Daily Advent

Thursday, December 5th

Advent 2013 ~ Prophecy Candle

Old Testament: "Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."  Isaiah 7:14

This is the prophecy Isaiah gave that Jesus would be born of a virgin and be called Immanuel, which means: "God is with us."  Fascinating that Jesus is called Immanuel and the angel first told Mary, "the Lord is with you."  The reality that the King of Kings, God of the Universe is with you and I is absolutely amazing.  Only in Christianity does God reach down to our level to and abide with us.  He remains a treasure inside our weak, earthen vessels, never leaving us, or forsaking us.

New Testament: "'How will this be, ' Mary asked the Angel, 'since I am a virgin?' The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.  So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.  Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.  For nothing is impossible with God.'"  Luke 1:34-37

Here we have the unfolding of Isaiah's prophecy.  This young girl, Mary, has not had relations with a man and does not understand logically how the angel's words can come about.  Notice she is not doubting the angels words (unlike Zachariah in the previous chapter).  Instead Mary is trying to figure out how the events being told to her will play out.

As you go about your fourth day of December filled with busyness and haste, remember the Angel's words, which are still true today, "Nothing is impossible with God."

Daily Advent

Wednesday, December 4th

Advent 2013 ~ Prophecy Candle

Old Testament:
"Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever."  Isaiah 9:7

Though Isaiah was born into relative peace and prosperity, it was not long until Judah was a land ravaged by war and internally torn apart. Many of the first parts of Isaiah are prophecies about the Messiah (Jesus).  In this particular passage, Isaiah gives the prophecy that Jesus will establish King David's throne and will rule forever.

New Testament:
"But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and his kingdom will never end.'"  Luke 1:30-33

Notice how closely the angel's proclamation echoes Isaiah's prophecy.  Her Son will be given "the throne of his father David, and his kingdom will never end."  The words of Isaiah hundreds of years earlier are spoken again to a new generation.  We may not see the evidence of His Kingdom in our lives everyday, but I guarantee if we pray for God to open our eyes, we will see His work going on around us to transform lives.

During this Advent season, we look with expectancy at the future promise that Jesus will be our King of righteousness and make all things right.  Whatever area of life you are struggling in, remember, God causes all things to work together for good for those who love him and are called according to His purpose.  Be encouraged to stay strong and experience God's favor and promise.

Daily Advent

Tuesday, December 3rd

Advent 2013 ~ Prophecy Candle

Old Testament:
"'The days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.  In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety.  This is the name by which he will be called: the Lord Our Righteousness.'"  Jeremiah 23:5,6

This is the prophecy Jeremiah had foretelling that Jesus will come from the lineage of King David.

New Testament:
"In the sixth month, God sent an angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man name Joseph, a descendant of David.  The virgin's name was Mary.  The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favored!  The Lord is with you.' Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be."  Luke 1:26-29

I love the angel's first phrases to Mary, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."  It reminds me of the angels first words to Gideon back in Judges 6:12, "The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior."  The angel tells Mary, just like Gideon, that the Lord is with her.  He also speaks a truth about who she is into her life - "she is highly favored."  Mary and Gideon are people who must have had a special connection with the living God.  They did not initially respond in fear, though later the angel does tell both of them not to be afraid, but they responded instead out of curiosity and faith.

May you experience God's favor and presence in your life today!
Connie

Daily Advent

Advent 2013 ~ Prophecy Candle

Monday, December 2nd:

Old Testament: "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."  Micah 5:2

The Jews in Jesus' days were not in complete agreement as to where the Messiah would be born.  Some believed the place would be unknown (John 7:27) while others quoted Micah 5:2 sighting Bethlehem as the place of birth.  When Herod was approached by the wise men from the East and he asked the religious experts where the Messiah was to be born, their response was "in Bethlehem," and they quoted Micah 5:2 (Matthew 2:1-6).

New Testament: "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."  John 1:14

Jesus is the "Word" ~ He has been part of life since before the foundations of the world!  The Word (Jesus) became flesh (was born) and dwelt among us.  If you look up Revelation 19:13, John refers to a person who wears cloths dipped in blood as, "The Word."  Our Advent verses recognize Jesus' presence in the past (Old Testament) and in the future (end times- Revelation).

"The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you." 1 Corinthians 16:23

Daily Advent

Advent 2013 ~ Prophecy Candle

December 1^st marks the beginning of Advent season.

 

The word Advent means, “coming” or “arrival.”  The purpose of Advent is two-fold:

First, advent serves as a reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ- our Lord and Savior.

Second, advent challenges us to look forward to a second advent- when Jesus Christ will return.

It is incredibly important for Christians to stay in the tension of these two realities in all that we do.  Whether it is the Lord’s Supper or daily living, there is an element of looking back and remembering all that Jesus has done for us while also looking to the future of things yet to come.  If we live our Christian walk only looking at the past at the work of the Cross, we miss out on living in the reality of the Kingdom of God alive today.  Christians who refer to Jesus only in past-tense language lack an active, vibrant alive relationship with a very real God.

I will be posting daily two simple Advent scriptures.  The Old Testament scripture prophesies the coming of Jesus as well as other scriptures that bring encouragement and hope during the Christmas Season.  The New Testament passage is a chronology of the events surrounding Jesus’ birth as found in the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John.

The first week of Advent, Christians light the Prophecy Candle (also called the Candle of Hope).  As Advent begins, I challenge you to look back and remember the prophets of thousands of years ago who predicted elements of Jesus’ life.  Remember the details in those prophecies; details that a baby cannot control. As you remember the remarkable fulfillment of so many prophesies, be encouraged and filled with expectancy as you think through other prophesies found in the Bible that have not yet come to fruition.  God is true to His Word.

……………………………………………

Advent Readings for Sunday, December 1, 2013:

Old Testament:  “There will be no more gloom for those who were in distress…in the future he will honor Galilee.  The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.  For to us a child is born, to s a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:1,2,6

New Testament:  “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 came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”  John 1:15

Thursday Night Quiet

It is time for bed.  The house is dark.  Children are quiet.  Even Facebook is not buzzing on my phone with updates and posts.  For the average person, after 10:00 equates bedtime.

For me, however, Thursday evenings are my favorite time.  I do not work at Weldon tomorrow which means after I drop off my children at school, I actually have a moment of peace.  What I have discovered, through the years, is that during the day, when the sun is up, even though I am technically, “free,” I always find things to do: meet friends for coffee, read a good book, work in my garden, tackle a project for work, etc…

Thursdays have since become my night when I stay up late.  

Real late.  

It’s the one chance in my week to be absolutely still and completely quiet.  I crave Thursday nights.  

With no immediate meetings in the morning, or projects requiring high-functioning brain activity, I can allow myself to have a “foggy” morning.  By Thursday I can feel I have become anxious and restless; I am in desperate need of my time of silence.

At night, when the world is quiet, I can dive into an introspective pool of thoughts and swim deep.  With no one to jolt me out of my quiet, I can float motionless letting my reflections linger a little longer than usual and drift deeper into my contemplative abyss of thought.

I am frustrated that I only have one time in my entire week to experience this abundant and overwhelming quiet and peace.  My Friday’s are always better than my other days.  Is it because it’s Friday?  Or is it because I finally had “rebooting” time?

I have tried so many times to have these quiet moments in the morning to no avail.  My mornings are a rush of activity and thoughts for the day ahead of me.  Even if I try to be quiet, the swirls of activity going on around me make it impossible to completely put my guard down.  At any moment, someone will need me.  Oh, don’t get me wrong, I sit and read my Bible or connect with God in some way, but it is so different in the morning compared to my Thursday nights of quiet. 

In the mornings, I am preparing myself for my day; putting on my armor, so to speak.  At night, my armor is off, my guard down, my day is over and it is just me.  Simply Connie sitting before the throne of God being quiet and still.  No agenda.  No requests.  No prayers.  I am not assembling a list of things to accomplish, or tasks I must fulfill.   I don’t bring theological debates or complicated theories.  It is not a time to think analytically, but instead to let the Holy Spirit breathe life into me.

I love the quiet of night.

The second verse of the Bible (Genesis 1:2) echoes my feelings, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”

That word "moved" in the original Hebrew means more accurately, "hovered."  It is dark and I have no structure or reason as to why I come before the Father, only that I know I need the Spirit of God to move upon me; hover over me- to fill up my cup and refresh my spirit. 

Thank you, God, that you look forward to Thursday evenings as much as I do.  

Quotes from The Global Leadership Summit

Two weeks ago I attended, "The Global Leadership Summit."  I heard a handful of amazing leaders, speakers, authors and artists.  Here's a few of my favorite quotes!

* Bill Hybles

Every significant burden God puts on you will put you to the test.  You’ll need courage.  It’s hard to move people!  Vision tests the medals of every leader.  When many leaders get a vision, they abort the mission secretly.  Too scared, afraid of failure and costs ahead.  “No thanks, God.”

We cannot blame God for the status of our culture.  God has been giving life-changing visions to solve the world’s problems to leaders all across the world.  We can blame gutless leaders!  Visions are holy commodities!   Don’t just kill it!  Instead, get on your knees and say the Joshua prayer, "be strong and courageous!"

If all your staff is rowing together, you’ll get your boat to the other side!  You’ll get lots accomplished!  Plus, you’ll have so much more fun!  

The more we use social media, the more we are killing true community. 

Social media shows the illusion of community.

There comes a time when a leader can’t wait any longer for everyone to “get it,” but instead throw down the gauntlet and make it a value!

People come to your church every Sunday and hope against hope that someone would touch them and ask about life, pray with them, speak to them.

* Liz Wiseman

Are you a diminisher or a multiplier?

Are you leading as the genius?  Or are you leading as the genius-maker?

* Mark Burnett

Choose your companions before you choose your road. 

Don’t keep around people who are energy suckers.

Hire great people, then let them do their jobs.

* Joseph Grenny

Leadership is intentional influence.

Six Sources of Influence

1. Personal Motivation
2. Personal Ability – Skills are a substantial part of influence
3. Social Motivation
4. Social Ability
5. Structural Motivation
6. Structural Ability

* Vijay Govindarajan

Ongoing operation are at odds with innovation.

Innovation is commercializing creativity.

* Dr. Brene Brown

In the absence of love and belonging is always suffering.

Connection gives purpose and meaning to our lives.

People can’t negotiate the gap between professing and practicing.

We all need to be BRAVE – we were born to be brave.

You can choose courage or you can choose comfort, but you can’t choose both.

“If you’re not in the arena or getting your butt kicked, I’m not open to your feedback.”

* Oscar Murice

The size of your harvest depends on how many leaders you have.

Don’t live for your own generation. 

 When you live for your own generation, you die with your own generation and your vision will die with you.

The only way your vision will survive you is to invest in the next generation!

Instill the 5 Loves into your budding leaders.

• All heart – matters of character
• All soul – matter of conviction  (things you firmly believe in, dreams/visions)
• All mind – matter of comprehension (understand God’s heart)
• All strength – matter of competence (using your hands for God) “be excellent in what you do”
• Love your neighbor – matter of compassion

Never do ministry alone. To be alone is to waist an opportunity to train a leader.

* Henry Cloud

The opposite of bad is love.

When a Leader is in a downward spiral, they exhibit the "Three P’s"

Personal – you begin to take everything personally

Pervasive – it’s not just that one person who thinks that, it’s everyone.  Not just an elder – all the elders.  Everything goes bad.

Permanent – it will always be like this

There’s a way out!  This happens to the best leaders!

Trick is to reverse the Three P’s.

1. Log – Dispute

Log the negative stuff and then dispute them on paper.

99% of what was in her/her head is false.

Dispute it with God’s Word, “I am God’s workmanship.”

Dispute negative noise.

Look at the whole picture.  Life is a movie, not a scene.  There’s always good.  It’s not all bad!  Look for the good stuff.

2. Do something to get back into control.

Make two columns, what you can and can’t control.

Make a list of things you could do and do it!  Be specific.

3. Brain runs on fuel.  (oxygen, glucose & relationships)

You MUST connect

Connect with what was happening, how you are struggling, what is helping, etc…

Connecting with someone drops your stress 50%!

* Andy Stanley

Central message in Acts, “God did something and we saw it.”

          You killed Him.  God brought Him back.  Say you’re sorry.

Central teaching of church was that something HAPPENED!!

          Gospel message is not based on that we believe something is true.

                 Gospel message is that something happened!  God raised a man from the dead!

God is willing to interrupt anything to build His Church.

He may interrupt a career.  We may stop one thing and start another.

1 Corinthians 15:58