The
Light of Hope Shines in the Darkness
This
week we will look at the Old Testament, beginning in Genesis. We
will
see Christ in creation, the creation of people and then evil and why it
was necessary for Jesus to come. We will also see Noah, the Tower of
Babel, Abraham, Samuel and King David... amazingly it is all related to the coming of
Christ.
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| First Candle Lit |
Light the first candle in your Advent wreath: It is the candle of Expectation or Hope (prophecy). For
thousands of years God spoke to His people through the prophets. (People who
hear God speak) They spoke of a Chosen One, a just King, who
would come and deliver His people from darkness and the misery caused by
sin. Their prophecies are recorded in the Bible and gave God's children
hope. They anticipated and longed for the coming of a
Chosen one. These prophecies weave through Biblical history, like a gleaming golden
thread in the great tapestry of time. A prophet named Isaiah wrote about
the darkness and discouragement of
the people and most importantly about a very special child who would
come and be a righteous and just King. Look at the Sunday post below to see
how Isaiah describes Him.
Sunday
A Great Light Will Shine
Isaiah 9:2-6
Isaiah 9:2-6
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| A Great Light will Shine |
"The people who walk in darkness
will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness,
a light will shine...
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:2-6 NLT
Blessings ~
Sheri
Monday
God Created
Genesis 1
The story of the Advent is the story of the coming of Christ. The story of Jesus Christ actually begins in the very beginning of the Bible on the first page of the book of Genesis and extends to the very last page of the book of The Revelation of Jesus Christ. In fact, there are many places in the New Testament that speak of Jesus being right there in the beginning of creation with God. In the book of John he refers to Jesus as the Word and says,
Genesis 1
The story of the Advent is the story of the coming of Christ. The story of Jesus Christ actually begins in the very beginning of the Bible on the first page of the book of Genesis and extends to the very last page of the book of The Revelation of Jesus Christ. In fact, there are many places in the New Testament that speak of Jesus being right there in the beginning of creation with God. In the book of John he refers to Jesus as the Word and says,
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through Him and without Him nothing was made that was made."
John 1:1-3 NKJ
"In the beginning" is very reminiscent of in the first words in Genesis"
Read More:
Tuesday
The Fall of Humanity
Genesis 2, 3 Isaiah 9:2, Romans 5:18, 12 -19
In yesterdays post, God Created, we learned about how God created the heavens and the earth. The first thing he did was to speak light, beautiful glorious light into existence. If you remember, in our first Advent post A Great Light will Shine Isaiah is quoted:
Read More:
Genesis 2, 3 Isaiah 9:2, Romans 5:18, 12 -19
In yesterdays post, God Created, we learned about how God created the heavens and the earth. The first thing he did was to speak light, beautiful glorious light into existence. If you remember, in our first Advent post A Great Light will Shine Isaiah is quoted:
"The people who walk in darkness will see a great light."
Isaiah 9:2 NLT
What did he mean by that? Where did this darkness come from? We will see in this post. Strangely, it is part, a very important part of the story of the Coming of Jesus Christ. It tells us why He came.
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| Adam and Eve Expelled from the Garden |
What did he mean by that? Where did this darkness come from? We will see in this post. Strangely, it is part, a very important part of the story of the Coming of Jesus Christ. It tells us why He came.
Wednesday:
Evil Multiplies
Genesis 4 - 12This post is a summary of how sin multiplied as shown in Genesis chapters 4- 12: 1-3... 2 Chronicles 16:9, Hebrews 11: 8-10
When Adam and Eve decided to eat the fruit; it was a decision to not trust God and believe what He said. Once they ate the fruit, evil entered into their hearts and marred the goodness God created them to have, when He made them in His Own image. And when they had their first two sons evil was passed along to them as well, in the attitude of the heart. Every human being has a choice... will I trust and follow God or do things my own way?
Along with evil came great tragedy and sorrow. Then as this evil spread evil it resulted in the deep darkness that we saw in Isaiah in our first Advent post A Great Light will Shine. What does this have to do with Advent, the coming of Christ? Keep following and you will see.
In this post continues the spread of evil and darkness. Aw, but there is hope too found in two men whose hearts were loyal to God. Read more
Thursday:
Abraham’s Son of the Promise
Reading: Genesis 15-22
Long ago, there was a man named Abram, who had a wife named Sarai. They were childless and were getting very old. Abram cried out to God:
'O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don't even have a son? Since You have given me no children;... a servant in my household will inherit all my wealth.' And then the Lord said to him, 'No your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir. Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him,
Read More
Friday:
Samuel and the King
I Samuel 1, 16
As we saw yesterday, the Lord said to Sarah "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" With in the year, 90 year old Sarah miraculously had a son. Many years later there was a woman named Hannah who longed to have a son. She went with her husband to Shiloh for a sacrificial meal. During the meal, she got up to pray. She was in deep anguish and was crying bitterly. She made this vow to the Lord: "Oh Lord... if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime..." I Samuel 1:9-12 NLT The priest Eli was watching her and assumed she was drunk. But Hannah told him how she was praying out of great sorrow. Eli said to her..."May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of Him." vs 17 Read More
As we saw yesterday, the Lord said to Sarah "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" With in the year, 90 year old Sarah miraculously had a son. Many years later there was a woman named Hannah who longed to have a son. She went with her husband to Shiloh for a sacrificial meal. During the meal, she got up to pray. She was in deep anguish and was crying bitterly. She made this vow to the Lord: "Oh Lord... if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime..." I Samuel 1:9-12 NLT The priest Eli was watching her and assumed she was drunk. But Hannah told him how she was praying out of great sorrow. Eli said to her..."May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of Him." vs 17 Read More
Saturday:
David’s Question to God
David’s Question to God
Psalm 8:1, 3 amplified; 4
Long ago, a shepherd boy, penned the following Psalm (song). I can imagine him on a hillside, bedded down with his sheep, looking up into the heavens, amazed with it's vastness and glory. By comparison he must have felt so small and insignificant. As he gazed in awe of this creation he asked God the following question: Read More
This concludes Week One of Advent - The Light of Hope Shines in the Darkness. Beginning tomorrow, the start of Week Two; The light of Faith Revealed in The Light of Faith Revealed in Struggle. In this week we fast forward to the time just before the coming of Christ. We will look at not only the Light of Hope seen in the prophesies of the Coming King; but also the struggles of faith in the people God chose to be part of the story to bring forth His Son.
Long ago, a shepherd boy, penned the following Psalm (song). I can imagine him on a hillside, bedded down with his sheep, looking up into the heavens, amazed with it's vastness and glory. By comparison he must have felt so small and insignificant. As he gazed in awe of this creation he asked God the following question: Read More
This concludes Week One of Advent - The Light of Hope Shines in the Darkness. Beginning tomorrow, the start of Week Two; The light of Faith Revealed in The Light of Faith Revealed in Struggle. In this week we fast forward to the time just before the coming of Christ. We will look at not only the Light of Hope seen in the prophesies of the Coming King; but also the struggles of faith in the people God chose to be part of the story to bring forth His Son.
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