Bring It Home Don't Panic
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Bring it Home Don’t Panic MONDAY: Precious Promises - - Have you ever felt that all seemed lost? Did you find comfort in God’s As we see in our gospel today (Luke 21:25-36), Jesus is in Jerusalem in His final week on earth, Word that it spoke to you personally to look beyond yourself to God’s love? In Jeremiah 33-14-16, God’s and Christ is in the middle of talking about His Second Coming. One might wonder why. word through Jeremiah is a message of hope for God’s people 2500 years ago and today. Read Jeremiah The more I have studied what people in Judea thought about the Messiah, the more I realize 29:11 and 33:14-16. What promises did God make through Jeremiah? Thank God that your hope (confident just how far apart their views on what the Messiah should do compared to what Jesus was assurance) is grounded in God’s faithfulness. actually doing and was, eventually, going to do. TUESDAY: The Bright Light of Hope - - When Jeremiah penned the words of Chapter 33, God’s The biggest misconception surrounds the Second Coming. Almost all the Jews of Christ’s day people were in exile in Babylon. Jeremiah had begged them to repent and return to God, but they hadn’t. In did not believe there was ever going to be a Second Coming. One was enough, thank you. They Babylon the people mourned what they had lost (see Psalm 137:1-6). Now consider the brightness of God’s believed that when the Messiah came there He would leave in His wake an absolutely perfect redemptive promises in Jeremiah 33:14-16, and sing the first stanza of the Advent hymn, O Come, O Come world, freed from all sinfulness. Emmanuel: Ask God to prepare your heart for Advent. Of course that’s not what happened. When Jesus died, rose again and ascended to heaven, some Jews looked around and probably said something like, “Where’s the perfection? Even if WEDNESDAY: The Promised King - - Last week we celebrated Christ the King. This week we look back your Jesus rose from the dead, He didn’t fulfill half of the messianic prophecies. That’s why to the promises God gave to God’s people concerning the coming king. Read 2 Samuel 7:16-17,25-29; Isaiah we don’t believe in Him.” 9:1-2,6-7; 11:1-5 (Jesse is David’s father); Jeremiah 33:14-16; and Matthew 1:1. Reflect on what King Jesus means to you, and sing to Him, “O come, thou Key of David, come, and open wide our heavenly home. We Christians believe that Jesus would fulfill “half the prophecies” He “missed” when He re- Thank Jesus for coming to redeem you. turned again. And that’s why Jesus harps on His Second Coming during that week in Jerusalem. He wants everyone to understand what He will do LATER. Thus, in Jerusalem Jesus describes terrible things happening before the end of this world: nations warring against nations, earth- THURSDAY: Layers of Prophecy - - We look ahead to Jesus’ return, but we see only as in a mirror, dimly quakes, famines, roaring seas, the heavens shaken, and other terrible things. (1 Corinthians 13:12). Jeremiah, left in Jerusalem, writes to those exiled in Babylon and sends a message of hope (Jeremiah 33:14-16). Another chapter in this message of hope was revealed when Jesus was born, Both two weeks ago in Mark and this week in Luke we see Jesus describe these events. But but many sought an earthly king (Luke 17:20-21; 19:36-38; 24:25-27). Ask the Spirit to give you eyes to see He does something else as well: He advises us on how to act DURING these difficult times God’s activity in the world. before His Second Coming. FRIDAY: Jesus—Son of God, Son of David - - Read Isaiah 9:6-7; Jeremiah 33:15; Matthew 1:1; 3:17; In Mark 13 Jesus wants His followers to realize that, no matter how often disasters occur in 14:33; Mark 1:1; and 1 John 2:1-2. The promised Jewish king is the Savior of the world; it is He who is our the world (and now that we live in a highly-wired world, we hear about everything), we should righteousness (see John 3:16; Romans 1:16-17; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Do God’s promises ever seem intan- never give up and never follow any false Christs. He tells us “not to be alarmed” and “this must take place, BUT the end is still to come….This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.” gible? Tell God you will entrust your unseen future to the One who sees from the light of eternity. In other words, don’t panic. SATURDAY: “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” - - The Jewish exiles returned from captivity; they rebuilt the temple and city; and they awaited the promised Messiah but didn’t understand that their king was also the And this week in Luke 21 Jesus, after listing disasters, counsels: “Be on guard so that your hearts suffering servant (Isaiah 9:6-7; 52:13-53:12). Advent is a time of waiting and watching, of anticipating God’s are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life….” When activity and trusting God’s faithfulness. From the ashes of our dashed hopes, God can bring new life and we update that verse so that “drunkenness” includes the drug/opiod addictions so rampant today, we see how relevant Christ’s warning really is. joy. Tell God your deepest longings. 1-2, 2018 December There is much in this world that the devil uses to drag us down and keep us away from our mis- SUNDAY: “Lead On, O King Eternal” - - God acted; the Jewish temple was rebuilt and later renovated, sion for Christ Jesus, in service to God’s world. Let’s continue to keep our eye on the ball. but in 70 A.D. the Romans destroyed it, and it has not been rebuilt. Read Jeremiah 33:14-16; John 2:13-22; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19-20; and Revelation 21:1-6,9-11,22-23. We don’t understand everything about - -DLH- - God’s promises (Deuteronomy 29:29), but we trust our faithful God and Jesus, our eternal King! Tell Jesus you will follow Him, today and forever. 2201 E 106th Street, Carmel IN 46032, 317-846-1555 www.kogcarmel.org Calendar Prayers Announcements Announcements MEMBERS • Sunday, December 2 Terry Bowen health concerns ST ND - - We are looking for Joan Denney recovering 9:00 am Worship SCRIP ORDER DECEMBER 1 /2 - - From Lowes to Kohls; CAN WE BORROW YOUR LANTERN? 9:00 am Gloryland Starbucks to Maggiano; Disney to Speedway and everything in between, candle-lit or battery-powered lanterns to use as centerpieces for the Becky DeWitt ongoing elbow recovery 11:00 am Worship Scrip (gift) cards make the perfect gift and KOG gets a percentage of tables in our Bethlehem Inn. If you have one that we can borrow, Camilla London breast cancer 4:00 pm ICCCI Orchestra the sale on each one. please bring it to the Choir Room by Sunday, December 2. Thank Thomas Miller recovering from hip 2:00 pm St. Lucia Practice infection • 5:15Monday, pm Sr. December High Youth 3 you. GIVING TREE - - Thank you to all who donated items to this impor- Connie Schmohe alzheimer’s disease tant ministry! We will be sorting the gifts beginning at 10:00 today if you CAROLING - - New this year we will be car- Matt Wallace broken leg 9:00 am Craft Group care to help. oling for the residents of Woodland Terrace 6:30 pm Elders FaMiLy & FRiEnDS 6:30 pm Yoga on Sunday, Dec. 16 from 6:00-7:00 p.m. We • 7:00Tuesday, pm Aphasia December Support 4 HANGING OF THE GREENS - - Thank you to those who helped will meet in the entrance of that facility and then we will sing in their ballroom. Woodland Ina Carson Jill Dietz decorate the church yesterday. DJ Dillon Marlene Eisen 9:30 am Prayers of Grace Terrace is at 689 Pro-Med Lane, off Old Me- Chris Excell Karen Fethke 5:30 pm Pilates/Sculpt CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS: LESSONS & LUNCH - - Join us ridian just northeast of St. Vincent Hospital Sonny Mowery Ronald Ruthsatz 6:00 pm SOCS for a combined worship service on Sunday, December 9 at 10:00 to re- in Carmel. Sign up on Flocknote or here at Tony Sandleben Pam Sandusky • 7:00Wednesday, pm Boy Scouts December 5 Mike Salasar-Inskeep Tom Seeley member what Christmas is really about. All of our music teams will church in the coming week. Margie Stone Ray Strohminger be participating – including our youngest. Following worship we will Henry Tomascycki Tyler Trent Sarah Wassmuth Bill Wehrman 8:00 am Men’s Bible Study share brunch together in our Bethlehem Inn (usually known to us as 9:00 am WOW Bible Study Kerry White Randell & Mary Willis 5:30 pm CHOW Dinner Fellowship Hall). Ham and rolls will be provided. We would like you Nancy Zachary Our Military 6:00 pm King’s Kids to pitch in a Christmas favorite - enough to serve 12 people. Breakfast Christmas Poinsettias Our Nation Our World 6:00 pm Bible Study items are welcome. You can drop your food off downstairs before the 6:30 pm Glory Singers service. Sign up on the clipboard or the large bulletin board today or 7:00 pm King’s Chorale Would you like to help us decorate the Sanctuary for Christmas • 7:30Thursday, pm Friendship December Bible 6 Study on Flocknote.