Advent for 7 December 18

7 December 18

Micah 5:2 NKJV “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, [Though] you are little among the thousands of Judah, [Yet] out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth [are] from of old, From everlasting.”

This is another prophecy of the coming Messiah. God is specific in His foretelling. The Messiah is to be the ruler in Israel. It has not been fulfilled yet. The Lord Jesus is now head of the church, but He will return soon to restore all things that have been ruined on the earth. May all look forward to this as the wise men did: Matthew 2:1-2 HCSB After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem,  saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him. Be thankful that He has promised to come and rule justly, truth, and love.

Advent for 6 December 18

6 December 18

Jeremiah 33:14-17 WEB  “Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will perform that good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and concerning the house of Judah.  15  “In those days and at that time, I will cause a Branch of righteousness to grow up to David. He will execute justice and righteousness in the land.  16  In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely. This is the name by which she will be called: Yahweh our righteousness.”  17  For Yahweh says: “David will never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel.

This, too, is a promise of the coming Messiah given to Israel. Messiah has come. His first coming was to suffer and die for each person’s sins. If we meet His conditions of trusting in Him, we have forgiveness. The second coming, as is written in our passage, is to bring justice and righteousness in the land. Obviously, this has not yet happened, but it will. We can comfort our hearts is these days of darkness because of God’s promises. Be thankful the God keeps His promises.

Ephesians 5:6-15

A1 Scripture

B1 Ephesians 5:6-15 WEL Don't let anyone deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God's hot anger comes on the children of disobedience. 7 Therefore, don't be partakers with them. 8 For at one time you were darkness, but now light in the Lord, so live as children of light. 9 For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. 10 Testing things [to see if] they are acceptable to the Lord. 11 Do not have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness rather reprove them. 12 For it is shameful even to talk about those things, which are done by them in secret. 13 Everything when exposed is revealed by the light, for whatever reveals is light. 14 Therefore, he says, "Awake you sleeper and rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." 15 See to it that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.

B2 Ephesians 5:6-15 GNB  Do not let anyone deceive you with foolish words; it is because of these very things that God's anger will come upon those who do not obey him.  7 So have nothing at all to do with such people. 8 You yourselves used to be in the darkness, but since you have become the Lord's people, you are in the light. So you must live like people who belong to the light,  9 for it is the light that brings a rich harvest of every kind of goodness, righteousness, and truth. 10 Try to learn what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the worthless things that people do, things that belong to the darkness. Instead, bring them out to the light.  12 (It is really too shameful even to talk about the things they do in secret.) 13 And when all things are brought out to the light, then their true nature is clearly revealed; 14 for anything that is clearly revealed becomes light. That is why it is said, "Wake up, sleeper, and rise from death, and Christ will shine on you."  15 So be careful how you live. Don't live like ignorant people, but like wise people.

A2 Outline

B1 Deception

C1 Through empty words

C2 Leads to God's wrath

C3 Empty words listened and acted upon show a life as a son of disobedience

C4 A warning to not be like or with them

C5 Your past. You were at one time in darkness, thinking darkness, and living darkness. Darkness is the opposite of light: John 3:19-20 NRSV  And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.  20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed.

B2 Children of light (in the Lord).

C1 To walk as children of light

C2 Evidences

D1 Goodness

D2 Righteousness

D3 Truth

D4 Seeking and finding what is acceptable to the Lord

D5 No fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness

D6 Exposing darkness

E1 Shameful acts

E2 Light manifests these shameful acts

D7 Wake up

D8 Messiah is the one who gives light

A3 Notes

B1 Empty words = something without success or empty of any purpose or meaning

B2 These things = the evil mentioned in the previous verses. We are to avoid:

C1 Sexual immorality

C2 Impurity

C3 Greed

C4 Irreligious talk

C5 Crude jokes

B3 Sons of disobedience =

C1 Sons of disobedience = this is the default position of every human. The disobedience is disobedience to God’s ways in thoughts, desires, words, and deeds.

C2 Disobedience

D1 Have no regard for authority =

E1 (Nehemiah 9:26 ESV)  "Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies."

E2 (Titus 1:16 WPNT) "They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him, being detestable, disobedient and disqualified for any good work."

D2 Rebellion

D3 Stubbornness

A4 Applications

B1 We are not to associate with those who live rebellious lives. Rebellion is understood as those who will not believe and live God’s ways. God’s ways are not what some church defines but what the New Testament defines. So be wary of church standards and don’t sign Church Covenants; often they are used to control and abuse.

B2 Our former life (our life before repenting and putting our faith into Jesus Christ) was just as described. It was rebellious in thoughts, words, desires, and deeds.

B3 God’s ways are seen in the Bible especially the New Testament. We read things we must do and believe, things we must NOT do and believe, principles, and examples of success and failure.

B4 We must not live our lives in lies. If we sin, confess it. We must not cover it up. Those who cover up their sins as most likely not true believers in Jesus Christ.

B5 Since the day we live in is evil, we must do what we can to live honestly as Christians in private and public. Time is fleeting.

Many Forms of Abusive Behavior

A good article to inform us of the many forms of abuse. No one should experience abuse. Sometimes, it is confusing to know, so we might wonder, "Is this abuse?"

You should read the entire article.

The 8 Types of Abusive Behavior

By Christine Hammond, MS, LMHC

Aaron wrongly believed that the only type of abuse was physical and then only if it left a mark. This is a common misunderstanding in our culture. When he took some time to review the different types of abuse, he realized that he experienced it in his marriage, from his parents, and on occasion was guilty of abusive behavior as well.

There are many other ways a person can be abused. Abuse can be manipulation, exploitation, maltreatment, neglect, violence, cruelty, harm, hurt, ill-treatment, and exploitive. The seven main ways it is manifested is through physical, mental, verbal, emotional, financial, sexual and spiritual. Legal abuse is very specific and is not readily seen, however, it does occur. The following list is not inclusive but rather provides an opportunity to explore, evaluate and discuss any potentially destructive behavior.

Aaron used this list as a checklist, marking up his and other’s errors in behavior. Awareness is the first step to stopping abuse.

Physical Abuse. Has the victim experienced:

• Intimidation – Bullying by standing over, looking down, or getting “in your face” and then refusing to back off.
• Isolation – Limiting the ability to escape from or abandoning in dangerous situations.
• Restraint – Confines by blocking a doorway, grabbing when trying to leave, locking doors with no key, or tying up.
• Aggression – Hitting, kicking, punching, arm twisting, pushing, beating, shoving, biting, slapping, striking with an object, throwing objects, shaking, pinching, choking, hair pulling, dragging, burning, cutting, stabbing, strangling, and force-feeding (including overdose or misuse of drugs/alcohol).
• Endangerment – Verbal threats of killing mixed with physical violence and use of weapons.

Mental Abuse. Has the victim experienced:

Four Day of Advent

5 December 18

Isaiah 61:1-3 HCSB The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners;  to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance; to comfort all who mourn,  to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the LORD to glorify Him.

The Lord Jesus fulfills this passage. He has been anointed to bring us good news, heal the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom to the captives, freedom to the prisoners, to tell all people that this is a good year (the years of His reign), to punish evil, to comfort those who are sad, to give beauty, instead of the ashes of sorrow, blessing oil instead of the stains of tears, and clothes of joy, instead of despair. Be thankful that He IS this person, our Messiah.