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THE MISSION OF A Devotional

Advent/Christmastide 2020

THE MISSION OF CHRISTMAS A Christmastide Devotional

Advent/Christmastide 2020

Hope Church 2609 Seminole Road Columbia, SC 29210 hopechurchcola.org

If you were like me, I grew up believing that 25 was the end of the Christmas season. However, according to the Church calendar, it’s twelve days long! When you stop to think about it (if you have that time) it makes sense. Why, after an entire month of longing and waiting and remembering, would we celebrate for one day and be done? I would hope our celebration, not only spills over into the twelve days of Christmastide but that the hope and joy of Christmas would never leave our hearts. As with the Advent Worship Guide, this devotional was never intended to replace any regular study of the Word, but to supplement and be an addition to your regular time with the Lord. Each of these devotionals were written out of hearts that love the Lord and desire that all hearts are His alone. The hope is that you are not only encouraged in your walk with the Lord by the testimonies and encouragement from dear brothers and sisters at Hope Church but that a fre is stoked in your belly to go and tell. Go and tell your neighbor. Go and tell your friend. Go and tell the family member that you see only during the holidays. Go and tell! May this be our heartbeat. May we not be ashamed of the ! May we be compelled to tell everyone we meet that the King has come and He’s going to come back! He will right all the wrongs. He will heal the brokenness. He is the Light of Life and the Hope of all the world. Happy Christmastide to you! The King has come!

Christmastide 2020

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May our homes be filled with hearth-fires, dancing, singing, merriment-- and may the revelry over our dear Savior’s birth ignite within us a crackling roaring flame, that we may be compelled to follow the example of lowly shepherds and share with others the good news of Great Joy which is for all people.

2 25 Go Tel It On The Mountin- DECEMBER The Mission of Chrstmas Leiann Walther

Applying all diligence, in your faith supply…perseverance. I realize that 2 Peter 1:5-6 are not your typical Advent Scriptures, but I was so surprised by the meaning of the original Greek word for perseverance and how it applies to the season. What do you normally think of when you hear the admonition to “persevere”? I think of someone in a marathon. They are tired at mile 20, wondering why they signed up for the marathon, and wishing they had done the 1/2 marathon instead. And then they pass a friend cheering them on and saying, "You got this! KEEP GOING!! You're going to make it!" I have always thought of perseverance in a “keep moving forward” way.

So, I was surprised when I discovered that the root word for perseverance in this passage ‘Apart frm means: "stay in place." The picture is not of a tired runner, but of a rooted that is Him, we can being blown by strong winds--and perseverance means that the tree doesn't come uprooted or move from its place: it remains firm no matter what is going on around it. do nothing.’ When told His disciples in John 15:4 to "abide (remain) in Me" it is the same root word--stay in Me; we get our resources and strength and power from Him. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. The one who hears Jesus’ words and acts on them is the house built on the rock that doesn’t collapse when the rain falls, the floods come, and the winds blow and slam against it. It perseveres: remains in place.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS Has anything moved me from my abiding place in Jesus this season? How do the busy-ness, festivities, and commercialism of my secular culture affect my focus on the simple message of why Jesus came?

Sometimes the challenge is not to come up with a new and exciting way to share the message of Jesus’ incarnation, life, death and resurrection, but to have the same fresh love and deep gratitude for who Jesus is while telling the: Same. Old. Story.

3 26 The Inconvenience of DECEMBER Chrstmas - Part 1 Michael Battermann

For us in the , Christmas is often associated with good memories. There are lots of lights, feelings of love, Christmas trees with decorations, , good food, presents, music, and often, wonderful family time together. Have you ever thought about how inconvenient that first Christmas actually was? Mary and ’s family were still working through the whole issue of disgrace, because Mary was pregnant before being fully married. There was the extreme inconvenience Have you ever when the Romans decided to take a census, which meant that people had to return to the thought, “How area of their birth. What it have been like, for Mary and Joseph to make this around 90 mile journey with their baby who was so close to being born? There was no other inconvenient?” means of transportation other than walking or possible riding an animal, if one was rich enough to own one. Imagine arriving in and trying to find a place to stay. They might well have had relatives living there, who must have felt obliged to take them in but could not, as others were also trying to find lodging. It must have been very inconvenient to turn away such a needy couple. Mary and Joseph might well have felt desperate and felt like they were such an inconvenience to those that they asked for help. They were finally able to get a place among the animals, that were used to having the place to themselves. Sometime before this, the “Wise Men” were also inconvenienced, in that they left their homes and places of comfort to being their longer journey to follow the star. If I were one of their camels (if they used them for transportation), then I definitely would have felt inconvenienced. They eventually made it to Jerusalem where their observations became quite an inconvenience for king Herod. He felt extremely threatened, and began to demand answers of the Jewish leaders, which would have inconvenienced them. It would have made them felt quite uncomfortable, in speaking the truth of prophecy to Herod, that a different king was to be born in Bethlehem. Think of the inconvenience of birthing a baby in a place so out of the . Was there somebody to help? That could well have been the case, which means that somebody else was inconvenienced, especially because of the crude conditions into which the baby would have to be born.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS Does inconvenience ever keep you or your family from focusing on ? Does inconvenience ever keep others from seeing or hearing about Christ, from you or your family?

4 27 The Inconvenience of DECEMBER Chrstmas - Part 2 Michael Battermann

How would you like to have been one of those shepherds out in the fields, who were scared out of their wits when those cut loose? There was also the inconvenience of losing sleep, with a mixture of fear, awe and excitement, and having to choose who would stay back and watch the sheep, while the others hurried, without flashlights, into the town, to see if what the angels had spoken of was true. Then there was Mary and Joseph with a brand-new little baby, with all of these people crowding around. I can imagine the staring and babbling taking place, when I’m sure that these new parents were probably exhausted and just wanting to sleep. Think of the inconvenience for Mary and Joseph in not wanting to travel back home Let’s not forget with such a young child. Then the inconvenience of Joseph’s dream that caused them to that the baby, go all the way down to Egypt. They must have been scared and wondered if they were who cause al safe on that journey. How inconvenient to be immersed into a totally different culture, with possibly no of these friends, and have to find a way to make a living for those next few years. It must also inconveniences have been inconvenient for the soldiers, having to head out to Bethlehem and kill little children. I’m sure that they struggled with their own consciences, possibly for the rest of , actualy came their lives. t die so that All of these occurrences sound quite inconvenient. Especially in comparison to us sitting we might truly in our cozy living rooms, with all of the conveniences that anyone would ever need. Don’t get me wrong here. I’m not saying that it’s wrong to have all of these things, or to live. be comfortable, but at the same time, let’s not forget the extreme inconvenience of that first Christmas. Let’s not forget that the baby, who caused all of these inconveniences, actually came to die, so that we might truly live. He was the focus, and must still be the focus of our lives. Let’s not forget that ministry is never convenient, and that we should choose inconvenience, if it would others or, even ourselves, closer to Christ.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS What inconvenience will be a part of this Christmas, in order for you to refocus on Christ? What inconvenience will be a part of your Christmas this year, so that someone else’s focus may be on Christ?

5 28 Shout it frm the DECEMBER Mountin Grace Hamrick

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. I can’t help but imagine all of Mary’s thoughts as she held the Promised One in her arms—as she gazed in wonder of Him, rejoicing over the faithfulness of God’s promises. Did she whisper in His ears, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign? Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Did she say to him, “You are the One whom God promised?” I can only imagine as a mother all that was going on as she looked him over from head to toe. I can see her counting his ten fngers and toes. Picking up his foot and kissing it. I did that with my children, grandchildren and now great-grandchildren, saying, “this is my sweet foot.” Little did she know that another Mary would be doing the same thing with a precious ointment—washing that sweet foot with her tears. Further Study Did Yahweh remind her of His promise spoken of by Isaiah, “How beautiful upon the mountains :10, 11a are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes , who brings good news of Isaiah 7:14 happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’” Or “Go on up to a Luke 7:38 high mountain O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold Your God’?” I can Isaiah 52:7 only imagine all the thoughts and questions that went through Mary’s mind as she held this Isaiah 40:9 infant in her arms remembering God’s precious promises. Exodus 3:12 I want to rest in His promises too and be faithful to the faithful One as His child and a member of Hope Church. For He promises me, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

Let us shout it from the mountain, “Our God Reigns, Behold our God!”

REFLECTION QUESTIONS When you look at what is going on around you, do you sometimes question, Where is God in all this? Do you sometimes ask, Who is in control? Do you really believe our God Reigns? (Read how the Lord answered Job in chapters 38-42. It will be a

6 29 Chrstmas and Social DECEMBER Distncing Steve Bradley

Now you know what it is like socially to have leprosy. Back in biblical times lepers had to call out “unclean – unclean” as they approached a crowd. No one touched them. No one dared to come close. Fear. Isolation. Exclusion. Disconnect. Castaway. Anxiety. Loneliness. Social distancing required. Then came Christmas and God in the flesh person of Jesus entered. He ‘He is coming back t touched the lepers, embraced them and healed them. He ate with the earth someday t castaways, he included the excluded. And that is just the beginning of what Christmas means because in a embrce and be wth al human body he lived a perfect, sinless life and then connected with all who have become his sinners by embracing their and taking it to the place of judgment— the cross—so we could be declared clean. He rose from the dead and is folowers.' coming back to earth someday to embrace and be with all who have become his followers. Now, Christmas does not mean we can stop social distancing because of Covid, but it does mean God has sent a way —Jesus Christ—so we might be declared clean from sin. Then we no longer have to socially distance from God but can become members of his family. Praise God for the meaning of Christmas: So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. :14 (NLT)

REFLECTION QUESTIONS What are some ways that can inadvertently cause us to distance ourselves from Jesus? During the last nine months, has social distancing been a catalyst for you to draw nearer to Jesus or have you also distanced yourself from him? Is there something in your own life that is causing you to keep a social distance from Jesus? How can you better steward this time and season?

7 30 I Am the Good DECEMBER Shepherd Don Burnett, Sr

It is of some interest that the first to hear of and witness the birth of Jesus were Shepherds. Why did God plan for Shepherds to be the first to receive the news and be the first to spread it? At any rate Jesus chose to say of himself “I am the Good Shepherd.” Loretta’s favorite animal is the sheep. She has numerous pictures of sheep about the house and above our breakfast booth. My favorite is that of a shepherd with a large flock of sheep trustingly following him as he goes before them. We took this picture in Switzerland a short distance from the home We would be of Vicki Bagdasarianz, Hope Church’s first sent missionary blind if we John 10 is a beautiful picture of this relationship between sheep and shepherd, between the saints and the Savior Shepherd. Jesus there says: “My sheep hear my voice, and they follow do not see me.” multitudes He also says in John 10:16, “And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring that ar them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” harssed Matthew 9:36 reveals the heart of Jesus, the Good Shepherd: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a and helpless shepherd.” And then he instructed His disciples and us as well. “Then he said to his disciples, and wthout ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest’” (verses 37-38). a shepherd. We would be blind if we do not see multitudes that are harassed and helpless and without a shepherd. We do, and the enormity of that huge need tends to overwhelm me. Does it overwhelm you also? What to do? Pray earnestly for the Lord to send out laborers into ripe harvests of these wandering multitudes. REFLECTION QUESTIONS Does the reality people wandering through this world without a shepherd overwhelm you? Who do you know that is wandering this life without a shepherd? Are you praying for opportunities to position yourself to interact with and befriend someone who does not know the Good Shepherd? Have you prayed and asked God if He is calling you to be one who goes?

8 31 Joy t the World, the DECEMBER Lord is Come! Dave Dahlen

“, the Lord is come; … Let every heart prepare Him room.” As a boy growing up in a small fishing village along the northeast coast of America, at Christmas time I would join in with others and sing this beautiful , “Joy to the world”, without any clue of what it really means, nor did I even care, for I did not personally know the God of “heaven and earth”. All I knew at that time was, that our family was very near, and that I could hardly wait to see what had left me under the . ‘For the frst time Many years later, after hearing the gospel message of the Savior, and being “” by the Spirit at the age of 35, I was standing before a large group in my life, I was of men in a federal prison in Florida, preparing to teach a Bible study. Just raly hearng the before the study began, we sang together the words of this beautiful hymn that I had once sang as a boy. But this time it was different for me. Perhaps for the words of the hymn first time in my life, I was really hearing the words of the hymn from deep frm deep wthin within my heart. “Joy to the world the Lord is come… Joy to the world the Savior reigns… Let my heart.’ every heart prepare Him room.” Although it had been my desire from the beginning to please the Lord of heaven and earth in every way, I realized then, that I had not really allowed Him to have the full reign and rule in my heart that He desired. It was rather , along with my three best friends - me, myself and I who wanted to have first place in all things. Today, thanks be to Jesus Christ, the Lord of all mercy, grace and truth, who has been at work in my heart over these many years, I not only love and rejoice greatly when I sing the words of this great hymn, but I want the world, whether next door or across the sea to know and make full room in their heart for Him. Then they too will be able to rejoice and keep rejoicing as they sing “Joy to the world, the Lord is come”. REFLECTION QUESTIONS Are there things which you cling to that do not allow God to have the full reign and rule in your heart that He desires? Are you compelled to go and tell what God has done in your heart and life, even to a neighbor? What’s stopping you, if anything, that’s keeping you from sharing your Joy?

9 1 Circumstntial Evdence, But God! Grace Hamrick

The chances of Elizabeth conceiving were next to nothing. How many times month after month, year after year, had she wept over the longing in her heart to hold a child, her child, in her arms. It seemed evident that would never happen. A mute husband and no children. This was her fate. Mary’s circumstances were so promising. A precious young virgin preparing to marry her Further Study godly young man. Dreaming of their life together. Would she, unlike her kin Elizabeth, Exodus 3:7 be blessed with children? Little did she know what was ahead. Daniel 7:9 From an earthly view, one with such joy and hope in her heart and the other with such Micah 5:2 heartache and pain. Little did they know. But, The Ancient of Days saw the tears, saw Matthew 28:20 the hearts and had prepared the Lamb before the foundation of the world. Luke 1; 2:10 A very busy was given the honor, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with John 14:27; 20:21 you! You will bear a child!” 1 Petr 1:19-20 "How will this be?” Mary said. “Nothing is impossible with God…And behold your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son.” How life changes and can turn upside down in the most unexpected ways. Things we would never dream of happening. But God! Nothing is impossible with God. “I bring you good tidings of great joy.” “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” He still brings us tidings of great joy. “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” But God! REFLECTION QUESTIONS How do you handle the unexpected events in your life? Put yourself in Mary’s shoes. She knew she was carrying God’s Son and was a virgin. Imagine the false accusations that could come. Would people believe her? Joseph? How do you handle false accusations and/or shame? Do you trust the Lord to be your defense?

10 2 Go Tel It On The JANUARY Mountins! Marian Jones

Which mountains? For Aziel and me it was the mountains of eastern Costa Rica where the Cabécar Indians live, scattered throughout the rain forest. The message of Christmas was unknown to them. All they knew was that Christmas was the time the ate . In the early years after building our home in an isolated area we celebrated our family Christmas by nailing tropical greenery to our unfinished board walls as a substitute for a real Christmas tree. We also decorated the walls with a display of last year’s Christmas cards, because this year’s cards would not arrive until January. Years passed as we struggled to learn the Cabécar language. came and went. Little by little we learned enough to begin translating. By 1980 several books of the were in print. There were a few believers, but no real church despite our having lived in Costa Rica almost thirty years. That Christmastide as we worked on the , I sat down at the piano and improvised a tune for :21, 23:

Ikie rä Jesús ni, ikie rä Jesús ni, Jesús ni je wà rä: “Sa tsatkäksa.” Ite sa tsatkemiksa, ite sa tsatkemiksa, ite sa tsatkemiksa, jì yakei wakblele yika. Je kirmi rä Emanuel ni, je kirmi rä Emanuel ni. Emanuel ni je wà rä: “Säkeklä kaldu sa ra.”

(His name is Jesus, his name is Jesus, “Jesus” that means “The Savor.” He wl save us, he wl save us, he wl save us frm sin committd. He wl be caled Immanuel, he wl be caled Immanuel, “Immanuel” that means “The Lord is wth us.”)

Now it’s Christmastide 2020. As groups of Cabécar believers gather in many places throughout those mountains, they sing Matthew 1:21,23 all the time, even when it’s not Christmas. Aziel and I left in 1997 after finishing the New Testament. For us it was a privilege to go and tell the news about Jesus on the mountains where the Cabécar people live. REFLECTION QUESTION Who are the ‘Cabécar Indians’ that you are being called to to be bearers of the gospel?

11 3 The Most Wonderful Life JANUARY Part 1 Vernon Bauer

In the 1946 movie “It’s a Wonderful Life,” George Bailey wished he had never been born and was granted the wish for a short time. It has been aired on TV every Christmas since 1976 and is considered one of the greatest and most inspirational films. The movie caused me to ask, What would be different in our world and our own lives if Jesus had never been born? Take a moment and ponder the multitude of things that would be missing from our world if Jesus had never lived and we knew nothing about Him. Start by removing Christmas, , and all churches everywhere. In this three-part devotional I offer three crucial reasons why Jesus, while fully God, needed to become in-the-flesh human (incarnate) and enter our world. If He had not been born, our world would be hopelessly ruined without remedy. Consider first…. 1. Jesus’ Incarnate Life Manifests God’s Total Self-Revelation. “And the Word If Jesus had not come, the greatest self-revelation of God would never have occurred and we would know no more of God than what Moses, David and the became flesh as a prophets knew. We would only have the OT, and as the Jews of all times know, ful human being, it is helplessly incomplete. We would know little or nothing about God as Father, and even less about His Son and the . and dwelt among Let John’s account of Christmas instruct us (John 1:1, 14, 18, my paraphrase): us, and we behold “When the universe was first created the Word already existed, and the Word was in face-to-face toward God the Father, and the Word was His glory” in nature…. And the Word became flesh as a full human being, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory (human & divine)…. No one has seen God at any time; Jesus, the only begotten, incarnate God, who is embraced in the bosom (heart) of God the Father, He has explained (lit. exegeted) [in the rest of John’s Gospel all we need to know about Himself, the Father, the Holy Spirit, and eternal life].” Through Jesus Christ we learn God is Triune and He loves us. (Cf. also Phil. 2:5-11; 1 John 1:1-4; Hebrews 1:1-4).

REFLECTION QUESTIONS What would be different in our world and our own lives if Jesus had never been born? What name given at the time of Jesus’ birth summarizes the truth presented in this first point?

12 4 The Most Wonderful Life JANUARY Part 2 Vernon Bauer

2. Jesus’ Incarnate Life Exposes Our Treacherous Sinfulness. If Jesus had not come, we would never have understood the horrendous extent of our human wickedness. History is full of unspeakable examples of what man is capable of doing to his fellowman. But would mankind kill God if He were in a creaturely form capable of death? The answer is “Yes,” and the proof is: That’s exactly what mankind did at the cross, and we continue to crucify Him to this day (cf. Heb 6:6; 10:29). An event during the first Christmas illustrates this: Satan operating through Holy God and Herod attempted to destroy Jesus by slaughtering the infants (cf. Mat 2:16 with Rev 12:4-5). Later, the Jewish religious leaders hardheartedly rejected Him and sinful man wer planned His death. Judas fiendishly betrayed Him. Peter cowardly denied Him not once, but three times, and the other ten woefully abandoned Him. The rconciled and made crowd ruthlessly mocked Him. Saul of Tarsus relentlessly executed one in the to annihilate His Name. Atnement on the Who “killed” Jesus? –Satan? –the Jews (Caiaphas)? –King Herod? –the Romans (Pilate, the soldiers)? Yes to all of these, but it was ultimately our Crss (mine and yours) that killed Him. More accurately, to save us from the eternal penalty of our sin, God the Father lovingly chose to send Jesus to the cross and abandon Him to die, so that our sins might be crushed and we might be forgiven. In the person of Jesus Christ as the unique God-man, Holy God and sinful man were reconciled and made one in the Atonement on the Cross. The At-one-ment took place within Jesus first – He as fully God and fully man. Then His Reconciliation is offered freely to all those who are In Christ Jesus through a faith relationship.

REFLECTION

Name encapsulated in Part 1: Emmanuel, the name given at his birth (Mat 1:23) summarizes this point – “God with us,” which means “God for us.”

13 5 The Most Wonderful Life JANUARY Part 3 Vernon Bauer

3. Jesus’ Incarnate Life Provides His Thorough Salvation. If Jesus had not come, we would not have full, comprehensive salvation. Without the incarnation through the virgin birth, redemption was/is impossible, because there would be no perfect life, no cross, no death, no atonement, no resurrection, no ascension, no fullness of the Holy Spirit, and no . Without the Incarnation none of these other events are possible, and that is what we celebrate at Christmastide. At least it should be the main thing we celebrate. The cross was not necessary for Jesus to heal the blind man, nor the lame man, These truths, only nor any other miracle He performed. He could do all these because He was/is possible because the Creator. But Jesus could not “cure” our human sin-problem and reconcile us to the Father without His own self-sacrifice on the cross when He took all Jesus Chrst was our sins into Himself and personally bore the wrath of God for those sins. The cross was absolutely necessary. There was/is no other way. We have seen that born, ar worthy of without Jesus the God-man there is no full Atonement for sin. shouting frm the But now, because Jesus’ Incarnation was/is Perfect, and the Atonement is All- Comprehensive, He offers us a thorough, robust Salvation of being In Christ mountin tps through our faith-relationship (Cf. Eph. 1:3-14). We do not have to live in slavery to sin and unrighteousness. We have the privilege, the power, and the permission to be free from the penalty, the guilt, the destruction, and the power of sin. These three lessons are presented clearly by John in his first : God’s Self-Revelation (1 John 1:1-3); Man’s Sinfulness (1 John 1:7-10); and Redemption for believers (1 John 2:1-3). In summary, these three wonderful-life truths, only possible because Jesus Christ was born, are worthy of shouting from the mountain tops, not just at Christmastide, but all year long

REFLECTION QUESTION

What name given at the time of Jesus’ birth summarizes the truths presented in points 2 and 3?

Answer: Jesus (Mat 1:21). Means “Yahweh is salvation,” i.e., Yahweh Himself is salvation, not just Yahweh saves (cf. 1Jo 5:12).

14 15 Go tl it on the mountin Over the hils and everywher Go tl it on the mountin That Jesus Chrst is born!

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