Third Sunday in Advent: Believe and Hope

December 16, 2018

Third Sunday in Advent

Believe and Hope

“You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” Luke 1:45

Oh what blessing in belief. Belief in our lives is directly related to trust…And trust to confidence…and confidence to absolute Hope…Hope, which originates from belief…Oh what blessing in belief!

Everywhere I go, wherever I look, I discover a new Believe sign…I think I am going to start counting them! “BELIEVE” is everywhere! Our church hosts the BELIEVE event to kick off the beginning of the Christmas season, reminding us that it is the season to Celebrate and to Believe! As hundreds of families hurry into the Worship Center to claim their seats, there is great excitement, anticipation and expectation as the event kicks off…Fun, Worship and a Message of Truth…

BELIEVE…

Distraction is certainly not a new concept. Throughout history, humankind has created distractions which are like magnets-interrupting and interfering with our intent on Christmas and its true meaning, I know I often find myself being distracted by the whirling excitement of the season…being tempted to forget why we celebrate, who we celebrate, and what and in whom we Believe!

The First Christmas

Before the first Christmas, when Mary was anticipating and preparing for her wedding to her beloved, Joseph, she had a miraculous experience which redirected and adjusted her focus…her intention…her life plan. God sent the angel Gabriel to announce to Mary that she had found favor with God and would conceive and give birth to Jesus, the Son of God, who would reign over God’s Kingdom forever. And, we are told that in the face of this amazing, miraculous, unexpected news, Mary willingly surrendered her plan, and yielded her life to the Lord, as she believed that the Lord would do exactly what the angel had announced to her…and, Mary, the young, unwed woman, was Blessed because of her Belief…

Mary did not allow the response of neighbors or family members to distract her; she did not allow the trip to Bethlehem for the decreed census, or the inadequacy of the lodging to distract her or to divert her belief and trust of the message she had received concerning the child she carried.

Mary believed what God said, she trusted Him and His plan, and she could go and live with confidence and Hope…She Believed Him and was Blessed!

BELIEVE and HOPE

The blessings of belief are too numerous to count…Blessings of Belief are like the stars…just when you think you have seen them all, another one appears. When we know and remember why we celebrate, who we celebrate, and what and in whom we Believe, we are Blessed…Oh the Blessings of Belief…

Today, on the Third Sunday of Advent, may we continue our preparation and our celebration of this glorious season of Christmas. May we wait with remembrance, as we celebrate His birth. May we wait with anticipation and expectation, and confidence. May we stop and look forward to the return of King Jesus…Yes, We Believe He is Coming and we wait!

Oh my friends, I pray as we walk through this time, that we refuse to allow our hearts and our minds to be distracted from the reason we celebrate. I pray that our hearts are tender towards Jesus, our Messiah, and that we make room for Him in our lives. And, when we see the myriad of Believe signs scattered throughout displays, in catalogues, on shelves…online, may we Stop, Look and Remember why we celebrate, and who we celebrate, and in whom we BELIEVE!

Go and Tell…

As we are blessed by Belief, may we thank God for our local churches as they share the Truth about Christmas. May we go out into our lives and share the Truth of the love of God and the birth of Jesus…May we share the Hope we have…in shopping lines, coffee shops, at Christmas gatherings, and always, always in our homes…Yes, we celebrate God’s most wonderful Gift…and we Believe!

“But these things are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.” John 20:31

Oh what blessing in belief! Love you in Jesus,