2023 Advent

  Before Jesus was born into this world, God was revealing His plan of salvation to all nations through His workings in and through the Jewish nation. As He worked with Israel as a nation, He worked with individuals, many of which occupied certain positions God had established. People in these positions – prophet, priest and king – ministered on behalf of the people of Israel and pointed to the One. The role of each office could only be truly accomplished by One, the coming Savior  John the Baptist lived in Jesus' time and announced His coming ministry to the people of Israel. He was the last of the 'Old Testament' prophets. The people and the Jewish leaders expected a conquering king or a mighty prophet. John was one of the few who understood Messiah's role as a suffering Servant who would offer up the perfect Sacrifice of His Own body and blood paying the penalty for the disobedience of all people.   "John saw Jesus coming toward him and said,  'Look...

   God’s covenants throughout   the Old Testament promise ‘A Savior is coming.’  God's Promise in His rainbow to Noah speaks of His judgment but His mercy as well. God would raise up through Abraham a special people through which He would show the world His acts of faithfulness, blessing and salvation. In the Mosaic Law God shows His ways for us to live together with Him and with each other. Even with God's near Presence we fail miserably, but God's Way offers forgiveness. To David God Promised an anointed One, a King, Who would be a Savior - for Israel, and for all nations. God fulfilled all the promises of His covenants that He made even when people did not. Typically, each covenant was ratified with the blood of a sacrifice which declared, 'if I don't uphold my end of the bargain, then may I be slain like this sacrifice.' The Messiah would be the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise of an acceptable Sacrifice. His sacrifice would satisfy judgement...

Five hundred years before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Jeremiah spoke of a New Covenant, "The day is coming," says the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one … they broke … I will put My laws deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts … and I will  forgive their wickedness , and I will never again remember their sins." The foretelling of this New Covenant looked forward to the forgiveness God would provide and His intimate Presence in the hearts of His people. Furthermore, this was to be a covenant and promise for all - "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, 'cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree'; in order that in Christ the blessing of Abraham might come to the non-Jews, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Galatians 3 "He broke the bread and gave it to the discipl...

  King David lived in a palace in Jerusalem around 1000BC. The ark of God’s Presence had been kept in a large tent, designed by God Himself, since the days of Moses and the Exodus. David desired to build God a beautiful temple in Jerusalem to be His dwelling place. God had something bigger in mind. "I tell you that I, the Lord, will build a house for you! When your days are fulfilled, I will set up One of your descendants and I will establish His kingdom. He shall build for Me a house, and I will  establish His throne forever ." I Chronicles 17:10-12 The Davidic covenant was an unconditional promise given to king David. No matter what David or his son or posterity would do – good or bad – God would fulfill His promise. Truly this promise was made in the power of God’s sovereignty as He knew that His Son Jesus would enable its fulfillment through His obedient sacrifice.  Revelation 22:16 - "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I...

  Exposing our Need – God’s Promise through Moses  After Moses had led the people out of Egypt they traveled through the desert to Mt. Sinai, and God spoke to Moses and told the people, "Now if you will obey Me and keep My covenant, you will be My Own special treasure among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to Me. And you will be My kingdom of priests, My holy nation."  Exodus 19:5, 6 This covenant, established around 1500BC, was dependent upon the Israelites obeying the Law that was then given (many laws, including the summary of these laws in the 10 commandments given in chapter 20 of Exodus). Not only did the Israelites fail to obey, but around 500 years later the psalmist, king David, writes,  ‘God looks down from heaven on the entire human race; He looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt.  No one does good, not a single one !’  Psalm 53 We all need a Sa...

  "In you all the nations of the earth will be blessed"   Genesis 12.3  In this covenant, given around 2000BC, God promised Abraham to give His descendants the land of Canaan, to multiply his descendants greatly and that through Abraham’s descendants all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Isaiah, the prophet, wrote of God’s Word about the Messiah hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus,  "I will also make You a  Light to the nations  so that  My salvation  may reach to the end of the earth."  Isaiah 49:6 Today, in every nation there are true Christians who believe in God’s gift of forgiveness and an eternal relationship with Him through Jesus. God has blessed us in so many ways, and He wants us to be a blessing to others. For the kids             For teens

  The Noahic Covenant   Promised to Noah – God told Noah and his sons: "Yes, I am confirming my covenant with you. Never again will floodwaters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth. … I have placed a rainbow in the clouds. It is a sign of my covenant with you and all the earth." Genesis 9:11,13 The flood was God’s judgment inflicted on the human race. Although God has promised to never again destroy the earth by water, millennia after Noah (but centuries before Jesus) Isaiah speaks God’s words of salvation to come in the midst of His final judgment:  "My law will be proclaimed, and My justice will become a light to the nations. My mercy and justice are coming soon. My  salvation is on the way  … the skies will disappear like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing. The people will die like flies, but  My salvation lasts forever. " Isaiah 51:5,6 For the kids For teens