 ADVENT WEEK 3 - A Seat At The Big Table Isaiah 9:2 NLT “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.” Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT “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 will make this happen!” Isaiah 60:1-2 NIV ““Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.” John 1:1-5 NLT In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. John 1:12-14 Mirror Translation “Everyone who realizes their association in him, convinced that he is their original life and that his name defines them, God gives them the assurance that they are indeed his offspring, begotten of him; he sanctions the legitimacy of their sonship. These are the ones who discover their genesis in God beyond their natural conception! This is not about blood lineage or whether we were a wanted or unwanted child: this is about our God begotteness. We are his dream come true and not the invention of our parents. You are indeed the greatest idea God ever had! Suddenly the invisible, eternal Word takes on visible form- the Incarnation on display in a flesh and blood person as a mirror! In Him, and now confirmed in us! The most accurate tangible display of God’s eternal thought finds expression in human life. The Word became a human being; we are His address; He resides in us! He captivates our gaze! The glory we see there is not is not a religious replica; He is the authentic begotten Son. The glory (we lost in Adam) returns in fullness! Only grace can communicate truth in such complete context” John 1:16-17 Mirror Translation “ He is the source of our completeness. Everyone may now realize his or her own completeness as evidenced in Him. This was grace were no grace was due. The law was given through Moses; Grace and Truth have their genesis in Jesus Christ. Against the stark backdrop of the law, with Moses representing the condemned state of mankind, Jesus Christ unveils grace and truth! John 8:1-11 NLT Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” John 8: 10-11 Mirror Translation “When Jesus stood up again, there was no-one there except the woman. So Jesus asked her. ‘Where are they?’ Has no one condemned you?’ She answered, ‘No one Lord!’ and Jesus said to her, ‘Neither am I condemning you- go and sin no more- never again believe a lie about yourself!” SIN (hamartia) from ha - negative or without and meros - portion or form; thus distorted a pattern - the root of sin is too believe a lie about yourself. Romans 6:14 in the Mirror Translation says: Sin was your master while the law was your measure; now grace rules. (The law revealed your slavery to sin, now grace reveals your freedom from it.) So Jesus didn't say to the lady go and sin less - He said go and sin no more. Jesus knew something about the life of our design that we had lost sight of. What He reveals He redeems! Sin consciousness is what empowers religion - It emboldens it. It’s Darkness! After this encounter Jesus declares He is the Light of the world - The light that pierces the darkness of religion (It pierces the LAW) John 8:12-20 NLT Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (Whoever journeys with shall not walk in darkness but will radiate the light of life! - Mirror Translation) The Pharisees replied, “You are making those claims about yourself! Such testimony is not valid.” Jesus told them, “These claims are valid even though I make them about myself. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don’t know this about me. You judge me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone. And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me. Your own law says that if two people agree about something, their witness is accepted as fact. I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other.” “Where is your father?” they asked. Jesus answered, “Since you don’t know who I am, you don’t know who my Father is. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” Jesus made these statements while he was teaching in the section of the Temple known as the Treasury. But he was not arrested, because his time had not yet come. What was the Temple Treasury?
Most of the activities recorded in the New Testament took place in the Treasury, also known as the Court of the Women. When, for example, we read that Jesus taught in the Temple, He taught here. The Treasury was a court that was located to the east of the Temple itself, just below the Nicanor Gate. This court is also called the Court of the Women, as that is as far as women were allowed to enter the Temple courts. It was in this court that the Presentation of Jesus and the meeting with Simeon and Anna the Prophetess (Luke 2.25–38) took place. During the Feast of Tabernacles, a water-libation ceremony took place every evening, that was watched by many people standing in this Court of the Women. When the water that was drawn from the Siloam Pool in a golden vessel was poured out on the Altar, Jesus said: “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink”. Golden lamp stands on high towers in the court were lit, casting light over the whole city. Again, Jesus was here when he said “I am the light of the world” in John 8. Continuing the tradition of Jesus’ teaching in the Treasury, the disciples taught here too on a daily basis. So Jesus is revealing who the Father is right in the midst of the one place in the temple that is inclusive Where all are welcome Not in the hidden chambers where only the select few can go
(As much as we were co-included in His death,) we are co-included in His resurrection. We are also elevated in His ascension to be equally welcome in the throne room of the heavenly realm where we are now seated together with Him in absolute authority. We are in Christ Jesus. We are seated with Him! Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. Who is David’s Enemy? - The Law - Religion - Darkness - It’s keeping him from seeing the Table - But Jesus prepares and reveals it - Setting a table was a sign of showing respect - God is inviting you to the big kids table “Lord, you give me all I need to be respected and victorious in the face of my enemies.”
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 You are valuable, you are loved, and someone knows you even better than you know yourself. There is an image and likeness imprinted upon your being that is the basis of your value … a value beyond your wildest dreams.
The one who invented and designed you, stamped you with His own image and likeness. He knows you better than you know you. He knew you before you were born. You might not know Him, but He has always known you. You might not be aware of Him, but He has always had you on His mind. You might think ‘why’ … why would anyone have such an obsession with me. Well, the creator of this universe sees a value and a beauty in you beyond anything else. When, Where and Why you began. Whatever age you are, you have a beginning that cannot be measured in time. You have the most awesome origin. In the beginning, before creation, before time as we experience it, before the existence of evil, there was a dynamic exchange of love, a relationship without boundaries. God- The Father, Son and the Spirit- in the very midst of their fiery love, at the core of their passion, the idea of you came into being! The God who is love planned to share this love with beings created in His image and likeness. This God, who is all-knowing and able to accomplish all of His purposes, planned a love-affair that would span over eons and conclude with a final victory in which His love conquered all – no contradiction; no evil. This good news is not some new idea, but the ancient, original thought of God. Let’s imagine this beginning, let’s allow the spirit of God to draw us to this place in which all things had their origin. Although no science can explain it, although the greatest minds have tried and failed to define it, God is confident that you are able to comprehend this; to appreciate the motivation that gave you birth; to remember where you began. In this place there is no space, no limit, no emptiness – there is only God in all His fullness. It is out of His fulness, out of the overflow of love that you are conceived. God did not imagine a pet that would simply entertain Him! You are His God-dream. You are a being who has the capacity to intelligently appreciate, to receive, to produce and to exchange the same quality of love that flows within God. His plan is not vague or speculative philosophy, but clear and specific. And so before the foundation of this world, He saw you in Christ. At this point, He made up His mind about you! No matter what detours, no matter what contradictions would come, He determined that you would be His treasure – blameless and innocent before Him in love. When did you begin? Before creation, before time itself. Where did you begin? In the very heart of love, a love relationship we call God. Why did you begin? To be loved, adored … and ultimately for that love to be awakened in you. "In the very beginning the Living Expression was already there. And the Living Expression was with God, yet fully God. They were together—face-to-face, in the very beginning. And through his creative inspiration this Living Expression made all things, for nothing has existence apart from him! Life came into being because of him, for his life is light for all humanity. And this Living Expression is the Light that bursts through gloom the Light that darkness could not diminish!" John 1:1-5 Passion Translation Man began in God. No matter how far man has fallen from his original place of innocence, God has never been confused about the true identity of man. Jesus Christ is the place, the event and the person in which God and man meet once again. In Christ Jesus, God has taken the initiative to reconcile man back to Himself – to restore man to blameless innocence. Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, and as such does not only represent God’s initiative, He also represents man’s perfect response of faith to God’s initiative. Jesus reveals the heart of God more than any other story ever told or any scripture ever written. In Him God reveals that He does not want to be God apart from us. He does not want to be a distant or unknowable God. The only way in which He wants to be God, is with man, in man, and as a man. Jesus reveals the truth about man more accurately than any other story, or even the factual history of man. In Him we see that the only way to be fully man, the only way to be fully free, is in union with God. This passion of God to restore man to that place of union, would drive Him to pay any price, to go to any depth to see it accomplished. And so in the act of becoming man, He places Himself in a position of conflict. Everything that has ever stood between God and man, every obstacle and every form of separation (called sin in the Bible) would meet and come to a final conclusion in this God-man, Christ Jesus. When your timeless Creator became a man, He mystically united Himself with you, so that He could bring an end to everything that stood between you and release you to be fully and truly yourself again. In this unity He faced everything you faced … and conquered! In His death, you died! That old state of being, separated from Him and united with sin, was brought to a final end in Him. He has wiped your slate clean, forgiven you of every wrongdoing. In His resurrection, you were resurrected to newness of life – that original life that God imagined for you from the beginning. In His ascension, you were raised to the most glorious place of honor – a place where God delights in you! The only thing that has ever kept you from enjoying these realities, is blindness. Not seeing what He sees, keeps us from enjoying what He enjoys. But these very words you are reading now, are reminding you of your union with Him. "As for me, because I am innocent I will see your face until I see you for who you really are. Then I will awaken with your form and be fully satisfied, fulfilled in the revelation of your glory in me!" Psalm 17:15 NLT What should I do? What do I do with this? How does I even respond to all this revelation? The good news is that the hard work has already been done for you! Jesus defeated everything that stood between you! Gratitude … love awakened, is all that’s left to do. Gratitude unleashes FAITH! Here’s a simple suggestion to give expression to this faith. Turn your focus inward. Become aware of the One who made you and united Himself with you … within you. In your own thoughts and words respond … something like: “Thank you for who You are and what You have done for me. As You gave yourself in love to me, I give myself in love to You. You made me in Your image and likeness. You made me to be loved, Thank You”  Advent Week One // The Incarnation - He is here and so am I
The church has been celebrating Christmas since December 25th 336 Other cultures had winter festivals around this time, The Jews had the festival of Lights - The church took the season over with the celebration of the birth of Christ. No one knows the exact date when Jesus was born, but the church used the last part of the year, the darkest part of the year - to celebrate that the LIGHT has come. It’s around 450 AD that the church introduces Advent to mark the beginning of the church liturgical year. It’s the celebration of Christ’s coming to the world, His coming to the hearts of men. The 8th century English missionary, St. Boniface, Apostle to Germany, is supposed to have held up the evergreen as a symbol of the everlasting Christ. By the end of the sixteenth century, Christmas trees were common in Germany. Some say Luther cut the first, took it home, and decked it with candles to represent the stars. When the German court came to England, the Christmas tree came with them. Around the thirteenth century, Christians added one of the most pleasant touches of all to Christmas celebration when they began to sing Christmas carols. Now before you start thinking - Hey, Jesus never instituted Christmas, why should we celebrate it? Think about this: Hanukkah (also known as the festival of lights) was not instituted by God. It commemorates the victories of Judas Maccabeus in 167 BC and the re-institution of temple worship. Jesus showed up the at the temple during this holiday (John 10:22 called the feast of dedication). He announces that He and the Father are one. God used a holiday that He didn't create that celebrated a deliverer to announce that The Deliverer is HERE. Man created this Holiday, But God brought GLORY. They were celebrating the festival of lights and Jesus - The Light of the World shows up. Christmas / Advent is a man made holiday that Christ is revealing himself through - If we Celebrate it!!! John 1: 1-5 Passion Translation 1 In the very beginning the Living Expression was already there. And the Living Expression was with God, yet fully God. They were together—face-to-face, in the very beginning. And through his creative inspiration this Living Expression made all things, for nothing has existence apart from him! Life came into being because of him, for his life is light for all humanity. And this Living Expression is the Light that bursts through gloom the Light that darkness could not diminish John 1:12-14 But those who embraced him and took hold of his name were given authority to become the children of God! He was not born by the joining of human parents or from natural means, or by a man’s desire, but he was born of God. And so the Living Expression became a man and lived among us! And we gazed upon the splendor of his glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father overflowing with tender mercy and truth! He dwelled among us - Immanuel (God With Us) The Word became flesh and made his home among us. Look at the definition of the Greek word “among”. Read John 1:12-14 in Mirror So, the Word (Logos/Logic of God) was made flesh and dwelt among us so that we could experientially know that He dwells WITHIN us! He has made us his address! Acts 17:28 NLT For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ "The Beloved Son, stepped out of eternity into history to be THE point of meeting, THE point of union, THE connection between the Trinity, on the one side, and humanity on the other. The Son became human to be THE place where the life of the Trinity intersects with and flows into human existence, and human existence is taken up into the life of the Trinity, now and forever." FROM The Great Dance - By C. Baxter Kruger The Word, the expression of God, the exact representation of God became flesh! This was no half-hearted attempt by which God simply disguised Himself in a human body. This was a permanent commitment by which God forever joined Himself to humanity – His eternal destiny bound up in the destiny of man. He became man in the fullest sense possible and would remain a man forever. The authentic Creator, the true light that enlightens every man came into this world. His mission was nothing less than shattering our illusions, exposing the unreal, unoriginal and fake identity that we embraced outside of Him. He came with the clear message to darkness that it’s time was up. Darkness has had all the opportunity it needed and failed to fulfill man, failed to provide a viable alternative. The incarnation reveals that our true selves, our true humanity can only be found in union with God. Jesus brings the final and thorough judgement that the law failed to bring: judgement on the ignorance and lies that man so desperately embraced. The emptiness and futility of separation is exposed by Christ. Simultaneously He introduces us to our true substance, to our existence in Him. The Creator became part of creation to redeem it from the grasp of corruption. In the incarnation He draws His creation back into the significance and value for which He created it. He reveals our true significance, our eternal origin and destiny in Him. There’s a reason why Jesus continually referred to himself as THE son of man. Jesus came to unveil the truth of what had always been. He says it 30 times in Matthew - 31 times in Luke - 16 times in Mark and 15 times in John Son (hwee-os) - of those whom God esteems as sons, whom he loves, protects and benefits above others Man (Anth'-ro-pos) - a human being, whether male or female - generically, to include all human individuals The word for man is mankind. Jesus could just have easily said “I am mankind. I am humanity.” In the beginning God breathed out of Himself into mankind the breath of life and we became living souls. The Bible says God chose us In Christ before the foundations of the world. Read Ephesians 1:3-11 Mirror Translation He came to unveil the truth of our origin, our genesis in him, our identity, our authentic original blueprint, to show us who we really were. Born from above. In eternal oneness with the Father. Sharing the same nature as the Father. Resembling his character and essence. Inheriting all that he is and all that he’s already given Us in him before time and space began. He said: I (mankind) and the Father are one. We’ve always been in Christ. This is the message of ADVENT - He has come to reveal this to mankind - WE ARE IN HIM!!! Nothing can separate all of humanity from this truth. It’s bound up in the body of Christ
Nothing can change what is already objectively true from heaven’s perspective.
You possess eternal Zoe life right now. What do I do with this? How does I even respond to all this revelation? The good news is that the hard work has already been done for you! Jesus defeated everything that stood between you! Gratitude … love awakened, is all that’s left to do. Gratitude unleashes FAITH! Here’s a simple suggestion to give expression to this faith. Turn your focus inward. Become aware of the One who made you and united Himself with you … within you. In your own thoughts and words respond … something like: “Thank you for who You are and what You have done for me. As You gave yourself in love to me, I give myself in love to You. You made me in Your image and likeness. You made me to be loved, Thank You” This is the Celebration of Christmas. This revelation will jumpstart your heart! You’ll put as many lights as you can on your house, tree, car - You will want all to see this LIGHT. You will realize that there is no war on XMAS because you can’t defeat this! You can’t stop it. |
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