Advent is Upon Us

Advent again is almost upon us, normally the season of Christmas starts about an hour after the thanksgiving turkey has been devoured.   Actually it seems like they were putting up the Christmas decorations even before Halloween.    This year I have a plan - a plan to look forward as I reflect back upon Christ's Birth.  Advent can be really special if we seek to make it special.   I'm not going to focus on wants, but what we've already been given, and use that for His glory.   As I put this plan together, I've also included links to videos of performances of the Messiah, the best music focusing on the person of Jesus Christ.  Written by George Frederic Handel, this oratorio was first performed as a benefit to support a hospital in Ireland.  By playing small sections of this I hope to inoculate a younger generation to the enjoyment of great music.  Each video I picked is different, from different places in the world, and different styles to see the global impact that G.F. Handel made. 

So please follow along with our family as we prepare for Advent.

Instructions for Advent Family Study:

1) This is a daily event that would happen before or after a meal, it will take roughly 20 minutes, which includes prayer, scripture reading, hymn singing, discussion, and watching a video (Messiah).

2) The Advent candles are a set of 3 purple candles, one rose, and one white colored candles, that are in a wreath or centerpiece to the table.   Candles are progressively lit, week after week.  Check out Google Shopping 

3) Plan ahead,  make sure you have the hymn printed out and maybe download the midi file or an actual recording.  have your computer or MP3 player ready so everything goes smoothly.

4) Make sure everyone is prepared for what will happen, delegate responsibilities to the children and adults:  light the candle, read, lead the hymn, or pray.

5) This is a form of liturgy, a way to organize your study and focus on the scripture,  don't limit yourself to doing just the framework,  I'm looking for ideas to make these lessons come to life for my family.   Maybe it might be a craft project, or a new song, or an illustration.

6) Depending on your children's age and temperament, adjust.

7) Most of all: Be consistent!

Click here for a PDF File of the Plan
or see below

Week	Candle	Date	Reading	Topic of Discussion	Hymn	Messiah
First Week	1	Thursday November 28, 2013	Genesis 3:1-22	Sin Entered the world, But a promise is made	Of the Father's love begotten	Sinfony (Overture)
		Friday November 29, 2013	Isaiah 40:1-5	Comfort to the weary	Comfort, comfort now my people	Comfort Ye My People \ Every Valley shall be exalted
		Saturday  November 30, 2013	Isaiah 52:7-10	Good News is beautiful	How beauteous are their feet	How beautiful are the feet of Him
		Sunday December 01, 2013	Isaiah 40:9-11	We are sheep, we need a Shepherd	The Lord is my Shepherd	He shall feed His flock like a Shepherd
		Monday December 02, 2013	Genesis 15:1-6	Abraham God is talking to you	Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart	Thus saith the Lord \ But who may abide
		Tuesday  December 03, 2013	Deut. 18:15-19	Prophets speak truth	On Jordan's bank the Baptist's Cry	O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion
		Wednesday December 04, 2013	Isaiah 9:2-5	The World needs to hear the Gospel	I Love to tell the story of unseen things above	For behold, darkness shall cover the earth / The people that walked in darkness	And he shall purify
Second Week	1 & 2	Thursday December 05, 2013	Malachi 3:1-6	Sin must be dealt with	Angels, from the realms of glory	For unto us a Child is born	And the glory, the glory of the Lord
		Friday December 06, 2013	Isaiah 9:6-7	Jesus is the Redemption of the world	What child is this, who, laid to rest	Surely, He hath borne our grieves	Pifa (Pastorale)
		Saturday December 07, 2013	Ps. 89:1-4	From David's Line	O come, all ye faithful (Adeste fideles) (Peuple fidèle)	There were shepherds abiding in the field / And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them / And suddenly there was with the angel	Glory to God
		Sunday December 08, 2013	Is. 11:1-10	Jesse - The Branch still Grows	Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming	Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion	Then shall the eyes of the blind open'd
		Monday December 09, 2013	Zech. 6:12-13	Jesus is the Branch	Come, thou Fount of every blessing	He shall feed His flock like a shepherd	My yoke is easy, and my burthen is light
		Tuesday December 10, 2013	Mic. 5:2-4	Bethlehem	O little town of Bethlehem	Behold the lamb of God	He was despised
		Wednesday December 11, 2013	John 1:1-8	Jesus is the Word	Joy to the world! the Lord is come	All we like sheep	All they that see Him, laugh Him to scorn
Third Week	1, 2, & 3	Thursday December 12, 2013	John 1:9-18	Jesus is the Light	It came upon the midnight clear	He trusted in God, that He would deliver Him
		Friday December 13, 2013	Mark 1:1-3	Jesus is the Way	Les anges dans nos campagnes (Angels we have heard on high)	Thy rebuke hath broken His heart / Behold, and see if there be any sorrow
		Saturday December 14, 2013	Luke 1:5-13	Zacharias	In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan	He was cut off out of the land of the living / But Thou didst not leave his soul in hell
		Sunday December 15, 2013	Luke 1:14-17	Zacharias Can't Talk	Gloria, gloria, in exclesis Deo!	Lift up your heads	Unto which of the angels said he at all time
		Monday December 16, 2013	Luke 1:18-25	Zacharias Marvells	While shepherds watched their flocks by night	Let all the angels of God worship Him
		Tuesday December 17, 2013	Luke 1:26-35	Gabriel sent to Mary	Hark! the herald angels sing	Thou art gone up on high
		Wednesday December 18, 2013	Luke 1:39-45	Mary is Chosen	Gentle Mary laid her child	The Lord gave the word
Fourth Week	1,2,3 & 4	Thursday December 19, 2013	Luke 1:46-56	Mary's Magnificat	Away in a manger, no crib for a bed	He that dwelleth in heaven \ Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron \ Hallelujah
		Friday December 20, 2013	Luke 1:57-66	His name shall be called John	To us a child, of royal birth	Their sound is gone out into all lands
		Saturday December 21, 2013	Luke 1:67-80	John the Baptists	Good Christian men, rejoice	Why do the nations so furiously rage together
		Sunday December 22, 2013	Matthew 1:18-25	His Name is Jesus	Long time ago in Bethlehem	Let us break their bonds asunder	I know that my Redeemer liveth
		Monday December 23, 2013	Luke 2:1-20	Shepherds Worship	The first Noel, the angel did say	Since by man came death / by man came also the resurrection	Behold, I tell you a mystery / The trumpet shall sound
		Tuesday December 24, 2013	Matthew 2:1-2	Wise men Seek Him	Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! (Silent night, Holy night) (Ô nuit de foi! Sainte nuit!)	Then shall be brought to pass / O death, where is thy sting?	But thanks be to God
	All	Wednesday December 25, 2013	Luke 2:21-35	Simeon Sings	I heard the bells on Christmas Day / Nuc Dimittis	If God be for us	Worthy is the Lamb

I pray that this Advent will be a very Christ focused time of the year for all of us.   May we desire more of Him in our every day lives.

My Hope is in the Lord

I woke up this morning with a simple tune in my head,  but a profound thought:

My hope is in the Lord
Who gave Himself for me
And paid the price
Of all my sin at Calvary.




[chorus]
For me He died;
For me He lives,
And everlasting life
And light He freely gives.

No merit of my own
His anger to suppress
My only hope is found
In Jesus’ righteousness

[chorus]
 And now for me He stands
Before the Father’s throne
He shows His wounded hands
And names me as His own.

[chorus]

His grace has planned it all
‘Tis mine but to believe
And recognize His work of love
And Christ receive.


[chorus]

Sometimes we need to be reminded that our own efforts have no bearing in our eternal life.   Yes, it's not what we do or did, but what Christ did for us - For Me, He Died For Me He Lives, what a glorious promise.   My striving in this world needs to be not for me, not to please God, but simply a reflection of that fact He's actually done it all, and I'm simply the tool for his Glory.    Jesus paid the price of my sin at Calvary, I am debt free with God on Jesus behalf.  How glorious.

A few years ago we were having problems with our car, the transmission had gone, and now other things were going bad.   Our son at the time was having a lot of medical issues, and we needed a reliable vehicle.   One Saturday we received a phone call from a car dealership who asked us to come down and pick up a car that someone had purchased for us...  We were shocked, someone knew our need,  Yes God knew our needs.   When we arrived at the dealership I was expecting to get a used run-down car, but was so happy to get that, it was going to be a blessing if it ran.   The sales manager sat us down in his office and told us that he had never had anything like this before, a couple had purchased a car in our name, simply given the dealership a blank check.   They were to remain anonymous, but the vehicle was paid in full and ours to take.   He told us that they had selected a few vehicles for us to choose from, my expectations were some old cars, but still so thankful.
As we walked out of the dealership office, the sales manager was leading us to the 'New Car' lot, not the used car lot...  There must have been a mistake,  I'm worthy of a used car, but not of a new car.   He pointed us to the most expensive cars on the lot, A Suburban, a Tahoe and an Equinox, fully loaded with all the bells and whistles.    This is a mistake, I'm not worthy of these cars, but the sales manager assured me, there was no mistake.  This was a limited and low demonstration of Gods Grace.

Jesus Gave it all, he Gave his life, For Me!   I should be placed under the wrath of God, my penalty is much to great.   I've violated His law over and over again, without even thinking about it.  How many times have I not placed Him first in my mind, how many times have I used His Name carelessly, How many times have I created idols things that I place in value over God,  How many times have I not honoured Him in a time of rest.    I am a child of wrath among a people of wrath, I deserve nothing.  

My hope is in the Lord, He Gave Himself for Me and paid the debt of all my sin on Calvary.   What a blessing it is not to pay a monthly car payment, but more than that, what a blessing it is not to pay penitence for my violations of God's law.  The books have been settled, not just for now, but eternally.

So what is my response?   What should I do?  I don't have to do anything, it's Done!   The funny thing is...  I want to do anything for Him,  I'll mop the bathroom at church,  I'll help people in need.   I'm like a homeless person who gets a life saving meal, I don't just eat, I go and tell my friends and family,  I drag people in because I know they need it also, I write about it, I sing about it, I live it each and every day! I'm willing to give it all away for Him because my hope isn't on Me... My Hope is in the Lord.


Soli Deo Gloria

Wonderful Grace of Jesus

Last Sunday during worship I had the pleasure of being reminded of the great hymn "Wonderful Grace of Jesus".   The melody of this hymn is upbeat, but it's the message that truly tugged at my heart:

Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Greater than all my sin;
How shall my tongue describe it.
Where shall its praise begin?
Taking away my burden,
Setting my spirit free,
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

That's the wonderful fact of the grace of Jesus,  it's greater than my sin!  It's greater than the sins of the worst sinner, and His righteousness is imputed to me, my sins were then imputed to Him.  This is the great exchange between me and Jesus,  now my righteousness isn't mine, it's Christ's in me.  I now have liberty, but my desire isn't to do sin, but to follow The One who did so much for me.

The chorus sums up the emotional response:
Wonderful the matchless grace, the matchless grace of Jesus,
Deeper than the mighty rolling sea, the rolling sea;
Wonderful grace, all-sufficient for me, for even me.
Broader than the scope of my transgressions,
Greater far than all my sin and shame;
O magnify the precious name of Jesus, 
Praise His name!

That should be my response each and every day!

Consider listening to this hymn today, even sing along...  It's powerful!

Help me with a Marketing Project