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An Advent Podcast from Apostles By-the-Sea in Rosemary Beach
Episodes
Wednesday Dec 18, 2019
Wednesday Dec 18, 2019
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Revelation 4:1-8
1 After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the spirit, and there in heaven stood a throne, with one seated on the throne! 3 And the one seated there looks like jasper and carnelian, and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald. 4 Around the throne are twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones are twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes, with golden crowns on their heads. 5 Coming from the throne are flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne burn seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God; 6 and in front of the throne there is something like a sea of glass, like crystal. Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face like a human face, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside. Day and night without ceasing they sing,
“Holy, holy, holy,
the Lord God the Almighty,
who was and is and is to come.”
Reflection:
The imagery of John’s vision in Revelation is vivid yet unusual, and it might be easy to get so focused on this amazing and wonderful vision that we miss the detail that the four living creatures are singing a song. This is not a song of lament, but a song of joy to the Lord who is holy. The threefold repetition of “holy, holy, holy” (which indicates a perfection of holiness) mirrors the threefold joy of the Past (Christ “was”, the Present (Christ “is”), and the Future (Christ “is yet to come”). We don’t have to wait until Christ returns to sing this song, but when he does return, we’ll join our voices with the whole host of heaven in the most amazing chorus ever heard, singing “holy, holy, holy”!
Tuesday Dec 17, 2019
Tuesday Dec 17, 2019
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Psalm 47
1 Clap your hands, all you peoples;
shout to God with loud songs of joy.
2 For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome,
a great king over all the earth.
3 He subdued peoples under us,
and nations under our feet.
4 He chose our heritage for us,
the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah
5 God has gone up with a shout,
the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the king of all the earth;
sing praises with a psalm.
8 God is king over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.
9 The princes of the peoples gather
as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
he is highly exalted.
Reflection:
Psalm 47 praises God for his power, his majesty and his wisdom. It also acknowledges both his control of things on earth as well as his concern, love and care for his people. We sometimes sing the first couple of verses of this psalm in worship. It is a song that brings out the joy of the psalmist. And why not? God reigns over all the earth, and gives us everlasting comfort and assurance that he is in full control. We rejoice in what he has done, also what he is yet to do in his Son, Jesus, when he comes again. What a beautiful day that will be when all the nations will “shout to God with loud songs of joy.”
Monday Dec 16, 2019
Monday Dec 16, 2019
Monday, December 16, 2019
Revelation 3:7-13
7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of the holy one, the true one,
who has the key of David,
who opens and no one will shut,
who shuts and no one opens:
8 “I know your works. Look, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but are lying—I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. 11 I am coming soon; hold fast to what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12 If you conquer, I will make you a pillar in the temple of my God; you will never go out of it. I will write on you the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem that comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 13 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
Reflection:
On October 10, 2018 Category-5 Hurricane Michael swept through the Florida panhandle. Even at the writing of this devotional, many residents and businesses are still very much involved in restoration and rebuilding. It has been a long and often painful journey. Building materials have been in short supply, as have skilled laborers to perform the repairs. We’ve learned that the process can’t be rushed. We hope, even as we wait, and it gives us a measure of understanding into the patient endurance John writes about in Revelation. It is a hopeful waiting, and a hope that is built on certainty rather than possibility. There is certainty in the promises of God, and all of them find their ‘Yes’ in Jesus. As the Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:20, “For in him every one of God’s promises is “Yes.”. We can be certain that Jesus will return just as he promised. As we wait, let us not forget that he is with us, even now, by the Holy Spirit. Through the difficulties of this life he comforts and helps us to have patient endurance as we wait for the joy of that day when he comes in glory.
Sunday Dec 15, 2019
Sunday Dec 15, 2019
Week 3: Rejoice!
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Readings:
Isaiah 35:1-10
Psalm 146:5-10
James 5:7-10
Matthew 11:2-11
Reflection on this week’s readings:
The Scripture readings for the third Sunday in Advent give cause for rejoicing as they reflect on the salvation and restoration Jesus brings. When Jesus returns, the effects of sin’s curse will be removed. We see this reversal in Isaiah 35 and Psalm 146, where we read that the dry land will blossom, streams will come forth from the desert, the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the oppressed will see justice, the hungry will be fed, and the downcast will be lifted up. What was prophesied becomes fulfilled, and in Matthew 11 we read Jesus’ message to John the Baptist: “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. This is indeed reason for rejoicing, and as the Proper Preface for Advent tells us, when Christ comes again we’ll have even more reasons to rejoice.
Proper Preface for Advent:
Because you sent your beloved Son to redeem us from sin and death, and to make us heirs in him of everlasting life; that when he shall come again in power and great glory to judge the world, we may without shame or fear rejoice to behold his appearing.
Collect for the Third Week of Advent:
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
Saturday Dec 14, 2019
Saturday Dec 14, 2019
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Haggai 2:1-9
1 In the second year of King Darius, in the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: 2 Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, and say, 3 Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? 4 Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts, 5 according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear. 6 For thus says the Lord of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; 7 and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the Lord of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. 9 The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.
Reflection:
The prophet Haggai speaks to the people of Israel who have returned from exile in order to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. They waited a long time - over 60 years since the temple’s destruction, and there were still some among them who were able to remember the former temple. Unfortunately, this rebuilt temple was only a shadow of the former, and a bit of a disappointment in their eyes. God spoke through the prophet Haggai with a message that directed the people not to the current temple, but to a future temple more glorious than they could ever imagine. Sometimes, we too get caught up in the present and fail to look forward to that certain, glorious future for the children of God – one that will be consummated at Jesus’ return. Even now, God is building that future glorious temple. The apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2:22 that we are being “built together into a dwelling place for God.” As we wait for the coming of Christ, let us joyfully work together to participate in God’s kingdom-building program here on earth, in our worship and as we “go in peace to love and to serve the Lord.”
Friday Dec 13, 2019
Friday Dec 13, 2019
Friday, December 13, 2019:
Matthew 23:27-39
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth. 28 So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, 30 and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors. 33 You snakes, you brood of vipers! How can you escape being sentenced to hell? 34 Therefore I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, 35 so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Truly I tell you, all this will come upon this generation.
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you, desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
Reflection:
As a child, my parents would sometimes say to me, “Do as I say, not as I do.” It was clearly meant and understood to be a corrective command, yet it was generally said with a touch of humor as my parents recognized the inherent hypocrisy of that command. Unfortunately, “Do as I say, not as I do” was emblematic of the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees mentioned in today’s reading, and unlike my parents, their hypocrisy had no hint of humor. Too often, we display the same hypocrisy when our actions fail to reflect our words; but the good news is that Christ’s love offers us the most wonderful remedy for our hypocrisy: forgiveness, which is ours when we genuinely confess our sins and turn from them.
Jesus’ message to the scribes and Pharisees could be summed up by another common phrase: “Practice what you preach.” In this season of Advent, let’s try to be guided by that same phrase and take time to show others the grace, forgiveness, and love God offers us each day.
Thursday Dec 12, 2019
Thursday Dec 12, 2019
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Psalm 37:1-18
1 Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers,
2 for they will soon fade like the grass, and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.
4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will make your vindication shine like the light, and the justice of your cause like the noonday.
7 Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way,
over those who carry out evil devices.
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For the wicked shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land, and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.
12 The wicked plot against the righteous, and gnash their teeth at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that their day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy,
to kill those who walk uprightly;
15 their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
16 Better is a little that the righteous person has than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will abide forever;
19 they are not put to shame in evil times, in the days of famine they have abundance.
Reflection:
The Psalms are one of the most beloved books of the bible, partly because they cover the range of human emotions and conditions - not the least of which is the anger we might feel when the wicked seem to get their way. David addresses those concerns and emotions here in Psalm 37. No matter how terrible things might seem, David counsels that we should not seek to wish punishment upon the wicked. God can and will take care of all things, and so we’re instructed to wait and trust. But waiting can be hard. If you ever forget that fact, try waiting with a toddler, and you’ll be quickly reminded! Waiting, during times of uncertainty, can lead to fretting, which is what the psalm instructs us to refrain from three times (verses 1, 7 and 8). Fretting is a very destructive emotion; it turns our focus away from God and toward ourselves. Advent is a time of waiting. As we wait for our Lord’s coming, we may experience injustice from the “wicked”. We should not let these experiences be a reason to fret, rather we should “Be still!” and know that God’s justice will always prevail and He will put all things right.
Wednesday Dec 11, 2019
Wednesday Dec 11, 2019
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Revelation 1:17-2:7
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he placed his right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and of Hades. 19 Now write what you have seen, what is, and what is to take place after this. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
The Message to Ephesus
1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands:
2 “I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance. I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers; you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false. 3 I also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name, and that you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember then from what you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this is to your credit: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.
Reflection:
Physical touch was integral to Jesus’ healing ministry and the New Testament gives several accounts of how Jesus healed people by touching them. When people with leprosy cried out to be healed, Jesus touched them. When the blind cried out to have their sight restored, he touched them. In today’s passage from Revelation we also see the healing touch of Jesus. Overwhelmed in the presence of Jesus, John falls at his feet as though he were dead. Jesus responds to John’s fear by reaching out, touching him, and saying, “Do not be afraid.” What a calming touch and words of assurance Jesus provided! This story does more than just provide a picture of what was revealed to John on the island of Patmos. This story assures us that when Jesus comes again in glory, any fear we might experience on that awesome day will be dispelled by the Lord of love and compassion, who will reach out to us, and speak those words of assurance: “Do not be afraid.”
Tuesday Dec 10, 2019
Tuesday Dec 10, 2019
Tuesday December 10, 2019
Matthew 22:34-46
34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35 and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: 42 “What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” 43 He said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying,
44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet”’?
45 If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?” 46 No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.
Reflection:
In our reading today, the Pharisees ask Jesus to provide the ‘greatest commandment’. We find the same story in Mark 12, but here, Matthew adds something that Mark leaves out. Matthew says that the second commandment is “like” the first. Presented this way the two commandments are really two parts of the same whole. “Love your neighbor” is not a second commandment, but guidance for living out the first. The two are inseparable. We cannot claim that we love God if we have no love for our brothers or sisters.
This second week of Advent continues the theme of the first, which calls Christians, as they wait for Christ’s second coming, to evaluate their lives on the basis of his first coming. However short or long that wait might be, we have been given the opportunity to demonstrate our love for God and neighbor. Let us do so in abundance, with joy!
Monday Dec 09, 2019
Monday Dec 09, 2019
Monday, December 9, 2019
Revelation 1:1-8
1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place; he made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it; for the time is near. 4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Look! He is coming with the clouds;
every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
So it is to be. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
Reflection:
The opening verses of chapter one focus our attention on the source of the revelation, the crucified and risen Jesus…and what a description, we’re given! He is the one who loves us, who freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom of priests! These opening verses also assure us that God is in firm control of world events. Everything began with Him at Creation, and everything will be consummated in the return of Jesus. This isn’t some esoteric theological point, rather it is a truth that gives us confidence that everything is going according to God’s plan, and it will be as good in the end as it was in the beginning.