Advent(Dec. 17): A True Fairy Tale

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.

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.

And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength,

    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

Then his people will live there undisturbed,

    for he will be highly honored around the world.

    And he will be the source of peace.

When the Assyrians invade our land

    and break through our defenses,

we will appoint seven rulers to watch over us,

    eight princes to lead us.

Micah 5:2-5

"God gathered His children and told them what would happen even before it happened."

This is a passage of immense significance. Bethlehem - called Ephratah - its meaning (‘fruitful’) suggests that it originally belonged to the valley which leads up to Bethlehem, richly adorned with vines and olive trees -  has been selected as the birthplace of the Messianic Deliverer.  This passage continues a deep-rooted biblical theme. Bethlehem is one of the "little clans."  The village is a backwater, and the one who comes from it cannot be expected to amount to much.  It is a judgement both on the town and on those who live there. And yet, in the case of Bethlehem and those who come from her, the old biblical pattern holds true: the insignificant are exalted. 

The tables are turned, and the most unlikely of people are instruments of God's salvation. From this insignificant little village, a young shepherd boy grows up to become the most beloved king in Israel's history. And a descendant of that king fulfills God's long-awaited promises of deliverance, not just for Israel, but for the whole world. (source)

"Story, after story, as you stacked up one year after another until you had a teetering tower of one thousand long years, the Son-King, Jesus, slipped into the Kingdom. He was born in a barn in the "nobody-would-be-expecting" little Bethlehem."

"No - Jesus did not grow up in a palace - or even have a pillow to lay His head on."

It is not the way of the world, this exaltation of the lowliest. But it is the way God works, over and over and over again. An insignificant village.
 And the one who comes from that little village and that young girl becomes the one Micah proclaims as "the One of peace" (5:5)  (source)

O little town of Bethlehem - is the birth town of He who came…and He has changed everything - especially us...

Through it, the Hopes and Fears of all my years are held in Thee, Lord, … always."(source)

"When we love in little ways, the big things unexpectedly begin to happen. Through unexpected people, the story is unfolding and unwrapping all around you and in you, the light overtaking the dark."

"It's coming - the Kingdom's coming in little and small and unexpected ways!"

Come back again, as I share Day 18 of the Advent Calender...in the book, "Unwrapping the Greatest Gift".(All quotes listed are from the book, unless indicated.)

From December 1st to December 25th

I will be sharing each story in this beautiful book, as well as some of the breathtaking pictures. Won't you join me? Stop by each day to see the stories shared. If you would prefer I email you each days post, please leave your email in the comments section or send me an email at apop12341@hotmail.com 
and let me know. I will make sure each post is sent to you.

To view the whole series on one page, go HERE

You may find me linking up at any of the blog parties listed on the left sidebar.(or go to my blog party page link, below)

Favorite Blogs Parties where I Link-up 

Advent(Dec. 16): Turning Around

The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 

“Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it.

Jonah 1:1-3,17; 2:10, 3:1-3

Jonah was chosen to be God's servant, in bringing God's message of salvation both to his nation of Israel and  to Nineveh.

When God called him to go to Nineveh, the enemy of his beloved Israel, it was too much. It appears Jonah's fear of the Ninevites added to his reluctance to accept God's call to go to that Gentile and pagan city. Jonah's lack of faith in God's ability to protect him is very clear. So Jonah left his home, family, friends and most of all, his ministry and took off for parts unknown.

Jonah, probably knew deep in his heart that he could not run from God and that obedience to God is always the best course,  but the sin of rebellion makes one irrational. One might suppose Jonah thought that God might just over look his rebellion. He was to shortly learn the hard way that God can not be ignored and he can not be avoided.

Those who try to run from God will always find their efforts to be in vain. Many spend a lifetime, running to all parts of the world, but as Jonah, they will find it in time to be a futile effort.

Still God pursued Him, not willing for him to be a castaway. God was chastening His child that he might be brought to repentance and back to a place of fellowship and service.

Finally, Jonah submits himself humbly to God, seeing the utter futility of his rebellion.

“I called out to the Lord, out of my distress,
    and he answered me;
out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
    and you heard my voice.
 For you cast me into the deep,
    into the heart of the seas,
    and the flood surrounded me;
all your waves and your billows
    passed over me.
 Then I said, ‘I am driven away
    from your sight;
yet I shall again look
    upon your holy temple.’
 The waters closed in over me to take my life;
    the deep surrounded me;
weeds were wrapped about my head
     at the roots of the mountains.
I went down to the land
    whose bars closed upon me forever;
yet you brought up my life from the pit,
    O Lord my God.
 When my life was fainting away,
    I remembered the Lord,
and my prayer came to you,
    into your holy temple.

Those who pay regard to vain idols
    forsake their hope of steadfast love.

But I with the voice of thanksgiving
    will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
    Salvation belongs to the Lord!”

(Jonah 2:1-9)

The prayer of Jonah reads like one of the Psalms. It is a poetic prayer of thanksgiving to God for deliverance. It records how Jonah in his time of distress immediately turned back to God. He was God's prophet, and he knew God personally. (source)

"Sometimes it's only when you see that you have very little in your hands that you can take hold of God's very big hands. Could there ever be a bigger, better gift than getting more of God?

A beautiful song and prayer!!! 

I've heard/sang it many times in my youth at church. The words seemed so appropriate for this post.

You always get the greatest gift when you turn around and go the right way, right toward the smiling ways of God."

Our God is, as Jonah ironically laments, “…a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love…” (Jonah 4:2) And He will go to stunning lengths to draw people to himself: like taking on flesh, being as born as a helpless baby in smelly cattle pen, hanging on a bark-covered cross by nails pierced through flesh, descending three days into the very pit of hell, to buy back people as wicked as any Ninevehite–just like me. Yes—he is a God abounding in love—mind-boggling, staggering love.(source)

God seeks to restore fellowship to all His children that stray, and all we must do is simply and honestly repent of the sin, confess it as sin to God and He promises to forgive and help us keep from continuing in that sin. ( I John 1:9).

Come back again, as I share Day 17 of the Advent Calender...in the book, "Unwrapping the Greatest Gift".(All quotes listed are from the book, unless indicated.)

From December 1st to December 25th

I will be sharing each story in this beautiful book, as well as some of the breathtaking pictures. Won't you join me? Stop by each day to see the stories shared. If you would prefer I email you each days post, please leave your email in the comments section or send me an email at apop12341@hotmail.com 
and let me know. I will make sure each post is sent to you.

To view the whole series on one page, go HERE

You may find me linking up at any of the blog parties listed on the left sidebar.(or go to my blog party page link, below)

Favorite Blogs Parties where I Link-up 

Advent(Dec. 15): Bowing Down

“I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals.Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”But the people said nothing.Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it.Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord The god who answers by fire—he is God.”Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”1 Kings 18:18-24"Elijah took a stand and cried out, "How much longer will you lean this way and that way and flail and flop about between the One real God and Baal?  Make a decision and commit to it!"

To prove God's authority and authenicity, Elijah entered a challenge with the prophets of Baal. 

God did respond...and answered his requests, going above and beyond!!!

One of the great needs at all times in a society, but especially in times of great apostasy, is for God’s people to step forward for God and His truth. Those who do, however, are nearly always a minority. While God always has His people, they are, as they are described in the Bible, a remnant or a minority. Even in Elijah’s day, there was a remnant. Seven thousand had not bowed the knee to Baal (1 Kgs. 19:18; Rom. 11:4-5). But to Elijah it seemed as though he was the only one left.In verse 21 we see one of the key issues of our day and any day--the instability of indecision and double-mindedness. It’s so easy to straddle the fence. There is always a great pull for people to lead lives of duplicity to some degree. They may go to church on Sunday, but the rest of the week they are dominated by other loves, concerns, and commitments. They feel the tug of God on their hearts and the love of the world at the same time. But what a dangerous position!(source)Taking a stand for the truth and facing a majority who stand against the truth often leaves us feeling lonely. Humanly speaking it very often appears we are alone. We must remember, however (as Elijah did at this point), when we stand for the Lord we are in the majority because standing with us is the Infinite Almighty and His myriad of hosts. (source)

Are you facing that call to stand in the gap or stand before the majority and take a stand for the Lord? The decision for God as your one and only true Master, is also the decision to lay up treasure in heaven. It is also the decision to cast your needs and burdens on Him. Above all, it is the decision to trust in God’s solutions rather than your own tactics to handle life.  

Come back again, as I share Day 16 of the Advent Calender...in the book, "Unwrapping the Greatest Gift".(All quotes listed are from the book, unless indicated.)

From December 1st to December 25th

I will be sharing each story in this beautiful book, as well as some of the breathtaking pictures. Won't you join me? Stop by each day to see the stories shared. If you would prefer I email you each days post, please leave your email in the comments section or send me an email at apop12341@hotmail.com 
and let me know. I will make sure each post is sent to you.

To view the whole series on one page, go HERE

You may find me linking up at any of the blog parties listed on the left sidebar.(or go to my blog party page link, below)

Favorite Blogs Parties where I Link-up 

Advent(Dec. 14): A Candle in the Darkness

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.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this.

Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

"We don't have to stumble around in the dark...because Jesus is out forever Light.

Jesus is the only Light in the whole wide dark world.

We are all saved from the dark of our loneliness because God is love and He can't stand to leave us by ourselves in the dark - Jesus comes to the darkest places so you can see His light the brightest!"

"During the darkest days of the year(our winter), the world celebrates that 

Light has come into the world, a dawning over the land of the shadow of death, and in the warmth of that halo, we have hope." 

The Light has come into the world…… those who follow the true way come to the light, and it shows that the things they do were done through God.”        John 3:18-21

 A History:

The Syrians and Assyrians first ravaged the countries here mentioned, and that region was first favoured by the preaching of Christ. Those that want the gospel, walk in darkness, and in the utmost danger. But when the gospel comes to any place, to any soul, light comes. Let us earnestly pray that it may shine into our hearts, and make us wise unto salvation. The gospel brings joy with it.

 His name — describes His glorious nature and qualities.

• Wonderful Counsellor —  He understands what we’re going through and can advise us while He accompanies us through whatever we are facing.

• Mighty God — Signifies strength; a strong valiant hero, a proven Warrior, unafraid to battle and never defeated, One of high ranking power who is expected to lead the battle. HE IS NOT AFRAID OF A FIGHT!

• Everlasting Father - “The ruler with authority to pass on or deny access to eternal life.” (source)

• Prince of Peace - the One who is the leader of peace and offers it to others.

(source)

Below is a contemporary song with the description of Isaiah 9: 

And, of course, we are all familiar with this song from Handall's Messiah:

"And now, Jesus comes - God with us, God in us, and He makes you to be a very real miraculous candle - a light of joy and hope and love

...make space for the Light in this.  

We’ll make a whole wondrous season of it.

to simply light a candle in the middle of a week that moves directly from the tradition of Giving Thanks to God —- to the tradition of Advent and Wanting and Waiting for More of God."

Come back again, as I share Day 15 of the Advent Calender...in the book, "Unwrapping the Greatest Gift".(All quotes listed are from the book, unless indicated.)

From December 1st to December 25th

I will be sharing each story in this beautiful book, as well as some of the breathtaking pictures. Won't you join me? Stop by each day to see the stories shared. If you would prefer I email you each days post, please leave your email in the comments section or send me an email at apop12341@hotmail.com 
and let me know. I will make sure each post is sent to you.

To view the whole series on one page, go HERE

You may find me linking up at any of the blog parties listed on the left sidebar.(or go to my blog party page link, below)

Favorite Blogs Parties where I Link-up