Advent Starter Kit DIY

The Big Idea: How to personally start celebrating Advent at home the four weeks before Christmas.

Holidays seem to get introduced earlier and earlier each year.  My car radio played an all Christmas radio station mid-October!  This year Advent begins on November 28th. Advent occasionally kicks off in November (four Sundays before Christmas).

Advent is the season leading up to Christmas. Advent wreath are used in some churches. If you want to try it for yourself, here are some practical suggestions. It’s a great benefit to find practical ways to reflect on God’s Word and what really matters.

 

Why Advent Helps You Get Closer to God

Any tool that can help us focus on God’s great love for us through His living Word is gold! Advent is a Latin word meaning come/coming. It focuses on:

• The coming of Jesus into the world. 
• His second coming.

Though this tradition began in early church history it has helped many in our modern time find Peace in the holiday frenzy. It’s designed to lead our focus toward the spiritual wonder and joy of Christ.

 

What you need for your starter kit.

Five candles. 

• Traditional- 3 are purple, one pink Some add a center white candle.
• Optional- 4 red or green candles with a center white one.

Design from a wreath or circle. Advent holders are sold (optional). DIY guideline.You could take a Christmas wreath of almost any kind and place 4 candle holders on the inside or outside of the circle (or pillar candles). 

Find a simple devotional on Advent. Some follow a devotional thought through the first 24 days of December. Some light candles at Sunday dinner with the family and reflect on the theme of the week (see below). There are ways to incorporate Advent into activities with children!

 

Excellent Free 25 Day Devotionals

From John Piper. download the electronic one for free. Good News of Great Joy

From Stuart and Jill Briscoe. Meet Him at the Manger

CRU –sign up to receive. Making Jesus Your Solid Foundation

Billy Graham –sign up to receive. Arrival: Perparing to Celebrate Christ's Birth

 

Sunday themes:

1. First Sunday - The Prophecy Candle symbolizes hope. Throughout the Old Testament prophesies brought hope for the Messiah to bring something better.

2. Second Sunday – The Bethlehem Candle represents faith. The minor prophet Micah foretold Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Messiah. King David was also born there. It leads us to look to the king of Kings in faith.

3. Third Sunday – The Shepherd’s Candle stands for joy. The shepherds were told of this great joy for all peoples. This is the pink candle of joy.

4. Fourth Sunday – The Angel’s Candle is the candle of peace. They announced “Peace on earth, goodwill to all.”  Jesus brings people to God and brings people together. Reconciliation is peace.

5. Christmas Day – (Optional) The Christ Candle for light and purity lit on Christmas.  It is usually white.

“Amen. Come Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20

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Up Next: What is Prophecy?
Previous post: Unravelling Figures of Speech in the Bible

Note: We have been in the process of going through a Pratical Starter Guide of Inductive Bible Study. We will resume this series in January.

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Reflect:

1. Why do you need a focus of Jesus’ coming this year in December?

2. How might this be a teaching aid for you and your children?

3. What might you get out of this even if you miss a few days or a Sunday due to travel? (Hint- do what you can!)

Embracing Lent

 

The Big Idea: Take advantage of the Lent period to prepare yourself for a more meaningful Easter. 

An Evangelical's Tips for Meaningful Lent.

Today is the first day of Lent. I grew up in a Baptist church, so Lent was not in our vocabulary. I assumed it was a going-through-the-motions ritual enforced by the Catholic Church. My husband who is a Protestant pastor, was raised Catholic. He realized as he experienced ministry, that taking six weeks before Easter to look toward the Cross and Resurrection of Christ was very helpful.

Lent is the period of 40 days before Maundy Thursday during Passion Week. It is to be a time of fasting  prayer and repentance. It is not a time to beat yourself up.   Rather it is time to focus on our imperfect nature of sin that separates us from communion with God, therefore being grateful for what Jesus has done for us to make us right with Him. 

Lent can help us set aside time in our busy distracted life for focus on God. There is a structure to it, as  with Advent, to have reminders and take time to focus on Him. In the Old Testament we see that God is all about ways to remember who He is and what He did for us. The older I get, I am all for reminders!

We don't know exactly when, in Church History, Lent was proposed. However the root of it is in the Bible from Jesus Himself. He fasted for 40 days in the wilderness at the beginning of his ministry. We see other examples through the Scriptures. People in the Old Testament fasted to pray and seek God. Queen Esther notably had her staff fast for a three days about a very important meeting with the King (Esther 4). There are numerous other Biblical examples.

Traditionally this time leading up to Passion Week was for fasting. It started to take on different forms that became various traditions of abstinence from meat, for instance, and other things on certain days of the week during Lent. But there is nothing in the Bible with special commands for Lent, and these are traditions. Fasting according to God's Word is most often coupled with prayer.

So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer. Ezra 8:23

And it is not about looking pious before others. Jesus made that clear. Isaiah in the Old Testament also talked a lot about that.

And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. Matt. 6:16

I like a variety of tools to help me get into God's Word, to pray better and to get to know Jesus better. This is what they are. Tools. Some years I do something for Lent and some years I don't. But most of the time I do. Most people think of Lent as a time for deprivation, such as fasting, or giving something up. There are times this is useful. I always find when I am craving something and take a fast from it, I try to point my longing or hunger to God in prayer.

ADD SOMETHING FOR LENT

But Lent can also be a time for adding something that will enhance your spiritual life, in particular something to draw you closer to your walk with the Lord or to enhance your understanding of the cross of Jesus and His act of salvation. Here are some examples.

• Read through one of the Gospels several times in different translations.
• Read through all four of the Gospels.
• Find an article on the cross of Christ to read each week from favorite authors. Christianity Today often has thought provoking articles.
• Memorize a series of verses, such as one each week. One year I memorized Isaiah 53 during Lent.
• Find a place to volunteer in the community or at your church, and try to do that weekly during Lent.
• Read a book about the cross, salvation, prayer, etc. Here is a list of 10 best books about the cross 
• Put together your own playlist of songs related to Christ’s work on the cross: songs about the Blood of Jesus, the Cross, victory over death, and so on.
• Watch a movie or a video put together from the Bible Project each week related to the theme. There are a lot of movies about the life of Jesus. The Bible Project has a lot of thematic 5-7 minute videos and longer podcasts.

FIND A SPECIAL PLACE

Sometimes in the Lent period we will look for a special opportunity to focus on Jesus. If you look up religious events in your area, often on the website of a Christian Radio Station, you will find these special opportunities.

• Attend a program on the shroud of Turin, an apologist about the reality of Christ, or a Christian lecture.
• See a play at a local church, such as a passion play or Heaven’s Gates, Hell’s Fury.
• Often a new Christian movie comes out in the theatre.
• Find a place that has The Stations of the Cross and walk through in prayer.

These are merely ideas. I trust this might get you to think about what you might do. May you find great blessing in focusing on Jesus during this time.

Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. Hebrews 9:14

In 2007 I wrote a blog series for each day of Lent. It was my Lenten addition that year. Find it here. 

Up Next: Waiting...and Waiting...

Previous Post: Sleepless in Cleveland

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Reflect:

1. Do you associate Lent with a traditional church of your youth? What kind of thoughts does it bring up for you? How does that compare with my view on the value of honoring Lent?

2. What might be the benefit of focusing on the cross or the blood of Jesus during this period? In what way might it make an impact on Easter Sunday for you?

3. Do any of these suggestions spark an idea to try? It does not have to be the same as mine. Make it your own!

The Eyes of My Heart

The Big Idea: Use meditation with visualization to reflect on God during Advent.

Do you See What I See?

Do you enjoy watching children reenact the Christmas story, a living Nativity display or a Nativity set up in your home? Seeing the Christ child in humble surroundings is a meaningful part of the holiday. It reminds us of the reason for the season. The Christ who came to earth as a baby for our redemption.

Saint Francis of Assisi was the founder of the Nativity scene. In 1223 A.D. Saint Francis asked the Pope for permission to do something special to spark more devotional interest in the birth of the Christ Child. He gathered a manger of hay with an ox and a donkey and used it to illustrate the humble means to which Jesus came into the world. Ever since then it has been represented in paintings and as Nativity scenes both life size and miniature. The Bible never mentions animals being present at Christ's birth, nor do we see the shepherds and the magi present at the same time in Bethlehem. Even so, the Nativity tableau is meaningful and useful to us in remembering the literal incarnation of our Lord. Here is a video from Sight and Sound Voices of Christmas showing St. Francis so many years ago starting a new Christmas tradition. 

Visualization in meditation of Scripture has its value. I am a visual learner so this is particularly helpful to me. I am not referring to New Age type visualization and meditation. That kind of focus can detract from or eclipse Scripture and God as core truth. I am referring to what we can see directly in Bible passages.

Remember Jesus was a story teller with parables and illustrations. A large chunk of the Bible (at least 40%) are narrations of stories in both the Old and New Testament. When we picture stories so vividly presented, we learn more about God, the Biblical characters and even ourselves. The Bible tells about sounds (i.e. the crow of the rooster), smells (i.e. the incense) and tastes (i.e. honey). Always pray asking the Holy Spirit to guard and guide you in your time in the Word.  Learn to read the Bible using your mind's eye and think about what you can see, hear, smell and taste. Pastor John Piper discusses visualization of Christ as a way to overcome lust. He talks about both the usefulness and the pitfalls of Biblical visualization.

A favorite Michael W. Smith song for worship reminds us to look with spiritual eyes toward God.

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
I want to see You

You may have found as I have, that songs we sing in church over and over with repetitious verses can cause the mind to wander. A little trick I do to keep my mind on the Lord while singing is to visualize what the song says and how it impacts me.

THE CHRIST CHILD IN THE BIBLE

The shepherds went to see the child in the manger.

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” Luke 2:15 NLT

The wise men followed the star, and thus saw the Christ.

The star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! Matthew 2: 9b-10 NLT

The Bible points us continually to look to Jesus. In fact we are to fix our eyes on Him as our compass for life. That is what this verse means when we dig into the meaning in the original language - to focus our view fixed on Him.

Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Hebrews 12: 1b-2a. NLT

Take time this Christmas to focus on Jesus' birth and dwell on it a little. Reflect on His humble birth in a manger and the players who moved in and out. Imagine yourself as a fly on the wall as you read the Christmas story. Imagine what may have been the sounds you heard and the scents. Does this give you insights into the Christmas story? What does it tell you about God become man?

God became flesh to identify with us and be sympathetic to our pain, our suffering and our temptations. He became like us to empathize and extend to us mercy and grace when we need it most. What a gift!

[Jesus] understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.  Hebrews 4:15-16

Jesus became flesh to take our sin upon Himself, to make us right with God. To rescue us completely from our sin and make us right with God. What a gift!

And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:19 NLT

Merry Christmas!

Up Next: Connoisseur of the Word

Previous Post: Pondering...Mary and Joseph Style

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Reflect: 

Have you ever visualized a Bible story? If so, how did it impact you? 

What comes to mind when you reflect on being in Bethlehem at Jesus' birth? 

What might the benefit be to take time at Christmas to reflect on the Christmas story and the Christ child?

Pondering... Mary and Joseph style

 

The Big Idea: In the Christmas story both Mary and Joseph model reflection. Take time to reflect during Advent.

Time to Think.

Most years Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year (this year of COVID may be an exception). We do special baking, shop for gifts, attend parties and special programs. Everything takes longer getting stuck in traffic with everyone else prepping for the holidays. Basically at Christmas, we do, do, do and find little time to ponder.

Thinking is important. Warren Buffet, one of the wealthiest men in the world is said to spend 80% of his time thinking and reading. Those who want to be a successful leader, businessman or to be well rounded and influential are advised to carve time in their schedule to just think. 

The Bible certainly advocates thinking.

Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.  Joshua 1:8 NLT

“Be still, and know that I am God!  Psalm 46:10a NLT

I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways.  Psalm 119:15 NLT

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Romans 12:2 NLT

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  Philippians 4:8 NLT

I find it intriguing that the Nativity Bible passages tell us about both Mary and Joseph's think time. Clearly at this busy time of year, it is useful to observe Jesus' parents as they took time to think during this monumental life event. The birth of the Savior.

 

JOSEPH

We do not know much about Joseph, Mary's spouse. Typically in ancient Israel, the men were older and more established when they took a young wife. There was a long period of engagement, but it was a very serious commitment that demanded a divorce to break the deal. When Mary was found to be pregnant, she and Joseph had already become formally engaged. Since Joseph knew he was not the father of the child, this really set his mind reeling. Here is what the Scriptural text says.

Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.  As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  Matthew 1:19-20 NLT

This text tells us Joseph was a righteous man. He did not want to disgrace Mary publically. He must have been a good man with a kind heart, but this was a serious situation. If this was not his child, whose was it? Would it be obvious it wasn't his if they stayed together? Did someone else want Mary for a wife? Was she molested? Just imagine all the thoughts swirling around his head.

He wanted to do right by Mary, so he "considered" (NLT) how to deal with this. This word "considered" in the original language means to reflect and ponder, but it is a very strong emotional word. Let's take a peak at how a couple of Bible versions choose to describe this. The bulk of them use the word  "considered" (ESV, NLT, NIV).  Some use "thought or thinking" (KJV, NASB).

If you want to check how different translations present a verse (it is after all a translation from the original language of the New Testament, ancient Greek), go to Bible Gateway and only enter 1 verse. You will find a link to see it in numerous translations.

The Passion translation says, "While he was still debating with himself."

The Living Bible says "As he lay in bed considering this."

We all know what it is like to have night thoughts. The weight of the world goes to bed with us. I know this happens to me time to time and it is likely you have done this too.  In fact right now we have lots of issues to contemplate, that weigh us down in the night, wondering what life will be like tomorrow morning for a financial matter, or a health matter, or some other grave concern.

It is good to have an example such as Joseph, a righteous man. He was a man who wanted to do what was right, a man who wanted to be kind in the midst of what seems a betrayal. And God spoke to him in a dream through an angel. Today we have the wonderful Word of God to speak God's very intentions to us. Slow down and think. Ponder. Reflect. And see what insights His Word reveals to you.

 

MARY

We are never given Mary's age when the angel first comes to her. Given tradition in Israel at that time, scholars put her age as likely 14-15 years old. When I worked as a nurse in West Africa, I was the health care worker for quite a few newlyweds whose wife was between the age of 14-15.  Yes it is still like that in some parts of the world. These young girls at our Bible Institute joined their husband studying for ministry. Many had left a village of family and familiar community to join ministry preparation in a new place without the usual support structures of an ancestral village. These women had a sharp learning curve to care for their own household. Many became pregnant in their first year of  marriage. They were so young with much to learn.

Mary remarkably took on this pregnancy at her young age. It was all a learning experience of life. She travelled with her new husband to Bethlehem during her final trimester. Here's a Google map of Israel with the traffic routes of today. Nazareth to Bethlehem is almost 100 miles apart. They would have travelled on foot and perhaps with a donkey. Google says the modern route is a 33 hour walk, not counting a stop for meals and other needs.

Traffic is busy in our world during the holidays. Bethlehem was similar as the census caused new travel bottlenecks. Imagine Joseph and Mary's situation, arriving late to Bethlehem with no place to stay, everything unknown. They were offered an animal shelter for lodging. No woman of the family was with Mary to help with the birth. What must have been going through Mary's mind at that time was probably the cold, finding a sheltered place, the unknown of how well the birthing process would go, food and care for the baby and a myriad of other practical things. Perhaps the birth went rapidly and smoothly. We do not know but I am more inclined to think our Savior came into the world in pain, just as He died before He resurrected. He was not sent from heaven to earth to have a kingly life of ease and comfort. He was born to die. First time births are often hard and long. And so our young and brave teenage Mary gave birth in the night among the animals.

Then, a group of motley shepherds smelling of sheep and dirt and sweat come rushing through the entrance of their shelter. Their story is fantastic, describing the angel choir and God's message of "good news of great joy which shall be for all people" (Luke 2:10). Their lives are clearly changed. They will never be the same again. They pour out of the shelter telling everyone they see about this wondrous event.

If you enjoy watching the new series, The Chosen, enjoy seeing the shepherds visit Mary and Joseph on that night here on YouTube (~25 minutes).

Our verses of contemplation for Mary follow the Shepherd's visit:

All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. Luke 2: 18-19 NLT

The phrase in the New Living Translation, "thought about them often," is one word in the Greek that is often translated as "pondered".  The origin of the word implies weights used on a scale. It is the balancing of the weights. Used in this case Mary weighs the various happenings in her mind. She goes over it again and again. The pieces of the puzzle start coming together in amazement at what God is doing.

A LOT TO THINK ABOUT

Both Mary and Joseph had much to think about in those early days of Jesus' life. There were angels, shepherds with their lambs, Uncle Zachariah, Old man Simeon and Anna… It certainly deserved much contemplation.

This Christmas, find the time to think. Take time to weigh the truths of Jesus the Messiah, Emmanuel God-with-us, Savior and Coming King.  Consider your life, your family, your dreams and your future. Live life intentionally.  Be prone to ponder.

Up Next: The Eyes of my Heart

Previous Post: Spying on Christmas

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Reflect:

Do I take time reading the Bible during this season? Do I take time at Christmas to slow down and reflect on the Christ? Why or why not? 

If I don't already, how can I incorporate thinking regularly about spiritual things and life issues? 

Do I have a plan to to make time to reflect on God, life and family before the New Year begins?

 

Spying on Christmas

 

The Big Idea: How to inductively examine the Christmas passages. 

Investigate Christmas passages.

I call my blog and website "Scripture Spy" because I love to investigate deeply into the Bible. I want to discover what really matters and explore how it applies to my life. Better yet, I want others, like you, to learn how to dig into it yourself.

This may sound a little like a cooking blog with how-to instructions, pictures and a recipe. Only it is a recipe for Inductive Bible Study, not food.

This Advent I want to guide you to dig into a Christmas passage. Here is a recipe on how to study the first two chapters of Matthew and of Luke so you can dig into God's Word. I hope you can discover insights from God's Word for yourself today!

There are a few inductive steps I take with any passage I want to work on. Let's call it the recipe. Others may have a different recipe, but this is mine. Gather your ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

1. Colored Pencils and markers/highlighters

2. Find a digital version of the Bible like You Version or Bible Gateway.

3. Cut and paste the passage from the Bible program on the computer. Paste it into a word processer document like MS Word. Make the print a little bigger. Print the page. I have a blog with more specific instructions for making your own worksheet.

4. Paper for extra notes

RECIPE

1. Pray.

2. Highlight all words referring to God in yellow

3. Differentiate to which member of the Trinity is it referred

4. Underline all locations in green

5. Circle all time references in brown

6. Circle  key players (or the author in some cases), in one color and lesser players in another color.

7. Look for words that reoccur, as well as relationships such as contrast, synonym, etc.

8. Underline or star lines that touch you spiritually.

9. Ask yourself the 5 interrogative Ws and H.

            Who, What, When, Where, Why and How

10. List theme and learning points on spare paper.

11. Apply to your own life, today

PRACTICE WITH MATTHEW 1

1. Pray.  Always start devotional time with prayer for God's blessing. Invite the Holy Spirit to lead you.

2. Highlight all words referring to God in yellow. This includes pronouns referring to God such as in Matthew 1: 21, "He will save his people from their sins." You would highlight "he" and "his."

3. Differentiate to which member of the Trinity is it referred. I use the Precepts International symbols on the Trinity. This is what they look like. Each member of the Trinity is represented in Matthew 1.

4. Underline all locations in green. Precept has geographical places double lined with green on top like grass and brown underneath like dirt. I sometimes just use green. It is for towns, countries, etc. I would also underline things like tent, house, the sea, etc. It is about location and setting. The only location I noted in Matthew 1 was "Babylon."  Matthew 2 on the other hand has a lot of geographical references.

Not all of these steps are as predominant as another in different parts of the Bible and different chapters. But these steps do get you to slow down and re-read the passage and examine the Word for yourself.

5. Circle all time references in brown. This can be a word like "yesterday" or "hour," as well as "suddenly" or "after a time." In Matthew 1 there are not too many time reference. I circled "fourteen generations," for instance.

6. Circle  key players (or the author in some cases), in one color and lesser players in another color.

Every passage is different in who the players are. It is good to note that. Matthew 1 is a little odd in that there are so many names in verses 1-16. I circled all those names (verses 1-16) in orange. Many occurred twice, first as the son born, then as the father. I circled the four women in the chapter in pink marker on top of the orange. They are Tamar (v. 3), Rahab and Ruth (v. 4), and wife of Uriah (v. 6). I also decided to do something special for David, because the house of David is important to this story. I made the symbol for Judaism. That is two triangles in blue, one upside down. It looks like the star of David. From verse 16 and then 18-25, I decided I would circle Joseph in purple and Mary in pink. 

7. Look for words that reoccur, as well as relationships such as contrast, synonym, etc. Sometimes I mark repeat words in a similar manner or draw a line from one to the next for cause and effect, synonym or a slash through a line for a contrast. None of those correlations are all that relevant in Matthew 1. Or at least they did not stick out to me this time. Every time you try this method on the same passage it will be fresh as if through new eyes.  

In Matthew 1, I noticed the repetition of the term genealogy/generations. Also there are similar words about marriage and family. Conception, birth, betrothed, divorce, etc. We learn this entire chapter is about the birth of Jesus and how He was conceived.

8. Underline or star lines that touch you spiritually. There will be spiritual lessons that will jump out at you, an ah-ha moment sometimes. In Matthew 1 I underlined "He will save his people from their sins," (v. 21) and "which means God with us" (v, 23). These two phrases jumped out to me today as a blessing. I don't want to miss it!

9. Ask yourself the 5 interrogative Ws and H. If you are an investigator or detective, these questions are important. Someone else may answer these questions with a different nuance but the gist of the passage will be there. Here is what I did for Matthew 1

Who : Ancestors, David, Mary, Joseph, Jesus

What : Generations, engaged, divorce, marriage, conceived, birth. It is all about the unusual conception and birth of Jesus.

When : After 42 generations of the Old Testament.

Where : Israel. This one is not written in the text specifically but we know from further passages it will be revealed this is where we are. The point of inductive study is to stay as much in the text and not read commentaries and Bible Helps, especially at the beginning.

Why : To save people from their sins as God (God with us).

How : Jesus conceived by the Holy Spirit to a virgin woman.

10. List theme and learning points on spare paper. I simply wrote down a few thoughts here. One could go into a lot more detail. One could take the genealogies and look up in the Old Testament the stories of the women in the genealogy. One could study the quote in verse 23 from the Old Testament. One could map out Joseph's movements and list the things he did. One could make a list of what you learn about Jesus in this passage.

For Matthew 1 today I listed these learning points

• God works through the years, centuries even.
• God directs us, as He did with leading Joseph.
• God's promises come to pass (v 23).
• God has a plan to save us from our sins. It has been a plan in place for a long time.
• God is with us.

11. Apply to your own life, today. God is at work in the world today and at work in my life. Sometimes I see things as moving slowly. Right now we see the COVID-19 as going on and on, and on. But the situation is not hidden from God and it is a small blip in time compared to the centuries we see God at work to bring about His promise of the Messiah. God sees me. God is with me. God guides me. I can have this dynamic ongoing relationship with Him. And by the way God, thank you for Jesus and what he came to this world to do for me!

You will have a different list of application for yourself. In a couple years if I did this again, my thoughts would be a bit different. That is the richness of God's Word.

Here is my final product. Messy but I had a wonderful time in the Word with it. For me it took almost an hour to complete. You can break it up into several days of study too. The first two chapters of Luke are so long they should probably be studied by section.

Here is the before picture

SUMMARY

So there is an example of taking a chapter of scripture and digging into it, investigating it to find what it says to us. No commentary. No Study Bible notes. Just me and God and the Bible. Oh the depths and riches of His Word! 

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! Romans 11:33

Up Next: Pondering… Mary and Joseph Style

Previous Post: Make the most of Advent

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Reflect:  

1. Do you like to write stuff in your Bible or take notes? If not, how do you remember valuable lessons you have learned from sermons and Bible study? We all have different ways we learn. 

2. Have you tried this method of Bible study before? Are you able to approach it by yourself or do you feel the need to use a prepared lesson? 

Make the Most of Advent

The Big Idea: Seven different approaches to studying Christmas passages during Advent. 

Enrich Advent with these  7 Study Tips.

Advent was not a household word used when I grew up. My impression was that liturgical church services are based on God's Word, but it becomes so rote it does not mean anything to people. My freshman year in college I attended a conservative Baptist church that (gasp) used an Advent wreath! I embarked on a wonderful lifelong journey 4 weeks before Christmas every year to study God's Word and prepare my heart regarding the real meaning of Christmas.

The word "Advent" comes from the Latin word Adventus, which means coming or arrival. It is used in many churches as a time of introspective spiritual preparation for Christmas. The traditions vary in churches around the world, but usually 4 candles are used to light each week (5 if you count an additional center candle for Christmas). The first week, one candle is lit. The second, two are lit, and so on. The colors vary but the traditional color is purple for Christ's royalty, with the candle of the third week pink, a color of joy as Christmas is over halfway here!

Don't get hung up on whether you have an Advent wreath with the right colors of candles, or no wreath at all. Some people prepare for Advent opening one chocolate a day on a candy Advent calendar! This is not about the physical, it is about the spiritual, about preparing your heart toward Christmas.

Your Scripture Spy loves to study the Bible and encourage others to get into God's Word and prayer. I'd like to give you several hot tips how to use the season of Advent for this.  For focused study I would recommend a different focus or theme each year to keep it fresh.

1. Devotional guide ready to use. You can use it for just the four Sundays or some for every day of the week.  Christianity Today has an excellent one online this year.  It is in eight different languages. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/november-web-only/advent-living-hope-series-devotions.html

2. Advent wreath on your family table. Light a candle and share a devotional with the family every Sunday dinner (or any one day of the week when everyone gathers around the table). This Raising Arrows blogs has a number of sources for children's devotionals on Advent. Some free, some to buy. https://raisingarrows.net/free-advent-devotionals-for-children/

3. Theme based study. Focus on a theme for either the 4 Sundays of Advent or for a focus the entire month. You would look into these on your own.

·         Research Prophesies in the Old Testament on Christ's arrival to the world.

·         Research what the Bible says about Christ's second coming.

4. Word study. Again focus either on 4 Sundays or through the week.

·         Research light throughout  the Bible ("I am the Light of the World"  John 8:12)

·         Research the love of God throughout the Bible

·         Study angels in the Christmas Passages and in the Bible exalting Jesus

·         Study giving, generosity, kindness

·         Study names of Jesus in the Christmas story: Emmanuel, Messiah, Jesus, Savior

5. In depth study of the Christmas passages.

·         Inductive study on the Christmas passages Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2 (four chapters)

·         Character studies on people in the Christmas story (Mary, Joseph, Zachariah, Elizabeth) as well as lesser characters like Herod, Wise Men, Innkeeper, Simon, Anna, etc)

·         Background study of the Christmas passages with the help of a Bible handbook or Bible encyclopedia (or use Bible Hub online) Look at locations, times, geography, customs pertaining to the Christmas story like childbirth, shepherd life, etc.

·         Search and study what the rest of the New Testament authors say about Jesus coming in to the World, and also the Gospel of John chapter 1.

6. Write it or speak it. Write out the four Christmas chapters (Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2) by hand. Read it aloud. Read it over the course of advent in numerous translations. Write down fresh insights.

7. Memorize Christmas verses. Use this exercise for meditation on those verses. Here are some passages or verses that might be beneficial.

·         Isaiah 9:6-7

·         Isaiah 7:14

·         Matthew 1:18-23

·         Luke 1:39-45

·         Luke 1:46-55

·         Luke 2:10-14

·         John 1:9-14

·         Galatians 4:4

·         Philippians 2:5-11

·         Colossians 1:15-20

·         Hebrews 1:1-4

 

When I lived in West Africa, my electricity shut off every evening at 10 pm. One particularly busy Sunday I had no time to study the Bible. That night I lit the Advent candles and sat there with my Bible open. I meditated and prayed for the peace and joy that I needed for that day. I started to relish snatching quiet moments like this with the Lord every year during the Christmas season. The Advent season is not something in the Bible we are commanded to celebrate or honor. However I find it to be a very useful tool for deepening my understanding of the Word, my walk with Christ and a way to keep Christ in Christmas.

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For reflection: 

1. Do you have an Advent practice? Is it meaningful spiritually to you or not? 

2. Is there an idea in this blog that is appealing to you to try? How do you think it might steer your inner spirit and thoughts towards the real meaning of Christmas?