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The Waiting of the Second Advent
If you missed the last post, please read The Waiting of Advent first. This week the focus is: how we are to wait for what hasn’t happened yet? How do we wait when we have unmet desires? And especially how do we wait for the second and final arrival of Christ? A reminder, these thoughts were generated by the study of Our Hope Has Come as I led our life group through. Though we are never given exact dates for Christ’s return, we are told what we should be doing. The Great Commission, a few of Jesus’ last words to His disciples, is found in Matthew 28:18-20. “All authority has…
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The Waiting of Advent
This year my women’s life group studied advent through the Bible study, Our Hope Has Come. The major theme is on the waiting. Something most of us do not like to do! I hate waiting! Of course there was the waiting for the arrival of the Messiah for the Jewish nation. He had been promised and God would bring it to pass, but when? Finally, Jesus arrives, granted, not like most people expected. Many didn’t believe. But He came. Today, we wait for his second advent…the arrival of the new heaven and earth for all eternity. We didn’t just study the nativity itself as you might think for a Christmas…
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5 Women with a Connection…Part 4
If you could come up with one sin you have committed that disqualifies you from being used by God, what would it be? I’d have to sort through more than one myself. But the truth is, for a follower of Christ, there is not one sin the Lord would call out to us. The fourth woman in this series is Bathsheba. Her story is found in 2 Samuel 11. Men ruled in the ancient world. Women were not in the marketplace and didn’t have a strong voice in a marriage. And the kings had supreme power over their kingdoms and its inhabitants. In 2 Samuel 11:1-5, we see the “man…
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5 Women With a Connection…Part 3
Have you ever left your home and family to move to a place you had never been? Perhaps even a foreign country? That’s what Ruth did. Maybe you are familiar with her story, maybe not. Let’s back up and talk about her mother-in-law Naomi. She, along with her husband Elimelech and sons Mahlon and Chilion, moved from Jerusalem to Moab (a godless nation) due to the famine in Israel. This was a time period of the Judges in Israel and the famine was devastating. In Moab, the sons married Moabite women. Eventually, her husband and sons died leaving Naomi, and her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, widows. In that day…
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5 Women With A Connection…Part 2
Have you ever done something that you think eliminates you from being used by God for Kingdom purpose? The is the second in a series so please click this category to read part 1 if you missed the intro. The woman in scripture we will look at today is Rahab. First, think about the things you already know about her, if you know her at all from Joshua 2. One word that normally describes her is her occupation: prostitute. We don’t know if she was without any support at all for her daily needs, or if she actually supported her family with this trade. One thing we do know, at…
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Who Hates Disruptions?
Task oriented people like me! You know, gotta get the job done…today…now! No matter what. What about you? All of us have experienced them. Most of us do not like them. Over 2 years ago the entire world experienced disruption to life as we had known it. In addition to the pandemic, many others also experienced a disruption in their good health, close relationships, face-to-face community we relied on, satisfying jobs, and income that goes with that. And this is the short list. Some experienced continual losses, one after another, along with, and in the middle of, the pandemic. But, what if, for whatever reason, this was God’s plan for…
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He’s Got the Power!
Do you ever waver in your belief in someone? Someone you normally would trust? Have you ever wavered in your trust in God? You know He has all power and wisdom, that He is sovereign, faithful and good, that nothing surprises Him. But sometimes you…just forget? Me too. My Bible reading today included Romans 4. Verses 20-21 became a lifeline to me in a difficult time in ministry years ago. A time when I was just over it, didn’t want to continue. I sought God’s direction of whether to walk away from this ministry position, or stick it out, but couldn’t get a clear answer. Then one day, this verse…
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A New Year…And?
I just reflected on where my thoughts and heart were this time last year. Here was my new years post then, What’s Ahead. Now I’m looking into 2022 and wondering again what this year will bring. We cannot predict this new year anymore than we could 2021. We aren’t allowed perfect predictions of the future. We have no idea the wonderful experiences we will have, nor the pains and losses. We can make plans, we can dream and pray, but only the Lord sees every day of 2022 completely. So, what do we do? Simply put, yet so profound, is that we trust the sovereignty of The One who does…
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Christmas Blessings!
My prayer for each of you is that you end 2021 with joy in your heart, no matter the circumstances you are in this Christmas, knowing our Sovereign Christ understands and has purpose. And I pray you anticipate growing deeper in your walk with the Lord in 2022. May you truly experience His peace over your life this Christmas. Banner photo by Toni Cuenca on Unsplash
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The Waiting
I’m in the second week of an Advent study I am doing with my women’s life group, preparing my heart for Christmas. It never gets old to consider the arrival of Christ in the flesh. What if He hadn’t come? I can’t even imagine the feeling of loss and yet, waiting for the promise to be fulfilled in the arrival of the Savior. Imagine the Israelites hearing NOTHING from God for 400 years, Malachi to Matthew! Silence. The most deafening silence they’d probably ever heard. Then…the angels announce the arrival of the baby born miraculously to Mary and Joseph, the long awaited Messiah! Advent means “waiting for the coming of…
