Advent Week 2 - Faith

 




This week our Advent theme is faith.  It represents Jesus birth in the manger. It is also called the Bethlehem candle as a reminder of Mary & Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.


Faith: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 NKJV


The Biblical account of Jesus birth is one of faith.  Mary had faith to believe she was carrying God’s son.  Luke 1:38 NKJV “then Mary said, Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word.”


It took faith for Joseph to take a pregnant Mary as his wife.  Matthew 1:20,21 ~ but while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. (21) And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”


The three wise men had hope and believed for the Messiah.  They traveled to see the infant Jesus.  Their hope was fulfilled because they had faith even when they had not seen Jesus.

They believed Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign:  Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel”


It took faith for Joseph & Mary to flee with a young Jesus to Egypt to keep King Herod from killing Him.  Matthew 2:14 “When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt I called My Son.”


The entire Christmas message is one of faith.  From the birth of Jesus being foretold in The Old Testament, to His birth in a manger, this miracle takes faith to believe and make our own. 


“FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.” 

John 3:16


Christmas Blessings,

  ❤️Sharon




Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for letting us know you are reading our blog. We appreciate the feedback. Not all feedback gets posted. But all gets read.

Popular posts from this blog

Spiritual Discernment

Image
I have been thinking about discernment lately. The dictionary defines discernment as  “The act or process of exhibiting keen insight and good judgment” With the amount of information that has been given to us the past 2-3 months on the Corona Virus, discernment has been increasingly important.       “Is the virus real?”       “Who is at risk?  Am I at risk?”       “Should we stay home?”  “Is it OK to go grocery shopping?”       “Should we wear masks?”       “Is it all a conspiracy to control us?” All of these questions and concerns have come at us from TV and newspaper, social media and friends.  I have gone from feeling fear to having faith, from extreme concern to throwing caution to the wind, from anxiety to confidence.   All ‘feelings’.  After praying and reading the word, I am able to put those feelings aside and trust the Lord.  This is my guiding scripture:      “Trust in the Lord with all you heart and lean not on you       own understanding.  In
Read more

No Fear

Image
As I was reading my Bible today, Psalm 18:1-2 popped out at me.  This is a Psalm of David  that he sang to the Lord after the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang: “I love you, Lord; you are my strength. (2)The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.  He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.”  This is such a good word of reassurance and encouragement. Have you ever felt afraid and powerless?  Frightened of a situation or for a loved one?  I have.   I have not been fearful for my life by another person, but there have been accidents and illnesses that have caused me to be afraid. There have been times not knowing about the safety of a loved one that has caused anxiety and feelings of impending tragedy.  Sometimes it was warranted and sometimes it was my mind imagining the worst.  My mind can go from OK to the worst case scenario in a matter of seconds!   During those times I need to reme
Read more

Advent Week 4 - Love

Image
  Happy Christmas Eve Day,                                                   December 24, 2021 It is hard for me to believe it is Christmas again.   As I sit here looking at my Christmas tree in my new home I truly feel incredibly blessed.   It has been an amazing year for us. As I continue looking at Advent, the fourth week of Advent is the Angel Candle or candle of Love.   As Believers in Jesus, we know the Christmas Celebration is about Jesus and His love for us.   He left His Father to come to earth as a baby born in a humble stable.   We celebrate His birth and later His resurrection because our faith is based on this belief.   It is only because of His love for us that He was willing to live a human life.   Our love for Him acknowledges our acceptance and belief in Jesus as our Savior.   The middle white candle is traditionally lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.   It is the Christ Candle.   It is the Christ Candle because it is only in Christ that we find the Hope, P
Read more