Advent devotions: Dec. 11, 2017

Monday December 11

Ezekiel 39:25-29 God’s Promise to the Israelites

Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for my holy name. They shall forget their shame, and all the treachery they have practiced against me, when they live securely in their land with no one to make them afraid, when I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them from their enemies’ lands, and through them have displayed my holiness in the sight of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God because I sent them into exile among the nations, and then gathered them into their own land. I will leave none of them behind; and I will never again hide my face from them, when I pour out my spirit upon the house of Israel, says the Lord God.

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In 605, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, besieged Jerusalem, and in 597, after a revolt in the captured city, large deportations began of Israelites to Babylon.  Ezekiel, a prophet, was in the first group forced to leave.  Ezekiel describes the reason God allowed Israel to be overrun, the Israelites punishment and their promised return.

In a nutshell, the usual sequence occurred wherein the Israelites turned away from God, God decides to punish them, and after their suffering God repents and allows them to return.  In this passage, after the Israelites have been in exile for about 60 years, Ezekiel describes God’s forgiving the Israelites, allowing them to return to Israel, safety in their homeland and promising them good fortune. 

How often have we heard this story?  God gives man a good deal.  Man doesn’t listen.  God punishes man.  God forgives man.  God gives man a second/third/fourth chance.  You get the idea.  All God wants is for you to be faithful to Him.  Is that too much to ask?  In return you get all the gifts that God can bestow.  Yet we repeatedly fail to heed what God says, turn to sin, suffers sin’s trials and tribulations, and only are restored to God by His good Grace.

Would that we had the fortitude to not sin again.  But we don’t.  It is only through God’s good Grace and Jesus’ sacrifice that we are saved from our own frailty.  We don’t have the power on our own to resist Satan’s call.  But with true repentance and belief we can ask for and receive forgiveness for our sins.

There is very little we can accomplish on our own, but with the Gospel to guide us, Jesus’s sacrifice to take away our sins, God’s Grace to strengthen us, and God’s never ending mercy, there is nothing we can’t do in His name.

Prayer: Gracious Lord, you show us undeserved mercy throughout the ages.  We once again beseech you to let your Grace shine upon us, even though we have done little to merit it.  We all too often stop listening to you and turn away, following our own paths instead of your will.  For this, we ask for your forgiveness as we turn back to your Word.  We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Joanne Icken

Advent Devotions: Dec. 10, 2017

Sunday December 10

Ezekiel 37:1-14 Dry bones: new life, new hope

The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all round them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, ‘Mortal, can these bones live?’ I answered, ‘O Lord God, you know.’ Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.’

 So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.’ I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.

 Then he said to me, ‘Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.” Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.’

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When Ezekiel saw this valley with thousands of dry bones he must have thought “What can I do? Is this a giant jigsaw puzzle?” But God told him that He would give these bones flesh and tendons and all parts necessary so that they could praise the Lord and He did. What do we need to do today to have all people join together to worship? There are many of our members who we have not seen I a longtime, Are they those dry bones that need reviving? Shouldn’t we reach out to them to encourage their participation in today’s church? We need to let people know about church, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Let’s get those bones up and moving so that they can praise the Lord today.

Prayer: Heavenly Father we ask for our help and strength together with the wisdom to bring those bones together so that we may become worthy to praise Your name. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Dorothy Kafalas

Advent devotions: Dec. 9, 2017

Saturday December 9

Ezekiel 3:1-11 Call to prophecy

He said to me, O mortal, eat what is offered to you; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. He said to me, Mortal, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it. Then I ate it; and in my mouth it was as sweet as honey.

 He said to me: Mortal, go to the house of Israel and speak my very words to them. For you are not sent to a people of obscure speech and difficult language, but to the house of Israel— not to many peoples of obscure speech and difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to them, they would listen to you. But the house of Israel will not listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me; because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. See, I have made your face hard against their faces, and your forehead hard against their foreheads. Like the hardest stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; do not fear them or be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. He said to me: Mortal, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart and hear with your ears; then go to the exiles, to your people, and speak to them. Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God’; whether they hear or refuse to hear.

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Sent by God to the people of Jerusalem, Ezekiel was a prophet who warned them about their coming destruction and exile if they didn’t change their ways and heed God’s warning. The city of Jerusalem was still standing, but was inhabited by a head strong people who had turned away from God.  God decided to give them a warning of their upcoming doom if they didn’t start listening to Him.  In a vision He appears on a throne in a human like form to Ezekiel.  He gives Ezekiel a scroll containing God’s word and tells him to eat it.  As Ezekiel does so he finds Gods words sweet as honey.  God warns Ezekiel that his people are hard headed and will not listen to him or Him.  But He has given Ezekiel an even harder head and he is to speak back God’s words that he has ingested and warn the people whether they hear or refuse to hear. 

Here is the imagery we have seen in other parts of the Bible of God “touching” his prophet to put God’s words into his mouth.  One comes away with the impression, soon to be verified, that the people will not listen to Ezekiel.  This is the too oft repeated pattern of Gods’ people turning away from Him, God punishing them and then, because of God’s mercy, forgiving them.    

It is only through the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ sacrifice and God’s mercy that we can truly be saved.  For we, all too often, repeat this pattern ourselves of failing to listen, suffering and then seeking God’s mercy once again.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, you sit above us beyond our comprehension, full of mercy for your undeserving people.  Please listen to our prayers asking for your forgiveness for our turning away from your will and placing other desires ahead you.  We plead again for your boundless compassion.  Forgive us our trespasses as we turn back to you.  Amen

Don Icken

Advent devotions: Dec. 8, 2017

Friday December 8

Ezekiel 1:1-13, 2:1-10 Ezekiel’s call to be a prophet

In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. On the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin), the word of the Lord came to the priest Ezekiel son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was on him there.

 As I looked, a stormy wind came out of the north: a great cloud with brightness around it and fire flashing forth continually, and in the middle of the fire, something like gleaming amber. In the middle of it was something like four living creatures. This was their appearance: they were of human form. Each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf’s foot; and they sparkled like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: their wings touched one another; each of them moved straight ahead, without turning as they moved. As for the appearance of their faces: the four had the face of a human being, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle; such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies. Each moved straight ahead; wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went. In the middle of the living creatures there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving to and fro among the living creatures; the fire was bright, and lightning issued from the fire.

He said to me: O mortal, stand up on your feet, and I will speak with you. And when he spoke to me, a spirit entered into me and set me on my feet; and I heard him speaking to me. He said to me, Mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have transgressed against me to this very day. The descendants are impudent and stubborn. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ Whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house), they shall know that there has been a prophet among them. And you, O mortal, do not be afraid of them, and do not be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns surround you and you live among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words, and do not be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. You shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear; for they are a rebellious house.

 But you, mortal, hear what I say to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you. I looked, and a hand was stretched out to me, and a written scroll was in it. He spread it before me; it had writing on the front and on the back, and written on it were words of lamentation and mourning and woe.

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How this is still within many of us today. We are stubborn and are so afraid to pay attention and listen to what GOD is saying to us. But then when we do listen we tend to still ask why? To do what GOD is asking us to do is so easy when you think about it. Who knew I was going to do what I am doing for our church today? 74 years old and still replacing light bulbs…I am so blessed and glad that I paid attention. I may not be a Prophet, but I am his servant!

Prayer: Lord we ask you to help us understand and listen when you ask! Watch over us ALL and give us the will power to do what you ASK of US!

Ken Mongold

Advent devotions: Dec. 7, 2017

Thursday December 7

Daniel 6:19-28 King commands loyalty to God

Then, at break of day, the king got up and hurried to the den of lions. When he came near the den where Daniel was, he cried out anxiously to Daniel, ‘O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you faithfully serve been able to deliver you from the lions?’ Daniel then said to the king, ‘O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no wrong.’ Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. The king gave a command, and those who had accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. Before they reached the bottom of the den the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.

 Then King Darius wrote to all peoples and nations of every language throughout the whole world: ‘May you have abundant prosperity! I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people should tremble and fear before the God of Daniel:
For he is the living God,
   enduring forever.
His kingdom shall never be destroyed,
   and his dominion has no end.
He delivers and rescues,
   he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth;
for he has saved Daniel
   from the power of the lions.’
So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

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In this passage we find Daniel on the morning after he has faced the Lions.  The king comes upon Daniel, who in unscathed.  When queried as to how this is possible, Daniel replies that God sent an Angel to close the lions’ mouths.  Daniel believes this occurred because of his innocence and purity of heart.  The king then, makes a decree that all men should tremble, and believe in God and therefore be protected by God. 

Advent is the season miracles and waiting, and above all, believing.  We each face our own “lions’ dens” in life.  Whether personal, health-related, of financial, we each encounter situations where Faith in God can help us through the crisis.  During Advent it can be easy to get caught up in the pressures of the holiday season and lose the simple and pure belief exhibited by Daniel.

Prayer: Dear Lord, Help me to face my lions’ den with bravery and belief.  Help me to trust that you will show me the way through my struggles.  During this season of Advent, help me to kindle the flame of the Advent wreath and keep my belief present throughout this busy and pressured time of year. Amen.

Lisa Schuldt

Advent Devotions: Dec. 6, 2017

Wednesday December 6

Daniel 6:1-19 Daniel thrown in the lion’s den

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, stationed throughout the whole kingdom, and over them three presidents, including Daniel; to these the satraps gave account, so that the king might suffer no loss. Soon Daniel distinguished himself above all the other presidents and satraps because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king planned to appoint him over the whole kingdom. So the presidents and the satraps tried to find grounds for complaint against Daniel in connection with the kingdom. But they could find no grounds for complaint or any corruption, because he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption could be found in him. The men said, ‘We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.’

 So the presidents and satraps conspired and came to the king and said to him, ‘O King Darius, live forever! All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counsellors and the governors, are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an interdict, that whoever prays to anyone, divine or human, for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into a den of lions. Now, O king, establish the interdict and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.’ Therefore King Darius signed the document and interdict.

 Although Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he continued to go to his house, which had windows in its upper room open towards Jerusalem, and to get down on his knees three times a day to pray to his God and praise him, just as he had done previously. The conspirators came and found Daniel praying and seeking mercy before his God. Then they approached the king and said concerning the interdict, ‘O king! Did you not sign an interdict that anyone who prays to anyone, divine or human, within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be thrown into a den of lions?’ The king answered, ‘The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.’ Then they responded to the king, ‘Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the interdict you have signed, but he is saying his prayers three times a day.’

 When the king heard the charge, he was very much distressed. He was determined to save Daniel, and until the sun went down he made every effort to rescue him. Then the conspirators came to the king and said to him, ‘Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no interdict or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.’

 Then the king gave the command, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, ‘May your God, whom you faithfully serve, deliver you!’ A stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, so that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no food was brought to him, and sleep fled from him.

 Then, at break of day, the king got up and hurried to the den of lions.

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Daniel, at age 90, kept to his God & believed in his deliverance. He wouldn't pretend to believe in false idols of gold and silver. (Maybe money or high social standing, now.) He willingly went into the lion's den and God protected him for his faith. This miracle positively changed the heart of the king.

Prayer: God, help me to hold fast to You, Your love and forgiveness and see You in the face of another needy, hurting, maybe angry person. Help me be gentle with other's seemingly self- centered focus on their next new device or their fantasy football picks. Keep my heart open to the needs of those I feel called to assist and give me patience to see the fears inside some helpers who create conflict as we come together to serve. In Jesus' name. Amen

Gail Pease

Advent Devotions: Dec. 5, 2017

Tuesday December 5

Daniel 5:13-30 Daniel helps the king

Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king said to Daniel, ‘So you are Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? I have heard of you that a spirit of the gods is in you, and that enlightenment, understanding, and excellent wisdom are found in you. Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and tell me its interpretation, but they were not able to give the interpretation of the matter. But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you are able to read the writing and tell me its interpretation, you shall be clothed in purple, have a chain of gold around your neck, and rank third in the kingdom.’

 Then Daniel answered in the presence of the king, ‘Let your gifts be for yourself, or give your rewards to someone else! Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and let him know the interpretation. O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar kingship, greatness, glory, and majesty. And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. He killed those he wanted to kill, kept alive those he wanted to keep alive, honored those he wanted to honor, and degraded those he wanted to degrade. But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he acted proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and his glory was stripped from him. He was driven from human society, and his mind was made like that of an animal. His dwelling was with the wild asses, he was fed grass like oxen, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God has sovereignty over the kingdom of mortals, and sets over it whomsoever he will. And you, Belshazzar his son, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this! You have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven! The vessels of his temple have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them. You have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know; but the God in whose power is your very breath, and to whom belong all your ways, you have not honored.

 ‘So from his presence the hand was sent and this writing was inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed: mene, mene, tekel, and parsin. This is the interpretation of the matter: mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; tekel, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting; peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.’

 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed in purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made concerning him that he should rank third in the kingdom.

 That very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed.

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What the heck? “Mene, mene, tekel, peres”?! Belshazzar was given a very dramatic message from God but had no clue what it meant, so he called Daniel to explain it. Daniel was an exiled Israelite in Belshazzar’s kingdom whose allegiance was, above all, to the Lord, and he gave the dire interpretation to Belshazzar.

Lots of times in my life I’ve been in situations that were scary or difficult that I just didn’t understand and I wished I had a Daniel to explain my own personal “mene, mene, tekel, peres”. Sometimes we can’t immediately grasp the message God has for us in the moment. That’s when we need to turn to prayer and the support of those around us who also love the Lord to help us find our path. I’ve also learned that we can gain wisdom about ourselves from those we find most difficult to deal with. If we can objectively examine the things that irritate us the most about someone else we can often learn where our own shortcomings, intolerance, and lack of compassion lie so that we can change ourselves and grow more in the path that God would have us take.

Prayer: Lord help us to be receptive to your words every day so that we will know the direction you have set for us. Amen

Mary Beth Commisso