Remember God’s Faithfulness to His People on this Advent, Hanukkah and Christmas Season
Scriptures and Key Points:
- The primary themes of Advent are hope, faith, joy, peace, and love.
- Advent is “the arrival of a notable person, a thing or an event.”
“We have access to His essential presence with periodic blessings of His manifest presence made conscious to us in unique and wonderful ways.” – Pastor Alan Splawn, Fellowship of the Woodlands staff
John 1:1-5 NKJV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
John 3:16 NKJV For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
- Advent is about anticipation, not only for the first coming but also for the second coming of the Lord.
- Hanukkah, the Celebration of Lights, gives us a message of hope that even through the darkest of times, there is still light.
Matthew 5:16 NKJV Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Isaiah 60:1-3 NKJV Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
“During Hanukkah we remember God’s faithfulness to His people – granting them a miraculous victory over the ancient Greek superpower who sought to eradicate the worship of the God of Israel, and how He enabled them to re-dedicate the Holy Temple.”
- “Nes Gadal Haya Sham” – Meaning – A Great Miracle Happened There!
- God is our savior, healer, provider, deliverer, protector, and liberator. He is our Joy, our Peace, and our Master of Breakthroughs!
- The Nativity movie’s depiction of the presentation of the gifts: The first magi presents his gift, announcing it as “gold, for the King of all Kings”; The second presents the frankincense and says, “for the Priest of all Priests”; and after a moment of hesitation and stumbling, the third says, “and myrrh, for the Sacrifice of all Sacrifices”. Nestled in the middle of the Christmas story was the mystery of Jesus’ life; even though He was a king, He had been born to die.
Matthew 2:11 NKJV And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Hebrews 12:2 NKJV Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
- The word “excruciating” did not exist until a word was needed to describe the pain of death by crucifixion.
- It is impossible to have a strong foundation as a Christian unless we have a revelation of the passion of Christ, the work of The Cross, and the power of the Resurrection…and how it can transform our lives today. Without that understanding, we will be apathetic believers at best. But that revelation changes everything!
- We sometimes take for granted the high cost of love that was displayed upon the Cross for us.
“Self is the opaque veil that hides the Face of God from us. It can be removed only in spiritual experience, never by mere instruction…Promoting self under the guise of promoting Christ is currently so common as to excite little notice.” – A.W. Tozer
“Are the things you’re living for worth Christ dying for?” – Leonard Ravenhill
- We need to be rekindled in heart with a renewed revelation of the work of the Cross, and the Holy Spirit revelation and power available to each of us.
John 10:10 NKJV The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Philippians 4:7 NKJV And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
- We need to let our lights shine in a way that draws others to the Lord.
John 8:12 NKJV Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
Romans 5:2 NKJV …Rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
1 John 1:5-7 NKJV This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
- We have the Light of the World living in us! It should permeate our lives and radiate from us to those around us.
No matter what trials or storms or winds come our way, we can be unshakable when we build upon the right and solid foundations because He is faithful.
Psalm 33:4-6 NKJV For the word of the Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.
- His light in us spreads the hope of glory, which the world so desperately needs!
Matthew 5:14-15 NKJV You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
Luke 2:1-20 NKJV And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered…
Links reminding us of God’s faithfulness:
- We Three Kings
- The Nativity Story
- The Passion of the Christ movie
- The Medical Description of Christ’s Crucifixion
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