The Greatest Gift

 

THE GREATEST GIFT

Introduction: There is not much uplifting and faith-building material on the TV to watch. Wilma and I were challenged this week as we watched a TV series: “Walk With Me: When War Comes To Your Door. It is the incredible story of Carolyn Figlioli, a missionary who took care of 150 children during the recent Civil War in 2016 in South Sudan. Are you looking for a faith-building story? I encourage you to watch this TV series.

            IRIS ministries are demonstrating the Love of God in action in the world since 1980. Here is a quote from its founder, “We want to do much more than building roads, buildings, and schools. We just want Him. We want to be deeply, deeply in love with Him. Where people fall more madly and deeply in love with Jesus Christ, not losing their first love but intensifying it more and more, Heaven will come to earth and lives will be changed.” Rolland Baker

            Christmas is a season of giving gifts to one another. What would be a better gift to give than feeding the poor, clothing the naked, and ministering to the broken-hearted? On this fourth Sunday of Advent, we will look at when God wanted to give humanity a gift of love, how He packaged it, and how that gift became the Greatest Gift of all times to all people.

            Appropriately the fourth candle we light today is called the “Candle of Love.” Today’s focus is on how God expressed His love for humanity that is desperately searching for love. I want to expand on the scope and the purpose of God’s Greatest Gift so that our Christmas celebrations will be more meaningful, purposeful, hopeful. John 3:16-20

Background:  As Christians, we can all quote John 3:16 by heart, but do we understand what context those most potent words were said? Let me draw your attention to a conversation between a highly learned Pharisee and Jesus. The Pharisee’s name was Nicodemus, a respected Jewish teacher in the community. He came to Jesus at night. Why not in the daylight?

            Perhaps he was afraid of his fellow Jews or embarrassed about not knowing the answers to some of his questions. Nicodemus here is a prototype of a seeker with burning questions searching for answers. Jesus stands here as the only one who can answer life’s complicated questions. Jesus never made fun of Nicodemus’s ignorance. He respected his leadership position.         Vs. 10, Jesus replied, “you are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? He gently led him to a revelation of the need to be Born Again. In that unique context of personal salvation, Jesus unfolded God’s Greatest Gift of love for all people.

 

I. GOD’S GIFT IS FOR ALL PEOPLE

            John 3:16, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” This one verse conveys the essence and the scope of the Good News of the Gospel. Let me explain this scripture further.

            Vs. 16, “For this is how God loved the World.” This verse is consistent with God’s nature of love and very much in line with His promise to Abraham. It talks about the all-inclusive love of God. In other words, no place or persons on the earth are outside God’s range of love.

            Genesis 12:1-3, “The Lord had said to Abram, “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” From one-man named Abraham, God made a nation of people called “Israel.”

            Isaiah 49:5-6, the Lord speaks of His servant’s mission, referring to Jesus the Lord’s Son. “And now the Lord speaks the one who formed me in my mother’s womb to be his servant, who commissioned me to bring Israel back to him.

            The Lord has honored me, and my God has given me strength. He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

            Jewish teachers often emphasized God’s extraordinary love for Israel. However, His self-sacrificing love for the world exceeds that love. To fulfill this promise, God sent his Son to the earth when the fullness of time came. Galatians 4:4-5, “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law so that he could adopt us as his very own children.” (sons and daughters).

 

II. GOD’S GIFT IS LIMITED

            Vs. 16b, “So that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” At face value, it looks like this contradicts the notion of God’s gift is for all people. Though God’s gift is extended to all people, only those who believe would get to enjoy the benefits of that gift. In other words, not all people, but only those who believe in Christ will be saved.

            This limited salvation stands in contrast to the Universalists’ popular belief that God would save all humanity. No doubt, God wants all people to be saved, but would all believe in Christ to be saved? It is yet to be seen. Consider the following scriptures. Matthew 7:13-14,          “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow, and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”

            Let me illustrate. There used to be a famous gospel tract depicting two ways. One was a Broadway; so many people were traveling on it. They seemed to be enjoying life, reveling in sinful pleasures. But in the end, that road leads to a fiery hell; all those who entered it perished.

            There was another way, relatively narrow, hilly, and filled with obstacles; only a few were found traveling on it. That narrow road leads through a vast cross climaxing it in Heaven.  All those who traveled that narrow way lived to enjoy life in Heaven forever. As a young person, that tract used to terrify me so much until I found myself traveling on the narrow way.

            That is how many people are wasting their lives, traveling on Broadway. Not realizing that they will end up in hell unless they change the course of their direction. Only a few will believe in the truth and will find the courage to travel the narrow path. Are you on Broadway or the narrow way? It is never too late to change your direction if you are on Broadway.

            We learned that the angels proclaimed the good news of great joy to all people on the first Christmas day. The shepherds took it further in that region by telling everyone the same. Subsequently, that good news has been proclaimed all over the world. Yet, many still refuse to believe and come to accept the truth of the Gospel. Let’s see verses 19-20 to find why?

 

III THE WICKEDNESS OF HUMAN HEART

             John 3:19-20, “And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.”

            One of the main reasons why people refuse to come to light is the wickedness of their hearts. Somehow, they love darkness more than light. They think that living a sinful life is more appealing and enjoyable than doing the right thing by living in the light. Many enjoyed evil during Noah’s time until God judged the world by sending a universal flood. Genesis 7

            The scripture tells us that before the second advent of Jesus, the world will be like Noah’s days before the flood. People will be enjoying banquets and parties and weddings.

            Matt 24:37. How is God going to deal with the wickedness of our generation? Will he judge the world as he did during Noah’s time? He will judge one day but not necessarily the way He did it at that time.

            The good news is that we are living in a grace period. God is offering an olive branch to all those who are continually rebelling against Him. Because of His great love for the world, He sent His only begotten Son not to condemn or judge the world but through Him save the world.

 

IV. THE GREATEST GIFT

            What does the world need now? Love. Now more than ever! When God wanted to show how much He loved the world, He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ. In obedience to the call of God on His life, Jesus showed His love by giving His very life on the Cross for sinners like you and me so that we can be saved from eternal death in hell and live with Him in Heaven forever.

            In Verse 16, we read, all those who believe in Him will not perish but have eternal life. In other words, if you believe in Jesus, you will be saved. If we know what we will be protected from, we will be quick to receive this gift and be immensely grateful for it.

            Like the new Vaccine, if you know you will be protected from contracting the COVID-19 virus so that you could potentially live to see another day, would you not be quick to accept and be grateful for it? The only thing is that even after taking this Vaccine, people will die one day.    Our concern is not so much on escaping our first death, as we all have to die one day. But it should be on what the Bible calls the second death.  Rev 20:12-15, “I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.

            The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of Fire. This lake of Fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of Fire.” So, do you now know from what you will be saved?

            Jesus came to save us from that eternal Fire. Our souls’ salvation from that eternal destruction by far is the greatest gift that God could ever give to sinful humanity. You may be wondering how you could receive this most incredible gift? There is nothing you and I can do to obtain it except receive it by faith and be grateful for it for the rest of our lives. Amen!           

           

           

           

 

 

 

           

           

GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY

 

GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY

Introduction: December is a significant month for our family for several reasons. We celebrate our wedding anniversary each year. The greatest joy I have experienced more than getting married was when Wilma told me that we were expecting our first baby. I was elated with pride and joy with the news of becoming a father. Not once, but three times, we had such joy-filled moments. Our youngest was born in December, and we named her Tara, which means Star.

            No matter the circumstances, the birth of a baby anywhere and everywhere is good news as it brings joy to the parents and the families. However, that joy may be limited to those individuals. On this third Sunday of Advent, we will look at the birth of a special baby and how his birth was the Good News of Great Joy for all people. Let me set the background scene.

            After 400 years of near-silence from heaven, the hilly region of Judah was having some angelic visitations. The Angel Gabriel, who stands in God’s presence, visited the earth with two sets of joyful news. The first set of information was to an old priestly couple named Zachariah and Elizabeth. They had no children. The second was to a young girl named Mary, who was engaged to be married to Joseph the carpenter. Both Elizabeth and Mary were relatives.

            For reasons beyond their understanding, they both became pregnant. Elizabeth gave birth to a son and named him John, who became a source of joy and gladness not only to the elderly couple but for many in that region. The story of Mary’s child is what we are going to explore.

            It was the first century A.D.; the Romans were ruling the world. Emperor Augustus decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. It was the first census taken under the governor Quirinius. Joseph and his pregnant fiancé returned to Bethlehem to be registered in the census. While they were there when the fulness of time came, Mary gave birth to her first child, a son, and laid him in a manger as there was no lodging available for them.

            Two weeks ago, we entered on a prophetic trail with an attempt to understand and retrace our historical heritage. We began the Church tradition of Advent by lighting the candles in the Advent wreath. The first purple candle represented Hope; the second purple candle encouraged us to prepare ourselves and get others ready for our Lord’s Second Advent.

            The third Sunday in Advent is called in Latin Gaudete (or Rejoice). The third candle in the Advent wreath is commonly referred to as the joy candle. Amid solemnity, the church recognized that Christians are never people without joy.”[1] In our passage, we read about angels announcing the good news of great joy to some obscured shepherds in the fields of Palestine. It would be helpful to retrace the prophetic context to understand this story better. In 737 B.C, a minor prophet named Micah prophesied that the Messiah would come from this otherwise insignificant community. Micah 5:2, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrata, 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.” In our story, we will see how this prophecy has been fulfilled.

 

I. THE UNLIKELY RECIPIENTS:

            Vs. 8, “That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them.” It started like any other typical day for these shepherds when they left their homes to graze their sheep in Palestine’s hills. At nightfall, they were guarding their sheep.

            All of a sudden, something unusual happened. An angel from heaven showed up among them, and the whole field was lit up with the radiance of God’s glory.

            How would you react to such a glorious event? Would it not scare the daylights out of you? The shepherds were terrified. After assuring them not to be afraid, the angel proclaimed to them the most important news.

            You may be wondering why the shepherds the most unlikely recipients? Is it not crazy that God bypassed the rich, famous, wise, so-called righteous and sent his angel to these simple shepherds? It is not strange for God to do such uncommon things. That is how God often works; he hides his plans from people who are wise in their own eyes and reveals them to the innocent.

            The Bethlehem shepherds became the first recipients of God’s divine revelation. Recently I studied a bit about shepherds. The wilderness is featured in many biblical narratives. Wilderness does something to a person’s soul. “It is a place of death. Deserts bring people quickly to the end of their self-sufficiency and independence.”

            Shepherds learn to endure and survive in the desert. In the wilderness, God called His people to do extraordinary things. It is where, while managing the sheep, Moses got his mission to lead the Israelites out of slavery. The Israelites have learned valuable lessons of trusting God.          Bethlehem was nearby Jerusalem, and many of the sheep used in the temple sacrifices came from there. The surrounding hills were prime grazing land, and shepherds worked in the area day and night, all year round tending their flocks. In our story, the shepherds were tested and found ready to be entrusted with the divine message of the good news of great joy.

 

II GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY.

            The quiet hilly region of Palestine became hectic with action. Suddenly, we see angels from God flying back and forth, from heaven delivering messages to Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph, and now to the shepherds. Vs. 10-12, “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior, yes, the Messiah, the Lord, has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” What do we see in these verses, how would that impact us today?

 

            Three ancient prophecies (Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6, and Micah 5:2) were fulfilled in those two verses. Mary gave birth to a son, wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth, and laid him in a manger. We also see an angel delivering mega news to a group of innocent shepherds, saying, “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.           

            What is this good news, and how can a baby possibly bring great joy to all people? The good news was that according to the prophecies, the Savior was born in Bethlehem. He was the Messiah who would rescue his people from the tyranny of their oppressors, and He would reign on David’s throne forever. The Hope of Israel has finally arrived and was laid in a manger.

            Soon after that proclamation, the angelic choir burst into praising God, saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” The big idea of this passage is “The birth of Jesus. The name Yeshua or Jesus means, “The Lord Saves.

            The Greek word Chara translated into English joy and rejoicing has a richer meaning. It is a feeling of inner gladness or delight. Chara comes from another root word Charis, which means grace as our joy depends on God’s grace upon our lives. The little boy Jesus in the manger did not remain a baby; he grew up and became a man. This was what was said of Him.

            John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The Good News of Christmas is that Jesus will give His Joy to all those who will believe in Him.

 

III. JESUS IS THE REAL JOY GIVER.

            Many people have this misnomer when we believe in God, all fun and joy will go out of our lives, and we have to live miserable and unhappy lives. This lie hinders many from coming to God. The truth is, the longer you are away from God, the longer you remain miserable. Consider the following scripture that talks about where we can find real joy. Psalm 32:1-5

            “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night, your hand of discipline was heavy on me.

            My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.” In repentance, we will find our real joy.

            A sinful lifestyle is one of the big reasons for our misery. When we deliberately sin and continue to live with unconfessed sin, our body wastes away. Because of God’s tender mercies, He would not give up on us. Day and night, His hand of discipline may be heavy upon us. Like the Psalmist, when we confess our rebellion to the Lord, He will forgive us of our sin and remove the guilt and shame associated with it and fill our hearts with real Joy.

            But you may say, where is joy these days? This year everything has been stolen from us. We don’t have our usual concerts, gatherings, and parties. We are missing out on so much. Yes, and you might be right, yet maybe we need to dig a bit deeper this year to find real Joy. Unlike other years, we have been slowed down this year; let’s not resent it, but make the most of it.

            In the quietness of our homes, let’s re-read and meditate on the most remarkable story of all times and rediscover real Joy. Joy is not store-bought, and Amazon Prime doesn’t deliver it to your door. Real Joy is only found in Jesus, who said, John 15:11, “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! In closing!

            The shepherds in our story were less skeptical than you, and I are. They hurried to Bethlehem to see Jesus. After visiting Jesus, they went away, proclaiming the good news to all people. How will you respond to the good news of great joy, Jesus, the real joy giver? Amen!

           

 

 

 

 

 

             

 

 

  

 

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[1] https://www.seedbed.com/pink-candle-advent-wreath/

Comfort Comfort My People

 

COMFORT, COMFORT MY PEOPLE!

Introduction:  Last week, we embarked on a four-week Journey to the Manger. On our first Advent reflection, we have looked at how our Times of Darkness and Despair Will Not Go on Forever. That is the message of Hope in times of trouble and sorrow. On this second Sunday of Advent, we will reflect on how God’s people prepared themselves for the first Advent and how to prepare ourselves to look forward to the Second Advent of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

            Our preparation includes many things: We remember Israel’s Hope for the coming of God’s Messiah to save, to forgive, and to restore. We remember our need for a Savior to save us from our sins. We remember our Hope for the second coming of Jesus. We prepare to welcome Christ at Christmas into our world and our hearts. Any preparation involves a period of waiting.           From the time it was prophesied about the Messiah’s coming in 722 BC, it took nearly 730 years until Christ’s birth in 6 B.C. That includes the 400 years of silence during the intertestamental period. It was a long period of expectations and preparation. What was it like as they waited out? We will reflect on that message during that waiting period. Isaiah 40:1-5

            Isaiah is one of the longest and most important books of the O.T. The Prophet begins his prophetic career during a time of relative peace and prosperity under Judah’s kings Uzziah and Jotham. But before long, conditions deteriorated, especially on the International scene. It is like COVID-19, starting in one place and quickly becoming a global problem.

            Chapters 1-39 of Isaiah deals primarily with events during the prophet’s lifetime, but the latter part of the book is concerned with the future. Isaiah 40 begins a significant section that looks ahead to Judah’s return from Babylonian exile in the sixth century B.C. In the N.T., we find many prophecies concerning the Messiah and their fulfillment. All the four gospel writers mention the passage Isaiah 40:1-5 in their writings. That’s what makes Isaiah very significant.

 

I. GRIEF SOAKED WORLD

            Isaiah 40:1-2 comfort, comfort my people, “says your God. “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone, and her sins are pardoned. Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over for all her sins.” The word comfort mentioned two times; why?

            “The Torah is always cautious to use words sparingly and not to repeat even a single word unnecessarily. The prophecy considers the future destructions of both the first and the second temple. The loss of both Temples would constitute a double calamity and grief for the Jewish people, and consequently, God promises that His consolation will also be double.”[1]

            Let me share a few thoughts about grief. In our connect group, from Richard Winter’s Book When Life Goes Dark, we learned that sorrow and sadness invade our lives when we lose people or things precious and essential. We usually think of grief in response to death, but we can experience all sorts of losses, relationships, jobs, homes, countries, dreams, innocence, reputation, pets, essential people, health, youthfulness, and vitality.

            The pain of some of these losses above may not be as deep as the grief experienced after the death of a person, but they are legitimate and should not be ignored or repressed that comes with various losses. The most significant loss, however, is the loss of a loved one.

            Sadly, a staggering number of over 282,000 in our country and over 1 million worldwide have died since the Pandemic. Can you imagine the amount of grief that is unleashed upon us all at once? Individuals, families, communities, and nations are grieving the loss of their loved ones.          

            Coming back to our passage, thousands of years ago, not only was the Judean society wreaked by injustices and immorality, but their very existence as a nation was threatened by exile. Many felt God did not care for them. Into that context, Isaiah spoke these prophetic words.

II COMFORT, COMFORT MY PEOPLE

            Isaiah 40:1-2 “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone, and her sins are pardoned. Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over for all her sins.” We see God’s tender mercies. His heart to forgive His people’s sins and comfort those afflicted in these verses. “Comfort, Comfort My People,”

            Those words must have sounded refreshing and assuring to the captives that God would not punish them any longer for their sins. He was not going to cast them away forever but would restore them to their home city. Let’s expound on the word comfort. In English, it means “the easing or alleviation of a person’s feelings of grief or distress.”

            The Hebrew word Nacham here means to comfort or to be comforted. This word appears about 65 times in various contexts. The Greek word Parakaleo means “called to one’s side” for help.” Comfort’s basic concept is encouragement, whether by words, by simple presence or actions in times of need and challenges. The following scriptures highlight the people who comforted those who were grieving due to losing their loved ones.

            Just hearing the made-up death story of his beloved son, Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned for Joseph for a long time. His whole family tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. Gen 37:35. The Egyptians mourned seventy days over Jacob’s death. Gen 50:3. Isaac was comforted by his wife, Rebekah, after his mother’s death. Gen 24:67. David comforted Bathsheba over the loss of their infant child.” II Samuel 12:24.

            In all these incidents, we see people becoming “comforters” as they came alongside grieving people. That was how God intended people to comfort one another in times of grief and other challenges. Whenever we exhibit such tenderness and care, we reflect a part of God’s tender heart with which He comforts the broken and the hurting. Our God is a God of Comfort.

 

III. GOD OF TENDER MERCY

            When it comes to God, at times, we have a perception problem. We see him as angry, harsh, mean, and quick to punish us when we do something wrong. That was how I perceived God during my earlier years as a Christian because I saw him through the eyes of my earthly Father. As I studied more of God’s nature now, I see the tender mercies of God.

            No doubt He disciplines his children when they rebel and go astray. But at the same time, with cords of love and compassion, He seeks to draw them back to Himself. Our God is anything but loving, tender, merciful, and compassionate. That is hope-giving and comforting.

            Consider the following scriptures: Psalm 71:20-21, “You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth. You will restore me to even greater honor and comfort me once again.”

            When we rebel and go on our way because of God’s love, He refuses to give up on us. We see the tender father heart of God in how he dealt with Israel’s nation. Hosea 11:1-8, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt. But the more I called to him, the farther he moved from me; I myself taught Israel how to walk, leading him along by the hand. But he doesn’t know or even care that it was I who took care of him.

           

 

            I led Israel along with my ropes of kindness and love. I lifted the yoke from his neck, and I myself stooped to feed him. “But since my people refuse to return to me, they will return to Egypt and will be forced to serve Assyria. They call me the Most High, but they don’t truly honor me. “Oh, how can I give you up, Israel? How can I let you go?

            My heart is torn within me, and my compassion overflows.” The tender mercy of God remains the same until today over all those who are unwilling to accept Him as their loving heavenly Father. Yet God is ready to comfort them in their trouble.

 

IV. A PROPHETIC EXHORTATION

            Isaiah 40:3-5, “Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord. Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together.”

            In verses one and two, we see the promise of God’s Comfort to his people. In verses three to five, we read about a prophetic exhortation to the nation of Israel and people of all times. This exhortation reflects some eastern monarch’s custom to send heralds before them to clear away obstacles, make causeways, straighten crooked roads and valleys, and level hills.

            Israel’s remnant was told to prepare for the Messiah’s arrival by removing the obstacles from His path through their repentance. As they worked towards it, they had to wait over 700 years to see a partial fulfillment of this prophecy at John the Baptist’s birth.

            This is what Zechariah prophesied over the birth of his miracle son John. Luke 1:78-79, “Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” During this Advent season, how do these ancient scriptures speak to our situations?

            Perhaps some of us are grieving over various losses, including the loss of a loved one. One of my close friends recently lost his mother in February and his Father this week. A double tragedy of that sort needs double comfort.  Listen to the comforting words of the Apostle Paul, In 2 Cor 1:3-5, “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. May we receive God’s comfort so that we can comfort others who might be hurting. Amen!

 

             

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[1] https://theisraelbible.com/bible/isaiah/chapter-40/verse-1

TIMES OF DARKNESS AND DESPAIR WILL NOT GO ON FOREVER

 

             I love Traditions. In the all-time classic Fiddler on the Roof, a Jewish dairyman Tevye passionately laments about losing traditions. They matter as they connect people to the past and give them hope for the future. We must not forget certain practices but cherish them as they give meaning to our living by bringing families together to remember and celebrate.

            Growing up in India as kids, we used to look forward to Christmas and Easter festivals eagerly. What are your family traditions? What do you eagerly look forward to each year? One such beautiful Christian tradition emerged around 480 AD in the worldwide Church to help Christians slow down, pause, remember, reflect on this most significant historical event and remain forever grateful. That is called "Advent."

            Hope Church will be joining many Christians around the world who are observing Advent. Over the next four weeks, different individuals will be lighting up the candles. We will look into Biblical passages that talk about people's expectations and the Messiah's prophetic fulfillment. During this Advent, my prayer is that you will slow down to reflect and anticipate the eternal promises of God for you and your family. Let's begin our study.

 

I A NATION IN DARKNESS & DESPAIR

            Isaiah 9: 1-2, "Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory. The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.

             For those who live in a land of deep darkness (a land where death casts its shadow), a light will shine." A little background to this passage will explain Israel's condition, hopes, and aspirations presented in these verses. During that time, the nations were waging wars.

            The Babylonians conquered Jerusalem, and the Israelites were taken into exile in Babylon. It was one of the darkest eras of the nation of Israel. People were living in fear, complete distress, and hopelessness. They thought God had abandoned them and forgot His promises. God had not left them; instead, He was building their expectations.

            In the 8^th Century BC, the Prophet Isaiah prophesied that God would send the Messiah, and He will establish a different Kingdom, and their dark days will be over. Can you imagine how those words of Hope may have sounded in the ears of Israelites? They may have welcomed them with gladness and rejoiced that soon their troubles will be over. It is like hearing the news about three vaccines that will be available soon, and our problems with COVID-19 will be over, and normalcy will return soon. What do we see in verses one and two?

            We see God's dealings with individual nations, and His prophetic promises of Hope for a bright future and their fulfillment. Zebulun and Naphtali's land lay in Galilee's area on either side of a major highway through Israel from the north. They suffered greatly when the Assyrian Tiglath-Pileser III attacked in 734 and 732 BC (2Ki 15:29). That began the dark days for Israel.

            In the former time, God humbled the land of Israel, but in the later time, God would exalt Galilee among the nations and transform their gloom into honor. In the N.T, we will see Galilee's glory being restored when Jesus began his ministry from Capernaum, in Galilee. Matthew 4:16-17, "the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined." From then on, Jesus began to preach, "Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near."

            This prophecy gave Hope to the Israelites, whose situation looked gloomy and helpless. With the first Advent of Jesus Christ, the deep darkness of despair began to lose its grip on Israel and, in a way, on all humanity. How relevant are these words of Hope to our times today?

II. DARK DAYS AND DESPAIR IN THE USA?

            The world we live in today is waging all kinds of wars. Many refugees are moving to safer places escaping suffering and danger in their lives.  In our Mid-Week Connect group, we learned a few things about depression and suicide. In 2017, an estimated 17.3 million adults in the United States had at least one major depressive episode. This number represented 7.1% of all U.S. adults. The prevalence of major depressive episode was higher among adult females (8.7%) compared to males (5.3%)."[1]

            We don't talk enough about suicide in our Church. But we must address it. Did you know around 33,000 people die each year by suicide in the USA? That is a rate of one suicide every sixteen minutes and ninety suicides per day."[2]  What role can Hope Church play in bringing Hope to the depressed and those struggling with thoughts of suicide? 

            On top of that, we live through a worldwide Pandemic. One source indicates, "As many as half the U.S. population may experience anxiety, depression, and some post-traumatic stress symptoms in response to COVID-19-induced fear, economic instability, and social isolation."[3]

            Is there food insecurity in a so-called promised land? "A report from the Rhode Island Community Food Bank indicated that as many as 1 in 4 households in the state was facing food insecurity, while food banks in the country faced an increase in demand of roughly 26 percent, during this Pandemic."[4] When you hear about all these depressing facts and statistics, one begins to wonder is the USA going through Dark Days and Despair?  What is God teaching us? Is He calling us to return to Him? What Hope do we have amid darkness and despair?

 III TIMES OF DARKNESS & DESPAIR WILL NOT GO ON FOREVER!

            Vs. 1a, "Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever." This most comforting and hope-filled prophecy was spoken by the Prophet Isaiah in 722 B.C. Yet this is so pertinent to our times. Our times of darkness and despair will not go on forever. That is our Hope. How do we know that these troubles we are currently facing will soon be over someday?

             We know it because these words come to us from the most reliable source in heaven and on earth that is our God, who has an unblemished reputation of always telling the truth as it is. The Biblical Hope is not wishful thinking, but it is our confident expectation of God's promises. Its strength is not in one's self but God's faithfulness. Consider the following scriptures.

            Numbers 23:19, "God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act?  Has he ever promised and not carried it through? Hebrews 6:18, "So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the Hope that lies before us."       

            These scriptures encourage us to run to God, who is trustworthy. Retrospectively speaking, we have more reasons to trust God than the Israelites because we have the scriptures, where we read about the fulfillment of many of God's promises. Here is one such promise. 

 IV. A FOUR-FOLD NAME OF GOD

            Vs. 6-7, "For a child is born to us; a son is given to us. The Government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His Government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven's Armies." Earlier, in chapter seven, Isaiah prophesied that God would send them a sign.

            Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." In the passage we read, he goes into more details about the child, how he will be called, and the kind of Government He will establish.      In ancient times the birth of a son was viewed as a matter of rejoicing in ordinary circumstances. Having a royal son to assume the throne was even more critical. What was unique about this prophesied child and the Son? The uniqueness is in the four-fold name he would be called and the righteous Government He will establish, and we will get to be a part of it.

            There is great power in a name. Names have a way of creating an identity, and it's how those around us know us. In the Bible, God is called by many names explaining His nature and character. Learning to know God by his various names opens up the door to a deeper relationship with him. It creates deeper intimacy, trust, and understanding.

            At the time of this prophecy, many counselors or advisers would interpret God's prophecies and dreams to the kings and people and tell them what to do. However, none of them were called Wonderful Counselor. Only the Son will be. During Israel's time, people worshipped many false gods, but only the God of Israel was called Elohim: God, Creator, mighty and strong.

             Since the beginning of creation, there were many fathers, but no one could rise to the level of our loving heavenly Father, who is also called the Everlasting Father. Many Kings have ruled the earth, but none of them matches the Prince of Peace. How about His Government?             I am not anti-Government. It is necessary for the welfare of a nation. However, our trust should not rely entirely on any earthly Government, but on only one Government of peace for which there will never be an end. We know that our dark times and despair will disappear as they will not go on forever. One day we will behold the second coming of "God's Son Jesus" to establish His Kingdom of peace, fairness, and justice; that will be our second Advent. Amen!

           

 

 

 

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[1] https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression.

[2] Richard Winter, When Life Goes Dark,

[3] Panchal, N., Kamal, R., Orgera, K., Cox, C., Garfield, R., Hamel, L., Muñana, C., and Chidambaram, P. (2020) The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Use. Kaiser Family Foundation.

[4] https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/long-lines-form-at-food-banks-across-country-ahead-of-thanksgiving/ar-BB1bkqYZ