Okatoma Resort & RV Park, Hattiesburg, Mississippi
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. ~ Isaiah 9:2
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR DECEMBER LOVED ONES! My cousin Ed, my brother David and my Aunt Mitchi!
See our coach across the pond?
Just three days after celebrating Thanksgiving, brings us into a new time of celebration. Today is the first Sunday of Advent. A time of preparation for the birth of the Savior of the world. Just what is Advent and how did it begin? I found this answer in a book Blaine’s mother, Joan, gave us called “Unwrapping the names of Jesus” by Asheritah Ciuciu (she’s Romanian, but studied English and Women’s Ministry at Cedarville University in Ohio.
Advent means “coming,” from the Latin word ‘adventus’, and demarks a season of expectantly preparing to celebrate the first coming of Jesus, while eagerly awaiting His second coming to establish His kingdom, even as we celebrate His presence among us through the promised Holy Spirit.
Although it’s impossible to pinpoint the exact date the church began observing Advent, the first clear reference to this preparatory period occurred in the sixth century, with some anecdotal mentions as early as AD 380, at the Spanish Council of Saragossa. Various church traditions practice Advent differently, but generally they set aside the four weeks leading up to Christmas to prepare their hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
During the Reformation, some Protestants deemphized the Christian liturgical calendar in a desire to make a clean break from the Catholic Church. But in so doing, we have lost some of the richness that comes form bridging worship in the twenty-first century to that of the early church. As Philip Meade points out, “Although we are wise to not make our residence in the past, we nevertheless should appreciate and recognize the importance of what the church as been doing for hundreds of years.” Insofar as this practice can help us meditate on Scripture and more fully enter the season of Christmas, it is a worthwhile addition to our Christmas traditions, and many evangelical churches are recognizing this as they add Advent practices to their Christmas church programs.
As it’s celebrated in the Western church, Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and is observed through Christmas Eve. Observances often include an Advent calendar, Advent daily devotionals, and an Advent wreath, an evergreen wreath containing five candles. Each candle represents a theme and is lit on successive Sundays and Christmas Eve. The themes that correspond to each week also very by location and denomination, but generally include these variations: hope (or promise), preparation (or waiting or prophecy), joy (or peace), and love (or adoration). . . . .
We all suffer from soul amnesia, forgetting who God is and what He has done for us from one day to the next. Like you, I too must remind myself each year who Jesus is and why His birth is so miraculous – not because my mind doesn’t know, but because my heart ceases to be amazed. As the old saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt, and sadly, my own heart loses that sense of wonder. So I wrote this book for you and for me, an offering to help us grow in both our knowledge and love of Jesus. In the words of Jen Wilkin, “The heart cannot love what the mind does not know.” . . . .
Any time you spend quieting your heart before God and worshiping Him is time well spent. But be assured of this: God is not going to be disappointed if you miss a day (or a week’s) devotional. Nor is He going to be impressed if you check it off each day. The purpose of (a devotional) is not to get more favor with God – Jesus already secured His approval when He took our place on the cross. You are preapproved in Jesus; He invites you to rest in His finished work.
The purpose of (a devotional) is to help us worship Jesus as we gain a greater sense of awe and wonder at Who He is. We prepare our hearts so that when we admire the live nativity scene, when we sit in the candlelight service, and when we wake up Christmas morning, we can join the faithful who have gone before us and sing from the bottom of our hearts, “O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!”
The Pastor of Seminary Baptist Church, couldn’t say it any better than that. That’s where we attended services this morning. Pam (the campground owner I talked with yesterday) and her husband weren’t there. Hmmm . . . maybe I should’ve accepted her offer to chauffer us after all . . .
This congregation did a couple of unusual things this morning. Because it was the first Sunday of the month, they recognized those with birthdays and anniversaries in December and had them stand for applause. Nice. But the really unusual part was when the ushers came around and collected an offering – – from the honorees – – that would be given to a designated ministry. And then the entire congregation sang a simple song about birthdays, etc. Just a thought . . . wonder how many don’t show up on the first Sunday of their month? Hopefully, they’re all cheerful givers!
The other thing? There were Christmas decorations, but no Advent Wreath. No wreath, no candles, no calendar, no Advent Scripture reading, nothing. We’ve never been in a church at this time of year that didn’t.
Today’s message focused on Malachi 4:1-6, but really covered most of the book. For those of you who may not know, Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament. It’s believed to be the very last word from God before giving the nation of Israel the silent treatment for over 400 years; broken when the angel of the Lord talked to John the Baptist’s father, Zachariah and told him of the coming birth of his son.
Malachi is filled with God’s condemnation of Israel’s practices and lack of faith. But it is also filled with God’s love for His people, and the promise of the coming Messiah. It’s a wake-up call to the people, pointing out the faults in their religion’s practices and exposing their true heart attitudes – – God says, “It is you, O priests, who show contempt for My name.” And the people ask “How?” And God proceeds to tell them how they’ve moved from presenting only the very best offerings to Him, to presenting only the leftovers or the defective animals. God says, “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob Me.” And then proceeds to point out to them how they withhold their tithes and offerings. He reminds them that if they bring in everything they’re supposed to, that He will then bless them beyond measure. God tells them “You have wearied Me with your words.” Because they’ve adopted the mindset that “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and He is pleased with them.” Or, they say, “Where is the God of justice?” And so it goes throughout the book.
It’s a great message for us today. God’s people were disobedient and had fallen so far they didn’t even recognize it! Just as we have today. But what does any of this have to do with Christmas and preparing for Jesus’ birth?
It actually had a lot to do with it. These people from 2,500 years ago, weren’t much different from us today. We too, deserve God’s condemnation for our words and mindsets. But praise God, we live in an age where Jesus has rescued us from that condemnation! It doesn’t mean we have a free pass to do and say and think whatever we want. Thankfully, God looks on the heart when we make a mistake, but it’s our responsibility to be ever vigilant in learning what He expects from us as believers. God requires repentance – a changed heart, not just an apology.
And so, God tells His people through the prophet Malachi in the third chapter, that He’s sending “…My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to His temple; the messenger of the Covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty.
This is referring to the birth and ministry of John the Baptist, and the coming Messiah, Jesus. And so, God’s Word was fulfilled yet again. And our eternal hope.
God’s message through Malachi is filled with doom for those who anger Him, but love and protection for those who revere Him. “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the LORD Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.”
The message is to remind them of God’s great love. He can’t NOT love because God IS love (John 1). God’s love never fails and it never ceases. It is always reaching down, always pursuing us. John the Baptist gave witness. The Law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Praise God for the hope that we have because He loves us so much!
This afternoon, we drove into the town of Hattiesburg to visit their zoo. It’s just a small thing, as is reflected by their admittance fee – just $5. But the way they have it laid out and decorated, it seems larger than it is. What a really nice zoo!
How often do you say that about a trashcan??
I picked this one because Cooper’s room is decorated with sloths. : )
Walking all over (and quickly for a tortoise) the pen he shares with the flamingos!
I believe there were six of them . . . : )
But we felt badly for the tiger. He just kept pacing back and forth. . .
It’s supposed to look like I’m petting the life-sized tiger on the display.
Made from fabric like all the other ‘extras’ here.
Wonder why they have the harnesses on?
Costs extra, but I don’t know how much. We didn’t ride it.
Kinda like a petting zoo.
These didn’t seem to care that we were there though.
Well, there wasn’t a tree, but this is definitely a Kookaburra!
One’s hat blew off.
She was begging for attention from the zoo worker standing beside us! (hence the marred window)
The worker said she’s trained to give blood and get her nails trimmed, etc. Just look at those eyes, though!
Then again, the entire thing looks pretty strange. : )
and we don’t know what the animal in the front is.
And how blessed we were to be able to share a wonderful afternoon enjoying a small sample of God’s Creation.