Advent: Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Old Testament Lesson

Zechariah 2:1-13

In much of the Old Testament, God is distant. He tells Moses stand, and he can see the backside of God's glory when he passes (Exodus 33). Moses does speak with God face to face, but only Moses. God is the Temple, in the Holy of Holies. God is in the Ark of the Covenant, which was so holy that if you touched it would die. God is too strong and powerful. God is far away.

Yet in this passage, we see the promise of what we have in Christ. God is not far away. God is not impersonal. God is in our midst. God is with us. God in just a far away holy God that we can't know or touch. God is our friend, our companion, our guide, the lover of souls. Today, rejoice, for God is with us. He is as close as our next breath, and through faith we can reach out and touch Him.

New Testament Lesson

Revelation 3:14-22

Ah, the great condemnation of Laodicea. They were neither hot not cold. They were just lukewarm. Isn't it odd that God would rather have someone work against Him than to be only halfway for Him? Why is that? God doesn't just want part of us, He wants us all. He doesn't just want an hour on Sunday, He wants all our week. He wants to convert all that we are into who He wants us to be.

And, if He only has part of us, that will never happen. It isn't until we are completely His that He can completely change us. For instance, how many of us have given a prayer concern over to God, and then took it right back and continued to worry about it. The reason why we have no peace over that issue is because we have only paid lip service to handing it over. It isn't until we truly give our concerns to God, and leave them there, trusting in Him, that we will have the peace we crave.

Likewise, it isnt' until we are fully His that we can truly know the fullness of His grace. So today, lets be hot for God. Let's not be lukewarm. Let's be completely on fire for Him, and in doing that, we'll know the life and peace He longs for us to have.

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 24:32-44

Today, live expectantly in reality of Christ's coming. Be looking all around for Jesus in your midst. Look for Him in areas of service. Look for Him in ares of obedience. Look for Him all that you do today. He is returning one day, we don't know when. But, we do know that today, in some way, we will each have an opportunity to serve Him. Today, look for that chance. And, when it comes, take advantage of it! Today our Lord will come to each of us with a chance to serve. Today, may we do what He leads us to do.