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December 2018

Advent Is for Expectation

COVER STORY – ADVENT

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas,” 

as the old song goes. We see it all around us: lights and decorations, Christmas songs, Christmas shopping, and the planning of Christmas events. Even without a calendar, you would know that Christmas is coming soon.

You may be surprised to know the situation was somewhat similar leading up to the first Christmas. Of course, there were no Christmas decorations or music, but Daniel had given some very specific prophecies so that people who paid attention would know that the time was coming soon. That explains why, as Luke records, “Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, . . .” (Luke 3:15) It also explains why there were several people who claimed to be the Messiah at that time. The people were in expectation of Messiah’s coming soon. They were looking for him and testing the various claims.

Isn’t the same true for us?

We have been given many prophecies, many signs that Christ is coming soon. We, too, should be in expectation of His coming. Therefore the Apostle Paul urges us,

“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”
(Romans 13:11-14)Read More »Advent Is for Expectation

“He Must Increase, but I Must Decrease”

DEVOTION – JOHN THE BAPTIST

Pick one of today’s more “popular” preachers with a large following. Maybe it would be Joel Osteen with his average attendance of 52,000. Or maybe it would be the “Purpose Driven” preacher, Rick Warren, with his average attendance of 22,000.

Regardless of the numerically popular preacher’s name, can you imagine him telling his followers to quit coming to his church and start following another preacher? What would ever cause a popular preacher to do such a thing? Why would a preacher voluntarily surrender followers by directing them to someone else?

Why? Ask John the Baptist.Read More »“He Must Increase, but I Must Decrease”

“All Praise to Thee, Eternal God” – TLH 80

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING

Have you ever noticed that “firsts” seem to have special interest for us? We remember them as being particularly notable. For example,

First humans: Adam and Eve, created on the sixth day of Creation.

First President of the United States of America elected after adoption of the Constitution: George Washington, elected February 4th, 1789.

First production gasoline-powered automobile: The Benz Patent-Motorwagon, patented by Karl Benz in 1886. It had three wheels, and was powered by a one-cylinder motor producing 2/3 horsepower.Read More »“All Praise to Thee, Eternal God” – TLH 80