THE COMING KINGDOM OF LOVE - FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT 2021

 

Nativity Scene we received from a friend; "Frame" by Sandra T. Monte

Once again, I'll mention that I connect Advent with the revolutionary concept in the Lord's Prayer: "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." In the previous three weeks, I've looked at the advent of hope, peace, and joy, and how radical those aspects are. This week, I'll be looking at an Advent of Love.

I'm going to date myself (and may date the readers of this blog) by mentioning Jackie DeShannon's 1965 hit "What The World Needs Now Is Love" (written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach. Of course, I doubt many people would disagree, including those whose parents and maybe even grandparents weren't around when the song came out. But what do you mean by "love"? 

Maybe someone at this point has picked up their Bible and turned to 1 Corinthians 13, which gives a description of love. For those haven't done so, let me share verses 4-7: "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no eveil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." (NKJV)

Jesus said "By this the world will know you're My disciples, in that you love one another." He gave characteristics of what being a disciple looked like, but how many have the description, "By THIS, they world will know you're My disciples?" Just this one. I've actually heard a couple of people in more exclusive churches disagree with this. Why? Because there are people outside their little group that would qualify as Jesus' Disciples. God forbid that should happen!

We also need to remember God is love (1 John 4:8, 16). Note - don't try to reverse the word order or you're idolizing love. Also, don't make the mistake of separating love from God's attributes. When God calls us to be holy and when He gives the wicked what they deserve, He is doing that as a loving God. 

Too often, we want to have enemies to hate. We subconsciously realize that loving one another is a tough task, so we try to make "one another" as small a group as we can to make it manageable. But I consider love to be desiring others to turn to righteousness, to look for the good to encourage (anybody can find the bad to discourage, sometimes when it only appears to be bad). Love is sharing the gospel, not wanting anybody to go to hell but knowing everybody deserves it.

THE COMING KINGDOM OF JOY - THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT 2021

 

At Arlington Avenue Baptist Church, photo by Trish Walton

 

"It's beginning to look a lot like Advent."

I have mentioned before the connection I see between Advent and the radical petition of the Lord's Prayer, "Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done On Earth As It Is In Heaven."  You might not think an Advent of Joy is revolutionary. Or is it?

The pursuit of happiness is quite different from joy. Happiness is fleeting. It doesn't last. Joy is a different story. Plus, there are times the world at the least accepts and laughs at wickedness if not outright applauding and celebrating it.

But does Christ coming back and establishing His Kingdom give us joy? Before you quickly say "Of course," does it fit with how you live? Would you rather be at church with fellow believers even if you miss the football game? Does reading the Scripture excite you more than your favorite TV series?

I remembered a skit by a group called "The Lamb's Players." In it, there were two guys sitting at a table in a restaurant. The first guy was telling the other about the football game, with lots of energy and excitement, while the second nodded. Then, the second started telling about the worship service Sunday ... with the same exuberance as the other guy described the sporting event, and with the first guy looking nervous and urging his friend to tone it down.

Are you excited about the coming Second Advent, spending eternity with Jesus Christ? And does that thrill accompany your relationship with Him now between the Advents?

THE COMING KINGDOM OF HOPE: FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT 2021

 

Hope in a Prison of Despair by Evelyn De Morgan

 

Was it a meme? Or was it just a post by someone or even a comment? Regardless, what it read was "It's beginning to look a lot like Advent."

As I've probably mentioned before in this blog, I've grown up in Anabaptistic churches. Christmas and Easter are remembered, as well as the other essential holidays of our Christian faith: Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Independence Day. No mention of Lent. Pentecost may get mentioned, though that's not the norm. If there's anything around the end of October, it's more likely a Halloween alternative and less likely Reformation Day or All Saints Day. Advent is an exception, though I was old enough to run for Senate when I first observed Advent candles being lit at church. 

I  was fairly young when I noticed a division in the hymnal (knowing what a hymnal is dates me, doesn't it?) between Advent and Christmas songs. Eventually, I learned the difference: Christmas songs focus on Christ's birth, while Advent songs deal with Christ's coming to earth. "Joy To The World," "O Come, O Come Emmanuel," "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" and "Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne" are the better known Advent songs.

In reality, though, the concept mirrors the radical request in the heart of the Lord's prayer: "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Think about it. Christ is a King. Not a President. Not an Anchorman. Not a Moderator. But a Monarch who will reign. A Ruler who will one day have His enemies under His feet, who will break the nations with a rod of iron. 

The first Sunday of Advent focuses on the Advent of Hope. Is hope a common commodity in this world? "Change/Hope" was used as a slogan for President Obama's 2008 campaign. How much hope was there during that period of time?

Our hope is not in this world. Rather, we need to rest our hope in Christ alone. We need to hope for His sovereignty in our lives, in our families, in our churches, in our cities, and in the world. As it says in Psalm 60:11, the help of man is useless. We need to put our trust in God.