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Thursday, November 30 - Joseph Confronted by an Angel all he had was Hope

11/30/2017

Matthew 1:20-21 - 20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Reflection: Do Not Be Afraid… Variations of it are in the bible over 80 times.

This command was given more than any other probably for a reason. We need reminded to not be afraid and to be bold and be anxious for nothing. When both of my own children were born, I became afraid, excited, but afraid at the same time.

So many questions: “Would I be a good father?” “ What will life be like now?” “Will they be as bad of a kid as me?” Funny how all of our fears are rooted in the future tense; minutes, hours, days, weeks, or even years in front us. Fear always gets looking ahead and away from the present moment. When we remind others to stay in the moment; it helps our own self remain in the moment as well.

Rob Bell

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for the blessings that You have given us. Those blessings that we see and those that are unseen. Grant us the ability and strength to remain steadfast in our hope and rooted in the moment. Fill our minds with the Spirit to be bold, and anxious for nothing. God, use us to help each other to not be afraid. Allow each of use our gifts to help those who need the reminder. Through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen

Wednesday, November 29 - Hope that Joseph and Mary had despite what the power of sin was telling him.

11/29/2017

Matthew 1:18-19 - 18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.

Reflection: Joseph was called righteous before the cross, which means that he was probably familiar with the prophesy that The Messiah had to born of a virgin amidst the other circumstances that were lining up around him. Still, I can only imagine the thoughts of betrayal and distrust he processed from the “father of lies” after hearing that his virgin wife was pregnant, knowing he wasn’t the biological father. I am sure these thoughts offered by the deceiver triggered feelings of doubt, dismay, and shame. These lies almost led him to divorce the woman who would soon birth The Messiah into the world.

We as believers today still get thumped by the power of sin on a daily basis. Unlike Joseph, we have been given The Spirit to remind us of the truth and our righteousness in Christ Jesus. As a result, we can walk victoriously and in truth in spite of the fiery darts of lies being offered up to us on a daily basis.

Ryan McCall

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for setting me free from the power of sin and death. Thank You for making me into a new creation that naturally desires to live by Your life. Remind me of my righteousness in Christ Jesus today and by Your grace allow me to walk according to what I know to be true and not based on lies or what I “feel.” In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Tuesday, November 28 - Hope when the Messiah was prophesied

11/28/2017

Micah 5:2 - 2 Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; one will come from you to be ruler over Israel for me. His origin is from antiquity, from ancient times.

Reflection: In a time when all the top dogs were focused on power and position, Micah prophesied how everything that the world thought was important was nothing. Micah predicted the birthplace of Jesus hundreds of years before the Messiah was born as a man. He shared how the one and true King, Jesus, would be the only King who could save the people.

We are those people, and his message is just as true as it was so many years past, our only Hope is Jesus. Don’t lose focus on why we have joy. It’s because of Christ Jesus who lives inside of us. Our names are written in the Book of Life.

Kyle Skaggs

Prayer: Dear Lord, please lead us to a deeper understanding of the one true Hope you have given to us. Help us to know the promise you have given to us since the beginning and to embrace the power of the Holy Spirit that lives within every person who accepts this gift.

Monday, November 27 - Hope of Messiah to Come

11/27/2017

Genesis 3:15 - 15 I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.

Reflection: Hope. A word that can be used properly in many contexts. It’s commonly used to say, “I hope it happens”. For the believer, however, there is a hope that is more than a passing wish. It is a hope built on and generated by a faithful God. This hope is not new. It can be found immediately following the fall of man when the phrase “He will strike your head” was heard by all creation. There was a blow to the head of Satan that forever shuts the door of hope for him; he has lost the war. At the same time, we also find the door of hope opened to the children of Adam: “You will strike His heel.”

As a distance runner for most of my adult life, I have experienced heel injury. It is painful but not life threatening. I had hope of healing and getting back on the road. It is a bit difficult to grasp all that was involved with this brief phrase written in Genesis 3. For us, a more precise comment can be found in Romans 5:10: “For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life!.” Boom! Done! Over! Past tense! We have hope surer than the earth on which we stand. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

Phil Tooley

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for a perfect plan for reconciliation, thank you Jesus for perfect submission and thank you Holy Spirit for continually bearing witness of this truth. All hail the power of Jesus name. Amen

Sunday, November 26 - First Advent Candle: Hope

11/26/2017

Romans 5:2 - We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Reflection: You’ll often hear people say,”Hope is all I have.” It’s a phrase that people express in a depressed situation or many times as a result of crisis. Someone can have polar perspectives when saying that statement. It can mean that you have very little and are in a state of desperation, or it can mean that you have much in spite of your situation. Which perspective someone holds is probably dependent on their spiritual maturity.

That struggle between perspectives has been the case since the fall in the Garden of Eden: the point when everything got messed up from what God intended. Generation after generation has gone through the same struggle. God never intended our world to be a fallen one. He created life from the very beginning to be full and overflowing.

The Good News for us is that God had a plan that even in the midst of this chaotic world we could still experience joy. The plan included hope in a Messiah that would save us from our own selves. That plan of hope came through a baby that grew and walked this earth to become the Savior and hope for all the world. If my hope is in any other thing than Jesus then I have very little. If my hope is in Jesus… I have everything!

Rusty Kennedy

Prayer: Lord, thank you for never walking away from us in the midst of sorrows, struggles and grief. I am thankful for a loving God who gives me the gift of hope. Will you teach me more about you (even this month) so that my hope in you is everything? In Jesus’ name… Amen

Thursday, November 30 - Joseph Confronted by an Angel all he had was Hope

Wednesday, November 29 - Hope that Joseph and Mary had despite what the power of sin was telling him.

Tuesday, November 28 - Hope when the Messiah was prophesied

Monday, November 27 - Hope of Messiah to Come

Sunday, November 26 - First Advent Candle: Hope

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