Tag Archives: prophecy

December 8, 2011 · 10:49 pm

{Advent} A Shade of Things to Come

Beautiful painting of the lone cypress by William Prosser

The heavens declare the glory of God {Psalm 19:1}

I awoke early.

The house was quiet and still with sleep. Night slowly pulled back the curtains on the lavender light of dawn.

The room I shared with my husband and kids was a monochrome of lilac-gray. I silently picked my clothes from the suitcase, grabbed a sweatshirt and shoes and opened my sister-in-laws front door.

That sliver of lavender-lemon sky I spotted through a crack in the curtains washed over the sky like watercolor. Tall eucalyptus and redwood trees rose like sentinels, their gray spires scraping the ever-lightening arch of sky. I stood in the chilled morning air, still heavy with its night blanket of fog, closed my eyes and listened.

Morning had broke in the east and darkness faded above me, but I stood listening in the shadowy, coastal neighborhood and  waited for ocean sounds to meet me. Like a child placing conch to her ear, I strained to hear the roll of the surf.

There it was! It called to me amidst the whisper of branches and the call of crows and gulls. I began to walk. I followed it’s silver sound until I found it, the Pacific Ocean in myriad shades of azure and turquoise, flashing metallic when it catches sun rays.

On the shore, I removed my shoes, faced the vast blue and cried. The morning sun warmed my back with golden light, the sand brushed my feet and my breath caught in my throat. The sound of the ocean had led me to it’s side, all I needed to do was listen and follow.

///

For centuries, four hundred years, there were no prophets to Israel. After Malachi, the heavens were silent. The Hebrew people were left to wait and watch for their Messiah. Perhaps God felt he’d given them full disclosure through the prophets, perhaps he was allowing time to pass and Rome to rise in power.

In a sense, though God was silent, he never really is silent at all. The heavens, and the incredible creation on earth, truly declares the majesty of God. Are we listening? God preserved his word over those centuries, while the priests discussed and pondered and debated, his word and promises were past on from father to son to son.

And like a child holding a conch shell to her ear, some followed the prophets and waited and listened.

When the angel Gabriel visited Zechariah, he said that God had heard his prayer. Had Zechariah been merely praying for a son, or had he been praying for the promised hope prophesied by Malachi, the one who would “turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous”?

{Luke 1:5-17} In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years. Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous– to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.“ 

It must have been disheartening for God’s people to wait in silence. Sometimes it can be discouraging to pray the same prayer over and over, year after year. But our God is not silent. He is faithful and he hears our prayers. I believe that even though Zechariah doubted God’s message that he and Elizabeth, both elderly people, could actually have a baby, he didn’t doubt God’s ability to fulfill his promise of sending a messenger who would prepare the way for the Lord. We can learn from Zechariah to believe in God’s personal promises, that his truth is not just for the corporate body, but for each of us individually. He hears our prayers, he is faithful, he will answer.

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December 6, 2011 · 6:56 pm

{Advent} The Shepherd from Bethlehem

Micah 5:2-5
“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.
His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity.”

Therefore He will give them up until the time
When she who is in labor has borne a child.
Then the remainder of His brethren
Will return to the sons of Israel.

And He will arise and shepherd His flock
In the strength of the LORD,
In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God.
And they will remain,
Because at that time He will be great
To the ends of the earth.

This One will be our peace.

Micah the prophet wrote these words to God’s people 700 years before Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem.

Micah wrote of a small clan, a town that never amounted to much and a woman in labor; then he writes of a Ruler, a Shepherd, our Peace and the one whose greatness would be known to the ends of the earth. What a contrast!

God isn’t impressed by what impresses us. Positional leadership doesn’t catch his eye, nor does power derived from position, wealth, even hard work. 

The One who will be our peace, whose greatness is known to the ends of the earth was compared to a shepherd. Remember the “shepherds abiding in the fields”? They were simple, uneducated men; not men of influence or renown, but humble, hardworking commoners.

http://www.wherejesuswalked.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/shepherds-field1.jpg

“He will arise and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord.”

Another version says he “shall stand and feed”. Jesus lived every moment in the strength of the Father. Over and again he stole away from the crowds to pray, only to return to minister, heal and teach. Jesus never questioned the value of his work or the majesty of the God who sent him. He engaged the crowds, involved the disciples and shepherded his flock always in the strength of the Lord.

Jesus always turned to God before he acted out. He always remained, abided, in the strength of the Father so he continued in his ability to do his work.

Have you ever heard of the acronym H.A.L.T.? It’s often used by Alcoholics Anonymous to help people understand the things that trigger a relapse. Hurt, Angry, Lonely or Tired–HALT. It’s an amazing little series of questions to ask ourselves when we are discouraged. Did I say those mean things to my husband because I was hurt? How do I act when I’m lonely–needy, critical, despondent? And how many times have I lashed out at my kids because I was tired? When we answer honestly, we will see that our bad behavior is often precipitated by hurt feelings, anger, loneliness or fatigue.

God isn’t concerned with our sphere of influence or our past (or the past few minutes!), however sordid or accomplished. God is concerned with us abiding in his strength so that we can, like Jesus, find our purpose in serving God and others. Sadly, Christmastime becomes a season of striving, but it’s meant to be a time we focus on and learn from the One who will be our Peace. Let’s turn to him to receive the strength we need to stand up and care for others. Let’s stop the striving and lean into God before we make the mistakes from our shallow wells or hurt, anger, loneliness and fatigue.

We can be more peaceful when we are abiding with Jesus our Peace, instead of abiding in our past, our power or our position. 

Make this Christmas your Peaceful Season!

Blessings,

Alyssa

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December 5, 2011 · 9:53 pm

{Advent} When the Morning Star Rises

For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”

We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets.

You must pay close attention to to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines  in your hearts.

Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own what understanding, or from human initiative.

No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God. {2Peter 1:16 – 21}

What and experience it must have been for Peter to see his friend, his teacher, transfigured on mountaintop. This man he knew so well in human form, who grew hungry, tired, thirsty, who laughed, cried, joked and reasoned stood before him in full heavenly glory. At the time Peter wasn’t sure what to make of what appeared before his eyes and eagerly offered, “It is good for us to be here. I can build a shelter for you, and for Moses and for Elijah.” It wasn’t until later, when Jesus had ascended to heaven and the Holy Spirit came to all believers that Peter began to see clearly. He then realized that the scriptures he memorized as a young boy, the day he met Jesus by the seashore, the night he betrayed his friend and teacher– it all came together in the name of Jesus. His experience on the mountaintop became a light he chose to share with others, like you and me.

Peter wrote that the words of prophecy that speak of Jesus are “like a shining lamp in a dark place.” Lamp refers to a flickering candle or a small lamp and darkness refers to a squalid, dank darkness.

On our honeymoon, my husband and I toured an old lighthouse on the central California coastline. We climbed dozens of stairs to the light deck where a single, small lightbulb shone. Wrapped on all sides of the bulb was a great collection of over a hundred pieces of glass, each mounted in a wire frame. The docent told us that each piece of glass was hand-polished and they were fitted together to form the Fresnel lens. This collection of lenses allowed that single bulb to cast it’s light across the darkest, foggiest night to guide the ships away from the rock-strewn coast and on to safety. When the night was at it’s blackest, the captain depended on the beam to lead his vessel and crew to safety.

Peter described prophecy to be much like a Fresnel lens and the world we live in, this dark place, like the murky fog and dark, dangerous waters of the rocky coast. We need to depend upon the light of scripture and look for it for salvation.

Jesus left his heavenly home at just the right time and fulfilled the prophets of old. He became the Light the world needed and his life changed the trajectory of humankind. His death paid for our sin and his resurrection led the way for the Holy Spirit to live with everyone who calls on the name of Jesus as Savior. His life was the light this world needed, and still needs.

One day, we will look again for him and his advent, his coming, will be like the rising sun — it will end all darkness. We will live in the light of his glory. A star appeared in the sky and rested over where the child, Jesus, lived. That very light glimmered a prophecy about the Light that is coming again.

Make your life an advent season for the return of Jesus, not as a baby, but a heavenly king. When you see your experiences with new understanding, like Peter did, and you be able to tell others about the mountaintop moments when Jesus met you!

Blessings,

Alyssa

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December 4, 2011 · 10:34 pm

{Advent}A Promise on a Dark Night

For your own sake, Lord, smile again on your desolate sanctuary {Daniel 9:17}

Have you ever been rejected? Have you ever felt so empty that the cries of your heart echoed on the walls of a desolate soul? Have you ever prayed the same prayer, confessed the same sins, over and over again, begged for an answer or a glimmer of hope?

Perhaps your family or marriage was crumbling under the pressure of sin and heartbreak. Perhaps a church split ripped friendships apart. Perhaps the tide of past hurts or mistakes threatened to flood your future keeping forgiveness out of reach.

You can turn to the Lord, like Daniel long ago and plead: For your own sake, Lord, smile again on your desolate sanctuary.

Daniel was a young man when the Babylonian army swept through Jerusalem and plundered the temple and captured Israel’s finest. He marched into the desert and lived the remainder of his life in service to the kings of another country. But always his heart turned toward home, toward Jerusalem and toward the one, true God of Israel.

Daniel held fast to the promise of God. Daniel’s confession and appeal begin this way:

I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: “O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands.

He went on to confess his personal sins and the offenses of his people. He repeated his cry for forgiveness, deliverance and help. He faced a dark sky from his chamber windows and looked for salvation.

Alone, desperate, he cried out for help.

In answer to Daniel’s prayer, God sent an angel.

The angel’s name was Gabriel.

Gabriel had a special message. A mathematical message that required of Daniel a level of faith most of us cannot begin to muster. The message was frightening, but how could it not be so when a holy God describes the defeat of all evil? But the message was also full to overflowing with hope and salvation:

{Daniel 9:23-24} The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. Listen carefully so that you can understand the meaning of your vision. A period of seventy sets of seven has been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin, to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.”

And the answer to his prayer was delivered in the form of a promise.

And it was delivered in the form of a name, Messiah {Daniel 9:25, the Anointed One}.

Jesus, the Anointed One, alone would be the answer to this desperate cry. God says he cared so much for Daniel that he gave him the prophetic algorithm so that, if preserved over generations, the Hebrew people could find him when he arrived, that most amazing day when the Messiah became Immanuel and walked and worked and lived with his creation; and even more, pointed to the day when the Messiah, the Anointed One, would become the Sacrifice.

Advent is all about looking forward, upward, toward the Coming of Christ. Like we strain to watch a shooting star streak across the black, velvet sky, we can stretch our souls toward the future and look to see our Savior Coming.

And like Daniel (see his prayer in Chapter 9) we can do these things:

We can be broken by our sin.

We can remember our Faithful God.

We can turn to God for help.

We can confess for our own mistakes and intercede for others.

We can beg pardon and ask for miracles.

We can remember the deeds and character of God.

We can ask for salvation.

We can repeat these steps.

We can wait for his answer.

We can trust in his word.

We can hope in his promise.

We can live and die with Messiah on our lips.

Or, we can go on living as before, nonplussed and unaffected, insulated and isolated, unchanged and dark with hopelessness. But Christmas, of all days, gives us the opportunity to face the dark-windowed night and call to God: For your own sake, Lord, smile again on your desolate sanctuary.

His answer is a promise. The promise is Jesus. He’s coming again. Are you looking forward to that day?

Blessings,

Alyssa

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December 2, 2011 · 7:02 pm

{Advent} Looking for a Sign

'in the snow' photo (c) 2008, Jon Oakley - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with child

and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14

Are you a skeptic? Do you scoff at the “next big thing” that everyone’s talking about? Do you research stories that circulate on the internet to confirm whether they are true or only urban myth? Do you eat vegetables instead of spending money on vitamins, pass by money-making schemes because they are too good to be true, and prefer to study the fine print before signing anything?

I’m glad I’m not alone.

As a skeptic, I’m also a doubter. And I know the arguments against the validity of scripture and the veracity of the Jesus story. I’m such a doubter that I even doubt my own words of testimony.

But as much as I doubt, I see the indisputable signs of the reality of a God everywhere.

I see it in the architecture of a flower, in the art of a sunset or the glimmer of refracted light on a rainbow trout. I see it in the kindness of strangers and the enduring mother’s love.

I hear it in birdsong and violins and babies’ laughter.

I’ve heard it in a child’s prayer and the singing of shoeless African farmers.

I feel it in my spirit, an indescribable knowing that inspires and comforts and gives me confidence.

There’s one thing, and only one, that I am totally sold-out on. It goes against my skeptic grain and logical brain, but I am convinced to the marrow of one true thing: Jesus Christ is God’s Son who lived, died, was buried, rose again and is coming again according to the truth of God’s word.

It is palpable hope. It is undeniable truth. It’s foot to floor, day to day purpose, it’s the one thing I’ve hung my hat on that hasn’t failed.

Church has failed me; Christian schools, friends and family, my spouse and kids have failed me. I have failed myself many times. But God’s word has been proven true over and over and this skeptic is convinced, converted, cornered into faith.

When Jesus engaged the people of his day, teaching and ministering, he was asked repeatedly to produce a “sign” that would prove he was who he claimed to be.

So he did.

Over and again he touched the fevered, the demon-possessed, the lame, the infirm. He healed the broken-hearted, forgave the prostitutes, reinstated the conniving, greedy tax-collectors, challenged the teachers and engaged the common pauper. He taught from the holy scriptures like “one with authority” and never once gave up on his faith and confidence in God the Father.

Jesus’ entire life was a sign, a series of signs, that pointed to the truth and to prophecy fulfilled as he lived and moved and spoke.

Prophecy is defined as a “prediction of the future, made under divine inspiration.”

Prophecy is the bread of faith, the crumbs that keep the faithful following through the centuries. The Hebrew teachers studied the prophets’ writings, memorized great stretches of them, yet when the very fulfillment of those predictions stood before them and fed thousands from a few loaves of bread, or healed lepers or blind beggars and then forgave their sins, it wasn’t enough.

The passage in Isaiah 7 holds a sign within a sign. It’s often missed, but it’s all in the name, Immanuel.

First, we are told that the Lord himself will give us a sign: the virgin birth, the male heir (for the savior was predicted to be a king), and he would be called Immanuel.

Immanuel is the sign within the sign. The meaning of this name is “God with us”.

The details surrounding his birth, life, death and resurrection were given as signals pointing to the true sign of God himself come to be with his creation. We’re to focus our lenses not on the details of the town Bethlehem, the virgin mother or the swaddling clothes, but rather the person of God being with people once again.

There was a time, long ago, when God himself Immanueled (if you will) with his creation. He wandered the garden paths with Adam and Eve, instructed and warned Cain, walked with Enoch and drafted boat plans with Noah {Genesis 1-5}. Immanuel, God with us, was what God intended when he spoke creation into being, but sin ripped through the fellowship between God and his beloved creation {Ephesians 4:18}, offended his holiness {Ezekiel 36:23} and demanded a ransom {Hebrew 9:15}. The very payment for the ransom was paid with the presence of God, in the person of Jesus, Immanuel.

So, in saying the signs weren’t convincing enough, the unbelievers of his day were simply turning away from Immanuel, the opportunity to be in the presence of the God they claimed to worship. God himself was not alluring enough, convincing enough, great enough to get their attention.

Do we say the same thing? Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, the person of God who would indwell, guide, comfort, strengthen and empower everyone who believed in Jesus as savior, yet we are told we can “grieve” the Holy Spirit {Ephesians 4:30} and “quench” his fire{1 Thessalonians 5:19}. We have Immanuel within us yet when we live in unbelief, discouragement, anger and strife, we are saying, “Immanuel, you aren’t enough.”

He is called Immanuel, God with us. What severs your communion with him? What separates you and keeps you isolated from him? He wants to be with us. Will we let him this Christmas?

Blessings,

Alyssa

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