Ready? #Advent

•December 13, 2015 • Leave a Comment

Aleksander Ivanov - The Apparition of Christ to the People (PR)
Is this him?
The One we’ve been waiting for?
Is this The One God promised
who would rescue us
and take us home?
Is this God’s Chosen
showing us his ways,
telling us what God would have us do?

We are desperately looking for someone,
so in need of a hand to guide,
a shepherd to lead,
a leader to take us home.

Is he coming?
Shall we still wait?
will he come
and take us,
show us,
live in us?

He is coming.
But in his coming
there will be changes to make,
different ways of thinking
and living.
Generous ways,
selfless acts,
not wanting more
than is yours,
living
and helping others to live too.

Oh yes he is coming –
but are you really ready
for what that will mean?
It’s reality in your life,
what will be asked of you?

Are you ready for him to come?

The theme for the third week in Advent is The Lord’s Anointed.  We look to the one who is to come.

Luke 3:7-18 (CEV)

7 Crowds of people came out to be baptized, but John said to them, “You bunch of snakes! Who warned you to run from the coming judgment? 8 Do something to show that you really have given up your sins. Don’t start saying that you belong to Abraham’s family. God can turn these stones into children for Abraham. 9 An axe is ready to cut the trees down at their roots. Any tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire.”

10 The crowds asked John, “What should we do?”

11 John told them, “If you have two coats, give one to someone who doesn’t have any. If you have food, share it with someone else.”

12 When tax collectors came to be baptized, they asked John, “Teacher, what should we do?”

13 John told them, “Don’t make people pay more than they owe.”

14 Some soldiers asked him, “And what about us? What do we have to do?”

John told them, “Don’t force people to pay money to make you leave them alone. Be satisfied with your pay.”

15 Everyone became excited and wondered, “Could John be the Messiah?”

16 John said, “I am just baptizing with water. But someone more powerful is going to come, and I am not good enough even to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 His threshing fork is in his hand, and he is ready to separate the wheat from the husks. He will store the wheat in his barn and burn the husks with a fire that never goes out.”

18 In many different ways John preached the good news to the people.

Wild and Lone the Prophet’s Voice

Posted in Advent, bible, faith, God, justice, Lectionary, Religion, theology
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Honour #Advent

•December 12, 2015 • Leave a Comment

Panteón de Hombres Ilustres (Madrid) 02a

What have I said?
What have I done
that has been so wrong?

I have questioned
the worth of living your way,
looked over the fence
and wondered why
am I any better off?

Yet how that misses the point!
Each and every one of us is
precious to God,
we only see now,
he sees the whole picture
through to the end.
He knows the true value
in living his ways,
what is of eternal worth,
not an apparent head start
today.

So forgive me Lord
when I have lost impetus,
got side-tracked by ‘others’,
thought for today
and not your way,
your fulness.

May I honour you,
in every part of my life,
every way I am,
all that I do
for in you alone
is justice,
promise,
hope
and truth.

The theme of the second week in Advent is The Day of Salvation.  We prepare for that day.

Malachi 3:13-4:5 (CEV)

13 You have said horrible things about me, and yet you ask, “What have we said?”

14 Here is what you have said: “It’s foolish to serve the Lord God All-Powerful. What do we get for obeying him and from going around looking sad? 15 See how happy those arrogant people are. Everyone who does wrong is successful, and when they put God to the test, they always get away with it.”

Faithfulness Is Rewarded

16 All those who truly respected the Lord and honoured his name started discussing these things, and when God saw what was happening, he had their names written as a reminder in his book.

17 Then the Lord All-Powerful said:

You people are precious to me, and when I come to bring justice, I will protect you, just as parents protect an obedient child. 18 Then everyone will once again see the difference between those who obey me by doing right and those who reject me by doing wrong.

The Day of Judgment

The Lord said:

4 The day of judgment is certain to come. And it will be like a red-hot furnace with flames that burn up proud and sinful people, as though they were straw. Not a branch or a root will be left. I, the Lord All-Powerful, have spoken! 2 But for you that honour my name, victory will shine like the sun with healing in its rays, and you will jump around like calves at play. 3 When I come to bring justice, you will trample those who are evil, as though they were ashes under your feet. I, the Lord All-Powerful, have spoken!

4 Don’t ever forget the laws and teachings I gave my servant Moses on Mount Sinai.

5 I, the Lord, promise to send the prophet Elijah before that great and terrible day comes.

Ancient of Days

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Refining #Advent

•December 11, 2015 • Leave a Comment

Transparenter Bærums Verk

He’s coming,
arriving soon,
on his way,
bringing God’s message,
the words we long to hear,
preparing his way
in our lives.

His coming will bring cleansing,
refining,
making the best,
freeing from impurities,
bringing a finer way,
his way.

Then
we will be able to offer
to him,
when the dross and dregs
have gone.

For if we expect to receive
we have a responsibility
to give,
our lives,
our worship
our wealth
out of his goodness.

God is coming,
giving,
blessing –
how will I show
my delight in him?

How will I allow him
to refine me,
free me,
purify me
for him
and his work?

 

The theme of the second week in Advent is The Day of Salvation.  We prepare for that day.

Malachi 3:1-12 (CEV)

The Promised Messenger

3 I, the Lord All-Powerful,
will send my messenger
    to prepare the way for me.
Then suddenly the Lord
you are looking for
    will appear in his temple.
The messenger you desire
is coming with my promise,
    and he is on his way.

A Day of Change

2 On the day the Lord comes, he will be like a furnace that purifies silver or like strong soap in a washbasin. No one will be able to stand up to him. 3 The Lord will purify the descendants of Levi, as though they were gold or silver. Then they will bring the proper offerings to the Lord, 4 and the offerings of the people of Judah and Jerusalem will please him, just as they did in the past.

Don’t Cheat God

5 The Lord All-Powerful said:

I’m now on my way to judge you. And I will quickly condemn all who practice witchcraft or cheat in marriage or tell lies in court or rob workers of their pay or mistreat widows and orphans or steal the property of foreigners or refuse to respect me.

6 Descendants of Jacob, I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I never change. That’s why you haven’t been wiped out, 7 even though you have ignored and disobeyed my laws ever since the time of your ancestors. But if you return to me, I will return to you.

And yet you ask, “How can we return?”

8 You people are robbing me, your God. And, here you are, asking, “How are we robbing you?”

You are robbing me of the offerings and of the ten percent that belongs to me. 9 That’s why your whole nation is under a curse. 10 I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I challenge you to put me to the test. Bring the entire ten percent into the storehouse, so there will be food in my house. Then I will open the windows of heaven and flood you with blessing after blessing. 11 I will also stop locusts from destroying your crops and keeping your vineyards from producing. 12 Everyone of every nation will talk about how I have blessed you and about your wonderful land. I, the Lord All-Powerful, have spoken!

Refiner’s Fire

Posted in Advent, bible, faith, God, Religion, theology
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