The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in Him the Gentiles will hope. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:12-13

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. Matthew 1:18-24

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:26-33

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The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. Isaiah 9:2,6-7

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:2

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The following article was adapted from “Hope, Love, Joy, Peace: An Advent Study Guide” by World Vision Resources.
Copyright © 2009 by World Vision, Inc., Mail Stop 321, P.O. Box 9716, Federal Way, WA 98063-9716. wvresources@worldvision.org. All rights reserved.

Foreword by —Mike Yankoski, Author of “Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America” and executive editor of “Zealous Love: A Practical Guide to Social Justice”

The central theme of the Advent season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus at His First Advent; as well as the anticipated return of Christ the King at His Second Advent. Advent is more than celebrating the 2,000-year-old event of Jesus’ birth. It is celebrating the revelation of God in Christ, whereby mankind might be reconciled to God.

Advent also symbolizes the fact that Christ has come, that He is present in the world today, and that He will come again in power.

Advent expresses a spirit of expectation, anticipation, preparation, and a yearning for deliverance from sin and evil. But it also celebrates the hope of deliverance by our loving God.

It is this hope that brings the anticipation of a King who will rule with truth, justice, and righteousness over His people and in His creation.

The season of Advent is a four-week period preceding December 25th during which Christians both remember and anticipate: we look back to Christ’s first coming as a babe in the manger and forward to the Second Coming as the King of kings.

Advent reminds us that we are somewhere between these two arrivals. Jesus Christ, the Lord of Life, has already come in the flesh. He has already been crucified. He has already been resurrected. He has already defeated death. The victory has already been won.

Yet the great HOPE of Advent is that there is another Second Coming.

And in the meantime, we wait, but not passively. In the New Testament, Jesus gives us parables that suggest that waiting must be active. After all, it is the lazy servant—the one who buries the talent he’s been entrusted with by the master—who receives a harsh punishment when the master returns (Matthew 25:14-30).

By looking into the past, we’re reminded of all that Christ has done. By looking into the future, we’re expectant of all Christ will do. Advent helps us remember that we’ve got work to do while we wait. Not so that God will love us, but rather because He already does. We love, after all, because “he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

Christ has come. Christ is risen. Christ is coming again. He’s given us work to do in the meantime. How are we living: selfishly or selflessly? Are we caring for our world? Are we loving our God? Are we loving our neighbors?

Recently, while researching Advent, I came across the best explanation of the Advent season that I had ever read, including a truly inspirational perspective of Advent, in a booklet provided by the World Vision organization. During the next 30 days, I’ll post some interesting information about Advent that I’ve excerpted from the World Vision booklet, and we’ll look at some selected scripture passages to help us focus on Advent: The Coming of Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace.

Tomorrow I will share some excerpts from the Introduction and Foreword of World Vision’s booklet, Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace: An Advent Study Guide. (World Vision Resources produced this educational resource. Copyright © 2009 by World Vision, Inc., Mail Stop 321, P.O. Box 9716, Federal Way, WA 98063-9716. wvresources@worldvision.org. All rights reserved.)

Each day during Advent I will post some selected scripture passages that will highlight the theme for that week. Some passages will focus on the theme (Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace), and other passages will tell the traditional Christmas story from Old Testament prophecy and the Gospels that we love to read during this season. I won’t include any commentary on the scripture, but will leave that to the reader. Read and meditate on the selected passages. Then listen for God’s message to you from His Word as we remember Jesus’ First Advent, anticipate His Second Advent, and consider His calling to us as we find ourselves between the two Advents!

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments below each day’s reading.

As I begin my preparations for our annual Thanksgiving dinner with our family (at least those who are still in town!), I’m reminded of all the recent Facebook posts about “What I’m thankful for today….” Of course, at this time of year we’re more acutely aware of thankfulness, but shouldn’t an attitude of gratitude be evident every day all year?

Of course we’re thankful for the blessings of a home, and provisions, and rich relationships … and we should be … we should never take these blessings for granted or treat them lightly. But I’ve come to realize that some blessings are disguised in illness, and scarcity, and pain, and problems. So how can we recognize those blessings and be thankful for them? That’s when being thankful gets hard! Thanksliving is easy when life is going smoothly … but what about when things aren’t going well? As we proclaim our thankfulness for material blessings and happy relationships, we forget to be thankful for those hidden blessings in the hard places. But the Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (NIV) Another version puts it this way “Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.” (The Message) I have found in my own experience that if I consciously look for the hidden blessings, if I intentionally express my gratitude IN SPITE OF the circumstances of the moment, I can always find something to be thankful for, and more importantly, an attitude of thanksgiving will lift me above those circumstances and help me focus on the good and blessed! A thankful attitude helps me to remember “that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) That one verse helps me to see all of life from God’s perspective.

The Bible is filled with scriptures about thanksgiving and being thankful. It’s a given that “religious” people, people of faith, believers should be thankful. But, more and more in the secular arena, we’re seeing evidence that thankfulness is an essential element of life success – physical, emotional, mental, and even financial! Read any of the successful bloggers/entrepreneurs like Michael Hyatt, Dan Miller, Marie Forleo, Darren Hardy, and over and over you’ll read their declarations that gratitude is not only important, but essential to one’s success in life and business. Who knew?!?!? The truth of God’s Word isn’t just for “religious” folks, but it is truth for everyone!

So as we enjoy our Thanksgiving feasts today and as we express our gratitude for the abundance of food and friends and family around the table, let’s be conscious of our need to develop a daily attitude of gratitude. It will improve our personal perspective on life, it will make us more enjoyable company for those around us, and it will help us to LIVE our thanks every day of the year.