah had given the Lord’s promise of a messiah. Most probably thought a ruler would come and establish an earthly kingdom. That this messiah would rise up against the rulers of the day and make the Israelites something like the Romans in size and scope. They probably thought the messiah would be born into power and privilege, using it to leverage the change he would bring. But that wasn’t God’s plan. Instead, He sent an angel to a teenage girl engaged to be married. He told her she was favored and that the Lord was with her. And just like you and I she was thinking, “what’s the catch?” Nothing good happens without a catch, right? Look at her response to the angel: “But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.” Think about it. God’s angel appears to you and says God has found favor with you! Then he says: The Lord is with you. Again, nothing bad here but Mary has to be thinking, just like you and I would have, ok what’s the punch line? This is an extremely authentic response here. An honest heart, who understands God, and knows that something is up or His angel wouldn’t be dropping by for a chat. Think about the many ways God has answered your prayers over the years. Think of how He has worked in your life. More than likely it wasn’t what you expected. You’re probably thankful for a few “unanswered” prayers in which you asked God for something and you didn’t get it and later you thanked Him realizing He had something better for you. When God works in our lives He has a plan – we can know this because of Jeremiah 29:11 – but that plan is not always what we would guess. It isn’t wrong to respond like Mary did, being greatly troubled. The key is to continue to respond in humility and obedience regardless, knowing and trusting that God has our best in mind. Read: Luke 1:28-29 and Jeremiah 29:11 Pray and Reflect: As we begin week three of Adventus, let’s start by being thankful God uses people like you and me to accomplish His will. Mary is a prime example of what God can do with the ordinary. Reflect on the fact that God has a plan for your life and a desire to see you glorify Him in all that you do. Spend time praying and thanking God for answered and “unanswered” prayer in your own life.

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Tuesday – Week 3 December 13

Favor

Luke 1:30-33 “Don’t be afraid.” These are words you have probably heard before. Typically, they are followed by words of encouragement or reasons why you shouldn’t fear whatever it is you are afraid of. As we continue to look at God’s plan to redeem the world by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, we come across these words. Mary, engaged teenager, has just been told that God favors her and that the Lord is with her. Her immediate response was to be fearful. She wondered why the angel was telling her this. She was waiting for the catch and it was a doozy: “You will give birth to the Son of God.” Mary probably thought, “Wait a minute; didn’t you just say to not be afraid?” We can all sympathize with this teenage girl. She is a virgin and yet she will be pregnant. She is engaged and this will obviously not look good. What will her fiancé think? What will their families think? And, seriously, the Son of God! This news was probably not the calming information she needed when the angel said don’t be afraid. So why say it? The answer is right there in the angel’s first response, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” God’s favor changes things. Mary’s fear of all the earthly consequences of the situation she was in is certainly merited. But with the favor of God, she does not have to worry. Mary can proceed with the certainty that she is in God’s will and He will work things out for her. It still won’t be easy. There will be problems along the way in the form of people and circumstances. A situation that seems bleak and somewhat hopeless can transform into the greatest thing that ever happened to you. With God’s favor. When we walk with the favor of God we can be assured that we do not have to be afraid. He is with us, even in the scary circumstances and the rough relationships. Read: Luke 1:30-33 Pray and Reflect: Think about the favor of God. Have there been times in your life when you felt you had the favor of God? We know that by grace God calls us and saves us and has a relationship with us. Seeking God’s favor isn’t about living a perfect life; it is about making His focus our focus. Pray that God will help you make his priorities your priorities this Christmas season.

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Wednesday – Week 3 December 14

Impossible Luke 1:37

When is the last time you used the word impossible? Perhaps it was in reference to an underdog sports team winning a game they weren’t supposed to. Maybe it was about the reconciliation of a relationship that had been broken is now repaired. Maybe it was referring to a devastating financial problem. Maybe it was connected to the word cancer. There are many things in life that cause us to think about impossibilities. Every impossibility, without exception, is about perspective. My son is 4 years old. He does a great job making his room messy. When the time comes to clean up his extremely messy room, he looks out over the mess and thinks: impossible. If I get down on one knee so that I am his height and see things from his perspective, I can understand where he is coming from. There is a lot to pick up, put away, and clean. The difference is that I know it can be done. I’ve done it many times before. What seems impossible from his perspective is easily done from mine. God looks at impossibilities the same way with us. When we look out over the mess that we may find our lives in, and say impossible. God says, “I can do it.” Can we really look up at God, creator of universe, and say, “this is impossible?” With God, nothing is impossible. He is God, after all. He can heal that relationship. He can heal that disease. And He can take a teenage virgin and bring His Son to the earth. When we are struggling in the mire of impossibility God says: I can do it. We must determine to see life from God’s perspective and our God is a God of possibility. Read: Luke 1:37 and Matthew 19:26 Pray and Reflect: Has God ever done the impossible in your life? Are you struggling right now in an area in which things look impossible? Reflect on the words of Matthew 19:26. Pray that God will give you the ability to trust in Him regardless of your situation.

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Thursday – Week 3 December 15

Community Luke 1:39-45

Community is an interesting concept. God Himself exists in community: Father, Spirit, Son. Jesus developed and built community as He walked with the disciples. God’s master plan to reach the world revolves around community, as we are to go and make disciples – just as Jesus did. There can be no doubt that community is a key part of God’s plan and activity. As we continue to look at the coming of Jesus Christ to live among us, and the plan God has to redeem the world, we observe community. Mary had been told she would miraculously deliver the messiah. She was then told that her relative, Elizabeth, would do the same – even in her old age. Another miracle. When Mary showed up to see Elizabeth, God spoke through her to confirm to Mary that she would give birth to the Lord. Even here, with this most important event of the birth of Christ, He worked through community. God works among us in community. God wants us to be involved in community with other believers, sharing what He is doing, helping one another, encouraging one another, challenging one another. Community is key. The Church is a community and one that God cares for greatly, referring to it as His Bride. Small groups are community and provide a way for us to walk together, grow spiritually, and experience life together. Jesus set the example for small groups with His own small group of disciples. This is a perfect time of the year to be reminded that we are called to community, to meet together with other believers and worship our King. Just as Mary and Elizabeth encouraged one another and focused on Jesus, we are to do the same. Read: Luke 1:39-45 and Hebrews 10:23-25 Pray and Reflect: Reflect on what real community is according to the Word. What is your current involvement with Church and a small group? How could you be stretched in this area of your life? Pray and ask God to clarify what community looks like for you. Ask God to strengthen your spiritual community so that you may grow in your faith and help others to grow in theirs.

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Friday – Week 3 December 16

Responding to God

Luke 1:46-56 Mary, an ordinary teenager, has just been told she will be the vessel through which God will send His Son to the earth. She will play a key role in God’s eternal masterpiece. How does she respond to this? How would you respond? What is the proper response to God when He reveals His truth to us? Whether it is an answer to prayer or the revelation of what we need to be doing. Even if it just that very next small step we are to take, how should we respond to Him? This is a very important question because our response to God truly reveals how we see Him and what our relationship with Him really looks like. Depending on what God is telling us, we can respond in anger, frustration, unbelief, disappointment, or sadness. On the positive side we can respond with joy, humility, obedience, and confidence. However we respond, it is a measure of our spiritual maturity. As we grow more and more like Jesus we will learn to respond properly to His move in our lives. We can see that Mary’s response to God’s amazing news for her shines a light on why He chose her in the first place. Although an ordinary teenager, she had an extraordinary desire to humble herself before God and lift His name high. In Luke 1:46-46 we read her response. It is known as the Magnificat and it is a beautiful song revealing Mary’s heart for God. It starts by thanking god and then telling why she is thankful. It focuses on her humility and His great glory. If only we all could respond in such an appropriate way to our Savior. As we end week 3 of our daily devotional, let’s be reminded of the God we worship and our appropriate response to God: Humility, thanksgiving, rejoicing, and confidence in Him alone. Read: Luke 1:46-56 Pray and Reflect: As we communicate with God we should always come with a humble and reverent heart. Reflect on all that God has done in your life and respond in prayer to Him. Be reminded of who you where without Him and who you are now in Christ. Thank Him and pray that this Christmas will be a reminder to all of His majesty.

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ADVENTUS

WEEK 4: THE PROVISION

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Monday – Week 4 December 19

A Surprising “How”

Luke 2:1-7 According to the Old Testament book of Micah Chapter 5, verse 2, the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. The problem was that Joseph and Mary were in Nazareth, which was in Galilee. Caesar called for a census and it required Joseph and Mary to go to the prophesied town of Bethlehem. God brings about His will in various ways, no matter how surprising the method. After arriving in Bethlehem, there was some trouble securing a place to stay. Imagine a college town on the weekend of the big game, homecoming. Hotels are all booked. This is similar to the situation Joseph and Mary walked into. Bethlehem was packed out from all of the people coming to register for the census. On top of the lack of room problem, Mary was ready to give birth! Imagine Joseph for a moment, his wife is about to give birth and there is no place to stay. When they got the offer of a stable, they were probably ecstatic because at least they had something. And then Mary delivered the Son of God, Jesus Christ, in a barn. She wrapped him and placed Him in a feeding trough, probably the best place available at the time. When you think of God, Creator, Master, all-mighty ruler of the Universe sending His son to the earth, perhaps a feeding trough in a barn isn’t your first thought. But as God has proven time and time again, His ways are not our ways. God does things His way and ultimately that is the perfect way because God, not us, defines perfection. What looks like a raw deal from our perspective, is exactly as it should be from God’s perspective. Rather than question why or how God chooses to work, we ought to focus on what He is trying to accomplish with His work: the glory of God. When we are about His glory we don’t have to worry about His method or means. Whether it makes sense to us is irrelevant. God chose to use a manger in a barn in an obscure village in Judea to host the greatest miracle in the history of the world. And our God is still at work today performing miracles in ways that we would never think of. Read: Luke 2:1-7 Pray and Reflect: Reflect on the fact that God works in ways that do not always make sense to us. Perhaps you have seen Him at work in your life in a strange way. Spend time praying that God will show you where He is at work so that you can join Him there.

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Tuesday – Week 4 December 20

Just a Baby

Luke 2:7 It says a great deal about God that He allowed His Son to come to us in the form of a baby. Babies are pretty helpless and very dependent on those around them. I can only imagine the spiritual warfare that Joseph and Mary went through as they raised this child who was and is God. But what does it really teach us about the character of God? It shows us His sovereignty. Sovereignty is complete power that is independent in action. In other words, God is not bound by our will but He is independent and all-powerful. God demonstrates this in allowing Jesus to live as an infant in a broken and sinful world. He is in control of all things and nothing is out of His control. When we truly understand this about God, we learn to trust Him more. But Jesus didn’t just come to us as an infant to underline God’s sovereignty; He also came to walk among. To live as we did, to be able to empathize with His creation. Hebrews 4:15 reminds us that our God is a God who can empathize with our weakness and has been tempted as we have been tempted. It is this very aspect of God that helps us foster a deep relationship with our Savior. He gets us! These two key elements of God are revealed through the birth of Christ: sovereignty and empathy. And it is through these two that we really see how awesome the God we serve is! To know that He is in control of all things and that He has literally walked in our shoes! No matter where you are in your walk with Jesus, reflect on these two aspects of who God is and allow them to strengthen your faith and deepen your trust in Him. Read: Isaiah 46:9-11, Hebrews 4:15 Pray and Reflect: Reflect on the fact that God is in control of your situation and that He empathizes with you. Let these two facets of God strengthen your trust in Him. Pray that God will help grow your trust and reliance in Him for all things. Pray that He will increase your desire to help others by increasing your empathy towards them.

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Wednesday – Week 4 December 21

Kings and Shepherds

Luke 2:8-16, Matthew 2:1-3 On the night of Christ’s birth, shepherds stood, in the cold of night, tending to their flocks. Shepherding wasn’t easy work and these men were probably fighting off sleep when an angel appeared and announced the birth of the Messiah. God’s glory shown around them and they were terrified. The angel told them they didn’t need to be afraid and that child had been born. Their immediate response was to seek him out. They wanted to see the Messiah. A good while later, wise men had come from Persia to visit the Messiah. These Magi, through interaction with Jews in Babylon, were probably familiar with the prophecy of Balaam in Numbers 24:17: “A star will come out of Jacob, and a scepter will rise out of Israel”. As a result they responded to the star rising and came to see the Messiah for themselves. This was upsetting to King Herod who saw the birth of the King of the Jews as a major threat. It was also a threat to the corrupt religious and political leadership. They were troubled with the Messiah. Kings and shepherds responded differently to the coming of the Lord. One group sought Him out with excitement and anticipation. One group worried about what it would mean for their own power and prestige. How do you respond to Jesus today? We are faced with the same option as the Kings and shepherds, excitement and anticipation or concern. Because Jesus has come to rule and reign in our lives and unseat us from the throne of self. We can, like the shepherds, run to Him in anticipation of what He wants to do or, like King Herod; we can be troubled by what it might mean to turn control over to Him. The shepherds and Kings remind us of the decision we must make everyday. Seek Jesus and let Him reign in us, or run from Him in fear of the change He wants to make. We must determine each day to turn over the throne of our life to Jesus. Read: Luke 2:8-16 and Matthew 2:1-3 Pray and Reflect: Reflect on where you are with Jesus today. Pray that God will help you be like the shepherds, eagerly anticipating the presence of Jesus in your life.

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Thursday – Week 4 December 22

The Glory of the Lord

Luke 2:13-14 Luke 2:13-14 records and awesome moment around the birth of Jesus Christ. An angel appears to some shepherds and tells them of the coming of the Messiah. Once the message has been delivered, a multitude of heavenly host – thousands of angels - appear and praise God saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” Picture the shepherds and their flocks in the middle of the night standing on that hill, surrounded by thousands of angels proclaiming the glory of God! What an amazing moment in history, a little slice of Heaven on earth. The truth is that this type of activity, praising God and giving Him glory, is what we were born for! It’s what we were meant to do. It is the only thing that satisfies us and that is exactly how God made us. The problem comes when we focus that praise and worship on something other than Jesus Christ. Because we were made to worship, we will worship. Whether it’s money, possessions, or self. We will find something to worship. God’s desire is that we worship Him, that we make Him the focus of our praise and adoration. We were created to give God glory. Whether thousands of angels are surrounding us, singing along or not, we were meant to lift up the name of Jesus Christ. When we proclaim His majesty, we will experience our purpose and fulfill our deepest desire. Christmas is just a few days away. Spend them praising the name of Jesus. Don’t let the fast pace of the next few days take away from what is most important: glorifying God. Read: Luke 2:13-14 Pray and Reflect: Reflect on the words of Luke 2:14. Ask God to give you a passion to worship in and praise His name over the next few days more than ever before. Pray Luke 2:14 to God and allow Him to use this scripture to deepen your heart towards Him.

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Friday – Week 4 December 23

Treasure These Things

Luke 2:19 After the immediate events of the birth of Christ, Mary took it all in: The manger, the stable, and the shepherds coming to see her newborn child, the fulfillment of a promise from Not to mention the fact that the Son of God lay sleeping in a feeding trough beside her. The Bible records Mary doing something very important in this moment. Something we all need to do more of, especially during the Christmas season. Luke chapter two, verse nineteen says, “But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” What an interesting term, “treasure up”. Think about it for a minute, Mary isn’t just taking it all in, she is counting it as something worth a great deal – as treasure. And she is stopping long enough to ponder all that has taken place over the last year of her life. As Mary stares at her newborn baby, she can’t help but realize what has happened. And it is moments like these that we should all “treasure up” in our lives. As we gather with family and friends this Christmas, one of the best things we can do is to slow down, pause long enough to ‘treasure up’ the moments. We started this daily devotional with the same message: slow down and experience Christmas. Let your focus fall on Jesus Christ more and on gifts, decorations, and food, less. I hope that you have experienced some great moments this past month as a result of Adventus. Now I urge you to ‘treasure up’ all that has taken place. Give glory to God and rejoice for unto us a child has been born! Read: Luke 2:19 Pray and Reflect: Reflect on all of the things you need to ‘treasure up’ in your life today. Regardless of any negative circumstances what is it that you have to be thankful for? Spend time praying and asking thanking God for all He has given you, most of all His grace. Conclude your prayer time thanking Him for sending His Son, Jesus Christ, the Messiah!

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