Tag Archives: hope

The Lord Is Coming!

24 Sunday Dec 2017

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The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Isaiah 35:1-2

On this the fourth Sunday of Advent and the Eve of the Nativity of the Lord, our prayer is that you realize the awesome gift God has given you through the birth of His Son. God loved you so much that He did not want sin to separate you from Him. He sent His beloved Son to die in your place so that you could spend eternity with Him. Spend time today contemplating all the Lord has done for you through this gift. May your heart be filled with joy at the coming of the Christ Child!

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O Come Emmanuel

22 Friday Dec 2017

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We are all familiar with the hymn O come, O come, Emmanuel. This is a paraphrase of the “O Antiphons” which can be traced back to eighth century Christendom. These antiphons use biblical imagery drawn from the messianic promises of the Old Testament to proclaim the coming of the Christ. Each antiphon is a name of Christ, one of His attributes mentioned in Scripture. The repeated use of “Come!” expresses the longing of all hearts for the Divine Messiah.

In these final days before Christmas, we suggest that you pray and meditate on these promises of the coming of the Christ Child. Set aside all the busyness of this season. Focus on Christ and be filled with hope that God is with you, both now and forever.

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More Precious than Silver or Gold

10 Sunday Dec 2017

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Today is the second Sunday in Advent. In a society that has lost sight of the true meaning of Christmas, many are already suffering burnout from all the pre-Christmas activities. The secular “Holiday” season kicks into gear earlier and earlier with each passing year. The reality of the materialistic Christmas is that people have forgotten the Christ Child. Christmas is not about buying the latest high tech gifts or winning the subdivision’s “Holiday Lights” competition. The four weeks leading up to Christmas are called Advent – from the Latin word Adventus – which means “coming.” This is a time not for the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping and office parties, but is a period of waiting in joyful expectation for the coming of the Messiah. Christmas has been hijacked by commercialism and the secular society; we have forgotten to wait in darkness for the coming of the Light into the world.

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 was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. John 1:1-5, 14

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