Life Is Short

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Today’s Reading: Ephesians 5:15-21

15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 
 

Paul’s point: life is short and therefore don’t waste your time living in the old way—Christ has come and the new age is here.

 

"Awake, O Sleeper!"

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Today’s Reading: Ephesians 5:1-14

5:1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.  6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,
    rise from the dead,
    and Christ will shine on you.”

 
 

Just as in the previous passage, Paul is contrasting what used to be true about the Ephesian Christians with what is true about them: they no longer walk in darkness, but in light.

 

How Now Are You?

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Okay, I’ll admit it: I had another title typed out—”Stop Living in the Past!”—but when I searched for an image to go with it, I found the one I’m using above. I kinda like it.

Today’s Reading: Ephesians 4:25-32

25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

 
 

Paul’s point in the earlier parts of the letter is that those who believe in Jesus have put on the new humanity and taken off the old humanity. The ethical exhortations in today’s passage are about reminding the Ephesian Christians that they need to live in the now and put aside the old. To Paul it’s all about identity, and because the Ephesian Christians’ identity is now in Christ, there is no need to live in the old ways anymore. To Paul, identity is first, and behavior comes out of that.

 

Does This Not Describe Our Culture Today?

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Today’s Reading: Ephesians 4:17-24

17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

 
 

It’s as if Paul is describing our culture today, and his words to the Ephesian church can also apply to us: don’t go back to living like everyone else, but be different.

 

Paul’s Prayer

Bible study TONIGHT, 6-7 PM. Can’t wait.


Today’s Reading: Ephesians 3:14-21

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rootedand established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Paul prays:

  1. That the Spirit gives the Ephesians inner strength;

  2. That God might help them KNOW his love;

  3. And that they be filled with God’s presence.


Why not pray those same 3 things for yourself today?

Paul Talks About His Sense of Mission

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Don’t forget that I’m teaching a churchwide Bible study tomorrow evening, 6-7 PM at Munger.

Today’s Reading: Ephesians 3:7-13

7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given methrough the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.

 
 

Paul tells the Ephesians that it was God’s gracious plan to make Paul the messenger to the non-Jews. And the message? It is the revealing of God’s secret plan: namely that God wants to include both Jews and non-Jews into his family.

 
 

0 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. 13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

 
 

Paul tells the Ephesians that God’s intent is that the spiritual powers (“rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms”) would see the unified, multi-ethnic nature of the church.

Paul tells the Ephesians not to be discouraged by his imprisonment; rather, his imprisonment should bring them honor, since God’s power turns things upside down, just as the Crucifixion led to the Resurrection.

 

Not Beige, But Rainbow-Colored

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There is a way that the world speaks of unity that implies sameness—beige.

But—and this is something I’ve been learning over the past year—this is not at all the biblical picture of unity. God’s plan to unite all humanity is not to erase differences, but to unite all people in Christ in the midst of their differences. You might say that God’s plan is for unity in diversity—not beige, but rainbow-colored.

Forgive me for missing on Friday—I needed a bit more time to study this passage.

 
 

Today’s Reading: Ephesians 2:11-22 [Friday] and Ephesians 3:1-6 [Today]

2:11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

 
 

Paul is addressing the mainly non-Jewish Christian members of the Ephesian church, reminding them that under the terms of the old covenant, only the Jews were part of the covenant people of God—the non-Jewish peoples were outsiders, foreigners. But, because of what Jesus has done, they have now been brought into the family of God.

 
 

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

 
 

How has Christ Jesus brought the non-Jewish believers into the family of God? By fulfilling the Law perfectly and dying on behalf of everyone else. It used to be that the way you were part of God’s covenant people was by attempting to keep the Torah. But now the way you are part of God’s covenant people is just by trusting in the gospel message. This means that it doesn’t matter what culture you come from—people from all cultures can trust the message and be included.

This also means that we don’t have to be the same! Our unity comes from the fact that we all heard the good news and trusted it. God’s plan is not to erase our differences, but rather to erase our sin and bring us all into his family, along with our differences. It’s a rainbow-colored church.

 
 

19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

 
 

And now, both Jewish believers in Jesus and non-Jewish believers in Jesus—as Jews and non-Jews—are part of the living Temple that God is building. The Temple is where God’s presence was; it was where heaven and earth came together. Now, that place is where God’s people are.

 
 

3:1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation,as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

 
 

Paul says that this secret plan of God—to bring back all people into one family—is his special mission, and that God is revealing that plan to the leaders of the early church. You no longer have to be Jewish to be part of the covenant people—now all it takes to be part of the covenant people is not to live by the Jewish law, but to simply trust the gospel message.

Again, it is profoundly important that we understand the implications of what Paul is saying: God is NOT making all people the same; rather, God is bringing ANYONE who believes into his family, no matter what culture they come from.

God isn’t planning on erasing our differences, but bringing us into unity while still being different.

A rainbow of colors, not a drab beige.

What Happens After Salvation

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Today’s Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10

2:1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

Paul tells the Ephesians that before they heard the gospel about Jesus and trusted in it—i.e., before they became Christians—they were actually following “the ruler of the kingdom of the air”, i.e., some kind of personalized spiritual power. We’ll say more about this in the future.

The point is that they were alive but dead, spiritual zombies.

 

3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

But Paul says that everybody was actually a spiritual zombie, even the Jews. And no one deserved anything good.

 

4 But because of his great love for us,God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

“But God.” Although we were dead, God has made us alive—and not because we deserved it!

 

6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

 

And then, in one of these Pauline paradoxes, Paul says that we have already been raised with Christ and seated with Christ in the heavenly dimensions. It’s one of these strange “now and not yet” statements. More on this later!

 

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We are not saved BY our good works;

Rather, we are saved FOR good works.

That’s worth pondering for a long while.

 

Compare How You Pray to How Paul Prays

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Today’s Reading: Ephesians 1:15-23

15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

And this is what he prays:

17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

He prays that they might have an “apocalypse” [remember, “apocalypse” doesn’t mean end of the world—it means to reveal or uncover something, and it is that word that is here translated “revelation”] and see things as they really are.

18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

Paul wants them to have spiritual insight into the hope and future that God has for them, and to know that God’s power is stronger than any rival power.

That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

And the clearest evidence of God’s power is the Resurrection of Jesus. Not only was Jesus raised from the dead, but he’s now ruling over all rival powers.

 
 

Is that how you pray? Paul wants God to give the Ephesians an apocalypse, thereby revealing his power to them.

This is certainly not how I normally pray. Seems like it’s time to start.

"I Don't Think It Means What You Think It Means"

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There’s this great scene in The Princess Bride where one of the characters keeps describing everything as “inconceivable,” a tendency which prompts one of the other characters to say:

“You keep using that word; I do not think it means what you think it means.”
— Inigo Montoya
 
 
 
 

This same phenomenon is in today’s reading—Paul will use words and we’ll think we know what he’s talking about, but we’ll be exactly wrong. This is particularly true of the word “predestined”.

 

Today’s Reading: Ephesians 1:11-14

11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

The “we” here are Jewish Christians. When Paul speaks of “predestination” he is not talking about Reformation-era theological debates over salvation and free will; rather, he is talking about God’s choosing of Israel as his chosen people. Paul points out that the Jewish Christians came first. Do not read Reformation debates back into Paul—rather, work hard to understand what Paul meant, and then see how that meaning applies to theological debates that took place 1,500 years later.

 

13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Those Reformation theological debates often have to do with why people come to believe—were they chosen by God beforehand to believe, i.e., were they “predestined” in the way we use that term?. Paul is not interested in that question. For him, it is simply that some people heard that gospel and then believed, and that is what makes a Christian.

Speaking to the Ephesian non-Jewish Christians, he tells them that, through their belief in the gospel message, they also were “included” in Christ, and the proof of their inclusion is the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

 
 

Why Should Anyone Care About This?

  1. If we choose to approach Paul on his terms, and not our own, we will find that he has lots to say that speaks to our contemporary questions and trials but in unexpected ways. If, on the other hand, we demand that Paul answer our questions and if we arrogantly assume that we know what Paul means when he uses words which later became loaded theological phrases, we’ll end up learning nothing and destroy Paul’s message in the process.

  2. The way Paul describes what it takes to become part of Christ is simple and moving: hearing, and then trusting what you’ve heard.

Two Questions for Reflection

  1. How will people hear if they don’t hear it from us?

  2. What are you doing with what you’ve heard? Are you trusting in the gospel message, or in worldly wisdom?

Our 2022 Bible Reading Plan Begins Today!

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Today we begin our reading plan through Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians; we’ll finish on Friday, January 28. The readings are assigned on weekdays only, and each day’s reading is brief and manageable. You can do this.

Each weekday morning I’ll post here a brief reflection on that day’s reading to help you get the most out of what you’ve read. (Posts go live on my blog at 3:30 AM and are emailed to the people on my Bible email list at 4:00 AM. Check your spam folder if you are missing a post.) My goal is not to offer exhaustive commentary on the reading, but rather to give you one thing that helps tie the reading to your everyday life.

My sermon series on Ephesians starts this coming weekend, and our first Ephesians churchwide Bible study will be Wednesday, January 12, 6-7 PM, with dinner to follow.

Here we go.

 
 

Today’s Reading: Ephesians 1:1-10

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:

2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

 
 

The main idea of this letter, as well as the main idea of the long, run-on sentence in today’s reading—verses 3-14 are actually one long sentence in Greek!—is found in verse 10:

The purpose of all that God has done is “to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ”.

We’ll talk much more about the concept of unity, but it’s not hard to see the need for it these days.

We’re a divided people:

  • skin color;

  • language;

  • citizenship;

  • party;

  • ideology;

  • language;

  • location;

  • etc.

Divisions breed more divisions, which breed hatred and misery.

But we’re actually all part of the same human family, and God did something in Jesus to bring us all back together.

This is what Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is about, and this is why we’re going to read, study, and savor it to kick off this new year.

 
 

Today’s Question for Reflection

How can you be a unifier in the name of Christ today?

Cosmic Christmas

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Our Final Advent Reading (Day 20)—John 1:1-14

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who be- lieved in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 
 

Summary: John unfolds the great mystery of the Incarnation.

 
 

Matthew and Luke start with the events leading up to the birth of Christ, but John starts before the beginning: with the pre-existent Word.
I’m grateful for the particularity and earthiness of the infancy narratives in Matthew and Luke, but I’m also grateful for John’s beautiful prologue that sets the Incarnation in a cosmic context.

And I love his beautiful reminder:
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Be encouraged. Christmas means Hope!

Merry Christmas.

The Grace of God is a Person

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Advent Reading (Day 19): Titus 2:11-14

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 wait ing for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

 
 

The grace of God has appeared, saving all.

 
 

Titus is one of our New Testament letters, written by the Apostle Paul to a man named Titus. Like most of the New Testament letters, it predates the Gospels and comes from the earliest days of the church.

What I find fascinating is Paul’s simple statement: “for the grace of God has appeared.”

The grace of God is Jesus Christ!

Question for the Day:

What does it mean for the world that the grace of God is a person?

 

The Magi

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Advent Reading (Day 18): Matthew 2:1-11

2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:


6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

 
 

Summary: The wise men follow a star to find the child Jesus, the King of the Jews.

 
 

Just as the prophets had foretold, the Messiah was born in Bethle- hem and representatives of the nations came bearing tribute:

• Micah 5:2-5 (see December 14, Day 11) says that the Messiah will come from Bethlehem;
• Isaiah 60:1-6 (see December 10, Day 09) says that the nations will come to honor God’s people.

And this is exactly what happened in its own surprising way. God is endlessly surprising and always faithful.
Be encouraged today!

 

Christmas War

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Advent Reading (Day 17): Luke 2:8-16

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shep- herds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.

 
 

The shepherds go to see the Savior of the world, lying in a manger.

 
 

The meaning of the entire Christmas story changes when you understand that the word “hosts” is just an old fashioned way of saying “armies.”
Christmas is about WAR—war with spiritual weapons.

We wage spiritual war through prayer, silence, and love.

How can you fight back through prayer today?

 

Census at Bethlehem

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[The image above is of my favorite painting: “Census at Bethlehem,” by Pieter Brueghel the Elder (1566).]

 

Advent Reading (Day 16): Luke 2:1-7

2:1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,[b] who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

 
 

Summary: Against a backdrop of emperors and taxes, Jesus is born.

 
 

Caesar had no idea that God was using his census as a way to move Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, thereby ensuring that the Messiah was born in David’s city.


What current events, happenings, or occurrences might God be using for his purposes in our time?

 

Joseph the Righteous

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Advent Reading (Day 15): Matthew 1:18-25

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came to- gether she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spir- it. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

 
 

Summary: The righteousness of Joseph.

 
 

Joseph finds out Mary is pregnant before he hears from the angel. Thanks be to God Joseph decided to act mercifully toward Mary.

To whom can you show mercy—unmerited favor—today?

Strong in Spirit

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Advent Reading (Day 14) - Luke 1:57-80

57 When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”

61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. 66 Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.

Zechariah’s Song

67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a horn[a] of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
71 salvation from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us—
72 to show mercy to our ancestors
    and to remember his holy covenant,
73     the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
    and to enable us to serve him without fear
75     in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
    through the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
79 to shine on those living in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

 
 

Summary: The birth of John the Baptist.

 
 

I like that last sentence:
“And the child grew and became strong in spirit.”

Sounds like something for which we each should be aiming in the year ahead:
Spiritual Strength.