.

Last year, I put together a little Advent devotional that can still be used this year. You can download it here (just disregard the 2007 dates).

I would also like to point your attention to another Advent resource called the Advent Conspiracy Scrooge film

. Check out this video:

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This Christmas season, don’t be sucked into the rush and chaos of what so much of Christmas has unfortunately become. Take time this year to embrace this season for all it means and is meant to represent. This is the time when we remember and celebrate the coming of Jesus into the world to rescue us. The world has never been the same, so don’t let this time slip by – celebrate the coming of Jesus and look with expectation to his return!

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I’d love to hear about how you celebrate so please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.

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Meditation 3 – Looking Within

The final part of our Advent reflection is to look within. We have looked back at the first coming of Jesus, looked ahead at the Second coming, and now we look at the coming of Jesus into our own lives. This is a time to reflect on where we stand right now with Jesus and how we need His redemption to work in us.

Readings:
Psalm 63:1
Psalm 130:7
Philippians 2:12-13
Colossians 1:13-15
1 John 1:6-9

Reflection:

Advent is a time of longing for redemption. Prior to Jesus birth, the Jewish people were longing for their Messiah to appear; but, today we, acknowledging that Jesus has come and is the Messiah, long for His redemption in our lives. With this in mind, Advent becomes a time when we can identify the things in our lives that need to be redeemed by our Savior.

Those that follow Christ know that throughout life, we must continually allow Christ to work in all the areas of our lives that need to be changed. Throughout our life, we are to constantly ask God to search our hearts and identify things that hinder our life with Him. “Continue to work out your salvation,” as Philippians 2:12 says.

For this final meditation, we want to look at our lives and invite God to search our hearts. We all have areas or things in our life that need to be redeemed and changed by God. Jesus has come to redeem not only our souls, but our entire lives.

Exercises:

1. On a piece of paper write, “Powers that hold me in their grip.” List everything that you can think of from which you would like to be set free. These may be bad habits, undesirable relationships, a job that is stifling and unrewarding, a bad temper, jealousy, envy, dishonesty, or any blockage to living by the spirit of joy, temperance, and generosity. Commit it to the one who comes to set the prisoners free, turn it over to Christ in prayer, and ask the one who is to come into your life to take over this problem up into himself.

2. Take a look at your daily life. Ask God to reveal an area of your life that needs to be more fully devoted to Him. Write down what God brings to your mind. Reflect on and write down ways in which you can, with God’s help, allow this part of your life to be given to Him. Now commit this to God and ask for His help.

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Please feel free to share you thoughts in the comments.

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Meditation 2 – Looking Ahead

We began Advent by meditating on the first “coming” of Jesus, we continue now by turning our hearts and minds to the return of Jesus; the “Second Coming”.

Take some time over the next week and a half to study the following scriptures, read the material, answer the reflection questions and practice the exercises. You may consider doing this as part of a small group or in your family devotions.

Readings: The Player movie download

John 14:3
Acts 1:9-11
1 Corinthians 15:51-52
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
Titus 2:11-13
2 Peter 3
Revelation 22:20

Waiting:

Jesus himself spoke of his return in the Book of John. He told the disciples that he was going to prepare a place for them and that he would come back to get them (and us). And as Jesus ascended in Heaven after giving the disciples their mission, angels also testified to the fact that He would indeed be back (Acts 1:11). Lastly, Jesus says in the final words of the Bible, “Surely I am coming soon.” (Revelation 22:20).
The Bible is clear that Jesus is going to come back to this earth and finish what he started; the Story is not over!.

The fact that Jesus is coming back provides us with hope. In the end, evil does not win, God does. This great hope tells us that we need not surrender to evil. Though the clouds may seem dark today, the future is bright! Jesus is coming back and will deal the final blow to evil and will establish his Kingdom forever!

This great hope offers to us optimism about life. When Jesus returns, he will bring wholeness to those who love and follow Him. There will be no more pain, no more sin, no more tears or death. Knowing that He is going to return and make all things new (Isaiah 65) helps us to look at this life in a whole new way.

From the song Sing to the King by Billy Foote:

For His returning we watch and we pray
We will be ready the dawn of that day
We’ll join in singing with all the redeemed
‘Cause Satan is vanquished and Jesus is King

Reflection:

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1. When you think about the Second Coming of Jesus, what do you feel? Hope? Fear? Confusion? Why do you think you feel this way?

2. Do you tend to have a pessimistic (negative) or optimistic (positive) outlook on life? Why?

3. How does Jesus’ return give us hope?

4. What area in your life can you apply this hope to?

5. How should we live while we wait for Jesus’ return? (see Matthew 25, Titus 2:11-13, 2 Peter 3:11-15)

Exercises:

1. When you encounter the effects of evil and sin in this world, take a moment to think about the return of Jesus and thank Him that when he returns these things will be no more.

2. Tell someone about Jesus’ return. Do as 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 says and encourage someone with these words. If you share with someone who is not a Christian, listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit and consider sharing with them the good news of Jesus.

3. Read Matthew 25. Think of specific ways of how you can, as you await the return of your Master, do what these verses tell us.

4. Read 2 Peter 3:8-10. According to these verses, why hasn’t Jesus returned yet? Take some time and reflect on the answer.

As you take some time over the next week and a half to work through the scripture readings, reflections questions, and exercises please feel free to share your thoughts and comments on what God is teaching you.Similar Posts:

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Meditation 1 – Looking Back

The first part of our Advent reflection is to look back; back to the first coming of Jesus to this earth. We will step into history and reflect on the Jewish expectations of the Messiah, the simple yet profound obedience of Mary and the humble beginnings of a King.

Take some time over the next week and a half to study the following scriptures, read the material, answer the reflection questions and practice the exercises. You may consider doing this as part of a small group or in your family devotions.

Readings and Reflections:

Expectations

Read the following passages and try and take note of how they may have shaped the expectations that the Jewish people had of the Messiah:

Isaiah 2:2-4; 9:6-7; 11:1-2; 16:4-5; 22:22-23; 27:12-13; 52:13; 56:8; 60:1-5

Jeremiah 23:5-8; 31:31-34; 33:14-17

Micah 5:2-5

Zechariah 9:9-10

From these passages, what kind of Messiah do you think people where expecting?

Now read Luke 3:1-17 where John the Baptist makes his announcement of the soon coming Messiah.

What kind of Messiah is John announcing? How does the Messiah John announces differ from what the Jews might have been expecting? What are some similarities?

Think about the expectations that you sometimes have of Jesus. What are they? What aspects of Jesus do you tend to emphasize? What aspects do you tend to ignore? How might you allow your expectations to be shaped not by your own desires, but by the Message presented in the Bible?

Simple Obedience

Read Luke 1:26-38

Try to place yourself in Mary’s shoes. Here is a young girl awaiting to be married and getting ready to start her life as an adult. Then all of a sudden everything changes. This is no minor interruption either! She has been elected to be the birth mother to the Savior!

How does Mary respond to the angel’s initial greeting?

How does she first react to the message that she is going to be pregnant?

What is Mary’s final response to what the angel has told her?

How do you think you would have reacted if you were in Mary’s position?

How did Joseph respond to this strange news that his fiancé’ was going to be giving birth to the Son of God? (see Matthew 1:18-25)

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How would you have reacted?
Has God ever told you something or asked you to do something that might have seemed unreasonable? How did you respond?

We can learn a lot about simple obedience in this story. From Mary’s “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me according to your word” to Joseph’s change of heart after a dream. These two humble people made a decision to trust God and obey what had been said. They had their initial doubts and questions, but decided, even in the midst of a confusing situation, to trust and obey. Think about your own life right now. In what way do you need to trust God? In what way do you need to obey? Now commit these things to Him who is worthy of our trust and obedience.

Birth of a King

Read Luke 2:1-20

Jesus’ birth was not what we might expect for the Savior of the world. It was a humble beginning for this King. How might you have expected Jesus to enter the word?

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Read Philippians 2:1-11

What do we see about Jesus’ nature and character in reading this passage and comparing it to Luke 2:1-20?

Please feel free to share you comments and thoughts in the comments section below

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