Welcome to my "Open Window"...a place of hope, encouragement, and adventure as we journey down the road from "Closed Doors" to the new opportunities God places in our pathway. I hope you will take the time to go back and follow the trail of mixed blessings and fears, failures and triumphs from the past and side-trips in the present. Perhaps it will conjure up some of your own special memories, and be an invitation for you to share with others. I look forward to spending this time with you!
What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?
Remember: "When God closes a door, He always opens a window!" You never know what might be out there waiting for you!
Showing posts with label Matthew 1:18-25. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matthew 1:18-25. Show all posts
"And Mary said, 'My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked with favor on the lowliness of His servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His name.'" Luke 1:46-49
Today we remember Mary, innocent and powerful, sacred and scared, worried and waiting as the Savior of all grows in Her womb. She sings boldly when she might be meek; she bears her role in history with the confidence of a warrior; she is the beginning of a mighty revolution as the proud are brought down and the lowly lifted up.
Today we give thanks for the Mary's among us, who step out of the roles society has planned; unintended pioneers determined to do as God asks; fearless and fearfully stepping out in faith, and beckoning us to do the same.
On this third Sunday of Advent, we light this candle a symbol of Mary, mother of Christ, bearer of the Way.
Won't you sing along with us today as we sang
"Hark The Herald Angels Sing"
Hark! the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King.
Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!
Joyful all ye nations rise. Join the triumph of the skies
With th'angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem!
Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Christ, by highest heav'n adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come, Offspring of the Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail th'incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Hail, the heav'n born Prince of Peace! Hail, the Sun of righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings, Ris'n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by, Born that men no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Today we learned about the angels talking to Joseph regarding the birth of Jesus and to not be afraid to take Mary as his wife, as well as warning Joseph in a dream later to take the child Jesus and His mother Mary to Egypt to flee the wrath of King Herod. (Matthew 1:18-2:18)
So thankful that Joseph was a righteous and obedient man of God. This is a wonderful story.
We are getting closer to Christmas day each day. I love this time of preparation of our hearts and minds to receive the Christ Child into our hearts and lives anew.
This past week our church ladies had a Christmas gathering to celebrate the birthday of Jesus. I was happy that I was able to participate and that the Lord was with us as we fellowshipped together .
We sang "Happy Birthday to Jesus" as this beautiful cake was presented in His honor:
We exchanged gifts with one another:
This was in our church Parsonage, which is currently not being used by our Pastor, and so the ladies have decided to make it our special place for Bible Studies and our UMW fellowship each month. It is a lovely place and we are thankful to have it since we are using our church Fellowship Hall for our worship services currently due to the need for social distancing and our sanctuary is too small to do that properly.
As is the norm at any church gathering, there is always more than enough food...
This was actually our first such gathering in almost a year, and we were so thankful to be together.
God has been very gracious to our church group and we are very, very thankful.
Today, let us be like Mary and "magnify the Lord" and boldly trust God when He leads us in a strange new direction, for He had done great things for us, and He will not lead us astray.
And let us also be like Joseph, and obey the Lord when He shows us His plan, no matter how unusual it may appear to be at the time.
This morning in our church worship service we were blessed to have the children from "Children's Church" sing for us. This was my view from behind them in the choir loft as they were singing...
And this was the view of them after they were finished singing and headed to Children's Church for their own service...
Aren't they wonderful? It is always such a blessing to see the children in church and to hear them sing. We are so blessed to have so many sweet and wonderful children...and the willing workers who do so much to teach them from God's Word. Thank you, Lord, for these blessings!!!
Then we settled back down and began our regular service with the lighting of the Advent Candle. This week's candle was reflective of Christ as our Light and the source of our JOY.
We read responsively:
"In the season of Advent, we celebrate with Joyful hearts. Christ is our light and the source of our joy.
We count our blessings, and give thanks for God's goodness and grace. Christ is our light and the source of our joy.
We strive to search for the good in neighbors near and far. Christ is our light and the source of our joy.
We remember that God has promised us full and joyful lives. Christ is our light and the source of our joy."
As the third Advent Candle was lit, the Pastor prayed:
"Gracious God, as we continue our Advent journey, we ask that you open our eyes to the beauty and goodness around us, and fill our hearts with grateful joy. Remind us that Christ is our light and the source of all joy, and that we are here to serve You and to spread that joy to others. Amen."
Following the sermon and during our Communion service, I was blessed to sing the following song in a quartet. What a beautiful message about our Savior, Who is the very "Breath of Heaven".
Our message today was about "Joseph's Dreams", which came from portions of Matthew 1:18-25, Matthew 2:13, Matthew 2:19, and Matthew 2:22. I commend these scripture portions to your reading while I share the interesting points from therein.
I wonder how many of us realized just how often God actually communicated with Joseph, Mary's espoused husband, regarding not just the birth of Christ, but also regarding His safety and protection to preserve His young life. I think we are all aware of that first encounter that Joseph had with the Lord in a dream (Matthew 1:18-25), when Joseph was thinking about having Mary "put away secretly" because she was "found with child of the Holy Spirit" before they had come together as man and wife. Joseph was obviously concerned and afraid of what people would think when they found out his betrothed was already pregnant. He knew that he was not the father of her child...so what was he to do? But "an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream," (vs. 20), telling him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife, "for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit." The angel goes on to explain to Joseph that her Son will be called "Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." The Angel further explains that this Child, who is to be born of a virgin, shall be called "Immanuel", which is translated, "God with us."
Joseph awoke from his sleep, and did exactly as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife...and did not know her (as his wife in a physical sense) until she had "brought forth her first-born Son. And he called His name Jesus."
Joseph obeyed God in spite of the stigma, the possible ridicule from others, and probably loss of respect for both of them. He did not hesitate to do exactly as the angel had commanded him.
Then we go to Matthew 2 and see the story of the Wise Men who came from the east in search of the King of the Jews. This was most likely about two years or more after the birth of Christ. They had seen the star in the sky back at the time of the birth of Christ, but they traveled many, many miles in search of this King. When they finally reached Jerusalem, they asked King Herod where they might find this "King of the Jews." Herod was rather troubled by this news, but nonetheless, he told them that according to prophecy, (Micah 5:2), the "Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel" would come out of Bethlehem. When the Magi went on their way, the star reappeared and led them to the Christ Child Jesus, they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, and then went on their way.
Joseph was once again warned in another dream by an angel of the Lord (Matthew 2:13) to
"Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."
Joseph arose, "he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt."
He obeyed the word of the angel again explicitly...and saved the life of the young Jesus.
You can read for yourself in verses 16-18 what King Herod did to all of the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts from two years old and under. Had Joseph not obeyed the angel of the Lord, Jesus would have been killed.
But the story doesn't stop there. In Matthew 2:19, after news came to Joseph that Herod had died, an angel of the Lord appeared again to Joseph while they were still living in Egypt. In verse 20 he said to Joseph, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead."
Joseph again obeyed and arose, "took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel."
Verse 22: "But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. "And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.
Verse 23: "And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."
The thing that stands out in all of these events between Joseph and the messages from angel of the Lord is that Joseph never questioned the angel of the Lord once. Instead, Joseph awakened from his sleep, got up, and obeyed the word of the Lord. He did not object or argue or question. He obeyed. He said "yes" to God. God said it, and Joseph obeyed.
What did Joseph get out of this whole experience? We really don't hear a lot about Joseph from this point on in Jesus' life, but we do know that Jesus later was known as "The carpenter"...(see Mark 6:1-6), so he apparently had taught Jesus his trade as a carpenter. And in Luke 2:41-52, when Jesus was twelve years old and the family had gone to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover, Jesus stayed behind in the Temple...and Joseph and Mary were very concerned when they could not find him...and it says in Luke 2:51-52 "Then He (Jesus) went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them...", "and Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." Joseph had the opportunity to give appropriate training, discipline and guidance to the young boy Jesus. Joseph was a major player in the story of Jesus' life, all because he obeyed God even in the face of possible ridicule, danger, and fear for their own lives.
What does this story have to do with us? Well, in what ways has God asked us to obey Him? We may not have such an important role in life as Joseph did...but then again, maybe we do. When we choose to obey God, we get to see God restore broken lives, relationships...and we are rewarded with the joy of living a life of peace with God. We are given the opportunity for eternal life when we choose to obey the Lord...and we may be instruments for leading others into a personal relationship with Christ...when we obey the Lord.
We are invited to adopt this attitude of obedience as a part of our Christmas time of worship and celebration. In what ways is God asking me to obey Him today? What about you?
Sermon Notes: FUMC, Interlachen, FL., Pastor A.C. Myers, 12/16/2018
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.
Here we are again...the 2nd Sunday of Advent...and in our home tradition we usually light the "Bethlehem Candle"...
(picture from our home Advent Wreath, 2017)
As we lit the Second Advent Candle we read the following:
"Today we light the Bethlehem candle. It is symbolic of preparation. The prophecy in Micah 5:2 that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem has significance because it indicates how God prepared even the last detail of the coming of Christ."
The following scriptures were read:
Micah 5:2
"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
the ONE to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from of old,
From everlasting."
Matthew 2:1-6
"Now after Jesus was born in BETHLEHEM of Judea
in the days of Herod the king,
behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,
saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?
For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."
When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together,
he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
So they said to him,
"In BETHLEHEM of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
"But you, BETHLEHEM, in the land of Judah,
are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel."
This was followed by the singing of another beloved Christmas Carol, "O Little Town of Bethlehem"
Don't you sometimes wonder why God chose Bethlehem for the birth of our Savior? Perhaps because God wanted us to realize that He is able to make something marvelous and magnificent come out of someplace seemingly small and somewhat insignificant. Much like what He does with us, we are seemingly small and insignificant in the eyes of the world...but Psalm 139:13-16 tells us we are "fearfully and wonderfully made"...and that God had a plan for our lives before we were even born.
"For you created my inmost being;
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be."
The marvelous thing about Advent and the Christmas story is that God sent Jesus, His Only Begotten Son, down to earth in the form of a tiny baby, to be born in an animal stable in the insignificant little town of Bethlehem, so that He could save ME (YOU) from all our sins. Read the following from the book of Matthew, chapter 1: 18-25 for more information...
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
"YOU ARE TO GIVE HIM THE NAME JESUS, BECAUSE HE WILL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS."
We are the people that He has come to save...little, insignificant you and me...because the God of Heaven loves us so much He was willing to sacrifice His Son for us...this is really significant...really big news! And THIS is why we celebrate Christmas!
Nativity scene at our church - 2018
Today at our church Advent service, we lit the candle of PEACE. This was our responsive reading and prayer after lighting the second candle:
In this season of Advent, we pray for God's peace.
Christ is our light and the source of our peace.
We witness the hostility between nations and neighbors.
Christ is our light and the source of our peace.
We see a world full of fractured relationships and unforgiving hearts.
Christ is our light and the source of our peace.
We seek relief from our own inner turmoil and restlessness.
Christ is our light and the source of our peace.
"Gracious God, as we continue our Advent journey, we thank You for sending the Prince of Peace into a world filled with unrest and strife. We ask that You quiet our restless hearts and instill in each of us the calm assurance that tells us You are in control so we need not worry. Give us the tools we need to serve as You would have us serve, and make us willing instruments of Your peace. Amen."
Our choir sang the following "Calypso Lullaby", written by Jester Hairston, and arranged by Joel Raney. You can listen and sing along here:
It really doesn't matter if your church lit "The Bethlehem Candle", the "Peace Candle", or no candles at all...what matters is that we are each preparing our hearts for Christ to enter our lives, homes, churches, and world anew at this Christmas time. Try to forget about the gifts we need to buy or wrap or make...try to put aside all of the stress of doing this or that or how much money we are going to spend to make sure everyone gets a "good Christmas". Can we just focus our thoughts and minds on Jesus, and how He came to save us from our sins and give us PEACE and HOPE and JOY? And can we share this good news with someone else this week? It is too good to keep to ourselves!
(This post will take the place of our usual Sermon Notes for this week)
