The theme of this final week of Advent is love. I admit that I found it much easier to write about hope, peace, and joy. Writing about love seems a bit dangerous. What if I write about the wrong kind of love as it relates to Jesus? Agape or philia? Oh my!
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The Lord brought to mind Romans 5:8:
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But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.*
The angel visits, the unplanned pregnancies of Mary and Elizabeth, the inconvenient traveling, the government involvement of a census - all of these were tools to bring history to the point of true, unconditional, ever-reaching love - God manifested in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16).
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The hope, the peace, and the joy we have talked about over the last month all hinge on this one word: love. Without that love, there would be no Christmas. As you enter this final week of Advent, I encourage you to find a time to sit and read about the different types of Biblical love, knowing that Jesus fulfilled them all when He came into our sin filled world to give us life abundantly.
*Prayer:
Father God, thank You for manifesting Yourself in the flesh to be an example of true love. There is no great love than a Man laying down His life for another, especially one so undeserving as I. Because of Your great love I can have eternal life, forever in Your presence. Amen.
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Challenge:
Find a time to meditate on these passages: 1 Corinthians 13, Ephesians 2:4,5,Ephesians 5:2, John 15. Check out BibleGateway to find more Scriptures to encourage you in love.
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The Lord brought to mind Romans 5:8:
*
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.*
The angel visits, the unplanned pregnancies of Mary and Elizabeth, the inconvenient traveling, the government involvement of a census - all of these were tools to bring history to the point of true, unconditional, ever-reaching love - God manifested in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16).
*
The hope, the peace, and the joy we have talked about over the last month all hinge on this one word: love. Without that love, there would be no Christmas. As you enter this final week of Advent, I encourage you to find a time to sit and read about the different types of Biblical love, knowing that Jesus fulfilled them all when He came into our sin filled world to give us life abundantly.
*Prayer:
Father God, thank You for manifesting Yourself in the flesh to be an example of true love. There is no great love than a Man laying down His life for another, especially one so undeserving as I. Because of Your great love I can have eternal life, forever in Your presence. Amen.
*
Challenge:
Find a time to meditate on these passages: 1 Corinthians 13, Ephesians 2:4,5,Ephesians 5:2, John 15. Check out BibleGateway to find more Scriptures to encourage you in love.
Advent - Week Four:
Theme: Angels (Love)
Sun. Is. 7:10-14, Mon. Luke 1:26-35, Tue. Is. 9:2-7, Wed. Mt. 1:18-25, Thu. Luke 2:1-20, Fri. Mt. 2:1-2, Sat. Luke 2:21-35 Advent concludes on Christmas Eve with the lighting of a fifth white candle that represents the purity of Jesus.
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Update:
Thank you for praying for our van. It was a $90 fuel pump fuse and the pump is still working. They did tell us that it could go at anytime, as a blown fuse was usually a warning. We are now walking in faith with much uttering of prayers and petitions each time we drive the vehicle!
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Thank you for praying for our van. It was a $90 fuel pump fuse and the pump is still working. They did tell us that it could go at anytime, as a blown fuse was usually a warning. We are now walking in faith with much uttering of prayers and petitions each time we drive the vehicle!
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Jen 2009
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