Family Advent Devotions: 2nd Week ~ The Angel’s Message

December 6th starts the second week of Family Advent Devotions:

The Second Week

The Angel’s Message

Angelic pronouncements add to the light given by the prophets. On the third Sunday before Christmas, light two candles (the gold and white), and conduct the worship as before.

 

Sunday

Luke 1:5-25 (To Zechariah): In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah;  his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.  Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly.  But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.  Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.  And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.  Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.  When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.  But the angel said to him:  “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard.  Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.  He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.

He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.  Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God.  And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous–to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”  Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this?  I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”  The angel answered, “I am Gabriel.  I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.  And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.”  Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple.  When he came out, he could not speak to them.  They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.  When his time of service was completed, he returned home.  After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.  “The Lord has done this for me, ” she said.  “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

Monday

Luke 1:26-38 (To Mary): In the sixth month, 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 be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name 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 the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”   “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called a the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.”   “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Tuesday

Matthew 1:18-25 (To Joseph): This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and 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 be with child and will 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. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Wednesday

Luke 2:8-20 (To the Shepherds): And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”  So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.  But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Thursday

Matthew 2:1-23 (To Joseph): After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east b and have come to worship him.”  When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.  “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:  ”‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’ ” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”  So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod.

And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:  “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”  So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

Friday

Psalm 34:7: The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

Matthew 4:11: Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Luke 22:43: An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.

Matthew 28:2-4: There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

Hebrews 1:5-9, 14: For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father”? Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”? And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angles worship him.” In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire.” But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”…Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

Saturday

Matthew 24:31: And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-8: …and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

Daniel 7:9-10: “As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.

Revelation 5:11-12: Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

 

Carols: “Hark, The Herald Angels Sing” No. 203 (Blue Trinity No. 168); “Angels From The Realms of Glory” No. 218 (Blue Trinity No. 164); “From Heaven High I Come To You” No. 220 (Blue Trinity No. 166); “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” No. 200 (Blue Trinity No. 157)

D.I.Y. Hipster T-Shirt Scarf

On Facebook, the Method company was doing a DIY project, they were making t-shirt scarves.

So I decided to try one.

They are quite easy and fun. Especially getting to cut up your hubbys t-shirts. Just kidding, Heffa!

To start all you need is a t-shirt with no sides seams, [the larger the better, I used x-large]

a cutting utensil [scissors or rotary blade] and cutting mat.

I chose rotary blade and two of my hubbys t’s.

Then cut the shirt off just below the armpits

then cut the seam at the bottom of the shirt

Then cut 1/2 to 1 inch strips. I used 1 inch strips, easier for my brain to do.

I had to fold the shirt in half to make the cuts because my mat is small.

the small pile is strips from the sleeves and the big pile is the scarf pile

Simply take the strips and stretch them out in your hands, pull them apart, the strip edges will automatically curl under to give it a more finished look

top: unstretched

Bottom: stretched

If you want to make bracelets or cat scarves:

cut the sleeves off  the body and cut the cuff off.

take the bottom seams and line it up straight on so the strips are even

i cut 1 inch strips here also.

Be careful, the seamed strips will come apart if you pull too hard.

Also, if you would like, take an extra piece of fabric and wrap around the strips at the seams, then tuck in ends.

Son had to get in on the action, he is helping try and twist it up and make it hang right:

Here is the finished product:

me, trying to look all cool….

this is wrapped around twice.

this is wrapped around wrist 3 times, i look like a rocker!!

both t-shirts together

My boo-boo using a new blade

this is a 15x zoom picture of the strips.

Enjoy! if you have any questions, let me know

~the Home Engineer

~Evil Has A Name~

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Satan prefers that we do not recognize his role in our conflicts. As long as we see other people as our only adversaries and focus our attacks on them, we will give no thought to guarding against our most dangerous enemy. Both James and Peter were aware of this danger, and they warn us to actively resist Satan’s schemes (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9).

Paul gives a similar warning, reminding us that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12).

Adapted from  The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict
by Ken Sande, Updated Edition (Grand Rapids, Baker Books, 2003) pp. 50-51.

Food for Thought

“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”
– C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

So the problem isn’t really the terrorists, or even the difficult person in your neighborhood, family, or church.

What would be your answer if someone approached you on a street corner and asked, Who is your most dangerous enemy? Think about it for a moment. Just what would you say? Odds are that among both non-Christians and Christians, most of us would answer in terms of flesh and blood; in other words, someone or some group of people.

But as Ken reminds us, that’s just not the case. Or at least, it’s not the truth. Three scriptural authors — Peter, James and Paul — all echo the reality that our most dangerous enemy in this life is Satan.

But think about that question again — Who is your most dangerous enemy?

And think about the reactions you would get, from non-believer or believer, if you answered with, Satan. Would you get the raised eyebrows of total shock and awe? Would you get a full-out belly laugh followed by a “come on, I’m being serious here”? Would you get a dismissive roll of the eyes, indicating you must be one of those people?

Our responses to that question and the responses we might get from those around us are very, very telling. There is an enemy out there and we’re basically oblivious to his schemes – we’re asleep at the wheel. We just keep on blaming each one another, a.k.a., flesh and blood, for everything that’s going on.

Ken says it well: Satan prefers that we do not recognize his role in our conflicts.

If we have any intention of living and moving and have our being as peacemakers, it’s imperative that we live with an awareness of our most dangerous enemy. Now it is true that most of our struggle comes through flesh and blood, but we’ve got to be self-controlled and alert to the truth that it’s not against flesh and blood. Peacemakers with that kind of presence of heart and mind are Satan’s most dangerous enemies. Awake, o sleeper! Live dangerously!

~~

I sometimes have a hard time with thinking Satan is my greatest enemy. I think I am my greatest enemy.

But I’m sure the devil loves to play on my weaknesses and sinful inclinations to wreak havoc on me.

Do you agree with Ken and the Peacemakers devotion, or not?

~Kristina

Thanksgiving Pictures

Pictures of our Thanksgiving, if you are interested.