December 4, 2011

Scriptures December 4th – Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 85:1-2,8-13; 2 Peter 3:8-15; Mark 1:1-8; Theme: Second Sunday of Advent; song – There’s Something About that Name – UMH 171 Isaiah: We are preparing for a breakthrough from God. God is coming in our lives, and everything is going to change. This verse was written for the exiles. They were oppressed and felt that there was no way out for them. The prophet gave them words of comfort, that everything was going to be okay. They were going to achieve their goals, with the help of God – the intervention. Not only will God deliver us, God will take care of us in the process. There is nothing else for us to do, but to prepare for his coming. But we also have to be prepared for the fact that when we return, we return to chaos, not order. Everything we know has been destroyed. We have to be prepared to not despair, but roll up our sleeves and obey God. 2 Peter: The lesson that we learned from the Thessalonians, that when people learn that the end is coming, they can easily give up their lives and forget what they are fighting for. They can easily think that it doesn’t matter what they do, because everything is over. The biggest problem of a riot is not the rebelliousness of the people, it is the looting. They assume that there are no consequences for what they do, and they do anything. Peter talks about what it means to live in the endtimes. He talks about what will happen when Jesus returns. But the message is that righteousness must also prevail. As the faithful, we are not to look at this as a time to give up and not care. We are to continue to do what’s right, as a matter of fact righteousness is even more important. We are to show others, and most importantly Christ that we have been waiting for him. Questions: What are the conditions of oppression for you personally today? What are the conditions of oppression for us as a people? Who is it that is offering the voice of comfort along the way? Where is the highway that we must follow? How does God make our journey easier? How will advent be a new adventure for you this year? How can you teach others the righteous ways in the meantime before Christ comes?