Read Luke 2:1-4 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:2 (NIV) What would Bethlehem town have sounded like 2,000 years ago? I imagine a lot of animal noises, calling out voices in the markets, people yelling, the clanging of the blacksmith shop, children’s voices, and other noises I can’t even consider. Added to this would have been the influx of Roman guards and extra people who had arrived in Bethlehem for the census. At the time of Jesus’ birth, Google estimated that there would have been between 2,000 and 3,000 people living there. It could have been classed as a small city rather than a town. Bethlehem was a place first mentioned back in the Old Testament by Jacob when Rachel died in 1685 BC … “she was buried by the road leading to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)” (Genesis 35:19b NIV) Bethlehem was an ancient town, and it was here that most of the book of Ruth is set. Naomi’s family was from Bethlehem, so when her husband and sons all died, she packed up with her daughter-in-law Ruth and travelled to her hometown. Ruth met Boaz and they were married in Bethlehem. King David, Ruth’s descendant was born in Bethlehem, and it was here that he was anointed King by the prophet Samuel. This little town was well known by the Jewish culture of the day, and so it is no surprise that the Son of God, Jesus, a direct descendant of King David, was born here. It is New Year’s Eve today. Do we have a quiet place to celebrate the birth of a King this Advent season? No, we now herald him into our lives with shouts and oohs and aahs and fireworks and celebrating the New Year. As the old year ends, let us not forget what we have just celebrated – the birth of the King of the World, born in a manger in the little town of Bethlehem. He was heralded in by the singing of angels so let us also celebrate, with shouts and loud noises, that Jesus is our Saviour, Lord and Redeemer come to bring peace and love to the world. Prayer: Dear Lord, as I end another year, the birth of your Son heralds a new beginning. Let me bring Him with me into the New Year to be a part of my life. Amen
Read Ephesians 3:14-21 “We are S’more than conquerors through [Christ] who loved us.” Romans 8:37b (NIV) I remember the first time I had a S’more! I was staying at a youth camp for a church in New York. I had only just started my team ministry with Lutheran Youth Encounter in 1991. I was told to toast a marshmallow and then put it on two graham crackers with a piece of Hershey’s chocolate. The hot marshmallow melted the chocolate, and it all became a gooey mess while eating it, but oh so good! In 2010, returning to the US with our children and travelling in an RV, my husband and I decided to introduce S’mores to our children – a real hit! We blogged back to their classes telling of this delectable delight and S’mores were born in our family and amongst our friends. S’mores are a great example of God’s love. We are heated up with the power of the Holy Spirit to be sandwiched into fellowship with others, where the love of God is able to stick to others. To grow in faith, we need to have S’more and S’more of Jesus in our lives. God sent Jesus at Christmas to enter our hearts and lives through His incredible love. This baby grew up to be S’more than we could ever imagine, the Saviour of the world! He was God’s Son who was sent to our world to be the means for us to be able to enter God’s presence. S’more love and grace than we ever thought possible! So, try making a S’more. Our family had trouble in Australia with the biscuits and thin chocolate so instead we used a chocolate digestive biscuit with chocolate on one side. This works well and still tastes incredibly yummy. As you eat it think of S’more ways to share Jesus’ love, S’more ways to share your faith, S’more ways to serve others, and S’more opportunities to grow personally in your faith. S’mores are tasty and leave you wanting S’more. “We ought always to thank God for you because your faith is growing S’more and S’more, and the love everyone has for each other is increasing.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV) Prayer: Thank you Jesus that you have come into the world to bring me S’more love to share with others. May my actions and life bring S’more people to know you. Amen
TASTING SPEAKING Words and Actions
Read James 2:14-17, 22 “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18 (NIV) AUSLAN is the sign language taught to the hearing impaired in Australia. In school chapels and in BibleSong, I teach primary school children AUSLAN to Bible verses. In the programme of BibleSong the Bible verses are put to music which we then all sing and sign together. The way the brain works, if we can put actions to words, there will be greater retention and more engagement in learning. There is a love for learning the Bible verses and each time I try to have the children remember some of the signs used previously for other verses. Delight results from their remembering. In various verses in the Bible and the two above we read that both John and James have concluded that to just tell people that ‘Jesus loves them’ is one thing, but to show them that ‘Jesus loves them’ is even more powerful. To say ‘Hi’ and shake hands with a new family at church is one thing, but to then greet them with a cuppa, hospitality and caring makes an even greater impact. All people yearn for a place to belong and feel accepted. Jesus knew that too, which is why in many of His miracles through His ministry He didn’t just tell of God’s love but showed it through His healings, love and actions. Children thrive on love and having security and a place to belong. As adults this is also true. God sent Jesus to Earth as a baby to show His immense love for the world, then had His Son tell and show this love through His ministry. Jesus told us that we all belong to the Kingdom of Heaven, that we are all loved and can be secure in this knowledge. Let us also by our actions show others this love and find a place for them to belong. Be a person to bless others through your words, actions and life. Prayer: Heavenly Father, you have shown me how to truly love, not just through words but also with what I do. Help me to be a witness to others through both my words and actions. Amen
Read Matthew 2:3-8, 12-13 “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4:15 (NIV) Herod was hearing about a promised King, and he felt threatened. So, the best way to get information and discover what he needed to know was to pretend to be interested in worshipping the baby Jesus. He took the wise men aside and proceeded to deceive and lie to find out the truth. I remember being hurt countless times throughout my schooling by girls who pretended to be my friend to get something for themselves, only to find they were lying, and I got hurt. I am sure that most people can relate to this scenario at least once throughout their childhood and even in adulthood. It is a feeling of betrayal, of falseness and deception. Not a nice feeling at all. Jesus asks us to speak the truth in love at all times. We are not to lie, deceive or knowingly hurt others. Sometimes the truth can hurt, which is why many decide to not exactly tell the truth, maybe spin a little lie. But, when the truth is eventually found out, and it naturally does happen, more hurt and even broken friendships ensue. I remember during my travels, taking my eyes off the speedometer and going faster than I should. And a ticket ultimately came. I thought of hiding it, but instead confessed to my husband and all was forgiven, though the bank account was emptied a bit. What could have been hidden, I kept in the light to strengthen our relationship by always speaking truth to each other. In the Bible God always tells us the truth. Sometimes it is eye-opening and harsh truths, but ultimately the truths that we hear are to bring us closer to Him and His love. Herod did not speak the truth to the wise men and God knew it and He warned the wise men of Herod’s deception so that they left secretly, not telling Herod what He wanted. The Bible tells us God’s truth and with this wisdom, we grow in love towards each other. Practice speaking only truth in love and reading God’s truth! Prayer: Loving Father, thank you for your Word to give me your truth. Guide me in my speech and actions so that all I do and say may be pleasing to you. Amen
TASTING/SPEAKING Sweetness of Honey
Read Deuteronomy 6:3-6 (NIV)
“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Psalm 119:103 (NIV) Honeybees are the only insects that produce food that is consumed by humans – honey. A colony of bees includes a queen, drones and workers. There is only one queen per hive. She is the largest bee in the colony and may live up to five years. She will lay up to 2,500 eggs per day and has the ability to control whether she lays male or female eggs. A colony can have 50,000 – 60,000 workers who collect nectar to make honey. An average worker bee (only female) produces about 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime. A hive of bees will fly about 145,000km and visit an average of four million flowers to collect 1kg of honey. A bee visits between 50 and 100 flowers during one collection from the hive. Honey is mentioned 56 times in the Bible. Honey was often mentioned as a sign of God’s favour and often represented ‘His Word’. King Solomon in the book of Proverbs encourages the eating of honey: “Eat honey, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste. Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you”. (Proverbs 24:13-14a NIV) So why are we talking about bees and honey around Christmas? Honey cannot be recreated synthetically – some have tried, but it is easy to taste the difference. So it is with God’s Word. There may be others who try to tell us differently from the Bible, but only God’s Word brings sweet life to our hearts and souls. Above, King Solomon likens God’s Word to the sweetness of honey. It brings life and wisdom to the soul. God has promised in the Old Testament that He will bring His children to a ‘land flowing with milk and honey’. In the New Testament we can liken this to God’s Heavenly Kingdom prepared for us. The story of Jesus’ birth was the beginning of God’s plan for the salvation of the world, His life and death secured our future. Sweeten your life with God’s Word! Prayer: Your Word brings life to my heart and soul. Help me to savour your story of Jesus’ birth and to share the sweetness of the story with others. Amen
Read Deuteronomy 11:18-21 “Let those who have been set free by the Lord tell their story. He set them free from the power of the enemy.” Psalm 107:2 (NIRV) Storytelling is an art. It is a way to share the past, thoughts and wisdom by engaging the listener to become involved in what is being shared. As a classroom teacher, I used to love to tell the children the stories in the Bible. Putting the story in my own words brought these stories to life engaging the imagination and mind-pictures. I also like to share my life stories, the times when I know that God has guided and blessed me on my journeys and through all adventures. There have also been times when I have felt directed by God in a different way to that which I wanted to go. God asks us to share our stories of His love and faithfulness with our children and others. Yesterday we heard again the story of the birth of Jesus. How many times have you heard this story? At least every Christmas, because the Christmas carols we sing tell of the birth of Jesus. This story sure is a good one with drama, intrigue and miracles from God. All the events of this story declare God’s goodness and love to the world. From the humble birth in a manger, to angels sharing the Good News, to wise men following a star from hundreds of kilometres away. The extraordinary birth of the Son of God is nothing short of a miracle, telling the world that God loves each person so much that He sent His one and only Son to be born in a sinful and corrupt world. He did this to have His Son share and tell stories about what heaven and the kingdom of God is like and that He has prepared a place for us. Jesus’ ministry on earth was about telling the stories of God’s love in ways that people could understand. Read them for yourself in Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. Then tell your story. Impact someone for God’s glory and share your story! Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for sharing with me the stories of Jesus and your love for me. Help me to be brave to also share my God story with others. Amen.
TASTING/SPEAKING ‘Taste and See’ Christmas Day
Read Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7 “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the person who goes to him for safety.” Psalm 34:8 (NIRV) For Christmas lunch I like to cook traditional fare with our family. We have turkey, roast potatoes, vegetables, cranberry sauce, gravy, creamed corn casserole (Hansen family recipe) and I bring out the good cutlery and china plates. It is a special family time to chat, enjoy a glass and then celebrate with an amazing dessert cooked by my son. There are so many smells and the taste buds tingle with the scintillating flavours. During the cooking, I have many hovering taste-testers, just to make sure that everything is as good as it could be! They get just a little foretaste of the feast that is to come. In the two Bible readings from Isaiah, chapters 7 and 9, Isaiah is giving the people of Israel a taste of what is to come to bring them hope. He specifically mentions in 7:14 that the Lord himself will give a sign to all the people through a virgin becoming pregnant by the Holy Spirit and this child will be called ‘Immanuel’ – God with us! In 9:6-7, Isaiah expands on his first taste of what is to come by sharing more about this child and the future that will be coming for all God’s people. Today is Christmas Day and all that Isaiah spoke about came true over 2,000 years ago in a little town called Bethlehem. A virgin, named Mary did become pregnant and then she did have a child who brought with him the forgiveness of sins and life eternal in heaven forever with our Heavenly Father. The taste which the people of Israel got in Isaiah’s time has now been fulfilled and we are enjoying the grace and mercy of our loving Saviour – our Immanuel. With the peace and joy of this baby Jesus that we celebrate being born today, we also get a brief taste of what God has in store for us in heaven one day: the peace, the joy and the living presence of a loving God. Prayer: Loving Saviour, thank you for the taste you give me of life with a loving Saviour. Thank you for sending your Son at Christmas to be the promise for my future with you. Amen
TASTING/SPEAKING Silenced
Read Luke 1:11-22 “The angel answered, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.’” Luke 1:19-20 (NIV) The gift of speech is something many of us take for granted. But losing your voice or being unable to talk can really help us to appreciate this wondrous gift. Once when teaching year 5, I lost my voice for a couple of days. Not being ill I continued teaching, but with a difference – all the children had to read my directions for the day and had to keep their eye on me for visual signs. With a whisper I could share some things, but I couldn’t talk above them, they had to listen. I found with the sense of speech gone, the other senses were heightened in the children. We had a very quiet and well-behaved class and were extremely productive as the children responded with compassion. Zechariah was struck mute by an angel when he expressed his doubt about the angel’s message. He had a right to question this due to the age of him and his wife Elizabeth. “But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.” (Luke 1:7 NIV) This is a fair question from Zechariah to put a stranger who promises to fulfill the deepest desires of his heart. So why is Zechariah punished with no speech for nine months? Maybe this silence is not a punishment but rather a gift. Just as my class responded so amazingly to my silence, so Zechariah now had nine months to reflect on this visit from the angel and God’s message to him through the angel. This led to his incredible song of adoration and praise to a loving Heavenly Father (Luke 1:67-79). As the child grew in Elizabeth’s womb, Zechariah’s understanding could grow. He was saved from bragging, from crowding out the Spirit with his chatter and from broadcasting his scepticism. As we enter Christmas Day, maybe try to find some time through the busyness to be silent, to reflect on the gift of God as a baby who is born to be King of the World. Find some time to just listen and use your other senses to experience Christmas. Prayer: Help me Lord to listen to you speaking to me. Help me see the amazing gift and love of you in a tiny baby and then share this with others. Amen
TOUCHING Uphold Me!
Read Luke 1:66-79 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) When learning to swim, it is interesting that some seem to find it easier to float than others. As a child, floating was something I could do. Swimming distances and when out of my depth led to some panic, but as long as I remembered that I could float and knew that the water would hold me up, my panic level seeped away. As long as the water that my body displaces weighs more than I do, I will float, and this is known as Archimedes’ Law. A person who is submerged in water weighs less than the water due to the lungs being full of air, which lifts the body to the surface naturally. To be a confident swimmer means to be sure that the water will uphold you. Zechariah in the above reading had no doubts about the essence of his salvation and that his son was born to prepare the way for the Saviour of the world. Through the Holy Spirit he was able to prophesy that God was coming into the world to redeem and save His people – he had total confidence that the Saviour coming from God was going to save and uphold His people. I looked up the word ‘uphold’, and it means to ‘maintain, defend, advocate, support, sustain, endorse, encourage and espouse.’ Jesus was coming to do all of this. Before the ‘song of Zechariah’, there is a little sentence: “For the Lord’s hand was with him.” (Verse 66c) With the Lord’s hand with us and upholding us in all situations we need never feel that we are going to ‘sink’ or get out of our depth as we deal with everyday situations. All that we need to remember (and not to panic) is that God is there upholding us, not allowing us to sink, guiding, caring and loving us through each day of our lives. Archimedes’ Law applies to God in our lives – His love is greater than anything so we will always float! Prayer: Dear God, you uphold me with your righteous hand through each day of my life, thank you. May I remember this love when things get hard to bear and know you will hold me up. Amen