Posts with the tag “advent”

1 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the vill...  Read More

4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Of the four themes of Advent, “joy” holds a special place in my heart. I am not talking about the feeling of joy that comes from exciting circumstantial situations, such as catching a big fish, a grandchild’s special accomplishment, or your spor...  Read More

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. Gifts from God come in all sorts of forms.God blesses us with our talents. These talents may be musical, athletic, ability to teach, be a caregiver, be a witness, or be a friend. The list of talents is limitless.These gifts may be a s...  Read More

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.    He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,16 for through him God created everything    in the heavenly realms and on earth.He made the things we can see    and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.    Everything was created through him and for him.17 He exist...  Read More

2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,    are only a small village among all the people of Judah.Yet a ruler of Israel,    whose origins are in the distant past,    will come from you on my behalf.3 The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies    until the woman in labor gives birth.Then at last his fellow countrymen    will return from exile to their own land.4 And he will stand to lead his...  Read More

4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. 6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you ...  Read More

 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If...  Read More

This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. 2 God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. 3 The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4 and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy S...  Read More

11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You live...  Read More

14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. While we are not boastful about what we do in the name of ...  Read More

1 When Jesus had finished giving these instructions to his twelve disciples, he went out to teach and preach in towns throughout the region. 2 John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, 3 “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” 4 Jesus told them, “Go back to John and t...  Read More

7 Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. 8 You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standin...  Read More

46 Mary responded,“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.47     How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,    and from now on all generations will call me blessed.49 For the Mighty One is holy,    and he has done great things for me.50 He shows mercy from generation to generation    to all who fear him.51 His mighty arm has done tremendous things!    He has...  Read More

5 But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,    whose hope is in the Lord their God.6 He made heaven and earth,    the sea, and everything in them.    He keeps every promise forever.7 He gives justice to the oppressed    and food to the hungry.The Lord frees the prisoners.8     The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down.    The Lord love...  Read More

May your Kingdom come soon.May your will be done on earth,    as it is in heaven. Almost Heaven, West Virginia. The phrase is on welcome signs and license plates. It is used in television ads and sung after sporting events. It is truly ubiquitous throughout the Mountain State.And yet, as we prepare for Christmas, the words take on renewed meaning.When Christ prayed “your kingdom come, your will be...  Read More

16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone,...  Read More

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” As a little girl my biggest fear was the dark and being alone. I remember crying to Mom about how the monsters would get me and that she needed to stay.The dark to me was evil and cruel; the light gave promise that th...  Read More

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,    for the Lord has anointed me    to bring good news to the poor.He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted    and to proclaim that captives will be released    and prisoners will be freed.2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn    that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,    and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.3 To all who mo...  Read More

 4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. 5 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. 6 Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory...  Read More

Give your love of justice to the king, O God,
 and righteousness to the king’s son.
 Help him judge your people in the right way;
 let the poor always be treated fairly.
 May the mountains yield prosperity for all,
 and may the hills be fruitful.
Help him to defend the poor,
 to rescue the children of the needy,
 and to crush their oppressors.
 May they fear you as long as the sun shines,
 as long...  Read More

Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—
yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
 And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
 the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
He will delight in obeying the Lord.
 He will not judge by appearance
 nor make a decision based on hearsay.
 He will give ju...  Read More

Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. Later Simon and the others went out to find him. When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.”But Jesus replied, “We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came.” So he traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting...  Read More

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. And this is the will of God,...  Read More

Though he was God,
 he did not think of equality with God
 as something to cling to. 
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
 and was born as a human being. 
When he appeared in human form,
 he humbled himself in obedience to God
 and died a criminal’s death on a cross.Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name...  Read More

The next year Elkanah and his family went on their annual trip to offer a sacrifice to the Lord and to keep his vow. But Hannah did not go. She told her husband, “Wait until the boy is weaned. Then I will take him to the Tabernacle and leave him there with the Lord permanently.”“Whatever you think is best,” Elkanah agreed. “Stay here for now, and may the Lord help you keep your promise.” So she st...  Read More

Jerusalem is a well-built city;
 its seamless walls cannot be breached.
 All the tribes of Israel—the Lord’s people—
make their pilgrimage here.
They come to give thanks to the name of the Lord,
 as the law requires of Israel.
 Here stand the thrones where judgment is given,
    the thrones of the dynasty of David. Have you ever waited for something good so long that you just didn’t think you coul...  Read More

This is a vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house
 will be the highest of all—
the most important place on earth. 
It will be raised above the other hills,
 and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.
People from many nations will come and say,
 “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
 to the...  Read More

Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,“Clear the way through the wilderness    for the Lord!Make a straight highway through the wasteland    for our God!Fill in the valleys,    and level the mountains and hills.Straighten the curves,    and smooth out the rough places.Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,    and all people will see it together.    The Lord has spoken!” Today’s scriptur...  Read More