The Bulletin Board:(Please SCROLL DOWN this page to find the article titled on this post in LARGE CAPITAL LETTERS. Thank you.)
U.S. Supreme Court has Reconvened: Let's be praying WHENEVER the Court is in session as their decisions can have impact on GENERATIONS to come. The fact that they may have an opportunity this session to actually vote on same-sex "marriage" where it has the same impact on this country that Roe v. Wade did should be motivating enough!
Of course, let's CONTINUE PRAYING FOR AN END TO THE EBOLA CRISIS IN WEST AFRICA AND THE HEALING OF ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN INFECTED.
"Yearning for His Coming - ADVENT IS SOON UPON US" - By: Eric Metaxas| Breakpoint.org: November 21, 2014; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/26448?spMailingID=9981777&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=421836484&spReportId=NDIxODM2NDg0S0
You’ve no doubt heard of “Black Friday,” the day after Thanksgiving that features, along with countless sales, the more-than-occasional trampling of shoppers by their frenzied peers. In many ways, “Black Friday” has become a bigger deal than Thanksgiving. So much so that many major retailers have announced that they are opening their doors on Thursday. The hope is that the possibility of buying something you don’t really need for a little less than you would pay a few weeks later will help people work off the turkey and pumpkin pie and get down to some serious Christmas shopping.
The problem is that it isn’t Christmas yet—at least not for Christians.The weeks leading up to Christmas day are properly called Advent in Western Christianity, from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming.”[i]
Adventus was the Latin translation of the Greek word parousia, which the New Testament most often used to refer to Jesus’ second coming. In antiquity, parousia was usually associated with the arrival of royalty: the leaders of a city went outside the city gates to meet the Emperor and escort him back into the city. Thus, for the Christian, Advent is about preparing to greet our King. And it is a time for both looking back to Jesus’ first coming and looking forward to His second coming in glory.
Like Lent, Advent is a penitential season, a time for reflection and repentance. If we’re honest with ourselves, what Titus 2 calls “our blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,”—should provoke both joy and a bit of dread. It’s a time for asking ourselves whether we truly are “a people that are [Christ’s] very own, eager to do what is good.”
If this doesn’t put you in the mood for shopping, well, congratulations! You are starting to “get” Advent.
The other emotion associated with Advent is yearning. Specifically, yearning for God to fulfill His promises to His people and to set right what has gone terribly wrong. This yearning permeates perhaps the greatest of all Advent hymns, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” It’s a paraphrase of parts of the liturgy dating back to at least the Middle Ages. Each verse invokes biblical titles for Christ—Emmanuel, Root of Jesse, Day Spring, etc.—and then rehearses why His people yearn for His presence among them.
Another Advent hymn, “Creator of the Stars of Night,” which dates from the seventh century, captures the season’s emphasis on both Christ’s first and second comings. After expressing the yearning at the heart of the season, it proclaims “Thou, grieving that the ancient curse, should doom to death a universe, hast found the medicine, full of grace, to save and heal a ruined race.”
There’s a lot going on in these hymns, which is why my colleague John Stonestreet has produced a marvelous DVD and CD teaching series on the hymns of Advent. It’s called “He Has Come,” and contains John’s “Two-Minute Warning” videos, study guide by T. M. Moore, “BreakPoint” commentaries by Chuck Colson on Advent, and a bonus CD with some of the great Advent hymns. We have it for you at BreakPoint.org. I hope you get a copy for you and your family.
This year, Advent begins on Sunday, November 30. Embrace the season! But whatever you do, do not let the culture define this most Christian of times for you. That would be a truly black Friday.[i] In Orthodox Christianity, the equivalent of Advent is called the “Nativity Fast.” It runs for six weeks instead of four.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
FURTHER READING AND INFORMATION
He Has Come: The Worldview of Advent DVD - John Stonestreet | the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview | December 2012
The Promise: A Celebration of Christ's Birth CD - Michael Card
The Promise of Advent Special Gift Set - John Stonestreet, Michael Card | the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview | December 2012
PRAY FOR AMERICA: THANK GOD for His many blessings on America throughout it's history. May we then ask that AMERICA once again be a blessing TO GOD, by once again submitting to HIS will in our affairs - both personal and national - that He may truly "heal our land." (2 Chron. 7:14)
NOW THAT THE ELECTION IS OVER:1) Let's be praying that God showed us grace in giving us representatives who will sincerely work to DO NO HARM to us and future generations. Let's also be praying that should He have chosen to give us those who WILL do us harm, that He extends mercy to us now and for the years ahead. His will is now done as far as the results we have. Now it's up to us to be diligent to hold those elected accountable!, and 2) Let's be praying that the present lame-duck session in Congress will not be allowed to pass legislation that will do harm to our country as they can easily do. (See post #1051 - 'Return of the Zombie).
NOW THAT THE ELECTION IS OVER:1) Let's be praying that God showed us grace in giving us representatives who will sincerely work to DO NO HARM to us and future generations. Let's also be praying that should He have chosen to give us those who WILL do us harm, that He extends mercy to us now and for the years ahead. His will is now done as far as the results we have. Now it's up to us to be diligent to hold those elected accountable!, and 2) Let's be praying that the present lame-duck session in Congress will not be allowed to pass legislation that will do harm to our country as they can easily do. (See post #1051 - 'Return of the Zombie).
URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: Save Christian Mom Asia Bibi from Execution - A Christian mom has been sentenced to death in Pakistan for her faith. Asia Bibi was falsely accused of “blasphemy” – speaking against the prophet Muhammad. Now this wife and mother of five will hang for her Christian faith.She would be the first woman executed under Pakistan’s Shariah blasphemy law.This is the ultimate human rights violation. We’re mobilizing our international affiliate – the European Centre for Law and Justice – and its partner in Pakistan to stop this atrocity. Add your name to our letter to the government of Pakistan demanding Asia Bibi’s freedom.Go to http://aclj.org/persecuted-church/save-christian-mom-asia-bibi-from-execution; please add your signature to mine and over 35,000 others AND pray for Asia Bibi.
U.S. Supreme Court has Reconvened: Let's be praying WHENEVER the Court is in session as their decisions can have impact on GENERATIONS to come. The fact that they may have an opportunity this session to actually vote on same-sex "marriage" where it has the same impact on this country that Roe v. Wade did should be motivating enough!
WORLD-WDE PRAYER REQUESTS:
Friday, Sept. 26th - Two Year Anniversary of Pastor Saeed Abedini's Imprisonment in Iran! - [NOTE TODAY'S POST!]
We need to continue to pray for Pastor Saeed - that his health will improve and that he will be re-united with his wife and two young children who live in the United States. [If you have not yet, please sign the petition for his clemency- http://beheardproject.com/saeed#sign] For comfort and .\
"Not Everyone Happy with Religious Ambassador Pick," Caitlin Burke,July 29, 2014;
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2014/July/Obama-Taps-Rabbi-for-Religious-Freedom-Ambassador/ "..An estimated 76 percent of the world's population live in countries where religious freedom is restricted. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States must take a strong stand against those violations. "Around the world repressive governments and extremists groups have been crystal clear about what they stand against, so we have to be equally clear about what we must stand for," Kerry said. "We stand for greater freedom, for greater tolerance, greater respect, for rights of freedom of expression and freedom of conscience," he said A key development in the 2013 report is the large number of displaced members of religious communities, including entire Christian communities in Syria and Iraq that have been forced to flee their homes because of persecution."
SIGN A PETITION TO THE UN FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHRISTIANS :" The church in Syria has shone brightly for 2,000 years. But today violence and persecution threatens its survival. Thanks to an incredible response, Open Doors is helping 8,000 families in Syria survive each month. We believe the signatures and prayers of 500,000 people will encourage the UN to act and protect the rights and lives of all Syrians, especially the vulnerable Christian community." Go to: http://lp.opendoorsusa.org/emails/nov-13-action/save-syria.html?utm_source=action&utm_medium=email&utm_content=button&utm_campaign=november
Of course, let's CONTINUE PRAYING FOR AN END TO THE EBOLA CRISIS IN WEST AFRICA AND THE HEALING OF ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN INFECTED.
PRAY FOR THE CRISIS HAPPENING NOW IN IRAQ (see post #907) Pray that allied forces will be able to drive the group ISIS back (see post #964)
/PRAYER ALERT- UKRAINE: As the Lord leads, please pray:
*For God to suppress President Putin’s ambitions to "restore" the Soviet empire.
*For the people of Ukrainen [esp. for the church 'to be THE church'] as they wait to see if the Russian troops will advance.
*About President Obama and to use wisdom in crafting our foreign policy, and wisdom for his advisers.
Continue to Pray for EGYPT - Continue to pray for the tense situation in Egypt and especially for the Christian believers who are being targeted with violence by Muslim Brotherhood members.]
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"Yearning for His Coming - ADVENT IS SOON UPON US" - By: Eric Metaxas| Breakpoint.org: November 21, 2014; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/26448?spMailingID=9981777&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=421836484&spReportId=NDIxODM2NDg0S0
You’ve no doubt heard of “Black Friday,” the day after Thanksgiving that features, along with countless sales, the more-than-occasional trampling of shoppers by their frenzied peers. In many ways, “Black Friday” has become a bigger deal than Thanksgiving. So much so that many major retailers have announced that they are opening their doors on Thursday. The hope is that the possibility of buying something you don’t really need for a little less than you would pay a few weeks later will help people work off the turkey and pumpkin pie and get down to some serious Christmas shopping.
The problem is that it isn’t Christmas yet—at least not for Christians.The weeks leading up to Christmas day are properly called Advent in Western Christianity, from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming.”[i]
Adventus was the Latin translation of the Greek word parousia, which the New Testament most often used to refer to Jesus’ second coming. In antiquity, parousia was usually associated with the arrival of royalty: the leaders of a city went outside the city gates to meet the Emperor and escort him back into the city. Thus, for the Christian, Advent is about preparing to greet our King. And it is a time for both looking back to Jesus’ first coming and looking forward to His second coming in glory.
Like Lent, Advent is a penitential season, a time for reflection and repentance. If we’re honest with ourselves, what Titus 2 calls “our blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,”—should provoke both joy and a bit of dread. It’s a time for asking ourselves whether we truly are “a people that are [Christ’s] very own, eager to do what is good.”
If this doesn’t put you in the mood for shopping, well, congratulations! You are starting to “get” Advent.
The other emotion associated with Advent is yearning. Specifically, yearning for God to fulfill His promises to His people and to set right what has gone terribly wrong. This yearning permeates perhaps the greatest of all Advent hymns, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” It’s a paraphrase of parts of the liturgy dating back to at least the Middle Ages. Each verse invokes biblical titles for Christ—Emmanuel, Root of Jesse, Day Spring, etc.—and then rehearses why His people yearn for His presence among them.
Another Advent hymn, “Creator of the Stars of Night,” which dates from the seventh century, captures the season’s emphasis on both Christ’s first and second comings. After expressing the yearning at the heart of the season, it proclaims “Thou, grieving that the ancient curse, should doom to death a universe, hast found the medicine, full of grace, to save and heal a ruined race.”
There’s a lot going on in these hymns, which is why my colleague John Stonestreet has produced a marvelous DVD and CD teaching series on the hymns of Advent. It’s called “He Has Come,” and contains John’s “Two-Minute Warning” videos, study guide by T. M. Moore, “BreakPoint” commentaries by Chuck Colson on Advent, and a bonus CD with some of the great Advent hymns. We have it for you at BreakPoint.org. I hope you get a copy for you and your family.
This year, Advent begins on Sunday, November 30. Embrace the season! But whatever you do, do not let the culture define this most Christian of times for you. That would be a truly black Friday.[i] In Orthodox Christianity, the equivalent of Advent is called the “Nativity Fast.” It runs for six weeks instead of four.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
FURTHER READING AND INFORMATION
He Has Come: The Worldview of Advent DVD - John Stonestreet | the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview | December 2012
The Promise: A Celebration of Christ's Birth CD - Michael Card
The Promise of Advent Special Gift Set - John Stonestreet, Michael Card | the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview | December 2012
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