Honorably

151204Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:11-14, NRSV)

Live honorably as in the day. Not in reveling or drunkenness, or debauchery, or licentiousness, or quarreling, or jealousy.

Meaning live all of your life as if you are always being watched and do what the Lord would have you do.

Do not do things because you think no one is watching but live your lives to make Christ known at all times.

Do not be hung up on what others have, or acting in a way that is unbecoming of the Lord. Instead live your life through Jesus and allow Him to be made known to all!

The day

151203Then he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.They will say to you, ‘Look there!’ or ‘Look here!’ Do not go, do not set off in pursuit. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must endure much suffering and be rejected by this generation. Just as it was in the days of Noah, so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking, and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed all of them. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed all of them—it will be like that on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, anyone on the housetop who has belongings in the house must not come down to take them away; and likewise anyone in the field must not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it. I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken and the other left.” Then they asked him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” (Luke 17:22-37, NRSV)

We look for the day of the Lord as a good thing. But the picture we get here is not a good one.

The days of Noah, they were eating and making merry, then Noah got on the boat and God destroyed the world.

The days of Sodom and Lot left, they were eating and drinking until that day. Then God rained sulphur down from heaven, and Lot’s wife became salt.

God destroyed, and so it shall be for the Son of Man.

But the destruction of the Son of Man is not like the earth in the days of Noah or Sodom, for the destruction of the Son of Man means our salvation.

So we can endure the suffering, knowing He will be with us and will see us through to the other side.

Peace

151202In days to come the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised up above the hills. Peoples shall stream to it, and many nations shall come and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more; but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken. For all the peoples walk, each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever. In that day, says the LORD, I will assemble the lame and gather those who have been driven away, and those whom I have afflicted.  The lame I will make the remnant, and those who were cast off, a strong nation; and the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion now and forevermore. (Micah 4:1-7, NRSV)

What a beautiful picture and thought.

That there will be no more war. They will take their implements of war and make them into implements of harvesting or implements of peace.

Even though it is hard to imagine today, the day is coming. It is promised and was foretold not only by Micah but other prophets.

God’s promises are true. Swords will become plows and spears will be pruning hooks.

The Lord will make this happen. We will all live in peace under His teaching.

 

Focus

What is your focus this season of Advent?

Are you looking at your calendar wondering how you will make all the events you and your family have fit into the amount of days we have?

Are you looking at your bank account wondering if you can squeeze all the money you need out to get everything everybody wants?

Are you worried about keeping up with the Jones, or the Smiths, or the _______(insert name of your neighbor here)?

Remember what this season of Advent is, and why we celebrate it. It is about waiting and expecting. Not about waiting on the perfect gift and expecting to get everything we want. It is about waiting for and expecting a savior.

Mary and JosephLook at this picture and really see what it says. Pay super close attention to the details and what it is portraying.

Remember to focus on the coming of Jesus, as we await his birth, and still await His returning. Pay attention to Him and what He is leading us to do

Near

151201Multitudes, multitudes,
in the valley of decision!
For the day of the LORD is near
in the valley of decision.
The sun and the moon are darkened,
and the stars withdraw their shining.
The LORD roars from Zion,
and utters his voice from Jerusalem,
and the heavens and the earth shake.
But the LORD is a refuge for his people,
a stronghold for the people of Israel.
So you shall know that I, the LORD your God,
dwell in Zion, my holy mountain.
And Jerusalem shall be holy,
and strangers shall never again pass through it.
In that day
the mountains shall drip sweet wine,
the hills shall flow with milk,
and all the stream beds of Judah
shall flow with water;
a fountain shall come forth from the house of the LORD
and water the Wadi Shittim.
(Joel 3:14-18, NRSV)

The day of the Lord is near!

And for those of us who know the Lord this is a good thing. For the Lord is our refuge. He is our shelter in the storm. He is our holy habitation!

The mountains will drip wine on that day, and the hills will flow with milk.

God will provide for those who take shelter under His wings.

The dry places will flow with water as a fountain from the throne of the Lord and He will provide for His people.

Near is the day of the Lord, wait for Him and take shelter in His wings!