See, I am sending a messenger to prepare the way for our salvation, and the Lord whom you seek is coming. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, indeed he is coming, says the Lord. Malachi 3:1
My brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus is coming and we must prepare for his coming for he will come. “But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire and the fuller’s soap; he will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and in former years.”
Heavenly Father during this week of peace, help us to lay aside everything that threatens our peace, clear our minds so that we could clearly see the way that you are preparing for us, in Jesus name we pray. Amen!
“Merciful God, you sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation; give us grace to heed their warnings and repent of our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you, one God, forever and ever.” Amen!
A candle is burning, a candle of PEACE, a candle to signal that conflict must cease, for Jesus is coming to show us the way, a message of Peace humbly laid in the hay.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, there is so much hatred in this world, so many people have no peace. But this is a season of peace, so let us embrace all it stands for because Jesus himself is our peace.
The reward for trusting God will be the salvation of your souls.1 Peter 1:9
“This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. They were trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.” I am eagerly watching and waiting also. Are you?
And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you. 1 Peter 5:10
My brother and sisters in Christ, keep the faith, “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So, we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1
As Christians our faith fuels our hope, we trust in God for the things that we cannot see, confident that he will bring it to pass. My brothers and sisters in Christ, our hope in God never disappoints, and that is why we walk by faith and not by sight.
Father, let your Hope be in us always.
Many of us this week have been keeping the candle of Hope lit. Let us keep this flame also alive in our hearts as we prepare a home where Jesus may abide. Let this candle be to us a symbol of the Hope that we are confident of, the Hope that embraces us and fills us with expectation, to know that we could have Hope even in the midst of turmoil and strife. Heavenly Father, let your Hope be in us always, leading us and guiding us onward as we prepare a home for you in our hearts.
“And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through His prophet. “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.”
Many still have questions about the birth of Jesus, but I do not. I believe God’s word that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and I give God the glory for this gift every day.
Scripture tells us that this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with Child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband, a righteous man, was unwilling to disgrace her publicly, he resolved to divorce her quietly. But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:18-20
A happy and blessed Advent season is wished to all of you.
During the Advent season five candles are traditionally placed in the Advent wreath which symbolizes God’s love for us with no beginning and no end, and the candles are lit on the Sundays during Advent. The first candle to symbolize hope, the second candle to symbolize peace, the third candle to symbolize joy, and the fourth candle to symbolize love. The fifth candle known as the Christ candle which is white symbolizing purity is lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, reminding Christians that Jesus is the light of the world. Is Jesus the Light of your world?