Beyond Advent

Advent Week 5

by Becky Davey

Yes, He has come, the Special Someone God said He was sending: the snake crusher, the Savior, the Good Shepherd, the Rock, Immanuel (who is God with us), Messiah, Jesus Christ. His birth has been celebrated. We feel a certain relaxing, perhaps a feeling of letdown, anticlimax. But! remember, way back in the beginning of Anticipating Advent, we began to look at God’s plan—a plan that would cover all time. God desired fellowship with His own created people so much that His plan was to provide the way for fellowship with God to be restored when it was lost.  

The plan doesn’t end with Advent, the coming of He who would provide the way of restoring fellowship. Now, instead of the anticlimax of a long-anticipated promise fulfilled, we find an amazing, beautiful new adventure, a new beginning. It guarantees not only fellowship with God now in this life, but the fact that the fellowship will grow stronger and more fulfilling as we experience the continued unfolding of God’s plan. This new life in Christ carries new blessings, new responsibilities, new possibilities we had never imagined. A new hope embodied in Jesus. He lived, He died, He rose again and returned to heaven where He is making a place for us to be for all eternity (John 14). When He left, God the Holy Spirit came to be in us if we respond to His plan with trust in Jesus, and—He will return to take us to be with Him forever! This is a forever promise that we can rely on. Just as surely as all those promises over time ended up being fulfilled in the birth of baby Jesus, so these further promises will come true for us if we place our trust in Him.

Christ in us, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27); God in us, security, comfort and the warmth of continued experience of being involved in His plans, never deserted no matter what happens (God has said, never will leave you; never will I forsake you—Hebrews 13:5) and—the promise of an eternity spent in the presence of God (Revelation 22:5). From the beginning of God’s revelation to us of who He is, we have seen Him always busy, always available to us, listening to our hearts, answering prayer, keeping the universe going. Knowing He is this kind of God, surely there will be things for us to do in eternity, fascinating new things to learn, and more than anything else learning more and more about the wonderful God who loves us personally and continues His plans for us—remember His words. 

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,” (Jeremiah 29:11). Christ says, “I am coming soon,” (Revelation 22:20) and we respond with confidence and true hope: Come Lord Jesus.

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Arrival of Advent

Advent Week 4

by Becky Davey

400 silent years. Many people were like those in in 2 Peter 3:3-9. Those words were written to all of us who have lived ever since Peter wrote them. But people haven’t changed. They scoff at God’s words and fail to understand God’s tremendous love for the people He created and will work out His plan so that all have an opportunity to believe in Him. While there were many who didn’t believe, there were always some who continued to believe God’s Word just as there are some today who believe and long for that fellowship promised. 

The silence is broken. Zechariah, a priest, was serving his duty. He had been praying for a child, a son, but he was getting old and God seemed to have forgotten him. Suddenly, as Zechariah stood by the altar of incense to lift up the prayers of the people, the angel Gabriel appeared before him. Scary! Gabriel said, Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. How wonderful to know that God always remembers His children and acts on their behalf. But Zechariah didn’t remember the miracle that God had done in the past when He gave a child to Abraham and Sarah in their old age. He just didn’t believe God (Luke 1:8-20). This promise of God to Zechariah and Elizabeth of a child who would be a way maker and a forerunner to prepare the people for the Lord was part of the plan God had made before time began!

In a little town called Nazareth the angel Gabriel suddenly made another appearance. This time it was to a cousin of Elizabeth a teenager named Mary who was engaged to be married. Mary was afraid just as Zechariah had been—seeing an angel wasn’t an everyday occurrence. Gabriel said, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.” He went on to tell her she was going to have a baby. Mary understood what he said, but she didn’t know how it could be—not in unbelief but wondering, “How?” He explained it to her, and her response was “I am the Lord’s servant, May it be to me as you have said. (Luke 1:26-38).

We don’t know exactly why but it added to our understanding about how God was working out His plan as Mary traveled to see her cousin Elizabeth. We learn a wonderful new truth about God. When she arrived Elizabeth heard her voice, was filled with the Holy Spirit and recognized Mary as the mother of the Special Someone God had promised so long ago. Another amazing and wonderful happening was that the fetus in Elizabeth jumped for joy. We can’t communicate with a fetus, but the Holy Spirit can. What an amazing God who can and does communicate with those who are in a condition that makes it impossible for us to communicate with them. 

Mary then sang to the Lord a song of praise that revealed her relationship with God, her knowledge of the Scripture and her love and dependence on Him. Take time to read these scriptures and join with her in praise. Maybe you could write your own.

Mary, now about 3 months pregnant, returned home to Nazareth. How Joseph, her fiancé, learned of the pregnancy we don’t know; he was a godly man and didn’t want her to be publicly shamed or stoned. An angel gave him instructions that he followed. He took her as his wife, had no relations with her and bore with her the shame of a pregnancy out of wedlock. Pretty bad in those days. But here they were in Nazareth and God told Micah this baby would be born in Bethlehem of Ephrathah. How would God take care of that? We know that He caused Caesar Augustus the ruler of the Roman Empire to take a census. Wonderful to know that God puts leaders in their positions, and even though they don’t know Him, God accomplishes His plans through them. To do the census in those days meant that everyone would have to go to their ancestral hometown. For Joseph and Mary that would mean Bethlehem of Ephrathah. Mary was 9 months pregnant! Bethlehem was a tiny village in those days; it had been the City of David long ago, but now, the accommodations had been maxed out and the only place for Mary and Joseph was a smelly cave used to give shelter to animals. 

It was in this place that Mary gave birth to baby Jesus. It was here that shepherds came to see this amazing event that the angels told them about. Galatians 4:4 tells us “when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem…” 

God is never late; He is never early. He always fulfills His promises. We can depend on it. The Special Someone, Messiah, and all the other titles has come. That is the Advent that we celebrate. He has promised to come again, and that promise also will be fulfilled at just the right time. 

Photo credit: Photo by Gareth Harper on Unsplash

Impending Advent

Advent Week 3

by Becky Davey

The last couple of weeks of Advent is often filled with frenetic activity. God never acts frantically, yet His plan from before eternity is accomplished on time. He had everything planned and done on time so the people He yearned to have fellowship with were/are informed about the Special Someone to come so that they wouldn’t miss Him. Among many roles, God had revealed Him as the snake crusher, savior, shepherd, rock, bread from heaven, king, priest, and prophet. How much time before He would come? Was there anything else the people needed to know so that they could recognize Him? 

Yes, there was more. God was moving to more specific revelations. Last blog we learned He would come as a boy child (Isaiah 9:6). Now we learn His mother would be a virgin! How can that be, there has to be a father?! Remember, God can’t be put in a box. He can do anything (Luke 1:27). This baby would be called Immanuel, meaning God with us (Isaiah 7:14). All of this was knowledge given to the people in the 700s BC. God spoke through the prophet Micah to let them know that the birth would take place in Bethlehem—not just any town called Bethlehem—the Bethlehem in Ephrata or Ephrathah (Micah 5:2). 

God had made plans before time began. He gave the people all the clues they needed to recognize this Special Someone He promised to send. It had been so long since the first promise had been made; in fact, thousands of years had passed. How did they respond? Could they, would they believe/trust Him? To encourage them He gave many promises 700 years before Christ, including, “Blessed is the man whose trust is in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord,” (Jeremiah 17:7). He not only expresses His blessing, but tells us He has plans for each of us, “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil to give you a future and a hope,” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Malachi, 400 years before Christ’s birth, tells us of the sad story of people who loved themselves more than God. Out of all that He had given them, they kept the best for themselves and gave Him the dregs. Even their worship was tainted. But—there were some who trusted. Even when things didn’t go the way they wanted; even when they couldn’t understand why things seemed so bad to them—maybe like Covid-19 seems to us—they responded in trust and confidence in God’s care and His plan. They said, “Though the fig tree does not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no herds in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God the Lord is my strength,” (Habakkuk 3:18-19).

They wondered: when will He come? That was the only thing they felt they needed to know. WHEN? But God was silent. For 400 years there was no new message from God. But they kept their faith in Him! In fact for that faithful remnant, anticipation of God’s plan of sending that Special Someone grew stronger and stronger. 

Covid-19 has interfered with our lives for 9 months! It doesn’t get better; in fact, right now it seems to be getting worse. Which of the two kinds of people will we be? Like those of Malachi or those of Habakkuk? 

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Approaching Advent

Advent Week 2

by Becky Davey

Years pass. God continued to reveal more and more about His Special Someone. He is revealed as the snake crusher, savior, Messiah, Shepherd, the Rock and much more. God also continued to select nations and individuals through whom He worked to accomplish His plans from long ago, from before time began. Some responded to Him in obedience and some refused His offers of friendship, fellowship; they turned away from His love and care. 

God never gave up. He wanted people to know and fellowship with Him again. In the 700s BC a man named Isaiah heard God say, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Isaiah answered, “Here I am! Send me,” (Isaiah 6:8). As often happens, when we live for God and tell people His words some listen, but many treat us just as they did God—with indifference, refusal to listen, sometimes even hatred. Isaiah began telling them some amazing things about the Special Someone to come. In chapter 9, Isaiah says something glorious was going to happen in the land of Galilee. In fact, it was so sure to happen he spoke of it as if it had already taken place.

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light: those who dwelt in darkness, on them the light shone…For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.”

How amazing! God promises our snake crusher/Savior/Shepherd—whatever title we give Him—is to come as a child. He will establish His government and rule as a king! There are many new names given for us to understand what kind of a person He is. How can one person be all these things? What does it mean to me? 

This week let us ponder/meditate on these verses. There is so much I think I’ll choose a different one or two a day; ones that speak to my heart. Please join me adding your own questions.

• What does it mean for me that He is my Wonderful Counselor? What does a counselor do?

• How do I see Him as Mighty God?

• Everlasting Father: God is a wonderfully loving, caring father who makes provision for us. Perhaps your earthly father wasn’t like this so you find it hard to think anything good can come from a father figure, or perhaps you have a good father and find this a wonderfully comforting title. God is a father whose goodness and care never ends.

• Prince of Peace: In this time of turmoil we need Him more than ever. He will bring this peace into our hearts despite the unrest all around us. Just think—there is no end to this peace, only increase. Compare with Jesus words: “My peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

• What does it mean to me that he promises that there will be no end to his kingdom?

• Today everyone seems to be seeking justice, and rarely feeling that they have found it. Yet, here is the promise of a kingdom with justice and righteousness from this time forth and forevermore! Do I believe this? Is it really true? How do I connect with this kingdom?

Photo credit: Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Anticipating Advent

Advent Week 1

by Becky Davey

Advent—the very word brings a smile to my face, causing feelings of anticipation to float around in my head. Why this anticipation, this stirring of excitement? Who or what is coming? After all, advent simply means “coming or appearance.”

The plan for this Advent began long ago—before the earth was in existence. God made plans, He created the universe with millions and millions of stars and their planets. In one part of the universe He placed one planet with its sun, moon and stars. He called it earth and put seas, rivers, plants, birds and animals in it. Then He did something different; He created a man [Adam] and woman [Eve], made in His own image, to live there, tend the garden, eat the produce and fellowship with Him daily. An idyllic existence. 

One day, a Tempter came; Eve listened to the Tempter, disobeyed God and so broke her fellowship with Him. Adam joined her in her disobedience and he, too, no longer had fellowship with God. How sad. How terrible. But! God had made plans before creation. One of those plans that would cover all time, was a plan for fellowship to be restored. God would send a Special Someone to make a way for fellowship with God to be restored.

God gave many promises as He prepared people for the Advent of this Special Someone. Each promise, or prophecy, gave more and more information about this Special Someone, so people could recognize Him when He came. As the years passed, the promises gave a reminder, and also a built-in mounting sense of suspense and anticipation of this special Advent. When would it happen? Who would it be?

Each year, as Advent begins, I like to go back and re-read those promises. It adds to my sense of wonder and anticipation—God really wants our fellowship. He promised the way; He sent that Special Someone and fulfilled the promises—Who is that Special Someone? Has He come? If so, when? Are there any promises still to be fulfilled regarding Him? How does the Advent season as we experience it today relate to God’s promised Advent? Come; read the promises with me. We’ll start with just one today and go on to more next week.  

The first promise may seem obscure but its meaning becomes clear as we read further promises. This was part of the judgement against the Tempter (snake/serpent) and God’s part in it.

Genesis 3:15: I [God] will put enmity between you [the tempter/serpent] and the woman[Eve], and between your offspring and her offspring [singular: the Special Someone/ snake crusher]; he shall bruise your head [fatal injury], and you will bruise his heel [non-fatal injury]. 

God began giving more information about this Special Someone: some different names, qualities and actions—but still not a “when.” We’ll begin looking at them next week.

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