The Spirit of the Lord fills me
A message of hope and joy
God is with us
Freedom and prosperity to all
It’s beauty for ashes
Blessing for mourning
Praise for despair
God’s great trade
You can’t do this
Only God turns nations
The Messiah is coming
Ruling for ever
Read the rest at: http://adam4d.com/mtd/
I think these are for higher visibility.
I thought it might be instructive to construct a “Wordle” from the passage I am preaching this Sunday.
The size of each word is proportional to the number of times it appears. The “her” is Jerusalem and the “he” is the Lord.
As usual, it’s all about relationships- God and His people
Scripture
“I baptise you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.”
Observation
Isaiah the prophet wrote, “I will send my messenger to prepare the way.” Mark tells us this messenger was John.
John appeared, baptising in the wilderness and preaching repentance and forgiveness of sins. Everyone came out to confess their sins and be baptised.
John told them that someone more powerful and more praiseworthy than him was coming. While John baptised with water, the Messiah would baptise with the Holy Spirit.
Application
John was the one who prepared the way for Jesus to come in. He prepared the hearts of the people for a new move of God.
John was not the main player. He pointed people to Jesus who would baptise with the Holy Spirit.
We are not required to convert people, but just to point them to Jesus. It takes a Saviour and the Holy Spirit to bring a person to salvation. All we can do is show the way.
Prayer
Thank you Lord for John the Baptist whose role was to prepare people for what was to come. Help me to likewise show the people around me that they need Jesus. Amen.
A very thoughtful piece from Rachel Held Evans. I especially like this “The whole story of Advent is the story of how God can’t be kept out. God is present. God is with us. God shows up”
There is a pernicious rumor that resurfaces every Advent season and spreads across social media faster than a cold in a kindergarten class.
It’s the rumor that God can be “kept out” of Christmas.
You may have heard it from Kirk Cameron or an anchor at Fox News or an army of culture warriors who have once again worked themselves into a frenzy over the “War on Christmas.” Galvanized by fear, they storm checkout counters to demand that clerks issue them a “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays” and cry persecution when inflatable manger scenes are moved from public courthouses to private property. They pine after the good-old-days when Christians could force Jewish kids to sing Christmas carols at school and they demand that every gift purchased, every mall opened late, every credit card maxed out must be done so in Jesus’ name or else Christ will be “kept out” of Christmas. They do it because someone told them that God needs a nod from the Empire to show up, forgetting somehow that the story of Advent is the story of how God showed up as a Jew in the Roman Empire.
In a barn.
As an oppressed minority.
To the applause of a few poor shepherds.
The whole story of Advent is the story of how God can’t be kept out. God is present. God is with us. God shows up—not with a parade but with the whimper of a baby, not among the powerful but among the marginalized, not to the demanding but to the humble. From Advent to Easter, the story of Jesus should teach us that God doesn’t need a mention in our pledge or on our money or over the loudspeaker at the mall to be present, and when we fight like spoiled children to “keep” God in those things, we are fighting for idols. We’re chasing wind.
Full article here
Scripture
But in keeping with his promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
Observation
With the Lord, a thousand years is the same as a day. He is not slow to keep His promise. Rather He is patient, holding back the day of judgement until all who are willing come to repentance.
The Day of the Lord will come unexpectedly like a thief. The old earth and heavens will be destroyed and replaced by a new earth and heaven.
We ought to live as the people of light not in darkness, looking for eternity and being spotless and blameless.
Application
We live in the end times. Jesus could return at any time. We think it’s been a long time, but from God’s perspective we are only in the third day.
We think that God is slow to keep His promises. The problem is with our appetite for instant solutions and our inability to see the long term. We need to learn to look at time in the light of eternity.
Prayer
Thank you Lord that you are working in my life. Sometimes I can’t see this because I want quick fixes. Please help me to trust in your timing. Amen.
Revive this land Lord
Restore us to you
O God our Saviour
Grant us repentance
Show us salvation
Our fathers knew you
Our mothers walked in faith
But this generation
Flees the way of God
Revive us Lord
Let faith and holiness meet
Right here
In this dry and thirsty land.
Comfort comfort my people
Salvation is coming
Enmity is done
A peace treaty
Signed by God
In His Blood
Clear a way
Build a highway
God is coming
Fill the valleys
Level the mountains
Hasten His arrival
Not with judgement
Nor with penalty
But a wise loving arm
Reigning in peace
Our God saves.
