Post - Advent Devotional: Revelation and Christmas!

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There are no more Advent devotionals but this week's Fighter, Revelations 5:12-13, is a great post Christmas, Advent passage.

Advent involves not only looking to the coming of Christmas but also the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ.

Jesus did not come to stay in manger.

Jesus did not come to stay on a cross

Jesus did not come to stay in the grave.

JESUS CAME TO REIGN!

I recently saw a post by Russell Moore entitled "Apocalypse at Christmastime" that has some great thoughts on Advent and the book of Revelation. 

The baby Jesus still exists in the American Christian subculture as a kind of non-threatening mascot for the holiday season.  The only problem with this is that the Bible doesn't present the baby Jesus as warm or sentimental at all. 

We must remember that our love for family and friends and Christmas includes our responsibility to plead with them to be found in Christ before the great and terrible day of the Lord.

As we go into a new year let us look forward to Jesus' second coming in prayerful, hopeful expectation.

The Baby Jesus / The Son of God Appeared - December 24

The first reading is for family with children.
The second reading is from  Good News of Great Joy at Desiring God 


The Baby Jesus: Jesus is Born!

Do you remember what Advent means? It means coming–the coming of Jesus. This Advent season we have been celebrating when Jesus, God’s own Son, was born into our world as a little baby in Bethlehem. We have been looking at the story of Jesus’ birth–how God made the good world, how we have all gone astray like sheep, how we needed a Good Shepherd to come and bring us back to God. We have learned how the angel came to Mary, and told her that God would give her a special baby by the Holy Spirit. We know that Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem and had to stay in a stable. And Jesus was born! When Jesus came the first time, not many people knew who he was, that he was God’s great king who had come to save us from our sins and bring us peace with God. This is the good news of great joy that the angels sang to the shepherds. When Jesus comes again, everyone in the whole world will know. He will come with a loud trumpet and with many angels. We are waiting for him to come.

Dear God, we all want to thank you again for sending your Son Jesus to be born into our world and save us from our sins. You are so good and so merciful to us, O God! Please help us to be ready for when Jesus comes again. Amen. 

Bible Readings: 1 John 4:7-12; Revelation 22:12-17

Another Advent Reading Plan is Good News of Great Joy 

by John Piper

You can watch an introduction video and/or download the whole book at www.desiringgod.org/books/good-news-of-great-joy

You can also get the daily reading at www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-son-of-god-appeared