Fourth Sunday of Advent: Let's Go! (Updated)

Update: Today is the 4th Sunday of Advent.  I will not be posting any "Sermon Notes" for today as we are having our Christmas Cantata in place of the sermon. I've already shared about that with you HERE.  So for today, let's light the candle, and prepare our hearts for the coming of Emmanuel, God With Us...

(In this picture above from our home Advent service, we have already lit all five candles. But if you have a Christmas Eve service, that is when the tall white candle in the middle should be lit. I have kind of combined all of that in this post today).

Today  is the fourth Sunday of Advent...the Sunday prior to Christmas Day. As we light the fourth candle, the question is asked:  "Why do we light this candle?"

And the response is:

"Today we add the Shepherd's Candle.  It reminds us of our responsibility to share what we have seen and heard.  The Galilean Shepherds, who received the first announcement of the Savior's Birth, left their task and went with haste to see the Christ child, and then returned to tell others about the earthshaking event.  Sharing the Good News required no special talent, simply telling others what they had seen and heard with the conviction of personal experience."

Then we read Luke 2:17-20

"Now when they (the Shepherds) had seen Him (the baby Jesus),

they made widely known the saying which was told them 

concerning this Child.

And all those who heard it marveled at those things which

were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Then the shepherds returned,

glorifying and praising God

for all the things that they 

had heard and seen, as it was told them."

Luke 2:17-20

We are reminded that, like the Shepherds, we too should go out from this Holy place and spread the good news.  What IS the good news?  That little Baby that was born in the manger came to save us all from our sins.  He came to change the world....Click Here for "Mary Did You Know?" by Pentatonix

May the Good News of this little Baby fill your heart with joy and peace and the strength to carry on in the New Year, no matter what may come your way.  I am so thankful that I know this little Baby, Who grew up to save us ALL.  I hope that you know Him too.  No better time than now. And if you DO know Him, let us join with the Shepherds and spread the Good News throughout the world. This Little Baby Jesus, Who grew up to die and save us from our sins, didn't stay in the tomb.  After three days He arose from the grave, and conquered death once and for all. As He ascended into heaven, we were promised that He would return for us someday...

"And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up,

behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,

who also said,

'Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?

This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven,

will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.'"

Acts 1:10-11

Jesus told His disciples in John 14:18-19 ~ 

"I will not leave you orphans;

I will come to you.

A little while longer and the world will see Me no more,

but you will Me. 

Because I live,

you will live also."

Just before Christ ascended into heaven, He gave His disciples (and us) this "Great Commission"...

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you,

and lo, 

I AM with you always,

even to the end of the age.

Amen."

Matthew 28:19-20

And that, my friend, is truly GOOD NEWS!   EMMANUEL, "God WITH Us", will be with us until the end of the age...and then He will come again and take us home to heaven to be with Him forever.  What better message could we share with the world than this?

Let us go and do as the Shepherds did.

Let's Go!

Sermon Notes "Most Wonderful Time of the Year"

Today is the first Sunday of Advent...the time of preparation for the first advent of our Lord as a baby in the manger...God With Us...

As we lit the first Advent candle... the Pastor read:

 "This morning we light the first candle, the candle of hope.  This candle reminds us that God's promises give us reason to be filled with hope~hope for unity in a world of division, hope for healing in a world of pain, and hope for peace in a world filled with anger and strife.  We remember that Christ is our light and the source of our hope." 

My view from the choir loft during the prelude. Such a peaceful, beautiful Sunday morning. So thankful to be able to worship in God's house each week.

And then the choir sang this to help begin the Advent Season. 

A little later in the service the choir sang the following anthem:

"Christmas is coming...Let the Church bells ring..."

With the onset of the Advent Season, we are preparing our hearts to welcome the Christ Child at Christmas. But it is not necessarily so out  there in the rest of the world.  Sadly, Christmas has become "sanitized" as Christ has been removed from the commercialized version of Christmas, and has been replaced with cash.

Our scripture reading today tells of the current world view:

II Timothy 3:1-7

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:

For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,

boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,

traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

having a form of godliness, but denying its power.

And from such people turn away!

For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, 

led away by various lusts,

always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."

Christmas commercials that we see on the television may sometimes be heart-stirring and well-done, but they are still all about sending us a message to sell their product, whatever it may be.

God has been sending a message of salvation and reconciliation to man since the beginning of time and the fall of man. He has sent signs and wonders...plagues, parted the Red Sea, defeated big armies with just 300 men, healed those riddled with disease and leprosy.  He sent messages through the patriarchs and prophets of old...Abraham, Moses, David, Micah...He even sent a message through a donkey to get man's attention.  And yet we miss the message...we continue on in our own way..."lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God...having a form of godliness, but denying its power!"

Get amazed by the simplicity of God's message to us...He loves us...no matter what...He wants us to be reconciled to Himself...He wants us back.  This stubborn world continues to sin and rebel...God knew that only a personal act could redeem man...so God came down to live among us...to a dirty, dark, smelly stable...He didn't send some regal production to get our attention...He sent His Son...a Baby...Emmanuel, God with us.

Internet photo

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, 

and we beheld His glory, 

the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, 

full of grace and truth."

John 1:14

Christmas, the ultimate act that demonstrates the unfailing and unconditional love God has for us, His precious children. God with us...Emmanuel.

Do we keep it for ourselves, or do we have a responsibility to share this gift with others?

The true message of Christmas is to learn to love unselfishly as God did...and start to love people unconditionally, just as He has loved us and sent His Son to redeem us to Himself...

What will you do with this precious gift?  Will you keep it for yourself...or will you share it with the rest of the world...?

Sermon Notes: FUMC, Interlachen, FL., Pastor A.C. Myers, 12/2/2018

Please Note : I want to repeat this disclaimer here...the notes, outline, and content included here are based upon my own personal understanding of the message that was being given. I am not attempting to completely quote or reproduce this message or any other message I've shared previously. Just as each person reading these notes may glean insights and thoughts that seem to directly apply to one's own situation and interpretation, my own delivery of these messages is skewed by my hearing and translation of what is being said. Some may read my notes here and wonder if they were hearing the same message as I...and I say, God speaks to each of us as He wills...there are things He is trying to get across to each individual that may be entirely different than what the person sitting next to you in the pew is needing to hear... That is how the Holy Spirit works! He knows what we need to hear and how to apply it to our hearts. So it is with that understanding that I present these sermon notes to you.

4th Sunday of Advent: Spread the Good News! (Updated)

Today  was the fourth Sunday of Advent...the Sunday prior to Christmas Day. As we lit the fourth candle, the question was asked:  "Why do we light this candle?"

And the response was:

"Today we add the Shepherd's Candle.  It reminds us of our responsibility to share what we have seen and heard.  The Galilean Shepherds, who received the first announcement of the Savior's Birth, left their task and went with haste to see the Christ child, and then returned to tell others about the earthshaking event.  Sharing the Good News required no special talent, simply telling others what they had seen and heard with the conviction of personal experience."

Then we read Luke 2:1-20

"Now when they (the Shepherds) had seen Him (the baby Jesus),

they made widely known the saying which was told them 

concerning this Child.

And all those who heard it marveled at those things which

were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Then the shepherds returned,

glorifying and praising God

for all the things that they 

had heard and seen, as it was told them."

Luke 2:17-20

We were reminded that, like the Shepherds, we too should go out from this Holy place and spread the good news.  What IS the good news?  That little Baby that was born in the manger came to save us all from our sins.  He came to change the world....Click Here for "Mary Did You Know?" by Pentatonix

May the Good News of this little Baby fill your heart with joy and peace and the strength to carry on in the New Year, no matter what may come your way.  I am so thankful that I know this little Baby, Who grew up to save us ALL.  I hope that you know Him too.  No better time than now. And if you DO know Him, let us join with the Shepherds and spread the Good News throughout the world. This Little Baby Jesus, Who grew up to die and save us from our sins, didn't stay in the tomb.  After three days He arose from the grave, and conquered death once and for all. As He ascended into heaven, we were promised that He would return for us someday...

"And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up,

behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,

who also said,

'Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?

This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven,

will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.'"

Acts 1:10-11

Jesus told His disciples in John 14:18-19 ~ 

"I will not leave you orphans;

I will come to you.

A little while longer and the world will see Me no more,

but you will Me. 

Because I live,

you will live also."

Just before Christ ascended into heaven, He gave His disciples (and us) this "Great Commission"...

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you,

and lo, 

I AM with you always,

even to the end of the age.

Amen."

Matthew 28:19-20

And that, my friend, is truly GOOD NEWS!   EMMANUEL, "God WITH Us", will be with us until the end of the age...and then He will come again and take us home to heaven to be with Him forever.  What better message could we share with the world than this?

Let us go and do as the Shepherds did.

Let's Go!

Pictures from our Advent Candle Lighting service today, 12/18/2016...our friends Marion Hill and Maura Masterson lighting the candles, and our son Benton read the scripture readings.  

Following our service today we had our Home Bible Fellowship Christmas dinner....  Here is the table being prepared the night before....

And here we are today enjoying a wonderful ham dinner together...

And here's "Nanny", my 93 year old mother in law...enjoying the fellowship and good food and her after dinner snack of peanuts and a piece of chocolate...something she seems to be craving these days and we have to limit or she'll just eat that and nothing else!  Yes, never a dull moment...

I pray that you and yours are having a blessed Advent season...preparing for the celebration of the birth of Christ next Sunday!  Now, Go Tell it on the mountain...that Jesus Christ is born!!! 

Hallelujah!!

Easing Into Christmas

"Easing into Christmas" with a cup of Christmas Tea (thank you to my sister Doris) in my Christmas mug, and a piece
of Thanksgiving Apple Pie on a Thanksgiving paper plate...

Every year at this time I seem to have a difficult time making the transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas.  Last year I wrote the post "From One Season to Another" (Click this link for last year's thoughts on this subject).  Today I find myself having the same kind of thoughts. It is hard for me to let go of the season of "thankfulness" and embrace the season of "go get more".  Obviously I know that isn't what Christmas is all about, but when you see the hordes of people lined up waiting for hours on Thanksgiving evening to start the Christmas rush of shopping, it would appear that that is what the world thinks Christmas is supposed to be.  That just doesn't sit well within my spirit.  I abhor all the commercialism of Christmas...and the politically correct well wishers wishing me a "Happy Holiday"...they most often receive a  kind, but hearty  "Merry Christmas" response back.  Yeah, I know there are many people out there celebrating other religious holidays, and so not to offend them we are supposed to wish them a Happy Holiday.  Well, if I knew which holiday they were celebrating, I would wish them whatever particular wish that goes with it...but I am celebrating Christmas, and that is what THIS particular season is supposed to be about. "CHRISTmas", the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World.  (and certainly I do not mean that I would be rude to someone wishing me a Happy Holiday, but I am not afraid to say Merry Christmas, and I hope you are not afraid of that either!)  (Also, not to offend my Jewish friends...yes, I do sincerely wish them a Happy Hanukkah...but I long for them to meet their Messiah and celebrate Christmas one day as well. After all, they ARE His chosen people and His kin-folk in the flesh...they ARE the very reason He came to earth in the first place...)

I am so thrilled that for the first time in quite a few years I am able to participate in the singing of our church's Christmas Cantata, which is entitled, "Christmas is Jesus".   Although the music is somewhat difficult (or maybe I'm just out of practice...), the words of each and every song keep reverberating in my head throughout the day as I go about my work.  But the one that is speaking particularly to me today is this one:

"In the busy Christmas noise, 

all the lights, the bells, the toys;

I have found You are the only source

of comfort and joy.

(Chorus:)

Lord, I want Your presence for Christmas,

I want Your presence for Christmas,

I long to feel Your Spirit speaking peace to my heart.

Of all the gifts I may receive,

there's only one I really need,

and it's Your presence,

Your presence for Christmas.

When the holiday is through,

and the year is fresh and new,

what will linger are the moments spent

my Lord, just worshiping You.

(Chorus:)

Lord, I want Your presence for Christmas,
I want Your presence for Christmas,
I long to feel Your Spirit speaking peace to my heart.
Of all the gifts I may receive,
there's only one I really need,
and it's Your presence,
Your presence for Christmas."

(words and music by Rebecca J. Peck, Word Music)

That is my prayer for this Christmas season..."Lord, I want YOUR presence"..."speaking peace to my heart."  And that is also my prayer for our home, family, our country, our world. "Lord, we need YOUR presence speaking peace to our hearts..."

Last year some of my blogging friends and I each chose one word for the New Year to be our personal theme word.  The word I chose was "Hope", as I was hoping for answers to prayers, dreams to come true, hoping for a better life in so many ways.  I can honestly say that God fulfilled so much of what I was hoping for...He did answer many prayers, He did help many dreams come true, and we do have a better life.  This year the word I am thinking of is "Emmanuel"...not just a word, but a Name, the Name given to Jesus (Isaiah 7:14), which means, "God With Us".   That's what I'm praying for this year, during this Christmas season and throughout the New Year, that "Emmanuel", "God With Us", will become a reality...spiritually speaking, yes, of course...but personally as well.  We need to know that God IS with us...we need to know Him, and feel His presence in all of our life events and circumstances. Beyond that, I look forward to His divine presence returning for us very soon. Who knows, this could be the year!

My favorite Nativity Ornament from my parent's Christmas tree collection.



So, may you realize anew this year that "Christmas is Jesus", and that He was born to save us from our sins and to give us new life in Him...and most of all, eternal life forever with Him in heaven. Now that's something to celebrate!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Christmas: The Season for Children of ALL Ages

Matthew 19:13-15  "Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.  But Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.' And He laid His hands on them and departed from there."

When you think about Christmas, what are the first things that come to your mind?  Let's make a list based on what I think I can hear you saying...

1. Christmas Shopping
2. Christmas Decorations
3. Christmas Baking and Preparations for Entertaining
4. Christmas Cards to be written and mailed
5. Christmas Music
6. Christmas Gifts for a very long list
7. Christmas Present Wrapping
8. Christmas Giving to others in need
9. Christmas Programs at Church and School (although the school programs are now "Holiday Programs", not Christmas.
10. Christmas lists..........

I am sure many of you are nodding your heads at this list and checking them off along with me. Perhaps you have added a few others, and maybe you have scratched a few off.  Some of you are probably already finished with your shopping, wrapping and decorating. Others of us put it off to the very last possible minute and then make a mad dash to get it done in time. Maybe a few are just skipping the whole ordeal this year altogether because it is just too much.

There is ONE huge omission to my list above...The very reason we are celebrating Christmas in the first place...CHRIST HIMSELF!  Well, maybe He hasn't been left off of the list, as His name is the beginning part of each item on the list.  He IS Christmas personified.  Not the materialistic, mad rush of to-do lists part of Christmas...but the precious, priceless, magnificent, amazing, wonderful, majestic, powerful, beautiful, joyous reason for Christmas.  He is Emmanuel, God with us, God in the flesh, in the heartbeat and soul of a tiny, fragile infant, born to very human, trusting, loving, obedient parents in the humblest of circumstances.

And why did He come to us at all?   I can sum up the whole Bible and purpose for Christmas in just two verses:

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:16-17

It is as simple as that...God LOVED the world----YOU and ME included, SO MUCH...that He sent Jesus to earth to save us...and to give us everlasting life. What could be simpler than that?  All He asks of us is that we believe in Him.

So, at this Christmas season, my prayer is that we would all come as little children to Jesus, with child-like faith...and embrace the joy of Christmas in our hearts, our minds and our spirits...and share the love of Christ with everyone we meet...and to you and yours, I wish you a very Merry Christmas!