Category: The Joy of Advent Blessing

Acts 3:24-26 NIV
24 “Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. 25 And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ 26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

This message of Advent blessing is that the Lord is coming and has come to bless and to save. It is like wave upon wave of his grace and blessing coming upon us. It is the continuing in the OT vision of God’s presence coming like a cloud and filling the temple, and now in Christ, God has come and has made his dwelling with his people. Hence, the joy of Advent blessing is that God has come to bless, bless, bless. This changes the way we pray and approach the Lord. We are not left as orphans, nor those who live uncertain of God’s presence and blessing. Therefore, we come before the Lord humbly and confidently, for he has come to us in Advent blessing.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the one through whom all the peoples on earth are blessed. We thank you for the joy of the Advent blessing that has come to us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Let’s worship to the song Holy, Holy, Holy from this Sunday’s worship (click here).

-GK

Acts 3:4-8 NIV
4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.

This was the Advent blessing for this paralyzed man—”in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” This man’s response to the Lord’s invitation was to move towards God by simply looking up and opening his hands saying “Yes, I receive it.” There wasn’t much more that he did or could have done. However, in that small response, he experiences God’s extravagant invitation for blessing and salvation.

That is how we also receive the Lord’s blessing on a daily basis. We know that there isn’t much that we can do, but it is about God’s gracious love, and as we turn even that much (little), the Lord pours his blessing upon us.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we turn our eyes and open our hands towards you today. We ask for greater moments of encounter as we pray this week. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to the song At the mention of your name by Bethel (click here).

-GK

John 1:14, 16 NIV
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.

So I say to you that God is moving toward you with blessing in this Advent season…it doesn’t matter that two millennia have passed. With God, a thousand years is as a day with him, it is as though he made this promise two days ago. That’s how fresh the blessing for you is today. If you will move toward him in faith, you will receive the blessing. That is what Christmas is all about—the greatest blessing. (John Piper, The Dawning of Indestructible Joy)

There are two words that describe this advent blessing; the first is great intimacy and the second is extravagant invitation for salvation. To say that God is moving toward you, is to know God’s very real presence deliberately and passionately moving toward us in order to bring healing, salvation, and blessing.

Another aspect of the Advent blessing is the extravagant invitation towards salvation. The coming of Jesus is God’s invitation to the world, to come and fill his kingdom with those who are saved, healed, and blessed.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, as you move toward us, may we respond by moving towards you in faith. We thank you for the extravagant invitation towards salvation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Let’s worship to the song Adore (click here).

-GK

Acts 3:24-26 NIV
24 “Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. 25 And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ 26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

What this passage teaches us is that God brought Jesus onto the scene of history to bless people. “In your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” God said to his Son in heaven, “The time is fulfilled; I have promised blessing; now is the time to make good on my promise; you will be my emissary of blessing; I want blessing to come to the world; I have so much to give; go now and bless my people, bless them; indeed bless all the families of the earth through them, bless them, bless them.”  (John Piper, The Dawning of Indestructible Joy)

Today may our hearts be filled with joy for God is moving toward us to bless, bless, bless.  Even at this moment, Jesus is moving in those very areas where we need the light of the gospel to shine and give new life.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank you that you are the offspring through whom all the peoples of the earth are blessed. We rejoice for your salvation has come upon us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to the song Magnificat from this Sunday’s worship (click here).

-GK

Let’s read aloud together the following passages and prayer:

Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 NIV
² The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
⁶ For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.

Luke 1:31-32, 37 NIV, CEB
³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end…So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Nothing is impossible for God.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, we thank you that you are continually moving toward us in Advent blessing. We thank you that in the land of deep darkness, the light of the gospel has dawned. We lift our hearts and voices in praise. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Let’s worship to the song Hope and Glory by Tim Hughes (click here).

– GK